Stanford and TCU are set to play in the Valero Alamo Bowl. There are a lot of quality players in the Alamo Bowl every year, with this year having some players to watch out for in the 2018 NFL Draft. Here are the top NFL Draft prospects in the 2017 Valero Alamo Bowl:
Stanford Cardinal
Love had some big shoes to fill with the departure of Christian McCaffrey and has not disappointed. He has rushed for 1,973 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. While one year of production might alarm some people, Love is a running back, which means he has taken less of a beating until this season.
At 5’10” and 196 pounds, Love is a little slight, but can handle an NFL workload. His main asset is his speed. Love was a track star in high school and when he turns on the burners, not many can catch him. While Love is a star, running backs don’t usually go early in the NFL Draft unless they are an elite level talent.
Projected draft range: 2nd round-3rd round
Harrison Phillips (Photo by twitter.com)
Phillips has answered the call to be the leader of the defense. Now that Solomon Thomas is gone, he faces a lot more double teams and still produces. In his senior campaign he has 14 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. What is most impressive though is his 89 total tackles, which is an absurd number for a defensive tackle.
He is 6’4″ and 295 pounds, which is good for an NFL defensive tackle. He will likely fit best into a 4-3 defense, but with all of his production, some teams may try to fit him into their schemes.
Projected draft range: 2nd round-4th round
Schultz hasn’t produced a lot, but Stanford’s offense is built on the run. The quarterbacks also haven’t been great. This season Schultz has 20 receptions for 204 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He does have a lot of experience blocking for both McCaffrey and Love.
As a 6’6″ and 240 pound tight end, Schultz will draw some interest from NFL teams. A lot of film will be watched on the little production he has and will affect where he gets drafted.
Projected draft range: 3rd round-5th round
TCU Horned Frogs
Joseph Noteboom (Photo by twitter.com)
Noteboom has gotten playing time in every game of his career and started every game since his sophomore season. He continually makes Academic-All Big 12 teams. During his time in Fort Worth he has shown that he can run and pass block, but his athleticism will be questioned.
At 6’5″ and 305 pounds, Noteboom is a little short, but acceptable for an offensive tackle in the NFL. If he has good arm length to fend off pass rushers, that won’t be an issue.
Projected draft range: 5th round-7th round
Turpin is just a junior and will likely elect to go back to school. He doesn’t touch the football too often, but is a threat every time he does get the ball. This season he has 475 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. He has added value as a returner with one kick return and one punt return for a touchdown this season.
He will likely have to play in the slot or as a third down running back in the NFL because he is 5’9″ and 153 pounds. Teams will give him a chance to succeed because of his ability to return punts and kicks.
Projected draft range: 6th round-undrafted free agent
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