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NFL Draft: Ranking the 5 most underrated prospects for 2018

By Peter Panacy

SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 25: Quarterback Luke Falk #4 of the Washington State Cougars looks downfield to pass against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 25: Quarterback Luke Falk #4 of the Washington State Cougars looks downfield to pass against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /
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PULLMAN, WA – OCTOBER 21: Phillip Lindsay #23 of the Colorado Buffaloes is tackled by Hercules Mata’afa #50 of the Washington State Cougars in the first half at Martin Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Pullman, Washington. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images)
PULLMAN, WA – OCTOBER 21: Phillip Lindsay #23 of the Colorado Buffaloes is tackled by Hercules Mata’afa #50 of the Washington State Cougars in the first half at Martin Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Pullman, Washington. (Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images) /

No. 1: EDGE Hercules Mata’afa, Washington State

Like quarterback, most fans and pundits are familiar with the big-name EDGE prospects in this year’s NFL Draft — NC State’s Bradley Chubb, UTSA’s Marcus Davenport, Boston College’s Harold Landry and LSU’s Arden Key.

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One player people should be paying attention to is Washington State’s Hercules Mata’afa.

There’s always the possibility West Coast players don’t receive the same publicity as Midwest or East Coast prospects, simply because a sizable chunk of their games are on later. But Mata’afa has all the tools to develop into a top-quality edge rusher at the NFL level.

NFLDraftScout.com ranks Mata’afa as a Round 5 or 6 prospect. This is possibly because, at 6-foot-2 and 252 pounds, he’s a bit of a tweener for both 4-3 and 3-4 defensive schemes. And his 4.76 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine suggests he doesn’t have the speed to thrive as a true EDGE.

Mata’afa managed to turn it on his junior year, though, picking up 10.5 sacks and a whopping 22.5 tackles for a loss. And what teams should be excited about is his burst off the line. He then backs this up with a non-stop motor, which will undeniably help him at the NFL level.

Niner Noise has sang praises about Mata’afa for some time now. And if a team like the 49ers is able to get him in Round 5 or 6, that would be a steal and an immediate boost for a substandard pass rush.

Next: Ranking the 5 most overrated prospects in the NFL Draft

So, maybe it’s a good thing Mata’afa didn’t have the best numbers at the combine after all.