Day 3 Sleepers - 2020 NFL Draft

Evaluating late round prospects

Introduction

This article is part of "The Eagles’ Draft Philosophy 2020" series. However, for day three instead of looking at strategy, I evaluated some potential prospects the Eagles should consider.

Currently, the Philadelphia Eagles have five day three draft picks: three in R4, one in R5, and one in R6. If the Eagles can hit on these selections, it allows them to strengthen their weaknesses without substantial investment in terms of monetary value.

Below are some sleeper prospects that could be available on day three of the 2019 NFL draft.



Secondary

Julian Blackmon

Safety Utah

Playing in a vaunted Utah secondary with the likes of Jaylon Johnson and Terrell Burgess, Julian Blackmon struggled to make a national name for himself.

Blackmon is the classic case of a CB converting to safety late in his college career and therefore currently lacks the instincts required to play the position, especially during his single-high reps.

However, Blackmon makes up for his lack of instincts and inexperience with exceptional short-area burst, powerful tackling (willing to help in run support), decent ball skills, and respectable versatility.

Conclusion: Julian Blackmon is a project prospect. He has all the tools to start in both split safety roles, box safety during big nickel packages, and can cover less elusive wide receivers and tight ends.

Fit with the Eagles: With the uncertainty in the Eagles secondary (5 players with contracts that expire by 2022 or earlier) selecting Blackmon in the 5th or 6th round is an excellent value for a prospect that could develop into a three-down safety.

Accolades: Blackmon had the most interceptions in the PAC-12 in 2019 (4) and the third most in 2017 (4)

Lamar Jackson

Cornerback Nebraska

Strengths:

  • Excellent Length
  • Extremely aggressive especially in press coverage
  • Strong at the line of scrimmage
  • Impressive Physicality
  • Decent speed for his size (6’2 4.58 forty)
  • Great tackler

Weaknesses:

  • Lacks fluidity
  • Too aggressive at times for his own good
  • Lacks anticipation in off-man coverage
  • Will get beat deep in man coverage

Michael Ojemudia

Cornerback Iowa

Strengths:

  • Good instincts and anticipation especially in off-man
  • Plays fast and every decision he makes is decisive
  • Understands positioning in zone coverage
  • Understands time and situations
  • Rarely gets beat deep
  • Underrated recover speed when he gets beat (forty 4.45)
  • Not a powerful tackler but typically takes good angles
  • Decent ball skills but do not expect 4 interceptions a season

Weaknesses:

  • Significantly better in zone than man
  • Cannot play press-man
  • Lacks flexibility
  • Loose balance too often
  • Can get caught looking in the backfield

Defensive Line

Alex Highsmith

Defensive-End Charlotte

Domination is the only path for a non-power five conference prospect to become recognized by scouts. Alex Highsmith indeed dominated during his career with Charlotte.

Alex’s burst off the edge and constant motor allowed him to bolster 15 sacks and a whopping 75 tackles during his senior campaign.

However, Highsmith is far from a polished edge prospect. Due to his poor hand usage, he struggles to set the edge in the run game and does not fully incorporate his natural power during his pass rushes. Also, Highsmith has an effective spin move but does not implement it on the field enough, in my opinion.

Conclusion: Alex Highsmith is a developmental starter in the NFL. In his first couple of seasons, Alex will contribute as a third-down specialist in obvious passing situations while he continues to improve on his run defense and hand usage.

Fit with the Eagles: Any prospect that plays in the D-line is a fit for the Eagles. Rotations and keeping the big guys fresh was a fundamental ingredient for their Superbowl run. Highsmith fits the front office’s bill as a prospect who has the juice to get to the quarterback in a hurry and hopefully can transcend into a starting role for years to come.

Accolades: 2019 leader in sacks (15) and lacks for loss (21.5) in the CUSA

Anfernee Jennings

Defensive-End Alabama

Strengths:

  • Excels at setting the edge: great against the run
  • Incredible strength and power
  • Great length and hand usage in general
  • Understands his responsibility well

Weaknesses:

  • Lacks burst off the edge: not a speed rusher
  • Major knee injury in 2018
  • Not the most flexible
  • Gets to the quarterback but fails to finish the job more often than desired

Wide Receivers

Tyler Johnson

Wide Receiver Minnesota

Tyler Johnson is an unusually productive and gifted player: however, do not mistake “gifted” for stand-out measurables.

Tyler Johnson’s production stems from his “unique” but effective route running and impeccable hands. He exemplifies the prototypical move the chains slot receiver that has a knack of getting open at the right time. The most underrated aspect of his game, in my opinion, is his ability to gain yards after the catch. Johnson causally gains chunk yards after the catch despite his lack of explosiveness. Furthermore, his YAC production is a direct result of Johnson being one of the craftiest players in this year’s wide receivers class; he can cut on a dime and make defenders look silly trying to tackle him.

However, the negatives in Johnson’s game is why he will not be selected in the first three rounds. The most obvious of them all is his lack of physicality. Do not expect Johnson to beat press coverage or break tackles. Luckily, although he lacks physicality, he was effective as a blocker at Minnesota. Nevertheless, Johnson does not have the speed to compensate for that lack of physicality, and despite being a decent route runner, Johnson makes his lack of explosion glaring by rarely getting low on his routes.

Conclusion: Tyler Johnson projects as a starting slot corner in the NFL, given the right system. He understands more of the nuances of his position compared to most prospects taken on day three. He has the gift of making a play when least expected. Nevertheless, although not the flashiest player, Johnson will make a living in jump ball situations with his excellent hands and instincts.

For the Eagles: Given the Eagles off-season moves, the idea of Greg Ward being the Philadelphia Eagles slot receiver for the foreseeable future (deservingly so) is more and more likely. However, if Howie wants to challenge Ward or does not have the same faith in him as the fans have, Tyler Johnson is, in my opinion, the best option for a slot receiver in day three of the draft. Anywhere after the 4th round would be impeccable value for Johnson.

Accolades: Had the most yards (1,318) and receptions (86) in the BIG 10 in 2019.

Quintez Cephus

Wide Receiver Wisconsin

Strengths:

  • Crisp route runner: his brakes make defenders lose balance
  • Diverse Tree
  • Good hand strength
  • Excellent strength for a route runner
  • Know how to run a deep route
  • Great at timing his jumps and high pointing the ball

Weaknesses:

  • No burst or RAC ability
  • Limited big-play ability
  • Not the fastest guy in the world, but better play speed than his forty times (4.73 combine, 4.56 pro day)
  • Defenders sometimes blow by him when he’s trying to block them

Red Flag: Accused of sexual assault in 2018 (the verdict was not guilty)

Lynn Bowden

Wide Receiver Kentucky

Strengths:

  • Extremely versatile: lined up in slot and quarterback (used often as a wild cat runner)
  • Will make defenders miss
  • Great in open space
  • Extremely tough for his slender nature (6’1” 199 lbs)
  • Hard to tackle: displays adequate balance
  • Decent hands despite a 16.2% drop rate in 2019 (via Sports Info Solutions)

Weaknesses:

  • Not a weakness perse but because he had to play QB his sample size and production in 2019 was limited
  • Horrendous route runner: rounds a lot of routes
  • Got a lot of free releases in college (unlikely to play outside in the NFL)

Darnell Mooney

Wide Receiver Tulane

Strengths:

  • Excels off the snap: incredible release
  • Brings the big-play ability in every regard
  • Will be more than a deep threat: he has excellent YAC ability
  • Great hip flexibility and explosion out of his breaks

Weaknesses:

  • Size (5’ 11 175 lbs)
  • Can get bullied by more physical defenders
  • Will likely lose his timing against press coverage
  • Had some drop issues

Quez Watkins

Wide Receiver Southern Miss

Strengths:

  • Speed, Speed, Speed (4.38 forty)
  • Extremely quick in and out of his breaks
  • Excels in open space
  • Will take the top off the defense
  • Frequently wins off the release

Weaknesses:

  • Numerous concentration drops
  • Although he is quick out his breaks, his actual route running needs to be polished
  • Does not maximize his 6’ frame: rarely high points the ball
  • Mostly a body catcher
  • Lacks physicality

Running Backs

Sewo Oloniula

Running Back TCU

Measuring at 6' 3" and 240 lbs, Sewo is built as a bruiser running back and plays with that attitude. However, he does not force the issue; instead, he patiently allows blocks to set up and subsequently will gallop his way into the second level. Nevertheless, do not make the mistake of thinking he will not lower his shoulder and make defenders physically pay.

Unsurprisingly, Sewo has the strength to develop into an exceptional blocker. When TCU used him as a lead blocker on jet sweeps, he displayed unexpected lateral mobility for a man of his size. Moreover, he has more than enough power to pick up blitzes. The most intriguing or unusual aspect of his game, however, is his ability to catch out of the backfield. Defenses seem to underestimate his receiver skills. As a result, Sewo gets consistently open in the flat and effortlessly churns out positive yards.

Nonetheless, there are some question marks about him. For one, he was arrested for a drug felony in late 2019. In terms of his play, though, he is not explosive in any regard, which should be expected for someone of his size. Additionally, do not expect him to juke defenders like Shady McCoy and can be loose with the football.

Conclusion: Despite the relatively low production in college, Sewo Oloniula has all of the physical traits to become a short-yardage running back in the NFL.

Fit with the Eagles: The Eagles running backs are currently Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, and an unproven Elijah Holyfield; they are certainly in the market for a bulkier running back. Sewo fits the bill for what the Eagles desire, and can be utilized significantly in the red zone, but is defiantly more than a one-trick pony.

Accolades: None, but he had 9 TDs (8 rushing, 1 receiving) in 2019.

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All stats and accolades were via Sports Reference

Featured Photo from Dave Adamson