Several wide receivers have impressed NFL scouts and top the list of this week's NFL Draft risers. A pair of prospects in the secondary are also moving up draft boards around the league. Conversely, players who received high grades from scouts entering the 2012 campaign have not lived up to expectations.
So with one month left in the college season, how is the 2013 NFL Draft shaping up in the eyes of NFL scouts? Several scouts told me the top of the draft is uninspired to this point. There is no clear-cut No. 1 choice. No player, whether it be a senior or underclassmen, comes close to matching the grades received by Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin last April. Scouts compare next April's draft to the 2008 event, one which saw Jake Long tabbed with the first selection. In layman's terms, it looks like a draft where teams select safe players and draft for need in the early going.
Scouts are excited yet at the same time concerned about Oregon's Dion Jordan. The senior has taken his game to another level this season, expanding his skills on the field and effectively handling a variety of roles. Jordan has been a forceful and disciplined defender and plays within himself. He's also been suffering from a shoulder injury which has forced an early exit from the past two games. If healthy, Jordan could end up a top 60 choice, but his shoulder will be thoroughly examined at the Senior Bowl.