2020 NFL Draft Second-Day Values: Offense
2020 NFL Draft Day 2 Values: Offense | 2020 NFL Draft Day 2 Values: Defense
2020 NFL Draft Potential Busts: Offense | 2020 NFL Draft Potential Busts: Defense
2020 NFL Draft Day-Three Sleepers
Published April 18, 2020.
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell
In the recent weeks there have been a lot of questions about who are my value picks in the 2020 NFL Draft class. A value or sleeper prospect is basically a player that gets drafted after the first round and proves to be a steal. The second day of the draft is where the men are separated from the boys among NFL general managers. All the players have strengths and flaws, but the top evaluators find future starters and team building blocks on day two.
Every year I pick my favorite value for Day 2. In order to hold myself more accountable, I started putting in a runner-up in case the first choice is a surprise first-round pick. If a player goes in the first round, I should not get credit calling them a second-day value pick if they pan out. Here is my track record over the last decade, going back to my time with Pewter Report.
2008: Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech
2009: Mike Wallace, WR, Ole Miss
2010: Brian Price, DT, UCLA and Brandon Spikes, ILB, Florida
2011: Justin Houston, OLB, Georgia
2012: Derek Wolfe, DL, Cincinnati
2013: Larry Warford, G, Kentucky
2014: Jeremy Hill, RB, LSU
2015: Cedric Ogbuehi, OT, Texas A&M, and Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State
2016: Jaylon Smith, LB, Notre Dame and Sheldon Day, DT, Notre Dame
2017: Gerald Everett, TE, South Alabama (runner-up: Akhello Witherspoon, CB, Colorado)
2018: Terrell Edmunds, S, Virginia Tech (runner-up: Arden Key, DE, LSU)
2019: Darnell Savage, S, Maryland (runner-up: Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina)
2020: Cam Akers, RB, Florida State (runner-up: Jordyn Brooks, LB, Texas Tech)
This year was difficult to select, but I feel that Cam Akers could be one of the steals of the 2020 NFL Draft. Akers won out over Brooks because I think Akers has real boom potential for the NFL. He has a first-round skill set, and I think he could be a Pro Bowl selection during his rookie contract. I think Brooks is a safe pick to develop into a very good NFL linebacker.
Overall, this list is very strong with a few exceptions. I definitely hit on Brandon Flowers, Mike Wallace, Justin Houston, Derek Wolfe, Larry Warford, Jaylon Smith and Deebo Samuel. Here is a breakdown of a top second-day value prospect at each position for the 2020 NFL Draft class. All the players will be prospects who are likely to go on the Day 2 of the 2020 NFL Draft. If a player is a possible late first-round pick, I generally don’t include them as an option.
Quarterbacks
I am going to avoid the mistake I made in 2016 and 2018 and force a pick here. I considered Jake Fromm, but his lacking skill set keeps me from picking him. I also thought about Jacob Eason, but he is too inconsistent and raw for me to say he will be a good value pick. There was no other quarterback I considered to be a good value on Day 2 in the 2020 NFL Draft.
2020: None
2019: Clayton Thorson
2018: Luke Falk
2017: Pat Mahomes
2016: Christian Hackenberg
2015: Garrett Grayson
2014: Teddy Bridgewater
Cam Akers, RB, Florida State As stated above, I think Akers has the potential to be a stud running back in the NFL and a Pro Bowler before the end of his rookie contract. For the NFL, Akers is a do-it-all back who looks like a three-down starter with special ability to hurt defenses on the ground and through the air. He has an excellent combination of size – 5-foot-10, 217 pounds – and speed – 4.47-second 40-yard dash. Akers shows the power to run through tackles and the speed to hit the second level while being able hit the gas in the open field to run away from the defense. He is a threat to break off long runs on any touch, and he would have produced a lot more big plays in college if it weren’t for a terrible offensive line.
Akers has a lot of natural abilities as a runner that make him a play-maker. He has very good feet and cutting skill to stop on a dime with a sudden ability to change direction. On top of his feet and cutting ability, Akers has good vision and patience to let holes develop while also being able to create on his own. He is a shifty runner and elusive in the open field to dodge tacklers with the ability to make defenders miss. Akers has strength to get yards after contact and balance to sustain hits and a strong build to finish his runs well. With his size, speed, and running ability, Akers can be the engine for a NFL offense.
Akers is a weapon in the passing game as a check-down receiver. He has good hands and finds soft spots in coverage to get open for his quarterback. Akers is too quick, sudden and explosive for linebackers to cover, so he should be a real mismatch weapon.
From a talent perspective, Akers has first-round ability, and it would not surprise me if ends up being one of the better running backs in the league.
2019: Damien Harris
2018: Ronald Jones
2017: Alvin Kamara
2016: C.J. Prosise
2015: T.J. Yeldon
2014: Jeremy Hill
Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton Trautman is just a pure football player, and he could be an excellent value in the second or third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He has the potential to be a dangerous receiving tight end who contributes well to a NFL passing attack. Trautman possesses a well-rounded set of tools as a receiver to beat defenses in a variety of ways. Trautman has mismatch size and is very adept at going up to make contested catches over defenders. He high points the ball well, and has strong hands to control the ball while getting hit. Trautman has a nose for the end zone and should be an asset in the red zone, where he was very good at producing touchdowns in college. On top of good hands, Trautman has good feel as a route runner and knows how to separate. He gets open running down the seam, on crossing routes, and underneath. While Trautman does not have elite speed or athleticism, he is effective and is a pure football player.
In the NFL, I think Trautman will be an Austin Hooper-like tight end and turn into an effective three-down starter.
2019: Irv Smith Jr.
2018: Ian Thomas
2017: Gerald Everett
2016: Austin Hooper
2015: Clive Walford
2014: Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU Like Akers, Reagor has first-round ability but he is likely to be a second-round pick. Reagor is a speed demon who is a true home run hitter with mismatch speed. The ultra-fast wideout can take the top off of a defense and is a threat to score anytime he touches the ball, similar to DeSean Jackson, Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown, or Will Fuller. Reagor uses his speed to create separation and shows a nice ability to track the ball downfield. For a speed receiver who lacks size, he looks comfortable with defenders around him and does not seem to get afraid of hits coming his direction. Even though Reagor isn’t a big receiver, he does a nice job of positioning himself to make contested catches.
Reagor is worthy of being a late first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft but he probably will get selected in Round 2. He could be a game-changing receiver as a pro.
2019: Deebo Samuel
2018: Equanimeous St. Brown
2017: JuJu Smith-Schuster
2016: Tyler Boyd
2015: Justin Hardy
2014: Jared Abbrederis
Solomon Kindley, G, Georgia Kindley is going to slide in the 2020 NFL Draft because of weight issues and teams being worried about his commitment because he got too heavy during the 2019 season. The weight is the only real issue that is holding Kindley back from being a good pro. Kindley (6-3, 337) is a big blocker with a thick build, but area scouts are raving about the way Kindley can move and feel his movement skills alone could make him a starter in the NFL. On top of Kindley being an easy mover in a big body, he has nastiness to him and really gets after defenders. I think Kindley could be a second-day steal similar to Larry Warford or Gabe Jackson.
Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn Wanogho (6-5, 307) would be a slam dunk top-16 pick it weren’t NFL teams having questions about his passion for football. Teams worry that he doesn’t really love football. and that lack of feeling could lead to inconsistent effort in offseason training and on-field performance. These character and make-up concerns are the big weight on Wanogho’s draft stock, sending him from the first round to the second day of the 2020 NFL Draft. However, Wanogho has an incredible skill set, and if he gets straightened out, he could be a franchise left tackle.
Wanogho has all the tools needed to be a shutdown left tackle in pass blocking. He has quick feet with serious athleticism and agility to block on the edge. With his speed and athlete ability, Wanogho is easily able to mirror speed rushers and keep them from getting around the corner. He is quick out of his stance, and his size makes him tough to run around. With his natural power and a strong base, Wanogho stands up bull rushers with the ability to keep them from getting a push. Wanogho also uses that strength to tie up rushers and sustain blocks, so second efforts aren’t effective against him. Wanogho has the upside and ability to be a shutdown pass protector for the NFL.
In the ground game, Wanogho is special as well. Many college left tackles are finesse players, but Wanogho flashes a mean streak and will punish defenders. He has power in the upper body and is able to knock defenders off the ball to move them out of their gap. With his upper and lower body strength, Wanogho can get a push as a run blocker and is more effective than typical left tackles. That being said, Wanogho turns it on at times and off at others. That inconsistent attitude, mean streak, and effort really hurts him with scouts.
In terms of movement, Wanogho is phenomenal on the edge. He is shockingly fast, and you can see it in the open field where he looks like he has the speed of a tight end. After firing out of his stance, Wanogho is a lightning bolt to the second level, and his agility allows him to hit blocks in space. Those skills also lead to Wanogho being able to pull well around the field, and he is a great fit for a zone-blocking or man-blocking scheme.
I wonder if money and NFL coaching can get Wanogho motivated enough to play up to his potential. If he even gives 80-90 percent, he could be a Pro Bowler. Therefore, he might end up being a second-day steal from the 2020 NFL Draft.
2019: Elgton Jenkins
2018: Braden Smith and Martinas Rankin
2017: Dan Feeney
2016: Nick Martin and Le’Raven Clark
2015: Cedric Ogbuehi
2014: Antonio Richardson
2020 NFL Draft Day 2 Values: Offense | 2020 NFL Draft Day 2 Values: Defense
2020 NFL Draft Potential Busts: Offense | 2020 NFL Draft Potential Busts: Defense
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