Associated Press
The Senior Bowl came and went, but the NFL prospects that IPO’d are here to stay. Twenty future NFL draft picks were added to the market, and some could see their stock rise sooner rather than later. While I have been mostly writing about quarterbacks in this column, it’s nice to spread my wings and analyze some other skill positions.
Remember, a player’s Share Price reflects statistical expectations in their NFL career. For NCAA prospects, college stats only matter if they affect how the market views their NFL potential. That all starts with their expected draft position.
Make sure you tack on their 2x Multiplier if you want an opportunity for higher returns!
I think it’s tough to project much value in backs that will likely be drafted after the third round. Although, one player who’s projected there bit could surprise is former Tennessee and Oklahoma running back Eric Gray.
His skillet lines up well with someone who could be a solid contributor and pass catcher in an NFL committee. Using this tool from campus2canton.com, it’s easy to see Gray lines up favorably against a number of committee backs who entered the league with higher share prices. James Cook is the only player listed who was taken inside the top three rounds, and that was a surprise.
These players range from 13% more expensive than Gray (Boston Scott) to 58% (Khalil Herbert), but that’s with at least some NFL productions under their belts’.
Bottomline, Gray was very good early in his career before tailing off a little but has a skill set valued by the modern NFL. He also has NFL size, measured at a sturdy 5’9” and 210 pounds. Look for Gray to be a popular riser leading up to the draft with a strong combine. Go Long now to catch that helium!
Wide receiver is a position where age matters a lot and seniors face an uphill battle to be relevant at the next level. Given where Rice and Palmer IPO’d, I don’t see much upside.
I can see each getting taken on Day Two, but their prices are already in the range of Romeo Doubs who, despite being a Day Three pick last year, just put together a strong rookie season.
Musgrave made some noise early last season catching 11 passes for 169 yards and a score over his first two games before suffering a season ending injury. However, he was back in action at the Senior Bowl and looked impressive.
He stole the show with his athleticism and was clocked at over 20 miles per hour on the field, which is a tremendous number at his 6’6” 255 pound frame. While it would have been nice to see Musgrave produce more during his time at Oregon State, he will crush the combine and could get drafted as high as the second round.
There is some risk here, but another athletic freak who was drafted in the second round, Cole Kmet, came into the league with a $6.34 share price. He was more of a name-brand in college, but Musgrave’s price could rise near there if he hears his name called during the second round.