The 2015 NFL Draft is a memory. It’s time to look forward to 2016!

One of the ways I like to evaluate players in the preseason is to find the holes in their game as it translates to the NFL. These are things I want to see develop or improve as I watch these prospects in the fall.

As an example, heading into last season I had the tag “needs to show better ability to separate over the top” on Alabama WR Amari Cooper. Mission accomplished for the dynamic wideout, and that improvement elevated Cooper into the fourth overall pick. That’s anywhere between 10 and 25 picks higher than Cooper was “slotted” in most preseason mock drafts.

By contrast, I wanted to see better concentration and aggression in attacking the ball in the air from Stanford wideout Ty Montgomery. If anything, he got worse at those questionable attributes and fell from a 20-35 overall projection into the late third round.

Here are a few 2016 prospects I’ve already started to break down and what I would like to see develop in their games in 2015 to make them better NFL candidates.

- Tyler Boyd, WR, Pittsburgh

One of the most dynamic receivers in college football, Boyd is a very smooth player. He’s a speedy 6’2” wideout with long arms and soft hands. Boyd has made several difficult receptions which demonstrate body control and impressive coordination. He’s also been the complete focus of the passing offense. Boyd caught 78 passes in his sophomore campaign while nobody else on the team caught more than 21. That followed a freshman year where he outshined Devin Street and eclipsed Larry Fitzgerald’s team records.

While his route running is generally a positive attribute, one area he can work to get better is his burst off the line. It’s not that Boyd lacks burst; he cuts sharply and accelerates out of them down the field like a pro already. But off the line, his initial step can be lumbering.

This appears deliberate on Boyd’s part, a conscious decision to slow-play his initial motion. This play from the Georgia Tech game is pretty typical. Boyd is No. 23, circled in yellow by the good folks at Draft Breakdown:

I would guesstimate his speed in the low 4.4s, and quick feet allow him to accelerate rapidly. He just doesn’t do it all the time when breaking off the line. It’s most noticeable when Boyd is running hooks or curls, especially when given a big cushion by the coverage. That’s a “tell”, and you’d better believe opposing coaches will be all over it.

Two other minor areas Boyd can clean up: blocking effort and ball security after the catch. In the five games I’ve charted him so far, he’s had at least one play in every game (three in the above Georgia Tech game) where he lost the ball going to the ground, though only one was ruled a fumble.

- Taylor Decker, OT, Ohio State

The blindside protector for whichever of the three Buckeye QBs ultimately wins the job, Decker played a big role in helping the talented troika put up serious yards and points along the way to the National Championship.

Decker is noted for being a real tactician at tackle, and his technique is definitely solid. His punch is strong and almost always well-placed, and the 6’7” Buckeye locks out his shoulders impressively to control the defender. He’s got a nice first step to fan outside to the edge, and Decker can shift his weight quickly for a big man to counter inside moves or recover if he gets beaten initially.

If Decker wants to build on his game, one aspect he can improve is his work in space. He looks every bit of 6’7” when he’s running out to the second level in the run game, very tall and stiff-kneed. Playing tall gets him into trouble in pass protection at times as well. He has a tendency to let himself straighten up while engaged, which costs him anchor strength. Nobody in the games I watched could really bull him backwards other than occasionally, but Decker won’t be so lucky in the NFL.

Keeping his knees bent and staying flexible while engaged will be the difference between Decker being a potential top 10 pick or a marginal first-rounder. He’ll be challenged in the upcoming season by the likes of Shilique Calhoun from Michigan State, Ken Ekanem of Virginia Tech and even speedy Cleveland Smith from Western Michigan, a deeper prospect to add to your watch list.

- Joey Bosa, DL, Ohio State

Sticking with the champion Buckeyes, they have the number one overall player in the preseason rankings in defensive end Joey Bosa. He’s an absolute monster, a fearsome pass rusher with power and closing speed but also a stalwart against the run. He’s nearly impossible to successfully block with just one player for any extended period of time, which leads to a lot of double teams…

…and this is where Bosa can improve his game: handling double teams. It will happen to him at the next level, where he best projects as a J.J. Watt-type attacking 5-technique. While Bosa, like Watt, is good at shedding blocks, a tactical adjustment can make him even better.

Bosa almost always tries to split the double team, attacking the middle. While this is smart in keeping lane integrity and freeing up teammates, it does limit Bosa’s effectiveness. Here’s an example from the game against Maryland:

It’s easier to defeat one opponent than two, and this is something Bosa needs to better incorporate into his repertoire. Instead of always trying to go through the double team, isolate on one blocker and defeat him. The second blocker might still be lingering around to help clean up, but mixing up his game will only make Bosa even more dangerous. He’s a better, more complete prospect entering his final year than Jadeveon Clowney was at South Carolina, and Clowney went #1 overall in 2014 despite a relatively humdrum season.

- Vernon Hargreaves, CB, Florida

Much like Bosa up front, Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves enters the 2015 college season with the unanimous top ranking at his position and top 5 overall status. He’s a tremendous man cover corner blessed with instincts, twitchy agility and supreme confidence in his ability.

The biggest issue with the playmaking cornerback is a tough one for him to address. As Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller notes, he’s lacking ideal size:

 

Hargreaves needs to demonstrate his lack of length isn’t an issue. It can be done; Darrelle Revis is the same exact listed size at 5’11” and 198 pounds and he’s the best coverage cornerback in the NFL (sorry Richard Sherman). He accomplishes this by being very strong with his shoulders and using exceptional body positioning with his hips, aside from being incredibly smart and well-versed on the opposing receiver.

There are glimpses of this already with the rising junior. It needs to be more than glimpses if Hargreaves wants to convince NFL teams he’s worth a top 20 pick as a sub-6’ corner. His overall talent certainly dictates it at this point, but measurables do matter unless proven otherwise. Another great season of making plays and showing better in-route--and legal--physicality will do a lot to help persnickety NFL personnel people think Hargreaves can be the next Revis Island.

- Sheldon Day, DT, Notre Dame

One of the draft trends in the past few years is the decline in stock of undersized defensive tackles. Even a prodigious talent like Aaron Donald fell out of the top 10 in 2014 despite fantastic production and great explosive athletic metrics.

At 6’2” and 284 pounds, Sheldon Day might be the next to fall in that line. Notre Dame moved him inside in 2014 after he predominately played end the prior year. In that 2013 campaign Day showed some ability to get off blocks with his quickness and make plays in the backfield. Last year he proved he could solidly stuff the run inside with his powerful burst and great nose for the ball. Day still held up strong despite losing two NFL talents as running mates in Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt.

This year, I want to see if Day can develop more as a pass rusher. It’s not something he’s shown much of in the past, with just four sacks in his three seasons in South Bend. But I’m optimistic he will spike upward for the Irish in 2015. I got a chance to talk with Day recently and he told me he’s been working more as the attacking piece in their defense, even playing some rush OLB in a package. The knee injury from late last year is fully healed. Positional versatility will give Day a chance to show his value. Yet if he’s going to be a top 40 pick, he’s going to have to double his career output in sacks. Day’s area for improvement--and he’s aware of it--is to broaden his pass rushing arsenal.