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
Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina Kinlaw was very impressive with his performance against the Georgia Bulldogs and their NFL offensive line. He mostly went against the weaker right side of the line unfortunately, but Kinlaw was a beast and made some game-changing plays to help the Gamecocks pull off a huge upset. At the end of the second quarter, Kinlaw had a good rush on a stunt and ran by right tackle Isaiah Wilson to pressure Jake Fromm into a pick-six. On the next drive, Kinlaw worked through right guard Cade Mays to bring down Fromm on a coverage sack. In the fourth quarter, Kinlaw used his speed to dart by the right side of the line and get to Fromm again.
The first thing that stands out about Kinlaw is his size. He is a tall, thick and good-looking athlete. After passing the eyeball test, one can see some special ability as Kinlaw really fires off the ball. He is quick to close and has strength to fight off blockers. Kinlaw (6-6, 310) gets in trouble when he stands up too high and working on his technique will help him to get more out of his excellent skill set. Kinlaw helped his draft grade with his performance against Georgia, and it will improve his chances of being a Thursday night pick as he had provided a big impact and had a lot of wins while going against a NFL offensive line as all five Bulldogs blockers will play on Sundays.
Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne As we reported in the Hot Press last week, Dugger has created a big buzz about his NFL future, with sources at five different teams saying Dugger has the potential to be a second-day pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Some think Dugger might even rise higher than that if he dominates at the Senior Bowl.
Team sources say that Dugger has an excellent skill set as he is big and fast. Dugger is listed at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, which are excellent numbers for a pro safety, and he is said to play very fast, flying around the field. They also believe that he will work out very well before the draft and could be a riser throughout the draft process. Dugger is putting his name on the map and has high-level scouts like directors of college scouting going to watch him this season. If Dugger maintains this level of play and does well in the pre-draft process, it sounds like he will at worst be a second- or third-round pick next April.
Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M Mond battled hard against Alabama and had a very impressive performance. With a supporting cast that didn’t provide him with a lot of help, Mond put the team on his back to produce 28 points in the loss to the Crimson Tide. Mond threw the ball accurately into some small windows, and he 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.
On top of Mond showing a good arm and legs, he was tough as nails, taking a lot of hits and not exiting the game while being banged up. He was fearless as a runner and had a very gutty performance. Pro evaluators are going to love the fight that Mond displayed. Mond completed 24-of-42 passes for 264 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions against Alabama. He also ran for 90 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Compared to how he played versus Clemson, Mond showed vast improvement with his footwork, decision-making, composure, and ball placement against the Crimson Tide. The tape from the Alabama game will really help his draft grade.
Grant Delpit, S, LSU Taking on Florida, Delpit was phenomenal and showed why he will have his name called quickly in the 2020 NFL Draft. He totaled eight tackles and two passes breakups, including a touchdown, against the Gators. He showed everything a pro team could want. Delpit played excellent coverage downfield as a single high free safety, he was a tough eighth man in the box, he showed man-coverage skills on a talented young tight end, and was a good physical tackler. The Florida tape will help him to go as a top-20 pick next April in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Isaiah Simmons, LB, Clemson Simmons was excellent against Florida State, helping to shut down Cam Akers while collecting eight tackles, a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery. Simmons was flew around the field and had a big presence for the Tigers. He was constantly around the ball and made it difficult for the Seminoles to move the ball. Simmons is a future top-20 pick who can do everything on the field. He is a sideline-to-sideline run defender who is fast and physical. Simmons also covers well in pass coverage while being able to contribute to the pass rush as a dangerous blitzer. The Seminoles tape is going to help Simmons have teams to fall in love with him and improve how highly he gets selected on the opening night of the 2020 NFL Draft.
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma Lamb has the skill set to be a first-round pick even though Oklahoma is not getting him the ball as well as it did with Kyler Murray or Baker Mayfield at quarterback. When Lamb touches the ball, big things happen for the Sooners, and he put that on display in the Red River Rivalry by totaling three touchdowns and 171 yards on 10 receptions. Lamb showed his excellent run-after-the-catch skills by dodging tacklers on a 51-yard touchdown reception. To put the game away in the fourth quarter, Lamb struck again, making a few defenders miss on a 27-yard touchdown catch. In 2019, Lamb has 28 receptions for 610 yards and 10 touchdowns. Lamb is making the most of his opportunities this season and showing that he could be a potential No. 1 receiver in the NFL.
2020 NFL Draft Stock Down
Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia Fromm is known as being a quarterback who takes care of the ball and has superb ball security. However, his game against South Carolina was an anomaly in which he really struggled with turnovers, and that led to Georgia losing a game to an inferior opponent.
Late in the first half, Fromm threw his first interception of the season. The pick was returned 53 yards for a touchdown. Fromm was under pressure from South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, forcing Fromm into a terrible throw, floating a ball out to the sideline. The cornerback jumped the pass and coasted down the field for the score. Fromm had another critical turnover when he fumbled a snap and South Carolina was able to recover the loose ball. Early in the fourth quarter, Fromm threw another interception on which he and his receiver weren’t on the same page.
The South Carolina tape hurts Fromm’s draft stock because it illustrates some of his limitations. He does not have a strong arm or mobility to make big plays with his feet. Fromm is an accurate passer who is a good game manager, but against the Gamecocks, he couldn’t produce big plays based off his skill set. Fromm needs a strong supporting cast to make plays and let him be a point guard who distributes the ball to play-makers rather than being depended on to produce the huge plays himself.
Steven Montez, QB, Colorado Montez has a good skill set, but he is very streaky and inconsistent. Team sources say they are worried that something is missing with Montez, who can make some great throws and then miss badly on some routine passes that are mandatory completions. His inconsistency and being prone to make mistakes was illustrated on Friday night in a blowout loss to Oregon during which Montez threw four interceptions while completing 19-of-34 passes. Montez has an early-round skill set, but he hasn’t played up to it and that has caused some evaluators to have doubts about him panning out in the NFL.
C.J. Henderson, CB, Florida Henderson had a disappointing performance against LSU. He was beaten for some receptions, including a short touchdown, and continued to be a poor tackler. He also had some nice plays in coverage, including a breakup in the end zone, but overall, LSU wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase got the better of Henderson. The tape against LSU could hurt Henderson significantly in the 2020 NFL Draft’s talented cornerback class.
Cam Akers, RB, Florida State Akers had a disappointing performance against Clemson, running for 34 yards on nine carries, plus he had an ugly fumble. Akers saw the hit coming, but he still lost the ball when the defender put his helmet on the ball to knock it loose. Akers is held back by a terrible offensive line and an inconsistent passing attack, but if his junior year doesn’t improve, it might be in Akers’ best interest to return to Florida State to put together a better season before going pro.
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