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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LSU vs. Mississippi State; Saturday, Oct. 19, 3:30 PM CBS
There are some draft matchups in this game, but the best is Bulldogs cornerback Cameron Dantzler taking on LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Dantzler has second-day potential for the 2020 NFL Draft, and Jefferson could go higher than him. It will be interesting to see if they match up against each other and who gets the better of the matchup.
Jefferson has the luxury of his quarterback enjoying a breakout year. Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow is very improved as a senior and could be a mid-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Burrow is going to get tested with his ability to handle pressure due Mississippi State’s talented front seven, which includes edge rusher Chauncey Rivers, linebacker Errol Thompson and linebacker Willie Gay.
LSU safety Grant Delpit is the top prospect in this game, and he was having a quiet 2020 season, but last week against Utah State, he came alive. Delpit will see a talented running back in Mississippi State’s Kylin Hill, who has starting potential for the NFL. Bulldogs wide receiver Stephen Guidry is big and fast, so he could challenge Delpit and LSU cornerback Kristian Fulton.
Oregon vs. Washington; Saturday, Oct. 19, 3:30 PM ET ABC
There are two NFL quarterback prospects going head-to-head in this game with Oregon’s Justin Herbert and Washington’s Jacob Eason. Herbert has a great skill set, and he can rip up a defense when given time, but throwing under pressure and winning against top competition are two things that he can still prove he is capable of doing for pro evaluators.
Eason has a good skill set with a powerful arm. He led the Huskies to a strong start to the season before an upset loss to Stanford a few weeks ago. He needs a bounce-back performance against Oregon.
Ducks linebacker Troy Dye, guard Shane Lemieux, center Jake Hansen and guard Calvin Throckmorton are other prospects with early-round potential. Washington has a potential first-round offensive tackle in Trey Adams and a potential mid-round pick in center Nick Harris.
Missouri vs. Vanderbilt; Saturday, Oct. 19, 4:00 PM ET SECN
NFL teams in need of a tight end will be interested in this tape as Missouri’s Albert Okwuegbunum and Vanderbilt’s Jared Pinkney could be the first two tight ends selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. Okwuegbunum is the more dynamic receiver, while Pinkney is the more well-rounded player. The Commodores have other good prospects to watch in running back Ke’Shawn Vaughn and wide receiver Kalija Lipscomb.
Arizona State vs. Utah; Saturday, Oct. 19, 6:00 PM ET PAC12
There are a few prospects to watch in this Pac-12 matchup. Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin has some fans in the scouting community, and he could use a good game after some tough outings in which defenses sold out to stop him and limit his production. Utah defensive end Bradley Anae and Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson both have early-round potential.
Michigan vs. Penn State; Saturday, Oct. 19, 7:30 PM ET ABC
Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos will see a quality offensive line with the Wolverines. Gross-Matos could be a first-round pick next April, and it would help him to have a strong performance taking on Michigan. Other Nittany Lions who were on teams’ preseason draft watch list include defensive tackle Robert Windsor, cornerback John Reid and linebacker Cam Brown.
Michigan’s defense is led by linebacker Josh Uche and safety Khaleke Hudson. Both of them received preseason projections of having the potential to be picks in the top half of the 2020 NFL Draft. Other Wolverines to watch in this game include guard Ben Bredeson and cornerback Lavert Hill, as they also had top-half-of-the-draft projections. Some other prospects who received projections for the latter half of the 2020 NFL Draft from Michigan are safety Josh Metellus, guard Michael Onwenu, running back Chris Evans, defensive end Mike Danna and quarterback Shea Patterson.
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