Want to get to know the draft prospects for the 2019 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. Texas; Saturday, Nov. 3, 3:30 PM ET FOX
West Virginia senior quarterback Will Grier has gotten some early-round hype from the media, but he needs to play better, as NFL scouts are not as high on Grier as the media protections. Texas has one of the better defenses in the Big XII and will challenge Grier. Wide receiver David Sills and tackle Yodny Cajuste are other prospects to watch from the Mountaineers. Longhorns wide receivers Collin Johnson and Lil’Jordan Humphrey could be picks in the early rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Kentucky vs. Georgia; Saturday, Nov. 3, 3:30 PM ET CBS
Georgia cornerback DeAndre Baker is a top-20 talent who is enjoying a fine senior year. He went largely untested by Florida last week, and Kentucky will probably avoid him. The Wildcats have their own top-20 defensive talent in linebacker Josh Allen. He is a fast edge rusher and quarterback hunter who dominated versus Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Missouri. Allen also has been impressive in pass coverage, and the Wildcats will need him to perform well in both phases to limit the passing of Jake Fromm and the tough Georgia rushing attack.
Other prospects to watch include Kentucky running back Bennie Snell, Georgia linebacker D’Andre Walker, Kentucky cornerback Derrick Baity, Kentucky linebacker Jordan Jones and Kentucky safety Mike Edwards.
Missouri vs. Florida; Saturday, Nov. 3, 4:00 PM ET SECN
Missouri quarterback Drew Lock could use a strong performance taking on Florida, and the Gators have some good defensive talent led by edge rusher Jachai Polite. Polite has been phenomenal this season, racking up sacks and causing a lot of disruption in the backfield. Along with Polite, Florida has other dangerous pass-rushers who will test Lock’s composure. Lock has a first-round skill set, but he needs to show that he can play up to good competition after an ugly game against Alabama and a so-so performance versus Kentucky.
Gators linebacker David Reese, linebacker Vosean Joseph, and safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson are pro talents who will be tested by Missouri tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. Okwuegbunam is dynamic receiving tight end who is a mismatch weapon for the next level. If those Florida defenders show well in coverage on Okwuegbunam, that would be great for their respective draft stocks.
Other talents to watch include Gators edge rusher Jabari Zuniga, Gators edge defender CeCe Jefferson, Tigers wide receiver Emmanuel Hall and Tigers defensive tackle Terry Beckner.
Notre Dame vs. Northwestern; Saturday, Nov. 3, 7:15 PM ET ESPN
Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson had impressive performances against Michigan and Nebraska, dominated Michigan State, and then turned in some underwhelming games in wins over Rutgers and Wisconsin. Thorson is going to see a very tough test with Notre Dame’s excellent front seven. Defensive tackle Jerry Tillery could be a first- or second-round pick next April, and he has put a lot of heat on quarterbacks this year. Tillery and some talented young edge rushers will test Thorson to get the ball out quickly while remaining composed under pessure.
Other prospects to watch include Notre Dame linebacker Te’Von Coney, Notre Dame cornerback Julian Love, Northwestern cornerback Montre Hartage and Northwestern linebacker Nate Hall.
Alabama vs. LSU; Saturday, Nov. 3, 8:00 PM ET CBS
As one could expect, this game is loaded with NFL talent. The top prospect in this game is Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. WalterFootball.com was first to report that NFL teams were viewing Williams as a high first-round talent, and LSU could be the best opponent that Williams has seen this year. Fellow Crimson Tide defensive tackle Raekwon Davis is a top-20 talent, while the third tackle, Isaiah Buggs, could go in the early rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft. Behind them are early-round prospects at linebacker in Mack Wilson and Anfernee Jennings. Safety Deionte Thompson is the top safety prospect for the 2019 NFL Draft. Crimson Tide cornerback Trevon Diggs could be the first corner selected, but he will miss this game due to breaking his foot.
Another corner who is in the running for the top corner prospect is LSU’s Greedy Williams. He will be tasked with limiting the star-powered Alabama passing attack. Sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and sophomore wide receiver Jerry Jeudy are top prospects for the 2020 NFL Draft and will be a huge challenge for Williams.
LSU linebacker Devin White is a first-round pick for the 2019 NFL Draft, but White will be suspended for the first half after a mistakenly called targeting penalty in the Tigers’ last game. By the time White is allowed to play, the game could be decided and LSU could have really missed him. Alabama running back Damien Harris is one of the top tailback prospects for the 2019 NFL Draft. Tight end Irv Smith Jr. is also a dangerous receiving tight end who will be an early-round pick. White would have been very valuable to defend against both of them.
Other prospects to watch include Alabama left tackle Jonah Williams and LSU defensive tackle Rashard Lawrence.
Washington vs. Stanford; Saturday, Nov. 3, 9:00 PM ET
This will be a great game to evaluate Stanford running back Bryce Love. Love is in the running to be the top running back prospect for the 2019 NFL Draft and will be taking on a defense with lots of NFL talent. Huskies defensive tackle Greg Gaines, safety Taylor Rapp, safety JoJo McIntosh, cornerback Jordan Miller and cornerback Byron Murphy are all pro prospects who could be early-round picks. If Love plays well against Washington, that will really help his draft grade, because he has been hurt and missing action this season. On the other side of the ball, Washington has a talented running back in Myles Gaskin who could be an early-round selection. Washington right tackle Kaleb McGary is another prospect to watch.
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