Most intriguing NFL prospects playing in 2018 bowl games

The NFL Draft is still months away, but with the college bowl season upon us we might as well take a look at some of the players you should hear about during both times. These are guys who may not have been household names to the casual college football fan, but NFL scouts and coaches know about them. 

Some play at programs that don't get as much television time as that of the Alabamas, Notre Dames and Clemsons. Some do play for those programs but are in the shadows, while others on the team make all the waves. Some just are better than you may have noticed.

All will be drafted in 2019, provided they all declare.

So here are 15 names to watch this bowl season, lock away in your mind and then unleash during the draft.

Josh Allen, LB Kentucky

For the first time since the Tim Couch era, Kentucky football has been strong. While running back Benny Snell Jr. got much of the publicity, it was Allen who was the heart and soul of this team. He won virtually every defensive player award he could this fall and is a guy whom NFL defenses would love to add to their units. He's smart, athletic, gifted and has the will to win that defensive coordinators crave. 

JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford

Arcega-Whiteside had a breakout season, reeling in 14 touchdowns; he had nearly a 1,000-yard season. Stanford had a disappointing year, but he improved as he took more ownership of the offense. Both his parents were basketball players in Spain, and he plays the receiver position like a hoops star boxing out for a rebound. In an NFL that covets receivers who can go get it, he'll be sought after.

DeAndre Baker, DB, Georgia

Baker is an outstanding cover corner who makes plays on the ball and has the size to fight with receivers when the ball is in the air. His ability to stick to receivers has allowed Georgia's defense to continually be one of the best in the nation. He won the Jim Thorpe Award for best college defensive back.

Jaylon Ferguson, DE, Louisiana Tech

Ferguson led the nation in sacks this season with 15 and has piled up 42.5 of them over his Bulldogs career. (He's 1.5 sacks away from tying Terrell Suggs' career mark.) He has the size and speed to evade blockers and make a quarterback nervous.

Ryan Finley, QB, NC State

He won't likely be a first-round pick, but he'll be the kind of safety net NFL teams will look to in the second or third rounds. Finley was the best quarterback in the ACC this season, and the Wolfpack have had a recent history of putting quarterbacks in the NFL (Jacoby Brissett, Mike Glennon, Russell Wilson and Philip Rivers).

Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

With a weak crop of quarterbacks set to enter the draft, Herbert may be the player to most benefit from leaving school early. He has all the tools to be an NFL quarterback: size, accuracy and a little flair that can win over locker rooms. He's also an academic All-American with skills that can help him to learn complex NFL playbooks.

Jaquan Johnson, S, Miami

He's a great tackler. OK, that may not sound like the most amazing skill, but it is when you are an NFL safety. He has a great ability to hone in on a ball carrier and limit his yardage, using his innate ability to avoid traffic to get to the man. He lacks a bit in coverage but more than makes up for it by being solid everywhere else.

Drew Lock, QB, Missouri

While many, many other quarterbacks get the television shine and chatter, Lock may be the one whom NFL scouts talk about the most. As a junior, he led the SEC in passing and has had another solid year, even as it was a step back, stat wise. He's got a strong arm, yet he has improved his completion percentage every season at Missouri. With 49 college starts, he also has plenty of experience.

David Montgomery, RB, Iowa State

Montgomery may be the second-best running back prospect in the draft. Despite running behind a mediocre offensive line, he has managed to average 4.7 yards per carry and score 23 touchdowns over the last two years. He is a bruising-style back with an elusiveness that could thrive in the NFL.

Byron Murphy, DB, Washington

Playing in the Pacific Northwest and in a conference that doesn't get much love on the East Coast, Murphy has lived in obscurity. No matter, as he is set to become a stud in the NFL. Not only does he possess the physical ability to stick to his man, but he is also extremely smart and does his homework on how to defend certain receivers. He loves to lay the boom on players, so he's not afraid to get in the mix.

Riley Ridley, WR, Georgia

Ridley won't get the same attention that his older brother Calvin got during the draft process, but he's pretty talented in his own right. He caught just 39 passes this year, but nine were for touchdowns. He has strong hands and a great (here comes some draft-speak) catch radius that makes for a great possession receiver the NFL offenses need.

Brett Rypien, QB, Boise State

Rypien, nephew of former Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien, has all the tools to join his uncle as an NFL quarterback. He has a quick release and has the ability to sneak it into tight spots. He's great at progressing through his reads and can make all the throws. He isn't a running quarterback but is mobile enough to get out of trouble and talented enough to make great throws on the run. He's a guy you may not hear from early on in the draft but you'll hear about come Sunday.

Miles Sanders, RB, Penn State

After living in Saquon Barkley's shadow, Sanders got his chance in the sun this season. He didn't disappoint. He rushed for 1,223 yards and nine touchdowns after getting just 60 touches in his first two seasons combined. He had five 100-yard games including a 200-yard and three-touchdown effort against Illinois. The NFL doesn't value backs like it used to, but Sanders will do just fine.

Deionte Thompson, S, Alabama

Alabama has a lot of guys who merit attention (there's another one further down the list), but Thompson could be the first Tide name you hear come out of Roger Goodell's mouth at the draft. He is physical and fast, and in today's NFL, is needed to both cover receivers and help on the run. He wants to be a big hitter a bit too often, but he possesses all the skills a modern safety needs and should be selected in the first 15 picks.

Quinnen Williams, DL, Alabama

Williams could emerge as the best player in this draft. He recorded 66 tackles this season and has eight sacks. He's a Jonathan Allen-type player who simply disrupts offenses and is a nightmare for quarterbacks. Going up against a Heisman Trophy winner in the College Football Playoff can only magnify what this guy can do.