The 2020 NFL Draft, which will be held virtually due to the spread of COVID-19, will run from Thursday, April 23, to Saturday, April 25.
Washington had seven players invited to the NFL Combine, and they’ll all be hoping to hear their name called next week. Here, we take a closer look at those players, their evaluations and their draft projections.
Trey Adams, OL
NFL.com overview: “After watching his 2016 tape in the summer of 2017, I came away believing Adams might be the most talented young tackle in college football. However, a 2017 ACL tear and 2018 back injury have taken several points away from his athletic rating. His pass sets look pretty and he still possesses adequate movement talent, but his struggles to withstand force against his edge as a run blocker and pass protector should be a red flag for most offensive line coaches.”
The rundown: Trey Adams didn’t have a strong NFL Combine and will be one of the Huskies most affected by the lack of pro days and workouts. Adams ran the slowest 40 (5.6) out of the offensive line. He also had the worst vertical (24.5) and broad jump (7-8). Adams also has a substantial injury history, including a back surgery that caused him to miss the majority of the 2018 season. Most projections have Adams going between the sixth and seventh round, including The Athletic, which has the Los Angles Charges taking him in Round 6 with the 186th overall pick.
NFL Combine quotable: “I’ve had amazing training the last couple of months, feel awesome. Felt great during the season, too, and really just go out and show them that I’m healthy. The biggest part for anyone going through an injury is just the mental side, do you really trust your knee or your back or anything like that, but I do. Structurally, it’s all there, it’s all great. Mentally, are you ready to come back and I’ve had a year, two years to really think about that and I feel really good.”
Salvon Ahmed, RB
NFL.com overview: “Scatback who is light on his feet but suffers from a debilitating lack of vision and decisiveness that prevents him from reaching his athletic potential as a runner. Ahmed lacks feel for blocking scheme and run-lane development, but even struggled to see it and hit the gas when clear points of entry were available.”
The rundown: Salvon Ahmed also had a subpar combine performance. Speed has always been Ahmed’s greatest asset, so it was surprising to see Ahmed struggle with the 40-yard dash (4.62). He led UW with a 4.23 40-yard dash at last year’s Husky Combine. When NFL.com analyst Maurice Jones-Drew ranked the running backs in the draft, he slotted Ahmed No. 29 out of 30. Projections for Adams range from late-round pick to undrafted free agent. The Sporting News has him going to the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 225 overall pick in the seventh round, while The Athletic doesn’t list him in its full mock draft.
NFL Combine quotable: “I’m a confident player, playmaker, somebody who is going to make the most of the opportunities that he gets. I think in college I proved that, so definitely I want the coaches to know what kind of player they are going to get and definitely saying that I’m a guy who can go out there and make something out of nothing.”
Hunter Bryant, TE
NFL.com overview: “He will get the matchup-tight-end moniker, but scouts feel like he’s more of a big slot receiver in the pros. He doesn’t have ideal size or determination as a blocker, but he has sticky hands with the acceleration to work past linebackers and threaten seams. He’s a straight-line mover who gets bogged down in and out of breaks. He has playmaking ability but needs linear routes that allow him to keep moving on all three levels.”
The rundown: CBSSports.com ranks Bryant as the No. 3 tight end in the NFL Draft behind Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet and Dayton’s Adam Trautman and the No. 81 player overall. He also ran a disappointing 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine (4.74). Projections have Bryant slotted as a third- or fourth-round pick.
NFL Combine quotable: “Definitely (need to work on) in-line run blocking. That’s something I self-diagnose, and when I talk to (teams), they ask me what I can work on and I say that, and they agree with me. So that’s like the biggest thing moving forward is working on my strength and my power and my technique, and I think I’m doing a great job of it so far.”
Myles Bryant, DB
NFL.com overview: “Bryant played safety in 2019 but should be a slot corner at the next level. He’s tough-minded but physically limited. His twitch and pattern anticipation make him feel faster than he actually is. Once he’s forced to carry man coverage around the field, issues against speed will show up. He’s a capable short-zone defender but ends up playing man over ball too often due to his lack of functional playmaking length.”
The rundown: CBSSports.com ranks Bryant as the No. 25 cornerback and the No. 197 player overall. Neither The Athletic nor the Sporting News has Bryant getting drafted, but he’s appeared in the sixth or seventh round in several projections, including CBSSports.
Aaron Fuller, WR
NFL.com overview: “Smooth athlete as inside/outside target, but lacking explosiveness and top-end speed. He glides downfield, stemming routes without losing speed, but isn’t a true vertical threat. Short-area burst to separate or elude tacklers underneath is a little disappointing. He flashes ball skills outside the numbers, but his catch focus is a major issue when anticipating coverage or contact.”
The rundown: Aaron Fuller put together a strong performance at the NFL Combine. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter wrote that Fuller wasn’t overly fast — he ran a 4.59 40-yard dash — but he’s “route-running was quick and reliable.” He also wrote: “Teams willing to overlook his measurable and rely more on his game tape and combine performance, however, should take a shot on his talent.” Still, it’s rare to find Fuller’s name in mock drafts. He seems likely to end up as an undrafted free agent.
Jacob Eason, QB
NFL.com overview: “His elite size and arm talent are reminiscent of Carson Palmer, but issues with pocket poise and getting through progressions cleanly are more reminiscent of Brock Osweiler. Eason is fun to watch when he’s ripping throws around the field and taking deep play-action shots, but a lack of mobility inside and outside the pocket is troubling, considering his ineffectiveness when pressured.”
The rundown: Projections for Jacob Eason range from the first round to the third round. Pro Football Focus has Eason ranked as the No. 8 quarterback in the draft, writing: “Eason has the arm talent, but his pocket presence issues and play under pressure are too scary for us to covet highly.” CBSSports has him as the No. 4 quarterback and the No. 41 player overall. Eason was one of 58 players — and the only UW player — invited to participate in the NFL Draft’s virtual event.
NFL Combine quotable: “I’m not afraid to tuck and run. It’s not my biggest strength, but to get a first down or whenever it’s necessary, I’m comfortable enough to go make a play. Like I mentioned before, everybody is going to have their nit pickings about this and that, but my job, I’m a confident player and I am going to go out there and compete my best.”
Nick Harris, OL
NFL.com overview: “Worker-bee, center-only prospect who won’t check many physical boxes but brings his grit to the fight on every snap. Harris’ body type belies his impressive foot quickness and ability to make all the move blocks needed from his position. His ability to sustain both run and pass blocks speak to his consistency of effort and performance, but size, scheme and positional limitations could cause him to drop lower in the draft than his actual tape would dictate.”
The rundown: Harris had a strong NFL Combine with several scouts and analysts highlighting him as a standout among the offensive linemen. Most mock drafts have Harris leaving the board in Round 3 or Round 4. CBSSports considers Harris the No. 13 offensive lineman and the No. 72 overall player.
NFL Combine quotable: “People talk about my athleticism and my football IQ. But I take pride in finishing my blocks and being physical. Making sure my opponent knows I’m there.”
