The dust might still be settling from Patrick Mahomes’ starring role in a remarkable comeback win for the Kansas City Chiefs over the San Francisco 49ers in last weekend’s betting success Super Bowl 2020. However, attention will sharply shift towards next season and subsequently the draft. Here we look at just a few of the players to watch.
NUMBER 5 – DERRICK BROWN
Brown has established himself as one of the brightest prospects as he’s posted some impressive stats with the Auburn Tigers. He’s averaged over 50 tackles a season across the last three campaigns and 2019 saw him win the Lott IMPACT trophy as well as being named SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Brown is a little rough around the edges in terms of technique but his speed and power more than cover that shortfall. If the other parts of his games come on with experience, then he could prove a quality defensive tackle.
NUMBER 4 – MEKHI BECTON
Becton has been an immovable force as offensive tackle in Louisville since opting for the Cardinals over four other schools. His first year saw him heavily involved in the team and he quickly nailed down a starting spot.
The 6ft 7, 367lb monster is surprisingly light on his feet and he racks up an incredible number of blocks; so much so that he scooped the Jacobs Blocking award. The 20-year-old isn’t short on confidence either and he’s opted to pass on his senior year at Louisville to enter the draft. We suspect he’ll get snapped up early on too.
NUMBER 3 – TUA TAGOVAILOA
Had we been compiling this list six months ago then Tagovailoa may well have been even higher up the list – not that third place on our reckoning is too shabby mind. In 2018 he was the toast of the college system with near on 4,000 yards and 43 touchdowns to his name.
The latest campaign hasn’t gone quite as smoothly for the Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback with injury hampering his stats – he still averaged over 300 yards a game – but he will unquestionably be one of the first picks come April.
NUMBER 2 – CHASE YOUNG
Young has had a sublime year for Ohio State and whilst for many a campaign that yielded six individual awards might be seen as a high point; we reckon it’s just the start of what will be a glittering career for this defensive end.
Chase will turn 21 just ahead of the draft and a season that’s seen him record 48 tackles and an impressive 16.5 sacks makes him an attractive proposition, particularly when you consider his stats have improved every year since breaking through. He’s more than just numbers too with a quick-thinking brain matched with great athleticism and he’ll be a huge hit in the NFL.
NUMBER 1 – JOE BURROW
Burrow is most people’s prediction to be the number one pick and it’s easy to see why. He’s just romped his way to the Heisman Trophy after throwing 5,671 yards and setting two NCAA records with 60 touchdowns and a pass rating of 202. There is no doubting what a remarkable season Burrow has had but it’s worth pointing out he’s only been with LSU for two years after a fairly underwhelming time with Ohio State. He might have just had one of the best seasons ever by a college quarterback, but would he still be a gamble given his relative inconsistency? We suspect we’ll find out after the Cincinnati Bengals take him with first dibs!
There you have it, five players who could light up the NFL in the years ahead and who knows, it might be one of them stealing the headlines as Mahomes did in a future Super Bowl.
