A record number of college players declared early for the 2016 NFL draft. Any personnel loss of this caliber has the capacity to damage a team, but not all of these departures are created equal. Some of these players will be replaceable for a number of reasons, while others will be very difficult or even impossible to replace.
This first in a two-part series will take a look at the high-profile early draft entrants who can be considered replaceable players. Keep in mind that replaceable isn't meant as a pejorative but rather to indicate that the team has available roster options who should be capable of replicating these players' 2015 performances.
Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn State
Hackenberg is considered among the top five quarterback prospects in the 2016 NFL draft, but that talent level did not show up often enough in the 2015 season. His 56.4 Total QBR in games against Power 5 opponents ranked eighth in the Big Ten and 41st out of 57 passer-rating-qualified Power 5 quarterbacks last year.