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NFL draft: Bama, OSU, Clemson, Washington could dominate early rounds in 2017

The two College Football Playoff semifinal matchups — and the eventual national championship — should be excellent stages for scores of NFL draft picks to showcase their wares at least one final time.

Last season’s four semifinal teams combined to produce 25 picks in the 2016 NFL draft, and 13 of those came in Rounds 1 and 2. And this year’s playoff quartet might actually produce higher numbers in both categories, believe it or not.

We decided for now to pare it down to our top 10 draft prospects for 2017 from the four schools — Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Washington — in what should be a huge three games for scouts to evaluate talent from. How deep is this talent pool for the playoff teams? We have a few possible first-round picks, including Alabama’s Cam Robinson and Marlon Humphrey, outside of our top 10.

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(Our rankings currently do not include Ohio State S Malik Hooker, who appears to be leaning toward staying in school after saying in November: “Right now it’s 100 percent sure I’m coming back to Ohio State.” Although that clearly could change with a big game or two in the playoff.)

Alabama's Jonathan Allen, No. 93, might be the best 2017 NFL draft prospect on the field in either CFB playoff semifinal game. (Getty Images)
Alabama’s Jonathan Allen, No. 93, might be the best 2017 NFL draft prospect on the field in either CFB playoff semifinal game. (Getty Images)

1. Alabama DE-DT Jonathan Allen — One of the more dominant interior forces in college football this season, Allen might come up just short of being an elite prospect at his position (think Leonard Williams) but isn’t far off. Allen can work in any front and is adept at shedding blocks, shooting gaps and closing down run lanes. We think he’s a sure-fire top-10 selection and could sneak into the back end of the top five come April. If there’s a nitpick, perhaps he didn’t completely dominate against single blocking the way you might expect, but that’s just looking for flaws in his game when there aren’t many.

2. Alabama LB Reuben Foster — We believe Foster will join Allen in the top 10 when it’s all said and done, even though the ILB spot is not one that frequently populates that part of the draft in this NFL age. It’s also very dangerous to compare any prospect to Patrick Willis or Luke Kuechly, but Foster has that kind of makeup. A violent streak, rare instincts and terrific athleticism make him a three-down linebacker at the next level and the player who in time will make all the calls and bring a defense together. A special player with a winner’s makeup.

3. Alabama LB-DE Tim Williams — Admittedly, we are not 100 percent convinced that this pass-rush ace is guaranteed for NFL stardom, as he simply hasn’t shown enough against the run to be considered a 60-snap defender week in and week out. But then again, smart teams are always asking what prospect can do more than what they cannot. With that in mind, few college players can bend the edges better than Williams and his low college mileage is viewed as a positive from a tire-tread standpoint. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t concerns, and those ultimately could keep him out of the first 20 selections. Still, he’s a specimen with elite pass-rush tools.

4. Clemson WR Mike Williams — We’ve come a bit full circle on Williams. Early in the season, we picked apart his game as being too dependent on his long frame and his raw athletic gifts; frankly, we wanted more polish and sharpness to his routes and in terms of setting up defensive backs better. As time has gone on, however, we’ve learned to stop worrying and love the player for the downfield dimension he can add to an NFL offense. As adept at winning in the air as he is at taking a quick hitch for a long ride, Williams should be a first-round pick who makes his mark in time.

Clemson QB Deshaun Watson still has doubters but should be highly regarded in the 2017 NFL draft. (Getty Images)
Clemson QB Deshaun Watson still has doubters but should be highly regarded in the 2017 NFL draft. (Getty Images)

5. Clemson QB Deshaun Watson — The process of evaluating Watson has been a bit unfair, as he was boosted to a possible No. 1 overall pick candidate after his destruction of Oklahoma in the semifinals last season and his clutch performance in the title game loss to Bama. That just wasn’t likely to happen, not with Watson being streaky with his downfield accuracy and carrying a slighter frame that will be viewed as a bit of a negative for harder-line NFL scouting departments. The stigma of college spread quarterbacks still exists, even with the strides made this season by Ryan Tannehill, Marcus Mariota and others, and yet Watson has some hurdles he must overcome in order to become a quality NFL starter (depending on the system he joins). Still, his leadership, athleticism, ability to throw on the move plus the desire to rise to the occasion and two late-season flourishes in a row all are big positives and will serve him well — even if he slides down a bit from the lofty projections once laid upon him.

6. Washington WR John Ross — Calling him a fast riser wouldn’t be doing the Pac-12 prospect justice, as one west coast scout we speak to regularly said Ross has “stupid speed.” That’s a compliment, yes. Oft compared to DeSean Jackson, Ross has the ability to take the top off a defense — even two-deep coverage — and can weave his way through many a helpless secondary. Ross has the chance to fill the Jackson-T.Y. Hilton-Brandin Cooks role in an NFL system and appears to be a far more complete prospect than, say, Phillip Dorsett coming out. We believe Ross will be a first-round pick when the pre-draft process has displayed his blinding speed and other gifts.

7. Washington CB Sidney Jones — With good size (6-foot, 186 pounds) and coverage ability, Jones has the chance to be viewed as the next Desmond Trufant to come from the program. Pac-12 teams roundly avoided throwing at Jones this season, and when they did he responded by allowing few big plays. The cornerback class appears to be deep and talented, but Jones could help separate himself with a big performance matching up against Alabama receivers Calvin Ridley and ArDarius Stewart. Jones can press cover and flip his hips and run well, so this should be an excellent test.

8. Ohio State CB Marshon Lattimore — Like Jones, Lattimore has good size and coverage ability and also has showcase potential in the Fiesta Bowl matched up against either Williams or Artavis Scott. Right now, we have Jones just a shade higher than Lattimore because of experience and an upward trend in his game over the past three seasons. One of the only things that Lattimore lacks is experience, having been buried in 2015 in such a talented backfield. But he might end up being a better player over the coming years than Eli Apple, whom Shutdown Corner rated as its 24th best player last season and who ended up being selected 10th overall to the New York Giants.

9. Alabama TE O.J. Howard — Howard is such a fascinating study outwardly, as his receiving production — three or fewer catches in 17 of his past 28 games — is a bit lacking. But it’s hard not to notice what Howard does with those catches, averaging nearly 15 yards a grab at 6-foot-6 and 252 pounds. He runs like a deer in the passing game and is a plus run blocker as well, offering NFL teams the type of two-way tight end that has become vogue as a mismatch piece either in “11” (three-wide) or “12” (two-TE) personnel. Although Howard might not be an elite weapon on the next level, we could see him developing into a Jimmy Graham-like role with better blocking. That could ensure he’s a first-round pick for the right team.

Ohio State's Curtis Samuel is a multi-tool weapon who has yet to declare for the 2017 NFL draft. (Getty Images)
Ohio State’s Curtis Samuel is a multi-tool weapon who has yet to declare for the 2017 NFL draft. (Getty Images)

10. Ohio State RB-WR Curtis Samuel — We’re big fans of Samuel’s versatility and playmaking ability, perhaps even more so than other analysts. The NFL loves to find weapons who can impact games in multiple ways, and Samuel’s profile suggests he could be a quality runner, receiver and returner. Many have compared him to Percy Harvin, but Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney also offered up another fascinating comp: Sammy Watkins. The difference is that Samuel lines up more in the Buckeyes’ backfield than Watkins ever did for the Tigers, but the same get-the-ball-in-his-hands role applies to how OSU uses Samuel. If you’ve seen how the Green Bay Packers use Ty Montgomery or how the New England Patriots use James White and Dion Lewis, for example, it’s easy to see Samuel having a big impact as a 200-touch player in the NFL early in his career. A possible top-40 selection, Samuel has yet to declare his intentions about coming out this year, but his role could be somewhat limited as a runner with Mike Weber due to star for the next year or two for the Buckeyes.

Just missed the cut

Alabama OT Cam Robinson — Still a possible first-rounder because of his raw potential, physical gifts and a weak OT class, Robinson remains a frustrating study because of his inconsistency. The right OL coach could get under Robinson’s skin and coax some terrific play out of him, but we still have our overall reservations for now.

Alabama CB Marlon Humphrey — Another talented but inconsistent performer, Humphrey has made big plays but also allowed his fair share of catches downfield this season. Part of that is because of the Crimson Tide often playing safe zones with big leads, but we’d like to see him rise up in a terrific Peach Bowl battle against Huskies receivers Ross and Dante Pettis, who are long-ball threats.

Others of note: Ohio State CB Gareon Conley, Washington DT Vita Vea, Ohio State C-OG Pat Elfein, Washington DT Elijah Qualls, Washington S Budda Baker, Clemson RB Wayne Gallman, Alabama LB Ryan Anderson, Clemson DT Carlos Watkins, Clemson TE Jordan Leggett, Clemson CB Cordrea Tankersly, Ohio State DE Tyquan Lewis, Clemson OG Tyrone Crowder, Clemson WR Artavis Scott.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!