The Husky Haul
Fansided

2017 NFL Draft Hurts Washington Huskies Football Program Most

By Bret Stuter

Dec 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Chris Petersen speaks at a press conference after the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2016 CFP Semifinal at the Georgia Dome. Alabama defeated Washington 24-7. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Washington Huskies head coach Chris Petersen speaks at a press conference after the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2016 CFP Semifinal at the Georgia Dome. Alabama defeated Washington 24-7. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports /
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NCAA Football: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl-Alabama vs Washington
NCAA Football: Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl-Alabama vs Washington /

Per FanSided’s John Buhler, Washington Huskies Football Most Hurt By 2017 NFL Draft

Fansided’s John Buhler looked closely at all college football programs in the nation. He examined the impact of the 2017 NFL Draft. On one hand, after painstaking research, he named the top five programs impacted by the 2017 NFL Draft. On the other hand, in the end he concluded that the University of Washington Football program is the most hurt. In his article, he names the five top national football programs:|

  • 5. USC Trojans – Lost offensive lineman Zach Banner, cornerback Adoree Jackson and wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster.
  • 4. Alabama Crimson Tide – Losing seniors defensive end Jonathan Allen, tight end O.J. Howard, inside linebacker Reuben Foster and outside linebacker Tim Williams.
    Seniors like outside linebacker Ryan Anderson, defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson and strong safety Eddie Jackson project as second to fourth-round selections
  • 3. Stanford Cardinals – Lost junior running back Christian McCaffrey and redshirt sophomore defensive end Solomon Thomas.
  • 2. Clemson Tigers – Lost cornerback Cordrea Tankersley, defensive tackle Carlos Watkins, quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver Mike Williams. Players like
    running back Wayne Gallman, tight end Jordan Leggett and wide receiver Artavis Scott project as day two selections.
  • 1. Washington Huskies – Losing free safety Budda Baker, cornerback Sidney Jones, defensive tackle Elijah Qualls and wide receiver John Ross.

In the end, I agree with him.

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Lost Chance Favored National Champions

As a result of losing four key juniors, the article points out that they were all players who were eligible to play this season.

"If all four would have returned, Washington would have probably been a legitimate national championship contender next year. The Huskies are a playoff contender in the Pac-12, but hopefully Petersen has done well in recruiting players, as these four early entrances sting his rising Pacific Northwest football program."

But Washington has not been idle in recruiting this year. In fact, the team will bolster the ranks on the goodwill by the strong season. As of right now, the team remains in the running for a number of strong players. Offensive lineman Cole Norgaard committed to Washington recently.  Defensive lineman Marlon Tuipulotu recently rose sharply in the national ranks, and committed to UW.

Better Late Than Never

In fact, he is not alone in his noticing the tremendous impact of the NFL Draft on Washington’s football program.  As a matter of fact, we reported on the impact several days ago.  As a result of our findings, we followed that up with our comprehensive list of top ten needs for the 2017 season.

Next: Washington Huskies Recruit DT Marlon Tuipulotu Moving Up In Rankings

The Huskies have never needed more from their recruitment class than this season.  Thankfully, this class is shaping up to meet the challenge.

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