10 NFL draft prospects to keep an eye on during the FCS playoffs

It’s more than just rivalry week in college football. Saturday also marks the start of the FCS playoffs.

Twenty-four teams are in the field, and the top eight seeds get first-round byes. The championship game is January 8 in Frisco, Texas.

Need some help getting up to speed on players worth checking out? On3 has you covered. Here are 10 NFL draft prospects whose teams will be part of the playoffs. They’re listed alphabetically.

Montana State LB Troy Andersen

In 2017, Andersen (6 feet 4, 235 pounds) was one of Montana State’s top running backs, and in 2018, he was an All-Big Sky Conference quarterback (he’s second in school history with 33 rushing touchdowns and ninth with 2,263 rushing yards). Now, he’s leading the way for the Bobcats as a linebacker. Andersen, who has been playing linebacker full-time since 2019, is tied for seventh in the FCS with 114 tackles. He also has 9.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions.

Florida A&M S Markquese Bell

Bell (6-3, 205), a former Maryland transfer, has 79 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss, an interception and four forced fumbles, which is tied for sixth-most in the FCS. Bell, a potential early-round draft pick, had 61 tackles, five interceptions and two forced fumbles in 2019, his first season at Florida A&M. FAMU didn’t play last season.

Sacred Heart RB Julius Chestnut

Chestnut (6-1, 215) returned to action earlier this month after missing much of the regular season with an injury. In four games, Chestnut has run for 487 yards and three touchdowns. He rushed for 717 yards, scored 11 touchdowns and averaged 7.7 yards per carry in four games last season.

Villanova RB Justin Covington

Covington (5-11, 215), a sixth-year senior, is one of three Villanova players with at least 400 rushing yards. He leads the team with 655 and is averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Villanova played both a spring and fall season in this calendar year. Left tackle Kofi Appiah is another Villanova offensive player on the NFL radar, but he has been out with an injury.

Sam Houston State CB Zyon McCollum

McCollum, who has verified measurements of 6-2 and 198 pounds, will be one of the bigger cornerback prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft. A rare five-year starter because of the extra season given to players because of COVID, McCollum has been a first-team all-conference selection three times and has 13 career interceptions, including three this season.

Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning

For the second consecutive year, a Northern Iowa offensive tackle will be selected early in the draft. Spencer Brown was a third-round pick of the Buffalo Bills this year; Penning (6-7, 321), a three-season starter who squats 625 pounds, is set to go even earlier. Scouts view him as a legitimate first-round talent and one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the 2022 draft class.

East Tennessee State S Tyree Robinson

Robinson (5-11, 185) is tied for sixth in the FCS with five interceptions. It’s the second time in Robinson’s career that he’s had at least five interceptions in a season. He had six during an All-American campaign in 2018.

South Dakota State RB Pierre Strong

Strong (5-11, 205) ranks second in the FCS with 1,317 rushing yards and is tied for fifth with 15 rushing touchdowns. He has run for at least 100 yards in eight of the Jackrabbits’ 11 games. He has had three 1,000-yard seasons.

North Dakota State WR Christian Watson

The quarterback who used to throw Watson (6-5, 208) the ball at North Dakota State is in the NFL (San Francisco 49ers 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance). Soon, Watson should join him. Watson, Lance’s top receiver in 2019, has caught 39 passes for 740 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He also has 120 yards and a touchdown on 13 rush attempts. His top two games have come against playoff teams — Northern Iowa (five catches for 163 yards and a touchdown) and Missouri State (106 yards and a touchdown on four catches). For his career, Watson is averaging 20.6 yards per catch. His dad, Tim, was an NFL safety from 1993-97.

Northern Iowa WR Isaiah Weston

Penning isn’t Northern Iowa’s only NFL prospect on offense. Weston (6-4, 210), another sixth-year senior, has three games with at least 125 receiving yards, including a season-high 181 yards and a touchdown on five catches against North Dakota State.