The Bengals draft the best player on the board at 33. Tee Higgins will compliment wide receivers like A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, John Ross, and Auden Tate. Cincinnati can be patient with Higgins and develop him over time.
The 6-4 216 lb wide receiver had 56 receptions, 936 receiving yards, and 12 receiving touchdowns in 2018. Higgins had 59 recepitons, 1,137 receiving yards, and 13 receiving touchdowns in 2019 next to Justyn Ross for the second year in a row who is also a number one receiver on Clemson.
Tee Higgins had a rough Pro Day. He ran a 4.54 40-time at Clemson's Pro Day after not running the 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Combine along with a 1.66 10-yard split which would have ranked the worst among every receiver at the 2020 NFL Combine. Higgins also dropped a few passes, but in his defense a third string quarterback not named Trevor Lawrence was not throwing him the football with Clemson's backup transferring to Duke.
Indianapolis gets a wide receiver to play with T.Y. Hilton and Parris Campbell. Philip Rivers gets a big body target.
Michael Pittman Jr. dominated at USC even with multiple quarterbacks injured. Michael Pittman Jr. had 101 receptions, 1,275 receiving yards, and 11 receiving touchdowns in 2019.
Michael Pittman Jr. interviewed well on Monday during Senior Bowl week, got a receiving touchdown on Tuesday's practice while showcasing the ability to run all 30 routes, and played through an injury he got on Tuesday during Wednesday's practice before resting on the final day of practice and sitting out of the Senior Bowl. Michael Pittman Jr. did enough in Mobile to convince me he can be a very good value pick at wide receiver for some team in the second round.
I liked Kerryon Johnson coming out of Auburn. D'Andre Swift has more upside than Johnson does though.
The 5-9 215 lb D'Andre Swift is the most elusive running back that I've seen since arguably Terrell Davis. He doesn't run with power like Todd Gurley or Nick Chubb, but he has the moves that you want an elusive back to have and is unique in his own way.
Swift knows how to run inside and outside. He has the strength to dominate in pass protection despite his size. He can use spin moves, stiff arm players, and juke his way. Swift fights for every yard and runs with sheer determination. Some scouts say his biggest weakness is ball security. He has not fumbled once yet and has exceptional vision to go with his quickness.
Swift is a taller version of Barry Sanders. He cuts and moves his hips like a young Arian Foster.
Swift had 163 carries, 1,049 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, 32 receptions, 297 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns, 195 touches, 1,346 total yards, and 13 total touchdowns in 2018 after taking over for Nick Chubb. Swift had 196 carries, 1,216 rushing yards, and 7 rushing touchdowns in 2019.
I believe Swift is good enough to beat out Johson for the running back job. I posted a film cut of DeAndre Swift versus Notre Dame.
Xavier McKinney became a starter in 2018. McKinney had 10 deflections from pass breakups in his first year as a starter.
McKinney outplayed LSU safety Grant Delpit in the Alabama VS LSU game. McKinney can play man coverage, zone coverage, or press coverage. Outside of Isaiah Simmons and Grant Delpit, McKinney is the top safety in the 2020 NFL Draft. New York had Jabrill Peppers at strong safety and Julian Love at free safety. They needed an upgrade over Love and they got one in McKinney.
The 6-1 217 lb Kyle Dugger out of Lenoir-Rhyne can play free safety or strong safety with his versatility just like Grant Delpit and Xavier McKinney. He was also the only defensive back to intercept Justin Herbert during Senior Bowl practices.
He was projected to run a 4.47 40-time at the 2020 NFL Combine and ran a 4.49 40-time. Dugger has the speed, center fielder ability in zone coverage, vision, and versatility to be a starting safety. He tackles and knows how to stop the run like a running back. He displays the man coverage, zone coverage, and press coverage that both first round safeties have when you watch his tape. Had the best vertical with 42 inches at the 2020 NFL Combine.
Kyle Dugger won the Cliff Harris award for the top defensive player in Division 2 even with only 7 starts in 2019. Kyle Dugger gives New England a young safety to replace Duron Harmon by taking a safety to develop behind strong safety Patrick Chung and free safety Devin McCourty.
The 6-5 266 lb Yetur Gross-Matos can play as a 4-3 right end or a 3-4 right outside linebacker. Yetur Gross-Matos will play 3-4 left outside linebacker next to Brian Burns.
Yetur Gross-Matos had 24 solo tackles, 16 assisted tackles, 40 total tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks, and 7 quarterback hurries in 2019. Most draft sites have a first round grade on Yetur Gross-Matos, but I have an early second round grade on him.
Miami Dolphins: Robert Hunt, RG, Louisiana-LafayetteF Grade
Miami took a guard I had a seventh round grade on at 39. That warrants an F grade.
Robert Hunt lined up at left tackle, right tackle, left guard, and right guard throughout his career. Right guard is the only position where he may end up being a solid starter and at this point he projects as a backup.
Houston had Angelo Blackson as a 3-4 defensive end next to J.J. Watt. The 6-3 290 lb Ross Blacklock is an upgrade over Blackson. Now Houston has two good 3-4 defensive ends with Ross Blacklock and J.J. Watt.
Marlon Mack is great. Jonathan Taylor has more upside coming out of Wisconsin than Mack did coming out of South Carolina.
The 5-10 226 lb Jonathan Taylor out of Wisconsin has the upside and skill set to come in and start right away for Indianapolis. Even if Mack remains the starter, he will compliment Mack and take pressure off of Mack and quarterback Philip Rivers. Also Taylor was the best running back on the board.
Taylor had 299 carries, 1,972 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns, 8 receptions, 95 receiving yards, 307 touches, and 2,067 total yards in 2017. Taylor had 307 carries, 2,194 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns, 8 receptions, 60 receiving yards, 315 touches, and 2,254 total yards in 2018. Taylor had 320 carries, 2,003 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, 26 receptions, 252 receiving yards, 5 receiving touchdowns, 346 touches, 2,255 total yards, and 26 total touchdowns in 2019.
Jonathan Taylor has that same Pro Bowl upside set that someone like D'Andre Swift or J.K. Dobbins has. He even corrected his issues with catching out of the backfield, pass protection, and improved his vision putting him up there with Swift and Dobbins as NFL ready backs. Jonathan Taylor ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the 2020 NFL Combine.
The 6-1 227 lb Laviska Shenault Jr. was once a candidate to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. Jacksonville got a great receiver at 42.
Laviska Shenault Jr. is an elite route runner who has all 30 routes down. He runs with elite speed, but lacks the explosiveness and elite first step from a receiver that you want. While his blocking is effective, it's also inconsistent and needs refinement. Shenault Jr. needs to correct this in 2019.
Laviska Shenault Jr. had 86 receptions, 1,011 receiving yards, and 6 receiving touchdowns in 2018. Shenault Jr. got blanketed versus Nebraska in 2019 after a strong game in Lincoln, in 2018. Shenault Jr. rediscovered his ability to get by defenders on tape with a strong performance versus Air Force. Laviska Shenault Jr. only had 56 receptions, 764 receiving yards, and 4 receiving touchdowns in 2019.
Chicago gets a player they can groom behind Jimmy Graham. Cole Kmet is an upgrade over Adam Shaheen who missed most of the 2019 season with an injury.
The 6-6 262 lb Cole Kmet was described as a special tight end when I spoke with his teammate Jalen Elliott in Mobile. He also had the best vertical among tight ends with a 37-inch vertical despite running a 4.70. His body and physical build is similar to Rob Gronkowski who ran a 4.68 at the 2010 NFL Combine. Cole Kmet had 43 receptions, 515 receiving yards, and 6 receiving touchdowns in 2019.
Cole Kmet had a signature game against Georgia with 9 receptions, 108 receiving yards, and 1 receiving touchdown against Georgia safety J.R. Reed. I posted a film cut of Cole Kmet versus Georgia.
Cleveland has Karl Joseph at strong safety. Grant Delpit is an instant impact player and I see him starting next to Joseph right away.
The 6-2 213 lb Grant Delpit was LSU's best safety on their 15-0 team. He dominates in man coverage, zone coverage, and press coverage just like his predecessor Jamal Adams.
Heading into 2019, Delpit was the only complete defender I've seen on tape so far that checks out all of the boxes. Delpit had 46 solo tackles, 28 assisted tackles, 74 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, 9 deflections from pass breakups, 5 sacks, 5 interceptions, and 4 quarterback hurries in 2018. Delpit had 38 solo tackles, 27 assisted tackles, 65 total tackles, 7 deflections from pass breakups, 4.5 tackles for a loss, 2 interceptions, and 2 sacks in 2019.
Delpit only had 1 bad game versus Alabama in 2019. He was injured in that game and played through injuries in 2019. He rebounded at full health with a strong game in the 2019 SEC Championship before dominating in the College Football Playoff.
The 5-9 203 lb Antoine Winfield Jr. is the son of former Ohio State cornerback and NFL cornerback Antoine Winfield who played with the Buffalo Bills and the Minnesota Vikings.
His son Antoine Winfield Jr. can play strong safety and free safety. Tampa Bay had Justin Evans, Mike Evans, and Jordan Whitfield. Antoine Winfield Jr. is talented enough to beat out two of these safeties so this is an excellent pick that warrants an A+ grade.
K.J. Hamler could come in and win the slot receiver job next to Jeudy and Sutton. This feels like a reach and I felt there were other players available at a position of need.
Unless you think Hamler can beat Tim Patrick and DaeShon Hamilton for the slot receiver job this is a reach. Hamler is listed as a slot receiver at the moment on the depth chart so I will give Denver an A- grade.
The 5-9 179 lb KJ Hamler has the skill set of a slot receiver and compliments Jerry Jeudy and Courtland SUtton in Los Angeles.
The Penn State speedster had 56 receptions, 904 receiving yards, and 8 receiving touchdowns in 2019. He did not run his 40-time at the 2020 NFL Combine.
I feel like Atlanta needed a 4-3 right end and they got a guy who was a left end in Davidson. Someone like the Colts would have been a better fit and they passed on Epenesa who I mocked to Atlanta at 16 again.
The 6-3 297 lb Marlon Davidson here after he had 29 solo tackles, 19 assisted tackles, 48 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks, and 5 quarterback hurries in 2019. Marlon Davidson lined up at both 4-3 defensive end spots at Auburn. The ironic thing about Davidson is he has the body of a 3-4 defensive end or a 4-3 defensive tackle.
Seattle gets a 4-3 left outside linebacker here. The 6-4 255 lb Darrell Taylor Jr. is an incredibly talented pass rusher. Darrell Taylor Jr. had 28 solo tackles, 18 assisted tackles, 46 total tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, 8.5 sacks, 6 quarterback hurries, and 4 deflections from pass breakups. He can rush the quarterback, stop the run, or drop back into coverage. Seattle raved about this guy at Senior Bowl weigh ins and he can push Shaquem Griffin for the starting 4-3 left outside linebacker job since Griffin is the only 4-3 left outside linebacker on the depth chart.
Pittsburgh gets a wide receiver that is bigger than JuJu Smith-Schuster who is in a contract year and James Washington. The 6-4 229 lb Chase Claypool ran a 4.42 40-time at the 2020 NFL Combine and did 19 reps on the bench press. Claypool also was a wide receiver in the 2020 Senior Bowl.
The 6-0 193 lb Jaylon Johnson emerged in 2019 with 11 deflections from pass breakups and 2 interceptions. Chicago gets a cornerback that can compliment Kyle Fuller.
The 6-1 205 lb Trevon Diggs was the field cornerback on Alabama. Diggs had 8 defelctions from pass breakups and 3 interceptions. Like Fulton, Diggs showed the man coverage, zone coverage, and press coverage of a starting cornerback.
Trevon Diggs is a first round cornerback. He is not as consistent as Jeffrey Okudah or Kristian Fulton. Still, he's a good fit for a team like the Dallas Cowboys at 51.
The Rams needed a running back to replace Gurley and they got Cam Akers. They chose Akers over Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins.
The 5-11 212 lb Cam Akers can run with speed, catch out of the backfield, use his ball carrier vision, and pass block effectively. Cam Akers is a guy who can take over for Gurley.
Cam Akers had 231 carries, 1,114 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, 30 receptions, 225 receiving yards, 4 receiving touchdowns, 261 touches, 1,339 total yards, and 18 total touchdowns in 2019. Akers needs good guard play in order to thrive in McVay's offense.
The 6-1 218 lb Jalen Hurts has the short accuracy, medium accuracy, and deep ball accuracy that you want a quarterback to have. Has the footwork to make 1-step, 3-step, 5-step, and 7-step throws. Lots of his bad throws are due to ball placement or how he places his feet when lining up to make a throw. Jalen Hurts is a great backup for Carson Wentz.
Jalen Hurts had 3,851 passing yards, 1,298 rushing yards, 5,149 total yards, 32 passing touchdowns, 20 rushing touchdowns, 52 total touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and a 69.7 completion percentage in 2019 after having a 72.9 completion percentage as a backup to Tua in 2018 before transferring to Oklahoma. Jalen Hurts is probably the most athletic quarterback I have seen since Lamar Jackson. He may not make six progressions like Lamar or dominate in a West Coast offense like Lamar, but he can make up to five progressions and can play in any type of offense besides a West Coast offense.
Click this Jalen Hurts Interview to hear a press conference featuring Oklahoma's quarterback.
Buffalo has Jerry Hughes, Trent Murphy, and Mario Addison as pass rushers. They get the best player on the board in A.J. Epenesa who I mocked as high as sixteen to Atlanta with this pick so the Bills get a great pass rusher for depth with Epenesa.
The 6-6 280 lb A.J. Epenesa had 14.5 tackles for a loss, 11.5 sacks, and 9 quarterback hurries in 2019. He gives Buffalo a player to groom behind Jerry Hughes.
Baltimore has Mark Ingram. Their backup running back was Gus Edwards with Justice Hill from the 2019 NFL Draft as their third stringer. J.K. Dobbins out of Ohio State is better than both Edwards and Hill.
The 5-9 209 lb J.K. Dobbins kind of reminds me of Frank Gore coming out of Miami FL. Baltimore gets him to groom behind Ingram.
Dobbins had 194 carries, 1,403 rushing yards, 7 rushing touchdowns, 22 receptions, 135 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown, 216 touches, 1,538 total yards, and 8 total touchdowns in 2017. Dobbins had 230 carries, 1,053 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, 26 receptions, 263 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, 256 touches, 1,316 total yards, and 12 total touchdowns in 2018. Dobbins had 301 carries, 2,003 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, 23 receptions, 247 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, 324 touches, 2,250 total yards, and 23 total touchdowns in 2019.
Swift and Taylor have more upside than Dobbins. However Dobbins has better production and more consistency on tape than Swift making all three running backs the three running backs that stand out in this class. All of the running backs appear to be Pro Bowl running backs despite none one having a first round grade, yet nobody will fault a team for taking one of these running backs in the first round.
The 6-7 312 lb Raekwon Davis is someone who could step in at 4-3 defensive tackle or 3-4 defensive end. He can play in the 0-technique, 1-technique, 2-technique, 3-technique, 4-technique, or 5-technique. Davis is also versatile enough to play 3-4 right end, 3-4 nose tackle, or 3-4 left end. He has four down ability.
I had a fifth round grade on Van Jefferson. He dropped some balls during the practice drills that I saw in Mobile. The Rams replaced Brandin Cooks with Van Jefferson.
The 6-6 311 lb Ezra Cleveland played right tackle next to Archie Lewis in 2017 where he opened up lanes for current Vikings running back Alexander Mattison. He moved to left tackle in 2018 and has dominated in pass protection as a blindside. The Vikings get Cleveland as a blindside to groom behind Riley Reiff. Ezra Cleveland ran a 4.93 40-time at the 2020 NFL Combine and did 30 reps on the bench press making him a good player for the Vikings to take a flyer on at left tackle.
Minnesota should have went defense and gotten a 4-3 right end or 4-3 defensive tackle. I got two offensive tackles graded ahead of Cleveland as well which is why the Vikings got a B grade.
The 6-3 206 lb Denzel Mims gives Sam Darnold a number one target. If Mekhi Becton is the starting left tackle in week 1 and if Mims is the number one receiver.
Denzel Mims had 61 receptions, 1,087 receiving yards, and 8 receiving touchdowns in 2017. Mims had 55 receptions, 794 receiving yards, and 8 receiving touchdowns in 2018. Mims had 66 receptions, 1,020 receiving yards, and 12 receiving touchdowns in 2019.
Denzel Mims was known for his speed, catching, catch radius, and blocking on tape. He needed to come into Mobile and correct his route running.
Mims corrected his route running and showed NFL scouts he could run all 30 routes effectively in Mobile. He also had the longest interview of any player I spoke with at the 2020 Senior Bowl media day with a 15 minute interview. The audio from that interview sounded very choppy and that's my fault entirely. Mims was fantastic and it was an honor to talk with him about his plans to prepare for the 2020 NFL Draft.
Mims turned down Oklahoma and Texas Tech to go to Baylor for four years unphased by the football scandal Baylor dealt with at the time as a university when Art Briles was there. Mims also ran a 4.39 40-time at the 2020 NFL Combine. He called TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney his toughest opponent when listening to him in Mobile.
Click this Denzel Mims Interview to hear the longest interview I had with any player at the 2020 Senior Bowl. I managed to edit this interview last second so people would have something to listen to as Mims breaks down game speed versus track speed.
New England needed a pass rusher to pair with Chase Winovich. The 6-1 241 lb Josh Uche had 23 solo tackles, 12 assisted tackles, 35 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, 8.5 sacks, and 8 quarterback hurries in 2019. Josh Uche pushed both Iowa left tackle Alaric Jackson and right tackle Tristan Wirfs backwards at the line of scrimmage versus Iowa.
Uche displayed the pass rushing, run stuffing, and coverage you want an edge rusher to display during practices at the 2020 Senior Bowl. He does not place his hand in th dirt, but will not need to in New England's 3-4 scheme.
The 6-0 197 lb Kristian Fulton had 9 deflections from pass breakups and 1 interception in 2018. Fulton had 14 deflections from pass breakups as the field cornerback next to true freshman Derek Stingley who had 22 deflections from pass breakups with 1 interception. Fulton is someone who I can see succeeding as a field cornerback. Fulton also ran a 4.44 40-time at the 2020 NFL Combine cementing his status as a top 20 pick along with my top ranked cornerback not named Jeffrey Okudah.
Tennessee now has Malcolm Butler, Adoree Jackson, and Kristian Fulton as the nickel cornerback. Fantastic pick here.
Green Bay drafts the 6-0 247 lb A.J. Dillon out of Boston College. Dillon may have ran a 4.53 40-time, but he has three consecutive seasons of 1,000 rushing yards with his best season coming in 2019 after he lost left tackle Aaron Montiero and right guard Chris Lindstrom. That speaks volumes about Dillon's game on film.
A.J. Dillon can run with speed, catch out of the backfield, use his ball carrier vision, and pass block effectively. He does everything well on tape.
A.J. Dillon had 300 carries, 1,589 rushing yards, and 14 rushing touchdowns in 2017. Dillon had 227 carries, 1,108 rushing yards, and 10 rushing touchdowns in 2018. Dillon had 318 carries, 1,685 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns, 13 receptions, 195 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown, 331 touches, 1,880 total yards, and 15 total touchdowns in 2019. A.J. Dillon improved each year on tape even when he lost his two best offensive linemen and that is why he got picked in the second round.
Kansas City drafted a backup that didn't even make our draft game and our top 260. Pro Football Focus doesn't have him on their board either. The Chiefs got all 22 starters from their Super Bowl 54 team back so instead of giving them an F grade we're handing the Chiefs a ? grade the first question mark grade in the history of Draft Utopia.
Carolina got the top safety on the board. Jeremy Chinn can play both strong safety and free safety with his versatility.
Chinn lined up at both safety roles at Southern Illinois. When watching Chinn, I noticed he lacks the range to be an NFL free safety. His best fit is as a strong safety in a cover 2 scheme. Chinn had 9 deflections from pass breakups in 2017, 10 deflections from pass breakups in 2018, and 7 deflections from pass breakups in 2019 along with 48 solo tackles, 23 assisted tackles, and a career high 71 total tackles.
Chinn dominates in zone coverage. He will struggle in man coverage and press coverage situations. His best plays in Mobile during Senior Bowl practices came when Chinn was in zone coverage. His 41 inch vertical jump, 4.45 40-time and 20-reps on the bench press are what make Chinn a great strong safety prospect as he can play zone coverage or act as a run stuffing linebacker or eighth man in the box on third down situations.