76 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
might have better luck finding impact players on the
interior D-line, where Auburn’s Derrick Brown calls to
mind a young Ndamukong Suh, while South Carolina’s
Javon Kinlaw, TCU’s Ross Blacklock and Texas A&M’s
Justin Madubuike are 300-pounders with the quickness
to give blockers fits.
Of course, if you can’t build up your pass rush, you
can always play coverage. Young’s teammate, cornerback
Jeffrey Okudah, is a potential top-five pick who has a lot
of similarities to Jalen Ramsey, while Florida speedster
C.J. Henderson is a mid-first-round candidate. Maybe
you’re looking for a few prospects who can help somewhere
else on the back seven—or perhaps one prospect who can
help everywhere on the back seven...THE POSITIONLESS REVOLUTION HAS ARRIVED
The league has been trending toward “positionless foot-
ball” for years, which is why Isaiah Simmons (above) was
created in a lab. The linebacker (or safety, or slot corner,
or edge rusher) lined up all over the field at Clemson,
proving adept at covering tight ends or even wide receiv-
ers, in man or zone coverage, not to mention serving as
one of the most dynamic blitzers in the nation. Defensive
coordinators will see him as an answer to tight ends like
Travis Kelce and George Kittle, but he also solves problemsposed by Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson. No college
player was more effective against dual-threat QBs than
Simmons. It’s in part because he’s 6' 4" and—despite being
240 pounds—is often the fastest player on the field, but
it’s also because of his uncanny ability to redirect after
taking a wrong step.
Simmons will likely come off the board in the first five
picks; the majority of the NFL won’t have a shot at him.
But all is not lost. Alabama safety Xavier McKinney has
the ability to cover slot receivers as well as play linebacker
in sub packages. LSU linebacker Patrick Queen is one of
the fastest players at the position and well-suited to cover-
ing any tight end in the league. And safety Kyle Dugger,
out of Division-II Lenoir-Rhyne (that’s in Hickory, N.C.)
combines linebacker physicality and cornerback speed
with the potential to become a do-it-all defensive back.
They represent relief for defensive coordinators who feel
as if they’ve been playing catchup. But then, there are
reinforcements coming for the offense, too...A DRAFT-NIGHT BLOCK PARTY
The offensive line has been a weak point across the league
for years, and consistently thin drafts have done nothing
to ease the pain. The 2020 class, however, features one
of the most impressive groups of tackles to come into theJOHN (^) B
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