2018 NFL Draft prospect college football recap, Week 6

Week 6 of the college football season is in the books. We take a look back at some of the most noteworthy performances as we keep scouting some potential future Buffalo Bills as we get ready for the 2018 NFL Draft.

Ryan Finley, quarterback (NC State)
Finley's play led NC State to an upset of Louisville. Although generally a one-read thrower, his display of accuracy both from the pocket and on the run was admirable. His pocket presence was also very impressive. He could be yet another candidate to have a Mitch Trubisky-like leap in the offseason.

Kerryon Johnson, running back (Auburn)
I’ve talked previously about how loaded the 2018 running back class will be, and Johnson is another key fixture of the group. Against Ole Miss, he ran for 204 yards and 3 touchdowns on 28 carries. He’s not the fastest back, but he has the vision and patience to know when to accelerate and hit the hole hard.

Allen Lazard, wide receiver (Iowa State)
Iowa State had not beaten Oklahoma in 27 years but came up with the huge upset, largely because of plays Lazard made. He had a huge third down reception and subsequent catch for a two-point conversion. He also made two key blocks on wide receiver screens that both led to touchdowns. Then he followed those up by making an insane game-sealing touchdown catch against double coverage. There are questions about Lazard’s long speed, but a receiver of his size (6’3”) is always going to be valuable at the next level.

Dorance Armstrong Jr, edge rusher (Kansas)
Armstrong has been toiling away as a member of a terrible Jayhawks team who were run out of their own building by Texas Tech. I like guys that put in a lot of effort, even when they’re on bad teams, and Armstrong was all over the field. He recorded a 1.5 tackles-for-loss, a sack, and led his team with 9 total tackles.

Hayden Hurst, tight end (South Carolina)
Hurst is an ultra-athletic tight end prospect who has the size and speed to be a receiving threat all over the field. This week, he only had two catches but showed off his athleticism and speed on his first catch that went for 62 yards. Unfortunately, his draft stock will always be lower than it should be as he’s an older prospect who will be 24 years old come draft time.

Matthew Thomas, linebacker (Florida State)
Thomas didn’t blow up the stat sheet, but watching the game you could see his impact in the run game as well as against the pass. He displayed good speed and instincts in coverage. Stopped some outside runs and delivered good hits.

Jordan Martin, defensive back (Syracuse)
Martin is a graduate transfer from Toledo who recently converted from cornerback to safety. Against Pitt, he displayed good play recognition and balls skills, breaking up two passes. He strikes me as a player Sean McDermott would love.