5 Underrated NFL Draft Prospects

The NFL Draft begins tonight with Round One. With an extremely cluttered class and no stand out stars there are bound to be some guys who are flying under the radar. So here I give you the 5 most underrated NFL Draft Prospects.

Kevin Minter (ILB LSU):

Kevin Minter is an inside linebacker who really went unnoticed on an LSU defense that featured a lot of studs. However, if you watched any film on him you know he was the heart and soul of last year's LSU team. He has ideal size for an inside linebacker at the next level and is extremely solid defensively. He's also a good tackler who uses his hands well to get off blocks. Minter may not be a high pick and may not stand out in any one area, but he will be a solid NFL player.

Montee Ball (RB Wisconsin):

 

Everyone has a huge problem with Wisconsin running backs strictly because of passed guys from there. However, Ball is a different type of runner. After his sophomore year he made the commitment to become more nimble and quick and followed that up by leading the country in total yards and touchdowns in his junior season. In a down senior season for an overachieving Badgers team he still averaged 5.1 yards per carry and scored 22 touchdowns. 

EJ Manuel (QB Florida State):

 

The first thing you notice when looking at EJ Manuel is his sheer size. He's 6'5 237 and is almost like a Ben Roethlisberger type because he throws first and makes plays with his feet when he has to. He is also very shifty in the pocket. The knock on him is that he didn't play well in the Florida game last season. Guess what? No one played well against Florida, ask Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel how his Florida game went. Manuel is my sleeper at the QB position in this draft class. He may sit for one of two seasons, but he will be a solid NFL QB when he gets his chance. 

Jarvis Jones (OLB Georgia):

 

Yes, because of his size his versatility is limited. He is strictly an outside linebacker. However, he's a pass rushing, play making outside linebacker and has definitely been the premiere sack artist in college football over the last two seasons while playing against the best competition game in and game out against SEC competition. He has some medical injury concerns but he uses leverage and turns speed into power on his way to the quarterback. Jones will turn into a top NFL pass rusher. 

Alex Okafor (DE Texas): 

Somehow this guy Hunt from SMU is rated higher than Okafor but here are the facts. Okafor played against much better competition at Texas than Hunt did at SMU. And with offenses keying in strictly on Okafor he still recorded 17.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles. He will be a solid edition to any NFL team. He's was all about production in college and that's what the team who drafts him is going to get out of him in the NFL.