Finding Broncos: 25 prospects to watch for 2020 draft
With both the NFL and NCAA regular seasons underway, I continue looking at 2020 NFL Draft prospects. The Denver Broncos are a team that internally thinks it can compete, but from the outside, it looks like it may be a rough year.
With so many holes on their roster, they have to be looking everywhere for help. Not all of the following prospects will end up as Broncos (obviously), but some of them just might so may as well start getting to know the players as we work our way to the 2020 draft.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama
There is a lot of talent on Alabama and Tagovailoa is the right player to lead them. There are some issues with his delivery mechanics, and his base, but he has the arm talent to challenge every level of the field. On deep shots, he will need to calculate touch a little better, but they don’t happen often enough to be a major concern. As one of the top quarterbacks in the class, all he can do is cement himself and fight for the top quarterback in the class.
Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia
A bright quarterback that is excellent when plays go according to plan. The issues to his game start to show up when things start to break down. There are also concerns about Fromm’s arm strength and being able to make the necessary NFL-caliber throws. Some of those throws are fine, but others show a lack of velocity and the strain to get enough juice behind it.
D’Andre Swift, RB, Georgia
The best back in the class with great vision and excellent cuts. While he doesn’t have the great breakaway speed, there is enough burst and speed to make big yard plays. He is a three-down back that offers plenty of upside as a receiver that he has already shown.
Zack Moss, RB, Utah
After having a knee injury brought an early end to his 2018 season, he has had a great start to the 2019 season. There is enough speed to pick up yards, but not be a home run threat. Teams will want to see more from him as a receiver out of the backfield in 2019 than they have in his other years outside of his sophomore year. As a limited athlete, his projection to the NFL is limited.
Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU
One of the most explosive athletes for the upcoming draft. With high-end speed, and being really shifty, he is dangerous with the ball in his hands. There are some concerns about drops that teams will need to work out, and get him on the jugs machine early and often of his NFL career. His explosive playmaking ability is going to draw in a lot of NFL team's interests.
Tyler Johnson, WR, Minnesota
Not the most physical of receivers, but he has good, reliable hands for the NFL. His physicality comes into question more when trying to beat press coverage, but if he gets a clean release then there is no issue. He is the prototype No. 2 receiver for the NFL with his hands, body control and effective route running.
Brycen Hopkins, TE, Purdue
Top-notch athlete from the tight end position that can be an outstanding mismatch weapon for the offense. Right now there hasn’t been anything to really be confident in putting him in a position to be a blocker, despite his size. He is a well-developed receiver from the tight end position with his route running and technique.
Grant Calcaterra, TE, Oklahoma
Another athletic, natural receiver that hasn’t shown much chops in the blocking game. He is a huge threat in the passing game for offenses and especially in the red zone with his size. With excellent ball skills and size, teams are going to love him as he fits with the modern-day move tight end.
Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State
An athletic lineman that has the movement skills and natural movement to be a great fit in a zone scheme. He will need to be more consistent with his technique and add some mass to his frame, but there is a lot of upside with him. There are not many blockers better than Cleveland when it comes to blocking in space.
Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame
Another long and athletic offensive lineman. His technique is sound and pretty well developed. His big issues come with overcommitting to the edge and a lack of functional play strength. He has some good recovery technique for when he does suffer an early loss.
Creed Humphrey, Interior OL, Oklahoma
Whenever you watch his play, you can see he has wrestling experience in his background. Humphrey is one of the best centers set to be in the draft and one of two that have first-round talent. He has scheme versatility which just adds to his value. For as good as he is, there are times he loses early due to length concerns but has a quick recovery.
Ben Bredeson, Interior OL, Michigan
Not the most athletic of linemen, Bredeson has plenty of experience that teams covet. He has ideal size and solid technique that can see him get plugged in from day one. There is a lack of versatility in the scheme, and he has a tendency to get his pad level too high, which needs to be corrected. Bredeson has that mean and nasty attitude and can be effective in gap/power scheme.
Jake Hanson, Interior OL, Oregon
Fundamentally sound, Hanson has his issues arise when he is engaged. The ability to anchor isn’t ideal and will see him get driven back. He is limited to a zone scheme because of the issues with strength and with his movement skills ability to block on the move makes him a great fit. If a team needs a smart leader in the middle of their offensive line then Hanson needs to be on their radar.
Chase Young, Edge, Ohio State
The top edge in the class, through three games Young has notched five sacks. He has an ideal build for a 4-3 defensive end, but can stand up as a 3-4 rusher. There is plenty of promise as a pass rusher, but still shows signs of needing to be refined. Young also shows some good skills when it comes to defending the run.
Jabari Zuniga, Edge, Florida
His get-off can be a little slow, and can put him behind early in the rep. Off the snap, processing and his movements all need to speed up consistently. When everything fires on all cylinders, he shows why he is highly-regarded. He has good strength to hold up at the point of attack against the run, and can use his strength to generate pressure.
Javon Kinlaw, DL, South Carolina
Each year Kinlaw plays is showing great progress and in 2018 he showed potential to be a huge disruptor on the defensive line. There are still plenty of areas for him to grow, including adding more pass rush prowess to his arsenal and not be one and done as a pass rusher. There is tremendous upside, but still a ways for him to go.
Leki Fotu, DL, Utah
A big defensive lineman for the Utes, the big issue with Fotu is his high pad level off the snap. He is a former offensive tackle prospect, and has long arms to keep interior linemen off of him. There is still a lot that needs to be developed for Fotu in terms of technique, but he has high upside. Plenty of strength and decent quickness that can work in a one or two gap scheme.
Raequan Williams, DL, Michigan State
There is good length and quickness with Williams that can really help him win at the NFL level. He does need to work on playing with better leverage and a lower pad level. His skill-set is a death sentence against a zone scheme as he does a good job reading zone blocks and has the quickness to exploit the holes. There is also a lack of power in his lower body that limits him on the interior.
Joe Bachie, Jr., LB, Michigan State
Old fashioned run defending linebacker that will lay the wood in between the tackle rushing lanes. There is a severe limit of athletic ability and speed sideline-to-sideline that makes him not the best fit for modern-day NFL. He has plenty of strength and power when coming downhill. This is one linebacker that may be better suited as an edge player in the NFL. His feel and vision in coverage, on top of the limited athletic ability, makes him just a run defender and blitzer.
Troy Dye, LB, Oregon
An athletic rangy linebacker, Dye is one that is expected to be a riser in the draft. With Markus Bailey and Dylan Moses hurt, there is a lack of top talent at linebacker. To help himself, Dye will need to look better against the run, primarily when taking on blockers. He could use some time in the weight room to bulk up.
Markus Bailey, LB, Purdue
A redshirt senior, Bailey came into this season with a lot of hype and was looking great before his season was ended with an injury. Bailey is a really smart linebacker who makes great reads of offensive plays to get into position, and he offers a lot of upside as a pass rusher. There is a concern shedding blocks, and what he could do with more reps that he won’t get now.
Jeffrey Okudah, CB, Ohio State
A great prospect if you run man coverage, but shouldn’t be played in zone. Okudah has some quick feet and really good body control to match routes. He works best when playing off coverage. His work when attacking the catch point needs work, but flashes potential there. Will want to show better ball skills this season.
A.J. Terrell, CB, Clemson
Natural athlete, but he has problems reading the quarterbacks and will make the wrong decision. There is also a major concern with his tackling both after giving up the catch and coming down in run support. He has prototypical size for the position and knows how to use it well. When it comes to contesting the catch point he is focused and works hard to disrupt the pass.
Brandon Jones, S, Texas
Jones has a lot of experience for the Longhorns, and has the ideal size and build you want for an NFL safety. He has the skills to be a great help in run support, but also can drop back and has good range in coverage. His ball skills are non-existent, but he offers a solid versatility in scheme and what he brings to a defense.
Antoine Brooks, S, Maryland
Has good size at 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds, and is a freak athlete. His play in coverage is solid, he does great in run support, and is a very capable blitzer. Brooks can be moved all over the field and be used as a true chess piece with his skill-set. His versatility also seems to be a concern because he has so many different areas that still need to be developed and no set position. Additionally, his feet can be slow and look like they are stuck in mud and NFL teams need to see him close on the ball quicker.
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