Oregon center Hroniss Grasu made the decision to return to college for a final year before he received his NFL Draft evaluation.
“Whatever that letter said, I made my decision before and I told myself whatever it said I’m going to go back no matter what,” Grasu said.
That feeling wasn’t universal among draft-eligible underclassmen last season in college football. Last year, a record 107 underclassmen were elected to leave college and make the jump to the NFL Draft. Of those 107 individuals, 45 went undrafted.
In response, the NFL decided to limit the number of underclassmen draft evaluations to five per school. Oregon, along with seven other Division I teams, exceeded the limit last year.
“I’m for anything that gets these guys better information,” Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said. “That whole process — the review process — has gotten better. It’ll never be perfect, but to get better information in their hands or in front of them as a part of that decision making process, is better.”
Limiting the number of draft evaluations available to underclassmen for each team can be a problem for team’s with enough talent and enough curious players, to exceed the five-person limit.
“I’m not sure where it’s supposed to help,” Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu said. “I feel like everyone should be able to get a draft report. It’s something that will help you realize what kind of decision you want to make.”
“Without getting the draft report, it’s pretty much just blind faith and you’re hoping to perform at the combine and at pro day,” Ekpre-Olomu said.
At the forefront of draft-eligible underclassmen for Oregon last season was quarterback Marcus Mariota. A potential No. 1 overall pick last season, he acknowledged that not getting a draft evaluation might make the decision to enter the draft tougher for players not mentioned in the first round discussion.
“If you’re not really allowed to know where you’re sitting at — especially if there is a guy between a third or a fourth round pick and he’s not too sure where he’s going to be at — it’ll make that decision probably a little tougher,” Mariota said.
Oregon outside linebacker Tony Washington, who received a draft evaluation last season, didn’t look at his grade as a pinpoint accurate depiction of where he would possibly be selected: Something instilled in him at Oregon.
“I know our coaches here do a great job telling us that the draft evaluations won’t lie to you,” Washington said. “If they tell you you’re a first round pick, they’re not saying you won’t get drafted in the second, or third round. They say you have the potential to be picked high, but you may have the potential to be drafted later on. It’s no guarantee.”
Still, even with the changes to the process, Washington doesn’t think it’ll make a major difference on the amount of underclassmen entering the NFL Draft.
“I don’t really think changing the rules on draft evaluations is going to change how many people come out,” Washington said. “If they’re ready to go, they’re going to go.”
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