Draft Updates: Alexander, Kearse, Dodd

Clemson cornerback Mackensie Alexander has confirmed that he’ll leave school early and enter the 2016 NFL draft, tweets Joe Schad of ESPN. While Alexander’s team may have fallen short in this week’s national championship game against Alabama, the young defensive back appears poised to do very well this spring.

Matt Miller of Bleacher Report (video link) recently ranked Alexander as the seventh-best overall prospect on his big board, while CBSSports.com places the Clemson defensive back 10th overall, behind only Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey among cornerbacks. Several teams picking in that neighborhood could use help on defense, so Alexander will be an interesting name to watch leading up to the draft.

Here are a few more draft updates:

  • Alexander is hardly the only Clemson player declaring his intent to enter the draft. Safety Jayron Kearse announced today (via Instagram) that he’ll be leaving the Tigers for the NFL, and defensive end Kevin Dodd did the same (link via David Hood of TigerNet.com).
  • Oregon State center Isaac Seumalo is entering the 2016 draft, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link). While Seumalo has plenty of talent, potential suitors will have to consider his injury history when deciding whether to draft him.
  • Delaware Blue Hens punter Eric Enderson will forego his senior season and enter the draft, as Craig Haley of Stats FCS tweets.
  • Following the NFL’s Wild Card weekend, the draft order for 2016 became set through No. 24, as Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com writes. Washington picks at No. 21, the Texans at No. 22, the Vikings at No. 23, and the Bengals at No. 24. The top 20 was set at the end of the regular season, while the remaining postseason games will determine the order of the final eight.
  • The NFL’s scouting combine is expected to remain in Indianapolis through 2020, with a new deal potentially in place sometime this week, writes Mike Chappell of CBS4Indy.com.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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