The NFL’s version of Christmas came and went. Some prospects found out where their new home rests, and others are left to sign as undrafted free agents.
Here, we rank the best available draft prospects after the conclusion of the 2020 NFL Draft — pulled from PFF’s final NFL Draft Big Board. For more information on each player, make sure to check out the PFF Draft Guide in all its 1,259 pages of glory.
[Editor’s note: Check out PFF’s 2020 Mock Draft Hub, NFL Draft Big Board and NFL Mock Draft Simulator. PFF Elite subscribers can also download the 1,250-page 2020 NFL Draft Guide. For extensive coverage of the 2020 NFL Draft, check out all of PFF's 2020 NFL Draft coverage in one place.]
1. TE Hunter Bryant, Washington (PFF Big Board: 79th)
Bryant is a tweener. He's also a starter in NFL offenses even if you called him a WR. That's the way the game is going at TE nowadays.
2. QB Anthony Gordon, Washington State (PFF Big Board: 82nd)
Gordon has a handful of high-level quarterbacking reps on his tape every week. It's the low-end though that scares us. Disappearing against the two best defenses he faced – Utah and Washington – is a tough sell.
3. iOL Calvin Throckmorton, Oregon (PFF Big Board: 117th)
Throckmorton's done it for four straight seasons now across multiple positions — never looking out of place at any of them. That coordination and versatility should bode well for him in the NFL.
4. CB Parnell Motley, Oklahoma (PFF Big Board: 139th)
Motley has exceptional press technique and held his own following top Big-12 receivers. His athleticism is borderline though.
5. QB Josh Love, San Jose State (PFF Big Board: 140th)
Love doesn't have the tools to get noticed from NFL evaluators, but he has the on-field performance. He's got solid backup written all over him if given the chance.
6. RB J.J. Taylor, Arizona (PFF Big Board: 149th)
Call him a gimmick or gadget player if you want, but space players like Taylor can be difference-makers in the NFL.
7. S J.R. Reed, Georgia (PFF Big Board: 152nd)
Reed is a solid, but unspectacular safety. You won't be worried about him making boneheaded bad decisions, but he may never get his hands on a pass, either.
8. TE Cheyenne O’Grady, Arkansas (PFF Big Board: 154th)
If it weren't for his off-field, O'Grady would be a top-3 tight end in this class. The off-field though may see him not even get drafted.
9. LB Joe Bachie, Michigan State (PFF Big Board: 156th)
Bachie can run stuff with the best of them, but he's struggled to do much in coverage other than spot drop. He's not really the profile NFL teams want at linebacker today.
10. S Levonta Taylor, Florida State (PFF Big Board: 158th)
Taylor's transition to safety and then the slot was rocky, but the athleticism and the feel he showed in coverage at outside corner in his time before that is enough to take a chance on him on Day 3.
11. CB Javaris Davis, Auburn (PFF Big Board: 161st)
There's a sloppiness to Davis' game that's worrisome. He needs to be extremely consistent with his technique to overcome his lack of size in the NFL and he's not particularly close to that at the moment.
12. TE Jared Pinckney, Vanderbilt (PFF Big Board: 170th)
The player who put up 770 yards back in 2018 didn't all of a sudden disappear. That combination of size and route running is still one that no other tight end in this class can offer.
13. CB Essang Bassey, Wake Forest (PFF Big Board: 174th)
While size is not a skill, a lack of it needs to be compensated for in other areas. Bassey isn't physically dominant enough otherwise to make up for those size deficiencies. If he stays outside in the NFL, it will likely be with a zone-heavy team.
14. DI Teair Tart, FIU (PFF Big Board: 175th)
Tart is uber-productive on a per-snap basis, but it's the whole snap thing that's the issue. He played fewer than 700 in his career.
15. CB Lavert Hill, Michigan (PFF Big Board: 177th)
Hill's size combined with his limited coverage responsibilities at Michigan are concerning when projecting to the next level. There's a good chance he ends up as a slot in the league.
16. S Jalen Elliott, Notre Dame (PFF Big Board: 183rd)
Elliott is not the kind of fluid athlete you want roaming in coverage over the middle of the field. A transition to corner may suit him well with his ball skills and how physically he plays receivers.
17. DI Aaron Crawford, UNC (PFF Big Board: 185th)
Crawford plays with exceptional natural leverage. He's got nothing in the way of NFL athleticism, but he can stuff the run.
18. HB JaMycal Hasty, Baylor (PFF Big Board: 187th)
Hasty has prototypical scatback traits. He completely relies on making defenders miss, though, which won't happen nearly as often in the NFL. Still, he's a tough ask to bring down one-on-one in the open field.
19. RB Darius Anderson, TCU (PFF Big Board: 188th)
Anderson is one of the most elusive running backs in the class, but his running style may not play as well in the pros as it did in college. As the holes only get tighter in the NFL, Anderson's pickiness will only get worse.
20. QB Tyler Huntley, Utah (PFF Big Board: 195th)
Undersized with a weak arm is a bad combination when trying to catch the eye of NFL evaluators. Still, Huntley's mobility and accuracy should be enough to secure a roster or practice squad spot behind a similarly mobile QB.
21. CB Javelin Guidry, Utah (PFF Big Board: 197th)
Unfortunately for Guidry, blazing speed doesn't do much for you in the slot. His lack of awareness in zone coverage makes him a future project and current special teamer at best.
22. WR Austin Mack, Ohio State (PFF Big Board: 198th)
Mack has NFL-ready ball skills, but lacks the physical tools of a top receiver prospect. He's just going to struggle to get open on any sort of vertical route tree at the next level.
23. iOL Kyle Murphy, Rhode Island (PFF Big Board: 199th)
Murphy has the physical tools to start at guard in the NFL, but the inconsistency is hard to ignore and his traits aren't freakish enough to make up for that. He's interior depth at this point.
24. DI Malcolm Roach, Texas (PFF Big Board: 201st)
Roach has a valid excuse of being used out of place at Texas, but I'm not sure there's a great role for him in the NFL other than pure 3-technique. He's got burst, but his stiffness will limit his effectiveness in the NFL.
25. LB David Woodward, Utah State (PFF Big Board: 202nd)
Woodward has a combination of instincts and tackling prowess that at least gives him a reasonable floor at the next level. While his ceiling won't get him drafted highly, you won't be too upset if Woodward gets thrust into a starting role early.
26. WR Omar Bayless, Arkansas State (PFF Big Board: 206th)
Bayless' production is off the charts, but the level of competition is a big factor. He's on the borderline athletically for the NFL and doesn't project as much more than a WR3 in the league.
27. DI Garrett Marino, UAB (PFF Big Board: 208th)
Marino was a dominant college player in the conference USA this past season, but you'd expect that from a grown man. He'll be a 26-year-old, rookie so I'm not sure there's much room for growth here.
28. CB Shyheim Carter, Alabama (PFF Big Board: 209th)
With middling production and athletic profile, Carter doesn't have much to get excited about in the NFL. He's a slot corner with plus instincts, but there's a lot of those kicking around the league.
29. iOL John Molchon, Boise State (PFF Big Board: 210th)
Molchon's build and athleticism are on par with the tackle position, but his length is nowhere near that. He's a tweener who might not have a great fit in the NFL.
30. T Jared Hilbers, Washington (PFF Big Board: 212th)
Hilbers is a plodder. Plodders can still play tackle in the league, but everything else better be perfect. At the moment, he's a bit off from that.
31. WR Binjimen Victor, Ohio State (PFF Big Board: 213th)
Victor is NFL-ready from a technical standpoint, but he's still underdeveloped physically. The play strength of NFL corners is going to be a problem.
32. EDGE Tipa Galeai, Utah State (PFF Big Board: 216th)
Galeai has to get stronger to play in the league. He can't be on the field on any possible run down at the moment. Already a redshirt senior, it's worth wondering whether that ship has sailed.
33. TE Thaddeus Moss, LSU (PFF Big Board: 217th)
There's a lot to like about Moss between his ball skills and blocking ability, but he's on the very low end for athleticism in the league. That's not going to move the needle in an NFL offense.
34. LB Francis Bernard, Utah (PFF Big Board: 219th)
Bernard's age will scare some teams away, but it will help that he's one of the most NFL-ready linebackers in this class. His feel for coverage is a big plus and helps make up for some athletic limitations.
35. CB A.J. Green, Oklahoma State (PFF Big Board: 222nd)
Green simply can't be trusted in man coverage against any wide receiver with any sort of speed. He's never shown the ability to handle explosive wideouts and that's almost all you see in the NFL.
36. WR Quartney Davis, Texas A&M (PFF Big Board: 225th)
Davis doesn't have too much on tape that gets you excited. He got outmuscled by even college corners and isn't so overly dynamic that you'd feature him on screens or deep.
37. DB Myles Bryant, Washington (PFF Big Board: 228th)
Bryant will likely get pigeonholed to the slot or nickel/dime safety at the next because of his size. That doesn't mean he can't add value, though. He looks like one of the top options in the class to fill such a role.
38. T Trey Adams, Washington (PFF Big Board: 233rd)
While his injury history is worrisome, it's not the only reason we're so low on Adams. He's simply not handled top-tier edge talent well at all. Those matchups give us a good insight into the next level, and they weren't pretty for Adams.
39. LB Dante Olson, Montana (PFF Big Board: 236th)
Olson simply won't have a chance in space athletically against agile running backs. As great as his feel for the game is, it's difficult to get past his athletic limitations.
40. iOL Darryl Williams, Mississippi State (PFF Big Board: 237th)
Williams does not possess the play strength to line up in the NFL currently. He's as athletic as it gets at the position, but unless he gets a good deal stronger he won't even sniff a roster spot.
41. QB J’Mar Smith, Louisiana Tech (PFF Big Board: 238th)
Smith has shown the ability to consistently make plays outside the pocket over the course of his career. Consistently inside is a different story.
42. DI Josiah Coatney, Ole Miss (PFF Big Board: 240th)
Coatney lacks any sort of refinement to his game, but one thing is for sure: he'll be playing on the offensive side of the line of scrimmage. His balance is a nightmare though.
43. RB James Robinson, Ball State (PFF Big Board: 241st)
Robinson's on-field explosiveness just doesn't match his athletic testing. He's proven he can handle a large workload, but his production wasn't anything inspiring.
44. EDGE Joe Gaziano, Northwestern (PFF Big Board: 244th)
Gaziano is a poor athlete for the edge, but a productive college player. He has a shot at being early-down depth.
45. T Yasir Durant, Missouri (PFF Big Board: 245th)
Durant is likely below the athleticism threshold for tackle in the NFL. He doesn't have the play strength to make up for it, either.
46. EDGE Austin Edwards, Ferris State (PFF Big Board: 246th)
Edwards impressed us in the one-on-ones at the Shrine Bowl practices. He looked like he came from an FBS program with his moves.
47. DI Raequan Williams, Michigan State (PFF Big Board: 247th)
Williams doesn't have the quicks or the power to rush the passer consistently in the NFL. With good not great production as a run defender, he looks like back of the roster depth.
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