NFL prospect watch: Lucky Sutton earns high grade from Pro Football Focus

San Diego State goes for its fourth straight win this season, something SDSU hasn’t done since 2021, when it travels to Reno to take on Nevada. Here’s a look at potential NFL prospects to watch in Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. game at Mackay Stadium:

Lucky Sutton, RB, San Diego State, Jr.

Sutton was ranked the 48th overall running back recruit in the nation by 247sports.com following a decorated high school career at Cathedral Catholic. He leads the Mountain West in rushing attempts (88), is second in rushing yards (450) and is tied for third in rushing touchdowns (5) in his first season as the Aztecs’ lead back. Sutton is big (6-foot-1, 225 pounds), physical and features a downhill mentality with enough long speed to house it if the opportunity presents itself. Pro Football Focus currently grades him as the 28th-best running back in the nation (82.8). His combination of size and patience is reminiscent of Le’Veon Bell. Bell was an All-American at Michigan State before being drafted in the second round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013, and became a three-time All-Pro in the NFL.

Dalesean Staley, S, San Diego State, Jr.

Staley spent two years at Northern Iowa, where he earned 2023 FCS Freshman All-American first-team honors with 70 tackles, eight pass breakups, three interceptions and three tackles for loss. He transferred to SDSU in 2024, where he started all 11 games he played in, finishing third on the team with 61 tackles. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound safety’s aggressive playmaking ability was on full display in the Aztecs’ 34-0 win over Cal three weeks ago. He had seven tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble that led to Dwayne McDougle’s 35-yard scoop-and-score in the third quarter. The performance earned him Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week.

Dylan LaBarbera, Edge rusher, Nevada, Jr.

LaBarbera is undersized for a defensive end (6-1, 248), but he lives in an opponent’s backfield. His 10 tackles for loss are tied with Duke’s Vincent Anthony Jr. for the most in the FBS this season. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with explosiveness, strength and grit. LeBarbera more than held his own against Penn State’s elite talent in the Wolf Pack’s opener, and he’s recorded at least seven tackles in every game.

Jonathan Maldonado, Edge, Nevada, Jr.

Maldonado has showcased a knack for making plays when it matters most. When the Wolf Pack handed SDSU one of the worst losses in program history, beating the Aztecs 6-0 to end a 16-game losing streak in 2023, it was Maldonado who recovered quarterback Jaylen Mayden’s fumble to seal the deal with 1:12 left in the game. And with Nevada trailing 17-13 to Sacramento State late in the fourth quarter of its home opener this season, the 6-6, 233-pound, uber-athletic pass rusher returned an interception 36 yards for the game-winning TD, helping the Wolf Pack avoid an upset loss to an FCS opponent. Maldonado’s a late bloomer — he played QB in high school — but given his frame and elite athleticism, his ceiling is very high. He and LaBarbera are tied for fourth in the Mountain West with 3½ sacks apiece.