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Durst's 2020 NFL Draft: Big Board 2.0 (Pre-Senior Bowl Week)

Here's my Preseason Rankings

Durst's 2020 NFL Draft Big Board (players divided into three tiers)

Day 1 Picks (I don't have 32 rated as first round prospects)

Day 2 Picks (Rounds 2-3)

Day 3 Picks (Rounds 4-7)

NOTE: Players listed under Day3 but under the --- line are players I have yet to study.

+ = Medical Concerns, ? = Character Concerns

THE QUARTERBACKS
QB
Day 1
Joe Burrow, LSU
Justin Herbert, Oregon
Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama +++
Jacob Eason, Washington
Day 2
Jordan Love, Utah State

Day 3

Jalen Hurts, Alabama
Nathan Stanley, Iowa
Steven Montez, Colorado
Anthony Gordon, Washington St
Shea Patterson, Michigan
Tyler Huntley, Utah
Cole McDonald, Hawaii
Brian Lewerke, Michigan State
Bryce Perkins, Virginia
----------------------------
James Morgan, FIU


The average number of QBs drafted since 2010 is only 11.7, with just 3 in Rd1, and typically around 5 are going in the top-100.

Overall, the 2020 class appears stronger than average.

First you have Joe Burrow. Burrow has good size, and good but not a great arm. A former all-state point guard in HS, he is a better athlete than I thought, and can extend plays with his legs. The Heisman Trophy winner finished with one of the best seasons in college football history, completing 76.3% of his passes for 5,671 yards and a 60/6 TD/INT ratio.

Perhaps Joel Kratt summarizes it best, when he says "You gotta make really tight window throws on time and on target." Burrow does that.

Battle tested, Burrow was outstanding against a schedule that included Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M.

If I were Carolina, short of trading Christian McCaffrey, I would do whatever it takes, including trading Cam Newton, for the opportunity to reunite Burrow with new Panthers' offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

Playing in a system that Joe Brady brought over from the Saints' offense, Burrow appears to be as "pro-ready" as any quarterback to come out since Andrew Luck. Older that Lamar Jackson, he looked as if he should have already been in the NFL.

That being said, there have been many "can't miss" quarterbacks who have failed in the NFL, and Burrow's transition to the NFL would be facilitated by his familiarity with Brady, and surrounding him with weapons, such as McCaffrey, DJ Moore, and Curtis Samuel.

Tua would be a wise pick for the Panthers. Cam Newton is entering the last year of his contract, and Tua might require a redshirt season before taking over.

In 2018, Tagovailoa had a record-setting season in which he threw for 3,966 passing yards (69%), with an unbelievable 43/6 Touchdown/Interception ratio and finished as the runner-up to Kyler Murray for the Heisman Trophy.

However, the biggest question about Tua entering the 2019 season was durability, and after suffering three lower body injuries (in just 23 starts), those questions have now become explanation points.

Tua is thickly built, and has a strong arm. While he is not tall, clearly the NFL has finally relinquished it’s outdated notions about a quarterback’s height. Described as a great kid and great leader, Tagovailoa throws with good touch, accuracy, and anticipation. He can extend plays with his legs and is an above-average athlete.

By comparison, Justin Herbert is bigger, with better physical tools, and arm strength than either Burrow or Tagovailo.

Given Tua's questionable health, I believe multiple teams will have a higher grade on Herbert, who should receive rock star attention during Senior Bowl week.

There is a lot to like about Herbert. At 6’6/237, Herbert looks even bigger than his listed size. Long and athletic, he has good straight line speed and can pick up a good amount of yardage with his legs. He gets good velocity on his short and intermediate passes, and will occasionally let loose a beautiful deep ball.

In Oregon's bowl game, he ran for three touchdowns against a stingy Wisconsin defense that shut out four of it's first six opponents to start the season. Over his four seasons at Oregon, Herbert appeared in 43 games with 10,541 total passing yards and 95 passing touchdowns.

However, the Oregon offense doesn’t require him to go through progressions. Most everything is predetermined. His mechanics look a bit quirky - a byproduct of his size and long arms is that Herbert has a little bit of an elongated delivery. Often, he does not throw with a firm base, so he throws too many balls off balance, which impacts accuracy. Despite having arguably the top offensive line in the country, and playing a schedule which includes very few top-level pass rushers, he needlessly abandons the pocket too often.

Personally, I expect two or three quarterbacks will be drafted in the top-10, and give Jacob Eason the nod over Jordan Love to go in the back end of Rd1.

Over the summer, I ranked Eason #5 in my Preseason Quarterback Rankings which was significantly higher than average. Daniel Jeremiah’s 10th ranked QB, Eason was conservatively given just a 6th round grade by Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline.

Love has been getting a lot of love from the draft media. According to draft analyst Dane Brugler, one scout went as far to describe Jordan Love as "Mahomes-like with his loose arm, mobility and mental processor." I have only seen highlights.

I agree with Daniel Jeremiah, who wrote "Fromm will end up being a very polarizing player around the league. Some see what he can do -- play with poise, throw the ball accurately and exhibit ideal leadership skills. Others will obsess over the negatives -- lacks ideal arm strength and athleticism."

Personally, I think both Jacob Eason (and Justin Fields) are better draft prospects than Fromm, even though each transferred after losing the Georgia job to the dependable Fromm. A great leader, and very accurate, I am not convinced Fromm has the arm strength to become more than a back-up in the NFL.

While it is highly unlikely Jalen Hurts becomes the Sooners' third consecutive #1 overall draft pick, those that dismissed him (or think a position switch is needed) are in for a surprise. Hurts has proven that the big stage is not too big for him, and I have seen some improvements in his passing. As a non-anticipatory, see-it-throw-it passer, he is stylistically similar to Marcus Mariotta, but with even better athleticism. I could easily see him as a back-up to spread system QBs, like Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, or Lamar Jackson.

Steven Montez and Nate Stanley are similar. Each are listed at 6'5 and roughly 235 pounds, and both are strong and athletic.

Stanley seems like the kind of quarterback that NFL front offices appreciate more than NFL (or college) fans. Reportedly, Peyton Manning continually praised Stanley's footwork when dropping back at the Manning Passing Academy. Once free from the antiquated Hawkeyes' offense, he also seems like the type who may get a boost if he is able to impress during Senior Bowl week. He will likely be one of the few quarterbacks there that have played an extensive amount under center. In the end, I expect him to be a borderline top-100 pick.

The wild card could be Shea Patterson. A former 5-star recruit, Patterson was the #4 rated overall recruit in the 2016 class on the 247Sports Composite. He originally enrolled at Ole Miss, and looked like a future star as a sophomore, but transferred to Michigan before the 2018 season.

Once thought to be a quarterback "whisperer", former NFL QB Jim Harbaugh system seems dated and stale. Seemingly a poor fit in coach Harbaugh’s old school system, Patterson’s draft stock could rise with an impressive week at the Senior Bowl.

Utah's Tyler Huntley is an intriguing late-round prospect. In 2019, Huntley threw for 3,092 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. Quarterback guru, Mark Schofield’s RSP Scouting Lens did this feature on Huntley. While he has some fans in the draft media, most consider Huntley to be a late-round prospect.

FIU QB James Morgan went 9-of-14 for 116 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's East-West Shrine Game. There were a bunch of QBs down in St Petersburg that really have no chance, but I may pop on some of Morgan's game tape at some point.

THE OFFENSIVE WEAPONS

RB WR TE
Day 1
D'Andre Swift, Georgia
J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State


Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
Tee Higgins, Clemson
Henry Ruggs III, Alabama
Laviska Shenault, Colorado +

Day 2
Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU
Cam Akers, FSU
Zack Moss, Utah ++
Eno Benjamin, Arizona State
Jalen Reagor, TCU
KJ Hamler, Penn State RS-Soph.
Michael Pittman Jr., USC
Donovan Peoples Jones, Michigan
Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona St.
Bryan Edwards, S Carolina
Justin Jefferson, LSU
Hunter Bryant, Washington ++
Cole Kmet, Notre Dame +
Thaddeus Moss, LSU
Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri
Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt
Colby Parkinson, Stanford


Day 3
Anthony McFarland, Maryland
AJ Dillon, Boston College
Salvon Ahmed, Washington
DeeJay Dallas, Miami
Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Vanderbilt
Reggie Corbin, Illinois
Lamical Perine, Florida
Tony Jones, Jr. Notre Dame
Rodney Smith, Minnesota +
Tavien Feaster, S. Carolina (Clemson)
------------------------------
Joshua Kelley, UCLA
Antonio Gibson, Memphis (WR?)
Larry Rountree III, Missouri
JaMycal Hasty, Baylor
Benny LeMay, Charlotte
James Robinson, Illinois State:



Gabriel Davis, Central Florida
Tyler Johnson, Minnesota
Denzel Mims, Baylor
Devin Duvernay, Texas
Collin Johnson, Texas
Chase Claypool, Notre Dame
Jeff Thomas, Miami ??
Van Jefferson, Florida
Quintez Cephus, Wisconsin
Jauan Jennings, Tennessee
Marquez Calloway, Tennessee
KJ Hill, Ohio State
Aaron Fuller, Washington
Tyrie Cleveland, Florida
Kalija Lipscomb, Vanderbilt
Kendrick Rodgers, Texas A&M
Austin Mack, Ohio State
Binjimen Victor, Ohio State
Juwan Johnson, Oregon (Penn St.) +
Lawrence Cager, Georgia (Miami) +
KJ Osborn, Miami (Buffalo)
----------------------------------------
Hasise Dubois, Virginia
Joe Reed, Virginia
Antonio Gandy-Golden, Liberty
James Proche, SMU
Quartney Davis, Texas A&M
Kirk Merritt, Arkansas State ??
Jalen Virgil, Appalachian State

Brycen Hopkins, Purdue
Devin Asiasi, UCLA
Jacob Breeland, Oregon +
Cheyenne O’Grady, Arkansas ??
Sean McKeon, Michigan
Eli Wolf, Georgia (Tennessee)
Rashod Berry, Ohio St
Brandon Fritts, UNC (6th) +

------------------------

Mitchell Wilcox, South Florida
Harrison Bryant, Florida Atlantic
Charlie Taumoepeau, Portland St.
Adam Trautman, Dayton
Joey Magnifico, Memphis +
Josiah Deguara, Cincinnati


The average number of RBs drafted since 2010 is 23.3, with just 1.6 in Rd1 and 6.9 in the Top-100.

I was very surprised when my preseason RB2 (Travis Etienne, Clemson), RB5 (Najee Harris, Alabama), and the nation's leading rusher (Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State) all bypassed the 2020 draft, and returned to school.

However, NFL teams that are looking to draft one early will still have three great ones to choose from. My personal favorite is D'Andre Swift. He has speed, power, vision, and excellent hands to be one of the top backs in the NFL.

My RB2 is down to a pair of BIG-10 backs.

For now, I am going to go with JK Dobbins who in the end, could be seen as a Alvin Kamara type weapon. I can say that watching Dobbins on film is like watching a pinball machine, as he bounces off would-be tacklers. He runs with a good forward lean and finishes runs by falling forward. Like most Ohio State prospects, he is expected to test well at the NFL Combine. Dobbins’ high school SPARQ scores included running a 4.44 second forty time and a 43.1-inch vertical jump.

From Melvin Gordon, Montee Ball, and Ron Dayne to Jonathan Taylor, the Badgers have a long history of great play from their running backs, but thus far, only Gordon went on to have success in the NFL.

Taylor has played like a Rd1 prospect, but there's probably only a 50/50 chance he gets drafted that high. More and more NFL teams are subscribing to the philosophy that you can find a RB later in the draft, and the 2020 draft class appears to have many options.

Factoring in Taylor’s high mileage, ball security issues (18 career fumbles, 15 lost), and multiple drops in the passing game, I have him as a high day two pick. rather than Rd1.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire's multi-faceted skill set would make a great back-up to McCaffrey if somehow he slides to the bottom of Rd3.

CEH has a Maurice Jones-Drew frame and was LSU's version of Alvin Kamara this past season. He not only ran for 1,414 yards and 16 TD, but also was a big part of the passing game, finishing with 55 catches and 453 yards.

My second tier includes Cam Akers, Zack Moss, Eno Benjamin., and Anthony McFarland.

Akers was held back by a bad FSU offense the past two seasons, but I still need to study more of Benjamin and McFarland.

Moss is the highest-rated Utah prospect on draft analyst Dane Brugler’s draft board, but has had a history of nagging injuries (knee 2018, shoulder 2019). In uniform, he looks somewhat slow and/or overweight. However, Moss is a patient, mature runner, with good instincts and vision, along with great contact balance. An above average blocker, he can also be useful catching passes out of the backfield. His running style reminds me of another Miami native, Frank Gore.

Probably one of the nation’s more underrated running backs, Lamical Perine can do it all. He’s good between the tackles, a reliable pass catcher, and a plus-blocker, but he doesn’t have that one elite trait or skill needed to get him drafted before the third day.

While Washington's all -time leading rusher, Miles Gaskin wasn’t selected until the 7th round, I expect Salvon Ahmed will get a bump from what will likely be a great workout at the NFL Combine. His speed and quickness are just on another level. Maybe it’s watching the PAC-12 from the east coast, but Ahmed reminds me of former Oregon backs, such as LaMichael James.

Charlotte running back Benny LeMay was named the offensive MVP of the East West Shrine Game, with 80 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, including the game-winning score. James Robinson (RB, Illinois State) rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown and 56 receiving yards. Robinson was No. 2 in the FCS, with 1,917 yards and 18 touchdowns, in 2019.

I need to find some tape on each of them.

The average number of WRs drafted since 2010 is 31.3, with 3.4 in Rd1 and 12.3 in the Top-100.

For the past 12 months, there has been talk about this being the year of the receiver, and while some may not have produced as predicted, this certainly looks like a good class.

In 2018, Jerry Jeudy won the Fred Biletnikoff Award (best college receiver) and was named a consensus All-American. In 2019, he had to share targets with the rest Alabama's stable of future NFL receivers. He was dominant in Alabama's bowl win over Michigan.

Physically, Jeudy is more similar to former Alabama wideouts Calvin Ridley and Amari Cooper than Julio Jones, but Jeudy appears to be NEXT in the Tides’ growing list of NFL receivers.

Last year, I wrote that I considered CeeDee Lamb is a better pro prospect than Hollywood Brown. I find it encouraging that Lamb caught passes from his three different QB in as many years, which says something about his ability to adapt, even if he also benefited from the talent of those QBs and the Sooners’ scheme in general.

Tee Higgins’ best assets are his exceptional catch radius and leaping ability, but I have concerns about his speed. At roughly 6-foot-4, (long and somewhat skinny) he has the build of a classic "X" receiver. As a prospect, Higgins reminds me a little of DeVante Parker when he went 14th overall.

Henry Ruggs might be the fastest player in college football. Ruggs set the Alabama state HS record in the 100 meters (10.58) and reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.25 seconds during the Crimson Tide’s junior pro day. He entered the season with a second-round grade from one of the NFL’s scouting services, but many draft analysts are grading and/or mocking him in Round 1.

When it comes to the receivers, I really like Laviska Shenault, but it's possible his physical running style (best in class) after the catch is causing his body to break down, similarly to Leonard Founette. There is also a little Cordarrelle Patterson to his game.

Jalen Reagor (TCU) and KJ Hamler (Penn State RS-Soph.) are a pair of undersized speedsters, who also could factor in on special teams. I have yet to really study Reagor.

Michael Pittman has the desired size and body control to out muscle smaller defensive backs and could likely start at either an iso-X or as a "big slot" in the NFL. He is a good athlete with with long arms and strong hands, and presents a large catch radius. Once the ball is in his hands, he has the strength and physicality to break tackles and create yards after catch. He is an above average blocker and a good special teams player.

Donovan Peoples-Jones caught one pass for 34 yards in Michigan's 35-14 loss to Alabama in the VRBO Citrus Bowl. Peoples-Jones arrived in Ann Arbor as a five-star recruit, ranked as the No. 1 WR recruit in the nation, but in three years, DPJ combined to post a career receiving line of just 103-1,327-14. People-Jones has always been better than his stats. A very good athlete, Jones will likely excel at the NFL Combine and Michigan's Pro Day. In 2015, Jones won Nike's SPARQ National Champion, with a winning score of 149.49.

After several spectacular performances on national TV, Justin Jefferson might be a tad overrated. As LSU's primary slot receiver, much of Jefferson's production was largely a product of his alignment and route concepts. PFF explains Just don’t expect him to consistently win more valuable routes outside the numbers, and don’t draft him ahead of guys in this class that can. Tall and lanky, I could see him carving out a Tyler Boyd like role in the NFL.

Collin Johnson entered the 2019 season as the #1 senior WR on some draft boards, such as Dane Brugler. Unfortunately, his hamstring didn't corporate. At 6'6, he could be a red zone specialist in the NFL. Comparably framed receivers, such as Hakeem Butler and Equanimeous St. Brown have slid much further than expected in recent drafts, while others such Allen Lazard and Simmie Cobbs went completely undrafted. It is clear, the NFL is becoming less interesting in tall receivers, who struggle to gain separation.

Jeff Thomas interests me. Many NFL teams now value speed and short area quickness over size and contested catch ability and former Georgia WR Mecole Hardman was drafted in Rd2 with a similar skill-set to Thomas. Given that the first receiver taken in the 2019 NFL Draft was the 5’9/166 pound Marquise Brown out of Oklahoma, I wonder if Thomas could be a riser, given his speed and quickness.

There’s a lot to like about Chase Claypool. His physical tools are very good, with the size to win jump balls, and he’s been an effective deep ball target, as well as an outstanding special-teams gunner. At this point, I rank him as a Day-3 pick, but if he can impress at both the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, he could break into Day-2 consideration.

Van Jefferson caught just 43 passes for 528 yards and six touchdowns in 2019. A 4-star recruit, who originally played at Ole Miss from 2015-17, Jefferson transferred from Ole Miss to Florida due to team sanctions. His father is former NFL WR Shawn Jefferson, who is now a NFL WR coach. Similar to the Browns’ Rashard Higgins, Jefferson is a polished route runner, but average athleticism, who will likely be drafted around the 4th round.

A better size/speed prospect than Jefferson, Tyrie Cleveland may be the prospect most likely to make a DJ Chark-like rise post-season. He ran a 4.32 second 40 time in high school.

While he may not be as athletic as some would like, KJ Hill leaves Columbus as Ohio State's all-time leading receiver.

Quintez Cephus was dismissed from Wisconsin after he was charged with two counts of sexual assault, but those charges were dropped and the wideout applied (sued the school) to be reinstated. Perhaps no other receiver was able make more plays than Cephus (who did it in 2 games). There are some character concerns here, and some teams will not consider him in any round, but there is enough talent to win at the catch point, that Cephus may be drafted sometime during the draft's third day.

Antonio Gandy-Golden (Liberty) has a lot of fans in the draft community, but I have not watched him yet.

The average number of TEs drafted since 2010 is only 14.6, with just 0.9 in Rd1 and 5.1 in the Top-100.

This 2020 TE class looks somewhat average, but there are some prospects who could emerge.

My pre-season #1 TE was Hunter Bryant, whose minimal production prior to this year can be blamed on injuries each of his first two seasons have limited his to a total of just 14 games. At 6'2/244, he will be too small for some schemes, and some may say Bryant is a "Big Slot" as opposed to a TE, but his tape brings back memories of Evan Engram (or Jordan Reed).

Cole Kmet came to South Bend as the #83-ranked overall player and No. 3 tight end by ESPN’s recruiting rankings. He has a great build for the positions, and was also a pitcher on the Fighting Irish baseball team. A part time starter in 2017-18, Kmet's didn't play until week 4 (Georgia) due to an elbow injury related to pitching.

After initially announcing he was returning to school, he decided to declare (after realizing he might be the top TE in this draft class?). Kmet may not be as athletic as teams now want when looking to create mismatches, but he will hold more value for teams that want a traditional inline "Y" tight end.

With the hype from a national championship season along with his famous father (HOF WR Randy Moss), I might be severely overrating Thaddeus Moss. Moss benefitted from a system that rarely asked him to block, and sophisticated passing attack that college defenses had no answer for.

Albert Okwuegbunam, or "Big O" wants to become a doctor one day, and there are questions about his off the field interests. On the field, he is big and smooth, but somewhat lumbering in his movements.

Over the summer, many draft analysts had Jared Pinkney TE1, but I saw him as just a solid all-around TE, who can play in-line or flexed. I have him as a Rd3 prospect.

After catching seven touchdowns in 2018, Colby Parkinson caught 48 passes for 589 yards with just touchdown this past season. Stanford lost their stud LT in the opener and QB KJ Costello had an injury plagued season. While Parkinson may be more of a big slot, he was a huge (6'7/251) red-zone weapon in 2018.

One player I have never watched is Florida Athletic's Harrison Bryant, who broke out in his senior season. He caught 65 passes for 1,004 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019 and should be in the day two mix if he performs well during Senior Bowl workouts.

I expect either Bryant, Mitchell Wilcox, South Florida, or Brycen Hopkins, Purdue to emerge from the Senior Bowl as a hot name.

Lastly, Oregon's Jacob Breeland and Arkansas' Cheyenne O’Grady were too of the biggest "risers" after the first month of the college football season, but Breeland suffered a season-ending injury and O'Grady was kicked off the team. Each could be wildcards in this uncertain tight end class.

THE PROTECTION

OT IOL
Day 1
Andrew Thomas, Georgia
Tristan Wirfs, Iowa (G/T)
Jedrick Wills, Alabama

Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin + (C)
Day 2
Isaiah Wilson, Georgia
Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn
Mekhi Becton, Louisville
Lucas Niang, TCU ++
Trey Adams, Washington +++
Saahdiq Charles, LSU (G/T) ??
Ezra Cleveland, Boise State
Solomon Kindley, Georgia
Cesar Ruiz, Michigan (C)
Lloyd Cushenberry, LSU (C)
Jonah Jackson, Ohio State
Calvin Throckmorton, Oregon (G/T)
Ben Bredeson, Michigan

Day 3

Jack Driscoll, Auburn
Darrin Paulo, Utah
Charlie Heck, UNC
Branden Bowen, Ohio St.
------------------------------------
Josh Jones, Houston
Scott Frantz, Kansas State
Colton McKivitz, West Virginia
Tyre Phillips, Mississippi State
Terence Steele, Texas Tech
Matt Peart, Connecticut
Landon Young, Kentucky +
Jake Benzinger, Wake Forest
Ben Bartch, St. John's (Mn)
Robert Hunt, Louisiana
Alex Taylor, South Carolina St.



Tremayne Anchrum, Clemson (G/T)
Nick Harris, Washington (C)
Shane Lemieux, Oregon
Jake Hanson, Oregon (C)
Jon Runyan Jr., Michigan (G/T)
Michael Onwenu, Michigan
Parker Braun, Texas (Ga.Tech)
John Simpson, Clemson
Matt Allen, Michigan State (C)
Steven Gonzalez, Penn State
Darryl Williams, Mississippi State
Matt Womack, Alabama
Marquel Harrell, Auburn
Zach Shackelford, Texas (C)
Nick Buchanan, Florida (C)
Sean Pollard, Clemson (G/C)
Gage Cervenka, Clemson (G/C)
----------------------
Matt Hennessey, Temple (C)
Cohl Cabral, Arizona State (G/C)
Logan Stenberg, Kentucky
Justin Herron, Wake Forest (G/T)
Kevin Dodson, Louisiana Lafayette
Yasir Durant, Missouri (G/T)
T. Wallace-Simms, Missouri
Hakeem Adeniji, Kansas (G/T)
Keith Ismael, San Diego St. (C)
The 5 yr average number of offensive lineman drafted is only 40, with just 17.6 in the top-100.

The 5-yr ave was 19.2 for OT, 15.4 for G, 7.2 for C
Average in top-100: 8.4 for OT, 5.8 for G, 3.4 for C

The 2020 offensive tackle class appeared to be the best we have had in years, but Walker Little (my preseason #4 OT) suffered a season ending injury and Alaric Jackson (my preseason #2 OT) was injured in Iowa's opener and was disappointing after his return. Along with Alex Leatherwood, all three elected to go back to school for their senior seasons.

No worries, as Andrew Thomas, Tristan Wirfs, and Jedrick Wills are each considered Top-10 prospects.

To me, Andrew Thomas is hands down the top offensive lineman in the draft, and a potential Top-10 pick. Battle tested, Thomas has good tape vs LSU, Notre Dame, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee. His 2018 tape vs Kentucky's Josh Allen was particularly impressive.

Going into the 2019 season, I was not completely sold than Tristan Wirfs will remain at OT in the NFL. Wirf normally mans the Hawkeyes' RT position, but was an emergency fill-in at LT during Alaric Jackson's absence and performed admirably. This caught the eye of long time NFL/CFL scout and draft media contributor Russ Lande, who on Matt Waldman’s RSP Podcast praised Wirfs to the point of saying he felt he could be a Pro Bowl player at all five of the offensive line positions.

Wirfs became the first true freshman to start at tackle in Kirk Ferentz’s 20 year Iowa tenure. He also ranked first in Bruce Feldman's annual Freaks List. Feldman points out Wirf's 35 inch vertical this off-season would be the second-highest jump by an O-lineman at the NFL Scouting Combine in the past seven years. His 9'5" Broad Jump is also impressive.

Prior to the season, I wrote "Keep in mind, as Alabama’s Right Tackle, it was Jedrick Wills who actually protected the "blindside" for the left handed Too Tagovailoa. He has the size and tools to make a run at the first round." Now it looks like top-10 is more like it.

Last season, USC's RT Chuma Edoga became a hot name in NFL draft circles. This season USC's Austin Jackson is becoming a hot name, and is being mocked in Rd1 by many reputable analysts. When watching Jackson throughout this season, I really didn’t think I was watching a first round prospect. In match-ups against Iowa's AJ Epineza, Utah’s Bradley Anae, and Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux (the top HS recruit in the 2019 class), Jackson looks like a talented but finesse player and a long-term project.

Prince Wanogho is tremendous prospect from a height/weight/speed standpoint, but so too was Auburn’s last first round offensive lineman — Greg Robinson, who became a bust in the NFL despite ideal (and similar) measurables.

Now entering his fifth year with the program, PTW has matured as a player, and has a legitimate shot at being a top-50 pick in the NFL Draft.

Once considered a potential first round pick for the 2018 NFL Draft, Trey Adams suffered significant injuries in back-to-back seasons. First, he tore his right ACL (October, 2017), then he suffered a bulging disc in his back that also required surgery (August, 2018). At his best, he has been able to stalemate a variety of pass-rushers from Chase Young to Jonathan Allen, but he might be medically flagged by some teams.

Probably LSU’s best offensive line prospect since La’el Collins, Saahdiq Charles has excellent size for the position including good arm length. Few teams have overhauled their offense as much as LSU over the past three seasons, and Charles has adjusted well to multiple schemes/coordinators. This may seem high for him at this point, but he could be a riser throughout the process.

A player I believe is underrate is Boise State's Ezra Cleveland. As The Athletic points out, Boise State has an impressive history at the left tackle position. "The last five multi-year starters at left tackle (Daryn Colledge, Ryan Clady, Nate Potter, Charles Leno and Rees Odhiambo) were all drafted, each starting at least a half-dozen games in their NFL careers."

During the last draft cycle, Max Scharping (Northern Illinois, Texans) rose during the process, ending with his 55th overall selection. One of Scharping’s most impressive films was against Florida State, something he has in common with Cleveland.

Perhaps the best prospect at the Senior Bowl who I have yet to watch is Josh Jones (OT, Houston).

Pro Football Focus graded Tyler Biadasz as the top center in the country in 2018, and he was rumored to possibly declare for the 2019 NFL Draft, but a hip injury would have prevented him from participating at the NFL Combine and/or pro day. While he played in every game this past season, some say the injury limited him. Personally, I wouldn't spend a first round pick on him, but some NFL team likely will.

The Michigan Interior Offensive Line:

Cesar Ruiz appears to be gaining ground on Wisconsin’s Tyler Biadasz as the top center prospect. That could put him into top-50 consideration. He might be this year's Garrett Bradberry.

Some draft experts pegged Ben Bredeson as a first round prospect over the summer. The third round seems about right to me, but last year, both Chris Lindstrom Garrett Bradbury each catapulted up the rankings after an impressive week at the Senior Bowl, and it's possible Bredeson could see a similar rise.

I’m not sure what to make of Jon Runyan’s draft prospects. While he has made vast strides at left tackle, and was voted first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches in 2018, he has been exposed by the better pass rushers he has faced, and most teams will likely view him as a guard in the NFL.

My choice, over LSU to win the Morris Trophy, given to the nation's top OLine, the Oregon Offensive line returned all five starters in 2019. Of the four that are draft eligible, my favorite is Calvin Throckmorton, who has starting experience at center, guard, and tackle. I think his pro future will be inside.

On film, Throckmorton appears to have short arms, and while generally effective, he often appears lumbering in pass protection. He had a few struggles while filing in at center vs Stanford, and occasionally had difficulty with speed on the edge when playing RT in the Auburn game. Throckmorton reminds me somewhat of Dalton Risner (Pk#42) a RT to LG convert from this past draft class, but athletically might be more similar to Michael Dieter (Pk#78).

According to Reese’s Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, Clemson has gone five years without an offensive lineman being taken in the NFL Draft. I expect that to change this year. Probably Clemson’s most talented interior lineman, John Simpson reminds me of other wide-body guards like Laken Tomlinson and Gabe Jackson.

After earring three starts in 2016, Steven Gonzalez has started every game for the Lions the past three seasons. While Gonzalez can be a people mover in the running game, and a large barrier for pass rushers to get around, I feel like he is a notch below his former PSU teammate, Connor McGovern who was the 90th pick in the 2019 draft class.

Matt Hennessey (Temple) and Cohl Cabral (Arizona State) are two hot names that I have not watched, and will want to watch at the Senior Bowl.

THE FRONT SEVEN

DL ED LB
Day 1
Derrick Brown, Auburn
Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
Neville Gallimore, Oklahoma

Chase Young, Ohio State
A.J. Epenesa, Iowa
K'Lavon Chaisson, LSU
Julian Okwara, Notre Dame
Yerur Gross-Matos, Penn St
Isaiah Simmons, Clemson (S?)



Day 2
Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M
Raekwon Davis, Alabama
Raequan Williams, Michigan St.
Rashard Lawrence, LSU
Terrell Lewis, Alabama +++
Jonathan Greenard, Florida (L'ville)
Jabari Zuniga, Florida +
Khalid Kareem, Notre Dame
Anfernee Jennings, Alabama
Bradlee Anae, Utah




Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma
Hamsah Nasirildeen, FSU (S?)
Malik Harrison, Ohio State
Cam Brown, Penn State




Day 3
Leki Fotu, Utah
James Lynch, Baylor
Jason Stowbridge, UNC
Davon Hamilton, Ohio State
Nick Coe, Auburn (DE/DT) ??
Joe Gaziano, Northwestern (DE?)
Tyler Clark, Georgia
Robert Windsor, Penn State
Khalil Davis, Nebraska

Adam Shuler, Florida

Malcolm Roach, Texas
Aaron Crawford, UNC
--------------------
Benito Jones, Ole Miss
Darrion Daniels, Nebraska
Larrell Murchison, NC State
Breiden Fehoko, LSU
Josiah Coatney, Mississippi
David Moa, Boise State +
Brandon Pili, USC
Mike Panasiuk, Michigan State
Trevon McSwain, Duke
Phil Hoskins, Kentucky
Ray Lima, Iowa State
Darrion Daniels, Nebraska (Ok State)
Corey Bethley, TCU
Xavier Kelly, Clemson (3rd string)


Josh Uche, Michigan
Curtis Weaver, Boise State
Kenny Willekes, Michigan St.
Darrell Taylor, Tennessee
Jonathan Garvin, Miami
Trevon Hill, Miami (Va Tech) ??
Marlon Davidson, Auburn
Mike Danna, Michigan
Christian Rector, USC

--------------------
Alton Robinson, Syracuse
Kendall Coleman, Syracuse
Alex Highsmith, Charlotte
Patrick Jones II, Pittsburgh
Trevis Gipson, Tulsa
James Smith-Williams, NC State
JaQuan Bailey, Iowa State
DJ Wonnum, South Carolina
McTelvin Agim, Arkansas

Khaleke Hudson, Michigan (S?)
Zack Baun, Wisconsin (Edge?)
Troy Dye, Oregon
Chazz Surratt, UNC
Michael Pinkney, Miami
Shaq Quarterman, Miami
Erroll Thompson, Miss St.
Evan Weaver, California
Paddy Fisher, Northwestern
Michael Divinity, LSU (Edge?)
Patrick Queen, LSU
Jacob Phillips, LSU
Jordan Mack, Virginia
David Reese, Florida
Joe Bachie, Michigan State ?
Francis Bernard, Utah
Dontavious Jackson, Florida St.
Zach McCloud, Miami
Blake Gallagher, Northwestern
Caleb Kelly, Oklahoma ++
Markus Bailey, Purdue +++
---------------------
David Woodward, Utah St.
Davion Taylor, Colorado
Drew Lewis, Colorado
Carter Coughlin, Minnesota
Kamal Martin, Minesota
Logan Wilson, Wyoming
Jordyn Brooks, Texas Tech
Akeem Davis-Gaither, App. State
Logan Wilson, Wyoming
The 5 yr average number of DL is only 21, including just 9.6 in the top-100
This defensive tackle class does not appear to be as strong as the stellar 2019 draft class. My pre-season top 4 DTs all remain in my top-4.
Derrick Brown came to Auburn as a Top-10 prospect and could leave as a Top-10 NFL draft pick. According to WalterFootball, some NFL scouts feel that if Brown had entered the 2019 NFL Draft, he would have been drafted ahead of Ed Oliver (Pk#9) and Christian Wilkins (Pk#13).
The question for guys with his body type is can he disrupt the passing game. Brown tends to stand straight up out of his stance, doesn’t always quickly disengage from blocks, and doesn't have many pass rush moves beyond a bull rush. Brown has a rare skill set with his size and agility. Brown has a high motor, is quick off the snap, and transfers his speed to power very well. Amazingly, he did not miss a single tackle as a senior.

Neville Gallimore: The Ontario native grew up playing soccer, basketball and volleyball, but became a 4-star, top-100 high school recruit, who became first Canadian player ever selected to compete in U.S. Army All-American Bowl (high school all-star game). Named to Bruce Feldman’s annual "Freaks List", Feldman writes that Gallimore has clocked a 4.76 second 40 yard dash (the fastest 300-pounder at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine was #3 overall selection, Quinnen Williams, who ran a 4.83. He bench presses 500 pounds and squats 800. Mostly playing NT in new Sooners’ defensive coordinator Alex Grinche’s attacking 3-4, Gallimore’s game is stylistically pretty similar to Quinnen Williams, and many analysts believe he will be selected in Rd1.

Two years ago, Raekwon Davis appeared well on his way to becoming the next DeForest Buckner, after his 60 pressures led the nation along the defensive interior since 2017. Then strangely, his pass rush production has been largely inexistent the past two seasons. Teams just can’t move him at all in the ground game.

Leki Fotu is a 6-foot-6, 335 pound behemoth defensive tackle, Fotu entered Utah as a 6-foot-6, 255 pound defensive end prospect. Last spring, Fotu told reporters that he had heard third- and fourth-round talk before deciding to return for his senior season. His stock has likely not changed.

The 5 yr average number of "edge (pass rushing OLBs and DEs) is 23, including 10.8 in the top-100.
After Chase Young, this appears to be a good but not great edge class.

A.J. Epenesa is more of a power end, with a good bull rush, but lacks the speed and flexibility to bend the end like someone such as Chase Young.

AJ easily won his bowl game match-up vs USC's Austin Jackson. He recorded 2.5 sacks to finish the season with 11.5. Epenesa forced-fumble sack on Slovis knocked him out of the game early in the second half. In the regular-season finale at Nebraska, Epenesa finished with two sacks and 14 tackles, including 4.5 for loss.

K'Lavon Chaisson combines good snap anticipation, first step explosivenss, and the ability to bend the edge. Both an explosive and flexible athlete, I feel Chaisson’s lateral agility is even better than Chase Young. That being said, he has had an inconsistent career (back up to Arden Key in 2018, suffered a season ending injury in the 2019 opener), and may be a little bit of a boom or bust pick.

When both Julian Okwara and Khalid Kareem decided to return for their senior seasons, they were supposed to give Notre Dame one of the best defensive end duos in the country. I'm not sure it turned out that way. Each has a slow start to the season and were easily handled by the Georgia OLine.
Over the summer, Okwara was named to Bruce Fledman's "Freak List." He also has NFL bloodlines: Brother of former Notre Dame DL Romeo Okwara.
Jabari Zuniga was my #3 Edge going into the 2019 season, but injuries have limited him throughout the season.
As The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman noted when slotting Zuniga No. 29 on his list of "Freaks" for 2019, Zuniga is an elite athlete. He has put up 30 reps of 225 pounds on the bench, while posting a 7.03-second 3-cone drill -- a number that would have been tied for second-fastest among all defensive linemen at the 2019 NFL Combine.
Jonathan Greenard does not appear to have Rd1 traits from what I have seen. However, I think he will do really well in 1v1s at the Senior Bowl and will contend for a top-50 selection.

Terrell Lewis was hampered with essentially two season-ending injuries in back-to-back seasons. He was sidelined for the 2018 campaign after tearing his right ACL last summer and missed 10 games in 2017 due to a torn elbow ligament.

Despite the injuries, in his first "much too early" 2020 mock draft, ESPN’s Todd McShay projected the Buffalo Bills to draft Lewis with the tenth pick overall, and other analysts have continued to mock him in Rd1 throughout the the 2019 season. I just have not been able to buy into this. The medical evaluations at the NFL Combine will be huge for this guy.

Bradlee Anae might be this year's Jaylon Ferguson. Between his snap anticipation and initial quickness, Anae is able to defeat average blockers despite his lack of elite length or explosiveness. Meanwhile, he was shut out Oregon’s stud left tackle, Penei Sewell, and struggled against Washington's Trey Adams.
Curtis Weaver is a well hyped edge rusher, who set the Mountain West career sack record. The more I watch, the less impressed I am, and he appears to be a squatty "thumper" with poor length and athleticism for the position. Nate Orchard was the 51st pick and has a similar skill set/body type, but I don’t think Weaver goes that high. IMO, Jaylon Ferguson (Pk#85) and Charles Omenihu (Pk#161) were each better prospects from the 2019 draft class.
The 5 yr average number of LBs drafted is just 28, including 8 in the top-100.
Simmons (Day 1), Hamsah Nasirildeen (Day 2), and Khaleke Hudson (Day 3) are ultra-athletic hybrid defenders that NFL teams must have a plan for.

According to NFL Films Greg Cosell:
1. Teams are looking for speed at linebacker as opposed to physicality and "box toughness"
2. Teams will not invest (even a Day-2 pick) on off the ball linebackers if they will only play in your base (4 DB) defense.

Isaiah Simmons profiles as a defensive counter to the mismatches NFL offenses are creating in the passing game.

Clemson frequently lines Simmons up over the opposing team’s slot receiver, or as an overhanging linebacker, where he can play in coverage, defend the run, or even blitz. Per Pro Football Focus, he lined up in the box 299 snaps, in the slot 262 snaps, at free safety 132 snaps, and off the edge 116 snaps.

Last summer, Simmons came in fourth in Bruce Feldman’s annual "Freaks List". Feldman reports Simmons ran a sub-4.4 40 this past off-season, has a 40 inch vertical and broad jumps 11-0. For the Panthers, Simmons profiles as a new and improved version of Shaq Thompson who had a similar career path at Washington.

If the Panthers are looking for a rookie to help replace Luke Kuechly, Kenneth Murray is likely their best option. I first noticed Murray back in 2017, as he appeared to be the only good defensive player for Oklahoma even though he was starting as a true freshman. Murray set the Sooners’ record for tackles in a single game, with an amazing 28 against Army.

Cam Brown stands an impressive 6-5 / 233. Often lining up as an overhanging defender, Brown frequently is positioned well outside the tackle box, and even out over the slot receiver. Going into my study, I thought Houston’s Zack Cunningham would be a good comp, but despite ideal athletic traits, there seems like something is missing. While Brown is a senior and two years starter, he clearly wasn't as impactful as true sophomore Micah Parsons.

As Jabrill Peppers replacement, Khaleke Hudson made 13 starts at Don Brown’s "Viper" position in 2017, totaling 83 tackles, a team-leading 18.5 TFLs, and 2 interceptions. As a pure defensive player, Hudson was arguably better than the departed Peppers. After having a spectacular sophomore season, Hudson production dipped the past two seasons, as Hudson was being used more as a LB/S with minimal blitzing. For NFL teams who miss out on Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons, Hudson brings many of the same skills at a discount.

Primarily an pass rusher for Wisconsin (he put up 12.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss in 2019), Zack Baun's frame will likely fit best as an off the ball linebacker. He wasn’t asked to do much in man coverage, but when he does, he generally showed both awareness and ability. One comparison I like was to the Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy.

Troy Dye has led the Ducks in tackles in each of the past four seasons, and profiles as a durable, productive, and very athletic off the ball LB with both scheme and positional versatility.

Francis Bernard originally started his college career at BYU, before transferring to Utah. A former running back, Bernard’s breakout season didn’t some until his senior season. While he is a very active defender, I am not sure he is a starting caliber NFL linebacker.

Michael Pinckney and Shaquille Quarterman

are a pair of four year starters, who each named to the Freshman All-American team back in 2016. There was a time, each appeared destined to leave after their junior seasons, and be potential top-50 selections. I was surprised each returned for their senior seasons, and surprised neither were invited to the Senior Bowl. Apparently, the NFL does not view them very favorably.

THE SECONDARY

CB S
Day 1
Jeffrey Okudah, Ohio State
Trevon Diggs, Alabama +
C.J. Henderson, Florida
Kristian Fulton, LSU ?
Grant Delpit, LSU
Day 2
A.J. Terrell, Clemson
Damon Arnette, Ohio State
Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU
Jaylon Johnson, Utah
Bryce Hall, Virginia ++
Tony Pride Jr., Notre Dame


Xavier McKinney, Alabama
Ashtyn Davis, Cal.
Jordan Fuller, Ohio State
Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota (N) ++





Day 3
Stanford Samuels III, FSU
Lavert Hill, Michigan
Josiah Scott, Michigan State
Michael Ojemudia, Iowa
Shyheim Carter, Alabama (N) +
Lamar Jackson, Nebraska
Parnell Motley, Oklahoma
Trajan Bandy, Miami
Javaris Davis, Auburn
Levonta Taylor, FSU (N)
John Reid, Penn State +
--------------------
Cameron Dantzler, Miss State
AJ Green, Oklahoma St.
Darney Holmes, UCLA +
Camryn Bynum, California
Essang Bassey, Wake Forest
Dane Jackson, Pittsburgh
Nevelle Clarke, UCF
DeMarcus Acy, Missouri
Raleigh Texada, Baylor
Nate Hobbs, Illinois
Kindle Vildor, Georgia Southern
Monquavion Brinson, Georgia Southern
Reggie Robinson, Tulsa


Geno Stone, Iowa
Julian Blackmon, Utah (CB/S)
Brandon Jones, Texas
K'Von Wallace, Clemson
Myles Bryant, Washington (N)
Alohi Gilman, Notre Dame
JR Reed, Georgia
Terrell Burgess, Utah
Jalen Elliott, Notre Dame
Josh Metellus, Michigan
Jared Mayden, Alabama
Myles Dorn, UNC
Reggie Floyd, Virginia Tech (S/LB)
Jeremiah Dinson, Auburn
Daniel Thomas, Auburn
Tanner Muse, Clemson (LB?)
David Dowell, Michigan State
Garrett Taylor, Penn State
Kekoa Nawahine, Boise State
------------------
Antoine Brooks Jr., Maryland
Jarius Morehead, NC State
Damar Hamlin, Pittsburgh
Kyle Duggar, Lenoir Rhyne
Brian Cole II, Mississippi St.
Richie Grant, UCF
Brenton Nelson, Virginia (N)
Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois
Nigel Warrior, Tennessee
Justin Tranquill, Western Michigan
Bennett Williams, Illinois
David Morris, Oregon State
Jordan Ulmer, Missouri
Garrett Davis, Houston
David Morris, Oregon State
Reed Blankenship Middle Tenn. St






The 2020 draft class has a number of very good to great corner prospects, but appears below average at safety.

The 5 yr average number of defensive backs drafted is only 50, including 21 in the top-100 (roughly 11 CB + 10 S).

When I did my pre-season rankings, I had a log jam of potential Rd 2-3 CBs, at least partially due to four Red-Shirt Sophomores who I included in my day two bracket. It turns out, Eric Stokes (Georgia), Shaun Wade (Ohio State), Tre Swilling (Georgia Tech), and Brandon Sebastian (Boston College) all decided to return to school.

Each of my pre-season Rd1 corners remain, but in a slightly different order.

My pre-season #1CB, Jeffrey Okudah remains my top corner. PFF makes the argument that Okudah was as dominant at Ohio State as Jalen Ramsey was at Florida State, by giving us this stat. On his 400 coverage snaps, just six resulted in a 15-plus yard gain for the opposing receiver.

Trevon Diggs is the younger brother of Vikings’ wide receiver Stefon Diggs. In fact, Trevon came to Alabama as a wide receiver and split time between WR and CB, before moving full-time to defense in 2017. I had saw Diggs as a first round prospect early last season, but Injuries (broken foot) limited him to just six games in 2018, and he returned for his senior season. He was able to shutout DK Metcalf when they were matched up in 2018, but he made a couple of mistakes in coverage. Most notably, against the LSU receivers. At 6’2 Diggs has the type of size and athleticism you can’t teach, and as a former receiver, he has better ball skills than the average corner.

CJ Henderson has all of the physical traits of a top-shelf cover corner in the NFL. He’s got prototypical size and impressive speed (4.35 40-yard dash), with the quickness and jumping ability to effectively line-up against a variety of different receiver styles and body types. While Henderson has elite traits for the position, some teams may be turned off by his poor tackling. While I see him as a first round prospect, we may see a similar slide to the one Greedy Williams (LSU, Browns) suffered.

In 2018, AJ Terrell started all 15 games for Clemson’s national championship winning team. Along the way, he faced off against a bunch of NFL prospects, including Kelvin Harmon (NC State, Redskins), Deebo Samuel (South Carolina, 49ers), Miles Boykin (Notre Dame, Ravens), and the group of Alabama receivers including potential Rd1 prospects Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs. His pick-six was the first score in Clemson’s win over Alabama in the National Championship game. There was plenty of inconsistency to his game, but I optimistically had him as a potential second round prospect going into the 2019 season.

That inconsistency continued in 2019, as he gave up a 40 yard touchdown in the UNC game, and was repeatedly victimized by LSU's Ja’Marr Chase in the national championship game.

Bryce Hall was considered to be one of the best cornerbacks in college football entering the season, but suffered a season ending injury. As a junior in 2018, Hall led college football with 23 forced incompletions.

Damon Arnette. Ohio State corners are not supposed to stay four seasons, but Arnette stayed five in Columbus. Many around the Buckeyes’ program were expecting Arnette to move onto the NFL in 2019, but Ohio State alum, and NFL Hall of Fame receiver, Chris Carter has known Arnette since he was a young child, and advised him to return for his final season. That move likely paid off, as Arnette was more consistent this past season.

While Julian Love was Notre Dame’s best corner the past couple of years, his athletic limitations caused him to fall into Rd4. Tony Pride has no such limitations. A two-time member of Bruce Feldman’s "Freaks List", this is no surprise. Pride doubles as a track star for the Irish. His 100-meter times of 10.47 and 10.5 are two of the six fastest all-time at Notre Dame. His best 40-yard-dash time, reportedly 4.32, would’ve been the third-fastest time among all prospects at the 2019 NFL Combine. Smooth in his backpedal and quick in his transitions, he is better in press-man vs off-man or zone (opposite of Love).

Javaris Davis has NFL bloodlines. Cousins are Vernon Davis and Vontae Davis. A track star, who reportedly ran a 4.24 40 during spring testing. He is undersized, and lacks functional football strength. Davis is also overaged, and will be 23 years old by draft day.

His teammate, Noah Igbinoghene is the better prospect. Both his mother and father were Olympic track athletes. Noah is a product of his genetics. Has a very natural athleticism and elite speed. Has experience in both press and zone coverages. While Minnesota's Tyler Johnson was having his way with the Auburn secondary, Igbinoghene only gave up one catch to Johnson and essentially shut down the Gophers' primary WR Rashod Bateman. Still very raw at CB, he is an electric kickoff returner and his traits make him a worth while project.

Lavert Hill is a very similar prospect to previous Michigan corners David Long (Rd3, 2019) and Jourdan Lewis (Rd3, 2017) making it easy to project him being drafted toward the end of the third round.

My only preseason first round safety, I don't feel as if Grant Delpit deserved to win the Thorpe Award, but he is still likely to be the only safety drafted in Rd1.

Compared to players like Derwin James, and Eric Berry. Similar to James, Delpit is somewhat high cut, with a thin and narrow build. Also similar to James, he’s a high impact player no matter where he’s lined up. A likely top 20 pick, Delpit is extremely versatile, with experience at SS, FS, over the slot, and as an overhanging OLB position.

My pre-season #2 safety, Xavier McKinney, also stays put. A good tackler in space and between the tackles, he also is effective on blitzes. Probably a better player than Ronnie Harrison (Rd3, 2018) and Deionte Thompson (Rd5, 2019). In addition to his work at strong safety, he’s also worked at Bama’s dime back position.

One player I am excited about watching in the Senior Bowl is California safety Ashtyn Davis. The only Cal game I watched was the Oregon game, and I was paying more attention to the Ducks.

As a senior, Davis put up 55 tackles, two interceptions, four passes defensed, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in 2019. Davis is viewed by some as a fringe first round prospect, and his track background will only help him during the pre-draft process.

One of the strangest things I have seen in college football this season, is what Ohio State is doing on defense. They are playing the vast majority of their snaps with just one safety (Jordan Fuller) on the field, with him truly playing a single-high safety roll.

Antoine Winfield Jr., is the son of former NFL All-Pro corner, Antoine Winfield. Junior leaves for the NFL as a rare 4th year sophomore and has an injury history. His style make make him this year's best slot defender.

Geno Stone. Since the days of Bob Sanders, Iowa also has a long tradition of producing physical defensive backs. Stone follows in the footsteps of Charles Godfrey (2008), Amari Spievey (2010), Micah Hyde (2013), Desmond King (2017), and Amani Hooker (2019) as the next Iowa defensive back who should have a long NFL career, but whose size/speed metrics will likely prevent him from being selected in the top-100.

Shyheim Carter has carved out a role at the critical Star position (think Minkah Fitzpatrick) for Alabama, and his proven ability to cover slot receivers will serve him well in the NFL.

Julian Blackmon was named to Pro Football Focus All-American team. After starting all 27 games his sophomore and junior seasons at cornerback, this season Blackmon moved to free safety, replacing Marquise Blair (Rd2, 2019). As a corner, many draft analysts graded him as a potential day two pick if he had declared for the 2019 NFL draft.

While PFF grades his overall body of work as elite, there have been some notable struggles I have picked up on when watching the USC (WR, Michael Pittman) and Washington (TE, Hunter Bryant) games and I don’t think he is quite the prospect that Blair was.

Brandon Jones came to Austin as one of the top five safety prospects in the country. He plays an interchangeable SS/FS role as well as over the slot or as a dime linebacker (Texas led the nation in 6 and 7 DB snap %).

LIsted at just 5’8, 182 (172?) Myles Bryant truly players bigger, but he still may be too small for some teams. Bryant came to UW as a walk-on, became the team’s starting nickel as a sophomore, then really flourished after his move to safety. His size limitations won’t make him a fit for every team.

Alohi Gilman entered the 2019 season with some pre-season All-American buzz, after his impressive debut with the Irish. He is an efficient tackler, an effective blitzer, and shows range and awareness in coverage. In some ways, he reminds me of Taylor Rapp (Pk#61, 2019). While I am not certain he is an elite athlete, Gilman is a very good football player, who has a shot at a Top-100 selection.

JR Reed has impressive NFL bloodlines, as his father, Jake Reed (WR) and uncle, Dale Carter (CB) each played 12 years in the NFL. After transferring from Tulsa, Reed became a three year starter for the Bulldogs. There have been some who question his range and overall athleticism. While this shouldn’t necessarily be a red-flag, Reed turned down an opportunity to enter the 2019 NFL draft despite the fact that he graduated in Dec 2018, and Reed will be a over-aged 25 year old rookie (born March 11, 1995) in the NFL. Personally, I have him as a 4th round prospect with the potential to grade as a top-100 pick if he tests well.

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