A Colorado football helmet during the 2014 Rocky Mountain Showdown at Sports Authority Field in Denver. (James Bradbury/CU Independent File)
Last Saturday, three former Colorado football players participated in the annual East-West Shrine Game. The contest is essentially college football’s all-star game, and it gives invited players an extra opportunity to impress NFL scouts before the draft. Here’s a breakdown of how the three players from Colorado fared, and what their draft stock looks like for April.
Bryce Bobo
Breakdown: Bobo spent the better part of last weekend catching passes from the enemy, CSU Rams quarterback and in-state rival Nick Stevens. Jokes aside, the California native raised some eyebrows, likely improving his draft stock for April. Matched up against his former teammate, safety Afolabi Laguda, he did an excellent job using his wide frame to box out smaller defensive backs all weekend long. While Bobo is a guy who flashed superstar potential, it’s important to remember that he was plagued by inconsistency at Colorado. In four Jekyll and Hyde seasons, Bobo made several SportsCenter worthy circus catches, but he also had several costly drops on balls thrown right too him. There’s no doubt Bobo has the physical intangibles to succeed at the next level, but there’s still several lingering question marks. Can he regularly separate from NFL DB’s (something he struggled to do at times in college)? Can he cut down on the drops? Is his route running crisp enough? These alone will be enough to keep Bobo from being drafted, but should do nothing to stand in his way of making an NFL roster. As evidenced by players like Tom Brady, some guys play their best football at the next level. If he can work on the weak links in his game, he has the ability to be a post draft steal and matchup nightmare.
Projected Round: Undrafted free agent
Afolabi Laguda
Breakdown: Laguda was a guy that had a good weekend in Tampa, showing scouts that he’s truly a jack-of-all trades. There’s no doubt he has all the physical tools to succeed at the next level. Standing at 6’1″, 205 pounds, he has the frame and athleticism to play at either safety position, being physical at the line of scrimmage as a strong safety, or a ballhawk at free safety. Unfortunately, the Georgia native was inconsistent in his time at Boulder. At times— such as the game against Washington in his senior season — Laguda looked like a legit prospect at the next level. But far too often, he looked well out of position, getting caught in no man’s land in coverage and missing open-field tackles. Additionally, he was ejected three times in his Colorado career for targeting penalties, causing concern about his on-field ego. Ultimately, the junior college transfer has the intangibles and attitude to be successful at the next level. He’s spent the better of the past month training and fine tuning his skills with 13-year NFL veteran and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, who went undrafted himself in 2002. With a logjam of talented safeties ahead of him, and inconsistency during his playing days at CU, Laguda shouldn’t expect to hear his name called on draft day. However, if drafted into the right regime and situation, there’s no reason to believe the former captain can’t find success in the NFL.
Projected Round: Undrafted free agent
Phillip Lindsay
Breakdown: If NFL scouts were all eyes and ears, Lindsay certainly did his job to impress. The Tasmanian devil led all rushers with 51 yards on just 12 carries — good for 4.25 YPC. Despite his 5-foot-8, 190 pound frame, Lindsay is a tough back with good instincts. He’s able to use his size to his advantage by being patient and allowing blockers to set up holes. He’s also able to slip through tighter gaps than the average tailback, and is remarkably good at making would-be tacklers miss. He’s a guy that can see the whole field and make cuts with relative ease. Lindsay’s heart and passion for the game, as well as his leadership ability, captivated Buffs fans during his tenure in Boulder and could impress teams’ front offices at the next level. However, with the combination of a deep running back class and his size, Lindsay should see himself going in the later rounds of the draft. This year’s class of tailbacks features Saquon Barkley, Derrius Guice, Nick Chubb, Akrum Wadley, Rashaad Penny and Pac-12 counterpart Ronald Jones. With those six, and many more talented backs ahead of him, Lindsay likely won’t be drafted before the 6th round, if at all. This shouldn’t deter him, as many undrafted free agents have gone on to have long careers in the NFL — especially at running back (Arian Foster anyone?). We’ll see if the scrappy back can use his heart and perseverance to find himself playing Sunday football next fall.
Projected Round: 6th or undrafted free agent
Contact CU Independent sports staff writer Jack Stern at jack.stern@colorado.edu
