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Editor's note: Bowl season is a time for prospect evaluation for pro teams. Below are seven guys who will be under heavy scrutiny from NFL evaluators.
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JAMEIS WINSTON, QB, FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
Let’s start with the positives -- Winston is probably the most polished draft-eligible quarterback. He’s on a hot streak heading into the Rose Bowl showdown with Oregon, and no one really throws a better ball when he’s at his best. But as we get set for the No. 2 vs. No. 3 clash in Pasadena, the luster of his nearly flawless freshman season is gone. Winston is now viewed as a quarterback who is capable of a few mistakes (both on and off the field), and NFL GMs will weigh his conduct along with his play.
BRANDON SCHERFF, OT, IOWA HAWKEYES
Scherff is regarded as one of the best draft-eligible tackles heading into Iowa’s Jan. 2 showdown with Tennessee in the TaxSlayer Bowl. It’s all well-deserved hype; Scherff won the Outland Trophy as college football’s best interior lineman. But while he fits the physical profile, Scherff will divide GMs on where he’s slotted to go. Franchise left tackles are top-five picks, but former Iowa stars like Robert Gallery, Bryan Bulaga and Riley Reiff struggled to transition to the pros against faster pass rushers.
How will Brandon Scherff handle the transition to the pros?
MARCUS MARIOTA, QB, OREGON DUCKS
Talent evaluators are paid to find faults, and while Mariota is the reigning Heisman winner, he’s far from a perfect pro prospect. Pepper in a little evaluation divide after similar dual-threat QBs like Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick struggled this season, and maybe Mariota isn’t a surefire No. 1 pick like many suggest. It’ll be very interesting to see how he stacks up against Florida State’s defense in the Rose Bowl. He’ll try to outfox star sophomore safety Jalen Ramsey and an NFL-caliber Seminoles secondary.
ANTWAN GOODLEY, WR, BAYLOR BEARS
From Josh Gordon to Terrance Williams to Kendall Wright, the Bears seemingly have the right formula for pro-ready wideouts. Goodley’s unreliable hands have GMs torn, though; Goodley dropped several easy passes against Texas, for instance. Those same GMs will be closely monitoring the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1. There, he’ll probably square off against top-rated corner Trae Waynes, and if Goodley can shake the Spartan and catch cleanly, he’ll rehab his reputation.
BRETT HUNDLEY, QB, UCLA BRUINS
Hundley looks like an NFL quarterback, but talent evaluators are torn on whether or not he can act like one. There were times during the first half of this season where he looked lost at the QB position, and while he’s rebounded with a few signature performances, there are too many duds on his stat sheet. The Alamo Bowl is huge for Hundley if he’s auditioning for the pros. He’ll need to show a little more pocket awareness, curb turnovers against an aggressive Kansas State defense, and tuck and run if the situation calls for it. Until he proves he can consistently do that, he’ll continue to confound NFL scouts.
Does Brett Hundley have the consistency to succeed at the NFL level?
LEONARD WILLIAMS, DL, USC TROJANS
Williams recently admitted he’s thinking about the NFL Draft “all the time.” NFL general managers are thinking about the powerful defensive tackle, too -- but some aren’t sure what to make of Williams. He passes the eye test, and at 6-foot-5, he’s an ideal fit at defensive end in a 3-4 front or at defensive tackle in a 4-3. But the Trojans’ pass rush was inconsistent in spurts this fall (see: Williams’ games against UCLA and Notre Dame), and the tape will reflect poorly on Williams. No lineman wants the dreaded “motor concerns” tag, so USC’s Holiday Bowl matchup will be a great time for Williams to prove he can play all-out.
DAK PRESCOTT, QB, MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
NFL scouts will look at Prescott in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Eve and see Tim Tebow. Who could blame them? The Bulldogs’ quarterback wears No. 15, possesses a similar throwing motion and is coached by Dan Mullen -- the same man who made Tebow a star in Gainesville. His passing flaws aside, it takes only one team to fall in love with a prospect. Coaches and GMs will roll the dice on a guy whose high character could position him as the anti-Jameis Winston in pre-draft interviews.
