This new section highlights which players have improved or worsened their 2020 NFL Draft stock as the draft approaches.
By Charlie Campbell.
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2020 NFL Draft Stock Up
Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU Jefferson continued his breakout season as a draft prospect with nine receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns against Utah State. He completely outclassed the Utah State secondary with speed, size, and mismatch ability, which all combine to make him very difficult to cover. Jefferson has the speed and athleticism to get separation and uses his height and length to make catches over defensive backs. The 6-foot-3 receiver is never really covered given his size, length and athleticism. The Utah State tape will help Jefferson to grade out as an early-round pick.
Nick Harris, C, Washington Team sources have told me that Harris has really impressed them, and he continued his strong season against Stanford. Harris is built strong to pack a punch on defenders. He also shows some quickness and athleticism to pull around the defensive tackle. With his strong base, Harris is able to stand up bull rushes and is adept at hitting double teams with his guard. Harris (6-1, 302) is limited to being a center only in the NFL because of his size, but he could be a mid-round pick who turns into a starter and ends up being an excellent value pick.
Freddie Swain, WR, Florida The Gators pulled off an upset over Auburn, and Swain was a big reason for that as the Auburn secondary was incapable of covering him. The 6-foot, 199-pounder was too fast for the Tigers defenders, letting him consistently generate separation and rip off yards in chunks. Early in the game, Swain caught a pass in the middle portion of the defense before using his speed to get by a few tacklers and down the field for a 64-yard touchdown. The Gators have a deep stable of talented receivers, and it can be hard for them to get many targets as they rotate them steadily, but Swain stepped up and had a huge game against Auburn to help command attention from pro evaluators.
Terrance Steele, OT, Texas Tech The Texas Tech senior tackle is having a quality year and is helping his draft stock. Teams like his length on the edge, as he is said to have 36 inch arms. Steele is a good athlete and has starting size for the NFL at 6-foot-6, 310 pounds. For the NFL, team sources say that Steele is more of a left tackle who might have some backup swing tackle ability to start out his NFL career. Some believe that Steele is a better prospect than Le’Raven Clark, a Texas Tech offensive tackle who was a third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Sources believe that Steele could be selected in the first four rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Jack Anderson, G, Texas Tech There are some evaluators who like Anderson and think that he could have second-day potential if he enters the 2020 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-5, 320-pounder has good size for the NFL and has been playing well for the Red Raiders this season. He is seen as having starting potential for the pros and could remain at right guard. There is talk that Anderson is interested in entering the 2020 NFL Draft.
2020 NFL Draft Stock Down
Billy McCrary, RB, Abilene Christian There was some buzz about McCrary being a third-day prospect for the 2020 NFL Draft, but McCrary went out for the year with a knee injury. He is expected to return to school next year to make a play at the 2021 NFL Draft, but now will have a medical red flag in his report.
Thayer Munford, OT, Ohio State Munford was a candidate to be a potential early-round pick who entered the draft early, but he has not been that impressive this season. Against Michigan State, Munford was okay, but he did not stand out by showing the skill set to be a franchise left tackle. 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.
Nate Stanley, QB, Iowa Stanley has done a good job over his career of avoiding turnovers, but that completely fell apart against Michigan last Saturday. In the first quarter, Stanley threw a jump ball into double coverage, which was picked off. Stanley threw his second interception in the first half as Lavert Hill had perfect coverage and hauled in a pass that was not well-placed by Stanley. In the third quarter, Stanley took a sack that was inexcusable. The coverage was good down field and Stanley rolled out and had plenty of time to get the ball away, but he held onto it and eventually was tackled on the sideline for a loss. It was terrible decision-making by the Hawkeyes quarterback. He had another interception in the second half, and throughout the game, he did not seem to be seeing the field well and did not do a good-enough job of getting rid of the ball quickly. The Michigan tape indicates that Stanley is not an early-round prospect like some at ESPN have suggested. He could be more of a mid-rounder who is a potential backup.
Tristan Wirfs, OT, Iowa ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Iowa right tackle Tristan Wirfs in his top-10 prospects for the 2020 NFL Draft, but Wirfs had a game against Michigan that indicates he may not be that caliber of prospect and would be better off going back to school rather than entering the NFL. Wirfs allowed speed rushers to get upfield for a lot of the game and was fortunate not to have given up a big play. However late in the fourth quarter, that came back to bite Wirfs as the Wolverines defenders came through with some big plays to protect their narrow victory. In the final minutes, Wirfs lost to his defender with speed to power upfield that knocked Wirfs back. Then, the defender cut to the inside to get a critical sack of Nate Stanley to help force a punt. On Iowa’s final drive, Wirfs got away with a terrible holding of an edge rusher that had beaten him with speed. It happened right in front of Stanley, and it was inexcusable that the official missed the holding.
For the NFL, Wirfs has a quality skill set with size, length and athleticism. He plays with good leverage as a run blocker and sustains his blocks well. Wirfs sets up pretty well, but he definitely has some issues to clean up in pass protection for taking on NFL edge rushers. Wirfs has an inclination to bend at the waist on times. While he is quick out of his stance, he needs to get more depth in his kick slide to avoid reaching after speed rushers coming around the corner. Wirfs also needs to get better at counter moves to the inside. While he has the physical talent to play left tackle, he could better off at right tackle and it would be better for him to return for his senior year to improve before going pro. In speaking with some team sources after the game against Michigan, they agreed that Wirfs looked more like a late first-rounder than a top-10 pick.
Alaric Jackson, OT, Iowa Jackson had a lot of struggles against Michigan, with the Wolverines speed rushers giving him fits from start to finish. In the first quarter, Jackson gave up a sack after losing the block on a rip move to the inside. In the fourth quarter, Jackson was beaten by Michigan edge defender Josh Uche with speed around the corner and Jackson had to tackle Uche to prevent a sack. That correctly drew a holding penalty. His defenders also contributed to a few other sacks of quarterback Nate Stanley, as Jackson allowed a number of other pressures and hits on Stanley. The Michigan game suggests Jackson should return for his senior year rather than head to the 2020 NFL Draft.
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