Superlative predictions for every football team have recently been all over #NFLTwitter, with many analysts, writers, and fans giving their player picks in a handful of categories.
Those include:
- Breakout guy
- Comeback kid
- Rising star
- Don't forget about
- Needs to rebound
- Dark-horse MVP (I'm going with Heisman)
- Under the radar
Now, I give you my 2019 draft prospect version:
Breakout guy: Brian Burns, DE, Florida State
Burns erupted as a freshman with 9.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks thanks to energetic quickness around the edge and extreme length to keep outside blockers off his frame.
Last season, his sack figure dipped to 4.5, but he improved his tackle-for-loss number to 13.5 and was even bendier and more dynamic around the corner. Also, with added weight, Burns played with noticeably more power than he did in his debut season at the collegiate level.
He was 218 pounds during his freshman season and is now listed at 231. If he can showcase a similarly lethal combo of burst and a tight arc to the quarterback compared to what he routinely put on display as a sophomore, Burns will be on his way to becoming an early-round selection.
At 6-foot-5, Florida State's star edge-rusher's length helped him defend four passes and force three fumbles in 2017.
He'll want to get into the 240-250-pound range to play on the outside in the NFL, but with his natural athleticism and flashes of hand usage, he absolutely has the physical profile of a first-round selection. With added strength, and another serious NFL prospect -- Demarcus Christmas -- drawing attention inside on Florida State's defensive line, Burns is primed to dominate in the ACC in 2018.
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Comeback kid: Deebo Samuel, WR, South Carolina
Samuel is one of college football's shiftiest playmakers, but he isn't Tavon Austin 2.0. Samuel is listed at 6-foot and 210 pounds, although he looks slightly smaller on film. A season ago, he housed both of his kick-return opportunities and also scored on one during his redshirt sophomore year in 2016.
After a blistering start to 2017 -- 15 catches for 250 yards and three scores in three games -- Samuel broke his fibula in the third quarter of South Carolina's loss to Kentucky.
He was the best player on the field against NC State -- yes, a field shared with Bradley Chubb -- and his five catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns, one of the highlight variety with one hand in the back corner of the end zone, helped the Gamecocks upend the Wolfpack.
Samuel possesses electric suddenness and impressive acceleration off the line, out of his cuts as a route-runner, and when creating yards after the catch. He's a reliable hands-catcher and can flip on the jets down the field too.
With a clean bill of health, Samuel and teammate Bryan Edwards will be competing with Ole Miss' duo of D.K. Metcalf and A.J. Brown as the best one-two punch at wide receiver in the SEC. After what's likely to be a big year catching passes and returning kicks for the Gamecocks, Samuel will be an early pick in the 2019 draft. The first round is certainly not out of the question.
Rising Star: Devin White, LB, LSU
White looked like Myles Jack 2.0 on the field for the Tigers during his sophomore year of 2017. In many games loaded with future NFL talent, the young linebacker popped because of his freakishly twitchy athleticism and ultra-aggressive playing style.
He racked up 133 total tackles, although just 37 were officially labeled as solo takedowns. And that latter figure is telling in two ways. White was seemingly always around the football (he had 96 assisted tackles) but did miss on a fair amount of tackle opportunities.
And, really, that was my lone knock on him as a prospect based on his 2017 film -- his tendency to miss tackles he clearly should've made. The term "rare" is thrown around too often -- I'm probably guilty of overusing it, which defeats to purpose of the word (I'll watch that this season) -- but White truly is a rare athlete at the linebacker position. His in-the-blink-of-an-eye movements get him to the football in flash and help him stay in the pocket of running backs and tight ends in coverage.
White will be the quarterback of LSU's defense in 2018. If he improves his tackling efficiency and makes a few more plays as a cover man than he did last season, he'll be picked in the first round of the 2019 draft. The gifted linebacker is only 20, so there's a chance he stays for his senior season and waits until 2020 to begin his pro career.
Don't forget about: Dre'Mont Jones, DT, Ohio State
All eyes in the scouting community will be laser-focused on Nick Bosa when watching Ohio State during the 2018 season. But many of those eyes will at times be diverted to Jones, his defensive linemate.
A long, loose-hipped upfield penetrator with active hands, Jones has a variety of ways to wreak havoc.
Although he had only one sack and five tackles for loss in 2017, he seemingly lived in the opposition's backfield and won host of other one-on-one battles with interior offensive linemen that simply didn't equate to a pressure or an impact tackle behind or near the line.
Jones is ready-made for today's NFL -- his frame, arms, and refined style of play are eerily reminiscent to that of former Patriots first-round pick Dominique Easley, and a Michael Bennett comparison wouldn't be a stretch either.
He'll likely have to be more productive getting after the quarterback than he was a season ago to hear his name called within the first 32 picks, and he must get more powerful anchoring against the run. But Jones has the size, length, experience, and arsenal of pass-rushing moves to have a long, successful NFL career.
Needs to rebound: Christian Wilkins, DT, Clemson
Wilkins was the young star on the defensive front of Clemson's national title team of 2016-2017, as he led the team with 13.0 tackles for loss after chipping in with 4.5 tackles for loss as a redshirt freshman in 2015.
Though he had a respectable 9.0 tackles for loss and five sacks in his highly anticipated junior campaign, Wilkins disappointed as a consistent disruptor for the Tigers. Five of his tackles for loss occurred in two contests, and he managed just two sacks in his final 11 games.
Wilkins himself isn't fully to blame, as he did take on more of a space-eating, block-devouring role in his junior season. However, with a reputation as one of college football's most athletically gifted interior linemen, Wilkins -- hopefully -- will be given more opportunities to disrupt the opposition's backfield. And if he gets those chances, he must capitalize. Heading into last season, Wilkins was a consensus top-15 pick, and no one envisioned him dropping out of Round 1.
He decided to return for his final season with the Tigers, and because of his lack of production, he's widely considered a second-round prospect at the moment. Wilkins needs to get better with his hands and demonstrate considerable burst off the snap on a consistent basis to catapult himself into the first-round conversation. Oh, and he should have ample one-on-one reps playing alongside 340-plus pound monster Dexter Lawrence.
Dark-horse Heisman: Khalil Tate, QB, Arizona
Tate isn't where Lamar Jackson was as a passer entering his junior year in college, but Jackson did have two full years of starting experience under his belt at that point compared to Tate's one.
And, before what would ultimately be Jackson's last season under center at Louisville, he was known mainly for his insane running ability and wasn't viewed as a legit quarterback prospect, much less a first-rounder.
Much of the same can be said for Tate, who set the Pac-12 on fire with a ridiculous 1,207 rushing yards on 101 attempts (12.0 yards-per-carry average) with 11 touchdowns during a six conference-game stretch in which the Wildcats went 5-1. He doesn't have the rare cutting ability of Jackson, but he might be just as fast and runs with elite vision.
Also during that span, Tate completed 62.5 percent of his throws at 9.96 yards per attempt with eight scores and five picks. Skill-wise, Tate has a tight delivery and a good-but-not-great arm. His accuracy isn't a major issue either.
In 2017, he simply looked like the inexperienced thrower he was when it came to moving through his progressions and quickly recognizing complex coverages.
Arizona is a dark horse to contend for the Pac-12 crown this season, and Tate is worth keeping an eye on in the Heisman race, especially with Kevin Sumlin on the sidelines in Tucson. He's a likely candidate to stay for his senior season, but he'll be eligible for the 2019 draft as a true junior.
Under the Radar: Jake Browning, QB, Washington
To me, after accuracy and processing speed, pocket presence is the most vital aspect of playing the quarterback position. Many -- including myself -- believe it's a natural skill a signal-caller either has or doesn't by the time he's starting at the collegiate level.
And despite a gigantic dip stat-wise from 2016 to 2017 (43 touchdown and nine picks to 19 touchdowns and five picks), Browning possesses awesome pocket-drifting ability.
There are times he "overextends" plays, which can lead to tremendous backyard-style improvisation but occasionally gets him into trouble. Yet the non-flashy plays when he subtly drifts away from oncoming outside pressure or slides to his left to avoid a defensive tackle charging through the line are what make him such an intriguing prospect.
No, Browning doesn't have a cannon of an arm, but I don't think it's so weak that'll it'll be a hindrance at the NFL level.
However, because he doesn't throw 100 mph fastballs all over the field and isn't 6-5 (Browning's listed at 6-2), he's primed to be an under-the-radar quarterback during next year's draft season. And watch out for Washington this year ... the Huskies are loaded, particularly on defense. Browning will likely find himself running the offense in some huge games once again.
