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
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama Because of COVID-19, pro days are canceled along with pre-draft workouts and NFL teams have grounded all of their staffs. That is going to help some prospects and hurt others during the leadup to the 2020 NFL Draft. Tagovailoa is one prospect who will helped because all of the injury reports have been very positive as he recovers from a dislocated hip. Without the pressure of working out, Tagovailoa can ride those final reports into the 2020 NFL Draft. He also will not have to go through the combine medical re-check, and teams said he interviewed well in Indianapolis. Thus, Tagovailoa has done all he can to have a positive pre-draft process following the injury.
Joe Burrow, QB, LSU Burrow is another prospects who will benefit from the travel ban for NFL scouts and cancellation of pro-day workouts. One of the issues and concerns around Burrow is him having just average arm strength. Multiple team sources have labelled Burrow’s skill set as similar to Andy Dalton’s, so not working out at the combine and at his pro day helps Burrow to avoid that getting nitpicked. Burrow’s skill set is not that of Justin Herbert or some of the other quarterback prospects. Thus, those players can’t outshine Burrow with pro days canceled.
Kenneth Murray, LB, Oklahoma Team sources said Murray interviewed extremely well at the combine, and teams have heard rave reviews about him from the staff at Oklahoma. They said Murray is all football as he truly loves the game, is a locker room leader and a hard worker. Murray also benefited from Oklahoma having an early pro day that NFL teams attended before the travel ban went into effect. That allowed staff from around the league get to see and hear the feedback on Murray. Even though he was injured at the combine, Murray looks solidly in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
2020 NFL Draft Stock Down
Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State As we documented in the Hot Press, many teams have Cleveland graded on the third day of the 2020 NFL Draft. In surveying six different teams, none of them had Cleveland graded as a first- or second-round pick. The teams were split, with three grading him in the fifth round and three grading him in the fourth round. They think that it would be a reach for him to go on Day 2, but that’s where they expect another team to pull the trigger and draft Cleveland because of his fast 40 at the combine.
Laviska Shenault, WR, Colorado Shenault had a slow 40 at the combine and then a core injury knocked him out of the workout. He had surgery to repair it, but team sources said Shenault also did not interview that well in Indianapolis. It wasn’t so bad to get him dropped from draft boards, but underwhelming interviews to go along with his history of injuries could put him on the second day of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Patrick Queen, LB, LSU Team sources really like Queen, but they say the cancellation of pro days hurts Queen in particular. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Queen had a phenomenal 40-yard dash time of 4.50 seconds, but he pulled a hamstring and sat out the rest of the workout. Teams were hoping they would get to see Queen work out before the 2020 NFL Draft, but now that looks like it won’t happen. Queen also did not play a lot during his time at LSU, so the unknown factor is hurting him as well, so he could be on the bubble of the first and second round.
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