See who landed the best bargains across all seven round of the 2020 NFL Draft
After three days of telecasts, interviews, and 255 selections the 2020 NFL Draft is now in the books.
We were promised chaos, uncertainty and surprises throughout the entire process. After the first 10 selections that provided no trading, we started to see a little bit of that chaos.
Prior to the undrafted free agency rush, let’s take a look at the 10 biggest steals of the class:
Trevon Diggs | CB | Alabama
Dallas Cowboys | 2nd Round | No. 51 overall
Trevon was a converted wide receiver at Alabama and Nick Saban was able to mold him into one of the best ballhawks at the position among the NFL Draft hopefuls. Most draft boards, including Luke Easterling’s board, ranked him as a top-32 player in the draft. Now he joins a team that seemingly received steal after steal over the three-day event.
The Philadelphia Eagles selected 10 players in the 2020 NFL Draft
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The 2020 NFL Draft is completed and the Eagles and their fans can welcome ten former collegiate stars to the fold after Howie Roseman did his usual wheeling and dealing.
1st: WR J. Reagor
2nd: QB J. Hurts
3rd: LB D. Taylor
4th: DB K Wallace
4th: OL J. Driscoll
5th: WR J. Hightower
6th: LB S. Bradley
6th: WR Q. Watkins
6th: OL P. Wanogho
7th: DE C. Toohill
Also: Acquired M. Goodwin, ’21 5th-rd pick.
The Eagles added a ton of speed to the lineup with the selections of Reagor, Taylor at linebacker, Hightower, Watkins, and the acquisition of Marquise Goodwin.
Instant analysis of the Eagles selecting an elite athlete in Boise St. WR John Hightower
The Philadelphia Eagles started the NFL draft off as one of the slowest teams in the NFL but after some late-round movement, the Eagles have a few elite athletes on the roster.
The Eagles added Jalen Reagor in the first-round on Thursday and then added the athletic John Hightower from Boise State in the fifth round.
An elite athlete who’ll give opponents matchup nightmares, Hightower led Boise State in receiving last season.
Here are 3 takeaways from the pick:
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1. Hightower is a supreme athlete
A former JUCO star, Hightower is a big-time vertical threat that can damage a defense from multiple positions.
Hightower went to Hinds Community College in Mississippi to run track after high school but ended up excelling in football
Eagles select WR John Hightower with No. 168 overall pick in 2020 NFL Draft
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The Philadelphia Eagles are starting to hit their groove and after acquiring Marquise Goodwin via trade, the Philadelphia Eagles selected speedy Boise State wideout John Hightower in the fifth round.
#Eagles draft Boise St. WR John Hightower with the No. 168 overall pick, 23d in the 5th round.
How might the rest of the Los Angeles Chargers’ draft shape up?
After having no picks on Friday evening since they were included in the package to get linebacker Kenneth Murray, the Chargers are now back in business with four selections on Day 3 of the draft – barring any trades.
What might they do with their final picks? Using Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator, I took a crack at how general manager Tom Telesco might wrap up this year’s draft class.
Round 4 | Ben Bartch | OT | St. John’s
For months now, Bartch has been a favorite of mine and after making it out of the second day, there’s a possibility that the Chargers could be eyeing him with the No. 112 overall selection if he gets past the first few teams at the top of the fourth-round.
If Los Angeles was to select Bartch, they’d be getting a player who is a technically refined blocker who possesses the footwork, athleticism, play awareness and quick hands, projecting as a high-upside developmental left tackle with the ability to play some guard.
Round 5 | John Hightower | WR | Boise State
The Chargers have one of the best one-two punches at the wide receiver position, but the thing that the positional group is lacking is speed.
With Hightower, the athleticism and track-like speed (4.43 40) is evident, but he also possesses the separation skills, ball skills and jumping ability to high point the football. Often used on sweep plays, Hightower is a threat to break off for a huge play whenever he has the football. He can also help in the kick-return game.
Round 6 | Harrison Hand | CB | Temple
The Chargers need to address the cornerback position because Michael Davis was up and down last season, he failed to stay on the field in the final games, and he has one more year remaining on his contract.
Hand, the 5-foot-11 and 197 pounder showed to flourish in zone coverage for the Owls, using his read-and-react skills and eye discipline to make plays, projecting as a backup corner with starter upside.
Round 7 | Sewo Olonilua | RB | TCU
Olonilua, the 6-foot-3 and 232 pounder would be the perfect compliment to Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson, as his powerful style of running would be able to serve in short yardage situations, his physicality would aide in pass protection, and he has the ability to even catch passes out of the backfield.
You know the names at the top. Joe Burrow. Tua Tagovailoa. But the NFL Draft has seven rounds. Who are the top sleepers for the 2020 Draft?
The hay, as they say, is in the barn.
Here at Touchdown Wire, we have made you as ready as possible for the start of the 2020 NFL Draft. We have broken down our top 11 at each position. We have put together our top 50 overall players, along with a list of comparisons for each player, to get you ready for Thursday night. We have assembled various film breakdowns, watched tape with prospects, and given you a variety of mock drafts to game out various scenarios.
But the work goes on, and the dream never dies.
By “the dream,” we mean the NFL hopes for players that might not be included in those previous pieces. Players that might not have cracked a top 11 at their position. Players that might not break into a top fifty list, and players that might have to wait until Friday or even Saturday to see how their NFL story begins.
Part of the reason that people love sports is the underdog story. Rocky. Rudy.Miracle. Movies that capture our attention are rooted in pulling for the longshot. Before they became the Evil Empire, the New England Patriots were the crappy underdog, led by a sixth-round sleeper of a quarterback, taking on the Greatest Show on Turf. It is why people love March Madness, as it taps into our love of Cinderella stories, and why we still get choked up when Gene Hackman says his team is on the floor.
In that spirit, here are some of the best sleepers in this draft class. Underdogs that might not hear their name called until late on Saturday, but players that have both NFL dreams, and NFL potential.
Logan Wilson, LB, Wyoming
(Troy Babbitt-USA TODAY Sports)
Logan Wilson cracked Touchdown Wire’s list of the top 11 linebackers, but as we get closer and closer to the draft the Wyoming defender might be moving even higher on draft boards. Wilson received just one scholarship offer coming out of Natrona County High School in Wyoming, despite being a two-time All-State performer at both defensive back and wide receiver. But after a redshirt year, Wilson was slotted into Wyoming’s defense as a linebacker, and never looked back. Over his four years on campus he played 3,618 snaps, which is almost a Cal Ripkenesque number in today’s college game.
On the field, Wilson is a smart, experienced and patient linebacker who is ready to take on the responsibilities asked of him in an NFL defense. Wilson is a sure tackler between the tackles in the run game, moves well as a blitzer and handles his coverage responsibilities well. Over his career he tallied ten interceptions, an impressive number for any college linebacker. Given the need to stop the pass, linebackers who can both cover and still stop the run are a desired commodity, and Wilson checks both of those boxes.
Beyond that, Wilson checks some of the throwback desirables at the position. If you are a coach or a general manager that loves seeing a linebacker standup a lead blocker in the hole, shed him at the point of attack and make the tackle, then Wilson is going to get you excited.
But he can also contribute plays like this, one of the more amazing moments from the 2017 college football season:
Wilson has the coverage chops and experience to handle the pass defense aspects of the position, but the nose for the football, along with the stack and shed requirements, that will allow him to play on both first and second downs in the league. Perhaps it is no surprise that in Bob McGinn’s pre-draft piece on the linebackers (his pre-draft series is must-read every year) a scout told him that Wilson is a starter with a chance to play every snap given his experience.
