This list is by no means exhaustive and should not be seen as such. This is a list, not of the top prospects from top to bottom, but a peek into the draft process, the prospects that teams are interested in knowing more about, and what they are worried about when it comes to these players.
Ameer Abdullah, Running Back, Nebraska Cornhuskers: As productive a RB as there has been in college football. Teams want to know if he is Roy Helu Jr. or Andre Ellington. There is also some question about how much he is a product of his offensive line.
Vic Beasley, Defensive Lineman, Clemson Tigers: Scouts worry about his position in the NFL. He is almost too light in the butt to play OLB even in a 3-4. If you are getting a pass rushing Mychal Kendricks-type, then he will drop into day 3.
Jon Bullard, Defensive Lineman, Florida Gators: Scouts see a guy with a ton of talent, but at DE, not DT. Muschamp, of course, is playing him at DT. Will he adjust to this switch or will he struggle still?
AJ Cann, Offensive Guard, South Carolina Gamecocks: Scouts think he is very talented, but there is a concern that he was a product of the quality offensive line around him. To be fair to Cann, a lot of scouts think that the South Carolina line has been very good because of his play.
Sam Carter, Safety, TCU Horned Frogs: He has good overall skills, but seems too small for a strong safety and too slow for costless safety. Teams will want to see him specialize his skills to play one of these on Sundays.
La’el Collins, Offensive Lineman, LSU Tigers: He is maybe not the most dominating physical presence on the field, but he is a master technician. Scouts fret about how LSU produces a lot of good OT's for college play, but they struggle when it comes to the NFL (Andrew Whitworth being the last good OT from LSU).
Mike Davis, Running Back, South Carolina Gamecocks: Big, fast, and can power through a pile or hit the edge and take it 80 yards. However, the scouts do not like that he fumbles a lot inside the red zone.
Stefon Diggs, Wide Receiver/Running Back, Maryland Terrapins: Scouts want to know how far back from his knee injury he is and what position does he truly project to play at in the NFL.
Alvin Dupree, Defense End/Outside Linebacker, Kentucky Wildcats: He is a decent DE/OLB tweener who has been the focus of the Kentucky pass rush for two seasons. He needs to show more explosion off the line and production sack wise.
Michael Dyer, Running Back, Louisville Cardinals: Yes, he is still in college and playing football. That Auburn national title season seems like 10 years ago. Teams will want to know if he has been humbled by his off the field mistakes.
Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Cornerback, Oregon Ducks: Scouts see the speed, quickness, and cover skills. They do not see him matching up well against big wide receivers, even in college.
Cameron Erving, Offensive Lineman, Florida State Seminoles: Teams see him as an amazing physical prospect, but the scouts are cautioning that his blocking is still 2-3 years away from being NFL ready.
Devonte Fields, Defensive Lineman/Outside Linebacker: He was suspended from all college ball for pointing a gun at his ex-girlfriend, which means scouts will want to see how humbled he is from his fall from grace.
Brett Hundley, Quarterback, UCLA Bruins: Scouts are very worried that when Hundley gets frustrated early, he starts falling apart as a player. This is especially true if he is hit or sacked a few times early in a game. His mechanics tend to get sloppy and his problems multiply quickly.
Dante Fowler Jr, Defensive Lineman, Florida Gators: Scouts are very concerned that Fowler, while talented, seems to lack the motor and motivation to take advantage of his great skill set. One thing that a scout said, “He’s always the last player on the defense line to move after the snap.”
Eddie Goldman, Defensive Lineman, Florida State Seminoles: A run stopper who will be asked to replace Jernigan as a key DT, he has to show that he can rush a passer if he wants to be a high draft pick.
Melvin Gordon, Running Back, Wisconsin Badgers: He rarely played on passing downs, so scouts want to see how he does as a pass catcher and especially as a pass blocker.
Dorial Green-Beckham, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma Sooners: The scouts want to know if he can go a few months without having an off the field incident. If he blames everyone but himself for what has happened to him, teams will just take him off their draft board. Also, a big sign for the scouts will be if he even comes out for the draft (red flag) instead of playing for Oklahoma in 2015, which would reassure scouts.
Randy Gregory, Defensive End, Nebraska Cornhuskers: Scouts want to know how he can hold a point against the run in the 4 front defense or teams will see him as purely as edge rusher. One dimensional edge rushers are fairly easy to find. A top flight DE/OLB who can play 3 downs are not.
Geneo Grissom, Defensive Lineman, Oklahoma Sooners: He did very little until he destroyed the Alabama offensive line and will given a bigger role this season. He is very raw, but scouts are intrigued by his tools. He has to show that the Sugar bowl was not a fluke.
Todd Gurley, Running Back, Georgia Bulldogs: No one doubts his ability. Everyone doubts that he could stay healthy for 16 games. There is a low talent Darren McFadden vibe about him, and that is not a good thing for his draft stock.
AJ Johnson, Linebacker, Tennessee Volunteers: He is an extremely aggressive LB who makes a ton of tackles and puts himself out of position when he bites on every fake. This is what scouts will be looking for.
Karl Joseph, Safety, West Virginia Mountaineers: Scouts want to know if he is just an undersized overachiever or this season’s Jimmie Ward. If he shows some NFL level tools, then he could be the latter.
Taylor Kelly, Quarterback, Arizona State Sun Devils: No one questions his arm or mobility, but everyone questions how he handles a pass rush (70 sacks in 2 seasons as the starter) and his vision in the pocket.
Arie Kouandjio, Offensive Lineman, Alabama Crimson Tide: Some scouts like him better than his brother Cyrus. All scouts agree that he needs to show that he can handle a quick pass rusher better.
Jeremy Langford, Running Back, Michigan State Spartans: Is he a power back or is he a speed back? The scouts also think that he is a product of the offensive line and system. They want to see him get yards that cannot be tied to the line opening up holes for him.
Tyler Lockett, Wide Receiver, Kansas State Wildcats: Kevin Lockett’s son is a carbon copy of his father. He is a fast, quick slot guy who needs to show that he can make clutch and tough catches.
Marcus Mariota, Quarterback, Oregon Ducks: He has to show that he is more developed as a passer than Manziel was coming out of school. There is no doubting his athletic ability and production, but teams are so put off by Manziel’s inability to run a basic NFL offense that running QB's have to show that they can sit in the pocket or they will drop from now on.
Cedric Ogbuehi, Offensive Lineman, Texas A&M Aggies: Is he a tackle or a guard? He seems to have a guard’s body, but will work at OT for two straight seasons. And scouts are worried that he has been a product of a great series of offensive linemen around him.
Andrus Peat, Offensive Lineman, Stanford Cardinal: No one argues that he might have the most amazing combo of size and speed for an OT. Scouts want to see him develop his blocking technique before they will commit a high draft pick to him.
Bryce Petty, Quarterback, Baylor Bears: The scouts are worried that Petty’s great play is a function of the system he plays in. He has always had overwhelming speed to work with on the field and they think he has developed bad habits, especially of not going through his progressions properly.
Corey Robinson, Offensive Tackle, South Carolina Gamecocks: He needs to show that he can handle a speed rusher. Vic Beasley destroyed him in 2013 and he will have to move to RT or LG if he still struggles with speed.
Brandon Scherff, Offensive Lineman, Iowa Hawkeyes: Scouts say that he has the best blocking technique of any OL prospect in this draft, but they want to see him show more quickness and speed before they sign off on him as a top pick.
Brandon Shell, Offensive Tackle, South Carolina Gamecocks: He has to shown similar things that his bookend tackle Robinson must shown: that he can handle a small speed rusher.
Danny Shelton, Defensive Tackle, Washington Huskies: He is a 3-4 Nose tackle in the pros, scouts want to see how he deals with double teams. No one has any expectation that he can rush the passer.
Leonard Williams, Defensive Lineman, Southern California Trojans: Scouts want to know what is real position is in the NFL. Half of them think he is a 4-3 DT and the other half think he is a Strong Side 4-3 DE. It would help if the coaches would focus his playing time at one spot or the other.
Jameis Winston, Quarterback, Florida State Seminoles: Talk to scouts and they will all tell you the same thing: On the field, he is a once in a lifetime prospect. He has a cannon arm, leadership abilities, pocket presence, and knows how to put touch on the ball. His off the field issues is what worries them. Not just the rape allegation and the discount on crab legs, but there is a number of stories that scouts are hearing that worry them. There is also a worry among some scouts that Winston’s play is largely because of the talent that Florida State has put around him.
Travis Wilson, Quarterback, Utah Utes: Scouts will be watching his medical history very closely this season. With the concussions and this pre-existing artery condition, teams will want to be sure that he can survive in the NFL. Another head injury and he will be taken off of draft boards.
TJ Yeldon, Running Back, Alabama Crimson Tide: For a guy with seemingly all the tools, why is he losing carries to a sophomore? Also, he has a fumble red flag on him. A big season with big game performances holding off Henry from the field will answer a lot of questions about him.