There’s no doubt about it. When the 2019 NFL Draft begins on April 25th, there will be plenty of excitement as teams maneuver around their draft boards to pick the best players available from the collegiate ranks. Names like Kyler Murray, Nick Bosa, Dwayne Haskins and Josh Allen have drawn the most attention in the leadup to the draft and are sure to go early. Here at The SFFS, however, our favorite part of the draft is the later rounds and those prospects slotted to go there.
We’ll be sharing draft profiles of our favorite players entering the 2019 NFL Draft over the next several days until the draft kicks off. These prospects are projected to go somewhere in the later rounds, and to us, represent the diamonds in the rough that makes the entirety of draft season so fun.
DREW SAMPLE TIGHT END-UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
If you’re looking for a tight end who isn’t just a big-bodied wide receiver, but one who can make a major impact in the run game, look no further than the University of Washington’s Drew Sample. At 6’5″ and 255 pounds, Drew has the size and the physicality to take on a defensive end and the athleticism to get to the second level. In a mold similar to former Washington Husky tight end Will Dissly (a 4th-round pick by the Seahawks in 2018), Sample has enough juice and good hands to be a solid safety net in the middle of the field for his quarterback. In his four seasons at UW, Drew posted 46 catches for 487 yards with five touchdowns. Projection: The draft pundits have Sample as a third or fourth round selection.
Don’t just take our word for it, check out Cover1.net’s profile of Drew: https://www.cover1.net/scouting-report-drew-sample-te-washington/
ANDREW WINGARD STRONG SAFETY-UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING
A First-Team Mountain West Conference player as a Senior, the 6′-209 pound strong safety is a hard-hitting tone setter that some NFL team will love having on their roster. Showing off solid instincts and anticipation, Andrew racked up 454 total tackles, 25 tackles for a loss and ten interceptions during his four years in Laramie. With his mental makeup and speed (ran a 4.56-40 at the combine), Wingard should make an instant impact on special-teams as he works his way into the lineup in the secondary. While more of a box safety due to his physicality, he displayed at the combine the necessary athleticism to hold his own in coverage. Projection: The majority of draft experts have Wingard going in the seventh round.
Don’t just take our word for it, check out nflbigboard.com’s profile of Andrew: http://www.nflbigboard.com/andrew-wingard/
JAMES WILLIAMS RUNNING BACK-WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
Mike Leach’s offenses at Washington State University have been known to throw the ball around over the last few years, and throw it a lot. Running back James Williams has been the recipient of the lion’s (or Cougar’s) share of those throws throughout his three years in Pullman. The 5’9″-197 pound back accumulated 202 receptions for 1,437 yards and eight touchdowns in just 39 career games. The definition of a pass-catching back, James proved he was more than just a scat-back and that he can carry the rock as well. Williams averaged 4.9 yards per rush on 316 carries while punching it into the endzone 19 times. Though his size will likely relegate him to third-down duties as a pro, James has the talent to make an immediate impact in the passing game, especially for a wide-open offense that throws to its backs a lot (New England anyone?) Projection: The experts rank Williams anywhere from the 5th round to being a priority free agent.
Don’t just take our word for it, check out profootballdraftzone’s profile on James: http://www.profootballdraftzone.com/index.php/rb/james-williams-washington-state
Keep checking here for updates and more player profiles.
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