2019 NFL Draft: College Football Game Recaps – Week 10

This section breaks down many college football games each week and highlights how 2019 NFL Draft Prospects have performed. Or look at the 2019 NFL Draft Stock page.

By Charlie Campbell.
Send Charlie an e-mail here: [email protected]
Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell for updates.

Alabama 29, LSU 0

Weeks ago, in the Hot Press WalterFootball.com was the first outlet to report that NFL teams were projecting Quinnen Williams as a high first-round pick. If there was any doubt about that, it was erased in Baton Rogue, as he put his special talent on display with a tremendous game against LSU. Williams was phenomenal, as he was using his shocking speed, natural strength and athleticism to whip the interior offensive line of LSU. It was pure domination from start to finish.

Williams fired off the snap in the opening quarter to get upfield and shed the block of the left guard and running back to peel back to the middle and sack Joe Burrow. Williams then met a teammate at the quarterback to almost get a safety, as they took down Burrow with authority.

Williams used his speed to charge down the pocket past the left guard and get a sack of Burrow to open the third quarter. Williams then lined up as the zero-technique and bulled through the center to get penetration before taking down Burrow for another sack as he stepped up in the pocket. To end that series, Williams tripped up a scrambling Burrow for no gain on a third-down play.

Williams beat a double team between the left guard and center to get another sack of Burrow to start the fourth quarter. He used power and speed to work through them and drop the quarterback again. He later showed his crazy speed by getting in on a tackle of a back along the sideline. The official scoring was not available immediately after the game, but Williams could have had a total of 4.5 sacks.

This was one of the most impressive performances I’ve seen by a defensive lineman in years – probably since Myles Garrett (2015) or Jadeveon Clowney (2012) during their amazing sophomore seasons. There is no doubt that Williams is a freak athlete. He is extremely fast off the snap with the ability to fire his gap and close on the quarterback in a hurry. He has functional strength to bull rush through blockers, or grab them and toss them aside. On top of his great skill set, Williams shows impressive technique with his hand placement and variety of pass-rushing moves. With a sawed-off body, Williams has natural pad level and leverage.

NFL sources say Williams is grading out higher than Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver, Auburn’s Derrick Brown, teammate Raekwon Davis, Mississippi State’s Jeff Simmons, and the Clemson duo of Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence. None of those players have a tape from this season as impressive as how Williams dominated LSU on Saturday night. This performance should help him to be one of the first players drafted next April and it could make him a strong contender to go No. 1 overall depending on how the team needs and quarterback prospects shake out.

Alabama’s Damien Harris is our top-rated running back for the 2019 NFL Draft, and he gave proof of it running over LSU. Harris has had a low total of carries this season, as the Crimson Tide have blown out every opponent and Harris has been pulled early with the other starters. Alabama finally had an opponent that caused them to play their first-teamers deep into the second half. As a result of the increased playing time and carries, Harris had his best game of the season.

Harris showed impressive speed to hit the hole and accelerate downfield. He ran with power to get yards after contact and showed fresh legs that gained steam as the game progressed. He totaled 107 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown. This tape will help Harris to be a first-round pick next April.

Alabama tight end Irv Smith, Jr could be one of the first tight ends selected next April if he enters the draft. Smith has been an excellent mismatch weapon this year, and this game continued his hot play. Smith ran a corner route to haul in a touchdown from 25 yards out in the second quarter. After the catch, Smith kicked LSU safety Grant Delpit in the head and was called for the penalty. It was a great route and catch by Smith, but a very dirty and disgusting way to finish the play. Smith totaled four receptions for 64 yards and the score, but that dirty play is not going to sit well with some NFL evaluators.

LSU cornerback Greedy Williams is in the running to be the top cornerback prospect for the 2019 NFL Draft, but this game against Alabama will hurt his chances of being the first defensive back selected.

Williams was beaten on a slant for a 14-yard gain to start the game, and that set the tone for the night. Alabama then went after Williams again as he had tight coverage, but Henry Ruggs III made a tremendous leaping grab over Williams. Ruggs beat Williams for a touchdown to end the drive. Ruggs got a step on Williams at the line of scrimmage to get separation and cut on a slant that caused Williams to fall down leaving Ruggs wide open for a 15-yard touchdown. Alabama tested Williams deep late in the opening quarter, but he ran with Ruggs to prevent a separation and force an incompletion.

Williams bounced back to a degree in the third quarter. He made a nice play to stay with his receiver on an inside break and then time his contact well to break up the pass. Williams then got a pressure on a corner blitz to force another incompletion. In the fourth quarter, Williams had an ugly play as Alabama sophomore wide receiver Jerry Jeudy torched him on a crossing route and darted down the field for a 30-yard gain. Jeudy illustrated that his speed is at another level than Williams.

Williams is safe as a first-rounder, but this tape illustrates that he needs work for the NFL. That isn’t surprising, considering he is only a redshirt sophomore. On top of improving technique, Williams needs to get stronger and fill out his frame. He is thin, and NFL receivers are going to push him around. The lack of weight could also hurt his durability.

LSU linebacker Devin White was suspended for the first half because of a horribly called targeting penalty two weeks ago. The nonsense of the crooked and corrupt NCAA denied the Tigers their best player, but by the time White was on the field, the game was pretty much over. White was not quite his normal self, and that is understandable, as he was not into the flow of the game from the stupid suspension. White showed his speed in the third quarter by getting to the flat and forcing Damien Harris out of bounds short of a first down on a third-down completion. White made some tackles in the ground game, but this tape is probably not how he would like his final game against Alabama to have gone. White is probably going to be no worse than a mid first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Notre Dame 31, Northwestern 21

Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson was making his 48th-straight start for the Wildcats, and he was taking on one of the top defenses in college football for NFL talent. Thorson’s supporting cast is terrible with a weak offensive line and awful wide receivers, but Thorson once again kept his team in the game despite being overmatched.

Thorson had some well-placed passes in the second quarter to move the ball into the red zone. Thorson eventually pushed over the goal line on a quarterback sneak for a touchdown. Thorson later made a great play by moving the safety to his left with his eyes to get the safety away from his receiver. He climbed the pocket to avoid a sack, turned his head back to his right, and then he lofted in a well-placed 27-yard touchdown pass.

Thorson made a nice pass to set up another goal-line situation, and on fourth-and-goal, Northwestern went to their big quarterback again on a sneak for his second rushing touchdown. Thorson finished completing 16-of-29 passes for 141 yards with one passing score and two rushing touchdowns.

Thorson played better than the numbers illustrate. He did not turn the ball over and showed his strong arm with some accurate throws. He has played some good defenses tough in losing outcomes to Notre Dame and Michigan. While they came up short, Thorson kept his team in the game and elevated the play of those around him. This tape should not hurt or help Thorson’s draft grade significantly, and he could be a second-day pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Notre Dame defensive tackle Jerry Tillery could be an early-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. However, this tape won’t help him to get selected on the first night of the draft. During the first half, Tillery was seeing some extra attention, as he was getting blocked by the guard and center while also getting hit with some chips from running backs. However, there were also times where he did not beat some single blocks, as he was getting stuffed by a left guard who won’t be playing in the NFL.

At the start of the year, Tillery was playing like his hair was on fire. He was dominating at the point of attack with speed and physicality. Tillery has cooled down, however. His motor has slowed, and he does not seem to have the same sense of urgency. It gives the appearance that he could be protecting himself and trying not to get hurt to protect his NFL status. Tillery has the reputation of not being a great guy or a good teammate, so if he adds another negative attribute as a player who turns it on and off, that could really hurt his chances of being a first-round pick in a loaded class of defensive line talent.

Missouri 38, Florida 17

Missouri quarterback Drew Lock has a skill set of starting NFL quarterback. He has a powerful arm with athleticism, and he was seeing a defense loaded with NFL talent. This was an important game for Lock’s draft grade, as he needed to rise to the occasion to increase his level of play and that of his teammates to be considered an elite franchise quarterback. Lock didn’t do that against Alabama, and he needed to put together an impressive performance against Florida.

Lock was throwing the ball well on Florida in the early going. Lock found his tight end Albert Okwuegbunam wide open down the seam for a 22-yard touchdown in the second quarter, as Florida had busted coverage with Okwuegbunam being left uncovered. Lock then made a beautiful throw on a third-down conversion, finding Emanuel Hall open downfield along the sideline for a 41-yard gain.

Lock climbed the pocket in the third quarter and threw a perfect pass for a 41-yard touchdown strike to an open receiver running a deep post route. He then fired an accurate strike to Hall for a 4-yard touchdown on a slant. Lock had an 8-yard scramble in the fourth quarter to convert a critical third down that was huge in helping Missouri to prevent a comeback from the Gators. Lock finished completing 24-of-32 for 250 yards and three touchdowns.

This was an excellent performance from Lock. He fired the ball accurately to all levels and threw receivers open while also displaying timing, anticipation and patience. He also used his legs and athleticism to move around while showing an improved ability to climb the pocket to avoid pass rushers. This tape will definitely help Lock’s draft grade as he ripped up a Florida defense that has a lot of future NFL players on it. If Lock is able to rise into being a first-round pick, this tape is going to be a catalyst.

Missouri tight end Albert Okwuegbunam is one of the top tight ends in college football, and he could be the first one selected next April if he enters the draft. After catching his touchdown pass, shortly later Okwuegbunam was with trainers due to a right arm injury he suffered on a block. Okwuegbunam ran behind the offensive line to get a block on a blitzing edge defender. It was a hard hit that injury sent Okwuegbunam into the locker room early in the second quarter, and he was ruled out for the rest of the game. It could be a significant injury. The 2019 NFL Draft is weak at tight end and having Okwuegbunam return to school because of this injury would deal big hit to the available talent at the position.

Two breakout prospects this season have been Florida edge rusher Jachai Polite and outside linebacker Vosean Joseph. They both had huge performances to lead the Gators to an upset of LSU earlier this year, but both of them had underwhelming games against Missouri. Polite was a non-factor in the pass rush, as Lock had too much time to throw with Polite not shedding blocks. He had some good plays in run defense, including a tackle for a loss in the flat, pushing a screen receiver out of bounds.

Joseph had some nice tackles, but he struggled overall in run defense. He avoided taking on a block on a touchdown run, and that led to the back having a good look to get downfield. Joseph later got pushed out of his gap on a touchdown run. Joseph is a fast Will (weak side) linebacker and a seek-and-destroy defender, but he has to get stronger and tougher in the ground game for the NFL.

Both Polite and Joseph should return to Florida to get better before going pro. However, they both are potential early-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, so it would be a surprise if they went back to school.

Georgia 34, Kentucky 17

Kentucky linebacker Josh Allen has been one of the best players in college football this season, and he made some huge plays to lead the Wildcats to some big wins over Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Missouri. Taking on Georgia, Allen did his part to try to keep his team alive versus a superior opponent.

Georgia was about to open a 14-point lead late in the opening quarter, but a bad snap put the ball on the ground and Allen showed his speed beating Jake Fromm to the loose ball even though Fromm was closer to it. That was a huge fumble recovery for Allen. Just before halftime, Allen once again was “Johnny-on-the-spot,” as Georgia was in field goal range, but they fumbled a handoff and Allen dived on the ball to steal some points from Georgia.

Aside from those plays, this was a quiet game from Allen. The Bulldogs ran the ball all over Kentucky and kept Allen from making any big plays in the pass rush. Allen had tackles in run defense, but there were also a number plays where he got covered up by blockers. Allen is stronger and more physical than he was last year, but he still could stand to improve as a run defender. This tape should not hurt Allen’s draft grade.

Georgia cornerback DeAndre Baker was largely untested last week against Florida, and that was the case again versus the Wildcats. Kentucky threw at Baker in the third quarter, and it went Kentucky’s direction as he was flagged for a pass interference. Other than that, Baker was sound. He had tight coverage and kept receiver from getting separation. This tape will only serve to confirm that Baker is a first-round pick and a potential No. 1 cover corner in a NFL defense.

Kentucky running back Bennie Snell has been the workhorse for the Wildcats’ offense, and he could be a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Snell ran well in the early going against Georgia, showing impressive vision and quickness to hit the hole. He gave up a sack in blitz protection as Snell got run over, but that is a rare sight as Snell is a good pass protector for a college back. Snell charged into the end zone from nine yards out in the third quarter. It was an impressive run with Snell running through a defender over the last four yards to fall into the end zone. Snell totaled 73 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown. This tape shouldn’t hurt or help his draft grade.

South Carolina 48, Ole Miss 44

This game featured two wide receivers who could be dangerous playmakers in the NFL. Ole Miss wide out A.J. Brown is the favorite to be the top receiver prospect for the 2019 NFL Draft, while South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel should also be an early-round pick.

Brown got the game started getting open on some underneath routes to move the chains before running a vertical route, and he had the cornerback beat but a pass interference led to an incompletion, although the flag was correctly called. Brown then got open running a deep post and had to slow up for the football, but hauled it in for a 46-yard reception. That set up a short rushing touchdown. To start the third quarter Brown got open on an out route to move the chains.

Brown totaled 115 yards on six receptions. He showed his quickness to get open with physicality to push around defensive backs. Brown also impressed as a blocker, as he got after a number of Gamecock defenders to help his teammates. This tape will only serve to confirm Brown as a first-round pick.

Samuel made a great play to open the game. The opening kickoff bounced off a teammate, but Samuel stayed calm to scoop up the loose ball and then weave through some would be tacklers before exploding down the field for a 90-yard touchdown. Samuel later had a 38-yard kick return to get the Gamecocks across midfield. South Carolina struggled to get Samuel the ball, as he had three receptions for 17 yards. Samuel could end up being a day-two pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

South Carolina does not have good edge rushers, so this game was easy for Ole Miss left tackle Greg Little. Little was more effective against the Gamecocks than he was versus Alabama, but that is also because the decrease in competition.

Little showed his athleticism and quick feet to mirror speed rushes. He kept all of them from getting near the quarterback. Little has more problems with strong bull rushes and cuts to the inside. In the ground game, Little is not a bull but he is quick to get to spots, but he does not pack a punch and struggles to sustain.

Little has to get stronger for the NFL. He has the potential to dominate, but he has to become more consistent and get stronger to be a true franchise left tackle. Still, he will be a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and the top-rated offensive line prospect.

Auburn 28, Texas A&M 24

There was a good draft matchup in the trenches of this game with Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown taking on Texas A&M center Erik McCoy. Even though they had plays against each other, both McCoy and Brown had impressive games that illustrated why they will go in the early rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Brown was stout at the point of attack all game, holding his ground in run defense and getting some push in the pocket. Brown had a very nice play in the third quarter, bulling the right guard into the backfield before swimming off him and ripping down the running back for a loss of a few yards. In the fourth quarter with about two and half minutes remaining and Auburn down by three, Brown had a tremendous bull rush through the backup center to get a strip-sack of Kelly Mond. The Aggies were lucky that they recovered the fumble.

Brown showed tremendous awareness shortly later. He rocked the right guard back, but rather than going for the sack he saw a screen was being set up so he darted toward the flat and then batted down the pass. Brown then had the right tackle beaten with speed to the inside and the tackle had to grab Brown from getting a sack. The officials saw it and correctly threw the flag. The way Brown closed this game out it illustrated why he is a top-10 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and one of the top prospects at any position.

Brown will be chosen early in the 2019 NFL Draft. He is a freaky athlete with shocking speed, athleticism and strength in the form of a 6-foot-5, 315-pound defensive tackle. Brown is versatile to be a three technique, nose tackle, or a five technique in a 3-4. Brown is a young player who has a ton of upside once he gets some good coaching and development.

McCoy played very well for the Aggies against a talent Auburn defensive line. Early in the game, McCoy helped get a good push on a third-and-1 to convert the carry for a first down. He then had a great block, starting with a double team with his right guard and then turning back to seal off the left side with a block on a defender. That opened up a huge hole with Trayveon Williams sprinting straight down the field for a 38-yard touchdown. Late in the second quarter McCoy then hit a defender and tossed him to the ground. McCoy followed that up by firing out into the flat to set up a screen. He rumbled downfield and hit a block in space to spring Williams for a 14-yard touchdown. It was a superb playing showing McCoy’s athleticism, quickness, and awareness.

Brown knocked McCoy back on the goal line in the third quarter, but there was enough commotion on the ground to let Williams dive into the end zone. McCoy then made another nice block on a screen pass getting to the sideline and downfield to pave the way for Williams. On some plays, McCoy anchored pretty well against Brown, and McCoy did a solid job of holding his ground. In pass protection, McCoy was excellent not allowing pressure in this game.

This was an excellent tape from McCoy. He has strong hands and is able to control defenders when he latches on them. He has decent feel and awareness, plus he is athletic for a center. McCoy is not a powerful pile mover and does not generate a lot of movement in the run game, but he can sustain blocks and manipulate defenders. Scouts tell me that he is getting second-round grades and they see him as having plug-and-play starting potential in the NFL.

Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham has had a disappointing 2018 season, but a year ago, he got hot late in the year to put his draft stock on the map. To open November, Stidham had a good start leading Auburn to a fourth-quarter comeback victory.

Stidham had a slow start to the game. He was unimpressive in the first half as he was holding onto the ball too long and took multiple unnecessary coverage sacks. Stidham did not seem to be seeing the field well, and he his internal clock was off.

Stidham made a beautiful throw, showing legit arm talent in the second quarter. He dropped in a perfect pass about 60 yards downfield, but his wideout dropped the great throw for an incompletion. Stidham came back to make some pretty throws with well-placed passes along the sideline. To finish a scoring drive, Stidham threw a strike to the corner of the end zone to get an 11-yard touchdown.

Stidham got hot and started moving the ball through the Aggies defense midway through the second half. Stidham set up another touchdown with a 21-yard pass to the front corner of the end zone, but his receiver was pushed out of bounds just shy of the goal line. Stidham later made a money throw to the back corner of the end zone, lofting in an 11-yard score. Stidham was on the far hash and was blitzed, but he remained calm to drop in a perfect throw that ended up being the game winning score. Stidham completed 18-of-29 passes for 239 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Stidham played better in this contest than he has of late. There is no doubt that Stidham has a good arm and athletic ability, and he can throw some accurate touch passes downfield. While Stidham has the skill set to be a NFL starter, he should return to Auburn as he would probably be a second-day pick at best in the 2019 NFL Draft. If Stidham goes back to school and has a big senior year, he could push himself into the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams ran well totaling 107 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns. Williams had an option pitch bounce off his hands in the opening quarter, and it was recovered by Auburn in Aggie territory. It was a poorly located pitch right to the face of Williams, but he still should have caught it. Williams came back to have a touchdown run of 38 yards, as he exploded up the middle in a huge hole to run untouched down the field. Williams had a fumble in the third quarter having the ball ripped out by a defender. Williams is a smaller back with some running instincts but with his skill set he is more of a late-rounder and potential backup in the NFL.

LOADING COMMENTS.

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