2020 Rookie Draft: Players 1-36 Part 2
In Part 1 of my series, I highlighted my top 24 rookies for the 2020 NFL Draft.
The 2020 NFL Draft is as anticipated as any draft in recent history. While the field of available players could change due to late-season injury or some of the large number of juniors choosing to forego NFL eligibility to instead return to school, it’s a broad field of talent for fantasy coaches, offering something for everyone. In most fantasy rookie drafts, talent and/or drafted situation largely deteriorates rather quickly, often after the first three-to-five selections, leaving a tremendous amount of guesswork for teams in the second half of the first round and beyond. The 2020 looks to be so deep that even those picking later in the first or into the second round are going to have quality talent to choose from. Simply put, the 2020 talent depth is as deep as I’ve seen.
While many are excited about early rookie round selections, I’ve always been most intrigued by round three candidates. Perhaps it’s because that is where my scouting ability and work tend to pay off or because the cost of round three selections is so much less when compared to earlier rounds. Probably a combination of both. Regardless of the reason, I routinely find quality fantasy producers in rounds three and beyond and this is just one of the reasons why you belong to DLF. We can help you sift through the ‘noise’ and hype to target higher-likelihood potential.
Before listing my next 12 would-be rookies, let’s take a look at the players making up the first two rounds as found in Part 1 of this series. If you are interested in the commentary for these players, please revisit the previous articles linked here or in Part 1.
Round One
1.  Jerry Jeudy (6’1/192), WR Alabama – Junior
2.  D’Andre Swift (5’9/215), RB Georgia – Junior
3.  Travis Etienne (5’10/210), RB Clemson – Junior
4.  Jonathan Taylor (5’11/219), RB Wisconsin – Junior
5.  Ceedee Lamb (6’2/189), WR Oklahoma – Junior
6. J.K. Dobbins (5’10/217), RB Ohio State – Junior
7.  Tee Higgins (6’4/215), WR Clemson – Junior
8.  Laviska Shenault Jr. (6’2/220), WR Colorado – Junior
9.  Najee Harris (6’2/230), RB Alabama – Junior
10.  Chuba Hubbard (6’1/207), RB Oklahoma State – Sophomore (eligible)
11.  Henry Ruggs III (6’0/190), WR Alabama – Junior
12.  Antonio Gandy-Golden (6’4/220), WR Liberty – Senior
Round Two
13.  Justin Jefferson (6’3/192), WR LSU – Junior
14. Zack Moss (5’10/222), RB Utah – Senior
15.  Tyler Johnson (6’2/205), WR Minnesota – Senior
16. Jalen Reagor (5’11/195), WR TCU – Junior
17.  Michael Pittman Jr. (6’4/223), WR USC – Senior
18.  Cam Akers (5’11/210), RB Florida State – Junior
19.  Joe Burrow (6’4/216), QB LSU – Senior
20.  DeVonta Smith (6’1/178), WR Alabama – Senior
21.  Brycen Hopkins (6’5/245), TE Purdue – Senior
22.  Albert Okwuegbunam (6’5/255), TE Missouri – Junior
23.  A.J. Dillon (6’0/245), RB Boston College – Junior
24.  Justin Herbert (6’6/237), QB Oregon – Senior
Round Three
25. Tua Tagovailoa, QB Alabama
6’1/218 Lbs. – Junior
Tagovailoa is extremely difficult to rank following his injury. It’s not an every-day injury and the impact of it to athletes isn’t favorable in most cases. Even Tagovailoa himself has said he expects his agility to, potentially, not be the same again. This will be a situation to watch over the next few months though all expectations are that he is still going to declare come January. It will now be a risk-reward selection for an NFL team but, in fantasy, I likely will not be touching him until the third round, at the earliest. He’s easy to root for and was in the running for the first overall selection in 2020 so expect wide variations in value.
26. Jake Fromm, QB Georgia
6’2/220 Lbs. – Junior
Fromm has the look for a third-round fantasy quarterback very dependent on drafted situation. His arm is adequate but not big. He’s on the smaller side of 6’2″ and may even measure under 6’1″. There’s such a need at the position in 2020 that he’ll likely be over-drafted and would benefit from at least a year on the sidelines before being under center. He carries a fair amount of risk for a quarterback selected in the first round and, even in super-flex formats, there will be an element of caveat emptor (buyer beware).
27. Kylin Hill, RB Mississippi State
5’11/215 Lbs. – Junior
Hill is an intriguing runner who brings elements of physicality, energy and attitude. I very much like his progression as a runner from 2018 to 2019 and he still has room for improvement. He plays more quickly than his 215 lbs. weight and he runs with greater physicality than would be expected. He has a tendency to drop his head into contact which scares me and he could benefit from running behind his pads far more than he displays. He doesn’t exhibit much patience to the line of scrimmage but is also able to quickly discern where seams will appear and he hits them with energy and drive. A focus on patience, running behind his pads and development of a stiff-arm could make him a solid producer at the next level.
28. Sage Surratt, WR Wake Forest
6’3/215 Lbs. – Sophomore (Eligible)
Surratt may return to school in 2020 after suffering a season-ending injury in November of this year. Prior to the injury (shoulder), Surratt was piling up yardage and receptions, totaling 1,001 and 66 respectively while producing 11 touchdowns. Played basketball and has leaping skills in addition to possessing fine hands and physicality in his routes, at the point of reception and with the ball in his hands in space. He’s a natural hands-catcher with elite ball tracking over his shoulder and while he doesn’t appear to possess long speed, he’s possesses many other traits to make him an intriguing target in the NFL Draft. As long as he heals as expected with no lingering effects, he’ll be coveted by NFL scouts for his physicality, hands and use of his size. If he declares in early-2020, he’ll be one of my favorite sleeper rookie targets. Pay special attention to his 40-time at the Combine.
29. Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB LSU
5’8/209 Lbs. – Junior
Edwards-Helaire (CEH) is a difficult back to rank but he’s come on in 2019 and while I don’t normally gravitate to ‘smaller’ backs for the NFL, he’s got that wide base with thick thighs to make the jump. He’s an extremely patient runner with acceleration to hit the hole when it develops. His leg drive is excellent and that aforementioned wide base makes him difficult to bring down. Lateral agility and balance at the hips is just shy of elite. And perhaps my favorite aspects to CEH are his production against ranked opponents and his SEC affiliation. He dropped 136 yards and a touchdown on Auburn and 103 yards and three touchdowns against Alabama in the following week, not to mention nine receptions, 77 yards and another touchdown through the air. My biggest question marks surround speed and ability to carry the load but he possesses enough other traits to make this list and have upside.
30. Bryan Edwards, WR South Carolina
6’3/215 Lbs. – Junior
Another big-bodied receiver in this draft class, Edwards has been productive all four years at South Carolina while not putting together an over-the-top season. He’s been productive against top-ranked teams as well as unranked opponents and appears to be the prototype for what NFL scouts looks for in an outside receiver. Edwards doesn’t appear to possess elite agility or long speed, instead winning with physicality in his routes and strong hands at the point of reception. He’s not without speed but seems to be more of a ‘roller’ in and out of breaks. Like many others, drafted situation will be key but he could have early-career impact as a possession-style+ receiver at the next level.
31. Eno Benjamin, RB Arizona State
5’10/201 Lbs. – Junior
Good production in both years as a starter. Looks like he can add weight to his frame from his listed 201 lbs. which will raise his value. Solid receiver out of the backfield with a total of 77 receptions over his two years with games remaining in 2019. An odd mix of power and elusivity creates intrigue in Benjamin and he’s a bit of a tweener in my book. Good level of agility but often tends to fall back to it when he should lower his shoulder and take on the defender. Reminds me a bit of a smaller Kenyan Drake.
32. Ke’Shawn Vaughn, RB Vanderbilt
5’10/201 Lbs – Senior
Vaughn will appear on the radar of scouts for his YAC (yards after contact) skill. Rarely does the first defender bring him down and should he have any momentum behind him, he’ll be the one delivering the punishment. He’s eclipsed 1,000 yards two years in a row and has produced 21 touchdowns thus far with games still remaining. In 2019, he’s shown improved hands out of the backfield and is on pace to nearly equal his reception total from his first three year here in his senior year. He’s a one-cut downhill runner that won’t make would-be tacklers miss, but he’s an NFL caliber back.
33. Jalen Hurts, QB Oklahoma
6’2/210 Lbs. – Senior
Hurts resurrected his career at Oklahoma after losing his starting job to Tua Tagovailoa while at Alabama. He responded with over 3,300 yards passing, 31 touchdowns to only six interceptions with games still remaining. Better yet, Hurts has maintained his completion percentage which currently sits at 71.9%. Showcasing his mobility, Hurts has also run for over 1,200 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2019, bringing his career rushing touchdowns to an impressive 41. He’s a rough stone as far as mechanics at the position but there’s plenty of upside here in the new-look NFL featuring mobile quarterbacks.
34. Omar Bayless, WR Arkansas State
6’3/207 Lbs. – Senior
A one-hand reception artist, Bayless has plus-level hand-eye coordination and excellent physicality at the point of reception. If he’s able to time well in his 40, he has a chance to significantly increase his draft stock heading into the NFL Draft. He’s a bit of a one-year wonder and I have not watched enough film to determine whether this is due to his development as a receiver or, perhaps, scheme or quarterback issues. Additionally, Bayless has not had significant experience against top ranked corners or opponents, his lone 2019 taste coming against #3 ranked Georgia in week three, the same week he totaled his lowest yardage total (54) of the season and one of only two weeks he has yet to find the end zone.
35. Gabriel Davis, WR UCF
6’3/212 Lbs. – Junior
OBJ look-alike Gabriel Davis is an off-the-radar receiver I’m doing more research on. Playing to his listed size, Davis won’t be highly targeted in the NFL Draft but has potential not only due to his aforementioned size but also for his ability to high point incoming passes, plus-level long speed and quickness off the line of scrimmage. Also a bit of a one-year wonder, though he did score seven touchdowns in 2018 on 53 receptions, more work will be needed toward determining why he didn’t post similar numbers in 2018. He’s only a junior and there’s a chance he returns to school to build upon a very solid 2019 campaign. Davis is one of those rookies who could be so far off the radar that he can be drafted beyond round three or from your free agent pool following the draft.
36. Elijah Mitchell, RB Louisiana
5’11/217 Lbs. – Junior
I always like to end round three with a couple/few off-the-radar players and Elijah Mitchell is one of the backs I’m watching as we near declaration day. Mitchell eclipsed 1,000 yards (1,007) in 2019 with 14 touchdowns, a follow-on performance from 2018 when he totaled 977 yards and 13 touchdowns. I’m going to need to scare up more tape on this back but my initial impression is very good. Seems to possess quality hands out of the backfield. As a runner, he runs with good balance, solid lower leg drive and physicality at the point of contact. Speed appears to be only fair but is improved due to his lower-base which makes for difficult tackling from behind or from inferior positions. While I like what I see with Mitchell initially, he’s an even-odds bet to fall from my top three rounds as I expand my field of players to be reviewed.
Summary
I can’t overstate enough and I’ll say it again, it’s VERY early in the identification process and there will be many changes to this list. This holds even more true in the third round of fantasy rookie drafts. While I still prefer talent over situation, the lines between players are decidedly less dark and sometimes a veteran quarterback or offensive minded head coach can make the different between a player who is never heard from again and an early-career producer. 2020 looks to be a draft where the third round will present even more opportunities than I normally see.
Too many fantasy coaches quickly trade away round three draft selections, prefering to have a known commodity now as opposed to a spin of the rookie wheel in a later round. While I fully understand the motivation, round three rookie selections still hold a special place in my drafting heart. With rounds one and two largely drafting themselves, it’s round three where the cost of the selections drops materially while the impact of well-selected players can make for a material value proposition. My personal preference is to target wide receivers in this round and there are enough names in 2020 to make for an even more intriguing round.
Stay tuned to DLF as we enter the off-season and continue our work toward fleshing out the rookies comprising the 2020 NFL Draft.
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You can find Jeff on Twitter at @dlf_jeff
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