Derrick Henry, Jared Goff are big risks in a draft full of them

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We’ve never seen an NFL draft so full of not-a-sure things. There’s quarterback Carson Wentz, the out-of-nowhere $20 million man. There’s enigmatic defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche and his dream of owning a panther. Linebacker Myles Jack left his team, had knee surgery and still could be a top-five pick. All are huge risks. But they also could bring huge rewards.

Here are six more players on the boom-or-bust list:

Jared Goff

QB, California | 6-foot-4, 215 poundsKiper’s draft range: Top 104,719 yards, 43 TDS, 13 INTS, 64.5% completion rate

The reward: Goff has the footwork and quick release that pro teams covet. The ball comes out hot, he can fit passes into tight windows, and he has the vision to work through progressions. His football IQ is also off the charts: He threw 56 TDs versus 1 INT in the red zone in 37 starts at Cal. “From a mental standpoint, Goff is the best of all the quarterbacks in the draft,” one scout says.

The risk: He isn’t a gunslinger, and Cal’s air raid spread system won’t translate to the pros. His arm strength is average, and he needs to add thickness to his frame. Some observers think Goff will be overdrafted because of the need at the position and that he’d be best served sitting as a rookie. “If he gets forced onto the field,” one scout told me, “he’s not going to be ready.”

Derrick Henry is a physical specimen, but he’s already logged a lot of carries. Andrew Hancock for ESPNDerrick Henry

RB, Alabama | 6-foot-2, 247 poundsKiper’s draft range: 2nd round4.54 40, 37″ vertical, 10’10” broad jump, 395 carries, 2,219 yards (5.6 per carry), 28 touchdowns in 2015

The reward: Henry pushes the freak meter through the roof at 6-foot-2, 247 pounds with 4.54 speed. The big boy is durable, can create his own inside running lanes and he has the power to push the pile coming from a pro system at Alabama. “He punishes you. He’s just going to wear your ass down,” a scout said. He is an Eddie George clone and he has enough vision to find daylight in the pro game.

The risk: Henry carried the ball 395 times last season at Alabama. That’s a big number. He comes into the league with some wear on the tires and he’s not a shake-and-bake runner in the …

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