“This year, with the help of two veteran coaches who have produced enough first-rounders on the defensive line to fill an NFL roster, Young will have the opportunity to lead the pack of another talented group of Buckeyes with NFL decisions to make at the end of the season.” It’s already been 48 hours since the end of the 2019 NFL Draft, so naturally analysts are well on their way to prospecting the top picks for the 2020 draft, especially from among the top teams in college football. The 2019 draft saw a weak quarterback class, with just three first-round selections (we can gripe about the order of those three selections later), but an absurd amount of highly-touted defensive linemen. In fact, 11 defensive linemen were taken in the first round alone, including three of the top-four picks. For the Buckeyes, the two draft classes seem to have an early emerging theme, at least when it comes to the top player in the class. Defensive end Chase Young seems to already be filling the shoes of Nick Bosa in the minds of analysts. Young had 9.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss during his true sophomore season in 2018 — more than enough to get him noticed on a loaded defensive line. Next season, given the loss of both Bosa and Dre’Mont Jones, it’ll be up to Young to anchor the line and secure his spot in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Big Ten had a total of 40 players drafted over the weekend — the second-most of any conference. Ohio State continued to assert its dominance in the draft, leading the conference with nine picks (the second-highest total of any school). The Big Ten made its presence known on the big stage especially, with seven first-round picks, including two by Ohio State. And of course in the most stereotypical Iowa storyline ever, while there were just two wide receivers taken in the first round, the Hawkeyes had two tight ends drafted within the first 20 picks. Nebraska, meanwhile, failed to have a draft selection for the first time since 1962. Sorry, Frost. Congrats to the Ohio State Buckeyes men’s tennis team! In what has become a recurring theme, the men’s squad won the Big Ten Men’s Tennis Tournament over the weekend for the fourth-straight season. After opening the tournament with a 4-0 win over Minnesota, the top-ranked Buckeyes beat Michigan 4-2 in the semis and Illinois 4-1 in the finals to take home the trophy. This year’s win also marks the program’s 9th-overall tournament title. While the Buckeyes were challenged in the semi-finals versus Michigan, losing the doubles point in rare fashion, Ohio State bounced back to take down the Illini. Ohio State regained the doubles point, then secured wins by Martin Joyce, Kyle Seelig and Alex Kobelt in singles to take home the title. The men had already earned the conference’s regular season title — the program’s 14th-consecutive title, in fact — with their win over Indiana last weekend in the regular season finale. The Buckeyes finished the season with a 29-2-overall record, including going 11-0 in conference play and taking their last 13 matches. With the tournament wins this past weekend, Ohio State has gone 47-0 against Big Ten foes in the last four years. Next up, the Buckeyes head to Orlando for the NCAA Tournament. The first and second rounds of the tournament are scheduled for this weekend, with regionals and the championship scheduled for later in May. While the tournament draw is not scheduled until this evening, the Buckeyes hold the nation’s top ranking according to the ITA, and should enter the NCAA Tournament as the top-overall seed. Congrats again to the Buckeyes, and best of luck in the NCAA Tournament! “One day before the 2019 NFL Draft got started, Haskins went to social media to make a simple request: Give him a Buckeye to throw to in the NFL.” The weekend’s NFL Draft didn’t go as the world expected it to for Dwayne Haskins, but apparently it was exactly how the former Ohio State quarterback thought it would go for himself (though he did seem to call out the New York Giants after they chose not to take him with the sixth-overall pick in the draft). Years ago, as a writer for a high school paper, Haskins wrote that the Redskins would be in the market for a quarterback soon -- despite Robert Griffin III having won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012. Did the young Haskins know then that it would be he who would fill that void for Washington? Perhaps. He had, after all, already made the decision to come to Ohio State and play quarterback. When he was 11. But perhaps the coolest prediction Haskins made regarding his NFL future was one which also included the teammates he threw to all season long. Whatever team picks me I just need one small thing, just one. ☝️ please pick one of my guys for me! @YoungKing_JD5 @TheTerry_25 @PCampbell21 you won’t regret it — Dwayne Haskins, Jr (@dh_simba7) April 24, 2019 Haskins’ wish came true when the Redskins took Terry McLaurin with the 13th pick in the third round of the draft Friday night. It was pretty serendipitous that Washington managed to pick up the quarterback-receiver pair. Projected as a third-round pick after the combine, McLaurin showed his skill as a blocker especially during his time at Ohio State. Of the 10 Buckeyes who officially entered the NFL Draft, three were receivers who caught the passes and ran the yards that helped get Haskins noticed by NFL scouts. Moreover, those three receivers — McLaurin, Parris Campbell and Johnnie Dixon — were all fifth-year seniors who opted to return to Columbus for their final season of eligibility. That experience, no doubt, helped play a role early in the season as Haskins got his feet under him as a starter, providing outlets with significant game experience to support. STICK TO SPORTS<doc-sep>Our ‘Scouting the 2020 NFL Draft’ series continues, this time focusing on Ohio State edge defender, Chase Young, who some project as a top-five pick next April. Ohio State edge defender Chase Young will enter the 2019 college football season ranked as the top pass-rushing prospect in the country. Assuming he stays healthy, he’ll look to continue the trend of high first-round picks produced by the Buckeyes’ defense with Nick Bosa the most recent example. Bosa was selected second overall by the 49ers in the 2019 NFL draft. Young is a different type of player than Bosa, however, and still has areas of growth needed before he can be ranked as high as his former teammate. Young was considered one of the country’s top high school recruits. He was a consensus five-star prospect and among the 10-best players in the nation. So, expectations were high when he stepped on campus in Columbus. Young’s met those expectations through two seasons so far. He appeared in 12 games as a freshman in 2017 and finished the season with four sacks. He enjoyed a breakout year in 2018 when he totaled 10 sacks, 33 tackles and 14.5 tackles for loss. His 2018 campaign took him out of Bosa’s shadow and placed him at or near the top of the list of must-watch players this fall. Physically, Young has a prototype makeup for today’s NFL edge defender. Unofficially listed at 6-5 and 265 pounds, Young has a well-built frame with good length and muscle mass. He could probably add another five pounds without issue. His size — and ability to get bigger — will help his draft stock. He won’t be scheme dependent. Athletically, Young flashes high-end movement skills and change-of-direction ability, but there are times when you’re left wanting more. His motor doesn’t always burn hot and he can be a bit sluggish out of his stance on occasion. But when he’s playing at a peak level, there aren’t many offensive linemen in the country who can block him. As a pass rusher, Young flashes a nice rip move and, when he gets a good fit and extension with his hands off the snap, can stack and shed en route to the quarterback really well. He doesn’t have the quickest first step, but when his hands hit their target, he’s slippery enough to get by his opponent and make a play on the quarterback. He’ll need to develop more of a power game to complement his OK speed rush. As a run defender, Young displays a good mix of patience and tackling ability. He stays true to his assignment and can set the edge. There are times when he gets caught peeking in the backfield, however. He also needs to do a better job playing from snap to whistle. Overall, Young has a chance to be the elite defensive prospect in the 2020 NFL draft, but it will take some work and development to get there. He needs to get stronger at the point of attack and develop a better get-off at the line of scrimmage. If he does, there won’t be much stopping him from being a top-10 pick.<doc-sep>The 2019 NFL draft is a wrap. Below is a full recap of our live updates and a complete recap of the 2019 NFL draft is provided in the table below. We will continue to provide updates on any players with local ties who sign as undrafted free agents following the last pick of Round 7. Here are some quick updates and highlights from around the league: • Former Oregon Ducks tight end Kano Dillon signed with Washington as an undrafted free agent, according to a report. • Former Oregon Ducks running back Tony Brooks-James signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent, according to a report. • Former Jesuit High School star linebacker Joey Alfieri is expected to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent, according to a report. • Former Oregon Ducks’ defensive back Ugochukwu Amadi was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the No. 132 overall pick in the fourth round of the NFL draft Saturday afternoon. • Former Oregon Ducks’ linebacker Justin Hollins was selected by the Denver Broncos with the No. 156 overall pick in the fifth round of the NFL draft Saturday afternoon. • Former Ducks wide receiver Dillon Mitchell was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the seventh round with the No. 239 pick. And former Ducks defensive end Jalen Jelks was taken two picks later, at No. 241, by the Dallas Cowboys. • Former Stanford running back Bryce Love was selected by Washington with the No. 112 overall pick in the fourth round. • Former Washington Huskies’ inside linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven was selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the No. 142 overall pick in the fifth round. In case you missed it, here are the Top 32 picks and highlights from the Round 1 and a complete recap from Rounds 2-3 which wrapped up Friday. Now, on to Rounds 4-7 with the latest headlines, news and highlights from around the league: Here's everything you need to know to watch the draft, or follow along as we bring you live updates, photos and video highlights. What: 2019 NFL draft When: Thursday, April 25 - Saturday, April 27 Rounds 4-7: Saturday, 9 a.m. PT/ 12 p.m. ET TV Channel: KATU-2, ABC, ESPN, NFL Network Watch online: NFL.com/apps and Watch ESPN/apps A live look at every draft pick as it happens and draft order for the rest of the draft: Previously: Round 1 | 2 | 3 | Today: Round 4 | 5 | 6 | 7<doc-sep>The first round of the 2019 NFL Draft ended last night and analysts are already making their draft boards for the 2020 NFL Draft. Slated to be held in Las Vegas next year, plenty of early predictions are pouring in. Among the first analysts to present an early look is Joel Klatt of FS1. The Fox Sports analyst presented his early ranking of the top prospects the morning after the first round. Klatt revealed his top-15 prospects for the 2020 draft. Here’s a look at the top five: QB Justin Herbert, Oregon DT Derrick Brown, Auburn QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama OT Walker Little, Stanford DE Chase Young, Ohio State The full list can be seen below. 1. Justin Herbert (@oregonfootball) 2. Derrick Brown (@AuburnFootball) 3. Tua Tagovailoa (@AlabamaFTBL) 4. Walker Little (@StanfordFball) 5. Chase Young (@OhioStateFB) Check out the rest of @joelklatt's way-too-early top 15 NFL prospects for next year 👀 pic.twitter.com/T7pcyGOidM — FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) April 26, 2019 All 15 players on Klatt’s list hail from just three conferences: The Pac-12, SEC, and Big Ten. Unsurprisingly, it’s being headlined by a quarterback: Oregon’s Justin Herbert. 2018 Heisman Trophy runner-up Tua Tagovailoa is also high on the list, but he isn’t even the top SEC player in the class. But there are always big risers and fallers in every draft class. Who thought this time last year that Kyler Murray would win the Heisman trophy – let alone go No. 1 to a team that had just drafted a quarterback.<doc-sep>
It’s never too early to look to next year and the 2020 NFL Draft with a full first-round mock draft, headlined by stars on both sides of the ball. After three grueling days, seven rounds and 254 picks, the 2019 NFL Draft, has come to a close. The 32 teams in the league all hope (and believe) that their selections will get them one step closer to contending for a Super Bowl. Of course, teams are also looking towards the future and building for the long term. So, as is customary at this point, we’ll do the same with a look to the 2020 NFL Draft with a full first-round mock draft. Yes, a way-too-early mock draft is incredibly cliché at this point. Everyone does them, so what’s the point? Well, in truth, looking at the draft is a 365-day process. With so many prospects to evaluate and with their stocks fluctuating throughout the year, you need to start with a baseline. That’s the purpose of looking ahead to next year and, in this case, the 2020 NFL Draft. Things have certainly changed a bit from what we might’ve thought could happen in the 2020 NFL Draft. Going into 2019’s event, the belief was that the Miami Dolphins would be eyeing one of the top quarterbacks in the class. However, after trading for Josh Rosen, that’s likely not going to be the case. Having said that, a run on elite quarterback prospects will still happen early. For this exercise, though, I did want to break the convention of the too-early mock draft a bit. Many editions of this will use the Super Bowl LIV odds to determine the draft order. Instead of doing that, I used early post-2019 draft projections for how I see the 2019 season playing out and where teams will finish to determine the order for the 2020 NFL Draft — you know, to get people more riled up than just giving them a mock draft. With that in mind, we start with the first-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, which goes to Dave Gettleman and the New York Giants. Let’s get to the mock draft.