Tag: 2020NFLDraft

Lee Wakefield Final 2020 Mock Draft

blog, College, Lee, Mock Drafts, NFL

Here we go then, the draft is now just hours away.

Hours of film work, thousands of tweets, loads of articles and several podcasts, all combing over and and discussing many, many points of interest over the last college football and draft seasons, have boiled down to this.

I hope you have your time off booked for Friday and the food and drink in the fridge and you’re all set for what will be the most unique of drafts, maybe ever.

For me and many other draft nerds it’s the end of a cycle and the event where we finally get the answers that we’ve been waiting for.

I hope you’re looking forward to it as much as I am.

With that, let me present my final mock draft of the year. Enjoy.


  1. Cincinnati Bengals – Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

I wish I could bring myself to do something a little more creative here but I just can’t. The writing has been on the wall for months, no matter how much the media have tried to create a story that isn’t there.

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  1. Washington Redskins – Chase Young, Edge, Ohio State

Another team that the media tried creating a story about because the writing has been on the wall for months. The Redskins just take the best player available and enjoy him for the next 10 plus years, no need to get cute.

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  1. Detroit Lions – Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Ohio State

It would have been ideal for Matt Patricia to pair Slay with Jeffrey Okudah but Slay had been creeping towards the exit door for over 12 months if we’re all honest. So Okudah ends up being the replacement instead of the partner but Detroit isn’t in a bad spot – they replaced a CB1 with a cheaper and younger alternative. 

Okudah’s combine workout with regards to his footwork, in particular, was teaching tape for any young DB’s out there. He’s been college football’s most refined and dominant corner for the past year and is NFL ready from day 1.

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  1. New York Giants – Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

It’s often the done thing to dunk on Dave Gettlemann and whilst drafting an offensive tackle doesn’t get the blood pumping, nor does seeing the QB you just drafted, to replace a franchise legend, on his backside a lot of the time.

The Giants have to protect Daniel Jones and drafting one of the top tackle prospects is actually pretty sensible, no matter what you think of the GM.

Giant’s fans may not like this move, especially with Isaiah Simmons sitting there and waiting to be picked but it isn’t a bad move at all.

Wirfs is a potential All-Pro tackle with unbelievable ability to move people in the running game, which not only helps Jones but Saquon Barkley too.

If they’re going to draft a running back second overall… The Giants might as well maximise him.

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  1. Miami Dolphins – Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama 

I know a lot of people are still expecting some kind of trade up from the Dolphins, most likely with the Lions, however, I really question whether Miami needs to at this point now that Darius Slay is an Eagle and the Lions need Jeffrey Okudah in the worst way.

Firstly, I would like to point out that if Miami has been angling (tanking) for Tua for over 12 months and they don’t come away with the former Alabama passer, it’ll be one of the most egregious wastes of draft capital that we’ve ever seen. However, if Miami holds their nerve I think they can keep their picks and let Tua fall right into their laps.

I don’t buy the interest in Tua that the media has tried to drum up from Washington – Arizona dumping Josh Rosen after one year is an outlier with a particular set of circumstances, not a rule.

In terms of a trade up: Detroit isn’t taking Tagovailoa at 3 and Dave Gettleman never trades back, so I would be SHOCKED if he did now.

Which leaves us with the Chargers… Tom Telesco has never made a big move up in the draft and is generally a stoic and conservative GM. Miami can also blow any offer out of the water, should Telesco move up so would the Chargers risk making a move, only to have Miami move up above them? I don’t think so.

Besides, if you don’t think Miami has called all 4 teams above them and told those teams they’ll beat any serious offer that comes their way from another team, then you’re out of your mind.

No one can win a bidding war against Miami, so why bother?

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  1. Los Angeles Chargers – Isaiah Simmons, Defense, Clemson 

I have said a couple of times on recent podcasts that I really think that the Chargers are edging towards picking the best player available at number 6 and then looking at a QB later on.

Anthony Lynn loves Tyrod Taylor and seems to really believe in him and his skill set, so I think he’s going to get a fair crack at the starting job next season, without having a top 10 QB breathing down his neck, similar to what he had in Cleveland.

This of course, allows the Chargers to draft Isaiah Simmons and create a defense that is, on paper at least, absolutely out of this world.

I’ve been joking that this defense could hold opponents to 10 points per game… Or was I joking?

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  1. Cleveland Browns – Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

Trade – Carolina receive picks 10, 74 & 115

Cleveland receive pick 7

The Browns spring a trade here to move ahead of Arizona in the queue for these incredible offensive tackle prospects. New GM, Andrew Berry has been talking about the possibility of moving up or down but says that, “best player available” will be their “driver”.

Carolina is an easy trade candidate considering they’re beginning a rebuild with Matt Rhule and happily accept a generous trade package from the Browns.

Becton gets the nod over Wills and Thomas due to starting left tackle experience and simply because they don’t make them like Mekhi Becton very often – a mountain of a man with dancing feet.

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  1. Arizona Cardinals – Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama

He becomes the third tackle off the board but I personally feel that Jedrick Wills is the best tackle prospect in the draft. He’s maybe even the best tackle prospect I’ve evaluated since I began doing this… maybe. I am absolutely in love with how rounded he is in pass protection and how he loves to bury any defensive lineman that is unfortunate enough to take him on.

I know that I mentioned Becton being selected above Wills for Cleveland due to Becton having left tackle experience, but I don’t have any qualms about Wills playing on either side of the offensive line. DJ Humphries signing a new contract probably means Wills starts life on the right side anyway but he could easily switch later in his career if required.

This relegates Marcus Gilbert to swing tackle duty, which will suit him since he’s 32 and has missed a lot of time over the past two seasons.

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  1. Jacksonville Jaguars – C.J Henderson, CB, Florida

Just a short time ago, it felt like the Jaguars had the best corner tandem in football in AJ Bouye and Jalen Ramsey…

Both of those guys now reside out west with Ramsey in L.A. with the Rams and Bouye a recent trade acquisition for the Broncos, which leaves the Jags starting corners as DJ Hayden and Tre Herndon… 

So, yeah, the position needs some serious investment. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Jacksonville double down on corners in the draft.

Henderson isn’t a player I’m personally super high on, but Jacksonville will like taking a local product and I believe the NFL will be higher on him than I am. His athletic abilities were on show in Indianapolis a couple of weekends ago too and that is what he will lean on at the next level. 

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  1. Carolina Panthers – Derrick Brown, IDL, Auburn

This trade back really worked well for Carolina as they net Derrick Brown, a player they would have loved to have taken at #7, and now they have another couple of swings of the bat later down the line, too.

Brown has been a game wrecker at multiple spots on the defensive line this year for Auburn and I’d expect him to be used in multiple spots by new Panthers DC, Phil Snow, as he looks to exploit weaknesses in the offensive line and accentuate Brown’s penetrative traits and athleticism (don’t let Brown’s combine fool you, he’s a monster off the snap on tape).

I will be looking forward to how Snow uses Brown should this happen in the real draft too, because no disrespect to Baylor and the guys who played on their D line, Brown is on another level in comparison.

Note: Carolina needs to freshen up the defensive line and I could imagine that they will double dip this position later on – I would imagine that Rhule and Snow would love to bring in James Lynch, the defensive lineman from Baylor, later in the draft on early day 3, potentially even with pick 113, their pick in the early part of round 4.

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  1. New York Jets – Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

The Jets’ situation on offense kind of reminds me of what division rivals Buffalo had on their hands around 12 months ago. They have a promising young quarterback who needs more protection and some guys to throw the ball to, and I feel like the Jets went about free agency in a similar way to what the Bills did – bring in a bundle of cheap, middling free agents, on short contracts and see what turns out to be your best combination on the line and also who Darnold builds good chemistry with. The Bills added Cody Ford out of Oklahoma last year to add some potential star power and some youth to their rag-tag bunch of hog-mollies. 

Andrew Thomas fits the mould here and gives New York what could be a franchise left tackle for years to come and hopefully keeps the ghosts away from Darnold’s blindside.

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  1. Las Vegas Raiders – CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

Last offseason, the Raiders put all their eggs in one basket case at wide receiver and it kind of derailed Jon Gruden’s offensive masterplan before it got started. Tyrell Williams is fine, in fact, he’s good, but simply isn’t a WR1 in the NFL and should be used accordingly. Again, Hunter Renfrow is going to be a really nice slot receiver for them for a while, but it’s going to scare a defense like an Antonio Brown would. Las Vegas would also be mindful to guard against Darren Waller regressing, at least somewhat.

With the talent at wide receiver that is available, the now Vegas Raiders get a chance to right that wrong, by selecting the best wide receiver in the draft class.

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  1. Philadelphia Eagles – Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

Trade – San Francisco receive picks 21 & 53

Philadelphia receive pick 13

Big trade alert! Howie Roseman is never afraid to make a move and this draft gets off to a flying start for Philadelphia.

DeSean Jackson is out, Alshon Jeffrey is oft-injured and unfortunately, JJ Arcega-Whiteside… well, didn’t have the impact that some people expected after ranking him as WR5 last year… So the Eagles need to make a move and bring in someone who will make an impact.

Ruggs is a flier but not only a flier who catches deep balls, he’s got fantastic hands and he thrives in the short game where we can create for himself.

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  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Javon Kinlaw, IDL, South Carolina

This is one pick that I feel just makes a lot of sense. Beau Allen has gone even with the resigning of Ndamukong Suh, the defensive line needs retooling in Tampa and I think they’d like to keep adding to this unit, in a similar vein to San Francisco over the past few years.

Kinlaw brings a lot of juice to the defensive front and alongside Vita Vea and Shaq Barrett he could form a young trio who can all get after the QB.

I also feel the Bucs are now going to try to put as much talent around Tom Brady as possible – The modus operandi for both Brady and Head Coach, Bruce Arians will be to win a championship and then retire simultaneously.

This pick and generally boosting the defense fits that plan nicely.

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  1. Denver Broncos – Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

The Broncos offense may just be on the precipice of being really quite good. Drew Lock showed some flashes, Gordon and Lindsay are solid in the backfield and Courtland Sutton took big strides last year.

It remains to be seen what Daesean Hamilton and Noah Fant will become but they have both shown some promise at the very least. Jerry Jeudy can come in and form another part of the offense and potentially take Denver to another level. Jeudy would be a matchup nightmare both inside and outside with his precision route running and slippery nature after the catch.

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  1. Atlanta Falcons – K’Lavon Chaisson, Edge, LSU

Atlanta are absolutely crying out for an edge defender. Vic Beasley has flamed out and will be looking for a fresh start in Tennessee, Adrian Clayborn is in Cleveland and has never been a top shelf edge defender. Plus, the drafting of Takk McKinley hasn’t really worked out either for the Dirty Birds.

This is a move that doubles down on the pick up of Dante Fowler and gives Atlanta a pair of edges that have a very high ceiling.

Chaisson adds a good amount of athleticism to the defensive front and isn’t just an edge rusher either, he’s possibly the best run defending edge in this class and has the versatility to play standing up and with his hand in the dirt.

There’s talk of Atlanta wanting to move up, and I wouldn’t doubt that Thomas Dimitroff would want to do so for a second, I’m just not sure if they can find a dance partner without overpaying.

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  1. Dallas Cowboys – Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

The Cowboys just had too many people who needed paying this offseason and now Byron Jones is a Dolphin. This leaves a hole in the secondary and I feel they need to address that need sooner rather than later. The ‘Boys neglected to bring in a replacement via free agency so I have them drafting Kristian Fulton, who I actually believe is being short changed in this draft cycle, by a fair bit.

I believe if it wasn’t for the fact Jeffrey Okudah is better than a lot of the corners in the NFL, and the fact that this is a deep class generally, Fulton would be getting much more recognition than he is right now, the guy is an unbelievable prospect.

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  1. Minnesota Vikings – Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

Trade – Miami receive picks 25 & 89

Minnesota receive pick 18

The Vikings love to draft corners under Mike Zimmer.

There is also a vacancy or two on the roster at the position since they cut Xavier Rhodes last week and also have Trae Waynes, Mack Alexander and Marcus Sherels heading towards the exit door.

This leaves Mike Hughes, their first round selection from 2018 as the CB1 on the roster at the time of writing and we’re not even sure that Hughes is an outside corner at the NFL level.

So why Gladney and why trade up in a deep class?

Well Zimmer loves physical corners who can be sticky in man coverage and don’t mind laying a hit on someone. Jeff Gladney fits the bill on this score and even in a deep class, you might as well go up and get the best guys when you can.

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  1. Las Vegas Raiders – Patrick Queen, LB, LSU

Jon Gruden continues to shop at the name brand schools. Queen strikes me as a Gruden linebacker – He’s active and very athletic, he could use some work on his tackling, which I do admit, could be an issue for a linebacker but the ceiling is very high.

Last year, Gruden brought in a leader on the back end of the defense in John Abraham and also a leader up front, in Clelin Ferrell. Free agency this year brought Nick Kwitakoski and Corey Littleton – Queen rounds out what would be an excellent linebacking group and generally a great looking defense to combat the red hot offenses in the AFC West.

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  1. Jacksonville Jaguars – Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

Let me tell you… The Jags have issues. Sizable issues. It’s a fire sale and it’s going to be a long road back.

So how do you go about resolving this? Well, you bring in good football players and players who will contribute towards a positive culture in and around the team for years to come.

It would be ideal if these players played at premium positions but this isn’t a one year fix, it’s going to be a process.

Whilst this isn’t a great fit, given that Jacksonville already has a player of a similar ilk on the roster in Ronnie Harrison, the Jags do need safety help and I feel the fact Harrison is already on board will mean that McKinney is moved around the defense a little bit, perhaps as in big nickel packages and allowed to get after tight ends and running backs.

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  1. San Francisco 49ers – Laviska Shenault. WR, Colorado

Trading down from 13 to 21 gives San Fran a second round pick and whilst losing the chance to draft Henry Ruggs is never a positive, the 49ers don’t lose out on drafting a dynamic offensive weapon.

A dream scenario and Shenault’s diverse skill set is paired with one of the best offensive minds in the game in Kyle Shanahan.

If this goes down, I will be watching a lot of 49ers games next season to see what the results of this marriage are. This is purely a team fit, there aren’t many other teams that will look at Shenault this early.

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22. Minnesota Vikings – Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

Wide receivers are flying off the board in the 20’s!

Does Minnesota get the best one of them at 22? I think that is a distinct possibility.

Justin Jefferson showed that he’s a complete wide receiver last season at LSU – operating well out wide and out of the slot, being productive in terms of yards and also putting the ball in the paint, like most of the LSU offense, he had a career breakout year at the best possible time.

The Vikings need to come away with a corner and a wide receiver from the first round and picking Jeff Gladney and Justin Jefferson makes this a home run first round of them.

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  1. New England Patriots – Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

I actually don’t believe I’m mocking this myself, to be quite honest.

However…

If Justin Herbert falls past the Dolphins and the Chargers, where does the slide end?

It’s a genuine question, and it’s not an indictment of Herbert as a prospect or as a QB because I think Justin Herbert is very good but where does he go in this situation?

The Raiders are the only team I can think of that are a slight possibility and I just can’t see Jon Gruden loving Herbert, plus they brought in Marcus Mariota and they have an entrenched starter in Derek Carr.

The only other possibility I could think of is New England trading up to get him but then, as this shows, would the Patriots need to do so?

Talk about landing on your feet. 

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Image result for saints logo png

  1. New Orleans Saints – Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor

The Saints offense needs someone who can do something Michael Thomas generally doesn’t do – catch the football down the field.

Denzel Mims is a linear receiver who will not only replace Ted Ginn as the deep threat, but simultaneously open up the underneath spaces for Thomas and Alvin Kamara.

Mims is also the best blocking receiver in this class and is extremely tenacious and I can see Sean Payton loving his attitude and demeanor in this regard.

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  1. Miami Dolphins, Josh Jones, OT, Houston

I feel like it’s been fairly well documented that the Dolphins want to come out of the first round with a QB and an offensive tackle.

I also feel that it’s become consensus now that Josh Jones is the best tackle from tier 2 of this draft class.

Mission accomplished, Miami.

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  1. Miami Dolphins – Zack Baun, Edge/LB, Wisconsin

The fact that Zack Baun hasn’t been invited to the virtual draft makes me a little nervous of this pick and in all honesty, I’m not certain that Miami makes three first round selections – I strongly suspect that they’ll use their abundance of draft capital to move around the board freely and unload capital in trades in order to secure the players that they really want.

However, in this event, they haven’t needed to get rid of their pick and do still have a need at edge. Baun isn’t a prototypical edge defender and can drop in and play linebacker but that is exactly the kind of player that Brian Flores worked with in New England and for that reason I feel like Baun fits the mould really nicely here.

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  1. Los Angeles Chargers – Jordan Love, QB, Utah State

Trade – Seattle receive picks 37 & 71

Los Angeles receive pick 27

Seattle won’t make this pick, they barely ever make their first pick before trading back so the Chargers spot an opening and make a leap up the board in order to secure their potential quarterback of the future.

Jordan Love has the physical traits that everyone is looking for now in terms of arm talent and mobility, he also works well outside of structure which also lends itself well to the modern NFL.

Love isn’t coming off the greatest season and was actually much more impressive in 2018 when he had more offensive talent around him, so his uneven college career gives me pause when I try to fit him into the conversation as a top QB prospect.

Time would be on his side with Tyrod Taylor in situ and with Love attracting comparisons, in some circles, to Patrick Mahomes, it could be a gamble worth taking.

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  1. Baltimore Ravens – Kenneth Murray, LB,Oklahoma

This is a hand-in-glove fit between player and ballclub here.

Kenneth Murray is a downhill, aggressive, tackling machine who is excellent as a blitzer off the edge or on delayed blitzes.

Murray has the mindset and the on field playing style that fits what the Ravens go for in the defender – No defense blitz more than the Ravens too so Murray should be in a nice situation here.

I see him as the replacement for Patrick Owuasor and filling a jack of all trades role as an outside linebacker and he will affect the game in multiple ways each week.

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  1. Tennessee Titans – Austin Jackson, OT, USC

Each time I do a mock draft and I come to the Titans, I look around their roster and look for an area of improvement and I often come to the same conclusion – That this roster is really good and quite underrated throughout the NFL community.

The Titans don’t have many (if any) league renowned stars, you could make a case for Kevin Byard, potentially Derrick Henry and maybe Taylor Lewan but it feels like this whole roster is under appreciated.

Jon Robinson really deserves some high praise for how he’s put this team together!

One casualty of this off season is right tackle Jack Conklin, who left during free agency, so I feel this is the most obvious place to start for Tennessee. 

Jackson is a little rough around the edges but he should make the starting job his over the offseason and be a nice addition to the Titans line.

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  1. Green Bay Packers – Justin Madubuike, IDL, Texas A&M 

I know the consensus here is that Green Bay will go for a wide receiver here but with 6 already gone, is there value there at 30 for a receiver like Jalen Reagor or Brandon Aiyuk?

I’m not certain.

This class of wide receivers is deep and there will be value and good players to be had later down the line – Remember, the draft is 7 rounds long.

One area where there isn’t a whole lot of depth is on the defensive line – The likes of Justin Madubuike, Ross Blacklock, Neville Gallimore and to a degree Jordan Elliott – The tier 2 interior defensive linemen are all nice prospects but after those guys the drop off is fairly sharp.

Outside of Kenny Clark, the Packers could use some talent up front. Justin Mabubuike will give them some juice and mixes that with nimble footwork and hand placement as a rusher.

These late round picks always get a bit wild and this is certainly one of those – It’s a gamble but could pay off in a big way.

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  1. San Francisco 49ers – Cesar Ruiz, IOL, Michigan

The 49ers really aren’t too far away and after the trade back with Philadelphia, they now hold pick 53 which is where I feel they can get good value for a cornerback and fill another big need.

For now, John Lynch continues to give Kyle Shanahan what he needs on offense. Ruiz is a stout center who holds up really nicely in pass protection and is a powerful adversary for any defensive lineman in the run game.

Ruiz has the mobility to hold up nicely in Shanahan’s complex running scheme too, whether that be from the center position or from right guard, both of which he has played at Michigan.

I think Ruiz will end up at the pivot in time but due to Weston Richburg, may begin his career at right guard – Either way he makes this line better now and in 5 years time.

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  1. Kansas City Chiefs – A.J Terrell, CB, Clemson

With the final pick of the first round the Kansas City Chiefs improve an area of their team which is one of the only areas of their roster that requires some serious investment, the cornerback position.

Terrell has slipped in the hearts and minds of a lot of fans because of the College Football National Championship game which Clemson lost to LSU in crushing fashion, with LSU running out 42-25 winners.

However. Terrell put together a great season overall and showed his prowess as a great corner prospect with his play.

Terrell is an unbelievable athlete, who possesses excellent coverage ability and has all the physical attributes and movement skills to be a CB1 for any team in the league. 

2020 NFL Draft Dark Horses Part 2 by Kieran Patterson

blog, College, Kieran, NFL, NFL 2020 Draft

In the first part of this article I explored four players who I personally felt were overlooked in terms of draft hype this year. For one reason or another these players are slipping through the cracks and despite their talent, they aren’t going to get taken until the final couple of rounds, in some cases. In part two of NFL Draft Dark Horses I’m going to take a look at another group of players who aren’t getting the hype or attention they deserve this year.

Josh Love, QB, San Jose State

Despite winning the 2019 Mountain West offensive player of the year award San Jose State quarterback Josh Love is getting little to no attention in terms of his pro potential.

A pro style quarterback who put up some seriously impressive numbers with 3,923 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in his 2019 campaign. While he may not get a lot of looks because of his 6’, 200lbs frame, his play speaks for itself. Love displays great awareness and isn’t afraid to take a hit if he can make a play. He converted pressure to sacks at the lowest rate in the country last year (only 9%) and earned a 68.9 passing grade while under pressure. (9th in the country) While I see Love going undrafted, I think a team like the Patriots, Cowboys or Colts should take a chance and see what Love can bring to their training camp and see if he can produce during a pre-season.

Teams would be stupid not to give this kid a chance.

Jonah Jackson, IOL, Ohio State

A graduate transfer from Rutgers, Jackson figured some time in a powerhouse program was all that was needed to raise his game to the next level if he wanted to go pro.

Boy! What a year he had.

Ohio State led the conference in rushing this year, in no small part to Jackson’s great run protection work in the trenches. While PFF don’t think Jackson has the quickest feet or most powerful frame for his position these things are offset by some great short sets and quick hips, Jackson is a nightmare for anyone he gets his hands on.

Jackson also won 58% of his one-on-ones despite splitting time between 3 different interior positions. This sort of versatility is a big bonus for Jackson given his projected draft position.

While he sometimes handles his run blocks a little up the frame, his aggressiveness and ability to run second level blocks vertically on outside zone concepts is a valuable asset that will serve him well in the pros.

Marc-Antoine Dequoy, S, Universite de Montreal

Now this might actually confuse some people who aren’t really clued in on Canadian football and  Canadian colleges but the rules in Canadian football are a little different to what you’re used to in the NFL or American college systems. 3 downs, vertical movement is allowed by receivers pre snap, bigger field and different kicking rules.

However, with a guy like Dequoy his raw talent makes this a non issue. A 4.36 40 yard dash time should be enough for teams to take a little notice of him – This is a kid who made the All-Canada team 3 times across his college career, (2x first team selections). The 6’2” 200lbs safety has all the traits to make him a valuable pro player, his 2019 campaign saw him rack up 37 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass breakup and 3 interceptions across 8 games.

With other Canadians making an impact in the NFL it would be good to see a team take a chance on this guy with a late round pick and possibly develop his talents to see how far he can go in the NFL.

Ben Bartch, OT, Saint John’s (Minnesota) (DIII Program)

Now unless you lived in Minnesota or watched the senior bowl there’s a good chance you have no clue who Ben Bartch is. If you did watch the senior bowl then you’ll know that this DIII program offensive lineman came in and showed out against guys from Alabama, Florida and other big name programs.

He’s a 6’6”, 309lbs beast who allowed just 4 quarterback pressures inside 12 games…that’s pretty impressive if you ask me.

You may know him for his repulsive weight gain shakes that enabled him to add 60 pounds to his frame as he moved from tight end to offensive tackle.

Bartch has great technique and athleticism, and if you package that with his grit and determination they make up some great qualities in what you’re going to need in the trenches in the NFL.

I think if a team like the Texans or Seahawks pick this kid up it will really take their passing offence up a notch – Wilson and Watson will get better with more time to throw. These are bold claims to make but I’m 99% sure Bartch’s ability will back these claims up when he’s given some game time in the pro’s.

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Follow Kieran on Twitter @DCCYTFootball

Follow Kieran on Instagram @DustCoveredCleats

2020 NFL Draft Dark Horses Part 1 by Kieran Patterson

blog, College, Kieran, NFL, NFL 2020 Draft

Every year, draft websites and draft coverage is always focused on the Joe Burrows and the Chase Youngs of the world but often there’s some amazing talent hiding in days 2 and 3 of the draft. So today we’re going to break down some of the top Dark Horses in this year’s draft – These guys are players that I think should be rated higher than they are or players who are going to really prove that they really are a first round talent. 

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU

If we’re talking underrated players going into the 2020 draft Clyde Edwards-Helaire is a talent that needs a lot more attention, because I think personally he’s a first round talent and should be picked on day one. The Baton Rouge native was nothing short of electric this year picking up 1,414 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns, accompanied by 453 receiving yards and a singular touchdown.

You didn’t come here to read stats though, you came here to hear exactly why these players deserve to have more eyes on them.

The most impressive thing about Edwards-Helaire is his lateral movement and vision, which is why you’ll see his best moments at LSU when they run gap schemes. Edwards-Helaire doesn’t possess the necessary downhill speed to tear off big 50-60 yard touchdown runs, he has the hips and lateral speed to exploit gaps and give you 10-20 yards on a play.

There is no other player in this draft that can spot a gap, pop his hips and make a play like Edwards-Helaire.

Anthony Gordon, QB, Washington State 

Gordon battled Gardner Minshew for the Washington State starting job in 2018 and only just fell short to the eventual NCAA passing leader.

Despite a 3 year wait before he won the starting job Gordon proved he was worth the wait, with 5,579 passing yards, 48 passing touchdowns with only 16 interceptions and was named second team all Pac-12. Gordon possesses a ton of traits that set him up well for when he makes it to the pros and not just in a gunslinging air raid system like the one Mike Leach ran with Gordon at the helm.

Although sometimes rattled by interior pressure, Gordon is willing to take a hit to deliver a pass and makes some great anticipatory throws in the middle of the field. His delivery is compact, efficient and he can really lead receivers in stride underneath when it is called for.

While Gordon is on some teams boards as early as the 3rd round I personally think Gordon is a day one talent.

Colby Parkinson, TE, Stanford

In his last season at Stanford, Parkinson put up very average numbers with 29 catches, 485 yards and 7 touchdowns, however Parkinson didn’t drop a pass and came down with the most contested catches amongst draft eligible tight ends.

So besides being a huge target with safe hands what does Parkinson do to set himself apart from the other tight ends in this class? Physically, his height and length create some huge matchup issues in the red area and he is able to extend the high point to play over safeties – Parkinson has incredible body control to help him make adjustments downfield. My only real issue with his size as I think he needs to bulk up a little bit to really be a top level tight end in the NFL.

Parkinson certainly has day one talent and a bunch of upside with very little downside, if you want a big pass catching tight end this is the player for you!

Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming

Despite being a two time All-State player coming out of high school Logan Wilson only had two scholarship offers, Weber State and Wyoming. I’m sure plenty of colleges were kicking themselves after seeing this kid play. 

Cementing himself as one of the best linebackers in college football and by far the best linebacker in the Mountain Western Conference (MWC), Logan Wilson has been nothing short of amazing.

Yet still some mocks have him going as late as the 4th round and I have no idea how!

In his 2019 campaign Wilson tallied 62 solo tackles (105 total), 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 4 interceptions. While the MWC not exactly being stacked with top tier teams is still very very impressive. 

Colleagues at the Full 10 Yards joke that I use the word “Instinct” too much but if I’m being honest, Wilson has it. His build and ability would allow him to play MIKE or SAM linebacker and he has a high motor runs hot and means that Wilson is getting after it on every single down he’s on the field. Lastly, Wilson has elite fundamentals and impressive recognition that help him diagnose and shut down plays easily.

However, Wilson’s high motor can cause some jitters meaning he will need to balance his activity level with patience – That’s another small downside that can be worked out early in NFL training camps. This can also lead to Wilson being baited out of position with some false keys by more complex offences but once again…training will fix that.

Hopefully Wilson lands with a team that recognizes his talent and gives him the chance to shine, maybe the Patriots…please Bill!

If there’s any players I’ve missed feel free to message me on social media with anyone I could possibly add to a part 2!

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Follow Kieran on Twitter @DCCYTFootball

Follow Kieran on Instagram @DustCoveredCleats

The Jury’s out: Should Miami Draft Tua Tagovailoa or Justin Herbert at 5?

Andy M, College, Lee, NFL, NFL 2020 Draft, Pac12, SEC

As the 2020 NFL Draft draws ever closer, the chatter linking Justin Herbert with the Dolphins grows ever louder –  Are Miami no longer Tanking for Tua and changing plans at the last moment? Is it a case of somebody making something out of nothing, or is it a smokescreen created by the Dolphins?

We won’t know the answer until the pick is in but this is the theme for today’s piece – We have Lee (@Wakefield90), who is arguing the case for the Dolphins to take Tua and we have Dolphins fan, Andy (@AJMoore21) who is pulling for Herbert.

You can decide for yourself which path the Dolphins should follow… First up, we’ll hear what Lee has to say about Tua Tagovailoa.

—

Why should Miami draft Tua Tagovailoa over any other QB? This is what I am trying to convince you of today. I’m taking on our resident Dolphins fan, Andy Moore (@AJMoore21) who it seems is getting cold feet a little bit when it comes to Miami taking Tua in this month’s draft.

You can hear us talk about this a little bit on our podcast that we recorded on How Free Agency Affected the First Round of the NFL Draft – Available, like all Full 10 Yards Podcasts, in all the usual places.

Anyway, let’s get into this then and let me tell you why Miami should draft Tua Tagovailoa and live happily ever after… hopefully, at least.

First and foremost, let me address that all draft picks, whether that be a guaranteed top 5 pick who is coming off a decorated college career or a late round roster filler, all come with risk.

Tua’s risks, in my opinion at least are few and far between, there’s just one perceived risk that hangs over him and feels considerably larger than anything else, and that is of course, the small matter of a broken and dislocated hip that he suffered last year and perhaps his general injury history.

One thing I will say, is that this is obviously not an ideal situation and injuries are a concern. However, the hip is by all accounts healing well and Tua has been cleared for full contact again. Injuries happen, this was a bit of a freak injury and  injuries are part and parcel of playing football, and do you know what? Every QB in the National Football League aside from Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Russell Wilson get injured. 

Teams still win and the world keeps turning.

Miami by all accounts has been angling to draft Tua for over a year, so why get cold feet now over an injury (yes, a severe one) when most QB’s and most players will likely suffer injury at some point? I don’t know if it’d be wise to deviate from a plan, 12 month or more in the making, which has a tangible end in sight.

Injury is almost inevitable in the NFL.

Why am I so calm about this? Well, for one, I’m not a Miami fan.

No, I’m joking.

I guess I do have a vested interest though, as a Chargers fan – If Miami does select Justin Herbert then the Chargers may pick Tagovailoa. Would I be ok with this?

Yes.

Why?

Because Tua Tagovailoa is one of the most talented quarterbacks to come out of college football in recent times and was rightfully being talked up as a potential number one overall pick until Joe Burrow came along.

The draft is about getting the best possible players for your football team and Tua is a potentially franchise changing QB – He’s mobile, he’s intelligent, he’s accurate, he’s a great leader… The list goes on. I’m not saying other QB’s aren’t but he’s been there, he’s done it and he’s done so at the highest level of college football. That’s why I’d want him on my team and why Miami should take him.

Why am I not worried? Because even if the injuries do get the better of him, it’s going to be fine. For two reasons:

Firstly, when Tua is on the field, he’s going to win you games. Miami is getting better and I think Brian Flores has got them moving in the right direction. Having a good QB, on a rookie deal allows you to put your money into other positions and gives you a shot at a championship window.

And lastly… What do smart people do when they see risk? They have a contingency plan to mitigate the risk.

If the injury tag weighs heavily on your mind as the Dolphins, have a backup plan.

Currently, in the NFL coming into this draft, the demand for QB’s is outstripping supply, there are good QB’s without jobs and you already have one of the better replacement level QB’s in the league on your roster in Ryan Fitzpatrick – You can find someone to come in for Tua if he’s hurt and because you’re not sinking too much money into the quarterback position overall, the rest of your team should be good.

If Tua is a failure and he’s too banged up to have a career, so what? He won’t have cost you too much money on a rookie deal and you just draft another QB. Simple.

However, wouldn’t it be better to know what could have been rather than play it safe?

—

And here is Andy with his case for Miami drafting the former Oregon passer, Justin Herbert.

Bill Parcells rules for Quarterbacks:

Be a three-year starter

Be a senior in college

Graduate from college

Start 30 games

Win 23 games

Post a 2:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio

Compete at least 60-percent of passes thrown

It’s obviously not a perfect formula, and some would even say it’s outdated. However, what is certain is that Justin Herbert ticks every one of those boxes.

The Oregon Ducks product is intriguing for the Dolphins, and indeed any other QB needy team in the NFL, he offers the traditional pocket passer option, and some see him as the safe, high floor, low ceiling prospect.

Herbert is a four-year starter after making his debut as a true freshman in 2016. Since then he’s shown remarkable adaptability, working under Mark Helfrich, Willie Taggart and Mario Cristobal as the Ducks churned through coaches. The versatility Herbert has demonstrated when learning new playbooks is testament to his all-round intelligence and work rate, something that translated into good grades in College and High School.

But all that doesn’t make you draft a man to be your franchise Quarterback.

On the field, Herbert possesses a cannon of a right arm, capable of stretching the field and finding his man with a rocket over the top of the defense. But his isn’t a wild approach, Herbert’s throwing technique is balanced and he is able to adjust the angle at which he throws to work around onrushing defenders.

His technical ability and arm strength often combine to produce ropes into tight windows or where only his receiver can come down with the ball (see below vs Stanford).  

In the pocket, there has been a lot of improvement, with Herbert’s Senior season tape showing light footwork in the pocket and showcasing his natural ability to climb the ladder and step into his throws.

Outside of it, Herbert isn’t a natural runner in the style of some of the modern QBs taking the league by storm, but he’s more than capable of getting out of the pocket and picking up the first down when needed. In this year’s Rose Bowl win over Wisconsin, it was Herbert’s legs that gave the Ducks the win as he rushed for 29 yards and 3 TDs.

Mentally, Herbert is up there with the best in this draft, he goes through his progressions without panic, he can read defences and adjust plays at the line, and he is extremely calm under pressure. The latter highlighted by his game winning drive against Utah as a true freshman, in which he threw the game winning play with 0:02 on the clock.

Beyond the praise, there are clearly still things to work on, a lack of leadership ability is often the first issue raised, Herbert and those around him maintain this isn’t the case, but whichever team takes him will probably want to see a more fiery side to him in the huddle. There’s also the need to work on escapability and anticipation, especially if he’s going to play behind a Dolphins offensive line that looks anything like last years.

So why should the Dolphins take Herbert, not Tua? For me, aside from the physical tools, it’s the partnership with Brian Flores that makes sense, the work he has put in through his college career is the prime example of the ‘culture’ which is being cultivated at Hard Rock Stadium.

Combine that with the prototype build, the rocket arm and the calmness under pressure, and it’s not hard to envisage Herbert in the aqua and orange and as the successor to Dan Marino that the Dolphins have been craving for twenty years.

It’s also worth considering the draft capital that Miami has built up, some see that as further evidence that the plan all along has been to accumulate whatever it takes to take Tua. On the flip side, with glaring holes across their roster, I see every pick on day 1 & 2 as being vital to the rebuild and fully expect the Dolphins to pick at least five times before we reach the third round.

It’s #HerbertSzn, right?

—

Tweet us, @Full10YardsCFB and tell us who you think who should be under center for the Dolphins.

Late Round Draft Diamond: Malcolm Perry

blog, College, Lee, NFL 2020 Draft

A couple of weeks ago, I brought you all a piece on Logan Wilson, the Wyoming linebacker, who was recommended to me by my fellow NFL draft nerd, Simon Carroll.

This gave me an idea – Actually before I go any further, I’ll signpost a couple of podcasts that I recently recorded with Simon. We took a look at some of our favourite prospects and just had a good old chinwag about them all… The offensive side of the ball was Part 1 and was recorded on The Collapsing Pocket Podcast and on The Full 10 Yards College Football Podcast, we looked at defensive prospects in Part 2. Both of these are available at all the usual podcast outlets.

Back to my idea then… I thought, in the run up to the draft, why not take a deeper dive into players who will be available in the later rounds of the draft? 

At this time of year, many writers and podcasters, myself included as mentioned above, do a lot of work on the star college players and players who will be picked in the top 50 of the draft. So how about a look at the guys who will get picked on day 2 and day 3 of the draft? After all, these are the picks that if you get them right, are the picks that make your team great, instead of good.

So with this in mind, I want to talk about a player who is just a playmaker, pure and simple.

Malcolm Perry, out of the Naval Academy.

Perry played for the Midshipmen for four years, rotating between slotback and quarterback for his first three years before becoming permanent QB for his Senior year. However, for those of you who aren’t aware, the role of the Navy QB is a little bit different, as the Navy offense is an option offense, often operating out of the flexbone formation. This means if you press play on Malcolm Perry’s tape, or switch on the highlight reel, you’re way more likely to see him running with ball in hand, rather than finding a receiver down the field with a pass.

For this reason, most Service academy Quarterback’s switch positions when they enter the draft and Perry is no different – He’s now a wide receiver. I believe he can be a really interesting and effective offensive weapon at the NFL level and a potential bargain as teams will be able to select him on day 3 of the draft. Some of you may remember former Navy QB, Keenan Reynolds followed this path most recently.

Perry is 5’9 and weighed in at the Scouting Combine at 190lbs, so he’s very much undersized whether he plans to line up as a QB, a running back or a wide receiver in the pro’s. Perry is a military brat who grew up in Tennessee and played Quarterback in highschool before joining the Naval Academy in 2016, after what was a successful career on a personal level with two All-State team selections as well as stuffing the stats sheets with both passing and rushing yards.

That carried over to his college career at Navy where Perry ran for over 1,000 yards in each of his last three years and he actually went over 2,000 yards rushing as full time QB last season, oh… And he scored 21 touchdowns.

It’s really easy to see why, too. Let me show you some aspects of Perry’s game that get me excited and make me think he’s going to be an asset in the NFL.

Perry is a slippery athlete in the open field and at times, he’s hard to lay a glove on, nevermind wrap up and tackle. A lot of this comes because Perry has unbelievable lateral quickness.

Just look at the cut he makes here!

Firstly, yes, the blocking is fantastic and blocking is something that this offense heavily relies on to work – The triple option is an offensive scheme which levels the athletic playing field and relies on execution blocking and decision making – something that servicemen should be pretty good at.

Once Perry has broken past the defensive line, he squares up the defensive back and makes a super explosive cut to dance clear of a would-be tackler, and it’s goodnight.

Every time I have watched Perry I see this style of explosive cuts, he’s gazelle-like and he can juke out pretty much any defender he likes.

Here’s another clip of Perry showing that explosive cutting alongside patience to allow his blocks to get set up before him.

Perry makes a sound decision to not throw the ball and sees a running lane. However, as I said, he shows a good amount of patience. He doesn’t just fly down the field at full tilt, he allows his two guys to make blocks, for even more yardage.

That’s really savvy play.

Athletically, I feel that Perry looks quick on tape. I feel like he’s got enough long speed to escape defenders chasing him down from behind and he’s always got the ability to rip off a long run.

This is a great example of his long speed – This is a 52 yards score from the East-West Shrine Bowl. Perry played as a wide receiver in this game but his ability to play as an option QB will add a really nice wrinkle to his next team’s offensive gameplan.

Here’s another example just for fun – Love that Perry brings out the spin move here and then has the speed to take it for 6.

This is where I feel Perry is going to come into his own and become an offensive weapon. We’ve seen this sort of thing with Taysom Hill in the Saints offense and I believe Malcolm Perry can play a similar role – He’s obviously got the skill and intelligence as a ball carrier and he’s a threat to pass as a former QB. Admittedly Perry is going to be a project as a receiver but even so, even in the early days, he can at least play a gadget role or be effective on quick passes that allow him to use his lateral explosiveness and general dynamism in the open field.

One thing that really surprised me was Perry’s athletic testing.

Shout out to Kent Lee Platte AKA @MathBomb for the RAS scores.

As you can see, Perry’s relative athletic score comes out pretty poorly. We know Perry is diminutive, so he suffers here as expected. However, poor explosivity and poor speed too… Pretty puzzling. Obviously, we can’t argue with the numbers but when I watch Perry, I only see someone who can perform explosive movements with ease and someone who plays fast.

For me, because I see the athleticism on the field and the fruits of that, I’m not too concerned with these testing numbers, however, it is food for thought, at the very least.

Anyway, back to the positive stuff… You’d think for a guy who carries the ball as much as he does and therefore takes as many hits as he does, Perry may have an issue with fumbles and turnovers.

He does not.

Generally.

Well, as long as we take away one nightmare game where he fumbled three times against Notre Dame last year. In total, nightmare included, Perry fumbled 7 times. Which isn’t bad considering he’s 5’9, 190lbs and ran the ball 295 times throughout the season. It’s not just the size or hits either – every option play has a “mesh point” when the QB is taking the decision to keep the ball or hand the ball off. We see fumbles likes this a fair bit in the NFL, yet Perry, who will have performed this action hundreds of times each year in college, doesn’t have a problem at the mesh point and is able to make a good decision and execute the play.

My take away from this is that Perry can take care of the football, is fundamentally sound in this regard and is actually, really tough. He takes his fair share of licks and if you look through tape or highlights, you’ll see Perry at the goaline, he’s not afraid to put his head in amongst a crowd if it means scoring. Furthermore, Perry has never suffered a major injury, so no red flags in this area.

Outside of the offense, I feel like Perry can add even more value to his next team in the third phase of the game – Special teams.

Perry has served as a kick returner in his Sophomore and Junior years in college, where he averaged 24.6 yards per return (20 returns for 491 yards through two years). Those are impressive numbers and I feel the traits you’ll have seen show that this, again, is translatable to the NFL and will add another layer to his game and allow him to see snaps and add value as he develops as a receiver.

In an era where the NFL is becoming less traditional and more and more like college football, with more rushing from the QB, more gadget plays and becoming a game more and more predicated on athleticism, I definitely feel like Perry is going to be a problem for defenses, even if he’s not going to play every offensive snap.

Then again, I’ve shown and spoken of ways that he can be incorporated into an offense and I’ve also gone into his special teams value too.

Off the field, Perry is also going to be a great leader and solid presence in the locker room, he’s going to come in and work his tail off each day, set an example and contribute to the culture of your team.

If you’re a GM and you don’t want to throw a 6th rounder at this guy… I really feel you’re in the wrong job.

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Follow Lee on Twitter @Wakefield90

Follow Full 10 Yards College Football @Full10YardsCFB

Title image credit: L.A. Times

Player Profile: Logan Wilson, Linebacker, Wyoming

College, Lee, NFL 2020 Draft

Whilst we’re all currently bound to the constraints of our homes at the moment due to the outbreak of Covid-19, so what better way to wait for the apocalypse than watch tape of college players that’ll never play in the NFL?

That is not because these players aren’t good enough but because the world is going to succumb to our new viral overlords and mankind will cease to be, therefore no more NFL.

Today I’m going to bring you my thoughts on Wyoming linebacker, Logan Wilson.

This is a player whom I was recommended to watch by Logan Wilson fan, Simon Carroll (@NFLDraftSi on Twitter).

Before I get going I have to make a small disclaimer – I’m not a huge fan of this linebacker class this year, so with that, I wasn’t expecting a great deal from Wilson when I pressed play on the tap this morning. I did, however, put my prejudices aside and tried to watch and note-take with a clear mind, and be as candid as possible.

Unfortunately there isn’t a great deal of tape available for Wilson – I was only able to find two games; New Mexico State from 2018 and San Diego State from this past season. Usually I like to watch at least 4 games of a player before making a solid judgement, so I can’t really be completely happy, or indeed complete in my judgement due to the small sample size.

However…

I was pleasantly surprised.

Photo credit: Montanasports.com

I’m not head-over-heels with Wilson by any stretch of the imagination, but in a linebacker class that I’m not a massive fan of, he probably stands out more than most and I actually would love to see more film on him to expand on what I’ve seen – Please hit me up @Wakefield90 on Twitter if you know of any other cuts of Wilson.

I’m going to break this report down into three segments, in a different way than I usually do due to the lack of tape; each of the two games and then off the field – this will be interviews I watched, his athletic testing numbers, stats and background information.

Let’s start at the end of that list with the off field stuff.

So what do I like about him when it comes to the number and off the field?

I really like the way Wilson talks in interviews, I feel like he considers his answers, he takes pause before answering the question at times and gets to the heart of what he’s saying and speaks in a measured and concise manner. I’ve seen interviews with him when he’s been asked about why he didn’t skip the bowl game this past year, why he chose Wyoming and what it was like to play for his home state university and each interview has impressed me with his maturity and his honesty. I feel like Wilson speaks with a good amount of gratitude and he realises what football has given him, but also what he has put into football and seems to know what he can get from it in return. From this, it’s easy to see why Wilson was a 3 year captain for the Cowboys.

Wilson came to Wyoming as a safety, having grown up in Casper Wyoming, around 150 miles north of the Cowboys’ campus in Laramie. He has spoken about the transformation his body has gone through in order to transition from safety to linebacker – Offering praise to the university, its facilities and the coaching staff at Wyoming. It just feels like he’s gone about things in the right way and has taken good advice from good people, and is now reaping the benefits. For reference Wilson said he arrived on campus as a 195lb safety, 5 years later he’s a 241lb linebacker.

When you are looking at late day 2, early day 3 players, this is the kind of attitude and the kind of guy you want on your football team – honest, hard-working and selfless. These are your grinders, your culture guys and the guys that back the back end of your roster better than other teams, and really elevate the overall level of your team.

Let’s talk numbers.

Stats and production get two big check marks here. Whilst I’m not an advocate of tackles as a high value stat without context, Wilson has been the model of consistency in his four years as a starting linebacker – the lowest number of total tackles that he registered in a season was 94, in his Freshman year. He racked up 111 in his Sophomore year, 99 as a Junior and finished off with 105 last season.

The tackles for loss numbers were consistent too, 7.5, 8, 10.5 and 8 in each year chronologically.

Wilson also affected the game in a number of ways, something I always like to see from defenders; he registered 10 interceptions throughout his college career and has a further 14 pass deflections – You can see that safety background in these numbers a mile away.

5 forced fumbles and 7 sacks in four years aren’t gaudy numbers but they add a little something on top of what is four years of very solid production. A multi-faceted, multi-dimensional prospect on the defensive side of the ball. Nice.

Let’s talk about athletic testing.

Wilson measured 6’2 and 241lbs in Indy, with 32 ⅜” arms and 9 ½” hands. All of which range from slightly above average to slightly below average for an NFL linebacker and that’s going to be the theme of this segment, average.

A quite nippy, 40 yards time of 4.63 second (74th percentile), was kind of cancelled out by a poor vertical jump of 32” (28th percentile) and aside from a nice performance in the broad 121” (76th percentile), every other event was just ok throughout the combine.

Which is all, well… fine. The lack of high end explosivity shows up on tape and is there for all to see, I’m not saying Wilson is a bad athlete – He’s not – He’s just not great either.

I don’t see this getting much better either unfortunately, the reason being, the one number I’m not least keen on of all, 24 – The age Wilson will turn in July. So we’re looking at one of the older rookies in the league, plus I also feel his frame is pretty maxed out considering he’s already packed on just over 45lbs since coming out of high school.

In summary, I like what I have heard and the production but not blown away by the athletic ability or age, but as I said, this is all fine for a mid round linebacker.

Anway, let’s talk football…

Game 1: New Mexico State, 2018

Wilson played mainly as a SAM or Mike linebacker in this game, which is where I feel he is most suited to playing at the next level. Wyoming trusted Wilson a lot in coverage throughout this game, which against New Mexico’s offense which on all but one play, lined up with either 4 or 5 wide receivers. Wilson’s flexibility and ability to guard running backs or tight ends when they flexed out wide was valuable – New Mexico ran a fair few times out of these spread formations, so Wyoming was able to keep another thumper out there instead of having 6 defensive backs and potentially getting eaten up in the run game.

This versatility is a great trait to have when you’re a back-up at the next level. As a mid round selection, you’re not a certainty to make the final 53 but being able perform a wider spectrum of duties definitely raises your odds of making it – for this reason, I definitely think that Wilson makes a final 53 man roster come the start of the season.

Throughout the game, I noted Wilson’s solid coverage ability in short zones and also his ability to keep his eyes on the backfield and where the ball was – His read and react skills were apparent in the game, as he was able to break off the man he was covering and head towards the action quickly once the ball was caught in another area of the field.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t all great news against New Mexico. It was quite apparent that at this time, Wilson struggled to get off blocks and on a couple of occasions, he was completely eaten up by a block and gains were made in his vicinity.

Overall, a solid if not spectacular outing.

Game 2: San Diego State, 2019

In this game, I saw many of the same positives that I saw in the previous game – Wyoming trusted him in coverage, he barely ever came off the field and he was proficient when defending both the pass and the run.

There was even an occasion early when Wyoming was trying to sell an exotic blitz package which Wilson appeared to be a part of, but were actually sending just one lineback as a 5th rusher, along with a safety as a 6th – Wilson bailed deep and was actually asked to play deep middle of the field, with the other four defensive backs playing man coverage underneath him. I feel that this shows that Wilson is able to grasp complexities in the defensive scheme and also gained a lot of trust in his coverage ability from coaches. 

A more traditional positive aspect of his play was that I feel that I saw a good amount of evidence that Wilson is able to set the edge and contain against the run, without ball watching and ruining the integrity of the defense. Wilson is also able to stop the run and has really good form as a tackler on top of this.

When dropping into short zones, I noted Wilson’s eyes are in the backfield and when they aren’t, his head is on a swivel as he’s looking for receivers coming his way – This shows up in his excellent reading of the game, I no longer felt like he overpersued plays, something I did see once or twice in the first game I watched.

Physically, I feel like Wilson had developed from the first game too and no longer found it so difficult to get off blocks in the run game, he’s still not too great at playing through the trees but he doesn’t have the elite physical tools to do so, however he definitely seems to have the strength to break free from blocks nowadays.

One thing I would love to see from Wilson is the development of some kind of pass rush move or plan – This is part of his game I simply don’t see anything in, aside from a basic bull rush. Wyoming rushed him a couple of times in his outing but I just had a sense that he was there to make up the numbers.

It would really add another string to his bow if he was able to show some hand-fighting proficiency and perhaps put some pressure on the passer from time-to-time and become more of an all around player.

To Sum Up

To sum up, I see Logan Wilson as a nice mid-round linebacker prospect who will be a hard worker and certainly add to a team’s locker room, but also be able to make some contribution on the field too.

I feel like this type of linebacker is definitely in vogue at the moment when it comes to him being comfortable in coverage but also good at traditional linebacking duties such as coming downhill to stop a ball carrier or maintaining edge and gap discipline in the run game.

Due to his relatively average athleticism I’m not too sure how high the ceiling is for Wilson but due to the football IQ, versatility and experience, the floor is fairly high.

If Wilson can contribute in limited snaps on defense and also as a special teamer, I feel he could earn the trust and respect of coaches and his peers quite quickly leading to an increased role and a solid NFL career long term.

There we have it then, some words on a potential pick that rounds out a team’s overall draft and makes a GM look pretty smart – If you would like to see more words on mid to late round picks who you like or feel could make a difference – get in touch on Twitter and I’ll put something together.

—

Follow Lee on Twitter @Wakefied90

Follow Full 10 Yards CFB on Twitter @Full10YardsCFB

Main photo credit: The Denver Post

2020 Draft Prospects with the Highest Floor by Maxwell Petitjean

ACC, BIG10, BIG12, College, Maxwell, Pac12, SEC

This is a list of a few interesting prospects from the 2020 NFL draft. These are not necessarily the best players at their respective positions, but they are the least likely to fail.

COLE KMET

The 2020 NFL Draft is filled with a large selection of talented and productive athletes at Tight End. While many have a lot of potential, Kmet has the highest floor.At 6ft 5in, 250lbs, Kmet is the prototypical size at the position. In a productive Notre Dame offense, he was seen as the most versatile talent, playing in a variety of positions: In-line Tight End, Fullback, Wingback, Slot receiver and Single Receiver to the boundary.As a blocker, he is more than capable of blocking defensive ends at the point of attack. Also, he has excellent awareness when required to kick out defensive line on a slice block, or arc to a 2nd level defender.

As a receiver, although not an explosive vertical threat, he is an excellent route runner. He is able to consistently find space against both man and zone coverage, showing excellent footwork and body control. Moreover, he has very safe hands, rarely dropping the ball in his college career.

Having watched his tape, he is eerily reminiscent of a young Jason Witten. He would be an excellent fit at a team like the Texans, who use Tight Ends in a variety of positions, and give Deshaun Watson an extra weapon.

See some of Cole Kmet’s film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqX_raekOrk

CURTIS WEAVER

As many draft commentators’ swoon over the more remarkable athletes at pass rusher, there is one prospect who is a “shoe-in” to be a solid player at the next level.

Curtis Weaver is a man amongst boys. The Defensive End from Boise State has been one of the most productive pass rushers in football. At 6ft 3in, 265lbs, Weaver is big and strong, but he is unlikely to test too highly in the athletic testing of the NFL combine. Despite not being the best athlete, he has one trait that separates him from his peers: his hands. Weaver has the most refined hand-fighting ability of any defensive end in the class. He is consistently able to win in pass rush scenarios through high-level technique.

Moreover, when it comes to run defense, he is extremely strong at the point of attack. He has powerful hands and can swiftly throw away blockers to make a tackles on the ball carrier.

As far as pro comparisons go, I cannot look past former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison. Like Harrison, Weaver doesn’t physically look like he should be able to contort his body when rushing around the edge or win a hand fight against a much larger tackle. However, Weaver consistently beats anyone lined up against him.Finally, it is worth noting that as part of the Broncos defensive scheme, Weaver is often asked to drop into zone or spy coverage. He has been successful in this role showing good footwork and change of direction. This will make him valuable to almost every defensive scheme.

See some of Curtis Weaver’s film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEpzcH5xz74

JEFF GLADNEY

The 2020 Cornerback class is one of the strongest I’ve ever seen. So many incredible athletes of different shapes and sizes. Whilst some have been more productive, and some are more athletic, Gladney has the highest floor.Gladney is undoubtedly, the “stickiest” defender in the 2020 class. He has a remarkable ability to use his speed and technique to never allow receivers to gain separation. Occasionally there will be catches made against him in man coverage, but the receiver will not be open, and the catch will be contested.At 6ft 0in 183lbs, Gladney is not the most athletic prospect, and will not be the most physical corner. However, he is still a solid and secure tackler. TCU played some run heavy offenses during his college career, and Gladney was always able to show his efficient and clean ability to tackle.In zone coverage, although he did this less often, he was able to quickly diagnose passing patterns and break on the football before the ball was thrown. His patience and anticipation are core traits that NFL scouts will love.

The ease to which he covers receivers reminds me of Denzel Ward, although relatively new to the league, Ward has shown the value of “stickiness” against the best receivers in the league. Fundamentally, every team in the NFL uses man coverage as a key part of their defense. He could go into most teams in the league and, at worst, be a solid addition to their sub-packages as a man coverage specialist.

See some of Jeff Gladney’s film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCTX_nfKong

Post Superbowl Mock Draft by Lee Wakefield

ACC, BIG10, BIG12, College, Lee, Mock Drafts, NFL, Pac12, SEC

Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs, congratulations to Andy Reid, Superbowl champions.

And that’s the end of the congratulations. If you want to hear more about Mahomes and the Chiefs, head over to your favourite podcast provider and tune into Tim, Shaun and Lawrence and see what they’re saying about it…

Over here on the college side of things, the Superbowl champions being crowned just means we know the exact draft order now, minus compensatory pick, of course.

So what better way to celebrate with a, not one, not two but three round mock draft.

Enjoy.

  1. Cincinnati Bengals – Joe Burrow, QB, LSU

No Explanation needed. Just enjoy the next decade, Bengals fans.

  1. Washington Redskins – Chase Young – Edge, Ohio State

No explanation needed. Just enjoy the next decade, Redskins fans.

  1. Detroit Lions – Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson

No explanation… Nope. Ok, this one needs an explanation.

Yeah, so the draft starts when the Detroit Lions, or whomever is actually picking at 3, gets on the clock. This pick is/will be up for grabs to the highest bidder, I’m sure of it BUT no trades for me in this mock so here is the pick.

I almost feel bad for putting a position next to Isaiah Simmons. He is the modern NFL defender – Why wouldn’t Matt Patricia want that? I know Jeffrey Okudah, I know they need a corner but this draft is deep at corner and, spoiler alert, Detroit get a good one later on, so yes, enjoy him for the next decade, Lions fans.

  1. New York Giants – Jedrick Wills, OT, Alabama

New York beat the Redskins to essentially gift wrap Chase Young for their divisional rivals so they better draft the best offensive tackle they can get.

Quick footed, agile, strong, can pass protect and loves to bury guys. All of the boxes are ticked when it comes to Wills. I don’t mind that he played on the right side at Alabama – every team needs two top tier bookend tackles nowadays.

  1. Miami Dolphins – Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama

#TankforTua – Mission Accomplished. It doesn’t go down the way it was supposed to with Tua going #1 overall to the Dolphins but it’s done, nontheless…

However, food for thought – If Tua stayed healthy but Burrow still won the National Championship, would Tua have gone #1? I have a hard time looking past Burrow, personally.

  1. Los Angeles Chargers – Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon

New stadium, new era under center and a fresh face to (hopefully) energize Angelinos into coming and supporting the Bolts on Sundays.

 Anthony Lynn has always wanted a more mobile QB to pilot his offense and Justin Herbert has everything you’d look for in a QB in the modern NFL and coaches will believe his kinks can be worked out. 

  1. Carolina Panthers – Derrick Brown, IDL, Auburn

Do not rule out Carolina from being a team that gets aggressive on draft night – Maybe even looking to move up to Detroit’s spot at #3 – If they did they wouldn’t be taking Derrick Brown but in a no trade scenario it is the Auburn defender for the Panthers.

Brown is a terror for anyone he squares off against. He can play all along the defensive line, he’s an unbelievable athlete for his size with the quickness that’s as fast as a hiccup off the snap. Brown is also stout against the run too and could become a real leader for years to come for this new look Carolina team.

  1. Arizona Cardinals – Andrew Thomas, OT, Georgia

Last year Kliff got his QB and gave him some weapons in order to be able to begin to execute his offense. Now it’s time to protect Murray – who was the joint most sacked QB in the NFL last year.

It’s also felt like Arizona has needed a tackle for years, so picking up a potentially elite talent with a high floor in Andrew Thomas feels safe, but ultimately sensible.

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Ohio State

How quickly do we think the Jags would run this card up should the draft play out like this?

Months after losing Jalen Ramsey, the Jags are able to select the best corner back in the draft class and get a potential lock down boundary corner for a fraction of the price and also a fraction of the ear ache.

  1. Cleveland Browns – Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa

Wirfs is one of three tackles that I consider the tier 1 of offensive tackles in this draft along with Jedrick Wills and Andrew Thomas.

It is absolutely imperative that New GM, Andrew Berry and Cleveland build an offensive line to protect Baker Mayfield and give Kevin Stefanski’s offense time to flourish. Time simply wasn’t a commodity afforded to Mayfield in 2019 and why have the weapons the Browns have if you’re not giving them time to get downfield?

Oh and Wirfs can kill people in the running game too, so win/win – Another plus point for Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt.

  1. New York Jets – K’Lavon Chaisson, Edge, LSU

Name the last edge rusher to have 10 or more sacks for the Jets and don’t use Google.

Yeah, exactly.

  1. Las Vegas Raiders – CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma

Jon Gruden wanted Antonio Brown to take his receiving corp and offense to the next level – Obviously, that did not go to plan.

Enter Cedarian Lamb. Lamb is a dominant wide receiver with excellent ball skills, ability to use his body in a nuanced way to keep the defenders away from the football and superb ability to create after the catch with ball in hand.

A true wide receiver 1.

  1. Indianapolis Colts – Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama

A few months ago, Jeudy dropping this far down the draft order was simply unheard of but Alabama didn’t make the college football playoffs and recency bias is real.

I am probably as guilty as anyone for that since I’m here giving him to the Colts at 13. Once the combine comes around, we’re all going to fall in love with Jeudy’s agility, dancing feet and route running and he’ll be back to being mocked in the top 10.

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Javon Kinlaw, IDL, South Carolina

This is a marriage I’ve been hot on for a while, I just think it makes too much sense given how good Kinlaw is – he was a huge winner of Senior Bowl week – and given how much Tampa Bay needs to reload the defensive line.

Kinlaw next to Vita Vea with Shaq Barrett off the edge is a fun thought.

  1. Denver Broncos – Henry Ruggs III, WR, Alabama

Word around the campfire is that Denver want to add speed in the off season – Henry Ruggs III is about as fast as can be when we’re talking about draft prospects; he’s a blurr, he runs quick on slo-mo replays and he’s potentially going to break the 40 record at the combine in a few weeks time.

Courtland Sutton, Henry Ruggs and Daesean Hamilton – That’s a young, explosive and diverse mix of receivers, right there. Now add in Drew Lock, who looked good at the back end of the year, Noah Fant and Phillip Lindsay… Yeah, Denver is fun now. If only they had a line… Aha! The draft is but 7 rounds long.

  1. Atlanta Falcons – Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU

Atlanta was surprisingly bad this year, right? Or is it just me who “Stans” for them every year and ends up with egg on my face?

Dan Quinn needs to have a good season and corner has been an issue for the Dirty Birds – ergo, draft Kristian Fulton and lock up one side of your defensive backfield, he’s the best corner in the class not named Jeffrey Okudah.

  1. Dallas Cowboys – Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama

It feels like Dallas has needed a safety for a while now, doesn’t it? And they can no longer tell everyone that they’re trading for signing Earl Thomas next year, either.

Xavier McKinney gives them a presence in the backfield and he could also enforce against the run, adding to what they already have in that department in Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith.

  1. Miami Dolphins –  Mekhi Becton, OT, Louisville

Quarterback? Check. Next up, offensive linemen to protect said quarterback.

Brian Flores was in New England the same time as now, Las Vegas Raiders left tackle, Trent Brown and Mekhi Becton has serious Trent Brown vibes about him – They simply do not build many folks like Becton.

An enormous young man at 6’8 and over 360lbs but he is a true dancing bear who doesn’t lumber and plod, but who looks light and agile like a man 40lbs lighter – a true rare specimen.

  1. Las Vegas Raiders – Patrick Queen, LB, LSU

So, yeah… This is a bit of a reach. However, if your players turn out god then who cares?

Vegas need a lineback, badly and let me tell you, if you haven’t already heard, the 2020 NFL Draft is not the correct time to be desperate for a linebacker.

Queen has his issues tackling in space at times but he’s the modern day, sideline-to-sideline ‘backer who can run, cover and make tackles all over the field.

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars – Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU

Jacksonville has a bunch of receivers who can run fast and get vertical but they don’t have a lot of guys to take advantage of the space creates underneath – Enter Justin Jefferson.

A nuanced route runner who although not possessing the top end physical gifts, always seems to be open and has the ability to make catches and find the end zone.

  1. Philadelphia Eagles – Jeff Gladney, CB, TCU

This simply had to be a wide receiver or a corner back for Philly – both are huge needs where they require both starters and depth pieces.

Gladney is a sticky coverage guy who should fit the attitude of a Jim Schwarz defense. They can attack receiver in round and since both positions are loaded this year, the Eagles shouldn’t have to sweat on getting a good one.

  1. Buffalo Bills – A.J Epenesa, Edge, Iowa

I feel like Buffalo need a really big injection of youth on coming off the edge. Trent Murphy and Jerry Hughes have had solid careers but are getting up there in age and Shaq Lawson has been inconsistent at best through his first 4 years – 16.5 career sacks isn’t what Buffalo would have hoped for when he was drafted 19th overall, in the first round of the 2016 draft.

I feel that if Lawson is going to stick around, he can be the speed element whereas Epenesa can be the high motor, blue collar strong side end who can set the edge against the run and collapse the pocket from the opposite side. 

  1. New England Patriots – Zack Baun, Edge, Wisconsin

Bill Belichick and New England love these hybrid edge/linebacker types and they’ve had success with this type of player in the past; D’onta Hightower and Jamie Collins are two recent examples

Baun could be moved around depending on the down and distance – He has some value as a pass rusher and he would also be very comfortable playing as a SAM linebacker. This versatility would suit the Patriots down to the ground and Belichick would get a lot out of him.

  1. New Orleans Saints – Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado

Can you imagine how fun this would be? It’s almost like, what’s better than Taysom Hill? That’s right, two Taysom Hill’s! Only one is a very good wide receiver.

Sean Payton’s creativity mixed with Shenault’s versatility would just be an absolute blast! Even just a wide receiver, Shenault would give the Saint’s opponents something else to think about aside from Michael Thomas and he would also offer a deeper threat to that of what Thomas offers.

  1. Minnesota Vikings – Lloyd Cushenberry III, IOL, LSU

I’m not calling Garrett Bradbury a bust just yet, so don’t read too much into drafting another top center.

Having Bradbury and Cushenberry would allow Minnesota to be able to mix and match to find the best combination of 5 guys up front protecting Kirk Cousins – And that’s the bottom line – Protecting Kirk Cousins. The Vikings squad is Superbowl ready if they can get that right.

  1. Miami Dolphins – Curtis Weaver, Edge, Boise State

I don’t think Miami makes 3 first round selection on draft night but if they do, they will want to hit, QB, offensive tackle and edge rusher. The 3 most important positions in football and they’re all pretty big needs, corner, the next most important position comes with their next pick.

Weaver is a versatile edge rusher with power and scheme versatility. Coming off a productive college career at Boise State, Weaver will add another disruptive force on the defensive line, who will put the work in – Similar to Christian Wilkins, whom they drafted last year. Another culture guy for Brian Flores.

  1. Seattle Seahawks – Josh Uche, Edge, Michigan

Seattle is always tough to mock because of their unpredictability in the first round.

I know they selected L.J Collier last year and traded for Jadeveon Clowney but firstly, Collier was a reach and also will they resign Clowney?

Uche made himself a lot of money at the Senior Bowl a couple of weekends ago – He blew up the game and also performed very well in the practices, playing some edge and also some off ball linebacker.

Another little caveat here, the Executive Director of the Senior Bowl, Jim Nagy, is a former Seattle scout – John Schneider will still be in contact with him and will have gotten Nagy’s opinion on Uche after the work he put in.

  1. Baltimore Ravens – Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma

Everyone knows that Baltimore blitz more than any team in the league, so they need weapons to enable themselves to continue to do so.

Murray is an incredible blitzing linebacker and he can also fill a role being a tackling machine all over the field.

Patrick Owuasor is out of contact and the Ravens could opt to replace him with a younger and cheaper model.

  1. Tennessee Titans – Yetur Gross-Matos, Edge, Penn. State

The Titans defense really stepped up and alongside Derrick Henry, the unit really pushed this team to the playoff berth and a win.

YGM is a long and lean pass rusher who can compliment Harold Landry on the other side, really nicely. Good luck to teams defending those two and Jeffrey Simmons through the middle. Teams should be built to win their division, so given that the Colts have an incredible offensive line and the Texans have DeShaun Watson who is nye-on impossible to sack, the Titans need to have guys who can combat these factors.

  1. Green Bay Packers – Brandon Aiyuk, WR, Arizona State

Apparently, the word around the Senior Bowl was that most if not all teams have Brandon Aiyuk graded higher than N’Keal Harry last year and he’s seen by almost everyone as a first round talent. This shocks me and doesn’t fit with my rankings but when I hear something like that it’s tough to ignore.

Aiyuk fits nicely with Green Bay – He’d give Aaron Rodgers an underneath target and a smaller target which adds diversity to a receiving group that is taller guys who thrive downfield.

  1. San Francisco 49ers – Grant Delpit, S, LSU

The 9ers really need to upgrade at safety and like many teams in the league, they could use a center fielder with range and playmaking ability… Hello Grant Delpit. Yes, he has his tackling issues and his stock is lower than this time last year but he’s still a great prospect.

The problem and quandary for San Francisco is do they stay at this pick and potentially grab Delpit or do they trade back? They don’t have another pick until the 139th pick… That’s a long wait.

Are they one player away from making another run or, will they seek an offer from a team looking to jump back into the first?

  1. Kansas City Chiefs – Trevon Diggs, CB, Alabama

The Champs defense definitely improved last season but they still have a glaring need at corner.

Diggs gives them a potential CB1 for years to come at the back end of the first round – something that doesn’t come around too often. He’s long and physical and comes with obvious pedigree from Alabama, but like every corner taken at this spot or later, he has his weaknesses and areas to work on. 

Round 2

  1. Cincinnati Bengals –  Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
  2. Indianapolis Colts – Jordan Love, QB, Utah State
  3. Detroit Lions – Terrell Lewis, Edge, Alabama
  4. New York Giants – Julian Okwara, Edge, Notre Dame
  5. Los Angeles Chargers – Josh Jones, OT, Houston
  6. Carolina Panthers – C.J Henderson, CB, Florida
  7. Miami Dolphins – Bryce Hall, CB, Virgina
  8. Arizona Cardinals – Neville Gallimore, IDL, Oklahoma
  9. Cleveland Browns – Matt Hennessy, IOL, Temple
  10. Jacksonville Jaguars – Ross Blacklock, IDL, TCU
  11. Chicago Bears – Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma
  12. Indianapolis Colts – Raekwon Davis, IDL, Alabama
  13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Austin Jackson, OT, USC
  14. Denver Broncos – Prince Tega Wanagho, OT, Auburn
  15. Atlanta Falcons – Robert Hunt, IOL, Louisiana
  16. New York Jets – Matt Peart, OT, UConn
  17. Pittsburgh Steelers – Johnathon Greenard, Edge, Florida
  18. Chicago Bears – Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame
  19. Dallas Cowboys – AJ Terrell, CB, Clemson
  20. Los Angeles Rams – Jabari Zuniga, Edge, Florida
  21. Philadelphia Eagles – K.J Hamler, WR, Penn. State
  22. Buffalo Bills – Quartney Davis, WR, Texas A&M
  23. Atlanta Falcons – Ashtyn Davis, S, California
  24. Miami Dolphins – Jonathan Taylor, RB, Wisconsin
  25. Houston Texans – D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia
  26. Minnesota Vikings – Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah
  27. Seattle Seahawks – Lucas Niang, OT, TCU
  28. Baltimore Ravens – Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU
  29. Tennessee Titans – Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia
  30. Green Bay Packers – Isaiah Wilson, OT, Georgia
  31. Kansas City Chiefs – J.K Dobbins, RB, Ohio State
  32. Seattle Seahawks – K.J Hill, WR, Ohio State

Round 3 

  1. Cincinnati Bengals – Justin Madubuike, IDL, Texas A&M
  2. Washington Redskins – Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor
  3. Detroit Lions – Noah Igbonoghene, CB, Auburn
  4. New York Jets – Cesar Ruiz, IOL
  5. Carolina Panthers – Malik Harrison, LB, Ohio State
  6. Miami Dolphins – Van Jefferson, WR, Florida
  7. Los Angeles Chargers – Cameron Dantzler, CB, Mississippi State
  8. Arizona Cardinals – Bradley Anae, Edge, Utah
  9. Jacksonville Jaguars – Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, LSU
  10. Cleveland Browns – Antione Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota
  11. Indianapolis Colts – Tyler Biadasz, IOL, Wisconsin
  12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jacob Eason, QB, Washington
  13. Denver Broncos – Damon Arnette, CB, Ohio State
  14. Atlanta Falcon – Darrell Taylor, Edge, Tennessee
  15. New York Jets – Brycen Hopkins, TE, Purdue
  16. Las Vegas Raiders – Troy Pride Jr, CB, Notre Dame
  17. Las Vegas Raiders – Damien Lewis, IOL, LSU
  18. Dallas Cowboys – Leki Fotu, IDL, Utah
  19. Denver Broncos – Troy Dye, LB, Oregon
  20. Los Angeles Rams – Ben Bartch, OT, St. John’s (Minnesota)
  21. Philadelphia Eagles – Marlon Davidson, Edge, Auburn
  22. Buffalo Bills – Rashard Lawrence, IDL, LSU
  23. New England – Thaddeus Moss, TE, LSU
  24. New Orleans Saints – Jordyn Brooks, LB, Texas Tech
  25. Minnesota Vikings – Shane Lemieaux, IOL, Oregon
  26. Cleveland Browns – Trey Adams, OT, Washington
  27. Las Vegas Raiders – Alex Highsmith, Edge, Charlotte
  28. Baltimore Ravens – Anfernee Jennings, Edge, Alabama
  29. Tennessee Titans – Netane Muti, IOL, Fresno State
  30. Green Bay Packers – Hunter Bryant, TE, Washington
  31. Denver Broncos – Jason Strowbridge, IDL, North Carolina
  32. Kansas City Chiefs – Nick Harris, IOL, Washington

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