INDIANAPOLIS -- The reduction in the number of underclassmen declaring for the 2015 NFL draft compared to last year was driven by changes to the NFL Draft Advisory Board, and by the high percentage of last year's early-entry crop that went undrafted, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Last year, a record 98 underclassmen filed for early draft eligibility, plus four who had earned a degree but still had a year of college eligibility remaining. This year, those numbers dropped to 74 and 10, stemming a trend of underclassmen entering the draft in increasing numbers over the previous several years.
"I hope it's the education of what happened in last year's draft. Only 61 percent of the kids who entered last year were drafted," Colbert said. "So I think a lot of the kids who weren't drafted regretted making that decision because they ended up free agents, and they gave up a season of college football, where maybe they could have enhanced their draft status coming into this year."
Some of the top underclassmen that filed for early eligibility last year but went undrafted include LSU defensive tackle Anthony Johnson, Florida cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy, Tennessee offensive tackle Antonio Richardson and Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla. Colbert also attributed the decline to policy changes for the NFL Draft Advisory Board, which provides evaluations to underclassmen. Beginning this year, colleges were limited to five evaluations each, absent compelling circumstances. The board also changed its feedback to one of just three responses: a first-round grade, a second-round grade, or a recommendation to return to school. In past years, round projections beyond the second round were provided to as many underclassmen as applied for feedback.
"I also think the change in the college advisory committee was big, because now we only tell a player if we think he's a first- or second-rounder. I think the combination of those two things, they learn from their experience that college football is still a good avenue to enhance your NFL draft status and I think they want to make the most of it," Colbert said.
Among the 10 players who entered the draft early but have already earned college degrees are two of the draft's top quarterbacks in Oregon's Marcus Mariota and UCLA's Brett Hundley.
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