2020 AAC Preseason Summer Scouting Preview

It’s time to continue on with my first look at the potential prospects that may be available in the 2021 NFL Draft next April in Cleveland. My annual Preseason Summer Scouting series kicked off last week with a look at the Mid-American Conference (MAC). This week I take a closer look at the American Athletic Conference (AAC).

2020 Preseason Summer Scouting Series
AAC | ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | MAC | MW | Pac-12 | SEC

The final set of AAC teams have been published below. To view my grades and projected draft rounds for AAC draft-eligible prospects, scroll to the end of the article.

2020 AAC Preseason Summer Scouting 

Central Florida Knights

UCF is best known for its explosive offense, but it’s the defensive prospects from the program who have been selected in the top half of the draft recently. It’s a trend that will continue next April.

While some scouts grade Richie Grant as a priority free agent, I stamp him as a potential second-day pick. Grant is an explosive run defender who shows solid range and ability in coverage. He lacks classic size and speed, but Grant is a terrific football player.

Cornerback Brandon Moore is another I grade much higher than scouts; off his 2018 film, I believe he has great upside. Moore is a feisty corner with outstanding ball skills and reminded me of former UCF corner Mike Hughes before the injury that sidelined him most of last year.

Aaron Robinson is another corner with solid upside, but he must refine his game and take it to the next level.

Cincinnati Bearcats

Season after season, the Bearcats post a competitive record but end up with players selected mostly in the late rounds of the draft. That’s primarily due to their outstanding coach, Luke Fickell, who gets the most from his players. Once again, the Bearcats board is filled with late-round prospects.

Two pass rushers are at the top of my board — Myjai Sanders and Michael Pitts. Both are undersized but athletic college defensive ends who quickly get up the field and out in space to make plays. Pitts is more of a 3-4 outside linebacker, while Sanders has the growth potential to develop into a defensive end.

Elijah Ponder is an explosive defensive tackle with growth limitations. He lacks upside but could end up as a solid three-technique tackle at the next level.

Safety James Wiggins is highly thought of in the scouting community, but he comes with average size and speed and missed all of 2019 with a torn ACL.

Reminder: To view my grades and projected draft rounds for AAC draft-eligible prospects, scroll down to the end of the article.

East Carolina Pirates

It has been a tough go of it for ECU on the field the past 10 years, and the program has had minimal impact in the draft. I expect that to continue in 2021.

The only player from the program who has a chance of being drafted is D’Ante Smith. Graded as a late-round prospect the past three years, he’s a hard-working college left tackle who I project to guard in the NFL. Smith does a little of everything well, but he stands out in no single area.

Aaron Ramseur is a smaller, run-and-chase linebacker with safety size. He showed a lot of next-level potential in 2018 before being slowed by injuries last season.

Houston Cougars

After a surprising coaching change in 2019, the Houston program took a step back last season. They did place a player into the second day of April’s draft, and a repeat performance is likely next year.

Wide receiver Marquez Stevenson is a legitimate vertical threat with the speed to take it the distance. He’s a solid pass catcher who fights to make the reception and does not have lapses on the field. Stevenson is tough, but he has a thin build and a small frame. He often loses out in battles, but the faster he runs in the lead-up to the 2021 NFL Draft, the earlier he’ll be selected.

Deontay Anderson flashed brilliance in 2018, but he never elevated his game last season. He has the size and physicality to be drafted as a strong safety. But if Anderson turns in a repeat performance from a year ago, he won’t be selected at all.

I had Mulbah Car highly rated coming into 2019, but injuries slowed him last year. He’s a tough, grind-it-out runner with next-level quickness. Car could jump into the late rounds with a big season.

Reminder: To view my grades and projected draft rounds for AAC draft-eligible prospects, scroll down to the end of the article.

Memphis Tigers

After years of being a doormat, Memphis has strung tougher several good seasons on the field and made an impact in the NFL Draft. Despite losing head coach Mike Norvell, the program should continue to impact the draft due to good recruiting.

Junior left tackle Obinna Eze is far and away my top next-level prospect on the Tigers’ depth chart. Eze is a long, fluid tackle with nice width. He easily slides off the edge in pass protection and blocks with solid fundamentals. If he improves from his sophomore tape, a top-42 selection is very possible.

Kenneth Gainwell is the program’s newest version of Antonio Gibson — a versatile skill player who produces as a ball carrier and shows himself to be a terrific pass catcher. Gainwell is smaller than Gibson, but he’s more natural as a ball carrier and is a lethal downfield threat as a receiver.

La’Andre Thomas and Sanchez Blake Jr. have contrasting styles at safety. Thomas is more of the rangy cover man who can effectively line up over the slot receiver, while Blake Jr. is the dominant run defender who will knock your head off.

SMU Mustangs

The top players selected in recent draft history from SMU have been receivers, and that will hold true in 2021. But the program also has other prospects on offense to keep an eye on.

Despite missing time with injury each of the past two seasons, Reggie Roberson has displayed himself as a legitimate big-play threat and NFL receiver. He possesses the speed to beat defenders vertically and the hands to make the difficult catch as well as the ordinary reception. If Roberson stays healthy all season and takes his game to the next level, I could see him being a top-45 pick in 2021.

Left tackle Jaylon Thomas has guard size, but he has all the traits and skills to protect the blindside. He’s an athletic blocker who easily slides off the edge in pass protection and quickly gets to the second level to remove defenders from the play. Thomas has nice upside, but opinions will vary on his best position in the NFL.

Quarterback Shane Buechele really took his game to another level last season, his first with SMU, and looked more like a passer than an athlete playing quarterback. His poise, field vision and decision making were impressive. His arm strength and deep accuracy make him a late-round selection unless lightning strikes again.

Reminder: To view my grades and projected draft rounds for AAC draft-eligible prospects, scroll down to the end of the article.

South Florida Bulls

Except for the past two years, South Florida’s draft history includes solid mid-round prospects who have gone on to produce in the NFL. But recently, poor recruiting led to poor results on the field and even worse results on draft weekend.

Kevin Kegler is a player I graded as a potential second-day pick off his 2018 film. This assumed he would improve on the field, but it didn’t happen for a variety of reasons. Kegler’s production in some categories dropped by two-thirds last year. At the top of his game, Kegler is a sawed-off defensive tackle with a quick, explosive style. If he can get back to the form he showed in 2018, Kegler could slide into day three of the draft; otherwise, he won’t be selected at all.

Donovan Jennings is a tall, athletic pass-blocking left tackle with upside. He moves well for a big-bodied blocker, and if he continues to develop he could move into the draft’s initial 100 picks.

Temple Owls

After being a doormat of a program that seemingly no one wanted, Temple has done a great job turning it all around. They have placed talented players throughout recent NFL Drafts at a variety of positions, and that will continue in the near and distant future.

Underclassmen lead the way on my Temple board, starting with cornerback Christian Braswell. A smaller (under 5-foot-10) but feisty corner with terrific ball skills, Braswell will make a terrific nickel back on Sundays.

Isaac Moore has the size and athleticism teams want in a left tackle for the next level. He’s fundamentally sound and displays terrific blocking range sliding off the edge.

Several scouts I have spoken with believe Daniel Archibong is an undrafted free agent prospect, but I disagree. He’s a long, athletic defensive lineman with growth potential and big upside.

Jadan Blue and Branden Mack are both terrific receivers with contrasting styles. Blue is a quicker route runner with decent vertical speed, while Mack is a big-bodied, game controlling pass catcher. I prefer Mack as a player, but I have concerns about his ability to separate at the next level.

Ifeanyi Maijeh gave serious consideration to entering last April’s draft, and I’d put him on the early list of underclassmen who’ll make the jump in 2021. He’s a shorter gap penetrator with size limitations, but also a prototypical three-technique tackle who explodes off the snap and makes plays in every direction.

Reminder: To view my grades and projected draft rounds for AAC draft-eligible prospects, scroll down to the end of the article.

Tulane Green Wave

Except for a couple of quarterbacks and running back Matt Forte, it has been nothing but last-day selections coming from Tulane the past 20 years. Expect the same moving forward.

A pair of defensive front-seven prospects top the list from Tulane.

Cameron Sample is a relatively athletic defensive end who has been productive the past three seasons. He’s a solid three-down defender rather than a true edge rusher, and he must add bulk to his frame as well as strength to his game.

Patrick Johnson is an undersized college defensive end who plays tough, nasty football. Johnson is a ‘tweener and possesses linebacker size with defensive lineman speed.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Tulsa ended a nine-year drought by having two players selected in April’s draft. The future is bright for the program, although it may take a bit of time before they impact the draft again.

Right tackle X’Zauvea Gadlin has guard size, but he’s an athletic blocker with huge upside. He caught my eye every time I broke down Tulsa film and he has the versatility to play left or right tackle as well as guard in a zone-blocking scheme.

Center Gerard Wheeler is not as mobile on his feet, though he is effective at the second level. Wheeler has better size than Gadlin and is more the type of blocker who will punch defenders in the mouth and drive them off the line of scrimmage.

Both Gadlin and Wheeler have NFL starting potential if they continue to improve.

James Palmer is a bit like former Tulsa alum Charles Clay — an athletic pass catcher with average size. Palmer is also an H-back type and like Clay, he has the ability to line up all over the field to take advantage of his pass-catching ability.

If there is a senior on the depth chart who will get drafted next April, it’s receiver Keylon Stokes, a dependable pass catcher with solid measurables.

Draft-Eligible Prospect Rankings: AAC

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Tony Pauline is Pro Football Network’s Chief Draft Analyst and Insider. Follow him on Twitter @TonyPauline. Follow PFN on Twitter @PFN365.