*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Swift and Taylor are Worthy Top-20 Picks
Updated March 11, 2020By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
The running back position can get downgraded in the NFL drafts, and this year could follow that trend. Sources from multiple teams told WalterFootball.com that Georgia’s D’Andre Swift and Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor are worthy top-20 picks, but both of them could slide later in the first round or to the second round because of team needs and organizations valuing taking a running back on the second day of the draft.
Sources at three different teams said both players are absolutely worthy of being one of the first 20 selections. “Both are studs and have franchise running back-type ability,” said one director of college scouting. Those three also said where they go will depend on team need.
One director of college scouting at another team said they thought Swift had a better shot go in the top 20, but felt he should go a little later and Taylor should definitely go later. They felt some teams could think of using Swift like the Saints use Alvin Kamara, and this source had Taylor lower – as a late first-round or early second-round pick. They felt Taylor was a first- and second-down grinder who has already logged a ton of carries, plus has 17 career fumbles. Thus, they had Swift rated higher and thought he was the top back for the 2020 NFL Draft.
One team had the opposite of that, with Taylor being rated over Swift. They felt Taylor was worthy of going being a top-20 pick while Swift should be a late first- or early second-round pick.
Last year, many teams had similar feelings about Alabama running back Josh Jacobs. There were a lot of scouts who thought he was a top-20 talent, and he slipped into the 20s before the Raiders took him. That turned out to be an excellent value, as Jacobs had an excellent rookie season and looks like he is just scratching the surface of what he could be. Around the league, there many evaluators who have the same feelings about D’Andre Swift and Jonathan Taylor this year.
