Early Outlook: Washington Holds Several 2017 NFL Draft Prospects
With the 2016 NFL Draft officially over it's not too early to look ahead to next years NFL Draft as it pertains to Washington.
The Huskies saw two players drafted this year, bringing the total to six drafted under Head Coach Chris Petersen. However, all six were players recruited by former coach Steve Sarkisian. Next years draft will be the first that a decent amount of Petersen prospects, headlined by the defensive backs.
We've broken down a few of the players that could have their name called in the 2017 NFL Draft:
Safety Budda Baker, junior -- One of, if not the first big-time prospects to sign with Chris Petersen in his first class back in 2014. The former Bellevue High School product quickly made a name for himself and now, heading into his third season at Washington, he could mold himself even more into a potential first-round selection.
NFLDraftScout.com has Baker as the No.1 free safety prospect in the 2018 class, out of 116 evaluated. At 5'10, 178-pounds, Baker has become a proven leader in the Huskies "Death Row" defense, recording 129 total tackles, 13 passes defended, three interceptions and two forced fumbles in two years.
Baker finished tied for 14th in the Pac-12 last season with nine passes defensed.
Cornerback Sidney Jones, junior -- In the same meeting room with Baker is another potential first-round pick next season in Sidney Jones. The one-time San Jose State and Utah commit has proven to be a perfect example of Chris Petersen's ideology at Washington.
At 6-foot, 182-pounds, Jones went from an unknown player who was not highly recruited out of high school to one of the dominant cornerbacks in the conference. As a true freshman he was opposite of Marcus Peters, taken No.18 overall in the 2015 draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Peters was dismissed from the program midway through the season and Jones quickly stepped up to fill his void. As a sophomore, Jones finished No.1 in the conference in passes defensed with 14 and tied for third in interceptions with Washington State safety Shalom Luani at four.
Much like Baker, with another strong season it wouldn't be surprising to see Jones go in the first round or early second round. NFLDraftScout.com has Jones as the No.3 overall cornerback in the class.
Linebacker Azeem Victor, junior -- The third junior that has a chance to see his name called in next years draft is Azeem Victor. The former Sarkisian-signee, who flipped from San Diego State late in the process, has proven to be one of the better linebackers in the conference heading into next season.
The 6'3, 227-pound linebacker finished his second season at Washington eight in the conference with 95 total tackles, more than any Husky. However, Victor isn't as known as Jones or Baker, but without question his name is starting to gain some recognition.
Given that none of the three have to declare, including Victor, all three have a strong chance of hearing their name called and early in the 2017 NFL Draft. NFLDraftScout.com has Victory as the No.18 inside linebacker in next years class.
Defensive tackle Elijah Qualls, junior -- Qualls has quickly grown to fill the void left by 2015 first-round pick Danny Shelton along the defensive line. Much like Victor, Qualls is a prospect who has shown well in his first two years at Washington and is expected to continue to improve heading into his junior year.
The 6'1, 321-pound tackle finished his sophomore season with 4.5 sacks with the expectation that number could double next season. Qualls will also have Vita Vea, a 6'5, 329-pound nose tackle alongside him this season on the defense line which should free him up even more to get after the quarterback.
Other juniors who could decide to declare -- cornerback Darren Gardenhire, linebacker Keishawn Bierria, and wide receiver John Ross
Cornerback Kevin King, senior -- King has grown into his own under defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake, proving he can play multiple positions in the defensive backfield. Within the trio of Jones, Gardenhire and King, the three have combined to create a dominant secondary for Washington.
At 6'3, 190-pounds, King has a strong combination of side and speed, with strong instinctive ball-skills. The junior finished last season tied for 19th in the conference with eight passes defended and tied for seventh in interceptions with three.
Should Washington continue to produce a strong defense under defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and co-defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, King could see his stock rise enough to be a mid-round selection in next years draft.
Defensive end Joe Mathis, senior -- Mathis has come a long way in his time under both Steve Sarkisian and Chris Petersen combined over the past three years.