As the 2020 NFL Combine wraps up, here’s a look at the top rookies in each of the Power 5 Conferences, according to our own Mike Tagliere.
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Top 2020 NFL Rookies from the Atlantic Coast Conference
Isaiah Simmons (LB – Clemson)
Might be the most talented player in this draft. Can play linebacker or safety. Doesn’t overcommit to plays that are made to trick you. Will keep his eyes on the quarterback extremely well, but that will sometimes lead to him losing his man in zone coverage. Not afraid to put a big hit on the QB. Holds his gap well against the run, doesn’t just go to where the ball currently is. Plays sideline to sideline. Good closing speed. Pretty sure he has the athleticism to play any position. Smart blitzer, extremely agile for a guy his size. Very long, not easy to get past him. Selfishly, part of me wishes he was a wide receiver.
Mekhi Becton (OL – Louisville)
Legitimately had to do a double-take at his weight. He’s a massive man who can withstand any initial blow, but almost refuses to hold onto his block for more than a couple seconds. Has extremely long reach. If someone tries to fly past him with speed, he just extends his arms and shoves them off their path rather than try to slide back in protection. I’d like to see him finish his blocks more in the run-game, tends to extend arms and kind of push defenders aside rather than drive them backward. He moves well for his size. There are traits here than cannot be taught but he seems extremely rough around the edges.
Tee Higgins (WR – Clemson)
Higgins isn’t someone who can “do it all” as a team’s primary receiver. Instead, he uses his long strides to get behind the defense quite regularly. His best trait might be ball-tracking, as he adjusts to the ball in the air extremely well. He’s not a particularly good route runner, though he’s not horrible, either. If he can develop the intermediate area of the field, he’d be a real force to be reckoned with, but for now, he’s a deep threat with great size.
Cam Akers (RB – Florida St.)
He’s a bit up-and-down in his approach, but he fights for his yardage. Seems to have soft hands in the passing game. I saw some defenders get past him somewhat easy in pass protection. More long speed than short area burst, but not fast. Seems like a Latavius Murray type running back with slightly less speed. Played behind a bad offensive line with a less than stellar quarterback, which makes it tough to say definitively what he can be, though he flashed potential. Ultimately, landing spot could be big for him.
A.J. Terrell (CB – Clemson)
Gets low in his drops, allows him for great change of direction. Can get caught opening his hips up too soon, and you’ll see easy comeback completions. I like him better in press coverage than off coverage. You’ll see him allow easy completions in zone coverage, better in man. Watched the National Championship and he was continually beat by Ja’Marr Chase. LSU was clearly not afraid to throw into his coverage.
Top 2020 NFL Rookies from the Big Ten Conference
Chase Young (DE – Ohio St.)
Young can play in any scheme, though a 4-3 DE would suit him best. He’s someone who has all the tools to be a dominant pass-rusher in the NFL, though he does need to get a bit more consistent. When he keeps his pad level low, he glides past tackles with ease, though he’s a bit too lax at times. I don’t think he’s on Nick Bosa‘s level, but that doesn’t mean he can’t have an impact on Day 1.
Jeff Okudah (CB – Ohio St.)
One of the first plays I watched from him, he was in man coverage and the ball was thrown 15 yards over his head, yet he ran and played the ball like he was in coverage on the play. Very aware of where the ball is. He doesn’t appear to be extremely fast, but it’s rare to see a receiver get separation over the top. Doesn’t overreact to arm movements or stutter steps. Seems like a solid cornerback, but I don’t believe he’s a SHUTDOWN cornerback right now. Will let momentum carry him upfield at times, allow curl routes to be completely relatively easy. He is a better tackler than most cornerbacks. Very long arms, should help to cover bigger receivers.
Jonathan Taylor (RB – Wisconsin)
He’s a bigger running back at 5-foot-11 and 214 pounds, but displays phenomenal patience when running the ball. He doesn’t have elite speed or burst, but his vision and awareness of the field are both great strengths, as he always seems to know where that goal-line is, and even more importantly, knows what he needs to do to get there. He’s not someone who’ll catch 60-plus passes out of the backfield, but appears to be competent enough to be mixed-in on third downs.
Tyler Biadasz (C – Wisconsin)
Played Center for Wisconsin. Looks to lock up with a player before driving him back. Would like to see him be more aggressive in the run game, though. Moves extremely well for a guy who weighs 321 pounds, should be able to help out in the screen game. Seems to do a good job processing and multi-tasking. I’d like to see more of that mean streak you do in a lot of great interior guys. He’s a big man to try and move up the middle while pass blocking, but he can be juked. An overall solid player.
A.J. Epenesa (DE – Iowa)
I’m not the biggest Epenesa fan there is, but this edge class isn’t that great, so he’s near the top. There are parts of his game that highlight potential, as he’s a very strong man that can bull rush a tackle and work his way back to the quarterback, but once there, mobile quarterbacks aren’t going to have a very difficult time shaking him due to his lack of side-to-side mobility, as he seems somewhat stiff. Strength is his game. You have to wonder if a move to the interior would be beneficial.
Top 2020 NFL Rookies from the Big 12 Conference
CeeDee Lamb (WR – Oklahoma)
A potential No. 1 receiver in an offense who’s able to be play all three positions on the field. He doesn’t have the precise route-running that Jeudy does, but he has enough wiggle to gain separation. His hands are maybe the best in the draft class, as he makes everything look effortless, including multiple highlight-reel catches. He’s simply a very sound receiver who should come with a high floor. The only concern with Lamb was that he was listed at 189 pounds, which isn’t ideal for someone who’s expected to be the primary target on his team, but he silenced some of those when he weighed in at 198 at the Combine.
Jalen Reagor (WR – TCU)
A movable chess piece who can be used on reverses, screens, down the field, wherever you want. He breaks the charts when it comes to separation due to his incredible burst of speed that’s on-demand. If there’s an area that’s lacking, it’s that he suffers focus drops as times, as he’ll be thinking about what he’s going to do with the ball rather than bringing it in first. He projects as someone who’ll play primarily in the slot because you want/need to get the ball in his hands to do damage, though he does have the speed to burn cornerbacks on the perimeter. He’s also an added value on special teams as a returner. My comparison for him would be someone like Brandin Cooks.
Kenneth Murray (LB – Oklahoma)
Monitors the plays extremely well. Can bring speed off the edge, gets his pads low. Blew by Texas Tech LT with his speed. Good closing speed, reacts quickly. Not the fastest guy but has good burst. Sees beyond the carnage at the LOS to where the ball is/where it’s going. Not really a sideline to sideline guy, but rather a sturdy presence over the middle of the field. Can be a bit too indecisive at times. He does have a good build to him, looks like an NFL linebacker. Surefire tackler when he smells blood in the water. Takes good angles in the open field. Better against the pass than the run. Should have no issues covering RBs out of the backfield.
Neville Gallimore (DT – Oklahoma)
Moves extremely well for a big man. Much better pass-rusher than run-stuffer. Has multiple moves to get to the QB, including swim and spin. Excellent break on the ball. The biggest knock is his play recognition, as he has no idea where the ball is at times.
Ross Blacklock (DT – TCU)
A very agile man for being over 300 pounds. You see the respect he gets when teams continually double-team him. A good combination of strength and speed. Wish he’d be set more. There were too many times while watching that he was late off the ball because he wasn’t exactly set. If he’s left with just one man to beat, he’ll do it more often than not. Suffered an Achilles injury in 2018, but bounced back strong in 2019.
Top 2020 NFL Rookies from the Pac-12 Conference
Nick Harris (OG – Washington)
Played Center for Washington. The effort is certainly there with him, though his weight may be a tad low, as he labors to hold up DTs. The odd part is that he looks thick, but weight says otherwise. He’s kind of just “there.” You don’t see him make many mistakes, but you also don’t see many impact plays. Doesn’t look to have particularly long arms. Doesn’t hold blocks forever like some. He’s more of a try-to-hold-my-ground center than a mean one. There was a play against California where he missed an obvious blitz and his QB almost got killed.
Zack Moss (RB – Utah)
While watching Moss play, it’s hard to believe he’s listed at 222 pounds, as he moves extremely for someone that size. He displays patience at the line of scrimmage and fights for yards after contact, as he’s rarely brought down by an arm tackle. The issue is that he’s battled injuries due to his rugged play-style. If he falls into the right offense, he’ll make an impact in the NFL.
Laviska Shenault Jr. (WR – Colorado)
He’s a solid combination of size/speed, and in the right offense, he can do some damage. He is built kind of like a big running back, and can be lined up anywhere, including the backfield. Think of a player like Cordarrelle Patterson. Players like Shenault can’t be pigeonholed into one particular role in order for them to shine, so landing spot will matter quite a bit with a player like him who’s not a polished route-runner. One thing he does very well is vary his speeds to manipulate defenders down the field.
Evan Weaver (LB – California)
He looks bigger than 235 pounds, very heavy in the shoulders. High-effort linebacker who doesn’t stop until the whistle. Has the size, strength, and determination to get through blocks. Not a particularly fast guy, but moves pretty well for a guy his size (if he’s bigger than the 235 he’s listed at). He’s not someone you want to take a clean hit from, as he’s violent when tackling. When he wraps someone up, they aren’t going anywhere. He doesn’t seem like he’d have the speed needed to cover a running back running a route. The lack of cover ability drops him a bit, but he’s a player.
Eno Benjamin (RB- Arizona St.)
He gets the ball and wants to move downhill but has wiggle to evade tacklers. Gets low as he approaches the line of scrimmage. Has good balance through contact, will bounce off tacklers who don’t wrap up properly. Needs to be more aware in pass protection, as he will be more worried about selling the run on play-action than protecting the quarterback. He’s more of a screen-type pass-catcher than a route runner who can line up all over the place, but his hands are solid. His offensive line did not create much room for him. He’s always finishing his runs by falling forward, something that NFL coaches will love.
Top 2020 NFL Rookies from the Southeastern Conference
Joe Burrow (QB – LSU)
He’s going to be a good one. Has elite touch on the deep ball and throws with a trajectory that cannot be taught. There isn’t a throw on the field he can’t make. He’s also got some mobility to his game. While he won’t be known for that, he needs to do a much better job of avoiding hits. He operates very calmly in the pocket and doesn’t overreact to pressure. He’s deserving of the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.
Jerry Jeudy (WR – Alabama)
My favorite wide receiver in this draft class. Jeudy is a natural route-runner who can get open at any level on the field and has played against the highest level of competition. If there’s any criticism to his game, it’s that he will take plays off from time to time when he knows the ball isn’t coming his way. He creates an easy target for his quarterback with his elite start/stop ability, but also knows how to twist a defensive back at the right time. He’s going to be a stud.
Derrick Brown (DT – Auburn)
He doesn’t look like he weighs 318 pounds. He’s very quick off the ball. LSU decided to double him a lot. He’s very fast off the ball, that’s where he wins, as he’s not a bully that’ll just continue shoving an interior lineman back. Knows where the play is, gets his hands up most of the time, though there are times where he’ll put his head down and lose track of the play. Three-tech. Hands are quick on the first step. Teams show a lot of respect for him. Has a good motor, doesn’t give up on plays. Rock-solid prospect who should contribute Day 1.
Andrew Thomas (OL – Georgia)
He’s built exactly like you’d want a LT. He’s a bit on the heavier side than athletic, but he’s a bully. Quick for a big man. Understands when he falls behind and needs to bail on the footwork. Tries to multi-task, won’t pretend he doesn’t see someone, even if it’s while blocking another guy. Better against the pass-rush than he is with the run, though both are strengths. Love the effort he gives on seemingly every play. Constantly watch edge rushers run into a brick wall. He’s better against power than speed. Does a good job recognizing stunts and knows who to pick up.
Kristian Fulton (CB – LSU)
He’s not afraid to get up in the receiver’s face and play press coverage. He doesn’t want to allow anything. Alabama didn’t want to target him at all. Maybe three or four balls his way. Can play on both sides, almost always tight. Very good change of direction, stays low in his stance in backpedal. Played a ton of man coverage. Really liked watching his tape. Going to be a contributor right away.
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