This section breaks down many college football games each week and highlights how 2020 NFL Draft Prospects have performed. Or look at the 2020 NFL Draft Stock page.
By Charlie Campbell.
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TCU 37, Texas 27
Johnson had a leaping grab downfield during the opening quarter for a gain of about 20 after getting open against Gladney. Johnson later got some separation Gladney on a comeback route. The very next play, Gladney broke up a pass in the end zone for Johnson, as he ran with him stride-for-stride on a crossing route and then smacked the pass away. Gladney then had blanket coverage on third-and-goal to force an incompletion. Johnson had a back-shoulder reception for 25 yards with Gladney close by in coverage right before halftime.
Galdney raced down the field to chase down a wide receiver from behind to get the stop after 63 yards and save a touchdown in the third quarter. Gladney later had blanket coverage on Johnson downfield and was able to slap away a 50-50 pass. Johnson hauled in seven passes for 101 yards.
Overall, this tape is neutral and illustrates the strengths and limitations for each player. Gladney can have problems with big receivers boxing him out and making catches over him, but he has quickness and athleticism to run with wideouts to keep close coverage. Johnson has mismatch size and can use that to make receptions even when he doesn’t get space, but Johnson could struggle to get open in the NFL, as pro cornerbacks will be able to run with him to prevent separation. Thus, Gladney and Johnson look more like day-two talents for the 2020 NFL Draft.
It didn’t start well for Reagor, who got tripped up on special teams and after flying through the air, he fumbled the ball when his forearm landed on the ground. He could have been called down or the ground caused the fumble but the judgement, call went against him. Luckily for him, Texas missed the field goal.
Reagor showed his game-breaking potential in the third quarter with a go route down the sideline. He ate up the cushion and burned by the Texas corner to get wide open for a 44-yard touchdown. In this game and others this season, Reagor got open but his quarterback threw wildly and missed him with inaccurate passes. Reagor only had two receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown, but he showed that is big play speed threat for the NFL. Reagor should be a first- or second-round pick next April.
The 6-foot-6, 295-pounder has good size and athleticism for the next level. More development in a strength and conditioning program would help him, but that is something that develops for many players as they age. Team sources feel that he should go back to school if he wants to be a secure first-round pick in his draft class, which could be 2021. However, they feel he has early-round potential even if he comes out after this season because he is a good athlete with a lot of upside.
LSU 23, Auburn 20
Burrow started throwing some strikes downfield in the second quarter to move the chains and then lofted in a 20-yard touchdown to the back corner of the end zone for an open receiver. On the next drive Burrow showed nice escapability to get out of the pocket and then spin away from a tackler to pick up first-down yardage.
Burrow made a well-placed pass downfield in the third quarter to drop in the ball just over the shoulder of his receiver. It was a perfect throw with excellent accuracy by Burrow. However, that scoring opportunity was lost with a fourth-and-goal stop and then on the next drive, Burrow had a poorly placed pass to a covered receiver float into the midsection of a cornerback for an interception. Burrow later used his feet and quickness to run into the end zone on a quarterback draw. He finished completing 32-of-42 passes for 321 yards with one touchdown and an interception.
Burrow has the ability to play in the NFL, as he has quality size with a strong enough arm and some accuracy as a passer. In speaking to team sources, they say that Burrow is a rising prospect with his strong play as a senior. However, they feel that Burrow has some skill set limitations and as a result they see him more topping out as a day-two prospect similar to Andy Dalton or Derek Carr. Some had graded Burrow as a fourth-rounder a while back but see him rising and think that he could end up going somewhere on Day 2.
Brown bulled through the right guard in the opening quarter, pushing him into Burrow to produce a sack for the Auburn defense. Brown then pushed his way into the backfield to get a tackle for a loss in the ground game. He was held on the next play on a triple team block, but the refs missed the call. Brown had a roughing-the-passer penalty in the second quarter for falling into the knee of Burrow, but it was a touch play as Brown was falling forward and trying to get to the quarterback. Brown later saw ton of blocking potential still managed to cause some disruption and make some tackles in pursuit.
Brown has a freakish combination of size, strength, speed and athleticism. He is a load against the run and a capable interior pass rusher. Multiple team sources told me before the season that Brown would have gone ahead of Christian Wilkins and Ed Oliver if he had entered the 2019 NFL Draft, and this tape will help to reinforce that opinion.
Delpit made a tackle in the fourth quarter, and he went out of the game with a lower leg injury that had him needing help to limp off the field. His status for LSU’s next game against Alabama will be worth watching, and that is a huge tape for him, as a strong performance against the Crimson Tide passing attack could vault him high in the top 10.
Texas A&M 49, Mississippi State 30
Mond grabbed his fourth rushing touchdown of the season on a quarterback sneak. Mond then made some nice precision passes to receivers to lead them for yards after the catch. Mond added another rushing score on a 12-yard read-option play. Mond showed his size and power, as he had a hard collision with a defender at the three and kept his legs churning to move the pile over the goal line. Mond then took off on a 25-yard run, and then threw a 19-yard touchdown strike. Mond added another score right before halftime with a short pass and great run after the catch by Kendrick Rogers.
Mond threw a short pass in the third quarter that turned into a 52-yard touchdown pass thanks to an excellent run by his freshman tight end. Mond finished completing 17-of-23 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns. He ran for 76 yards on nine carries with two scores.
This tape helps Mond, as he threw the ball accurately into some small windows and showed off a powerful arm capable of beating good coverage with velocity and placement. Mond also was superb with his feet. He dodged a lot of sacks, threw well on the run, and picked up critical yards with his feet when nothing was open downfield. Mond also showed a good arm and legs; he was tough taking a lot of hits and running through tacklers on a few plays. He was fearless as a runner and showed dual-threat potential for the next level. Compared to how he played versus Clemson, Mond has showed vast improvement with his footwork, decision-making, composure and ball placement against Mississippi State and Alabama. This tape will help his draft grade.
If Mond were to skip his senior year and enter the 2020 NFL Draft, he probably would be a second-day pick with an outside shot at the first round. However, if he returns for his senior year and continues to improve under the guidance of Jimbo Fisher, he could be a definite first-rounder in 2021.
Hill totaled 150 yards on 21 carries with the score. He is a tough runner who has speed to hit the hole with quick feet to dodge tacklers and redirect through trash. Hill could be a quality day-two pick in the 2020 NFL Draft who ends up becoming a quality starter in the NFL.
Ohio State 38, Wisconsin 7
Young showed his pursuit skills and effort early to peel back to the line to snuff out a third-down screen attempt. Young then worked to the inside of the left tackle and spun off him to get a coverage sack as the quarterback stepped up in the pocket. Young had his second sack early in the second quarter, as he bulled through the left tackle and shed the block to make the tackle.
Young added a strip-sack in the third quarter, as he blew by a tight end to get to the quarterback in a blur. Young later added another strip-sack as he flew by the Badgers right tackle to smack the ball out of the Badgers quarterback’s hands and had a teammate on the spot to recover the loose ball. That play killed any hopes for a Wisconsin comeback.
It was a record-setting performance for Young and will help him to be a top-five pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. As a pass rusher, Young has an innate ability to get after the quarterback. He has a quick first step with a nice get-off that gets offensive tackles on their heels. Young has quickness around the edge and is able to close on the quarterback quickly. Young shows functional athleticism to sink his hips and dip under tackles to beat their blocks. He also is effective working to the inside, as he has some strength to execute a rip move to the inside and also is able to knock tackles off balance with a hard shove and then cut to the inside to collapse the pocket. Young shows nice vision to keep his eyes on the quarterback, and that, along with his athleticism, allows him to redirect for chasing down scrambling signal-callers. Young is a balanced pass rusher and should continue to improve as he gains experience. For the NFL, Young looks like a potential double-digit sack producer who is a No. 1 edge rusher for a defense to be built around.
In speaking with some team sources, they feel that Munford is not making the case that he should skip his senior year and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. Munford needs to improve his technique and get more polished to take on pro edge rushers.
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