Want to get to know the draft prospects for the 2020 NFL Draft? This weekly column breaks down the best matchups to watch each week in college football.
By Charlie Campbell.
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West Virginia vs. Missouri; Saturday, Sept. 7, 12:00 PM ET ESPN2
Unfortunately, Week 2 of the 2019 college football season has a lot of terrible games from good teams scheduling weak opponents. There really are’t many good draft matchups of future NFL prospects being tested by a fellow prospects. Of the early games, the best draft matchup could come in Missouri taking on West Virginia. Both teams have a group of prospects, with Monutaineers safety Kenny Robinson seeing a good test in Albert Okwuegbunam, one of the best tight ends in nation. Okwuegbunam could be a first-round pick next April, and Robinson has early-round potential as well. This should be a fun matchup to watch.
Also in the secondary, Missouri wide receiver Johnathan Johnson will take on West Virginia cornerback Keith Washington. Tigers defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and right tackle Yair Durant have second-day potential. Missouri running back Larry Rountree and West Virginia offense tackle Colton McKivitz are other prospects to watch. Both of them were on NFL teams’ preseason watch list.
Texas A&M vs. Clemson; Saturday, Sept. 7, 3:30 PM ABC
There are some good matchups in the skill positions of this game. Texas A&M wide receivers Quartney Davis and Kendrick Rogers will see a future NFL cornerback in Clemson’s A.J. Terrell. Davis and Terrell could be early-round picks next April, while Tigers safety Tanner Muse could have potential for the third day of the draft.
Tigers linebacker/safety Isaiah Simmons could be the top prospect in this game for the 2020 NFL Draft. He was phenomenal against Georgia Tech to open the season.
Clemson has talent on offense as well. Speedster running back Travis Etienne and wide receiver Tee Higgins are future early-rounders who had big nights to open the year against the Yellow Jackets. Wide receiver Amari Rodgers and guard John Simpson were also on NFL teams; preseason watch list.
LSU vs. Texas; Saturday, Sept. 7, 7:30 PM ET ABC
This game has some future NFL competitors going head-to-head with Texas wide receiver Collin Johnson taking on LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton and safety Grant Delpit. All three could be selected in the first few rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft, with Delpit looking like a potential high first-rounder. Johnson will be one of the toughest receivers Delpit sees as a junior.
Defensive tackle Rashard Lawrence, wide receiver Dee Anderson, quarterback Joe Burrow, linebacker Michael Divinity and guard Damien Lewis are all Tigers on NFL teams’ preseason watch list. Some teams marked that group as having with the potential to be picked in the back half of the draft or to be undrafted free agents.
That same designation was given to a number of Longhorns, including cornerback Josh Thompson, guard Parker Braun, defensive end Malcolm Roach and quarterback Sam Ehlinger. Texas safety Brandon Jones and Texas tackle Sam Cosmi both received marks as having the potential to go in the top half of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Stanford vs. USC; Saturday, Sept. 7, 10:30 PM ET ESPN
Cardinal quarterback K.J. Costello is an early-round candidate for the NFL, but his status is uncertain after he left the season opener following a hard hit to the head. In the long run, the injury to Stanford left tackle Walker Little seemed worse as he had a knee buckle on him late in the fourth quarter. Little looked like a future first-round pick and potential franchise left tackle before the injury. If Little were to play, he would see a quality test with USC defensive lineman Christian Rector.
Stanford cornerback Paulson Abedo could be a future first-rounder, and he will see a good test from USC wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. Cardinal tight end Colby Parkinson and Cardinal wide receiver Osiris St. Brown are other prospects to watch in this game. USC linebacker John Houston also was placed on NFL teams’ preseason watch list.
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