As the draft approaches, there are always some players who emerge, for various reasons. This year, expect Southern Mississippi quarterback Austin Davis to be one of those players.
Nevada vs. Southern Miss; Sheraton Hawaii Bowl NFL Draft watch notes
Davis is a cagey player who led the Golden Eagles over Houston with four touchdown passes. Scouts have been checking Davis out since last season. He may not have the best size or arm strength, but there are few glaring negatives to his game. His athleticism is good for a quarterback and he’s not afraid to sit in the pocket amidst pressure. You have to wonder how closely the Senior Bowl will be watching this game to choose Davis for the South squad. Forget your family, tune in and watch Davis in what should be a high scoring game.
The key draft prospect for Nevada is middle linebacker James-Michael Johnson. At 6-foot-2, 240 pounds, Johnson has good size and athleticism for the position. Nevada has had him drop back in coverage more this season to take advantage of his fluidity. Johnson had another solid season for the Wolf Pack. He comes into today's game with 87 tackles with 3.5 for loss and a half sack.
Wolf Pack defensive lineman Brett Roy should get some looks and could be taken in the later rounds of the draft. Roy comes into the bowl game with 18.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. Wide receiver Rishard Matthews is a decent sleeper player. He has decent size and was a first-team all-conference pick this year. Matthews has 91 receptions for 1,364 yards and 8 touchdowns entering today's game.
2013 NFL Draft watch: Nevada offensive tackle Jeff Nady could be a sleeper for next season. The second-team all-conference pick has good length at 6-foot-7 but needs to add bulk to his frame.
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