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This week’s version of Hey Judes takes a closer look at the 2017 NFL Draft, some 2018 recruits who could end up as future first-round picks, and the recruiting stories of this year’s prospects entering the draft. 

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Don’t get me wrong. I love basketball as much as the next guy, and March Madness is truly amazing. But can we please fast forward to the NFL Draft already?

I need football in my life. Me without football is like me without coffee. I turn into one of the infected zombies from I Am Legend, and not even Will Smith can save me then.

Luckily, we have less than two months to go before yesterday’s college football stars walk across the stage in Philadelphia, shake Roger Goodell’s hand and turn into tomorrow’s NFL stars.

And because I’m such an NFL Draft nerd, and because the combine is over, I’ll be doing scouting reports on some of this year’s more interesting prospects. Sometimes, they’ll be high-profile players. Sometimes you’ll have to do a double take at the name. But I need some legitimate football in my life, and that’s why I’ll be writing them.

The first scouting report will be on Jabrill Peppers, and it will come out on Monday. When he was being recruited, Peppers was one of the more sought-after blue-chip recruits that we’ve seen, and I, personally, believe he’ll be a solid pro.

With that being said, let’s get right into it, shall we?

Names You Don’t Know

Earlier this week, I received messages from two NFL hopefuls: Jordan Ford and Roderick Henderson. The former is a cornerback who spent a couple seasons at Appalachian State before finishing up at Campbell University. The latter is a defensive tackle from Alabama State. They both asked me to dive into their respective game films and provide some feedback, and I couldn’t be happier to do so. Let’s start with Ford.

At 6-foot-2, 200 lbs he’s got an ideal frame for a cornerback. Injuries buried him on the Mountaineers’ depth chart, but he shows solid vision in the secondary. He does a nice job of mirroring and stabbing. We actually did a walk through of his film — a la John Gruden — and I was particularly interested in how he defended a specific nine route. The offense was in an 11 personnel and sent all verticals. The defense was in a Cover 1 look and sent the MIKE on a delayed blitz through the B-gap. Ford let him release, determined his lean, got his head around and made a play on the ball as the wide receiver tried to shave off the route.

In English (at my editor’s behest) that means the offense lined up with one running back and one tight end and sent all three wide receivers on fly routes. The defense had one safety high in a 3-4 scheme and basically relied on its corners to do their jobs in man coverage with hope that the pass rush would get to the quarterback quickly. With Ford running step-for-step with him, the receiver tried to cut under him and snag the ball, but Ford tipped it away before he could reel it in.

As for Henderson, there’s also a lot to like with his game. At 6-foot-1, 352 lbs he gets solid penetration from his nose tackle position. More often than not, he lined up as a zero tech above the center, and he certainly caused disruption by getting his hands inside and driving his legs. He’s a big fella, but he’ll fire off the ball and can clog up the A-gaps. He does a nice job of reading running lanes and disengaging to make a play, but he won’t provide much of an interior pass rush. Still, you’ll take it as long as he can devour running backs.

I recommend you take a look at their highlights. Both are linked to their names above, and I look forward to seeing them get shots at cracking an NFL roster.

Future First-Round Picks

On National Signing Day, we did a live show and reacted to the happenings of the day. And when I found out Marvin Wilson was going to Florida State, I had to take a deep breath because that kid is my pick as the most likely 2017 recruit to become a top-10 NFL Draft pick.

Sure, there is a lot that has to happen before we get to that point. There are plenty of variables to take into consideration, but I’m talking best case scenario here. So, let’s look at some 2018 recruits who can evolve into first-round picks. We’re talking 2021 NFL Draft, people. Buckle up.

One name that comes to mind is Xavier Thomas. He’s a 5-star defensive end for a reason, and either Clemson or South Carolina is going to get a stud edge rusher. His versatility is highly impressive, and I believe he’ll make an impact right away as a freshman regardless of which home-state school he chooses.

Five-star quarterback Jacob Sirmon, a Washington commit, is another player to monitor. He comes from a football family, so you know the pedigree is solid. His uncle is the linebackers coach at Louisville, and his dad is a former linebacker at Montana. I’m not as high on his arm strength as others are. There are certainly some things to fix, but I’ll be damned if that kid isn’t poised from the pocket. As great as I think Jake Browning is and can be, I fully believe Sirmon could end up being twice as good for Washington one day.

The last name I want to throw out there is Cade Mays. I think it might be the perfect situation for him at Tennessee. He’ll probably end up getting some early reps for the Volunteers, and I project him to end up at right tackle before it’s all said and done. He has some growing to do in terms of pass protection and footwork, but it’s hard not to love his work ethic and aggressive mentality.

Clearly, there are more names to keep an eye on, but those are three that immediately come to mind when thinking future first-round picks.

Once Upon A Time …

It’s funny because, every year, fans peer at the names in the NFL Draft class and right away think back to their college football careers. But once upon a time, these guys were all high school football recruits — just call me Captain Obvious. *salutes*

And I can’t help but laugh at how the recruitments for many of these guys played out.

Does anyone remember when Dalvin Cook was committed to Clemson? I do. I also remember when he flipped to Florida, and when he later flipped to Florida State on New Year’s Eve. Something tells me he would have ended up as a first-round pick no matter where he ended up. He’s that talented.

How about the guy he was almost teammates with? Deshaun Watson could have easily been a Georgia Bulldog if Mark Richt’s staff did a better job of locking down the borders of the Peach State. Had Georgia offered Watson as a freshman in high school, there’s a solid chance he could have won a national title with the Bulldogs, and that Richt would still be in Athens.

Teez Tabor, the artist formerly known as Jalen, once flipped his commitment from Arizona to Florida, and the Gators still had to stave off Maryland.

Before he was breaking the NFL Combine record for a 40-yard dash, John Ross once considered UCLA instead of Washington.

Remember when Reuben Foster flipped his commitment from Alabama to Auburn? Remember when he flipped it back? I also remember when Auburn was going to land Jarrad Davis, and then he went to Florida instead. Sorry, War Eagle, you’re Bodda Getta’ headache thinking about those two whiffs come draft day (buh-dum-tssss).

It’s fun to play “what if?”

MORE: How An Early Signing Period Will Change College Football Recruiting