Early 2020 NFL Draft Prospects to watch
Kirby O'Connor
|
Justin Herbert, QB, Oregon
Herbert is sitting as the top quarterback prospect for the 2020 draft. The Ducks signal caller is coming off a campaign where he threw for 3000+ yards and 29 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions. Herbert is the kind of man that the Vikings seem to want as their quarterback. A very even keeled player, he doesn’t seem phased by anything, and he always wants to make his teammates better. Herbert was a high prospect this offseason, but chose to remain at Oregon for his senior season to play with his brother, an incoming Tight End recruit. Herbert’s strength, accuracy, and decision making make him a great college quarterback, but that doesn’t mean he’ll pan out in the NFL. In any case, unless the Vikings tank hard it’s unlikely that Herbert falls to them. However, if they do fail to do much of anything this year and somehow end up with a top pick, don’t be surprised to see Herbert taken as the heir to Kirk Cousins’ throne.
Photo Credit: University Of Minnesota Athletics
Tyler Johnson, WR, Minnesota
It has been a long while since Minnesota Gophers football fans have had a chance to get excited, but Minneapolis North alumnus Tyler Johnson is really set for an incredible senior season. Last year Johnson led the Gophers with 1,169 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. The first time a Gopher has reached the 1,000 yard mark since Eric Decker in 2008. All of this came while Minnesota was trying to find an identity on offense after losing the next 2 prospects on my list. Johnson isn’t going to be an outside deep threat any time in the near future, although he has flashed some of those skills, but he is a YAC monster and has that uncanny ability to find the soft spots in zones, create space on his cuts, and make contested catches in tight space. All of these traits he shares with current Vikings receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs. He’s not to the level of Diggs and Thielen, but if the Vikes are still searching for a WR3 in next year’s draft they could do a lot worse than Johnson.
Photo Credit: University Of Minnesota Athletics
Photo Credit: University Of Minnesota Athletics
Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks, RB, Minnesota
I might be cheating a bit here by including three Gophers on this list, but what can I say, I know my audience. The Gophers might have the deepest backfield in the nation with a healthy Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith to go with last year’s breakout star Mohamed Ibrahim. Both Brooks and Smith lost last season to knee injuries, both have filed for medical redshirts and will be with the team for an extra season. Brooks has nearly 2,000 yards in his collegiate career while Smith has nearly 3,000. We saw Alabama have two running backs picked in this year’s draft, and we could see it again this year, but with Minnesota backs. Smith is the more pro-ready of the two, but Brooks has slightly more size. Either way, both should be mid-late round players, but could also fall off as UDFAs if injury concerns arise again.
Photo Credit: Auburn University Athletics
Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn
The Minnesota Vikings have had Linval Joseph anchoring their interior defensive line since he was let go by the Giants in 2014. However, Linval is not going to remain the dominant force he once was. Joseph will be 31 in October, and the Vikings should be searching for his replacement. Of course the Vikings have a smattering of talented interior players on their roster already, but the need for a truly dominant defensive tackle is apparent. This is where Auburn’s Derrick Brown comes in. At 6’5” and 318 lbs, Brown is a beast of a man, and uses that size to his advantage. He is known to be a bruising bull rusher who is capable of disrupting an offensive gameplan. His hands are some of the best in college football, and when his technique is on he can truly take on any lineman in the country. He also has impressive movement and range for a big man, and could slide around on the interior of the line to create confusion with the offensive gameplan. He has things he could work on, for example, he needs to work on identifying blocking scheme in front of him and making the right moves off of it. He also needs to work on keeping his pad level low and using leverage on every play. Despite these faults, Brown should be one of the best defensive tackle prospects in next year’s draft.
Photo Credit: University Of Nebraska Athletics
Lamar Jackson, DB, Nebraska
Some may say I have a Big Ten bias with this list, well, I do. Lamar Jackson, the one still in college, is a big defensive back. The Vikings will be in need of more defensive backs with contracts running out on several key contributors including Trae Waynes and Anthony Harris. Nebraska’a Lamar Jackson stands at 6’3” and 215 lbs, meaning he’s about one inch shorter than current Vikings safety Jayron Kearse. Jackson has experience matching up in single coverage and as a high safety, so he has versatility to play multiple positions. Jayron Kearse has been used as a big nickel and safety in his time with the team and Jackson could probably do the same. Jackson has some concerns, namely that he plays recklessly and was benched at one point last year for undisciplined play and actions. Of course this can be a problem, but Jackson has another year to iron out these issues and prove himself worthy of a shot in the NFL. Jackson’s upside is very good and he should be one of the top defensive backs in this year’s class.