The NFL Draft is officially under three weeks away and final mock drafts are being released daily to put in the final predictions for what might happen come the last weekend of April in Dallas.
But today, let's stray from the more serious predictions and have some fun with the mock process. For this mock draft, we will focus solely on players from D2 schools and see which 32 prospects fill the selections of the first round.
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While a D2 prospect has not been selected in the first round since Hugh Douglas of Central State in 1995, pay close attention to this year's crop of players because there's a good chance a couple of players will picked in the middle-to-late rounds this year and many will sign with teams as undrafted free agents.
Will 32 D2 football players be drafted this year? No. But it's fun to imagine what that might look like and shine some light on under-appreciated D2 stars.
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D2 Pro Day Reports: Luis Perez | Joe Kupcikevicius | Marcus Martin | Nathan Shepherd
D2 / NFL Draft: Pro Comparisons for Top D2 Prospects
D2 / NFL Draft: D2 Prospect Rankings 1.0 (3/8/18)
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1. Cleveland
Desmond Harrison, OL — West Georgia
Harrison would be the third player from West Georgia drafted in the last two years, and could be a Cleveland choice in real life in a later round to potentially fill the shoes of the legendary Joe Thomas following his retirement.
WATCH: Harrison's Highlights
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2. N.Y. Giants
Alex Cappa, OL — Humboldt State
The Giants have had one of the worst offensive lines over the last few seasons and bulk up the interior with the Viking look-a-like from Humboldt. Mike Mayock of NFL Media has been quoted to say Cappa has "the nastiest tape I've ever seen."
OXLEY: D2 Football Draft Prospect Alex Cappa Prompts Best Draft Scout Tweet Yet
WATCH: Cappa's Highlights
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3. N.Y. Jets (via Indianapolis)
Luis Perez, QB — Texas A&M-Commerce
Perez is the reigning Harlon Hill winner and the best quarterback prospect to come from D2 in years. He actually has similar size and other measurables to Josh Rosen, a player often mocked to take over for Gang Green.
WATCH: Perez's Highlights
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4. Cleveland
Nathan Shepherd, DL — Fort Hays State
Shepherd is the best D2 prospect this year but drops due to the needs of teams above. The first player to ever get an invite to the Senior Bowl from Fort Hays, he could hear his name called as early as the second round in Dallas.
PROSBA: Shepherd's Combine Performance Should Solidiy Status as Day Two Draft Pick
WATCH: Shepherd's Highlights
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5.Denver
Ja'Quan Gardner, RB — Humboldt State
Our second Jack to be selected in the first five picks, Gardner quieted down his last couple of years at HSU, but ran for 2,000 yards as a sophomore.
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6. Indianapolis (via N.Y. Jets)
Ian Park, OL — Slippery Rock
While he is not the most heralded product from Slippery Rock – you'll see later – Park is a former Northwestern standout who helped give the Rock one of the best offenses in the PSAC and could protect Andrew Luck or Jacoby Brissett.
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7. Tampa Bay
Max Redfield, DB — Indiana (PA)
A former Notre Dame product who was once rated as a five-star prospect, Redfield ended up at IUP following off-field issues. But his ability to make plays in the back end is sorely needed for a Tampa secondary that lacks a true superstar playmaker.
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8. Chicago
Shaq Roland, WR — West Georgia
Another player who was formerly of D1 play, Roland played his early collegiate ball at South Carolina. A 6-foot-2, 170-pound wideout, Roland would be the third D2 player selected by the Bears since 2017.
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9. San Francisco
Marcus Jones, DB — NW Missouri State
Jones was one of the leaders for the defending D2 champions on defense, picking off one pass and breaking up an additional 14 en route to being an All-American.
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10. Oakland
Zach Sieler, DL — Ferris State
The Raiders seem to be searching for old school, nasty players who will be physical on every down. Sieler was a force for the Bulldogs, lining up in the middle of the d-line and being a productive pass rusher with 30 sacks in his career.
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11. Miami
Travis Tarnowski, QB — Ashland
Our second quarterback comes off the board with the Dolphins risking it with the uncertain future of Ryan Tannehill still in fold. Tarnowski may not have the biggest frame, but was very successful in his career against top D2 competition.
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12. Buffalo (via Cincinnati)
Joe Kupcikevicius, OL — Azusa Pacific
The Bills just traded Cordy Glenn to get this pick from the Bengals, and they find a potential replacement in a dominating right tackle. Azusa also happens to be the home of the "Nigerian Nightmare", Christian Okoye.
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13. Washington
Marcus Martin, DL/FB — Slippery Rock
Martin is the all-time sacks leader at any level of NCAA Football but is being looked at as a fullback by NFL teams. For these purposes though, we keep the D2 legend at his natural position of defensive end and allow him to rush the passer for Washington after they lost Trent Murphy.
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14. Green Bay
J.T. Luper, WR — Central Oklahoma
The Packers' receiving core has been gouged this offseason, losing both Jordy Nelson and former D2 product Jeff Janis. Luper is a small body, but he has great athletic traits and could be a good option in the slot for a team or focus on kick returns.
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15. Arizona
Jalen Tolliver, WR — Arkansas-Monticello
The Cardinals have to prepare for life without Larry Fitzgerald as the future Hall of Famer enters what is likely his last season. Tolliver is no Larry Fitzgerald, but he managed to produce 16 touchdowns on 67 catches in 2017.
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16. Baltimore:
Kyle Kitchens, LB — Catawba
Kitchens finished the 2017 D2 season with 12.5 sacks to lead his team, and that is exactly what the Ravens need going forward. Much like the Cardinals needing to find the future at receiver, Terrell Suggs can't play forever in Baltimore.
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17. L.A. Chargers
Luke Hrapchak, LB — California (PA)
Hrapchak was a tackling machine for the Vulcans during his four years with the 2016 PSAC Champions. A Harlon Hill candidate in 2017, he should help plug the void in the middle of the front seven for the Bolts.
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18. Seattle
Glenn Harris, DB — Wayne State
Harris was an absolute ball hawk in 2017 for the Wildcats, picking off eight passes. Seattle is in a transition period from the Legion of Boom to the future, and Harris could step in and help fill the void from Richard Sherman.
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19. Dallas
Kevin Haynes, LB — Central Washington
Sean Lee is oft-injured and is entering a season in which he will be 32 years old. Haynes was a true leader in the middle for CWU, and could be groomed under the former Nittany Lion to eventually take over.
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20. Detroit
Trenton Cannon, RB — Virginia State
The Lions have seemingly everything on offense with the exception of a true star running back. Cannon rushed for 1,638 yards in '17 and could add to the rotation of backs the Lions have employed.
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21. Cincinnati (via Buffalo)
Damon Gibson, TE — MSU Moorhead
A receiver in college but with the size of a future tight end, Gibson could help the Bengals eventually move on from the oft-injured Tyler Eifert who they brought back on a one-year deal.
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22. Buffalo
Tanner Garry, QB — Slippery Rock
Garry was a one-year transfer to the Rock from Youngstown State and wowed on the field to help lead SRU to their best season in a couple years. At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Garry has the size of the prototypical NFL prospect nowadays.
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23. New England (via LA Rams)
Ty McCulley, OL — CSU-Pueblo
McCulley is more a guard than a tackle for the needy Patriots, but depth is definitely a concern at all five positions along the line. McCulley has not been a name to generate much buzz in the draft process, but should sign as an UDFA.
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24. Carolina
Ashton Grant, WR — Assumption
Simply put, Grant can fly on the field. The former Greyhound standout was timed at 4.59 in the 40-yard dash at his pro day just a few days ago and can use that speed either through receiving or kick return duties. Think of Grant as this year's Keelan Cole, a 2017 prospect who caught on with the Jaguars and became a big impact performer.
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25. Tennessee
Osband Thompson, LB — Tuskegee
Not much has been written of Thompson, but he had a good showing at the Alabama pro day and even has a local visit with the Dolphins set up. The national tackling leader in 2017, he helps fill a void in the middle for the Titans.
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26. Atlanta
Jared Machorro, OL — Texas A&M-Commerce
The Falcons have a huge hole at the interior of their offensive line, causing their ground game to suffer last season. Machorro slides inside from his collegiate position at tackle to help solidify the ATL front and be our second Commerce selection.
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27. New Orleans
Nick Keizer, TE — Grand Valley State
The first tight end off the board would make the second straight year a GLIAC tight end is picked after Adam Shaheen in 2017 in the second round. While not the biggest pass catcher, he brings a level of playmaking needed down the middle for the Saints.
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28. Pittsburgh
Myles Humphrey, DL — Shepherd
Humphrey was a hand-in-the-ground defensive player for the Rams last year, but has the size to stand up in a 3-4 for the Steelers. With 13 sacks during the 2017 season, he could easily be a priority free agent if a team likes what they see.
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29. Jacksonville
Tanner Hudson, TE — Southern Arkansas
The Jags have changed their tight end room a lot this offseason, releasing Marcedes Lewis and bringing in Austin Sefarian-Jenkins alongside Niles Paul. Hudson may end up being more of a blocking tight end, but provides some depth for a position in flux right now.
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30. Minnesota
Lavonte Hights, OL — Shepherd
The Vikings just saw former D2 player Joe Berger retire in the offseason, so they fill his shoes with a fellow D2 alum. Before the season there was a lot of hype around Hights, but he might still work his way in as a UDFA player.
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31. New England
Connor Jessop, QB — Shepherd
Jessop makes three of the last four picks from Shepherd, giving New England a signal-caller to groom as Tom Brady winds down his career (we think). Jessop has a huge arm and big size, giving him a potential shot to be a practice squad guy in 2018.
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32. Philadelphia
Travon Blanchard, DB — Texas A&M-Commerce
The final selection of the first round comes from the defending D2 champs, giving them three picks overall. A former Baylor Bear who walked on at TAMUC, Blanchard should definitely get a shot as an UDFA in the coming weeks with hopes to make it through training camp.
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