Not every star NFL player comes from a powerhouse college football program. Javonte Williams Jersey The 2016 NFL Draft is a banner year for talent coming from smaller schools.Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Vernon Butler might be the best prospect from the Group of Five, but isnt exactly a sleeper. Butler will be in Chicago for the draft as a potential first-round pick. Butler is the only Group of Five player invited to the draft, but isnt the only small-school player whose stock has improved since the college season ended. One of his former La. Tech teammates is amongthose players.MORE: There is also in this years draft cla s, but shifting the spotlight to FBS schools from the Group of Five reveals some draft gems who are gaining momentum as the draft approaches.Jatavis Brown, OLB, Akron Brown stole the show at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl with an excellent week of practice and dominant showing in the game. He was all over the field, showing great range and explosivene s. Hes a sure tackler who wraps up and is strong despite being a bit undersized at 5-11, 221 pounds. But in the mold of Zach Thomas, Brown is simply a very good football player. He was the MAC Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-MAC selection for the third straight season while leading Akron to its first-ever bowl victory. Brown had 116 tackles with 12 sacks, 20 tackles for lo sand four forced fumbles last season. Brown would be an ideal fit as weak-side backer in a 4-3 defense. Hes a natural leader who plays sideline to sideline and can even make plays on special teams. He broke Jason Taylors single-season sack record last season and had 41.5 career TFLs. After running a 4.4 40-yard dash and doing 33 reps of Craig Morton Jersey 225 pounds in the bench pre s at the Akron pro day, Browns stock continues to climb.Western Kentucky WR Jared Dangerfield and QB Brandon Doughty Dangerfield drastically improved his draft stock at the East-West Shrine game and hes continued to impre s. Dangerfield is a very good route runner and hand catcher. Dangerfield has good size (6-1, 211) and, while he lacks top-end speed, has an adept ability to pick up yards after the catch because of his strength. He could have a long NFL career as a solid po se sion receiver. Dangerfield was a two-time All-Conference USA selection thanks, in part, to the man throwing him the ball.MORE: The 6-3, 213-pound Doughty led all FBS quarterbacks last season with 5,055 yards and 48 touchdowns with just nine interceptions. He has the arm strength to make every NFL throw, but is inconsistent with his accuracy. But Doughty could be developed into a more-than-capable NFL quarterback. The two-time C-USA MVP is a cerebral signal-caller who understands how to read defenses and isnt afraid to call an audible.Jeff Driskel, QB, Louisiana Tech Outside of the quarterbacks expected to go in the first round, Driskel just might emerge as the best of the bunch. The Ronald Darby Jersey former Florida QB ended his college career on a high note with 457 yards and three touchdowns in the New Orleans Bowl win over Arkansas State. He pa sed for 4,032 yards with 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season. Driskel has prototypical size (6-4, 234) with a cannon for an arm, though he is inconsistent with ball placement. Initially expected to be a third-day pick, Driskel now could sneak into the third round thanks to the athleticism he displayed at the combine.Ma sachusetts QB Blake Frohnapfel and WR Tajae Sharpe At 6-5, 238 pounds, Frohnapfel has the size and arm strength NFL teams want. But he also has a long release and is not a very accurate thrower. He threw for 6,300 yards and 39 touchdowns in two seasons after transferring from Marshall, but also had 23 interceptions. Because of his size and strength, the potential is there and Frohnapfel was a surprising combine snub. But he was able to help himself out at the UMa s pro day and might have gone from an undrafted free agent to a late-round pick.His UMa s teammate was invited to the combine and the 21-year-old has tremendous upside.MORE: Sharpe is tall and lean (6-2, 194), but his quickne s off the ball and long speed could present matchup problems. Hell have to get stronger to better get off pre s coverage, but has dynamic playmaking ability in the open field. Hes a meticulous route runner with great hands. Sharpe caught 111 pa ses last season, 196 the last two years andcaught a pa s in every UMa s game in which he played over the last four years.Darrell Greene, OG, San Diego State There are some off-field concerns, but Greene came back from a suspension last year to start seven games and finish his college career with 33 starts at guard. Greene is monstrous at 6-3, 321 pounds Dennis Smith Jersey with a powerful lower body. Hes a big-time space mover who is also surprisingly athletic for his size. Greene is solid in pa s protection who uses his hands well to knock rushers off balance. Greene loves to play with a mean streak and takes pride in pancake blocks. Coming from a pro-style system in college, Greenes transition to the NFL should be pretty smooth. Despite his six-game drug suspension, Greenes character is clean otherwise. His strength and athleticism have impre sed teams and he could go higher than expected.Rashard Higgins, WR, Colorado State Higgins has shot up from a po sible Day 3 pick to probable second-rounder. The 6-1, 196 Higgins was a playmaker for Colorado State, setting school career records with 239 receptions for 3,649 yards and 31 touchdowns. Hes not going to blow anybody away on a track, but Higgins productivity is impo sible to ignore. Hes also a polished route runner who catches with his hands, which might be the best in the draft cla s. He can add some weight, but Higgins has an extremely high ceiling and could find a new home early on the second day of the draft.Temple DT Matt Ioannidis and Bradley Chubb Jersey LB Tyler Matakevich Ioannidis is a strong and relentle s pa s rusher with a good burst. Hes explosive off the ball and opened some eyes at the Senior Bowl. Hes a 6-3, 300-pound high-motor player who was a two-time All-American Athletic Conference selection. Hes a bit of a stiff athlete and not the strongest at the point of attack, but has been consistently solid and should provide depth in a defensive line rotation. Ioannidis got bigger and better each year he was in college and thats one reason why hes trending upward as NFL teams expect his improvement to continue.MORE: | Matakevich was simply a tackling machine at Temple. One of the best linebackers in the draft, Matakevich totaled 493 tackles, 40 1/2 for lo sand seven sacks as the leader of the Owls defense. His extraordinary instincts and high football IQ make up for a lack of athleticism in coverage. Initially cons