Michigan State at Iowa NFL Draft watch notes

Coming into the season Spartans quarterback Kirk Cousins looked like the best senior quarterback in the country. Now he's been exposed a little. His lacking arm strength can get him in trouble and he looks like a backup.

The struggles of defensive tackle Jerel Worthy have been brought up here throughout the season. He's playing more of a two-gap role this year, but he's done little to help his draft stock.

Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff will get tested today if he lines up against talented sophomore end William Gholston. It will be mean against mean. When Gholston isn't busy punching Michigan players in the face, the sophomore is a first-round talent (in 2013). Reiff is a physical blocker who might not mind hitting back.

After touting Iowa's Marvin McNutt last week, he didn't disappoint with nine catches for 101 yards against Michigan. This week he should go up against Michigan State's Johnny Adams, a quick but smaller corner. At some point, and it's coming soon, McNutt is going to be considering among the best draft-eligible wide receivers in the nation.

The other cornerback/wide receiver matchup to observe will be the Spartan's B.J. Cunningham against Iowa's Shaun Prater. Both need good games, so this one should be good.

How will Iowa's Tyler Nielsen follow-up his stellar 13-tackle game against Michigan last week? Nielsen needs to show consistency to become a better draft prospect.

I like the makeup of Michigan State guard Joel Foreman. He's a leader who plays hard. He's not the strongest or most talented player, but he gets by on effort. He's one of those players who seems like he'll get little draft attention and won't get picked highly but will end up on a roster. Much of the same can be said about Hawkeyes senior tackle Marcus Zusevics.

How Michigan State senior free safety Trenton Robinson gets viewed by NFL teams is going to be interesting. He's small for a safety but has about perfect size for a cornerback. He's an athletic player with good hands. If he can show loose hips to turn and run in offseason drills, he could be a good position change candidate.

Fun fact: Did you know the Spartans have a player named Taiwan Jones? He's a freshman linebacker, so nothing draft-wise on him yet. Just found that interesting.