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Top 2018 NFL Draft Prospects In The FCS — February Update

HERO Sports by HERO Sports
February 27, 2018
Top 2018 NFL Draft Prospects In The FCS — February Update

If you think NFL players only come out of the FBS, take two aspirin and check the draft lists. The highly respected site NFLDraftScout.com already says the FCS features several day two picks for the NFL Draft — in 2018. And there's always the potential for a player to drift into day one.

[divider]MORE: Compare Any Two FCS Players or Any Two FCS Teams[divider]

RELATED: FCS prospects invited to the NFL Combine this weekend
RELATED: 10 FCS prospects snubbed by the NFL Combine
RELATED: How do ALL the NFL Draft Services rank FCS prospects?

​In the 2017 NFL Draft, 15 FCS players were selected in the NFL Draft, and nearly 100 more were brought into training camps as free agents. There will be many opportunities for some of the elite 2018 FCS prospects — and there is still time to 'trend upwards' on this list for players like Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta, who has seen his stock rise the past few months.

So below, we give you the FCS' Top Five prospects, as of Feb. 27, with the rest of the projected draft picks and high end free agent predictions according to NFLDraftScout.com. 

RELATED: When are the Pro Days in the FCS?

NOTE: Please note that several injured senior prospects in 2017 may end up in the 2019 draft class.

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5. SKYLER PHILLIPS, OG – IDAHO STATE

[credit]skyler phillips idaho state
Idaho State offensive guard Skyler Phillips (71) was injured last year and received a medical redshirt (ISU Athletics)[/credit]

2018 PROJECTION: No. 146 overall, 4th to 5th round projected

idaho state bengalsPhillips — who was invited to the Senior Bowl — was a fifth-year senior with loads of NFL potential, and he has proven to be quite versatile on the line also. Scouts love the fact that he could scoot over to the center position or play guard — and if you need him at left tackle, he's done that too. This is exactly what a pro staff is looking for when it is putting together a 53-man roster, and Phillips is a brawler on the line and a smart player.

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4. NICK DELUCA, ILB – NORTH DAKOTA STATE

[credit]nick deluca sam herder
Nick DeLuca – 49 (Photo: Sam Herder)[/credit]

north-dakota-state-logo (2)

2018 PROJECTION: No. 141 overall, 4th round projected
2017 STATS: 74 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks

DeLuca seemed like he'd been a contributor at NDSU forever. He even played in 12 games in 2013 as a freshman and won a national title, and he finished his Bison career with 329 career tackles and 26 TFLs, as well as 7 INTs. A true gritty playmaker, he has turned the heads of scouts this year as he recovered from a 2016 season-ending injury that led him to receive a medical redshirt and come back this year. He is currently flying up the charts and was on display in the Senior Bowl.

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3. DARIUS LEONARD, OLB, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE

[credit]darius leonard south carolina state (2)
South Carolina State's Darius Leonard is flying up the charts (SCSU Athletics)[/credit]

2018 PROJECTION: No. 112 overall, projected 3rd to 4th round
2017 STATS: 114 tackles, 12 TFLs, 8.5 sacks, 2 INTs, 10 hurries

SouthCarolinaState-icon

Leonard was a mainstay on the South Carolina State defense, being the primary run stop threat while also being a threat on the outside pass rush. As a redshirt freshman in 2014, Leonard led the Bulldogs in tackles with 86, if that gives any idea of what kind of player he is. He has been ascending up draft boards for a long time.

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2. BRANDON PARKER, OT – NORTH CAROLINA A&T

[credit]brandon parker nc at
North Carolina A&T O-lineman Brandon Parker will be watched closely this spring (NC A&T Athletics)[/credit]

2018 PROJECTION: No. 91 overall, 3rd round projected

north-carolina-at-logoParker — who was at the Senior Bowl — was one of the big reasons North Carolina A&T went undefeated and captured the Celebration Bowl in December. He is flying up the charts in recent weeks if not months. In just a few short months he has gone from being considered a late day three possibility to a solid day two pick and trending. This weekend could be another massive move forward for Parker.

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1. DALLAS GOEDERT, TE – SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

[credit]dallas goedert south dakota state
South Dakota State Athletics[/credit]

SouthDakotaState-icon

2018 PROJECTION: No. 41 overall, Projected 2nd round
2017 STATS: Try 72 receptions for 1,111 yards and 7 TDs.

Goedert — who was at the Senior Bowl — may be 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, but he moves and catches the ball like a guy who is much, much smaller. That's what makes him an absolute lock for the NFL Draft this spring. While he was certainly productive as a sophomore in 2015, it was 2016 when he became a human highlight reel — catching one-handed passes and lighting up defenses with his pass catching partner in crime, Jake Wieneke.

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FCS Projected 2018 NFL Draft Prospects

EDITOR'S NOTE: This chart includes seniors and one early entree underclassman from FCS schools (Maea Teuhema). NFLDraftScout does rank underclassmen as part of their projections, now that we are in the new year. 7th-FA = Projected 7th rounder to Priority NFL Free Agent.

Also: If you see "UP" next to a player's rank, it means he is trending upwards in the eyes of NFLDraftScout.

As mentioned on page one, the "PROJ. ROUND" is based where NFLDraftScout.com has placed them as of Feb 28, 2018. 

FCS PROSPECT COLLEGE POS RANK ROUND
Dallas Goedert South Dakota State TE 41 2nd
Brandon Parker North Carolina A&T OT 91 3rd
Darius Leonard South Carolina State OLB 112 3rd to 4th
Nick DeLuca North Dakota State ILB 141 4th
Skyler Phillips Idaho State OG 146 4th to 5th
Siran Neal Jacksonville State SS 164 4th to 5th
Kyle Lauletta Richmond QB 171 5th
Jake Wieneke South Dakota State WR 194 5th to 6th
Daurice Fountain Northern Iowa WR 201 5th to 6th
P. J. Hall Sam Houston State DT 205 6th
Taron Johnson Weber State CB 206 6th
Roc Thomas Jacksonville State RB 210 6th
Jamil Demby Maine OT 212 6th
Darius Jackson Jacksonville State OLB 215 6th
Bilal Nichols Delaware DT 222 6th to 7th
Timon Parris Stony Brook OG 235 6th to 7th
Chase Edmonds Fordham RB 263 7th to FA
Cole Reyes North Dakota SS 264 7th to FA
Joseph Zema Incarnate Word P 270 7th to FA
Greg Senat Wagner OT 275 7th to FA
Andrew Ankrah James Madison DE 286 7th to FA
Davontae Harris Illinois State CB 297 7th to FA
Maea Teuhema SE Louisiana OG 304 7th to FA
Ebenezer Ogundeko Tennessee State DE 306 7th to FA
John Franklin Stephen F. Austin DE 331 7th to FA
Matthew Oplinger Yale OLB 337 7th to FA
Mike Basile Monmouth (N.J.) FS 340 7th to FA
Donovan Olumba Portland State CB 344 7th to FA

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On The Cusp

NOTE: These FCS prospects are shown right outside of the "7th round to FA" description above (for Top 350 prospects), but right on the cusp of bumping up — especially with a good pro day (coming up). They are considered absolute locks to secure free agent contracts if they do not get drafted.

NAME COLLEGE POS RANK STATUS
Jeremiah Briscoe Sam Houston State QB 351 FA
Danny Johnson Southern CB 353 FA
Brett Taylor Western Illinois ILB 399 FA
Aaron Stinnie James Madison OT 406 FA
Austin Kuhnert North Dakota State OG 422 FA
Richard Jarvis Brown OLB 440 FA
Lane Clark Tennessee State K 444 FA
Justin Watson Pennsylvania WR 451 FA
Sione Teuhema SE Louisiana DE 452 FA
Tre Dempsey North Dakota State CB 458 FA
Tremon Smith Central Arkansas CB 505 FA
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