The NFL and CFB seasons are upon us! You have your mock drafts and you have your rankings. But I am here to give you some more off the wall predictions for this upcoming NFL Draft! Without further ado…
- Brian Robinson will be the highest-drafted Alabama RB
The overwhelming consensus is that Bama RB Najee Harris is the top dog in the backfield, I believe it is Robinson that will prove to be the best of the group. Robinson has the size at 6’1” 225lbs with the strength and power you look for in a big back. He has exceptional balance and the juice in his legs to break off big runs. Robinson’s all-around ability will prove to be what NFL teams covet the most and lead him to potentially being a top draft pick.
- Jordan Love will be drafted in the 1st round
Jordan Love is quietly getting some hype from draftniks across the Twittersphere, but not enough for my liking! Check out my full write up on Jordan Love here.
- Nate Stanley will be a day 2 draftee
I’m sure people will LOVE this prediction. Stanley takes a ton of flack, but I am not sure why. While he may not be the type of QB that will light up the world, he is a very safe QB in my eyes. Stanley plays well from within the pocket and does a great job of diagnosing defenses. He also doesn’t take a ton of risk and would rather take the safe checkdown over trying to thread the needle. He is the type of QB teams will take and try to develop but a worst-case can be a high end back up. To me, Stanley is an extremely safe pick and teams will covet that at the next level.
- 5 RBs will be drafted in the 1st round
Yes, you read that right! 5 RBs in the 1st round! Some may fall out of their chairs, but hear me out. This 2020 class of RBs is truly special and extremely deep. This draft will be chock full of difference makers and teams will pounce on that. The names to watch Georgia’s D’Andre Swift, Clemson’s Travis Etienne, Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, Arizona State’s Eno Benjamin, Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins, and Florida State’s Cam Akers. These are elite level RBs and all have the potential to go in the 1st round.
- 5 WRs will be drafted in the 1st round
Another huge number to watch for when it comes to the number of wideouts going in the 1st round. This class has the potential to rival the WR class of 2014. There are 7-10 WRs in this class with an insane amount of talent. Obviously, not all will go in the first but the names to watch for are: Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy, Minnesota’s Tyler Johnson, Colorado’s Laviska Shenault, Oklahoma’s Ceedee Lamb, South Carolina’s Bryan Edwards, Clemson’s Tee Higgins, and TCU’s Jalen Reagor,
- 3 Alabama WRs will be drafted in the first 3 rounds
I have already mentioned Jerry Jeudy as a potential 1st round pick in 2020 but Bama has 2 other WRs that are highly skilled and could go at the top of the draft. Henry Ruggs is the guy normally playing opposite Jeudy and has quickly made a name for himself after putting up over 700 yards and 11 TDs. Devonta Smith is the one going a bit under the radar despite the fact that he put up 700 yards and 6 TDs himself. But all 3 guys are top-notch route runners and all have reportedly run ridiculous 40 times, most notably Ruggs with a 4.25! Watch for all of these guys to get their names called within the first 3 rounds in the upcoming draft.
- At least 4 QBs will be drafted in the 1st round
This may not be a huge shock to people considering how coveted QBs in the league are, but there could be 4 or more who jump off the board in the 1st round. Tua Tagovailoa is about as much of a lock as you can have and potentially could go #1. Justin Herbert was a guy being talked about in the first for 2019 so another solid year will cement that. You already saw the Love I have for Jordan Love (pun intended). The last guy that is nearly a lock for the first is Georgia’s Jake Fromm, a highly ranked recruit and a guy who has had tremendous success leading the Bulldogs. There could be a few other QBs who rocket up the draft board during the season and sneak into the first, but it is hard for me to imagine a scenario where these 4 aren’t a lock!
- The 1st round will be dominated by offense
If you haven’t guessed by now, the 1st round of the 2020 draft will certainly be dominated by offense. In recent drafts, it seems to lean more to the defense or at worst be balanced. But with all the skill position players available, the scales will be heavily weighted towards the offense. There are also at least 5 offensive linemen that look to be worthy of the 1st round. If my predictions come true, you could see a minimum of 19 picks from the first round go to the offense. And with the NFL becoming more and more offensively centric, it may not be a bad idea for teams to target those studs early on.
- Kenneth Murray will be the first LB off the board
There are a few names thrown around as the top off-ball LB prospect and while many are deserving, I believe Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray will hear his name called first. Murray has solid size and strength at 6’2” 245lbs but can also fly around the field. Murray impressively set a record with a whopping 28 tackles in one game vs Army last season. Murray checks a ton of boxes that the NFL likes to see and if he can put up another productive season he could hear his name called early in 2020.
- Grant Delpit will be the first defender drafted
If you haven’t had the chance to watch Grant Delpit, I urge you to flip on the tape immediately. Any LSU game you watch you will see this man FLYING all over the field. Delpit has impressive instincts and seemingly knows where the offense is going to go with the football. He has the athleticism to cover the entire secondary and can get downhill to stop the run in a hurry. Delpit is easily my top-rated safety and it would not shock me to see him drafted in the top 5.
