Devy Roundtable: Class of 2020 Surprises

Frank Gruber

The DLF Devy crew recently sat down to discuss a range of topics.

Here, in the first installment of a roundtable series, each member of the team offers up one player from the 2020 NFL Draft class they expect to pleasantly surprise this season. In the next article, they will pick out one they expect to disappoint.

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JOSEPH – Tamorrion Terry, WR Florida State

Florida State redshirt sophomore wide receiver Tamorrion Terry is a player who could really break out this season. 2018 was his first year of collegiate action, and he caught 35 passes for 744 yards and eight touchdowns, good for a 31.13% dominator rating.

At 6’4” and 197 pounds, Terry is still a bit lean and would benefit from adding some muscle to his frame, but his catch radius and ball skills are apparent on tape. Terry plays stronger than his weight would indicate and has above-average athleticism to pair with it.

He needs to refine his route running more – he has the tendency to round his routes off – but he is savvy enough and young enough that he should develop significantly in his second year of action. He already wins in multiple ways, excelling at as a deep threat who tracks the ball well, as well as above the rim at the catch point.

Terry has been largely overlooked in a deep 2020 receiver class and could be a player who opts to return to school after this season, but his upside at the NFL is impressive if he continues to improve.

KYLE – Brian Robinson, RB Alabama

As somewhat of a teaser for the player who I think will disappoint this year, I am predicting many will have Brian Robinson ranked over Najee Harris this time next year. When I watched the Alabama spring game, it was Robinson who stuck out to me, not Harris.

While I don’t think Robinson is necessarily an elite talent, I do think he and Harris are much closer than many are currently ranking them. Robinson is a solid pass catcher who displays great vision and plays through contact well.

The Alabama backfield is always filled with elite recruits and there are only so many touches to go around every year. Robinson only had 87 career touches in his first two years at Alabama but I could see that number doubling after this season.

RAY – Grant Calcaterra, TE Oklahoma

https://twitter.com/RayGQue/status/1155600428215799808

When you look at Calcaterra’s stats, nothing jumps off the screen. In his two-year career, he’s had 36 career receptions for 558 yards and nine touchdowns. This is where the numbers don’t tell the complete picture for the athletic tight end.

Coming out of high school, he was a four-star prospect and the sixth-ranked tight end in the 2017 class. He had a verified 4.64-second 40-yard dash time and a 4.04 20-yard short shuttle. While these times are not measured with the same precision as the clocks during the NFL Scouting Combine, they do show that Calcaterra is an athletic player, and for collegiate tight ends, that’s all we can really hope for.

With the departure of Marquise Brown and the influx of young and unproven talent at the wideout position, Calcaterra should be viewed as both a security blanket for incoming transfer Jalen Hurts and the number two passing option behind All-American CeeDee Lamb.

The majority of college tight ends are not used anywhere close to how they are deployed at the next level.

When scouting this position at the collegiate level, size and athleticism tend to hold more weight than some of the production numbers we value with running backs and wide receivers. Expect a breakout from this playmaker this fall and a rise up NFL draft boards during the pre-draft process.

ROB – Cody White, WR Michigan State

One of the BIG’s better receivers somehow happens to be one of its virtual unknowns. Despite the Spartans woeful 2018 offense, White posted 18 receptions and over 85 yards per game during Michigan State’s first three contests last season prior to succumbing to a broken left hand. It was a tough blow for the offense as a whole, yet we saw White budding into a star in the short snapshot we did see.

At 6’3” and 218 pounds, White is a big body with sticky hands and a lightness in his step. If Brian Lewerke rebounds from an injury-marred, down junior season, White should soon become a household name for a team with the talent to contend in the Big Ten East.

FRANK – Cam Akers, RB Florida State

It may seem odd to contend that a projected top-five dynasty rookie pick will be a positive surprise, but after last season, opinions vary on Florida State running back Akers. I expect a bounceback season from the former top three overall player in the 2017 recruiting class.

After setting FSU’s freshman rushing record (194-1025-7), he struggled behind a historically bad offensive line in 2018. Three of FSU’s linemen rated in the bottom ten nationally among Power Five linemen.

Enter successful, up-tempo offensive coordinator Kendal Briles and his longtime offensive line coach Randy Clements. Consistent reports are coming out of Tallahassee regarding the group’s improvement, and head coach Willie Taggart has been talking up the offense as a whole (lesson not learned from the team’s first losing season in 42 years).

Akers’ disappointing 2018 production (161-706-6) conflates a number of different factors, but his talent remains unquestioned in my mind.

Cam Akers also offers a high floor as a receiver, while this aspect has been questioned among the other top 2020 RBs, posting a 39-261-3 in his first two seasons.

AUSTIN – Kylin Hill, RB Mississippi State

Are you interested in semi-productive, young SEC running backs? While Kylin Hill hasn’t produced over 20% of his team’s offense yet, he is poised to do so in 2019.

The 5’10” 215 lb Mississippi State product is projected to run a 4.47 40. Combine that with his 14.6% Market Share of Team Receptions and we have a three-down back in the making.

The only thing that remains to be seen is whether Hill can be productive enough to get the attention of NFL scouts come April. For reference, my running back model currently has Hill essentially tied with one Travis Etienne. It likes him that much!

Hill does have Aeris Williams to compete with, but if he takes a step forward in the Bulldog’s offense and garners at least a day two investment by an NFL Team, then we are looking at a new bell-cow in the NFL.

DWIGHT – Ke’Shawn Vaughn, RB Vanderbilt

Some of the nation hasn’t quite gotten the hype and who Ke’Shawn Vaughn is, but that is going to be over quickly.

Vaughn is explosive and can take any run the distance – that is a trait a lot of college backs possess though. What sets him aside is his vision and decisiveness at the line. He sees a hole or crease and bolts through it – he isn’t afraid to run inside, facing tough SEC defenses as well.

Vaughn caught 13 passes in 2018 and if the number increases, his stock will increase even more. He is a complete back with great size, he will take another step forward and be one of the top backs entering the 2020 Draft.

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