The Orange Bowl (Florida State vs. Michigan) will dominate bowl coverage on Friday, Dec. 30. And many other fans will check out Stanford vs. North Carolina in the Sun Bowl and Nebraska vs. Tennessee in the Music City Bowl.
With those big-named programs on display, it's easy to get overlooked, as is the case with Air Force and South Alabama in the Arizona Bowl. But do not overlook that game, one that features an elite tight end and two other interesting NFL prospects.
Here are the top 2017 NFL Draft prospects in the Arizona Bowl, led by South Alabama's Gerald Everett.
| Rank | Player | Pos. | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gerald Everett | TE | South Alabama |
| 2 | Weston Steelhammer | S | Air Force |
| 3 | Jalen Robinette | WR | Air Force |
Gerald Everett will become South Alabama's first NFL player.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end, currently projected as late second- or early third-day pick, has developed into one of the most reliable tight ends in the nation. A decent blocker with soft hands and a big-enough frame for the red zone, Everett is the young program's most draftable player ever.
South Alabama hasn't had a draftee since the program began in 2009; Air Force hasn't had a draftee over that same period. In fact, the Falcons' have zero draftees since 1999 and only seven in six decades of existence. Safety Weston Steelhammer and receiver Jalen Robinette both have a chance to end that streak, easily the longest of the three FBS service academies.
Steelhammer, a 6-foot-2, 200-pounder is a three-time All-Mountain West honoree. He is ball-hawking (17 career interceptions) and hard-hitting safety who plays a rare brand of responsibly aggressive football. He'll need outstanding pre-draft workouts to cement a draft spot, which would likely be sixth round at best.
On the other side of the ball is receiver Jalen Robinette, a big (6-foot-3, 220-pound) target who didn't catch a ton of balls (188 in four years) but can stretch the field (21.8 yards per catch) or be a short-yardage, move-the-chains target.
The athleticism is undeniable but with a modest sample size, he'll struggle to earn more than late-round consideration.
