Under Maintenance

We deeply apologize for interrupting your reading but Vendetta is currently undergoing some important maintenance! You may experience some layout shifts, slow loading times and dififculties in navigating.

Sports Media

2020 NFL Draft Stock Report: Week 11

2020 NFL Draft

(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

2020 NFL Draft
Forget about Joe Burrow for a second. Nobody was a bigger winner than Clyde Edwards-Helaire in Week 11 as we scout for the 2020 NFL Draft. Check out the rest of the notes below. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

2020 NFL Draft Stock Report: Week 11

Get ready, people. We have a HUGE 2020 NFL Draft report coming this week. It was a great week in the 2019-2020 college football season. For Week 11, I have 5 games to cover. On deck, we have Ball State At Western Michigan, Penn State At Minnesota, LSU at Alabama, Iowa At Wisconsin, and Missouri At Georgia. That’s right. We have a ton to cover so let’s not waste any time. Who stood out in Week 11 for the 2020 NFL Draft?

Ball State At Western Michigan

I gotta be honest here. I am not a Maction maniac. I wanted to rip my eyes out. It was tough to watch. You gotta be a real degenerate to watch that unless you have money on the game. I tried my best to tune in because of LeVante Bellamy. The Western Michigan running back was one of the most productive in the country. Bellamy leads the country in rushing touchdowns with 20. He added 3 in this contest with 157 yards on 31 carries.

Here is what I’ll say. It looks like Bellamy has some game-changing pure speed. Bellamy checks in at 5-foot-9, 190. I think he’s fast. The only problem is I’m not sure what else he is. I think he can run between the tackles but struggled to make the first guy miss. He did pick up steam as the game went on which is a good sign. I also didn’t think he was significantly better than the Ball State back or his own back up. I need more information on this one. I think there could be some talent here, however.

Penn State At Minnesota

Talk about a game that put me in a pretzel. I thought Minnesota was going to get waxed. This is a team that should have lost to Georgia Southern and Fresno State. Now they’re out here beating up on Penn State? Is this just a PJ Fleck miracle coaching job or do they actually have good players?

Nobody impressed me more than Antonie Winfield Jr. Anytime you’re snatching two interceptions in one game, you have my attention. Then I looked and Winfield has 7 picks on the season! Then, I found out that he is the son of former stud corner, Antoine Winfield. I remember watching him when I was little. That awkward feeling when you are old. Defensive backs that show ball skills in college usually work in the NFL. Winfield Jr. has to be on your radar.

I also want to circle back on KJ Hamler and Pat Freirmuth of Penn State. The more and more I watch them, the more and more I like them. Hamler isn’t just a small lightning rod. He’s a complete receiver. He works back to the ball, runs great routes, and always finds a way to get open. I see a polished receiver. Not just an explosive gimmicky player. I’m in on KJ Hamler. It was another 7 reception, 119 yard day that is becoming a regular occurrence.

Freirmuth looks like a young Jason Witten. He’s not fast but he gets open. It’s hard to explain but so Witten. Friermuth is difficult to cover just because of his size. 6-foot-5, 265, and he can block. Friermuth racked up over 100 yards with 7 receptions against Minnesota. I’m not saying he’s a high pick but there’s no reason that he can’t do what Nick Boyle is doing and find a niche in the NFL.

LSU at Alabama

LSU

The man, the myth, the legend that is Joe Burrow was taken to a whole different level on Saturday. Joe Burrow was tearing up the country all year but I kept saying to myself “let’s see what he looks like against Alabama”. It’s been the great measuring stick in the past. This isn’t the nasty Alabama defense that Bama has had in the past. However, it’s still Alabama. Burrow carved them up like Turkey on Thanksgiving.

This is maybe the most remarkable turn around I can remember. Burrow doesn’t get drafted a year ago. Now he is vying for the top pick. It’s been an unreal breakout season. Let’s get to the game. 31/39, 393 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 64 rushing yards. You cannot do much better. The only turnover he had was a strip sack. It didn’t matter that it was Alabama. Burrow kicked their ass. Even his under pressure numbers were phenomenal. 132.6 passer rating under pressure? That’s absurd. Burrow even showed mobility picking up a number of first downs with his legs.

It was a brilliant performance by Burrow. Let’s talk about other factors. The new spread offense with Joe Brady has clearly helped. It’s similar to what Ohio State is doing. Spread the field and make the right read. Burrow is thriving. I don’t think he has the biggest arm but he throws an accurate ball. How much do we factor in that Dwayne Haskins beat him out at Ohio State? Do we hold the 5th-year miracle Senior season breakout against him? The poise and composure looks off the charts. His willingness to throw the ball deep down the field is good. Sometimes when you think you know, you know nothing. I have to move Burrow in the first round quarterback grade range, right?

Forget about Joe Burrow for a second. Nobody was a bigger winner than Clyde Edwards-Helaire. It’s hard not to love him. 20 carries for 103 yards and 3 touchdowns. Add in 9 catches for 77 yards and a score. Edwards-Helaire went from hiding in the shadows to star running back. His ability to dominate in not only the running game but the receiving game makes him such a valued commodity.

60 of his yards came after the catch. Edwards-Helaire picked up 14 combined first downs or touchdowns. He was a chain mover for LSU all day. The LSU back even broke 7 tackles. When Joe Burrow needed a first down, he looked for his back. I’m not joking. This was one of the best running back performances I’ve seen in college maybe ever. To do this against Alabama was incredible.

I kind of compared him to a Darren Sproles type of guy earlier this year. Nope. He’s more than that. This is a more athletic Maurice Jones Drew who can also tear up the passing game. This is going to be a historic running back draft. I love Edwards-Helaire.

I really want to say this. Credit to Coach Orgeron. LSU did a hell of a job. They also have better players. They really do. You can talk to me all you want about the Alabama receivers they have. They’re all good. LSU might* have a better collection. It’s time to start talking about Thaddeus Moss! He had the catch of the weekend. He’s also Randy Moss’ son so… After a quiet college career so far, it’s time to start taking Moss as a legit prospect. Justin Jefferson is good, man. Size, speed, and explosion. LSU is LOADED.

Okay, let’s move to the defensive side of the ball for LSU. Grant Delpit had a quiet game. Maybe even a bad game. 3 missed tackles? At the end of the day, I don’t care. He’s so good in coverage that you live with it. Jamal Adams wishes he could cover like Delpit. I’ve seen enough from Delpit over his 3 years in college that nobody will pass him as my number one safety prospect.

Kristian Fulton was a huge winner. He stifled Jerry Jeudy for a large portion of the game. Fulton had 2 tackles on the entire game because nobody was completing passes to his side of the field. Alabama is going to get theirs. To limit Jeudy that way he did deserves a ton of praise. Plug Fulton right in round one and know you’re getting another good LSU corner.

Moving on to the linebacker level. This is just another Deion Jones, Devin White special. Linebackers who are fast and can run sideline to sideline. Two of them need to be pointed out. K’Lavon Chaisson and Patrick Queen were fantastic. I don’t really know quite what Chaisson is but he gets downhill and runs. Chaisson recorded 3.5 tackles for loss and 10 tackles. He’s on the bigger end at 250 but he’s a baller with natural pass rushing ability at the linebacker spot. Patrick Queen came away with a beautiful interception. It’s hard to find linebackers that can do this. They’re all fast, can run, can cover, can blitz. It’s like these guys grow on trees at LSU.

One more player to note. Rashard Lawrence proved to be a bit of a game wrecker. The LSU defensive line got pushed around outside of Lawrence. He kept that unit from falling apart. I really like the athletic traits he showed. 2 pass deflections tells the story. He’s not just a guy that clogs the middle. He can move and get after it.

Alabama

Tua Tagovailoa is still the best quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft. Tua was rusty early in the game with that ankle injury. A bad fumble and interception before half time probably cost them the game. Still, even at less than 100 percent, Tagovailoa put on a great performance. 21/40 for 418 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception. The fact that this game was even a 5 point game shows how good Tua had to play to keep it close. The man had surgery 20 days prior to the game and threw for over 400 yards and 4 touchdowns against this LSU team. What more do you want?

This is going to happen now. We have seen so much of Tua on a national stage that we now find his holes rather than appreciate the greatness we have seen over the last 2 years. Tua was a bit of a sitting duck in the pocket but he torched Derek Stingley in a way no one else has. Tua Tagovailoa should still be the top quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft. He has the advantage because of his ability to complete balls deep down the field and ability to read progressions is off the charts. I understand that you’re going to crush him for putting up 41 points because they lost. I understand you’re going to crush him because he has had durability concerns. This is a guy you don’t want to pass on and his ankles are now permanently* fixed now so…

Najee Harris also had an explosive game. How do you even slide all these running backs at this point? 19 carries for 146 yards and a touchdown. Also, add in 3 receptions for 46 yards and 1 touchdown. I’m in on Harris. I think I’ve learned my lesson on this Alabama running backs. How do they punish defenders? Remember, Trent Richardson was sort of like a pinball. Nobody could tackle him but he was just bouncing off defenders? Najee Harris makes defenders bounce off him. I think that’s the difference. Harris may be the best Alabama back yet and some team might get great value. Not a ton of Alabama backs have shown their value in the passing game like Harris has either.

We also need to talk about DeVonta Smith. 7 catches for 213 yards and 2 touchdowns. I can’t wait to see what he runs. All I know it’s going to be fast. He’s a home run hitter. Where you put him in the draft? I have no idea.

Talking Defense, this is not the Alabama of the past. They have some interesting defensive backs but they got burnt for most of the game. How do you judge that? Trevon Diggs really got beat on a number of occasions. I think Shyheim Carter is an undervalued slot but he didn’t do anything do blow your socks off. Xavier McKinney had a great game but how much do you value a safety that came up with some unblocked sacks? I think the only winner was Anfernee Jennings. He got two sacks off the edge. Is he anything more than say a Ryan Anderson type or Tim Williams? That remains to be seen.

Iowa At Wisconsin

It feels like AJ Epenesa hasn’t had a dominant season thus far. I was tunning in and out of this game with most of my attention on the Bama and LSU game. Epenesa did have a glorious strip sack. Then I look and see that was the only thing he did in the entire game. Feels like he disappears more than he should for a consensus top pick.

Iowa is a tough watch. They normally can’t move the ball but they actually did some damage against Wisconsin. I don’t have Nate Stanley as a draftable quarterback. Some probably disagree. This offense is painful to watch and this was a better effort from them.

For the record, Jonathan Taylor was fantastic. 250 yards on the ground. He’s going to do this. We’ve seen it in the past. I don’t think he stands out above the rest of the group in the 2020 NFL Draft. I really don’t. Again, I don’t think he’s a bust. I don’t think he comes close to this away from Wisconsin.

Missouri At Georgia.

Jake Fromm is so frustrating. Georgia beat up on Missouri 27-0. It should have been far worse. The Missouri starting quarterback had 84 passing yards. Larry Roundtree had 24 rushing yards. Fromm never really put Mizzou away. 13/29 for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns isn’t good enough. It’s just not. I thought there was a throw that really stood out to me. Fromm had Charlie Woerner wide open in the end zone and he short armed him. That’s a throw you gotta have. There are too many throws that he’s gotta have and never does. I also think his feet are a mess. Too many throws off platform for no reason. Too many throws where he can drive the ball and never does. Again, you look down and somehow he gets the job done. There’s no way this is a 2020 NFL Draft first round quarterback. There’s too much game manging in college. I’ve said that Jake Fromm is the toughest quarterback grade in the country. I take it back. Joe Burrow is. I know what Jake Fromm is. He’s a less athletic Dak Prescott. He better hope he has the Cowboys surrounding talent in the NFL too. Georgia has maybe the best talent in the country. Fromm never puts the opponent away.

Let me talk about two Georgia defenders. I love these two Georgia safeties. I want to focus on Richard LeCounte. That guy will play in the NFL as long as he wants to. I’m not sure he’s the fastest guy in the world but he’s always around the ball. Check out this sweet interception. I want in on LeCounte and JR Reed.

Keep an eye on this Jordan Davis too for the future. Larry Roundtree is a draftable running back. There were no holes. Davis swallowed all of them. 360 pound nose tackle that does everything you want him to do.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE PAGE!

<!-- Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->
<div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-154"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Popular Past Stories

<!-- Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->
<div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-136"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->
<!-- Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->
<div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-135"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->

recommended stories

Sam Darnold Vikings

Vikings sign Sam Darnold to one-year deal

Vikings sign Sam Darnold to one-year deal The Minnesota Vikings have found their new (stopgap) quarterback! Hours after losing signal…

Read More
Zack Moss

Zack Moss Joins The Cincinnati Bengals On Two-Year Deal

Zack Moss Joins The Cincinnati Bengals On Two-Year Deal The Cincinnati Bengals are signing former Bills and Colts’ running back…

Read More
Jalen Reagor

Jalen Reagor Returns To The Patriots

Jalen Reagor Returns To The Patriots The New England are bringing back wide receiver and returner Jalen Reagor, according to…

Read More
Jacoby Brissett

Jacoby Brissett To Rejoin Patriots On A One-Year Deal

Jacoby Brissett To Rejoin Patriots On A One-Year Deal The New England Patriots are bringing back former 91st draft pick…

Read More
<!-- Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->
<div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-134"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - Single Blog Page - Middle - mid_content -->