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Mike Mayock analyzes the top NFL draft prospects

NFL NETWORK draft analyst Mike Mayock once again shares his views on top draft prospects with Daily News sports writer Paul Domowitch. He assesses the best player at each position, as well as a player who is rising up the draft board and a late-round slee

NFL NETWORK draft analyst Mike Mayock once again shares his views on top draft prospects with Daily News sports writer Paul Domowitch. He assesses the best player at each position, as well as a player who is rising up the draft board and a late-round sleeper to keep an eye on later in the draft. Mayock, 57, resides in Newtown Square and is a graduate of the Haverford School and Boston College. A former safety, he was a 10th-round pick of the Steelers in 1981 and played two seasons with the Giants (1982-83).

QUARTERBACK

THE BEST

Carson Wentz

6-5, 237

North Dakota State

40-time: 4.65

Hands: 10 inches

Round Projection: 1

Mayock: "The more I've gotten to know the kid and talk to the people around him, the more I like him. I can watch all the tape I want and judge arm strength and physical running ability, which he has in spades. But it's the intangibles at that position (that make the difference). And I'm getting a really positive feeling both with my interaction with him and also indirectly (talking to scouts) throughout the league. I took a bunch of crap for saying both Wentz and (Jared) Goff are in the conversation with (Marcus) Mariota and (Jameis) Winston. But I believe that. I believe all four of them are franchise quarterbacks. I don't have any concerns about the level of competition that Wentz played. A bigger concern for me was that he started only 23 games. That made me a little bit nervous. But he erased that concern at the Senior Bowl. The fact that he has experience under center, called stuff at the line of scrimmage . . . he's really good at the line of scrimmage and had complete freedom getting in and out of plays. Even though he played in Division I-AA, that's rare in today's quarterback world. Would I like for him to have an opportunity to play behind somebody for a while? Yeah. I mean I'd hate to see him get thrown in Day 1 in Cleveland and get his ass whooped out of the gate. (Joe) Flacco, who also came out of I-AA, only started 27 games in college and started every game as a rookie. But he had a run game and a defense."

THE RISER

Jeff Driskel

6-4, 234

Louisiana Tech

40-time: 4.56

Hands: 9.75 inches

Round Projection: 4-5

Mayock: "I don't think there's a real riser at this position. But there is an awareness of (Driskel's) size, athletic ability and arm-strength. It started at the Senior Bowl and continued through the combine. And I think there are people that feel he has some upside. He got kind of forgotten because of the (University of) Florida experience and transferring. But he came out of it and people are starting to take another look at the kid and are saying, 'Wow, He's athletic. He's got a good arm. He might be somebody we want to work with.' "

THE SLEEPER

Vernon Adams

5-11, 200

Oregon

40-time: 4.80

Hands: 9.12 inches

Round Projection: Priority Free Agent

Mayock: "There's a little something about this kid. It's not like he's a great running quarterback. He only ran in the 4.8s. But the reason I'm intrigued by him is I thought he had a really good East-West week. In the first half of the East-West game, he threw three touchdown passes, all from the pocket. He's got a better arm than people think. He was kind of hidden at Eastern Washington before transferring. He might have a great career in the CFL, but he's a developmental quarterback that has some potential.''

RUNNING BACK

THE BEST

Ezekiel Elliott

6-0, 225

Ohio State

40-time: 4.47

Vertical Jump: 32 1/2 inches

Round Projection: 1

Mayock: "He's special. If somebody's committed to running the football, he could go as early as 4. It just depends on what you want in this running back-devalued league. But he's special. He might not have the top-end speed of (Todd) Gurley, but he can do it all. He can catch the ball. He can block. Boy, can he block. In their loss to Michigan State, he got just 12 carries because they were running quarterback-power and quarterback-counter and all that quarterback run-game stuff in the second half. He was clearly pissed off. Took it out on Michigan State's defensive ends and linebackers, constantly knocking them down. With that kind of toughness and size, he's going to be a great pass-protector in the NFL as well as an outstanding runner."

THE RISER

Kenyan Drake

6-1, 210

Alabama

40-time: 4.45

Vertical Jump: 34 1/2 inches

Round Projection: 4

Mayock: "He has exciting kick-return and special-teams ability. He's more of a third-down, change-of-pace guy that can make plays. He can fly. You're getting value on special teams as both a return guy and a gunner. He can be a core special-teams player for you, as well as being a third-down back."

THE SLEEPER

Cam McDondle

5-7, 210

Colorado State-Pueblo

40-time: 4.50

Vertical Jump: N/A

Round Projection: Priority FA

Mayock: "Quick-footed with an explosive burst. He had big Division II numbers. He didn't catch many passes last year. Ten or 15, if that. I don't know what kind of pass-protection guy he is. But I watched some tape on him recently and he's an impressive runner. He probably won't get drafted. But he's quick and will make you miss. He's a tough little guy. He'll drop the pad level and run through people. He's way down the board, but he's an intriguing guy."

WIDE RECEIVER

THE BEST

Laquon Treadwell

6-2, 221

Mississippi

40-time: 4.63

Vertical Jump: 33 inches

Round Projection: 1

Mayock: "He didn't run at the combine and there was a reason he didn't run. He's not fast. Ran a 4.63 at his Pro Day. That's what he is. If you draft this guy, you have to commit to what he is. He's a big-bodied wide receiver who won't create separation with speed, but is competitive and has great hands. He goes and chases everything. When the ball's in the air, he thinks it's his. The kid thinks he's going to be Dez Bryant, but he doesn't have that kind of speed or explosion."

THE RISER

Will Fuller

6-0, 186

Notre Dame

40-time: 4.32

Vertical Jump: 33 1/2 inches

Round Projection: 1-2

Mayock: "When he came out as a junior, I think it surprised a lot of people. I think the initial reaction was, 'Ah, he's kind of fast. But he's probably a third- or fourth-round wideout. Since then, we've gotten to the point where he ran a 4.32 at the combine and caught the ball well at his Pro Day last week. The knock on him - and it's a justifiable knock - is that he had a lot of drops and isn't a natural catcher of the football. But he's worked a lot on that. He's never going to have great hands. He's never going to have natural hands. But you look at a guy like Ted Ginn, who's made a pretty good living with his speed, and I think you look at Will Fuller the same way. In a below-average wide receiver class, this kid is now a legitimate late-one to mid-two (pick)."

THE SLEEPER

KJ Maye

5-8, 191

Minnesota

40-time: 4.65

Vertical Jump: 33 inches

Round Projection: 4-5

Mayock: "He's a slot receiver. He was a late invite to the Senior Bowl and had a nice week there in practice. I went back and watched his Minnesota tape. The first one I put in was the Ohio State tape. He had seven or eight catches against them. He's fearless. He has really good hands. Quick and fast. I think most teams have a fourth-round grade on him. I don't know if he'll go that high because of his size, particularly since he didn't run very fast at his Pro Day.''

TIGHT END

THE BEST

Hunter Henry

6-5, 250

Arkansas

40-time: 4.68

225 Bench: 13

Round Projection: 1-2

Mayock: "Henry's the best of a crappy tight end class. He's a very natural catcher. Arkansas used him both inline and off the line of scrimmage, but mostly inline. If you play for Bret Bielema, you've got to block. Hunter's not a trained killer, but he understands positioning and leverage. He can be an inline guy, but what he does best is catch the football and run routes. Is he Tyler Eifert? No, he's not quite as gifted as Eifert, in my opinion. He doesn't have Eifert's speed or length. But he's the best tight end in this class. For some of the teams down near the bottom of the first round, he'd be a fairly safe pick. He's got upside. He's going to catch a lot of passes."

THE RISER

Ben Braunecker

6-3, 250

Harvard

40-time: 4.68

225 Bench: 20

Round Projection: 5-6

Mayock: "He had a surprisingly athletic combine. Ran well. Jumped 35 1/2 inches and had a 6.90 3-cone, which is outstanding for a guy his size. That's a defensive back 3-cone. He's an athletic kid who can catch the ball. Now, at 6-3 and 250, he's probably going to be a combination inline and h-back type. Some teams might even look at him as a fullback/h-back. At his size, you're not going to line him up and say, 'Go block J.J. Watt.' But I like his lower-body explosion, and he catches the ball well."

THE SLEEPER

Darion Griswold

6-3 1/2, 253

Arkansas State

40-time: 4.79

225 Bench: 17

Round Projection: 7-Priority FA

Mayock: "He wasn't invited to the combine, but he opened my eyes at the East-West game. He's athletic and can catch the football. I watched his tape and he didn't block anybody. It wasn't because he can't. They just didn't ask him to do much blocking. They used his athleticism. He can run routes and he can catch the football and he's a big guy. He has 35-inch arms, which is really long. He played in a spread offense and has very natural hands."

OFFENSIVE TACKLE

THE BEST

Laremy Tunsil

6-5, 310

Mississippi

40-time: 5.23

225 Bench: 34

Round Projection: 1

Mayock: "He's the best tackle in the draft, although, from my perspective, Ronnie Stanley is a helluva lot closer to him than the public perception is. Tunsil has great feet and athleticism. The way you draw up a pass-protector. Unfortunately, you can't even tell what kind of run-blocker he'll be because of the type of offense he was in. He was rarely in a three-point stance. He never had to fire off the line or snap his hips into it and move a defensive end in the run game. Stanley is a better run-blocker at this point. That said, if I was Tennessee, I'd be very comfortable taking Tunsil with the first pick. Given the fact that they took a quarterback (with the first pick) a year ago, I think you get better at two positions if you take Tunsil, because you can move (Taylor) Lewan to right tackle."

THE RISER

Jason Spriggs

6-6, 301

Indiana

40-time: 4.87

225 Bench: 31

Round Projection: 1

Mayock: "He's been rising since the middle of the season. He had a good week at the Senior Bowl. He went to the combine and blew it up. He's got 34-inch arms. His testing athletically and his physical traits are off the charts. He's got a couple of holes technically in his game, especially against inside moves. But once he learns how to protect inside out, he's got a chance to be a very good left tackle."

THE SLEEPER

Willie Beavers

6-5, 321

Western Michigan

40-time: 6-5, 321

225 Bench: 20

Round Projection: 5-6

Mayock: "He tested very average at the combine. He played left tackle at Western Michigan. I think he could be a right tackle or guard (in the NFL). I think he's a developmental guy that has the traits to start in the NFL. But right now, he's still very raw. He'll probably go in the fifth or sixth round."

INTERIOR LINE

THE BEST

Ryan Kelly

6-4, 311

Alabama

40-time: 4.96

225 Bench: 30

Round Projection: 1

Mayock: "He's a potential late first-round pick. Has 33 5/8-inch arms. People love this kid because he's got enough size to handle some of the bigger NFL nose tackles. He also has the athletic ability to play in a zone scheme. He's a smart kid. He can call protections. And he's been very durable. That's all you want in a center. He'll start immediately for whomever drafts him."

THE RISER

Nick Martin

6-4, 299

Notre Dame

40-time: 5.15

225-bench: 28

Round Projection: 2

Mayock: "People know about him and all that. But the perception early in the season was that he wasn't as good an athlete as his brother (Zack), and maybe was a third- or fourth-round pick. That's what I heard a lot of early on. He played the whole season with a high ankle sprain. When he got to the Senior Bowl, people saw what he was, which is an NFL starting center Day 1 that can play all three interior spots. He immediately started to rise after that. After that, the offensive-line coaches got involved both with the film and the personal workouts, and there's been a buzz about the kid. Now, instead of a third- or fourth-round pick, he's a second-round pick. And if somebody got stuck at the end of the first round and needed a safe pick, he'd be my guy. He's going to play 10 years in the league. He's a natural center. He's one of the smartest kids in the draft. He'll call all of the protections. And he's been really well-coached.''

THE SLEEPER

Isaac Seumalo

6-4, 303

Oregon State

40-time: 5.18

225 Bench: 19

Round Projection: 5-6

Mayock: "He played all five (offensive line) positions at Oregon State. He played out of position at left tackle this year. I think he's a center. But I think all of that (position) versatility is going to help him make a team. I think he'll be a fifth- or sixth-round pick. I think they'll target him as a center, but he'll be able to play all three interior line positions."

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