NFL Draft stock watch, Week 1

Stock Up

Kenny Hill, QB, Texas A&M

When Johnny Manziel left for the NFL it left many to wonder if Texas A&M's Kenny Hill would be able to pick up where the former star left off. If he continues to play as well as he just did in week one then it won't be an issue. Passing for 511 yards on 44/60 passing, Hill both broke Manziel's single-game passing record and firmly established himself as a player to watch for the next two years. Kenny Hill is still only a sophomore so he won't be eligible for the draft for another two years, but its still a good idea to keep an eye on him as the season progresses to see if he can sustain such elite play.

Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA

Any game where a team scores three defensive touchdowns is going to produce more than a few standouts, which was the case with Eric Kendricks and UCLA last week in their victory over Virginia. Kendricks lead the team with 17 total tackles and contributed to two of the team's defensive touchdowns, The first came with a forced fumble returned by Randall Goforth and the second on an interception returned 37 yards for a touchdown. The Jaguar's appear to be set at the Linebacker position for the foreseeable future but he could be a good fit in Bradley's defense; he is a bit undersized but plays fast, aggressive, and shows good instincts to make a play. As of now he is considered a day two prospect, but he is a player to watch this coming season.

Rashad Greene, WR, Florida State

Jameis Winston threw for 370 yards vs Oklahoma State last week. Rashad Green accounted for 203 of them. He was the only receiver that Winston really seemed comfortable throwing the ball to and it appears likely he will stay as the Seminole's number one option for the season. In fact, even though Kelvin Benjamin received the most praise last season, Greene was essentially the number one receiver with 1,128 yards on 76 receptions last season when he lead the team in both. Look for Greene to build on those numbers now that Benjamin is no longer an option for Winston to throw to.

Todd Gurley, RB, Georgia

Already considered to be one of the top running backs in college football this season, Gurley did his best to clear up any doubt that he is the best of the best. Gurley accounted for 198 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on just 15 carries and also took a kick-off return 100 yards for a score. Every time he touched the football it seemed like he had a chance to make a big play happen and he very often did. At this point Gurley has a chance to be the first running back drafted in the first round since 2012, and if he continues to put up numbers like last week it almost seems like a lock that he will.

Stock Down:

Landon Collins, S, Alabama

While the new starting safety for Alabama isn't the only one to blame for the Mountaineer's great passing attack last Saturday, but as a projected top-15 pick Collins is going to take a lot of the blame. Many were high on the safety before he came into significant playing time due in large part to the Crimson Tide's history of great safety play and leadership. Collins was expected to come in and help lead the new crop of defensive backs and continue Alabama's success but they instead struggled in the first game, allowing 365 yards and a touchdown through the air. Collins didn't contribute in any significant way and seemed to play a little hesitantly. If he hopes to retain his high draft rating he is going to need to show development over the coming season.

Deshazor Everett, CB, Texas A&M

While A&M had a great game overall against the Gamecocks, senior safety Deshazor Everett was one of the lone dark spots last Thursday. On two separate plays Everett let a receiver run right by him for long touchdown receptions of 46 and 69 yards. In addition to the blown coverage, Everett also missed multiple tackles and was flagged on a pass interference call. Everett has potential to be a contributor in the NFL but he needs to get more consistent to be able to justify a draft position. As it stands now he is considered a day three pick but that could change if he continues to disappoint.

Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA

Many thought that Hundley could have gone in the top half of the first round of last year's draft if he would have declared early, but knowing he would need time to develop he decided to return to school. He is now competing with Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota for being the first QB off the board next April assuming he can show improvement this season. In his first game against Virginia last week he didn't show any of that development. He wasn't necessarily awful, but his performance can't be considered good by any measure. He didn't throw any touchdowns or interceptions, but he lost two fumbles which would lead to 10 points for the Cavaliers. If it wasn't for the stellar performance for the defense then Hundley might have been the main cause of a potential opening week loss. He has time to improve, but he did not get started on the right foot this week.