For college underclassmen, whether or not to enter the NFL draft can be an easy decision, or a gut-wrenching one.
This year's draft included 60 early-entry prospects who were among the 256 picked, and another 24 early entries who went undrafted. For some, giving up a year of NCAA eligibility turned out to be an awfully smart move --- for others, going back to college for another season might have been the right call.
Here is a look at five of the draft's best early-entry decisions, and five of the worst:
Best
College: Florida
Draft result:First round, No. 24 overall (Arizona Cardinals)
Why he made the right move: Humphries was advised by the NFL Draft Advisory Board to stay at Florida, a recommendation which meant he wasn't projected to go in the first or second round. He told College Football 24/7 after he was picked that he came out early based on belief in self. No doubt, he made the right call -- and based on the official feedback he received, it couldn't have been an easy one.
CB Trae Waynes
College: Michigan State
Draft result:First round, No. 11 overall (Minnesota Vikings)
Why he made the right move: Waynes was considered among the top cornerback prospects available when he declared for the draft in mid-January, but wasn't necessarily seen at the top cornerback. After running a blazing 4.31 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, however, that's the status he emerged with.
College: Miami (Fla.)
Draft result:First round, No. 9 overall (New York Giants)
Why he made the right move: Flowers entered the pre-draft process as a solid offensive tackle prospect, but certainly wasn't thought of as elite. A strong combine performance began to change that perception. The more NFL scouts looked at Flowers, the more they liked him. And although he has plenty to learn from a technical standpoint, his physical traits made him a hot enough commodity to be chosen in the top 10.
College: Minnesota
Draft result:Second round, No. 55 overall (Baltimore Ravens)
Why he made the right move: Williams made some spectacular plays at Minnesota last year and drew a lot of scouting attention as a result. In addition, this was a thin year for the tight end position in the draft, and he took full advantage of the timing. Could he have raised his stock with another year in college? Maybe, but he struck while his name was hot and picked the right year to do it.
College: Clemson
Draft result:Fifth round, No. 165 overall (San Francisco 49ers)
Why he made the right move: Who comes out early as a punter? Pinion was ridiculed on social media for coming out early, and as infrequently as specialists get drafted, the criticism was historically merited. Getting drafted in any round made Pinion's call the right one, much less the fifth. He went ahead of the likes of Michael Bennett from Ohio State, Tyrus Thompson of Oklahoma and Nick O'Leary of FSU. Pinion got the last laugh, for sure.
Worst
College: UCLA
Draft result:Fifth round, No. 147 overall (Green Bay Packers)
Why he made the wrong move: Hundley's decision to come out early was pre-determined before the 2014 season even began; he said as much about a year ago. He stuck with the plan, but the plan might have been flawed. Physically, his size, speed and arm suggest he made the right call. But had he gone back to UCLA and worked on the things scouts were concerned about, he could have positioned himself much better for 2016.
College: Nebraska
Draft result:Second round, No. 60 overall (Dallas Cowboys)
Why he made the wrong move: Gregory couldn't have predicted at the time he declared that he would fail a drug test at the combine (or, maybe, he could have). From an on-field standpoint, he made the right decision -- there was little else for Gregory to prove as a player. But with another year of maturity, the red flags that marred Gregory's profile as a prospect might not have been nearly as problematic in 2016. And the difference could have been millions of dollars.
College: USC
Draft result: Undrafted (signed as rookie free agent by the Dallas Cowboys)
Why he made the wrong move: It's difficult to fathom what Farmer was thinking. In line to follow Marqise Lee and Nelson Agholor as perhaps USC's go-to receiver in 2016, Farmer instead declared for the draft after a pedestrian season (25 catches, 314 yards). In a wide receiver draft class that was absolutely loaded, his outcome was predictable.
College: Missouri/Oklahoma
Draft result:Second round, No. 40 overall (Tennessee Titans)
Why he made the wrong move: Green-Beckham will get an impressive contract as a high second-round pick, but there is no denying he might have left millions on the table by coming out early. With a productive season on the field at Oklahoma, and more importantly, a year with a clean disciplinary record off the field, Green-Beckham could easily have vaulted himself into top-10 status in the 2016 draft.
WR Stefon Diggs
College: Maryland
Draft result: Fifth round, No. 146 overall (Minnesota Vikings)
Why he made the wrong move: Like Farmer, Diggs found himself on the wrong end of the depth in the 2015 wide receiver class. While Diggs showed all the athleticism of an NFL player, his production as a college player was a head-scratcher (2,227 yards, 14 TDs over three seasons combined). Conceivably, Diggs could have come back to Maryland next year and had the spectacular year that was missing from his resume. Had he done so, the 2016 draft might have been a lot kinder to him than this one was.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
