The 2020 NFL Draft We-Told-You-So Team: College Football Stars Slipping Under the Radar
When the 2020 NFL draft gets underway Thursday, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow is the overwhelming favorite to be taken with the No. 1 pick. Meanwhile, the best overall player in the draft might be Ohio State EDGE rusher Chase Young, who currently tops Kevin Hanson's Big Board 3.0.
With high-profile quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert garnering plenty of attention, along with as many as seven wide receivers that could go in the first round, there are plenty of headline-worthy stars in the making that the NFL is sleeping on. But college football fans know there are Saturday standouts flying under the radar who will end up making plays on Sundays. A look through past drafts reveals diamonds in the rough that quickly outperformed their draft positions.
Phillip Lindsay finished his career at Colorado as the school's all-time leader in all-purpose yards and second in rushing yards, but went undrafted in 2018, largely because he's 5' 8". He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie after signing with his hometown Denver Broncos, and has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first two seasons. Oklahoma's Mark Andrews won the John Mackey Award in 2017 as the nation's best tight end and was a unanimous All-American, but wasn't taken until the 86th overall pick in 2018. In his second season, he led the league's highest-scoring offense with 852 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Last year's list led off with running back Devin Singletary, who put up huge numbers at Florida Atlantic but slipped to the third round. He led the Buffalo Bills with 775 rushing yards and ranked fourth in the league in yards per carry (5.1) as a rookie.
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Predicting who will be the best draft picks is such an inexact science that it feels more like an art form at times—always open to interpretation. Despite this challenge, we'll highlight 10 players who likely aren't at the top of teams' draft boards, but who we think will outperform expectations given their productive college careers.
Zack Moss, RB, Utah
Moss is among the most productive running backs in this year's class. The 2019 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year led the league in rushing yards (1,416) and rushed for at least 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns for Utah in each of the last three seasons. He improved as a pass-catcher as a senior, snagging 28 catches for 388 yards and two scores.
Moss didn't post an impressive 40 time at the combine, topping out at 4.65—fourth-slowest among the 28 running backs who ran. In a pretty loaded class for running backs, Moss is pegged to go somewhere in the middle to the end of the third round. Whichever team snags him will be getting a versatile, workhorse-type back who's done nothing but succeed against Power 5 competition.
Jordan Elliott, IDL, Missouri
Elliott took some time to break onto the scene, but he did so in a big way in 2019. He began his college career at Texas, playing sparingly in 2016 before transferring to Missouri. After sitting out 2017 and making just 24 tackles in 2018, he upped his production to 44 tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss and 32 total pressures in 2019. Elliott earned first-team All-SEC honors and was named a first-team All-American by Pro Football Focus. He could go in the second or third round, though PFF gave him a first-round grade.
Amik Robertson, CB, Louisiana Tech
It's tough to find a defensive back more productive than Robertson was during his college career. A three-year starter, he picked off 14 passes and made 23 tackles for loss in 39 career games, and was a first-team All-American selection by the PFWAA in 2019. Robertson was overlooked as a high school prospect, partly due to a torn ACL he suffered as a junior. His size (5' 8", 187 pounds) is what's likely limiting his draft status now, but NFL teams would be wise to not pass on Robertson like so many Power 5 schools did three years prior.
Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming
Wilson was a model of consistency during his four years at Wyoming, totaling 409 tackles with 34.5 tackles for loss and 11 interceptions for the Cowboys, including two pick-sixes. He also had four fumble recoveries and five forced fumbles. Wilson is a tad on the older side for a draft prospect (he'll turn 24 in July), but few players in this class filled up the stat sheet like he did. He's had a productive pre-draft process, garnering praise at the Senior Bowl and running a 4.63-second 40 time at the combine. Wilson is expected to be picked by the end of Day 2, and should provide excellent value to whichever team snags him.
James Lynch, IDL, Baylor
It's odd to see a player with Lynch's resumé listed as a sleeper, but it's the label that's fitting for the 2019 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. A three-star prospect out of Round Rock, Texas, Lynch was ranked as the No. 47 defensive tackle in the class of 2017 by 247Sports. He developed into one of the most productive defensive linemen in the nation, recording 19.5 tackles for loss and a school-record 13.5 sacks in 2019. His 5.01-second 40 time at the combine didn't impress, but Lynch earns points for his versatility and can line up anywhere on the defensive line.
Eno Benjamin, RB, Arizona State
Benjamin is one of the most physical backs in this year's class. At 5' 9" and 207 pounds, he's a load to bring down, and he used that physicality to great effect at Arizona State. Over the past two seasons, Benjamin totaled 3,335 yards from scrimmage and 30 touchdowns, twice earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors. He's more than capable as a pass-catcher, with 77 receptions since 2018. Kevin Hanson has Benjamin going in the late third round, ranking just outside the top 100 of his Big Board.
Harrison Bryant, TE, Florida Atlantic
In what's considered by some to be a weak class for tight ends, it's a bit surprising that the 2019 Mackey Award winner isn't standing out quite as much as you might expect. Bryant caught 65 passes for 1,004 yards and seven touchdowns in 2019, though he may not hear his name called until Day 3 of the draft.
Bryant didn't play tight end until his senior year of high school, when he shifted from offensive line, but he's adapted quickly since the change. Draft analyst Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Bryant to two-time All-Pro selection George Kittle. Kittle wasn't picked until the fifth round in 2017, so perhaps sliding in the draft will be a sign of good things to come for Bryant.
Devin Duvernay, WR, Texas
In a class that's loaded with wide receivers, Duvernay gets a bit overshadowed. After totaling 1,082 receiving yards in his first three seasons, Duvernay caught 106 balls and led the Big 12 with 1,386 yards. He did almost all of his damage at Texas from the slot, lining up there 96% of the time. Teams looking for a productive pass-catching specialist to fill a specific role would do well to target Duvernay, who's projected to be a third-round pick.
A.J. Dillon, RB, Boston College
Dillon did nothing but put up big numbers during his three-year career at Boston College. He rushed for at least 1,100 yards and 10 scores in all three seasons, earning three first-team All-ACC selections. Listed at 6' 0", 247 pounds, Dillon has impressive straight-line speed, posting a 4.53-second 40 time at the combine. His change of direction skills might be lacking, and he wasn't much of a threat in the passing game in college (21 career catches for 236 yards). Still, Dillon has more than proven capable of being a bruising, highly productive back who should end up being a steal.
Tyler Huntley, QB, Utah
Huntley might not hear his name called at all over the draft's three days, but he's got NFL-worthy talent. A three-year starter at Utah, he was among the Pac-12's most dangerous quarterbacks during his career, and earned first-team All-Pac-12 as a senior. For his career, Huntley completed 67.2% of his passes for 7,351 yards, 46 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. He also added 1,146 yards on the ground with 16 scores.
Huntley ranked second nationally in completion percentage in 2019 (73.1%) and was fifth in passer rating (177.5), yet he wasn't even offered an invite to the combine or the Senior Bowl. It's hard to be more overlooked than that, and whichever team takes a chance on Huntley is sure to get a player who is plenty motivated to prove those humble projections wrong.
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