Other UC Prospects For The 2016 NFL Draft

Yesterday we profiled five Cincinnati Bearcats who have as good a shot as any player in the last two years to be selected in the 2016 NFL Draft. Now we turn our attention to those who probably have some work ahead of them in their senior years to get in the good graces of professional teams.

They’ve had solid careers at Cincinnati, for the most part, but haven’t built the resumes you’d see from players simply going through the motions at the collegiate level and are clearly ready for a new challenge. Or there’s glaring weaknesses about them that they can’t do anything about and will be a talking point among NFL scouts.

As a result, right now they’re probably in a difficult spot to get drafted but they’ll probably find a spot on a roster by way of the free agent market following the conclusion of that weekend.

Adrian Witty – Cornerback

Why He’ll Get Drafted

Witty is versatile enough to play the safety or cornerback position in college. If he were to go the NFL, safety would likely be where he’d make his money and what’d he bring to the role is a steel-headed mentality and the size to boot. The 5’10”, 187 lbs defensive back throws his body around without hesitation and is pretty solid in coverage as well. Witty’s instincts on the gridiron are unmatched. It’s clear he was born to play football and overall he would be an excellent addition to any team.

Why He Won’t

He’s injury prone and while groin injuries don’t tend to linger into a player’s career, it will certainly be a knock on Witty come his pre-Draft evaluations. Plus he doesn’t have the bristling resume that you see from top tier collegiate defensive backs. Part of this is, again, due to him missing most of last season from that injury but Witty has compiled just a single interception and a handful of pass breakups during his multi-year career in Clifton. He needs to grab around half-a-dozen picks in 2015 to put scouts on notice next spring.

Shaq Washington – Wide Receiver

Why He’ll Get Drafted

Easily the best hands of any receiver in the American Athletic Conference. On a team with a plethora of receiving options, Shaq led all Bearcats with receptions each of the last two seasons. He’s a first down machine out of the slot as 65% of his catches in 2014 moved the chains for Cincinnati. When UC’s running game was bogged down early in the season, setting the offense up with unfavorable 2nd- and 3rd-and-longs, Shaq’s ability to keep drives alive was critical. Overall, he’s the prototypical “find the soft spot in the defense” receiver who can become a quarterback’s best friend in the NFL.

Why He Won’t

He’s short and small. Shaq is about as agile a player as you’ll come across but once you start lining him up against equally athletic players, you see how undersized he is. The more successful under-six foot receivers in the NFL are lightning quick but also hold their weight around 190 or 200 lbs. Now, Shaq could be the exception to the rule, and I wouldn’t put it past him to break the mold, but he’d have to really shine in his senior year to pull it off.

Brandon Mitchell – Defensive Tackle

Why He’ll Get Drafted

His size is about as desirable as you’d want out of an interior lineman. Now, Mitchell was a bit oversized when he came to Cincinnati but shed the fat and replaced it with muscle during his time in Clifton. At 6’2″, 290 lbs he’s right about where you’d expect a senior to be from a measurables standpoint. Plus with a little time in a NFL weight room he could easily get over the 300-lbs mark.

Why He Won’t

He’s not that productive. Most defensive tackles won’t put up the kind of gaudy tackle numbers as linebackers or sack numbers as defensive ends. Generally their role is to plug up gaps in the line and force quarterbacks backwards in the pocket. If they do wind up leading their team in tackles, tackles for loss, or sacks they’re usually looking at getting drafted as one of the top 10 overall players.

But Brandon Mitchell hasn’t been able to even come close during his time at UC. Through 2 years in a rotational role he has just 28 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a half-sack to his name. If Mitchell can’t bump those up at least three-fold in his final season in red and black no NFL team will sniff him.