Missouri Valley Conference
2020 NFL Draft Prospects
Jonas Griffith, ILB, Indiana State
Career Snapshot: Three-year starter who earned First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors and led the conference in tackles in each of his final two seasons at Indiana State. Made 106 tackles (28.5 for loss) with four sacks as a senior in 2019. Made 132 tackles (9.5 for loss) with 3.5 sacks as a junior. Earned Second Team All-MVFC honors and posted 107 tackles (11 for loss) and 5.5 sacks as a sophomore.
Positives: Instinctive run-defending linebacker who does not make mental errors. Quick to read and diagnose, efficient and takes proper angles to the play. Fires up the field, gives effort against the run and wraps up tackling. Stays with coverage assignments.
Negatives: Struggles to make plays outside the box. Plays to his 40 time. Really doesn’t stack well against the run and isn’t forceful on the blitz.
Analysis: Griffith is a tough, smart interior linebacker with athletic and scheme limitations. His ability to make plays with his head is Griffith’s best asset.
Brady Davis, QB, Illinois State
Career Snapshot: Transfer from Memphis who started both his seasons at Illinois State. Completed 52 percent of his passes for 1,570 yards and nine touchdowns with nine interceptions as a senior in 2019. Completed 56 percent of his passes for 1,935 yards and 19 touchdown with five interceptions as a junior.
Positives: Patient, poised passer who uses all his targets. Sits in the pocket under the rush, does not make poor choices and spreads the ball around to all his receivers. Easily gets outside the pocket to throw on the move, keeps his eyes downfield to look for open targets and flashes the ability to beautifully place throws on occasion. Throws with an over-the-top delivery and delivers the pass with speed.
Negatives: Late to deliver throws and allows defensive backs to make a move on the ball. Does not hit receivers in stride on a consistent basis, which leads to a loss of opportunity after the catch. Stares down the primary target and gives throws away.
Analysis: Davis was a solid small-school quarterback and possesses enough arm strength to play at the next level, but he must be locate receivers and deliver throws quicker.
Luther Kirk, S, Illinois State
Career Snapshot: Two-year starter who earned Third Team FCS All-America honors and made 89 tackles (four for loss) with three sacks and six pass breakups as a senior in 2019. Earned First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors and made 61 tackles with five interceptions and three PBUs as a junior. Sat out the 2017 season to take a break from football but remained enrolled at Illinois State.
Positives: Nice-sized safety with enough athleticism to play at the next level. Remains disciplined with assignments, fires up the field and gives effort against the run. Reads and diagnoses plays well, tracks the ball in the air and works well with cornerbacks to defend passes. Plays heads-up football.
Negatives: Does not show great range or cover a large amount of area. Plays more like a straight-line, downhill safety.
Analysis: Kirk is an athletic, disciplined safety who comes with upside, but he must develop a complete game.
James R. Robinson, RB, Illinois State
Career Snapshot: Three-year starter who earned First Team FCS All-America honors and rushed 364 times for 1,899 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior in 2019. Earned Third Team FCS All-America honors, carried 205 times for 1,290 yards and 12 TDs and caught 21 passes for 164 yards and one score as a junior. Earned First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors and rushed 165 times for 933 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore.
Positives: Productive, downhill ball carrier who could make an NFL roster as a fourth back. Instinctive, very effective as a short-yardage ball carrier and displays good field vision. Quickly locates running lanes, runs through arm tackles and picks up a lot of yardage off initial contact.
Patiently waits for blocks to develop and runs hard on the inside. Will pick and choose his spots, keeps his feet moving and works to pick up as much yardage as possible on every carry. Weaves through the traffic and displays short-area quickness.
Negatives: Gets in trouble when he tries to run east and west. Gathers himself when he tries to change direction or get through the cutback lanes. One-speed ball carrier.
Analysis: Robinson came into the season graded as a mid-round pick by scouts, but he fell somewhat short of expectations and now projects to the late rounds. He performed well during Shrine Game practices and has enough ability to be used as a short-yardage ball carrier at the next level.
Angelo Garbutt, ILB, Missouri State
Career Snapshot: Transfer from Iowa who started all three of his seasons at Missouri State. Named Honorable Mention All-Missouri Valley Football Conference and made 99 tackles (eight for loss) with 2.5 sacks as a junior in 2018. Earned Second Team All-MVFC honors and made 85 tackles (6.5 for loss) with two sacks as a sophomore. Made 61 tackles (9.5 for loss) with two forced fumbles, one interception and three pass breakups as a senior.
Positives: Resilient, hard-working linebacker with solid size and speed. Disciplined, scrapes well laterally and stays with the action. Instinctive, quickly locates the ball carrier and takes proper angles to the play. Breaks down well and uses his hands to protect himself. Displays a good head for the ball. Slides off blocks laterally and nicely redirects and adjusts to the ball carrier. Covers a good amount of area on the field and displays solid change-of-direction skills.
Negatives: Not a stout tackler. Watches ball carriers consistently run through his arms. Engulfed at the point by blocks even at the small-school level. Does not always play to his 40 time.
Analysis: Garbutt is a tough linebacker who sells out to make plays. He possesses the size and flashes the speed necessary to be used as a weakside linebacker or on the inside of a 3-4. He also comes with a special-teams mentality.
Trevor Allen, RB, Northern Iowa
Career Snapshot: First-year starter who rushed 178 times for 643 yards and six touchdowns as a senior in 2019. Carried 134 times for 611 yards and five TDs and caught 25 passes for 256 yards as a junior. Started six games, rushed 92 times for 412 yards and two touchdowns and made 33 receptions for 206 yards and two scores as a sophomore. Played mostly wide receiver and made 22 catches for 341 yards and one TD as a redshirt freshman.
Positives: Nice-sized ball carrier who is best on the inside. Keeps his feet moving, runs hard and drives his shoulders through defenders. Breaks tackles, picks up a lot of yardage off initial contact and falls forward when tackled. Becomes the hot receiver and helps out the quarterback.
Negatives: Average quickness and instincts. Not creative and seems to just run into piles at times. Plays to his 40 time.
Analysis: Allen was a solid ball carrier at the small-school level, but he has no outstanding physical feature to his game. He’s a decent-sized, small-area back who must run downhill and between the tackles.
Jaylin James, WR, Northern Iowa
Career Snapshot: Four-year starter who caught 32 passes for 444 yards and four touchdowns as a senior in 2019. Made 38 receptions for 400 yards and three touchdowns as a junior. Made 33 catches for 338 yards and one touchdown as a sophomore.
Positives: Nice-sized receiver who plays smart football. Plays faster than his 40 time, tracks the pass in the air and adjusts to the errant throw. Displays terrific hand-eye coordination, snatches the ball away from his frame and keeps the play in bounds after the catch. Exposes himself to the big hit, works to come away with the difficult catch and gives effort as a downfield blocker.
Negatives: Not a stout receiver. Does not always come away with the difficult grab.
Analysis: James possesses the size and speed and has shown the pass-catching skills to line up as a fifth receiver on an NFL roster. He offers upside, but he must show a lot of a lot of consistency during camp this summer.
Riley Moore, TE, Northern Iowa
Positives: Nice-sized tight end who is effective in all areas of the position. Breaks down well, blocks with leverage and stays square. Strong at the point and does enough to disrupt defenders. Works his way across the field as a receiver, exposes himself to the big hit and comes away with the difficult catch. Sturdy tight end who extends his hands and makes the reception away from his frame. Makes the difficult catch with defenders draped on him.
Negatives: Plays to one speed, lacks quickness and isn’t effective on anything other than intermediate patterns.
Analysis: Moore is an average athlete and lacks great upside, but he has enough skill and ability to make a roster as a third tight end.
Ben Ellefson, TE, North Dakota State
Positives: Hard-working tight end who gets the most from his ability. Starts with good knee bend, fires off the snap into blocks and gives effort. Keeps his head on a swivel, stays with assignments and works hard even if the play is away from him. Quickly gets off the line into pass routes and shows good route discipline. Works to catch the ball with his hands away from his frame.
Negatives: Plays like an average athlete. Displays little in the way of speed or burst. Really not involved in the passing game and put up marginal stats.
Analysis: Ellefson is a hard-working tight end who does a little bit of everything well. He lacks great upside, but his attention to detail could help him stick on a depth chart as a third tight end.
Zack Johnson, OT, North Dakota State
Career Snapshot: Three-year starter who earned Second Team FCS All-America honors as a right guard during his senior season in 2019. Earned First Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors as a junior. Named Honorable Mention All-MVFC as a sophomore. Played right tackle before he moved to guard for his senior season.
Positives: Hard-working and underrated small-school lineman who can be used at tackle or guard. Fundamentally sound, quickly gets his hands up and stays square. Strong at the point, blocks with a nasty attitude and attacks opponents. Blocks with proper pad level, keeps his head on a swivel and works well with linemates. Turns defenders from the action and completely engulfs them at the point.
Negatives: Stiff and has scheme limitations. Not effective far from the line of scrimmage and lacks balance in motion.
Analysis: Johnson is a tough, intelligent lineman with NFL size and some versatility. I could see Johnson as a backup guard or right tackle outside of a zone-blocking scheme at the next level.
Derrek Tuszka, DE, North Dakota State
Career Snapshot: Two-year starter who earned First Team FCS All-America honors and made 48 tackles (19 for loss) with 13.5 sacks and five pass breakups as a senior in 2019. Started seven games, was named Honorable Mention All-Missouri Valley Football Conference and made 48 tackles (12 for loss) with 7.5 sacks as a junior. Made 33 tackles (9.5 for loss) with 7.5 sacks as a sophomore.
Positives: Explosive college edge rusher who makes a lot of plays behind the line of scrimmage. Plays with tremendous pad level, flashes athleticism and easily bends off the edge. Agile, effective with his hands and stays on balance. Quickly changes direction, immediately alters his angle of attack and slides down the line of scrimmage to defend the run.
Builds a lot of speed and force up the field and can be tough to stop. Comes off the edge with speed and balance and is a constant nuisance. Play smart football and does more than just pin his ears back and rush up the field.
Negatives: Possesses a thin build, struggles to handle blocks and gets manhandled at the point. Will be a liability against the run. Did not time well at the combine.
Analysis: Tuszka was a highly regarded small-school pass rusher who offers possibilities as a one-gap end or standing over tackle. While he must fill out his frame and become stronger, Tuszka should see success early in his career as a situational pass rusher.
Ryan Earith, DE, South Dakota State
Career Snapshot: Four-year starter who earned Second Team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors in each of his final two seasons at South Dakota State. Made 39 tackles (10 for loss) with 6.5 sacks as a senior in 2019. Made 43 tackles (nine for loss) with 5.5 sacks as a junior.
Positives: Hard-working defensive end who gets the most from his ability. Plays with terrific pad level, gets leverage on opponents and can bend off the edge. Intense, easily gets to the action and chases hard to make plays. Moves well laterally in pursuit of the play. Rarely off his feet.
Negatives: Lacks size and gets stood up at the point by blocks. Struggles to defend the run.
Analysis: Earith was a solid small-school defensive end, but he lacks the size and speed for the next level. He must fill out his frame and improve his strength to have any chance to get out of camp this summer.
Evan Greeneway, OT, South Dakota State
Career Snapshot: Two-year starter at left tackle who was named Honorable Mention All-Missouri Valley Football Conference as a junior in 2018. Started four games as a sophomore.
Positives: Nice-sized college left tackle who is best in confined quarters. Sets with a wide base, properly places his hands into defenders and immediately engages opponents off the snap of the ball. Stays square and easily outpositions opponents from the play. Quick in all his actions, fires out to the second level and gives effort.
Negatives: Does not bend his knees or block with leverage and struggles to finish blocks as a result. Lacks footwork off the edge and gets exploited by speed rushers.
Analysis: Greeneway is a size prospect who will have no chance to make it at the next level unless he learns to bend his knees and block with leverage.
Christian Rozeboom, ILB, South Dakota State
Career Snapshot: Four-year starter who earned Second Team FCS All-America honors and made 111 tackles (six for loss) with three forced fumbles and four pass breakups as a senior in 2019. Named Honorable Mention All-Missouri Valley Football Conference and made 105 tackles (10.5 for loss) with three forced fumbles and four PBUs as a junior. Combined to make 259 tackles (12.5 for loss) in his first two seasons at South Dakota State.
Positives: Fierce, instinctive linebacker who flies around the field to make plays. Effectively reads and diagnoses the action, sells out up the field and manufactures ways to come up with big plays. Remains disciplined with assignments, does not bite on ball fakes and viciously attacks opponents. Plays all-out on every snap.
Negatives: Possesses average speed. Not fast laterally and lacks closing burst. Minimally effective in pursuit.
Analysis: Rozeboom grades out high in the areas of intensity and instincts, but he lacks next-level size and speed. He plays with a special-teams mentality, which could be his ticket onto an NFL roster.
Madre Harper, CB, Southern Illinois
Career Snapshot: Transfer from Oklahoma State who started his final season at Southern Illinois. Named Honorable Mention All-Missouri Valley Football Conference and made 42 tackles with two interceptions and 12 pass breakups as a senior in 2019. Started five games and made 46 tackles with six PBUs as a junior.
Positives: Nice-sized, small-school cornerback who may ultimately move to safety. Athletic, gets vertical and high points the throw over opponents to defend passes. Fires up the field and gives effort against the run. Strong and defeats blocks on his way to the play.
Negatives: Hesitant. Prefers to side shuffle downfield. Loses the ball in the air and faceguards too much.
Analysis: Harper possesses the size and skill to be used in a system where he faces the action. He plays physical football, which could help him earn a spot on coverage units.
LaCale London, DE, Western Illinois
Career Snapshot: Junior-college transfer who started his final season at Western Illinois. Named Honorable Mention All-Missouri Valley Football Conference and made 45 tackles (9.5 for loss) with four sacks, three forced fumbles and four pass breakups as a senior in 2019.
Positives: Fundamentally sound small-school lineman with a versatile game. Fires off the snap, plays with excellent pad level and quickly gets his hands up. Rarely off his feet, tough to move off the point and consistently gets leverage on opponents. Instinctive, quickly locates the action and fights to make plays. Plays with balance and body control, immediately redirects to the action and alters his angle of attack. Keeps his feet moving and flashes lower-body power.
Negatives: Plays more like a gap occupier than a playmaker. Must improve his play against the run. Gets easily outpositioned by opponents despite his size.
Analysis: London comes with size, growth potential and enough instincts to make an NFL roster as a fourth defensive tackle.
George Wahee, WR, Western Illinois
Career Snapshot: Transfer from Norfolk State who started his final season at Western Illinois. Caught 40 passes for 449 yards and five touchdowns as a senior in 2019. Started his sophomore season at Norfolk State and made 29 catches for 338 yards and one touchdown in 2017.
Positives: Consistent pass catcher with a basketball background. Gets vertical, competes to come away with the tough reception and constantly wins out for the contested grab. Strong for his size, exposes himself to the big hit and breaks tackles after the catch. Effective when he extends his hands to snatch the ball out of the air and displays terrific focus and concentration. Tracks the pass in the air and displays outstanding timing on receptions.
Negatives: Secures the ball against his frame and doesn’t consistently snatch it cleanly away from his body. Must improve his route running.
Analysis: Wahee has a next-level build and flashes NFL pass-catching skills, but he must really round out his game. At the very least, he should be given practice-squad consideration this fall.
Matt Jones, C, Youngstown State
Career Snapshot: Transfer from West Virginia who started his lone season at Youngstown State. Two-year starter at center for the Mountaineers.
Positives: Strong, small-area center with a terrific feel for the position. Quickly sets up off the snap and displays outstanding vision and awareness of assignments. Strong, engulfs defenders and easily takes them from the action. Bends his knees, stays square and keeps his head on a swivel.
Negatives: Cannot slide in space and is best in a small area. Struggles to adjust. Ineffective in motion.
Analysis: Jones was a terrific center for West Virginia before he moved on to Youngstown State last season. He has athletic limitations, but he offers the size, strength and wherewithal to back up in the NFL.