As the NFL Draft approaches, more and more people are dipping their toes into the world of college football to talk about the top prospects in this draft class. While I have a lot of great things to say about those top talents, I think it is more fun (and it is harder to get called out on mistakes) to talk about players that I think are undervalued. The NFL, more than almost any pro sport, will see young players that were unheralded coming out of college become great players. In this article, I am going to talk about some guys that I think fit that mold. If you are looking for a specific player, they are in alphabetical order by last name.

Zach Allen

Biography

Zach Allen was a three-star prospect when he arrived at Boston College from New Canaan, Connecticut and won Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Connecticut his senior year. Allen saw limited action during his freshman season. Allen improved upon that and put up 10 tackles for loss while playing a key reserve role for his sophomore season, but only had one start. He started at defensive end his junior season and amassed 100 total tackles and 15.5 tackles for loss. He elected to return to school after many people speculating that he would enter the NFL Draft in 2018. As the primary focus of opposing offensive lines, Allen still had a very strong campaign in 2018 with 15 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Why Will He Succeed?

Throughout his time at Boston College, Allen has been praised as a relentless attacker on the defensive line, showing intense effort for the entirety of a play. Allen has a high football IQ and seems to recognize and read plays almost immediately. He has tremendous upper body strength, which combines well with his great ability to shed blocks. His bull rush works very well for him, and he often can overpower the offensive lineman blocking him. Allen also has success going inside on defensive line and making tackles from there. I think he also has the ability to play defensive end in both a 3-4 and a 4-3 defense. There are questions about his athleticism, but I think his strength, effort, and quick play recognition can all help him overcome that. I think Allen is someone who is hurt by this being a very good draft class on the defensive line, as there are so many great players at those positions in this draft. Regardless, I still think Allen should be taken near the end of the first round.

Beau Benzschawel

Biography

A Wisconsin native, Beau Benzschawel played tight end in high school before ultimately bulking up and moving to offensive line when he arrived in Madison. After redshirting his first season, Benzschawel started the final eight games of his redshirt freshman season after missing the start of the season with an ankle injury. While he started primarily at right tackle his redshirt freshman season, he switched to right guard for the remainder of his time at Wisconsin. In his first full season at guard, he was named second team All-Big 10, and started all 14 games. Benzschawel built upon that as he garnered first team All-Big 10 and All-American honors during his redshirt junior and senior seasons.

Why Will He Succeed?

Benzschawel comes from a factory for offensive linemen at Wisconsin. The Badgers have continuously put out great NFL prospects up front, and I just trust many of their prospects more because of it. Benzschawel was a four-year starter for Wisconsin, and also has shown the ability to play offensive tackle if needed. Wisconsin’s offense relies mostly on the run, but Benzschawel does very well in pass protection. While his 40-yard dash was not the fastest, he has quite a few athletic gifts. He has great technique, always putting himself in the right position. He also does very well at moving his feet and getting proper hand placement on his blocks, especially in pass blocking. He also shows a lot of aggression in his blocks and does not give up on one easily. Benzschawel’s biggest weakness is his lack of core and lower body strength, but I think that his strength can be developed some with the help of an NFL Strength and Conditioning Staff. Benzschawel is someone that I can definitely see at least being a utility backup on the offensive line for a long time. I think that someone who is as technically sound and aggressive as he is will always have a spot in the NFL.

Hakeem Butler

Biography

Coming out of Fort Bend, Texas, Butler was just a two-star recruit coming out of high school in the class of 2015. With just three FBS offers and one P5 offer, Butler chose Iowa State. After redshirting his first year and playing sparingly his redshirt freshman season. Butler finished second on the team in receiving yards as a redshirt sophomore. Where Butler made his meteoric rise was during his redshirt junior year where he had 60 catches for 1,318 yards. Butler was named first team All-Big 12 at receiver in 2018, and declared for the draft after the season.

Why Will He Succeed?

Butler has great size for a receiver, standing just under 6’6” and weighing 229 pounds. Butler also had the longest wingspan ever measured at the combine at 6’11.75” meaning his catch radius is massive. His size also does not mean a lack of speed as he ran a 4.48 40-yard dash. While fellow receiver DK Metcalf was the darling of the combine, I think Butler’s performance deserves to be talked about more. His 40-yard dash as previously mentioned means he has a good athletic ability in addition to his size. While his 36 inch vertical could have been better, his height means he can get just as high or higher in the air than many other players that might have jumped higher than him. His explosiveness was also shown with a 128-inch broad jump, good enough for 6th among receivers.

Butler’s size and wingspan make him great at catching jump balls. He can be a matchup nightmare for opposing cornerbacks with his combination of size and speed. His long strides will be hard to keep up with. If you want to see a receiver stiff arm or run over a cornerback after the catch, Butler is also your guy. His size, strength, and athleticism mean he also does very well run blocking. There are concerns about his high number of drops, but those were the same concerns thrown at DeAndre Hopkins, who is now the best receiver in the NFL (please do not attack me for this opinion on Hopkins because I have little to back it up with). With his explosiveness, strength and speed, Butler also can easily get yards after the catch. His tendency to catch with his body is concerning, but I feel like I can trust him to outmuscle opposing corners for catches. I truly think Butler should be the first receiver off the board, and I think he has an amazing career ahead of him.

Blake Cashman

Biography

Blake Cashman was an All-State player at Eden Prairie High School in Minnesota, but had to walk-on to the lone FBS team in his home state. Despite being a freshman walk-on, Cashman saw some action on special teams. During his sophomore season, Cashman became a reserve linebacker that saw some action, and was named Defensive MVP of the Holiday Bowl. In both his sophomore and junior season, Cashman won an award for Minnesota players given to someone who plays with an underdog spirit. Cashman became a team captain and filled out the stat sheet in his senior season with 104 total tackles and 15 tackles for loss.

Why Will He Succeed?

Cashman looks to have a history of outperforming expectations, going from a walk-on, to Defensive MVP of a bowl game, to a team captain and All-Big 10 linebacker. I think players that have previously outdone what was expected of them tend to do it again. A majority of Cashman’s tackles were solo tackles, meaning he had to make many plays on his own at Minnesota. Cashman has had to battle through injuries during his college career, and has shown a lot of grit and toughness in doing so. Cashman had a very strong performance at the NFL combine, he ran 4.50 seconds in the 40-yard dash, had a 37.5-inch vertical jump, a 124-inch broad jump, and a time of 4.12 in the 20-yard shuttle. Cashman tested in the top five among linebackers at the combine in all of these. His athleticism shown at the combine is a skill that should carry over to the NFL. Cashman shows great form as a tackler and will not be letting guys slip away from him very often. His experience playing on special teams at Minnesota will also be valuable to him starting off in the NFL as special teams will be somewhere he will likely need to play. He has the makings of a special teams demon too as he plays tough, is a good athlete, and can react quickly. I think he could afford to bulk up, but he will have plenty of chances to do that in the NFL. While Devin White and Devin Bush are the top two inside linebackers in this class by a considerable margin, there is a lot of disagreement about who the third best guy is. I think Cashman is not brought up enough in that discussion. I think he has a long career ahead of him with the potential to be a solid starter and a great special teams player.

Greg Gaines

Biography

Greg Gaines was a three-star prospect out of high school, coming from La Habra, California where he was named All-State. Gaines originally committed to Boise State, but flipped to Washington when then Boise State head coach Chris Petersen took the job at Washington. After redshirting in 2014, Gaines started six games as a redshirt freshman. After becoming a full time starter, Gaines flourished on a consistently strong Washington defense. Gaines was named first team All-Pac 12 in 2018 and brought home the Morris Trophy, given to each conference’s best defensive lineman.

Why Will He Succeed?

Gaines has great strength as an interior defensive lineman. That strength is used to anchor himself in one-on-one and double team situations, which defensive tackles often have to face. While he might not be the most athletic, Gaines does have quick hands and a quick punch. His ability to stand his ground in the gap can also be good in short yardage situations as does his ability to split double teams. Gaines has a great motor that allows him to persist past blocks as well. His athleticism might not be all there, but he is quick out of his stance and can often beat offensive linemen to the first punch. His short arms are a concern from NFL scouts, but I think Gaines has many other skills that can help mask that deficiency. While his ability as a pass rusher is not great, I think it could be developed with the right coaching. I think that Gaines should go early on day three of the draft and will at least have a solid career in the NFL as a situational player. He could do very well when put in on the goal line or in short yardage or obvious running plays and I think he could do great in that role.

Mitch Hyatt

Biography

Mitch Hyatt was a five-star recruit and high school All-American before enrolling at Clemson, coming out of Suwanee, Georgia. Once he arrived at Clemson, Hyatt had one of the most decorated college careers of any offensive lineman. From the moment he stepped on campus, Hyatt was a starter at left tackle, the first freshman to start on the offensive line at Clemson since 2004. Hyatt started all four years at Clemson, and won the Jacobs Blocking Award (basically best offensive lineman award) for the ACC in 2017 and 2018, in addition to being a unanimous first team All-American in 2018.

Why Will He Succeed?

Hyatt has been tested throughout his career, and has plenty of big game experience, playing in the playoff four times and the National Championship three times. That kind of experience is not something to take lightly. His technique at offensive tackle is very sound and well developed. There will not be anything thrown at him that he is not prepared for. Hyatt also sticks with his blocks upon contact, rarely letting a guy get past him once he gets his hands on him. His footwork is also another strength of his, adding to his technique and finesse. The big gripe against Hyatt is his lack of build and overall strength. While that is definitely concerning, I think it can be patched up some with the help of an NFL Strength and Conditioning Staff. I am a sucker for drafting guys that are considered leaders or culture changers, and Hyatt has been described as both by coaches at Clemson. All in all, I just think he has too much experience and success at the college level to not at least be a solid backup in the NFL. He will definitely be a good guy to take early on in day three to add depth to an offensive line. He might not be a stud in the NFL, but I highly doubt he does not have a long career in the league.

Tyree Jackson

Biography

Tyree Jackson was a four-year starter in high school, earning all state honors his senior year. After redshirting his first year at Buffalo, he started for three years. While he saw success in his redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore seasons, his redshirt junior season was the only one where he was fully healthy. During that season, he threw for 3,131 yards and 28 touchdowns en route to being named MAC Offensive Player of the Year. After initially deciding to grad transfer, Jackson instead elected to place his name in the draft, and performed at the 2019 NFL Combine.

Why Will He Succeed?

Jackson has three essential things needed to be a successful NFL quarterback. He has size as he stands 6’7” and weighs 249 pounds. He has speed, running a 4.59 40-yard dash, which was good enough for second among quarterbacks. He also has an absolute cannon for an arm. While his decision making has questions, he is more than capable of going through progressions before making a throw. He also has a skill that I always value in quarterbacks, and that is that is finding ways to salvage what looks like a broken play. While he does have low accuracy numbers, I attribute part of that with the fact that Buffalo heavily relied on the deep ball with Jackson at quarterback and fellow NFL prospect Anthony Johnson at receiver. If he was in a more structured offense, his completion percentage would definitely be higher. I also think the criticisms relating to his decision making can be partially excused with the system he was in during 2018, where he really was given carte blanche to make just about any deep throw he wanted. His stiffness when moving in the pocket is not good, but his straight line speed makes me believe it is fixable. Patrick Mahomes was a prospect with extreme arm strength but questions in decision making and mechanics, and he obviously turned out well although I obviously do not think Jackson will be as good as Mahomes. To find someone more comparable, Josh Allen found relative success in his rookie campaign in 2018, and I see a lot of similarities between the two. Going into the draft, Allen had concerns about his accuracy, and has done solidly on a team with very little talent around him. Allen also found success running the ball, and he is smaller and slower than Jackson.

While I think Jackson can be a success, he does need to be put in the right system. He will obviously need a year or two to develop before ever playing a significant snap. He will need that time to learn to take some heat off of his shorter passes and rely less on the deep ball. I think Jackson has the tools to be a starting caliber quarterback in a few years time. All I will say is that I would definitely rather take Jackson in the third round than Will Grier or Daniel Jones in the first round.

Justin Layne

Biography

Justin Layne was a four-star receiver prospect out of Cleveland. He signed with Michigan State in the class of 2016. Layne played receiver for the first four games of his freshman season, but converted to cornerback. Layne made the most of that time, getting a pick six in just his first season at the position. He became a full time starter his sophomore season, and truly broke out during his junior campaign. For the 2018 season, Layne had 72 total tackles, with 44 of them solo and 15 pass deflections.

Why Will He Succeed?

Layne is tall for a cornerback, standing slightly under 6’3”. Layne tested near the top of this class of cornerbacks in the 20-yard shuttle with a time of 4.09, and had a 134-inch broad jump. His 37.5-inch vertical was also solid. These numbers indicate that Layne can change directions and cut quickly, as well as having explosive and powerful first steps. His experience at receiver allows him to have a good feel for routes and can accurately guess where the receiver he is covering will go. His quick reactions and adjustments are good, and also can help mask some of the critiques about his athleticism. Layne’s 4.50 time in the 40-yard dash was not great, but it definitely was not bad in my opinion as he is tall, has long arms, quick feet, and good awareness. Layne needs to get a bit stronger and learn to use his strength once he gets to the NFL, but I think that will come with time and also experience at the position. Layne’s tendency to go for pass deflections instead of interceptions is concerning, but I think he can improve on it. I think overall physicality is something he needs to develop, but I think he might be a bit tentative because he still is trying to learn the position and is overthinking things. His toughness and physicality can come with reps, and I think will show more as he continues along his career. Layne has a great build and athletic traits for a cornerback. If he can refine a few things, he should be an above average starter in the league. I think he should be taken early in the second round or even late in the first.

Benny Snell

Biography

As just a three-star recruit out of high school, Snell made an immediate impact at Kentucky. Although he split carries in his freshman season, he surpassed 1,000 rushing yards en route a Freshman All-American nod. Snell surpassed 1,300 yards during his sophomore and junior seasons, and was named first team All-SEC his junior season. Kentucky was another surprise team this season, winning 10 games. I believe Snell carried the offensive load for Kentucky and was a big reason they did so well.

Why Will He Succeed?

As Kentucky had a pretty weak passing game, Snell had to shoulder a ton of weight for Kentucky’s offense, and was heavily relied upon. Snell was fourth in the nation in total carries in 2018, and also remained healthy while carrying the ball as much as he did. At Kentucky, Snell proved that he is a physical runner that rarely goes down on initial contact and can barrel forward for the hard yard with his very strong lower body. Against a stout Mississippi State defense that features two top 10 talents on their defensive line and only gave up 12 touchdowns in the regular season, Snell ran for 165 yards and four touchdowns. Snell also has great vision and patience in the backfield, allowing holes to develop. While his 4.66 40 yard dash did not look too good and there are questions about his footwork, he finished near the top among running backs in the three cone, meaning there is a hope for improvement.

Seemingly every year, some rookie running back drafted in the middle rounds bursts onto the scene like Kareem Hunt or Alvin Kamara in 2017, Jordan Howard in 2016, or David Johnson in 2015. I think Snell will be that guy this coming season. While I think he is capable of being the same bell cow back he was at Kentucky if needed, he could also be a short yardage or red zone back as he has a nose for the end zone, putting up 48 rushing touchdowns over his career. If Snell can improve on his footwork and lateral quickness, I think he can be a great running back for any team.

Juan Thornhill

Biography

Juan Thornhill showed versatility in his high school years, earning All-State honors at both quarterback and safety in as well as being a standout basketball player. Thornhill committed to his home-state school Virginia as a three-star athlete out of Altavista High School. Thornhill saw limited action as a backup his freshman season, but earned a starting role for his sophomore season, and had three interceptions. His junior season was where he started to make a name for himself with four interceptions and 12 pass deflections. During his senior season, Thornhill had 98 total tackles, and six interceptions en route to being named All-ACC at safety.

Why Will He Succeed?

Thornhill had some eye-popping numbers at the combine. Thornhill’s 4.42 40-yard dash was good enough for fifth among all safeties. He put up 21 reps of 225 pounds on bench press, good enough for second most of any safety or defensive back. Thornhill put up a combine best in two categories with a 44-inch vertical and 141-inch broad jump. His speed and explosiveness show that while safety is his best position, he can shift to cornerback if needed, as he has in college. From his time at cornerback, Thornhill has become a ball-hawk, getting 13 interceptions over his last three seasons with Virginia. Thornhill also has the strength to cover tight ends and not get bullied. His ability to make tackles in the open field is also very useful. Thornhill is not afraid to cover an open space and can be relied upon for it. While questions surround his ability to stack the box, I think he is pretty strong for his position and has enough of a nose for the ball for me to feel like he will not get toppled. He often takes wrong angles and can be slow in run pursuit, but I think he can learn and develop. Thornhill has experience as a starter and was one of the catalysts to Virginia’s overall improvement as a program.

Thornhill is one of my favorite players in this class, and I think has the potential to be a Pro Bowl player. I think he should be a first round pick. However, if you are an NFL scout reading this, do not pick him with one of the first 56 picks. This has nothing to do with me hoping my beloved Cowboys take him with the 57th pick like many have mocked for them to.

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