2016 NFL Draft scouting: Week 1 college football viewing guide

The college football season has officially kicked off! Opening weekend is always the busiest, and we've had a slew of games that already played on Thursday and Friday. New this year, for all you NFL Draft geeks: the SEC Network has made All-22 film available for all of its games that are streamed online. Make good use of it! Here is today's lineup of games, and how you can catch them.

Game of the week

(20) Wisconsin at (3) Alabama

8:00 p.m. ET, ABC and WatchESPN

Kickoff week is normally a time for the power five conferences to pay lower-division teams for the chance to start their season with an easy pummeling. So it's always fortunate when you have options available for viewing that feature two traditional powerhouses.

Wisconsin is facing somewhat of a reloading year under new head coach Paul Chryst. Star running back Melvin Gordon is gone, but replacing him is junior Corey Clement, who rushed for 949 yards and nine touchdowns at 6.5 yards per carry last season. The offensive line lost a few starters, but senior tackle Tyler Marz and junior center Dan Voltz are both worth keeping an eye on, given Wisconsin's reputation for graduating great linemen. You'll also want to watch out for the 6'6" 220 pound athlete Tanner McEvoy. He was a free safety in 2013, played some quarterback last year, and will start at receiver against Alabama. The athleticism is there, but he hasn't yet found a home on the football field.

On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Vince Biegel was very productive in 2014, and he projects as a potential weak-side linebacker or pass rusher in the NFL. Senior safety Michael Caputo is another player to watch, as he led the team in tackles last season.

Bama is Bama. What more can you say about this juggernaut, other than that it can't be stopped, year after year. They have their usual list of excellent prospects who will drive this team to another 11 win season, in all likelihood. The bell cow of their offense is Derrick Henry, who split carries with T.J. Yeldon last year and outperformed him. Henry is a punishing back with dangerous speed, one of the top runners in college football. He'll be platooning with senior Kenyan Drake, who can break off some major runs of his own, but is less careful with a football in his hands. Tight End O.J. Howard looked like a potential top prospect as a freshman, but his offensive impact is frustratingly bland each year. The offensive line is reloading again after graduating two to the NFL, but center Ryan Kelly still has potential to be drafted this year.

The offense should be good, and may have a first round pick in Henry, but the real strength of this team (again) is on the defense. A'Shawn Robinson is a defensive lineman being talked about as a potential top five pick, which puts him in a prospect tier that includes Marcell Dareus. He lines up all over the line, and will draw double teams on most snaps. Another talented lineman is Jarran Reed, also capable of playing anywhere along the line. Last season, he was more productive than Robinson. Reggie Ragland is a very productive Will linebacker, and the primary edge rusher will be Ryan Anderson, who might jump to the NFL off a big season. The secondary also features potential draft picks in cornerback Cyrus Jones and safeties Geno Smith and Eddie Jackson. And if you have a thing for punters, JK Scott is one of the good ones.

Five guys I'm paying attention to this week

1. Sheldon Rankins, DT, Louisville

This 6'2" 300 pounder had 13.5 TFL and eight sacks last season. Could he be a future Kyle Williams replacement?

2. Thomas Duarte, WR, UCLA

Duarte was UCLA's second-leading receiver with 540 receiving yards in 2014, but he did that on only 37 targets, which ranked fifth on the team. Does he start delivering consistent big plays?

3. Maurice Canady, CB, Virginia

The 6'2" 200 pound Canady will match up against Duarte and the rest of UCLA's receivers on Saturday. He's probably Virginia's best draft prospect, so it'll be good experience for both sides.

4. D.J. Foster, RB, Arizona State

All Foster did last year was run for 1098 yards on just under 200 rushes and catch 62 passes for 688 yards on 93 targets. The dual-threat running back should be featured in the Sun Devil offense again this year.

5. Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame

Smith had a very productive 2014, with 112 tackles and 3.5 sacks. If he keeps developing his fundamentals he could be a first round pick.

Discussion topic for the week

Which colleges do you follow most closely? Is it an alma mater or are you someone like me who didn't have a football school and had to adopt one? Who are the guys people should be watching out for this season?