With grades and stats on thousands of draft-eligible FBS prospects, we spent the summer parsing it down to the cream of the crop. Of course, there’s still a lot of football to be played. We saw that full-well last year as Kyler Murray and Quinnen Williams weren’t on a lot of radars at this time last season. As it stands now though, these are our top-50 prospects and their most representative stats heading into the 2019 season.
[Editor's note: PFF's Preseason 2020 NFL Draft Guide is LIVE and features 150 Two-Page Player Profiles, giving you advanced stats, game grades and much, much more. All existing EDGE and ELITE subscribers have access to the guide and can download it here.]
1. QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
22.1% of Tagovailoa’s attempts were deemed to have perfect ball placement – the highest rate of any Power-5 QB in the country last year.
2. WR Jerry Jeudy, Alabama
45.6% of Jeudy’s receptions last year went for 15-plus yards – the second-highest rate of any returning wideout in the country.
3. Edge Chase Young, Ohio State
Young led all of college football last season with 75 total pressures. He’s the only true sophomore in our five years of grading to lead the FBS.
4. WR Jalen Reagor, TCU
The 5-foot-11 wideout’s 15 contested catches last season are the seventh-most of any returning receiver in college football.
5. Edge A.J. Epenesa, Iowa
Only Kentucky’s Josh Allen had a higher win-rate as a pass-rusher among Power-5 defenders last season.
6. CB Kristian Fulton, LSU
Fulton’s 29.3 percent forced incompletion rate was the seventh-best among starting corners in college football last season.
7. QB Justin Herbert, Oregon
Herbert’s 29 big-time throws last year were the sixth-most in the FBS.
8. S Grant Delpit, LSU
Delpit’s nine forced incompletions last season ranked fifth among safeties in college football.
9. WR Ceedee Lamb, Oklahoma
Lamb’s 18 touchdowns over the past two seasons are the third-most of any returning wide receiver in the country.
10. CB Jeffrey Okudah, Ohio State
Okudah allowed only 37.5 percent of his targets to be completed last season.
11. CB Bryce Hall, Virginia
Hall’s 23 forced incompletions were the most of any cornerback in college football last season.
12. LB Isaiah Simmons, Clemson
Simmons had nine forced incompletions last season – the most of any linebacker in college football.
13. IOL Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin
Biadasz has graded as a top-three center nationally in both years of his career.
14. Edge Julian Okwara, Notre Dame
Okwara finished sixth in the country last year with 61 total pressures.
15. WR Laviska Shenault, Colorado
Shenault’s 29 broken tackles after the catch last year were the second-most in college football.
16. OT Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
Wirfs’ five big-time blocks last year were the seventh-most of any tackle in the country.
17. TE Jared Pinkney, Vanderbilt
Pinkney has broken 18 tackles on 94 catches in his career.
18. DI Derrick Brown, Auburn
Brown has multiple run stops in nine of Auburn’s 13 games last season.
19. S Kenny Robinson Jr., West Virginia*
Robinson had as many combined picks and pass breakups last season (7) as first downs allowed.
*Kenny Robinson Jr. announced he'd transfer away from West Virginia in June 2019.
20. OT Walker Little, Stanford
Little allowed only one pressure on 249 pass-blocking snaps over the last six games in 2018.
21. OT Andrew Thomas, Georgia
Thomas allowed multiple pressures in only three games last season.
22. CB C.J. Henderson, Florida
Henderson allowed a passer rating of 49.4 on his 36 targets last season.
23. WR Tyler Johnson, Minnesota
Johnson’s 4.39 yards per route from a wide split alignment in 2018 was the third-best average of any Power-5 receiver.
24. DI Levi Onwuzurike, Washington
Onwuzurike’s 16.9 win percentage as a pass-rusher is the highest of any returning interior defender in the country.
25. WR Tee Higgins, Clemson
Higgins had only two drops on 61 catchable passes last season.
26. WR Henry Ruggs, Alabama
Ruggs has broken 15 tackles on only 58 catches in his career.
27. DI Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
Kinlaw’s 88.7 pass-rushing grade last season is the highest of any returning interior defensive lineman in the country.
28. Edge Curtis Weaver, Boise State
Weaver’s 30.2 win percentage as a pass-rusher last season was the second-best figure in college football.
29. IOL Netane Muti, Fresno State
Muti’s seven big-time blocks as a freshman in 2017 led all offensive linemen in college football that year.
30. CB Paulson Adebo, Stanford
Adebo’s 23 combined pass breakups and interceptions were the most in college football last season.
31. OT Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn
On 159 more pass-blocking snaps, Tega Wanogho allowed six fewer pressures in 2018 (13) than he did in 2017 (19).
32. RB Travis Etienne, Clemson
10.6% of Etienne’s carries at Clemson over his career have gone for 20-plus yards.
[Editor's note: PFF's Preseason 2020 NFL Draft Guide is LIVE and features 150 Two-Page Player Profiles, giving you advanced stats, game grades and much, much more. All existing EDGE and ELITE subscribers have access to the guide and can download it here.]
33. IOL Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma
Humphrey didn’t allow a single sack and yielded only one hit in 2018.
34. WR Tylan Wallace
Wallace’s 60 first downs from a wide split last year were six more than anyone else in college football.
35. QB K.J. Costello, Stanford
Costello’s 209 attempts into tight windows last season were the most of any returning quarterback in the country.
36. CB A.J. Terrell, Clemson
Terrell allowed completions on only six of his 17 targets…as a true freshman.
37. Edge Alton Robinson, Syracuse
Robinson’s 56 pressures last season were tied with Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell for the 13th-most among all edge defenders.
38. RB D’Andre Swift, Georgia
Swift’s 1.74 yards per route run average last season ranked second among returning Power-5 running backs in the country.
39. QB Jake Fromm, Georgia
Fromm’s 129.6 passer rating off play-action last year trailed only Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawrence among Power-5 quarterbacks.
40. LB Dylan Moses, Alabama
Moses had one missed tackle on 28 attempts in coverage last season.
41. S Ashtyn Davis, California
Davis’ four interceptions from a deep alignment last season were the second-most of any safety in college football.
42. DI Raekwon Davis, Alabama
Davis’ 27 run stops are tied for the most of any returning Power-5 player in the country.
43. CB Jeff Gladney, TCU
Gladney allowed completions on only seven of his 43 targets that came 10+ yards downfield last year
44. WR K.J. Hill, Ohio State
Hill has seven drops on 151 catchable passes in his career. Three of them came this past season against Purdue.
45. Edge Carter Coughlin, Minnesota
Coughlin’s 26 combined sacks and hits in 2018 were the fifth most of any edge in the country.
46. DI Marvin Wilson, Florida State
Wilson’s 15.1 win percentage as a pass-rusher is the second-best of any returning Power-5 interior player in the country
47. CB Shyheim Carter, Alabama
Carter’s 91.5 run-defense grade was the third-best of any corner in college football last season
48. OT Samuel Cosmi, Texas
Cosmi didn’t allow a single pressure in 5 separate games last season.
49. S Alohi Gilman, Notre Dame
Gilman was the only safety in the country last year to earn grades of 90+ in run defense and coverage.
50. QB Mason Fine, North Texas
Fine’s 31 big-time throws last year tied Tua Tagovailoa for the most among returning quarterbacks in college football
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