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USA TODAY Sports Mackenzie Salmon sat down with Georgia football star D’Andre Swift, the top running back prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft, to see how he’s preparing for the draft during the pandemic. Salmon also asked what it would be like to team up with Tom Brady and the Bucs.
“Every little kid’s dream,” said Swift when asked about the possibility of playing with Brady in Tampa.
Swift also walked Salmon through how he has been training during quarantine. He said that he has been staying in Athens to prepare for the draft and drives roughly an hour each day to Buford, Georgia where one of his trainers is located.
February up until the actual draft is a terribly busy time for both teams and prospects. This year, they’ve been thrown a curveball as coronavirus has prevented both parties from actually having face-to-face pre-draft meetings.
Swift said that almost everything has been conducted via FaceTime. Technically difficulties, weak internet connection and other obstacles have made that slightly more difficult, he added.
Swift said he will be home in Philadelphia during the NFL Draft to watch and celebrate with his family as he hears his name called.
And that shouldn’t take long — it’s expected that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will announce Swift’s name either in the first or early second round , seeing as how he is considered to be the top back in the draft.
His versatility with and without the ball in his hands is what makes him so special compared to other tailbacks in this draft class. Not only can he run you over, but he can also blow past you with his speed and he has one of the nastiest arsenals of jukes, spins and cuts that you’ll see from a college running back. But what really sets him apart is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and make things happen.
Swift’s catching numbers by season:
2017: 17 receptions, 153 yards, 1 TD
2018: 32 receptions, 297 yards, 3 TDs
2019: 24 receptions, 216 yards, 1 TD
If you get Swift into the right offense the sky is the limit.
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