It’s Week 9 of the college football season and there are a bunch of exciting matchups on display. With that in mind, we’ve produced this list of five NFL Draft prospects that you need to keep a close eye on.
Graham Mertz – QB, Florida (6-3, 215, rs-Junior)
Mertz has emerged as one of the surprise packages of the 2023 college football season. After three lacklustre seasons as the starter for Wisconsin, he made the decision to transfer to Florida ahead of the 2023 season. He has been a revelation for the Gators so far. He leads the SEC with a 75.6% completion rate and has thrown for 12 touchdowns to just two interceptions. Mertz also has just one turnover-worthy play this season, the lowest amount of any Power Five starters.
Mertz’s underwhelming athletic profile and average arm strength is going to limit his appeal as an NFL prospect, but if he can keep performing like this he is going to earn the attention of scouts. This weekend he has a tough test against #1 Georgia. A good game on a big stage like this would do wonders for his draft stock.
Malik Washington – WR, Virginia (5-8, 194, rs-Senior)
Washington is another player who is in the midst of a breakout season. The former Northwestern receiver has long been a productive collegiate receiver, but he has taken his game to the next level at Virginia. He is averaging 112 yards and eight receptions per game and has already logged five 100+ yard performances.
At 5’8” and 194 lbs, Washington lacks prototypical wide receiver size and he is likely a slot only player at the NFL level. His dynamism after the catch will intrigue evaluators though. Washington leads all Power Five pass catchers with 19 forced missed tackles on his 56 receptions. Seeing how he performs this weekend against Miami will be well worth watching.
Te’Cory Couch – CB, Miami (5-10, 175, rs-Senior)
On the other side of the Virginia-Miami matchup is Couch, who should be tasked with containing Washington this weekend. The former four-star recruit is in his fifth season with the Hurricanes and his fourth as a starter. He is having a career year in 2023, particularly when it comes to the catch point. Couch has logged three interceptions and four pass breakups on just 35 targets this season.
With Couch allowing just 57.1% of his targets to be completed and just 36.8 yards per game in coverage, he is going to be generating plenty of buzz. Malik Washington will be a very good test and seeing how Couch contains him should be entertaining. Watch out for Couch as a blitzer too. He leads all Power Five cornerbacks with nine pressures so far this season.
Kingsley Suamataia – OT, BYU (6-6, 325, rs-Sophomore)
Suamataia was a high-profile recruit coming out of high school in 2021. He was ranked as a five-star prospect and the No. 36 overall player in the class, committing to Oregon over offers from the likes of Alabama and Georgia. He transferred to BYU after one season with the Ducks, starting at right tackle in 2022 before moving to the left side this season.
At 6’6” and 325 lbs he has great size and the athleticism to match. His cousin is Detroit Lions tackle Penei Sewell and the two share that mean combination of power and movement skills. Suamataia is yet to allow a sack in his college career, conceding just 18 pressures on 565 pass blocking snaps. He will have a tough test against Texas this weekend and it will be interesting to see how he fares.
Payton Wilson – LB, NC State (6-4, 238, rs-Senior)
Wilson is a player who has been on the college football scene for a long time. The former top 100 recruit was part of the 2018 recruiting class that included the likes of Trevor Lawrence and Micah Parsons. He is now in his sixth season with the Wolfpack, with over 40 career games under his belt.
Wilson’s collegiate career has been hampered by injuries and that will no doubt have a big impact on his draft stock. That said, when on the field he has shown himself to be an excellent linebacker. Wilson has the length and athletic ability to translate to the NFL and is a plus contributor against the run, in coverage, and as a blitzer. This weekend he and the Wolfpack face off against ACC rivals Clemson.
