Let's Debate: NFL Draft Prospects Who Could Struggle Early, Late-Round Steals
#NFL Draft #prospects #struggle #late-round steals #Tennessee offense #penalties #scouting #adjustment
📌 Key Takeaways
- Chris Brazzell II may struggle due to Tennessee's unique offensive system under Josh Heupel, which hasn't translated well to the NFL for previous receivers.
- Davison Igbinosun's penalty-prone coverage in college could be a liability in the NFL, where pass interference penalties are more costly.
- The article highlights the challenge of evaluating prospects who excelled in college systems that differ significantly from NFL schemes.
- Late-round picks are identified as potential steals, emphasizing the value of finding overlooked talent beyond early draft rounds.
📖 Full Retelling
The NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone, which means front offices across the league are back in their war rooms reshuffling their respective draft boards. While several college stars look primed to thrive at the next level, others might face a steeper learning curve once Sundays roll around. Our panel of experts cut through the noise to identify which prospects might struggle early in the NFL, and which late-round picks could end up outperforming their draft position. Which former college standout do you think might struggle initially at the NFL level, and why? Michael Cohen: Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee A former three-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, Brazzell spent his first two collegiate seasons at Tulane before transferring to Tennessee. He made a massive leap from his first year with the Volunteers in 2024 to his second in 2025, ultimately catching 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns to earn first-team All-SEC honors this past fall. But wide receivers who have played for head coach Josh Heupel at Tennessee, where the "deep-choice" offense is quite different than most NFL systems, aren't enjoying much success at the next level. The four ex-Volunteer wideouts drafted since Heupel took over in 2021 — Velus Jones Jr., Cedric Tillman, Jalin Hyatt and Dont'e Thornton — combined to make just 36 receptions for 440 yards and two touchdowns last season. RJ Young: Davison Igbinosun, WR, Ohio State To call Igbinosun "handsy" in coverage is to liken an EF5 tornado to a stiff summer breeze off the Atlantic Ocean. In 2024, he was the most penalized corner in coverage in the Power 4 with 16 pass interference or holding calls made against him. In 2025, he was much more fundamentally sound and, at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, a tremendous addition in run coverage for the Buckeye defense. However, at the NFL level, where a 15-yard pass interference penalty is a spot foul and where he's not such an asset in run defense, I expect Igbinosun will have an adjustm
🏷️ Themes
NFL Draft, Prospect Analysis
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The NFL draft, officially known as the Annual Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the most common source of player recruitment in the National Football League (NFL). Each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order relative to its record in the previous y...
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- No Data Available - BROWSE BY SPORTS & TEAMS PLAYERS SHOWS PERSONALITIES TOPICS Built on College Football College Football Let's Debate: NFL Draft Prospects Who Could Struggle Early, Late-Round Steals Updated Mar. 5, 2026 2:01 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link RJ Young FOX Sports National College Football Analyst Michael Cohen College Football and College Basketball Writer The NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone, which means front offices across the league are back in their war rooms reshuffling their respective draft boards. While several college stars look primed to thrive at the next level, others might face a steeper learning curve once Sundays roll around. Our panel of experts cut through the noise to identify which prospects might struggle early in the NFL, and which late-round picks could end up outperforming their draft position. Which former college standout do you think might struggle initially at the NFL level, and why? Michael Cohen : Chris Brazzell II , WR, Tennessee Chris Brazzell II of Tennessee participates in the 40-yard dash during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images) A former three-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, Brazzell spent his first two collegiate seasons at Tulane before transferring to Tennessee. He made a massive leap from his first year with the Volunteers in 2024 to his second in 2025, ultimately catching 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns to earn first-team All-SEC honors this past fall. But wide receivers who have played for head coach Josh Heupel at Tennessee, where the "deep-choice" offense is quite different than most NFL systems, aren't enjoying much success at the next level. The four ex-Volunteer wideouts drafted since Heupel took over in 2021 — Velus Jones Jr., Cedric Tillman, Jalin Hyatt and Dont'e Thornton — combined to make just 36 receptions for 440 yards and two touchdowns last season. RJ Young: Davison Igbinosun , WR, Ohio State To call Igbinosun "handsy" ...
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