We're only a couple of weeks away from the end of the 2014 college football season, but the 2015 NFL Draft is still a long ways off.
Inevitably, a player who has performed exceptionally during the fall can see his draft stock dip during the draft season. He could be a great player on tape, but physical limitations and other factors can drop his stock in the lead up to the draft.
That happened to San Francisco 49ers linebacker Chris Borland in the 2014 NFL Draft. The 49ers selected Borland in the third round of the draft. Despite being a tackling machine at Wisconsin, height (5-foot-11) and arm length (29 1/4 inches) were concerns for NFL teams in the weeks leading up the draft and therefore dropped Borland's stock.
Turns out, the 49ers got a bargain in Borland, the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 11 and recently a regular nominee for Pepsi Rookie of the Week.
With Borland's emergence in mind, I reached out to five NFL personnel executives to find out who they think might be the Borland of the 2015 NFL Draft. Here is what they had to say:
Executive 1: Daryl Williams, OT, Oklahoma
"He's a road grader, but he's not going to test very well or look pretty in a workout format. He's a solid player."
Executive 2: Denzel Perryman, LB, Miami (Fla.)
"I think he'll go higher than Borland went, but his lack of size will probably bother some people."
Executive 3: T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama
"Due to the amount of quality backs, he could slide a little bit. He won't run a blistering time, but he will be a really solid starter at the next level."
Executive 4: Perryman
"He has some similar issues to Borland. Both guys lack height and have short arms. Some teams will put him in the 'doesn't fit' category."
Executive 5: Perryman
"He's short, lacks length and will miss some tackles, but that is nitpicking. He's going to be a great player at the next level."
Verdict: That's three votes for Perryman, and one each for Williams and Yeldon.
Conclusion: It's interesting to see Perryman mentioned three times. Perryman, who measures at 6-0 and 242 pounds, is a standout linebacker for the Hurricanes and a player I love when I watch him on tape. Perryman possesses outstanding explosiveness, instincts and production, and I think he'll be selected much higher in the draft than Borland was last year.
Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter @MoveTheSticks.