Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Hawaii had a single player drafted last April — seventh-round quarterback Cole McDonald. Though no prospects presently hold a draftable grade on my board, the player at the top bears watching.
Rico Bussey, then playing for North Texas, was graded as a potential mid-round choice entering last season. Bussey missed all but one game in 2019 with injury then high-tailed it for Hawaii. He’s a decent-sized pass catcher with solid hands, but he does nothing, in my opinion, to deserve the mid-round grade many scouts have on him.
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Bussey is not a big-bodied possession receiver, has just average speed and is now coming off injury.
Jared Smart is a similar prospect. He has decent size and speed but no great physical characteristics to his game. Smart does offer possibilities as a punt returner.
Reminder: To view my grades and projected draft rounds for Mountain West draft-eligible prospects, scroll to the end of the article.
Nevada Wolf Pack
Nevada has had just two players selected in the draft since 2014 — both offensive linemen. It is unlikely a senior from the program is chosen in 2021, but that’s not the story here.
Recently, the Mountain West has had a quarterback selected in the first round of the draft every other year. In 2018, it was Josh Allen. Last year, it was Jordan Love. Could they keep that streak going in 2022? It’s very possible.
Carson Strong did not begin the 2019 season as a starter, but the redshirt freshman broke his way in with the first team midway through the campaign. His film was pretty impressive and screams upside. Strong has a next-level arm, can make all the throws and is a great vertical passer who also quickly gets out routes to intended targets. He’s accurate, stays away from mental errors and shows the ability to carry the offense.
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He needs work on his game, which is why I’ve given him a third-round grade. But if he progresses and meets the upside that I believe he has, Strong is a first-round candidate in the near future.
Romeo Doubs is a quick, surehanded receiver who separates from defenders and makes the reception. He possesses solid size and above-average speed, and he showed a lot of progress last season.
Elijah Cooks is bigger and sturdier than Doubs, and he shows the ability to win out for contested grabs. While some scouts stamped him as a late-round prospect, I fear he lacks the speed and quickness to separate at the next level.
New Mexico Lobos
New Mexico has had just two players selected in the draft since 2010, and both were taken in the last round. They could have a player drafted in the seventh round next April if things break their way.
Teton Saltes is a college tackle with guard size. He displays solid movement skills, blocks with proper fundamentals and gets after assignments. Saltes also displays solid footwork off the edge and effectively blocks in motion. He needs to improve the details of his game, but I believe he has the ability to make a depth chart at the next level as a zone-blocking guard.
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Patrick Peek is a hard-hitting safety who some scouts have graded as a late-round prospect. He’s explosive and instinctive, but he also played just four games last season before being sidelined with injury. Peek must show no ill effects from the injury and get back to the form he showed early in the 2019 campaign.
Reminder: To view my grades and projected draft rounds for Mountain West draft-eligible prospects, scroll to the end of the article.
San Diego State Aztecs
The Aztecs have had their moments in recent drafts, with players like Rashaad Penny and Kahale Warring being selected in the first and third rounds, respectively. They have also had several defensive backs who were highly rated on the outside, but they fell flat on their face and went unselected in the draft; Luq Barcoo and Kameron Kelly immediately come to mind. Two defensive backs stand at the top of my SDSU board and hope to break that trend.
Junior corner Darren Hall is a nice-sized defensive back who has shown consistent progress in his game the past two years. He possesses next-level ball skills and athleticism.
Tariq Thompson is someone I’ve graded as draftable the past two years. He’s a good football player with next-level instincts, but he has average speed. There should be a place for Thompson at the next level in dime packages and on special teams.
Page 1: Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State
Page 2: Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State
Page 3: San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming