Week 2 will not be the fullest of slates on the weird 2020 college football season, but plenty of talent will be on the field on Saturday. Let’s take a look at NFL Draft prospects set to see some action this weekend.
Duke vs Notre Dame
Prospects To Watch
Duke TE Noah Gray
Notre Dame DL Daelin Hayes
Noah Gray enters the 2020 season as one of the best tight ends in the ACC after recording 51 receptions last year for the Blue Devils. He is at his best in the pass game where he shows off impressive route running skills and an advanced understanding of how to work and settle in zone conference. Given his size, Gray seemingly would be an adequate run blocker, but a lack of play strength is holding him back. If he can improve his blocking, Gray’s size and speed profile make him an intriguing tight end prospect.
Daelin Hayes is primed for a breakout season as a full-time starter for Notre Dame in 2020. Hayes is coming of a 2019 season that saw him play only four games and stuck in a timeshare with 2019 draft picks Khalid Kareem and Julian Okwara. He has solid upside as an edge rusher specifically using a spin move to get to the quarterback. Hayes will need to improve his run fits and show some additional pass rush moves to climb up draft boards, but he should have plenty of opportunities to do so in 2020.
Louisiana vs Iowa State
Prospects To Watch
Louisiana RB Elijah Mitchell
Iowa State DE JaQuan Bailey
Elijah Mitchell was part of a trio of running backs last year that helped run Louisiana into the Sun Belt conference championship game. Mitchell has a nice blend of size and power that make him a load to bring down between the tackles, but he has enough juice to take it the distance as well. At 220 pounds, Mitchell is bit for a lead back role and will look to show he’s got the three down capability to improve his draft stock.
JaQuan Bailey may not be the most highly touted player on the Cyclones roster but the senior edge rusher is someone fans need to know about heading into the 2020 season. Bailey was an extremely productive player as a sophomore and junior logging a combined 15 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss before taking a medical redshirt season last year. He shows a great first step on tape and while not overly strong, does well converting speed to power to collapse the pocket. With an opportunity to put together another strong season, Bailey will look to become more of a household name among scouts.
Tulane vs. South Alabama
Prospects To Watch
Tulane DE Patrick Johnson
South Alabama LB Riley Cole
Patrick Johnson had a huge sophomore season in 2018 that saw him rack up 10 sacks and 14.5 TFLs before his 2019 season was derailed by injury. He enters 2020 as one of the best edge prospects in the country with a great first step and excellent speed as an edge rusher. Johnson does well converting his speed to power, but he will need to add some more pass rush moves to his repertoire. Nonetheless, Johnson is one of the top prospects at edge rusher position due to his athleticism and ability to play both the run and pass at a high level. A strong senior season could vault him into the first-round conversation.
Riley Cole is the starting SAM linebacker for South Alabama and has a nice blend of size and speed at the position. He had a nice start to the season recording 12 tackles 5 of which were solo. An improvement upon last year’s 37 solo tackles, three sacks and nine TFL’s is certainly in order. Cole’s versatility is his best assets and if he can add a bit more strength and weight while maintaining the same athleticism, he will continue to rise up draft boards.
Clemson vs Wake Forest
Prospects To Watch
Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence
Wake Forest DL Carlos Basham Jr.
Trevor Lawrence finds himself in a great position as a favorite for the Heisman and to be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Lawrence is the face of college football and should be with his national championship pedigree. As a prospect he checks all the boxes with his combination of height, weight and speed. Lawrence has a strong arm but one area he could stand to improve is his accuracy. Altogether one more season of good tape and Lawrence should lock himself in as a sure fire first overall pick, especially if his main competition (Justin Fields & Trey Lance) both do not touch the field in 2020.
Carlos Basham might have one of the best nicknames in football. Boogie as he is known by his family loved to dance as a young kid, and he still gets the opportunity to do so every time he sacks a quarterback. Basham is one of the premier pass rushers in college football and deploys a variety of moves to get into the backfield. He is more than just a pass rush specialist, as he is stout in the run game and shows consistent gap integrity. If Basham can show a bit more explosiveness, he will certainly be in the conversation to be a first round pick in 2021.
Syracuse vs North Carolina
Prospects To Watch
Syracuse S Andre Cisco
North Carolina LB Chazz Surratt
Andre Cisco is must-watch football if you are a fan of the safety position. Cisco has great range on the back end and his ball skills are top notch. He has produced to the tune of 12 career interceptions making him the NCAA leader in that category for current returning players. At 6 feet and over 200 pounds, Cisco has the size and frame scouts look for. He simply needs to show a bit more consistency with his tackling, but if he can do that Cisco could find himself rising draft boards throughout the season.
Chazz Surratt, quarterback… … of the defense for North Carolina. Surratt made quite the position change last year moving from QB to inside linebacker and showed that his athleticism and football IQ are top notch regardless of position. In 2020 Surratt will look to improve on the nuances of playing the linebacker position, but his size/speed combination is elite and shows excellent movement skills when dropping into coverage. Surratt will have to be an impact player week in and week out for the Tar Heels to continue their assent in the ACC.
Photo courtesy of USAJaguars.com
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