NFL Draft: Miami Beach Bowl

College football bowl season is under way. If you are like most NFL fans, you know some players on the top college football teams but that is about it. As a Bears fan, my NFL season has been over for weeks so I’ve gotten an early start on my scouting for next years NFL draft.

I love watching football even if it’s games I have no rooting interest in, so over the holidays I end watching a lot of random bowl games. One thing that makes the bowl games more interesting for me is to keep an eye on players who will be drafted next season. This year I will breaking down the players who have a shot at getting drafted for most of the remaining bowl games. If you end up watching the Miami Beach Bowl, here are some players to keep an eye on.

Miami Beach Bowl: BYU vs Memphis

BYU

Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

DE Bronson Kaufusi, JR #90 (6’7, 263, 4.78)

Scouting report – Lost 25 pounds and switched from DE to OLB before this season. Kaufusi got off to a great start with 2 sacks in his first game at OLB, but injuries kept him on the sidelines for a month and he didn’t look as explosive when he came back. He has good pass rush technique from his time as a DE, but struggled when asked to cover any one and wasn’t a force against the run. Kaufusi is very athletic for his size and could help teams as a pass rusher as a 3-4 OLB or 4-3 DE.

Projected:  4th round

CB Robertson Daniel, SR #4 (6’1, 198, 4.54)

Scouting report – Switched to corner this season after playing safety for most of his college career. Daniel has excellent size and has performed well at corner with 14 defended passes which is tied for 6th in the nation. His technique needs some work and he’ll have to run well pre-draft, but his size and ball skills should get Daniel drafted on day 3.

Projected: 4th-5th round

SS Craig Bills, SR #20 (6’1, 205, 4.68)

Scouting report – The leader in the Cougars defensive backfield, Bills is solid across the board with no glaring flaws in his game. His nickname is “the Hammer” due to his hard hitting over the middle, but an early season concussion forced Bills out the lineup for a few games this year. Bills has a shot to get drafted, but may not have the speed to play safety at the next level. He has been clocked anywhere from 4.57 to 4.78 so his draft prospects may hinge on how he runs at his pro day. If he can run 4.6 or better, I think Bills could be at least a solid back-up / special teams contributor in the NFL. He reminds me a bit of Craig Steltz.

Projected: 7th round – UFA