The 2016 Bahamas Bowl will kick off a Christmas weekend full of bowl games. This features two teams that don’t traditionally send a lot of players to the NFL, but both programs are growing. That means in future, more and more players will come from these schools. To be ahead of the curve, here are the players who could find themselves on an NFL team come next season:
Old Dominion Monarchs
Zach Pascal, WR
Projected Draft Range: Seventh round-undrafted free agent
Pascal has produced a lot in his career at Old Dominion. He has 3,140 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns. This season so far he has 893 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. A lot of times he has produced against good competition, which should intrigue NFL scouts. He had 104 yards receiving and two touchdowns against NC State. Pascal also finished the season hot with two straight games of eight or more receptions and over 100 yards receiving. His size is good for the NFL at six feet two inches tall and 214 pounds. Like most receivers I have mentioned in these articles, he needs to have something he does really well in order to be considered a player worthy of being drafted in the 2017 NFL Draft. This could be speed, quickness, route running, etc.
Eastern Michigan Eagles
Pat O’Connor, DL
Projected Draft Range: Seventh round-undrafted free agent
O’Connor was mentioned as a player to watch out for in my bowl preview. His eight sacks show his production, but he also has 12.5 tackles for loss. At six foot four inches and 270 pounds, he should be a good fit for an NFL team size-wise. Proving he has the necessary athleticism to be an NFL defensive lineman will be his biggest hurdle.
Cole Gardner, OT
Projected Draft Range: Seventh round-undrafted free agent
Gardner is an appealing prospect because he has moved from tight end to tackle. A lot of NFL tackles have made the same jump including Jason Peters, pro bowl left tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles. He will have good athleticism for a tackle, but must add strength to be effective.
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