Pencils down! With less than 48 hours until the 2020 NFL draft commences, I'm finally shutting off the game film and hitting submit on my final prospect rankings for this year's class.
Only 255 names will be called over the course of three days, but my board goes 300 deep. I've provided our Scouts Inc. grades in parentheses after each player's name, and the first 50 prospects include abridged scouting reports and video highlights. I also rolled out my full positional breakdown of the rankings at the bottom, which includes more than 500 prospects in total and as many as 81 per position.
Top 300
1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | 76-100
101-150 | 151-200 | 201-250 | 251-300
Position rankings
QB | RB | WR | TE | C | OT | G
ILB | OLB | DE | DT | CB | S | K | P
1. Chase Young, DE, Ohio State (Grade: 95)
Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 264 pounds | Highlights
Young has elite takeoff quickness, speed and closing burst. He is a flexible athlete with the ability to extend his rush while engaged with offensive linemen, his hand quickness is outstanding and he plays with good natural bend. There's room for improvement when it comes to getting off blocks when teams run at him, but he is big and strong enough to set the edge when his technique is sound. Young should develop into one of the premier edge rushers in the NFL.
2. Joe Burrow, QB, LSU (94)
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 221 | Highlights
Burrow is an NFL-ready QB with excellent football intelligence. He has elite pocket presence, feeling the rush and maneuvering without compromising his progression reads. And his accuracy is at the NFL level, as he throws receivers open with anticipation. Burrow also has good size, mobility, athleticism and toughness.
3. Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn (94)
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 326 | Highlights
Brown is a really easy mover for his size. He has quick and active hands but needs to learn to be more efficient with them. Quick and active against the run, he does a very good job of locating the ball. And while sack production has been average, he is disruptive as a pass-rusher. Brown is a versatile defensive lineman who likely fits best as a 3-technique in a one-gap-heavy NFL scheme but is capable of moving up and down the line of scrimmage. He is a plug-and-play NFL starter.
4. Isaiah Simmons, OLB, Clemson (94)
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 238 | Highlights
Simmons has elite natural talent and is one of the most versatile defenders in the draft class. He does it all. Simmons has the frame and athletic ability to hold up one-on-one against most tight ends. He has the range and ball skills to play in deep-half coverage. He shows first-step burst, bend and closing speed in getting to the quarterback off the edge. And he's a sideline-to-sideline run defender who does an above-average job of slipping blocks. The big question is what position he will play in the NFL.
5. Jeff Okudah, CB, Ohio State (94)
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 205 | Highlights
Okudah is a long corner with smooth hips, quick feet and very good playing speed. Though he occasionally lunges and his footwork is a little inconsistent, he's athletic and quick enough to recover in press coverage. Okudah has outstanding physical tools and grades out as an immediate NFL starting cornerback.
6. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Alabama (94)
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 192 | Highlights
Jeudy is a premier wide receiver prospect. He has very good initial burst and top-end speed, and he's a truly exceptional route runner. He is as smooth and polished as any college receiver I've evaluated in 20 years. Jeudy exposes defensive backs with his savvy and hip flexibility at the top of stems, and he has a great feel for locating soft spots in zone coverage and working back to his QB on scramble-drill situations. He shows soft hands and naturally tracks the ball vertically, too.
7. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama (93)
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 217 | Highlights
Tagovailoa has fast eyes, outstanding field vision from inside the pocket and natural instincts. His release is quick and compact, and his touch and accuracy are elite on all three levels. Tagovailoa displays rare anticipation and timing. Durability is obviously the biggest concern. But Tagovailoa is a special talent -- very similar to a left-handed version of Drew Brees. His suddenness and natural accuracy are unique traits.
8. Jedrick Wills Jr., OT, Alabama (93)
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 312 | Highlights
In pass protection, Wills has adequate quickness in his set and is a natural knee bender. He has a powerful punch and rarely gives up ground against power rushers. His overall balance is adequate to good, and he's a wide-bodied force in the run game. He takes solid angles, has natural leverage, latches on with a strong grip and is a powerful finisher. Wills grades out as a plug-and-play starter at right tackle, though he also has the potential to kick inside to guard.
9. Javon Kinlaw, DT, South Carolina (92)
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 324 | Highlights
Kinlaw is a physically gifted athlete with very good speed for his size. He has a quick first step, he shows good initial power to jar linemen, and he has quick hands to disengage. But he needs to do a better job of transferring speed-to-power effectiveness and develop some better countermoves. Kinlaw possesses a powerful upper body to lock out as a run defender, and he has very good range. He fits best in a one-gap-heavy scheme and projects as a plug-and-play NFL starter with upside.
10. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma (92)
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 193 | Highlights
Lamb has above-average top-end speed and is a highly refined route runner. He knows how to get off the press, how to leverage his stems and how to set DBs up in man-to-man coverage -- and he is highly adept at locating soft spots in zone. He also shows very good ball skills, especially on contested catches, and is strong in traffic. But he really excels after the catch. Lamb is highly instinctive with the ball in his hands and breaks a lot of tackles.