DRAFT TRACKER 2016

The arrow is pointed up for Dodd who finished the season with a streak of five consecutive games with a sack. Dodd already looks the part of an NFL defensive end and his desire to make plays coupled with his physical traits and talent should have him shooting up draft boards. His lack of college snaps could preclude him from being "pro­ ready", but his instincts and football intelligence should expedite the learning process.

Alexander is a difficult evaluation because there are times on tape that he looks vulnerable to quickness off the line of scrimmage and he doesn’t have the prototypical size of a top­-end NFL cornerback. However, he was consistently sticky in man coverage and played with the instincts and confidence needed from a true cover corner. Alexander's confidence may border on cockiness at times, but that also seems to feed his competitive fire. Alexander might struggle early on, but should settle in to become a quality starter by his second year.

Productive backup for two years before putting together an All­-American season in his first year as a full- time starter. Lawson is built like a full­-grown man and combines his instincts, toughness and power to fill up a stat sheet and set an early tone. Lawson's frame and game are easily translatable to the NFL, but his average athleticism and pass rush skills will likely have teams viewing him as a 3­-4 edge setter or a 4-­3 base end. Lawson may also have value as 3­-4 defensive tackle in an upfield scheme.

Rare combination of size and speed that can often be found in number one wide receivers. Peake was highly regarded coming out of high school but failed to post eye-­popping production thanks, in part, to two knee injuries. While his small hands are a concern, his athleticism and ability to operate on all levels of the field warrant consideration inside the first three rounds if his medicals check out.

Physical, two-day linebacker with the desire to scrape downhill and strike what he sees. Goodson's lack of pursuit speed and overall athleticism could be troubling to teams, but his toughness and consistency of effort will appeal to teams who value force in the middle. Goodson could figure on the third day of the draft as a backup with eventual starter potential.

Odds are that Kearse will test well and with his length and ability, he very well may go much higher than the grade I have on him. To play safety, there needs to be a sense of urgency and consistency because that position is the last line of defense and Kearse doesn’t show those traits nearly enough at this time. If the light comes on and he gets more dog in him, then we are talking about a substantially better NFL player.

Height/weight/speed prospect who appears to be heating up around draft circles. With just one year of full-time starting experience and so much dead tape due to deep coverage responsibilities, teams will have a limited sample size to operate from, but traits usually win out. If Green hits a fast 40 at the combine (as expected), his stock will get a bump. Green’s coverage potential is evident, but he might need time on the bench to watch and learn early on.\r\n

Squatty, strong nose tackle who is able to push smaller centers around in phone booth battles, but unable to consistently be a disruptive force up front. Reader has the strength and potential to believe that his Senior Bowl flashes could turn into something more in the NFL, even though that might just be as a career backup.