Silverman: Projecting How 5 College Football Stars Will Compete At Next Level

By Steve Silverman
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College football's bowl season has taken on a different meaning the last two years. The College Football Playoff means that a legitimate national champion will be crowned on Jan. 11.

But while the two national semifinals on Dec. 31 at the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl may be the most important of the bowl games, there are still a plethora of postseason games for fans and scouts to peruse.

NFL scouts have long looked at bowl games as indicators of how prospective pro players will prepare for their most important games.

Teams have two-to-three weeks to prepare for an opponent, and a player who can sharpen his game during that time frame and also figure out his opponent's weaknesses will impress those that do the evaluating.

Much of the hardcore scouting work for next April's draft is completed now that the college regular season is over, but the fine-tuning is still at hand.

Workouts, private workouts, interviews and measurements will not wipe out what a player has done on the field during the regular season. But that information will help the scouts and general managers get a more complete picture.

As teams prepare for their bowl games, we want to take a look at five players who are sure to be first-round draft picks in the spring, and project how they will compete at the next level.

DE Joey Bosa, Ohio State – There's a very good chance that Bosa will be the No. 1 pick in the draft because he is a big-time pass rusher who has the strength, speed and explosiveness to get to the passer and make a boatload of plays in the backfield.

Bosa had 47 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks and four passes batted down for Ohio State this season. His physical strength allows him to dominate at the college level, but it is his moves and ability to set them up that makes him a player who should be able to record double-digit sacks at the NFL level.

Bosa may not be the next J.J. Watt, but he will be good enough to go to several Pro Bowls and upgrade his team's defensive line. He will get an opportunity to show what he can do against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. While the Buckeyes may be a bit depressed because they are not in the playoffs, watch Bosa to see if he can dominate against the Irish.

OLB Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame – In today's era of specialized players, Smith is something of a throwback because he excels against the run, can rush the passer and can also drop into coverage and make big plays.

Smith has the ability to diagnose plays in an instant and take the correct route to the ball carrier. He rarely gets fooled, and this is due to his preparation. He works hard to understand all of his assignments, all of his teammates' assignments and how the opponents are going to attack.

Smith had a team-high 113 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two recovered fumbles and one forced fumble this season.

Smith's best attribute is his ability to hammer an opponent to the ground. He is one of the nastiest and hardest-hitting tacklers in the nation, and that ability gives him an excellent chance to separate an opponent from the ball.

DT Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss – Nkemdiche is not your old-school defensive tackle who you put in the middle of your defensive line to swallow up the inside run.

Nkemdiche is an athlete at 6-foot-3 and 298 pounds who has exceptional quickness. He has shown he can stop the run at the college level, but he could have a few issues in that area when he gets to the NFL. However, there are no questions about his quickness and his ability to disrupt an offense by getting into the backfield.

Ole Miss will be lining up against a very athletic Oklahoma State team in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day. Nkemdiche's quickness and excellent instincts will be put to the test, and he should be able to make a good showing. Nkemdiche had 29 tackles in the regular season, along with seven tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks. He should be able to better those numbers at the next level.

WR Laquon Treadwell, Ole Miss – With two can't-miss prospects in our top five, you have to wonder why the Rebels are not in the College Football Playoff. That's a question for another day.

But Treadwell appears to have the same kind of talent that Amari Cooper had a year ago when he was a star at Alabama. Cooper has had an excellent rookie year with the Oakland Raiders, and Treadwell has the talent to become an impact receiver right away.

Treadwell has caught 76 passes for 1,082 yards and eight touchdowns this season, and he has the size at 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds to overpower smaller defensive backs and run past bigger players. Scouts want to see how he will perform against Oklahoma State in the postseason.

DE Shaq Lawson, Clemson – The undefeated Tigers will meet an exceptional Oklahoma team that is playing superbly right now. The oddsmakers expect Oklahoma to hand Clemson its first defeat of the season because the Sooners are such a finely-tuned offensive machine.

If the Tigers are going to remain undefeated and get to the championship game, Lawson is going to need a huge game. Lawson is a tough-minded player who can punish his opponents with his strong hands. Lawson had 20.5 tackles for loss this season and 8.5 sacks.

Scouts have noticed Lawson's killer instinct. When he makes a big play early in the game, he tends to have his best performances. They would like to see more consistency from him.