Coming off of an ugly loss at Utah, the story of the Trojans' 2018 season looks like it’s already written. It’ll be a year looked back on in disappointment.

Right now, it seems the best-case scenario for the team would be an 8-4 finish to the regular season, factoring in a loss to Notre Dame. With the underwhelming results so far, it’s easy to forget there’s a lot of talent on this team -- much of which will get a shot to play on Sundays next year.

Last week, I took a look at Porter Gustin’s NFL hopes and made the case for him as a potential first-round selection in the 2019 draft. Looking at the list of draft-eligible Trojans, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were seven more that find their names called in April.

USC’s reputation of creating pro-talent is a point of pride for the program, and although it surely doesn’t erase the sting of a disappointing season, it’s some consolation to see Trojans make their way into the NFL.

Here’s a look at the players I think have a serious shot at being drafted within the first three rounds next spring.

I went into Gustin's draft case in detail last week so I’ll keep this short. He’s a physical freak who’ll dominate at the combine and undoubtedly impress coaches with his intangibles. His injury history is the only concern -- even still, I doubt he makes it out of the second round unpicked.

Marshall's draft position will rely a great deal on how the pre-draft process goes for him. He’s played the best season of his career this year by far. He’s shored up his technique and positioning a great deal since last fall, and it shows in how rarely he’s been targeted.

He’s a very solid man-to-man corner with outstanding physicality at the line of scrimmage, and his tackling is probably some of the best in the country from the corner position. He also has the ideal frame for the position, listed at 6-foot-1 and 205lbs with a good wing span.

However, his long speed has been a concern throughout his career (though he hasn’t been beat over the top this year), and his ball skills aren't overwhelming (6 interceptions career interceptions, all coming in 2015-16). If he can run a 40-yard dash faster than 4.6 seconds at the combine, I’d expect him to have a good shot at being drafted in the second or third round.

He compares favorably to Josh Jackson, drafted with the 45th pick last year, although his ball skills are considerably behind where Jackson’s were. I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a transition to playing safety either; if he doesn’t run a good 40, it wouldn’t be a shock for a team to see the best use of his skills on the back end of the defense where his tackling and closing speed could be maximized.

I was higher on Tell as a prospect before the season than I am now. For whatever reason, he’s been rather inconsistent this fall, following up elite performances with uneven showings. Just looking at the disparity in his play between the Colorado and Utah games shows a clear vision of Tell at his best and worst.

When he’s on his game, Tell is a rangy playmaker with excellent size for the position, along with great quickness and solid speed. He lays the wood much harder than a lot of free safeties can --- a big plus for his draft stock.

Unfortunately, the other Tell that we’ve seen at times misses easy tackles and gets lets his eyes wander too far, getting lost in coverage. But the inconsistencies in his game are mental mistakes that NFL coaches might trust themselves to fix.

When he’s played at his best, he genuinely looks like one of the best safeties in college football. Before the season began I believed he could be a first-round pick, and although I don’t think that’s in the cards anymore, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him taken as a second rounder.

At his best, his play is reminiscent of Malik Hooker, the Colts’ pick at No. 15 overall in 2017, as an unusually tall free safety with range and impressive hitting ability. A good finish to the season is crucial for Tell to maintain his name among the highest-rated safeties in this class -- continuing to play the way he did at Utah will sink his stock badly.

Smith's situation heading into this draft appears eerily similar to that of former Iowa linebacker Josey Jewell last year.

Jewell’s career followed a very similar track to Smith’s, leading his team in tackles for three seasons and earning multiple all-conference nods. The concerns he faced in his pre-draft process will likely be very similar to those that will affect Smith next spring -- a lack of the desired athleticism and size for the position.

Jewell ended up dropping in the draft to the fourth round, where the Denver Broncos selected him. Sure enough, he’s been a gem for the Broncos this year, playing exceptional football through 7 games.

I doubt teams will make the same mistake passing on Smith for so long his year. He’s one of the surest tacklers in college and has a great feel for zone coverages -- a valuable commodity in the modern NFL. If he can put up even average testing numbers, I believe he could be a second-round pick.

Pittman might just be the most physically-gifted pass catcher to enter the draft next year, if he decides to do so. Listed at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, with a monstrous wingspan, Pittman has a shot of coming down with any ball placed remotely near him, regardless of coverage (check his game tape from the last two weeks if you need proof). He regularly shakes off tacklers with his size and power, allowing him to turn short passes from the line of scrimmage into first downs. However, it’s the athleticism he pairs with his ridiculous frame that makes him so enticing as a pro prospect.

Pittman can straight up burn past defensive backs down the field and is legitimately a deep threat -- something rarely seen from someone his size. Although his numbers on the season are impressive (471 yards and 4 touchdowns), they don’t fully do his performance this fall justice. JT Daniels has missed him wide open downfield on multiple occasions, and he’s drawn a few pass interference penalties on deep balls from desperate defensive backs doing all they could to prevent a catch.

Pittman has struggled some with drops this year, after being incredibly sure-handed last year, and his route running isn’t great yet -- that’s perhaps the biggest area of concern for him right now. Still, his ceiling is as high as anyone in this 2019 draft class.

If he finishes the season strong and shows out in his testing (which we should fully expect), Pittman could find himself picked in the first or second round despite the fact that he’ll likely have had fewer than 80 career catches in college.

Potential targets in second-half of draft: Nickel Ajene Harris, right tackle Chuma Edoga and wide receiver Tyler Vaughns.