This year the deadline for
underclassmen to declare for the 2017 NFL Draft was Monday Jan 16th.
The number of underclassmen declaring each year has mostly seen steady growth with
a real explosion starting in 2012 and the implementation of the rookie salary
cap. Here is a chart of the past 10 years:
|
Year
|
Underclassmen leaving
|
Year
|
Underclassmen leaving
|
|
2016
|
96
|
2011
|
56
|
|
2015
|
74
|
2010
|
53
|
|
2014
|
98
|
2009
|
46
|
|
2013
|
73
|
2008
|
53
|
|
2012
|
65
|
2007
|
40
|
Notably 2015 is an exception to the
rise. That year, the NFL advisory board changed how they evaluated and graded
potential NFL prospects. Prior to 2015, players were given grades in the
categories:
- In the 1st
round
- As high as 2nd round
-
As high as 3rd round
-
After the 3rd round
-
In no round at all
The board had a pretty solid track
record, with a 73.7% accuracy rate. However, nearly 53% of players who received
an “After the 3rd round” or worse grade from 2012 to 2014 weren’t
drafted at all and the big year of 2014 saw 37% of all the underclassmen go completely
undrafted. So the system was changed. Currently, players who submit their
resume to the advisory board are give 3 levels of grades:
-
1st round
-
2nd round
-
Neither (and the board advises them to stay in
school)
In addition, the number of players
from any one school allowed to submit to the advisory board was limited to
five. These factors served to curb early entrants in 2015. However 2016 saw the
number soar right back to previous levels and 2017 is keeping with that trend.
In the 2017 NFL Draft class, there
are 98 underclassmen declared eligible for the draft (with official list from
the NFL due out on Friday Jan 20th). These underclassmen have
increasingly dominated Day 1 and 2 of the NFL draft. In fact, 20 of the Top 25
prospects and 38 of the Top 50 on www.nfldraftscout.com are underclassmen. Here
is the unofficial list of declared underclassmen:
|
» Jamal Adams
|
S
|
LSU
|
|
» Alex Anzalone
|
LB
|
Florida
|
|
» Budda Baker
|
S
|
Washington
|
|
» Derek Barnett
|
DE
|
Tennessee
|
|
» Garett Bolles
|
OT
|
Utah
|
|
» Caleb Brantley
|
DT
|
Florida
|
|
» Noah Brown
|
WR
|
Ohio State
|
|
» KD Cannon
|
WR
|
Baylor
|
|
» Gareon Conley
|
CB
|
Ohio State
|
|
» James Conner
|
RB
|
Pitt
|
|
» Dalvin Cook
|
RB
|
Florida State
|
|
» Zach Cunningham
|
LB
|
Vanderbilt
|
|
» Malachi Dupre
|
WR
|
LSU
|
|
» Ukeme Eligwe
|
LB
|
GA Souther
|
|
» Jerod Evans
|
QB
|
Virginia Tech
|
|
» Isaiah Ford
|
WR
|
Virginia Tech
|
|
» D'Onta Foreman
|
RB
|
Texas
|
|
» Leonard Fournette
|
RB
|
LSU
|
|
» Wayne Gallman
|
RB
|
Clemson
|
|
» Myles Garrett
|
DE
|
Texas A&M
|
|
» Shelton Gibson
|
WR
|
West Virginia
|
|
» Davon Godchaux
|
DL
|
LSU
|
|
» Chris Godwin
|
WR
|
Penn State
|
|
» Jermaine Grace
|
LB
|
Miami
|
|
» Derrick Griffin
|
WR
|
TX Southern
|
|
» Chad Hansen
|
WR
|
Cal
|
|
» Charles Harris
|
DE
|
Missouri
|
|
» Carlos Henderson
|
WR
|
Louisiana Tech
|
|
» Brian Hill
|
RB
|
Wyoming
|
|
» Bucky Hodges
|
TE
|
Virginia Tech
|
|
» Elijah Hood
|
RB
|
North Carolina
|
|
» Malik Hooker
|
S
|
Ohio State
|
|
» Marlon Humphrey
|
CB
|
Alabama
|
|
» Adoree' Jackson
|
CB
|
USC
|
|
» Roderick Johnson
|
OT
|
Florida State
|
|
» Aaron Jones
|
RB
|
UTEP
|
|
» Josh Jones
|
S
|
N.C. State
|
|
» Nazair Jones
|
DT
|
North Carolina
|
|
» Sidney Jones
|
CB
|
Washington
|
|
» Brad Kaaya
|
QB
|
Miami
|
|
» Alvin Kamara
|
RB
|
Tennessee
|
|
» DeShone Kizer
|
QB
|
Notre Dame
|
|
» Jerome Lane
|
WR
|
Akron
|
|
» Marshon Lattimore
|
CB
|
Ohio State
|
|
» Carl Lawson
|
DE
|
Auburn
|
|
» Elijah Lee
|
LB
|
Kansas State
|
|
» Marlon Mack
|
RB
|
USF
|
|
» Patrick Mahomes
|
QB
|
Texas Tech
|
|
» Josh Malone
|
WR
|
Tennessee
|
|
» Damien Mama
|
OL
|
USC
|
|
» Christian McCaffrey
|
RB
|
Stanford
|
|
» Malik McDowell
|
DL
|
Michigan State
|
|
» Isaiah McKenzie
|
WR
|
Georgia
|
|
» Deon-Tay McManus
|
WR
|
Marshall
|
|
» Raekwon McMillan
|
LB
|
Ohio State
|
|
» Jeremy McNichols
|
RB
|
Boise State
|
|
» Joe Mixon
|
RB
|
Oklahoma
|
|
» Al-Quadin Muhammad
|
DE
|
Miami
|
|
» Montae Nicholson
|
S
|
Michigan State
|
|
» David Njoku
|
TE
|
Miami
|
|
» Speedy Noil
|
WR
|
Texas A&M
|
|
» Marcus Oliver
|
LB
|
Indiana
|
|
» Jabrill Peppers
|
LB/S
|
Michigan
|
|
» Samaje Perine
|
RB
|
Oklahoma
|
|
» Elijah Qualls
|
DL
|
Washington
|
|
» Ryan Ramczyk
|
OT
|
Wisconsin
|
|
» Devine Redding
|
RB
|
Indiana
|
|
» Cam Robinson
|
OT
|
Alabama
|
|
» John Ross
|
WR
|
Washington
|
|
» Travis Rudolph
|
WR
|
FSU
|
|
» Artavis Scott
|
WR
|
Clemson
|
|
» Curtis Samuel
|
Ath
|
Ohio State
|
|
» Ricky Seals-Jones
|
WR
|
Texas A&M
|
|
» Adam Shaheen
|
TE
|
Ashland
|
|
» David Sharpe
|
OL
|
Florida
|
|
» Garrett Sickels
|
DE
|
Penn State
|
|
» JuJu Smith-Schuster
|
WR
|
USC
|
|
» ArDarius Stewart
|
WR
|
Alabama
|
|
» Damore'ea Stringfellow
|
WR
|
Ole Miss
|
|
» Teez Tabor
|
CB
|
Florida
|
|
» Vincent Taylor
|
DT
|
Oklahoma St
|
|
» Solomon Thomas
|
DL
|
Stanford
|
|
» Mitch Trubisky
|
QB
|
North Carolina
|
|
» Eddie Vanderdoes
|
DL
|
UCLA
|
|
» Anthony Walker
|
LB
|
Northwestern
|
|
» Charles Walker
|
DL
|
Oklahoma
|
|
» Deshaun Watson
|
QB
|
Clemson
|
|
» T.J. Watt
|
LB
|
Wisconsin
|
|
» Marcus Williams
|
S
|
Utah
|
|
» Stanley "Boom" Williams
|
RB
|
Kentucky
|
|
» Mike Williams
|
WR
|
Clemson
|
|
» Howard Wilson
|
CB
|
Houston
|
|
» Quincy Wilson
|
CB
|
Florida
|
|
» Joe Yearby
|
RB
|
Miami
|
|
» Ishmael Zamora
|
WR
|
Baylor
|
This week starts practices at the
East/West Shrine game in St. Petersburg, FL. A full write up of those events as
well as a Senior Bowl preview coming next week.
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