After a marathon Day 2 of the NFL Draft, the three-day event will conclude on Saturday. The first three rounds was 106 picks that included twists and turns, but there is still an incredible amount of talent remaining for this stage of the draft. Here are my top 30 prospects that are still available on Day 3 of the 2020 NFL Draft.
The top remaining prospects on Day 3
1. John Simpson, IOL, Clemson (Big Board Rank: 50th overall)
Despite being honored as a consensus All-American, John Simpson finds himself without an NFL team after three rounds of the NFL Draft. Simpson is a plug-and-play interior offensive line prospect who is built to road grade, showing impressive versatility in both zone and gap schemes.
He tested and measured well at the NFL Scouting Combine and received positive reviews at the Senior Bowl, raising his floor as a prospect. Interior offensive lineman are generally not valued that highly when it comes to the NFL Draft, but Simpson could be an immediate starter.
2. Saahdiq Charles, OT, LSU (62nd overall)
The starting left tackle on the best offensive line in the country and national champions, Saahdiq Charles has starter upside because of his athletic traits. Charles shows explosiveness and agility in pass protection, allowing him to mirror rushers and redirect when necessary. While he’s still developing at offensive tackle due to a lack of experience, his ceiling is a notable one. If Austin Jackson warrants a first-round pick, Charles should have been selected in the top 100.
3. K.J. Hill, WR, Ohio State (65th overall)
As Ohio State’s all-time leader in receptions, K.J. Hill shows up high on this list because of his baseline as a prospect. Hill has been a multi-year producer on talented Ohio State offenses, showing strong skills to separate and steady hands. Hill will get open in the NFL and finish reps, which means he has an easy projection as a chain mover from the slot. Hill only ran a 4.6s forty-yard dash despite below average size, so his ceiling could be limited, but he’ll contribute to any NFL offense as a rookie.
KJ Hill really just did that pic.twitter.com/wkR32Infah
— Brad Kelly (@BradKelly17) January 23, 2020
4. Rashard Lawrence, IDL, LSU (66th overall)
Rashard Lawrence was a highly ranked recruit who became a team captain at LSU as a sophomore, but has had multiple injuries slow him down throughout his college career. Lawrence is a brawler who approaches each game and rep with a fiery mindset, and he can really control blocks at the point of attack. At 308 pounds, he’s quick out of his stance and rapidly works to shed blocks. Lawrence projects beautifully into an NFL defensive line rotation having proved himself against both the run and pass.
5. Bryce Hall, CB, Virginia (68th overall)
When Bryce Hall decided to return to Virginia for his senior season, there was talk that he could be a top-50 selection. After a season that saw him battle injuries, he’s now one of the best available prospects entering Day 3 of the NFL Draft. Hall brings a solid foundation of strength and length, which should ease his transition into a press heavy coverage scheme. Hall still showed starter-level traits in limited action last season, and there is no doubt that he would’ve been selected much earlier if not for his medical report.
6. Hunter Bryant, TE, Washington (71st overall)
When Hunter Bryant declared a year early for the 2020 NFL Draft, he was seemingly in a position to be one of the first tight ends selected. Bryant showed impressive ability after the catch and explosiveness as a route runner, but he failed to separate himself with his athletic testing. For an undersized tight end (6-2, 248 pounds), that was an important piece to his evaluation. While Bryant falls into the “scheme specific” category, he still showed the traits on film to be a dangerous pass-catching option in the NFL.
Hunter Bryant was an explosive play machine at Washington. There are issues for him to clean up (hand placement at the catchpoint, dipping his eyes into blocks), but he will change how teams choose to defend against an offense #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/AQc2vjk5UR
— Brad Kelly (@BradKelly17) February 11, 2020
7. Ben Bartch, OT, St. John’s (73rd overall)
Despite starting his college career as a Division 3 tight end, Ben Bartch continued to put on weight and eventually moved to offensive tackle. His size and pure athleticism led him to D3 All-American honors, eventually proving himself by having arguably the most impressive week among all offensive tackles at the Senior Bowl. He’s fluid and athletic in pass protection, but might be asked to kick inside to guard in the NFL.
8. Ben Bredeson, IOL, Michigan (74th overall)
Ben Bredeson is one of the cleanest offensive line prospects remaining, who will provide steadiness and upside to an NFL team. Bredeson was a four-year starter and four-time all-conference honoree at Michigan, twice being named team captain. He’s a tough player with power built for an NFL running game, and has shown the ability to process and pick up stunts in pass protection. He has immediate starter potential at offensive guard.
9. Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia (76th overall)
Jake Fromm showed poise throughout his time at the starting quarterback at Georgia, taking care of the football and doing his part to win a lot of games. He’s an accurate passer in the short and intermediate areas of the field, and knows when to test zone windows. Fromm has a strong background as far as leadership and character goes, and has the upside of a starting quarterback in the right offensive system.
10. Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Michigan (78th overall)
While Donovan Peoples-Jones struggled to find consistent production during his time at Michigan, he flashed the traits of an NFL starter. Peoples-Jones is a natural, fluid route runner with the explosiveness to separate through breaks. On top of that, his size and athletic testing were out of this world (9.84 RAS). That type of potential is worth a pick early on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.
Impressive catchpoint adjustment from Donovan Peoples-Jones
• Back shoulder
• Late hands
• Through traffic / tight coverage #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/XbnxNhVRrk— Brad Kelly (@BradKelly17) April 15, 2020
The best of the rest: 11-20
11. Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB Appalachian State
12. James Lynch, DL Baylor
13. Jacob Eason, QB Washington
14. Curtis Weaver, EDGE Boise State
15. Netane Muti, IOL Fresno State
16. Thaddeus Moss, TE LSU
17. Bradlee Anae, EDGE Utah
18. Brycen Hopkins, TE Purdue
19. Collin Johnson, WR Texas
20. Tyler Johnson, WR Minnesota
The best of the rest: 21-30
21. Troy Pride Jr., CB Notre Dame
22. Prince Tega Wanogho, OT Auburn
23. K’Von Wallace, Safety Clemson
24. Isaiah Hodgins, WR Oregon State
25. Leki Fotu, DL Utah
26. Cole McDonald, QB Hawaii
27. Kenny Willekes, EDGE Michigan State
28. Alohi Gilman, Safety Notre Dame
29. Jauan Jennings, WR Tennessee
30. Nick Harris, IOL Washington