Week 1: 8 College Prospects to Track For the Jaguars on Saturday
With college football having a host of games among ACC and Big 12 teams on Saturday, and with the Jacksonville Jaguars kicking off Week 1 this Sunday, it is time to start to shift some focus to draft prospects for the 2021 NFL Draft.
While the Jaguars have an entire season left to play out, every single NFL team is already hard at work preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft, so why not us at well?
With that said, here are 10 prospects who are set to play this weekend who are worth tracking for the Jaguars.
FSU DT Marvin Wilson
FSU's top player, Marvin Wilson is exactly the kind of defensive tackle the Jaguars are currently missing in their rotation. He has the size and strength to command double teams against the run, but he also has the ability to penetrate into the backfield and create explosive plays for the defensive, especially vs. the run. In the last two seasons, he has 8.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. He is set to play Georgia Tech on Saturday, giving the senior defensive tackle a chance to stand out early in the 2020 season.
UNC WR Dazz Newsome
While senior receiver Dazz Newsome lacks size (5-foot-11, 190-pounds), he still has the talent to make himself worthwhile during next year's draft. He has good game speed and gets plenty of separation, and he more than doubled his production from his sophomore to his junior seasons, catching 72 passes for 1,018 yards (14.1 average per catch) and 10 touchdowns. He was sixth in the ACC in both receptions and touchdowns last season despite playing with a true freshman quarterback, a good sign for his progression.
UNC LB Chazz Surratt
A former quarterback who attempted 183 passes for UNC as a freshman in 2017, Chazz Surratt got moved to linebacker in 2019 and instantly became an impact player for the Tar Heels. He recorded 115 total tackles (second in the ACC), 6.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. His athleticism is obvious and he is just barely scratching the surface as a defensive player, making him a player worth tracking each week in 2020.
Iowa State QB Brock Purdy
One of the standout passers of the Big 12 last season, Brock Purdy doesn't get mentioned as much as fellow quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, but he still has NFL-level talent and production. Last season he completed 312-of-475 passes (65.7% completion rate) for 3,982 yards and 27 touchdowns with just nine interceptions. He was second in the Big 12 in completion percentage, yards per attempt and total yards per play, while finishing third in the conference in passing touchdowns and total touchdowns. He needs to take another step in 2020, but he is worth monitoring for any tram who may need a quarterback next year.
Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence
This one is obvious. Trevor Lawrence is widely considered to be the best quarterback, and perhaps the best player overall, in all of college football. He faces his first challenge of the season against Wake Forest and any team such as the Jaguars who still needs to find an answer at quarterback in 2021 will be watching every single pass attempt he makes in 2020. That includes the Jaguars, who are relying on Gardner Minshew II this season but will need to monitor Lawrence, and all other passers, all season.
Notre Dame LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
A playmaker for Notre Dame in his first season as a starter, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has the skill set to play a variety of positions at linebacker. His best asset is his sideline-to-sideline speed, but he also has the strength, length and instincts to make him a complete player with some more development. Last year, he recorded 80 tackles with 13.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four pass deflections. Look for him to be a key player vs. Duke this afternoon.
Duke TE Noah Gray
Until the Jaguars finally find some consistency at the tight end position, especially among its young players, they will need to continue to look toward the college ranks for answers. Josh Oliver has dealt with season-ending injuries in his first two seasons while rookie tight end Tyler Davis is still an unknown. Duke's Noah Gray could be an interesting option at the position next season after catching 51 passes for 392 yards (7.7 average) and three touchdowns last season, showing off the reliable hands and stability the Jaguars have previously missed at the position.
Wake Forest EDGE Carlos Basham
Perhaps the best pass rusher on a down-to-down basis in the ACC last season, Carlos Basham is a twitchy and aggressive edge player who can fit in a variety of schemes. The last two seasons have seen him collect 14.5 sacks, 29 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles, which just shows how disruptive and impactful he has been for the Wake Forest defense. With the Jaguars needing edge rushing depth past 2020, it is worth keeping tabs on Basham.
