Tag: 2020 nfl draft rbs

What D’Andre Swift’s final college game says about him

Detroit Lions second round pick D’Andre Swift played through pain and risked his NFL Draft stock in his final two college games.

The Detroit Lions are getting more than just a great competitor in Georgia Bulldogs running back D’Andre Swift. They’re also getting a great teammate.

Lions coach Matt Patricia and Detroit selected Swift with the 35th overall pick. In Swift, they have an elite player who toughened through a shoulder injury during the final two games of his college career.

After suffering a shoulder contusion against Georgia Tech, Swift fought through the pain to no avail against the unstoppable LSU Tigers in the SEC Championship. The Georgia Bulldogs were vying for a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Fast forward to Georgia’s 2020 Sugar Bowl game against the Baylor Bears. Loads of healthy, elite NFL Draft talent sat out the game for the Dawgs. Kirby Smart and Georgia were embarrassed by their performance in the 2019 Sugar Bowl against the Texas Longhorns.

D’Andre Swift’s shoulder continued to hurt and he was expected to sit, but he elected to play through the pain in a game without any CFP implications. Instead, Swift wanted to be out their for his teammates. He put his body and his NFL Draft stock on the line for one play:

Swift’s act of selflessness helped Georgia grab momentum in the Sugar Bowl and ultimately defeat Baylor. The Bears’ defense bit hard on the fake to Swift. Detroit Lions fans can anticipate Swift to be a great teammate. Swift got to end his Georgia career on a sweet note.

Despite his shoulder injury, Detroit shouldn’t be concerned about his durability. Swift will share the backfield with Kerryon Johnson and only carried the ball 440 times in his college career.

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USA TODAY NFL mock draft: D’Andre Swift still on the board

USA TODAY NFL mock draft snubs Georgia running back D’Andre Swift in the first round. Andrew Thomas is the only Dawg selected in the top 32.

According to our USATODAY NFL mock draft, only one Georgia Bulldog will be selected in the first round. Georgia’s stud left tackle Andrew Thomas has fallen down draft boards a little bit, but he’s a near unanimous first round pick.

In fact, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Andrew Thomas 14th overall in the mock draft. Thomas would have a chance to block for legendary quarterback Tom Brady in Tampa. New England’s 2018 first round pick Isaiah Wynn blocked for Brady as left tackle. Now, Brady would have another first round pick out of Georgia as his left tackle in Andrew Thomas.

Feb 26, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana; Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Andrew Thomas speaks to the media during the 2020 NFL Combine.  Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Beyond Thomas, the biggest Georgia-related shocker of the USA TODAY NFL mock draft is that D’Andre Swift didn’t get picked in the first round. Altogether no running back was selected in the first round.

The NFL is off and on about valuing the running back position. Swift is a first round talent, but what team will value his position enough to select him? First round running backs traditionally make an immediate impact.

Swift is one of the best receiving backs in the draft, so that aspect of his game is league-ready. Swift has frequently been mocked to the Miami Dolphins at the 18th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Will that be the case come late April?

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UGA’s D’Andre Swift gets NFL Draft comparison to legend

Georgia Bulldogs star running back D’Andre Swift is an elite 2020 NFL Draft prospect.

Georgia Bulldogs star running back D’Andre Swift will be missed in 2020. Swift, a five-star recruit out of Philadelphia, made the most of his time in Athens and gutted through the Sugar Bowl and SEC Championship with a shoulder injury.

Now, Swift is preparing for the 2020 NFL Draft. Swift is considered among the top running back prospects. He didn’t take a beating in college, so he should have a decent NFL shelf life.

NFL.com is comparing UGA’s D’Andre Swift to NFL legend (he’ll be a Hall of Famer when/if he retires) Frank Gore.

Dec 28, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore (21) rushes for a gain during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium. The against the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 20-17. Credit: Ed Szczepanski-USA TODAY Sports

Gore is an interesting comparison for Swift. Gore’s durability in the NFL may never be matched again. Gore has played in 226 games since his rookie season in 2005. He was a third round pick out of Miami when the San Francisco 49ers drafted him.

Gore has made five Pro Bowls and rushed for over 15,000 rushing yards in his career, good for third all-time. D’Andre Swift would take Frank Gore’s career in a heartbeat.

Swift should not be compared to Frank Gore. Swift will run fasted at the NFL Combine (Gore ran a 4.59 forty) and is more of a modern, explosive, and quick running back, while Gore relies on vision, strength, durability, and consistency. Swift is better suited as a receiver. He’s better compared to a back like Dalvin Cook or Kenyan Drake in today’s NFL.

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PFF Analyst: Georgia’s D’Andre Swift ‘not worth a first rounder’

Georgia Bulldog running back D’Andre Swift is set to enter the 2020 NFL Draft as one of the top running backs

Georgia Bulldog running back D’Andre Swift is set to enter the 2020 NFL Draft as one of the top running backs. Will he be the first running back taken?

Swift went 18th overall in one of the latest mock drafts. He’s universally considered one of the most talented backs in the draft. Swift’s main competition to be the first back selected is Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor, FSU’s Cam Akers, Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins, Utah’s Zack Moss, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire of LSU.

PFF ranks Swift as the second best running back in the NFL Draft. In fact, a PFF Analyst Jeff Ratcliffe considered a solid, but not an elite back because Swift:

Ran behind the highest graded power 5 run blocking offensive line at Georgia. He had a great situation… he was just solid and solid is not worth a first rounder.

Below is the full video on Swift:

Part of me wants to agree with PFF, but Swift faced numerous stacked boxes due to the lack of a deep passing game last season at UGA. Swift is a nightmare to tackle in the open field with his patented dead-leg juke.

Swift has impressive vision and is versatile. Swift is a better receiver than most of the backs in the 2020 NFL Draft. NFL offenses want running backs, like Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Saquon Barkley, who are mismatches in both the passing and running game. LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire and D’Andre Swift fit that mold and that’s why Swift will end up as a first round pick provided his shoulder is good to go.

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