The 2016-17 college football bowl season is well underway, and things really kick into gear after Christmas. In the meantime, Greg and Jake are breaking down all the notable draft prospects across the bowl schedule.
In the meantime, Pro Football Focus put together an “NFL fan’s guide to bowl season.” They discussed two players each NFL fan base should be watching during bowl season. For the San Francisco 49ers, they listed Clemson quarterback DeShaun Watson and Texas A&M pass rusher Myles Garrett. Here’s what they had to say about the two players. Watson faces Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl on December 31, with the winner advancing to the national title game. Garrett faces Kansas State in the Texas Bowl on December 28.
Quarterback is a need in San Francisco, as well, and the 49ers will be paying attention to Watson, Trubisky, and the rest of the top signal-callers. Watson is an interesting name, especially if Chip Kelly is retained as head coach. We always want to pair Kelly with a mobile quarterback that he can take advantage of in the run game, and Watson has that ability, in addition to his skills as a passer.
However, with Cleveland getting first crack at their quarterback of choice, 49ers fans can drool over Garrett’s skills during bowl season. Perhaps the best player in the draft, Garrett is a perfect combination of burst, power, and production off the edge and he’s the favorite to go No. 1 overall barring an ascension from a QB prospect or two. Garrett would fill one of the many needs the 49ers have on the defensive side of the ball, as he’s improved his run-stopping skills this year to complement his already-elite ability to pressure the quarterback.
Matt Barrows put together a draft article on Friday in which he talked about bowl games worth watching. He mentioned the Peach Bowl (January 1), which will feature Alabama and Washington showing off a lot of talent. He also pointed to the Sun Bowl, which will feature North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky facing Stanford.
As we come into the big money matchups of bowl season, what games are you most excited about from a draft perspective?