There are always significant snubs in the NFL draft. There are five snubs from the 2020 NFL Draft that likely should’ve been selected.
Every year, there are plenty of prospects who are not among the players selected for the NFL draft. This year’s 2020 NFL Draft is no different. Some significant playmakers were left undrafted for numerous reasons including injuries, lack of sufficient pro-style attributes, or lack of experience.
Five prospects have already signed with an NFL team that is having to compete for a roster spot but find themselves at a disadvantage because of their undrafted status. These are players that have been given a second chance to play in the NFL as they selected the team they wish to play.
Look for these prospects to go into the 2020 NFL training camps with a chip on their shoulder and compete for a significant role on the team.
Not long into his college football career, the Huskies star pass protector in Trey Adams was regarded as one of the best tackles in the draft. After a great start that was halted by a series of significant injuries, Adams went undrafted despite having talent and potential. Adams suffered an ACL tear in 2017 and a back injury in the 2018 season.
When he is healthy, he possesses raw attributes that can make a tough offensive lineman beat in the pass rush. He also possesses great run blocking ability to lock up defenders with his 34 3/8 inches arm length. He is also able to climb to the second level of the defense and keep linebackers out of the plays. He did play all games in 2019 as he earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors.
Among the huge red flag of his health and durability issues is his ability to maintain his impact at the edge in the run and passing plays. He can also be beaten by defensive linemen that have a high motor and win with significant hand moves.
His arm length, pull blocking abilities, and abilities to play in space and block an open blocker will make him an efficient lineman at the next level. After going undrafted, Adams was picked up on a free agent deal by the Buffalo Bills. This is a team that can develop him with a more essential developing staff and allows him to get through any potential injuries. There is potential for him to be a backup early in his career and potentially a starter if his skills develop more.
Lavert Hill has been a long-time impact player for the Michigan Wolverines since his sophomore season in 2017. Hill was named as a two-time Big Ten first-team selection in 2018 and 2019 and third-team selection in 2017.
Despite the high achievements that Hill was able to accomplish in college, he went undrafted due to his small size, lack of long-term speed, and incapability to efficient outside receivers. He did have the draft projection to be selected somewhere in the seventh round.
Hill possesses a good balance of zone coverage and man coverage against receivers. Even though Hill does not have the size to win matchups against taller receivers, he does have the power to match them. Hill is smart as he can make efficient press at the line of scrimmage against receivers. Even if he takes a big hit from the press, he can recover quickly. He also possesses great hips in his change of direction to turn inside or outside on coverage schemes.
What goes against him overall as a press coverage corner is his lack of height, lateral agility, and speedy verticals. Due to his lack of speed when coverage in vertical routes, he is prone to be beaten down the field by speedy and breakout receivers. His great ball skills would not be meaningful because he might beat the deep-down field.
Hill was picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs, who have suffered a significant loss of starters and players in the secondary. If Hill can be worked into press coverage schemes and work on his speed, he could see the field sooner rather than later.
Since arriving on campus at Vanderbilt, Kalija Lipscomb has been an impact player from 2016 to 2019. Lipscomb has accounted for a career total of 198 receptions for 2,356 yards and 22 touchdowns. He is a player that was impactful on special teams and as a matchup receiver, especially in the red zone. His versatility is wide due to the dependability to the lineup as an outside and slot receiver as well as his ability to run diverse routes.
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While Lipscomb displayed some great attributes as a reliable receiver, there were serious questions of his ability to contend against defensive backs. He is a receiver that can easily get caught by a cornerback in press coverage at the line of scrimmage. He lacks the overall physicality to explode the ball and fight off the defensive backs.
This was displayed at the 2020 Senior Bowl when he found himself tied up against the defensive backs. He did display good performance in the 2020 NFL Combine with great athleticism and availability to catch the ball. He does display great effort in his run blocking abilities and his ability to mirror the defender in securing the blocks.
Lipscomb was a prospect that was projected to be selected in the sixth seventh round. After going undrafted, Lipscomb was picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs where he will play for the special teams and continue his production to the receivers corps. If he can play to play his physicality while in his early years in the NFL, he can be a player that can stay on a roster for a long time.
Washington State quarterback always has a special trait due to the type of offense they play in. As a one-year starting quarterback in Mike Leach’s air-raid offense for the Washington State Cougars, Anthony Gordon was the provider of the offense. His passes were responsible for 76 percent of the Cougars’ 2019 offensive plays. If his 51 rushes are accounted for, Gordon was responsible for 81 percent of the Cougars’ plays.
In his one season as a starter, Gordon passed for 5,579 yards, 48 touchdowns and 16 interceptions on 493 completions (out of 689 attempts). His arm helped the Cougars rank first in the nation in passing yards per game (437.2) and 11th in points per game (37.8). He possesses a strong arm that has the durability to make consistent pass after pass. He also possesses great delivery and anticipation for his receivers to get to the ball.
There were 13 quarterbacks selected in the 2020 NFL Draft with Gordon being left undrafted after some questions of his ability to throw in a tight window. There are a few mechanical issues that Gordon has problems with including improper footwork, staring down the field, and inability to efficiently escape the pocket.
After going undrafted, Gordon was picked up by the Seattle Seahawks where he joins a quarterback roster with a lack of depth. He will be able to learn proper mechanics from one of the best mechanics quarterbacks in the NFL in Russell Wilson. Gordon could find himself a potential as a potential role player in the short future.
The son of Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss got his chance to make a name for himself in college for the LSU Tigers. This past season, Moss accounted for 47 receptions for 570 yards and four touchdowns.
Moss plays big on the biggest stage for the Tigers. In the national title win over the Clemson Tigers, Moss caught five passes for 36 yards and two touchdowns.
Despite his lack of ideal height for an NFL tight end, he possesses a good size. He excels in his run blocks and running great routes as he can separate himself from the defender. He is also an established catcher with great hands and possesses a great wingspan.
There are questions about his health and durability. He missed the entire 2018 season with a foot injury. His physical at the 2020 NFL Combine revealed that he was suffering from a Jones fracture. This forced him to skip the workouts at the combine, which was the last physical impression to make before COVID-19 forced everything to be done by virtual measures.
He lacks ideal athleticism as a slot receiver in his footwork and speed and lacks the hand placement as a run blocker in tight sets. He also lacks some sufficient urgency in his route running and ability to get off presses from the opposing defenders.
After going undrafted, Moss was acquired by the Washington Redskins where could make an impact soon if he develops the weakness areas of abilities as a receiver. He will also require time to recover from his injuries.