Tag: Zack Baun

The 2020 NFL Draft is one day away and as the NFL prepares to go virtual with its anticipated draft presentation, our team is gearing up too.

Following, we rank this year’s top 32 prospects. This isn’t a mock draft, simply the 32 best players regardless of position. As usual, the quarterbacks will be chosen before their ranking, but that’s the nature of the NFL game today.

LSU leads the way with 6 prospects followed by SEC-rival Alabama with 5 prospects in our top 32. The SEC has half the top prospects (16), followed by the Big 10 with 6, the Big 12 with 5, the ACC with 4 and the Pac 12 has one top talent.

The draft begins at 8:00 pm on Thursday with the first round. ESPN, ABC and the NFL Network bring the action from Bristol, CT.  The second and third rounds continue Friday night at 7:00 pm and conclude with rounds four through seven at noon on Saturday.

32. LSU free safety Grant Delpit, the Jim Thorpe Award winner, has a rare blend of size, length, speed and fluidity. He’s a menace in zone coverage and has a knack for always being around the ball. The 6-3, 205-pound junior runs a 4.39 40.

31. Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts is a proven winner. The 6-1, 222 former Alabama QB runs a 4.59 40, is calm under pressure, has toughness and possesses the ability to extend plays and escape the pocket. He’s played on the biggest stage and is a student of the game.

30. Wisconsin linebacker Zack Baun is athletic and has a nonstop motor. The 6-3, 238 first team all-American runs a 4.65 40 and finished the season with 12.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss.

29. Alabama safety Xavier McKinney lined up at safety, corner, inside linebacker and outside linebacker last season for the Tide. His 4.6 40 time is blazing but he has ‘football speed’. The 6’, 205-pound playmaker had four forced fumbles and three interceptions, knocked down five passes and blocked a kick in 2019.

28. Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell can cover in both man and zone looks. He is competitive, will contest every ball and supports the run well. At 6-1, 195 pounds, Terrell and his 4.42 speed will see plenty of action his rookie year.

27. USC tackle Austin Jackson is a big man with a bigger heart. The 6-5, 322 junior contributed bone marrow to his sister last summer and returned to play last season. He has all the intangibles and physical tools.

26. Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins, at 6-4, 216 pounds, averaged more than 19 yards per reception in two of his three seasons with the Tigers. He can play multiple receiver spots and no player in the draft goes after the ball better in in contested situations.

25. TCU defensive tackle Ross Blacklock has a limited portfolio due to missing the 2018 season with a torn Achilles tendon. But the 6-3, 290-pounder runs a 4.9 40 who generates power quickly, right from his first step and has shown the ability to work through double-teams.

24. LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is an elusive runner with a quick step to the hole. The 5-7, 207-pound back runs a 4.60 40 and in 270 touches in 2019, lost only one fumble. In the passing game, he is excellent out of the backfield.

23. TCU corner back Jeff Gladney is an ‘in-your-face’ corner and plays with a competitive mean streak. At 5-10½, 191-pounds, he runs a 4.48 40 and had 42 college starts.

22. Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross- Matos is quick and has a fast motor. The 6-5, 266-pound Gross-Matos had 35 tackles for loss over the past two seasons.

21.  Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa is a full-service defensive end who excels when it comes to shutting down the run. He consistently shows quickness, plays with power and balance, which indicates that this 6-5, 280-pounder, who contributed 26.5 sacks in three seasons for the Hawkeyes, could line up in a 3-, 4- or 5-technique player.

20. LSU linebacker Patrick Queen can anchor a defense because he has three-down ability and a knack for covering and bringing down playmakers. What the 6’, 229-pounder lacks in length and size, he makes up for it in speed (4.5 40) and in his ability to diagnose plays.

19. Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray (6-2½, 241, 4.52 40) has tremendous range and finishes tackles all over the field. He has elite burst, and his play speed is among the best on the board.

18. Georgia tailback D’Andre Swift (5-8¼, 212 pounds) is the most complete tailback in this draft class. He has outstanding vision, speed (4.48 40), body control and smooth hips. Swift rushed for 2,885 yards, averaged 6.6 yards per carry, had 73 receptions and 25 touchdowns in his three seasons for the Bulldogs. The junior’s ability to pick up blitzers in pass protection also sets him apart.

17. South Carolina defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw has the size (6-5, 324 pounds), length and power to overwhelm opponents. A first team all-American, he has an explosive first step and elite power.

16. Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III’s 4.27 40 time would qualify as high draft consideration alone, but his ability to explode off the line of scrimmage and get vertical allows him to easily create separation on underneath routes. The 5-11, 188-pound speedster creates instant space in the vertical passing game and his quality routes and good hands will make an instant impact.

15. Florida cornerback C.J. Henderson is a fluid athlete who is well versed in press and off-man coverage. He possesses good length (6-1, 204 pounds), speed (4.39 in the 40) and the strength to be a team’s shut-down corner.

14. LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson can line up at multiple receiver positions He has some of the best hands on the board and runs well after the catch. The 6-1¼, 202- pound junior led the nation with 111 receptions and his 18 receiving touchdowns ranked second. His 4.43 speed helped him accumulate 1,540 last season.

13. Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton is not only a huge human being (6-7, 364 pounds), he is athletic powerful and fast (5.0 40).

12. Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb is an explosive athlete who catches the ball with timing and precision. His catch radius is enormous, and he has the strength to break tackles on a consistent basis. The 6-1⅝, 198-pound playmaker, who runs a 4.50 40, caught 173 passes for 3,292 yards and scored 32 touchdowns during his three seasons in Norman.

11. LSU defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson, at 6-3, 254 pounds, is an impact pass-rusher. He is loaded with potential, has football smarts, has demonstrated leadership skills and has a quick first step off the snap.

10. Iowa offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs plays with balance and the ability to counter. The 6-5, 320-pound tackle started 33 games at Iowa. His 4.85 40 time is blazing for a lineman. Pencil him to start once the season begins.

9. Alabama offensive tackle Jedrick Wills started 29 games for the Tide. The 6-4½, 312-pound people-mover has the ability to protect the edge against speed rushers. He’s an immediate starter at right tackle.

8. Georgia offensive tackle Andrew Thomas has a unique combination of length and size (6-5, 320 pounds), athleticism, hands and balance. The junior started 41 games for the Bulldogs and has extensive experience playing left tackle — the money spot on the offensive line. Day one starter.

7. Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has accuracy, instincts, a quick release, athleticism and a feel in the pocket. The 6-1, 215-pound Hawaiian native’s deep ball is borderline ridiculous. He tossed 33 touchdowns in nine starts last season and had only 11 interceptions in 32 college games.

6. Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown is a human wrecking ball. He’s 6-5, 325-pounds with the movement skills of a linebacker. He explodes off the snap and has the power to back any center up into the quarterback if he’s solo blocked. Brown has the versatility to play several roles in a number of schemes.

5. Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy is a phenomenal route runner who has terrific quickness and a knack for creating separation from defensive backs. The 6-1, 193-pound speedster (4.45 40) finished his Crimson Tide career with 159 receptions for 2,742 yards and 26 touchdowns.

4. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow had a senior season for the ages, leading the Tigers to the national championship and winning the Heisman Trophy. The 6-3, 222-pound Ohio native threw an insane 60 touchdown passes in 2019. Against the three teams LSU faced that finished among the nation’s top 10 in scoring defense, he threw for an average of 368.3 yards with 12 touchdown passes and no interceptions. He’s a leader, athletic, confident, poised and accurate.

3. Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah doesn’t have much of resume because no one ever challenges him. A driven, intelligent player with rare skills, the 6-1, 205-pound shutdown corner is an opening day starter. A 4.48 40 man, he has rare closing speed, quickly recognize routes, handles zone coverages and excels in man coverage.

2. Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons possesses rare length (6-4, 238-pounds), speed (4.39 40) and strength (20 reps of 225), which makes him the prototype for the modern day, multi-position player so many teams are seeking. He projects as an early-down safety who can drop to linebacker in nickel and dime packages. His unique ability to spy and shrink the field against dual-threat quarterbacks is a game-changing quality.

1. Ohio State defensive end Chase Young has a rare combination of high-end production and enormous upside once he refines his handwork and counters. The 6-5, 263-pound Buckeye is explosive off the snap and fluid in his movement. In 2019, he had 16.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and 21 tackles for loss, with an amazing 45.7% of his tackles coming behind the line of scrimmage.

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