APRIL 2020 77league in years. Louisville left tackle Mekhi Becton spent
his collegiate career manhandling defenders; at 6' 7" and
365 pounds with shockingly nimble feet, there’s reason to
believe he’ll do the same in the NFL. Alabama right tackle
Jedrick Wills brings similar power to go along with the
kind of quickness—feet and hands—you rarely find in
a 300-pounder. Georgia’s Andrew Thomas has a more
traditional left tackle skill set, while Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs
might be the best pure athlete of the bunch. Considering
that tackles often go early because of the dearth of O-line
talent, all four could get snapped up in the top 10.
The position group is a bit top-heavy, but the sec-
ond tier includes high-upside developmental prospects
like Georgia’s Isaiah Wilson, Houston’s Josh Jones,
USC’s Austin Jackson, Boise State’s Ezra Cleveland
and Auburn’s Prince Tega Wanogho. The interior O-line
class isn’t quite as strong, but Cesar Ruiz of Michigan
and Lloyd Cushenberry III of LSU, each of whom can
line up at center or either guard spot, could sneak into
the first round. With a potentially historic wide receiver
class, it seems like nothing but good news for offenses.
Except for...A TOUGH SPOT FOR THE TIGHT-END-NEEDY
We might look back in five years and realize how wrong
we were—after all, Kelce was a third-round pick in 2013
and Kittle was a fifth-rounder in ’17. But tight end ap-
pears to be the thinnest position group in the ’20 draft.Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet, a 6' 6" receiving threat who
shows signs of becoming a legitimate in-line blocker,
could work his way into the bottom third of round 1.
After that, there are intriguing developmental prospects
who fall into the “overgrown wide receiver” category, like
Dayton’s Adam Trautman, Washington’s Hunter Bryant,
Florida Atlantic’s Harrison Bryant (no relat ion) a nd
Missouri’s Albert Okwuegbunam. One name to look out
for on Day 3: LSU’s Thaddeus Moss, who will likely fall
because of a right foot fracture. Moss, by the way, is the
son of Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss, and he’s not
the only name that might sound familiar...A FAMILY AFFAIR
Alabama cornerback Tr e v o n D ig g s might soon be cover-
ing his brother, Vikings wideout Stefon Diggs. Minnesota
safety Antoine Winfield Jr. has plenty of similarities to
his father, long-time Pro Bowl corner Antoine Sr., as a
feisty, undersized defensive back. Diggs and Winfield are
top-50 prospects. USC wideout Michael Pittman Jr., son
of the long-time running back of the same name, is a Day 2
possibility. So is Florida receiver Van Jefferson, whose
father, Shawn, played 13 NFL seasons and is now the Jets’
wide receivers coach. At some point on Day 3, you’ll prob-
ably see Nebraska defensive tackle Carlos Davis. You’ll
see his face again soon after, as identical twin brother
Khalil Davis is also likely to be drafted. Some wonder
whether Towson quarterback Tom F l ac c o, Joe’s youngest
brother, will get drafted as a gadget
player. It’s a long shot, but there is
one potential Swiss Army knife who
should hear his name called...EVERYTHING HURTS
Jalen Hurts (left) is undoubtedly a
quarterback prospect—after starting
his collegiate career at Alabama as
more athlete than passer, he trans-
ferred to Oklahoma for his senior
year and made major strides under
Lincoln Riley. But he’s not going to
be the third straight Sooners QB to
go No. 1—most boards have at least
six signal-callers rated higher than
Hurts. However, that doesn’t mean
Hurts has to start his career glued to
the bench. The Saints’ deployment
of Taysom Hill suggests new ways to
develop young quarterbacks. They
began by using him under center in
Wildcat-type packages. Meanwhile,
Hill showed enough as a traditional
passer behind the scenes to climb the
depth chart. That might be a career
path for Hurts, who could sneak his
GRE way into the draft’s first 50 picks.
G^ N
ELS
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