NJAM Editorial

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By Matt Lombardo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

It's hard to believe, but the College Football season is already nearing the midway point of the regular season, with four weeks already in the books.

Saturday brings several marquee matchups that could determine the College Football Playoff with Ohio State visiting Penn State, Notre Dame taking on Stanford, and Washington taking on upstart BYU.

Week 5 of the college football season also offers another chance to get a glimpse at some of the NFL Draft's top prospects. Here's a look at how I believe the top 20 is taking shape in this year's class:

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Holly Hart | AP Photo

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20) Miles Sanders - RB, Penn State

Size: 5-foot-11, 210 pounds

2018 Stats: 71 carries for 495 yards and 5 touchdowns, 7 catches for 56 yards

Saturday Game: Ohio State at Penn State, 7:30 p.m.

Penn State has become accustomed to elite running back play in recent years, and head coach James Franklin deserves accolades for the recruiting pipeline at the position that led the Nittany Lions to adding the nation's No. 1 prospect at the position (Sanders) during the 2016 recruiting class, following Saquon Barkley. Sanders doesn't have Barkley's ability as a pass-catcher, but he is a more violent and downhill runner with plenty of elusiveness in the open-field. Four games into his junior season, Sanders is averaging 7.0 yards per carry with five touchdowns with a running style that will impress NFL scouts.

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19) Derrick Brown - DL, Auburn

Size: 6-foot-5, 325

2018 Stats: 18 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1.5 tackles for loss.

Saturday Game: Auburn at Southern Miss, 4:00 p.m.

Brown is incredibly gifted with plenty of explosion off the line of scrimmage up the middle to create all kinds of disruption in the backfield. In addition to an explosive get-off, Brown does a nice job of leveraging his upper-body strength to shed blockers on his way to the quarterback as an interior pass-rusher. Against the run, Brown does a nice job of holding his ground and plugging up space.

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Chelsea Purgahn | Kalamazoo Gazette

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18) David Edwards - OT, Wisconsin

Size: 6-foot-7, 320 pounds

Game: Wisconsin at Iowa, 8:30 p.m.

Edwards does an outstanding job of leveraging his mammoth frame and arms to push opponents to the outside, creating a longer path to the pocket as a pass protector. As a run-blocker, Edwards' best trait is his explosive first step because it allows him to bully his opponent off the line of scrimmage and allow the runner to get to the second-level.

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17) AJ Brown - WR, Ole' Miss

Size: 6-foot-1, 225 pounds

2018 Stats: 26 catches, 381 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Saturday Game: Mississippi at LSU, 9:15 p.m.

With the size to be a possession receiver, and the speed to get behind the line of scrimmage, while also possessing reliable hands, look for Brown to be among the top players at the position to come off the board in April.

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16) Damien Harris - RB, Alabama

Size: 5-foot-11, 215 pounds

2018 Stats: 31 carries for 230 yards and 1 touchdown, 8 catches for 99 yards



Saturday Game: Alabama at Louisiana-Lafayette

Harris is a violent and downhill one-cut runner who will likely heard his name called first among this year's running back class next April. Once Harris gets into the open-field he has the ability both to juke defenders away, or bounce off would-be tacklers, which will serve him well on Sundays.

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Rick Scuteri | AP Photo

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15) N'Keal Harry - WR, Arizona State

Size: 6-foot-4, 215 pounds

2018 Stats: 26 catches for 335 yards with 4 touchdowns.

Saturday Game: Oregon State at Arizona State, 10:00 p.m.

With ideal size, game-breaking speed, and crisp route-running, there's a chance that Harry is the Pac-12's premier wide receiver. Harry's film is loaded with acrobatic catches with the ability to frequently make catches in traffic, which could put him in the conversation next spring to become the first receiver off the board.

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14) Jonah Williams - OT, Alabama

Size: 6-foot-4, 300 pounds

Game: Louisiana at Alabama, Noon.

A fundamental tactician, Williams' size and quick footwork give him the chance to develop into one of the top prospects at the position as both a dominant run-blocker and reliable pass-protector.

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13) Noah Fant - TE, Iowa

Size: 6-foot-5, 214 pounds

2018 Stats: 15 catches for 169 yards and 4 touchdowns

Saturday Game: Minnesota at Iowa, 3:30 p.m.

Fant has freakish athleticism for his size, and is a smooth enough route-runner to be confused for a wide receiver on film. Given his ability to make leaping receptions and make the most his 6-foot-5 frame, Fant also has the potential to quickly develop into a top red zone target at the next level.

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John Bazemore | AP Photo

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12) DeAndre Baker - CB, Georgia

Size: 5-foot-11, 185 pounds

2018 Stats: 16 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1.0 tackle for loss

Saturday Game: Tennessee at Georgia, 3:30 p.m.

The most dynamic playmaker on the Georgia defense, Baker has a chance to be among the first defensive backs chosen next April. Baker has tremendous ball-skills in coverage, and does a nice job of bodying up against opposing wide receivers in press coverage near the line of scrimmage.

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11) Raekwon Davis, DL - Alabama

Size: 6-foot-7, 316 pounds

2018 Stats: 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss

Saturday Game: Alabama at Louisiana-Lafayette, Noon

A physically gifted defensive end, Davis has all the tools that scouts covet from an elite pas-rushing defensive end. Get-off, upper-body strength, and instincts. If Davis is going to crack the top-10, he will need to improve against the run, however.

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10) Drew Lock - QB, Missouri

Size: 6-foot-4, 225 pounds

2018 Stats: 101-of-161 passing for 1,283 yards with 11 touchdowns, 2 interceptions

Sunday Game: Missouri at South Carolina, Noon

What separates Lock from many of the prospects in this class, is how quickly he processes information and gets rid of the football, which should have pro scouts and coaches excited about his potential at the next level. There's no bigger stage, and fewer tougher defenses, than the Georgia Bulldogs for Lock to showcase himself to a national audience against.

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9) Devin White - LB, LSU

Size: 6-foot-1, 240 pounds

2018 Stats: 38 tackles, 1.0 sack, 4.5 tackles for loss

Saturday Game: Ole Miss at LSU, 9:15 p.m.

One of the more supremely gifted athletes in this class, White has tremendous instincts which serve him well as linebacker both in reading the quarterback's eyes and sticking with his assignments. A tremendous form-tackler, White does a nice job of bringing ball-carriers down in the open field as well as using his speed coming off the edge to fly by opposing offensive tackles on the way to the quarterback.

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8) Jarrett Stidham, QB - Auburn

Size: 6-foot-3, 215 pounds

2018 Stats: 63-of-97 passing for 718 yards with 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions

Saturday Game: Auburn at Southern Miss, 4:00 p.m.

Stidham appears to be rising up Draft boards because of his football acumen, ability to protect the football, and a rapid-release that gets the ball out to his playmakers quickly. He might not be the most athletically gifted quarterback in his class, but his winning track record and ability to diagnose a defense is going to help him during the pre-Draft process.

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7) Greg Little, OT - Ole Miss

Size: 6-foot-6, 330 pounds

Game: Mississippi at LSU, 9:30 p.m.

Little has tremendous explosiveness off the line of scrimmage, which gives him an edge in run-blocking where he does a tremendous job of bullying his opponent off the mark. In addition to frequently winning at the point of attack, Little does a nice job of getting to the second-level and engaging linebackers as a run-blocker. In pass protection, his upper-body strength help him stand his ground. In the NFL, Little likely has a chance to either play tackle or guard.

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Ray Thompson | AP Photo

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6) Will Grier - QB, West Virginia

Size: 6-foot-2, 225 pounds

2018 Stats: 71-of-95 passing for 1,117 yards and 14 touchdowns, 3 interceptions

Saturday Game: West Virginia at Texas Tech, Noon.

Grier has tremendous pocket awareness and field vision, which is boosted by his prototypical throwing motion that helps him push the ball downfield, as well as hit the intermediate or shorter routes with accuracy. What could help Grier rise up boards next spring is his mobility and athleticism to make plays with his legs, ether when the pocket collapses or as designed zone-reads.

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5) Greedy Williams, CB - LSU

Size: 6-foot-2, 182 pounds

2018 Stats: 8 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 pass breakup

Game: Mississippi at LSU, 9:15 p.m.

Thanks to ideal size and length, combined with tremendous closing speed, Greedy Williams is the top cornerback in the 2019 NFL Draft class. SEC wide receivers have a difficult time creating separation against Williams because of not only his ability to press at the line of scrimmage, but speed to stick with them stride-for-stride down the field.

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4) Justin Herbert - QB, Oregon

Size: 6-foot-6, 235 pounds

2018 Stats: 72-of-114 passing for 1,186 yards and 13 touchdowns, 5 interceptions

Saturday Game: Oregon at Cal, 10:30 p.m.

Herbert appears to be separating himself as the premier quarterback in this class. Gifted with ideal size, plenty of mobility, and a plus-NFL arm, Herbert has all of the attributes that teams look for in a franchise quarterback. What will help Herbert's draft stock is his accuracy both on short/intermediate throws as well as balls thrown deep downfield.

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3) Rashan Gary - DL, Michigan

Size: 6-foot-5, 285 pounds

2018 Stats: 15 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss

Game: Northwestern at Michigan, 4:30 p.m.

Possessing a rare combination of size, athleticism, strength, speed, and explosiveness, it's not wonder that Gary was the prize of his recruiting class, coming out of Paramus Catholic. Gary has elite bend, and enough upper-body strength to win one-on-one battles at the point of attack against opposing offensive tackles. Against the run, Gary's closing speed helps him make his fair share of tackles from behind.

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2) Ed Oliver - DE, Houston

Size: 6-foot-3, 295 pounds

2018 Stats: 27 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss

Game: Tulsa at Houston, 8:00 p.m.

Oliver is a disruptive force both against the run and as an interior pass-rusher, thanks to his explosive first-step, supreme athleticism and field vision to get into the backfield and make a play. Against the run, Oliver quickly fills the rush-lanes, and as a pass-rusher does a nice job of using his strength to shed blockers en-route to the quarterback and taking the best possible line to pick up the sack or tackle for loss.

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Jamie Sabau | Getty Images

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1) Nick Bosa - DE, Ohio State

Size: 6-foot-4, 265 pounds

2018 Stats: 14 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 6.0 tackles for loss

Game: Ohio State at Penn Sate, 7:30 p.m.

Bosa will be sidelined until at least November with an abdominal injury, but he remains the nation's premier defensive prospect. A supremely gifted athlete with elite size, explosiveness, strength, and athleticism, Bosa has the potential to have an even higher ceiling in the NFL than his All-Pro brother Joey. In addition to being a potentially elite pass-rusher, Bosa does a tremendous job of setting the edge and holding his ground against the run.

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HOW TO REACH ME:

Matt Lombardo may be reached at MLombardo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattLombardoNFL

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