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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Oklahoma 34, Baylor 31
Murray also did a nice job in pass coverage in the middle of the field, covering a lot of ground in zone and picking up receivers who came into his area. He did an excellent job of handling running backs out of the backfield as well.
Some NFL team sources think Murray could be a Mike – middle – linebacker or a Will – weakside – linebacker at the next level. Other team evaluators think he is a Will linebacker who is a run-and-chase defender. They think he would be better not having to diagnose at the snap, freeing him up to be a seek-and-destroy defender. Either way, the team evaluators were in agreement Murray is a future first-rounder, and some think he could go as a top-10 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Mims is a bigger receiver, but he could have speed issues in the NFL. Team sources say they are projecting him to being draft-able on the final day of the draft.
Utah 49, UCLA 3
In the first quarter, Moss converted a third-and-8, showing his quickness and feet in the open field. That set the tone for him on the ground, but he attacked the Bruins through the air as well. Just before halftime, Moss ran a slant to get open , burning a linebacker and then juking a safety in the open field to explode for a 50-yard gain. Moss ran for 127 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 73 yards.
As a runner, Moss showed quickness to hit the hole and accelerate to the second level. He powered through some tackles and picked up yards after contact with impressive lower body strength. He had vision and feel to work through the defense and dispplayed the versatility to contribute as a receiver. Like all college backs going to the NFL, Moss will need some tutelage in pass blocking, but he could be a lead back to run the ball and contribute as a receiver out of the backfield. He showed soft hands and ran good routes. This tape will help Moss to be a second-day pick.
Georgia 21, Auburn 14
Fromm lofted in a perfect deep ball down the middle of the field for a 51-yard touchdown in the opening quarter. Fromm then threw a second touchdown pass on a short check down right before halftime. Fromm followed that up by throwing an easy touchdown pass to a wide-open receiver. Fromm had a number of well-thrown passes dropped, which would explain his completion percentage, as he finished 13-of-28 for 110 yards with three touchdowns.
Fromm doesn’t have a great skill set, but he is an accurate passer who makes good decisions and manages the game well. Multiple team sources from different teams say that Fromm’s arm strength is average at best. He also is not a dynamic athlete or running threat. However, scouts rave about his intangibles and intelligence, so while Fromm may not have elite physical traits, they think some evaluators and coaches will fall in love with him as a winner throughout his college career. Thus, Fromm has a good shot to be a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft if he comes out.
They were battling each other hard in the first half with both players getting some victories. Brown was handled well by Georgia center Trey Hill on Fromm’s long touchdown pass. However, Brown bounced back to bull rush through Kindley to bat down a pass after getting penetration into the backfield. He got off a block from Kindley to get a tackle in the hole. Brown later got off the blocks from the right guard and center to close up the hole to limit a gain to just a yard.
Thomas, meanwhile, was beaten for a sack by Auburn defensive end Marlon Davidson in the opening quarter. Davidson got leverage into the chest of Thomas and bulled into the pocket before disengaging to chase down Fromm. Thomas came back to win pass protection blocks and opened some big holes in the ground game. Showing his quickness and athleticism, Thomas was getting to blocks on the second level and providing space for his backs to get to the secondary.
This game was not a dominant performance for Brown, Thomas or Kindley. They all battled each hard with some wins and losses. This trio will probably all be starting in the NFL next fall, as they are excellent talents with plug-and-play potential. During their rookie contracts, this trio could also be seeing each other at the NFL Pro Bowl.
Swift ran well against a tough Auburn defense, showing his speed to get upfield quickly with excellent cutting and moves in the open field to dodge tacklers. Generally, Swift has had good ball security so as long as the fumbling doesn’t rear up in the final games of the 2019 season, Swift shouldn’t be hurt by this tape.
Clemson 52, Wake Forest 3
Etienne is a speed back who has receiving ability to go along with being a dangerous runner. He may not have the size to be a three-down bell-cow back in the NFL, but Etienne could be a starter as part of a running back rotation that fits well in a passing offense. Etienne could be worthy of a second- or third-round pick.
Higgins is a big wideout who has mismatch size with strong hands and quality route-running. If Higgins runs well in the 40, he could really rise.
On Wake Forest’s second possession Newman showed poor field vision as he starred down a receiver on the left sideline and that led to Clemson safety Tanner Muse undercutting the route to make a leaping interception. After that pick, Newman was under fire getting hammered by the blitz and not having any of his receivers get off coverage to get open. Newman then threw to a well-covered receiver downfield and the ball was up for grabs while being underthrown. Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell made a leaping interception for Newman’s second turnover of the half and essentially end this game before halftime.
Newman completed 6-of-14 passes for 41 yards with the two interceptions. Newman has a good arm with mobility and size, but he should return for his senior year to develop before going pro.
Alabama 38, Mississippi State 7
The injury happened late in the second quarter with just three minutes until halftime and Alabama up 35-7. It looked like backup quarterback Mac Jones was going to come in the game, but head coach Nick Saban said Alabama wanted to practice their 2-minute offense with Tagovailoa prior to ending his day. Tagovailoa scrambled out of the pocket and was tackled from behind by two defenders. He went down hard with his helmet coming off and Tagovailoa was in a lot of pain, including a bloody nose to go with the painful hip. Tagovailoa couldn’t put any weight on his right leg as trainers were going to help him limp off the field, but they brought the cart out to take him into the locker room. The initial report was a right hip injury with Tagovailoa going in for X-rays. Tagovailoa was eventually flown to the hospital.
Prior to the injury, Tagovailoa was playing well as one could expect. Tagovailoa threw a beautiful ball down the middle seam on the opening drive to Jerry Jeudy for 38 yards. Tagovailoa showed off his accuracy, dropping the ball in over the head of Mississippi State linebacker Erroll Thompson and in front of the deep safeties. That set up a short rushing touchdown for Najee Harris. After a Mississippi State interception, Tagovailoa quickly had a short checkdown touchdown pass too Harris. Tagovailoa then found a wide open Jaylen Waddle for a 35-yard touchdown. Tagovailoa was 14-of-18 for 256 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Even if Tagovailoa will be forced to miss part of his rookie season, he still looks like a lock to be a top-20 pick. A serious injury might cause teams to prefer another quarterback prospect like Oregon’s Justin Herbert, but there are enough quarterback-needy teams in the NFL that will jump at the chance of landing him. Tagovailoa is a legitimate top-of-the-draft franchise-changing quarterback prospect. Thus, he will have plenty of teams still hoping to land him even if his rookie year is lost to injury.
Davis is a phenomenal run defender who can contribute a little bit in the pass rush, but is more of a lineman who occupies blockers and defends the run. He does not offer a lot of pass-rush ability for the NFL, but he could be a good nose tackle in a 4-3 or 3-4. In a 3-4, he also could play five-technique defensive end. If this injury is serious, it could push Davis lower into day two and really hurt his chances of being a first-round pick.
Harris is a big back who has some quickness and athleticism. Over the past few seasons, he has not run to his size and has looked to bounce too many carries to the outside rather than using his power to run behind his pads in a physical manner. Lately, and especially against LSU, Harris has been running aggressively downhill with decisiveness. This tape will help his draft grade and definitely makes him look like a better pro prospect compared to how he performed at the beginning of the season.
Hill had a pretty play running a corner post out of the backfield in the early going, and he got open running towards the end zone. The pass was off the mark, but Hill made an excellent adjustment to reel in a diving reception just a few yards from the end zone. An accurate pass would have gone for a touchdown. A few plays later, Hill dived into the end zone.
Hill could be a three-down starter for the NFL, as he is a tough runner who has speed to hit the hole with quick feet to dodge tacklers and redirect through trash. Like all college backs, Hill will need some development in pass protection, but he has potential there and is a quality receiver out of the backfield. He could be a nice value pick for a team on the second day of the draft.
TCU 33, Texas Tech 31
Reagor showed a nice run after the catch on a bubble screen for 17 yards to start the game. Reagor then ran a deep post to get open for a 55-yard touchdown, as Reagor burned the cornerback to get wide open. In the third quarter, Reagor got wide open deep down the field for a long touchdown, but the pass was off the mark and fell incomplete on what would have been a 54-yard touchdown with an accurate pass. Reagor got open for a short touchdown reception racing across the field, but a penalty canceled it out.
Reagor totaled three receptions for 83 yards with a touchdown. He could be a DeSean Jackson-type deep threat that stretches defenses vertically and takes the top off the defense. Team sources say that Reagor has quality character and has not been a negative presence despite the struggles at quarterback this year. Even with smaller numbers this season, Reagor could be a first- or second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Brooks has some debate as a prospect in speaking with different team evaluators. Some team sources see Brooks as a second-round pick, while others have him as a third- or fourth-rounder. Some think he is a true inside linebacker, while others think he is a Will (weakside) linebacker for the NFL. The ones that have him lower think Brooks is athletic and fast, but has average instincts and does not take on blocks well. Regardless, Brooks will probably be a day-two pick in the 2020 NFL Draft if his injury isn’t significant.
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