Mizzou Football: Nine players to watch in 2020 draft
Mizzou football didn’t have the 2019 season that fans had hoped for, but a few Tigers should hear their names called come draft weekend. Here are nine names to keep an eye on in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Even though the Missouri Tigers didn’t live up to the expectations in 2019, they still had talented players and a few of them should make it to the NFL after draft weekend. Let’s take a look at the players who could make their NFL dream a reality in two weeks.
JORDAN ELLIOTT – DEFENSIVE LINEMAN
Jordan Elliott has the best chance of getting drafted. The defensive lineman spent his freshman season at Texas before transferring to Columbia and joining the Tigers. He might not become a every game starter, but if a team is willing to be patient and give it a few years, Elliott could become a nice rotational player.
PROJECTED DRAFT SPOT: FOURTH ROUND
ALBERT OKWUEGBUNAM – TIGHT END
Chiefs fans were holding out hope that the team might spend a draft pick on Albert Okwuegbunam – or Albert O as many call him – but now that they signed a backup tight end, that’s not going to happen. Albert O is going to be a top tight end target, especially with this year’s class being on the weaker side.
Albert O should hear his name called, but he probably won’t become anything more than a secondary tight end for whichever team selects him.
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PROJECTED DRAFT SPOT: FOURTH OR FIFTH ROUND
KELLY BRYANT – QUARTERBACK
Mizzou football fans were THRILLED when Kelly Bryant announced he’d be transferring to Missouri. He got off to a nice start, but injuries and inconsistencies hindered what could have been a promising season for the former Clemson quarterback.
Bryant could be a late draft pick for a team needing depth at the quarterback position, but don’t expect him to become a big time name in the NFL. It sucks to say, but had Bryant stayed at Clemson and been a backup in 2019, he’d probably have had a better shot at getting drafted.
PROJECTED DRAFT SPOT: SIXTH OR SEVENTH ROUND
YASIR DURANT – OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
Despite playing left tackle for the Tigers, Yasir Durant might have a shot at getting drafted if he’s willing to move to guard. He was a JUCO transfer and luckily during his time there he switched it up, playing both tackle and guard. While Durant was decent during his Mizzou days, he might not be drafted.
PROJECTED DRAFT SPOT: SIXTH ROUND, SEVENTH ROUND, OR UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT
TRYSTAN COLON-CASTILLO – OFFENSIVE LINEMAN
Yet another offensive lineman from the 2019 team is heading to the 2020 NFL Draft, this time in the form of Trystan Colon-Castillo. The chances of Colon-Castillo getting drafted aren’t super high, but he should be signed as a depth piece for an offensive line, likely serving as a backup or third string center for a team.
PROJECTED DRAFT SPOT: SIXTH ROUND, SEVENTH ROUND, OR UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT
DEMARKUS ACY – SAFETY
DeMarkus Acy has some appeal due to his ability to play both cornerback and safety. He was a safety heading into college and Mizzou switched him to a corner, where he held his own (for the most part) against steady competition.
While Acy should make it onto a practice squad, him getting drafted doesn’t seem to be the likeliest of scenarios.
PROJECTED DRAFT SPOT: SEVENTH ROUND OR UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT
CALE GARRETT – LINEBACKER
MU fans adore Cale Garrett and if there’s one player they’d love to see make it long-term in the pros, it’d be this guy. Born and raised in Missouri, Garrett had a nice tenure with the Tigers before getting injured in 2019 and missing the second half of his senior season.
Garrett probably won’t get drafted, BUT he definitely has a chance of impressing whichever team he lands with and becoming a special player for them.
PROJECTED DRAFT SPOT: SEVENTH ROUND OR UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT
TRE’VOUR WALLACE-SIMS – GUARD
Missouri is losing three offensive linemen to this draft and while Tre’Vour Wallace-Sims might not be drafted, he should hook on with a team after the draft concludes. Wallace-Sims spent his Missouri career at right guard and probably serves best as a backup or third string lineman.
Something teams will probably be impressed with was how he held his own against Javon Kinlaw of South Carolina. Kinlaw is a surefire first round pick and he eventually started to show that against Wallace-Sims as the game progressed.
PROJECTED DRAFT SPOT: UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT
JOHNATHON JOHNSON – WIDE RECEIVER
After impressive seasons in 2017 and 2018, Johnathon Johnson fell off in his final year in Columbia, totaling just 294 yards and no touchdowns. He was never a 1,000 yard receiver, but went for over 700 yards in 2017 and 2018 with Drew Lock as his quarterback.
Johnson might end up on a practice squad, but him amounting to anything other than a special teamer in the pros seems unlikely.
PROJECTED DRAFT SPOT: UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT
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Mizzou football’s draft class has a lot of upside and hopefully these guys get a chance to prove themselves in the NFL. Jordan Elliott and Albert O should be the first two off the board for the Tigers and from then on, it could be teams simply taking MU players at whatever positions fit their needs.
I’d like to see Cale Garrett get drafted because he was a lot of fun to watch, but getting hurt in his senior season didn’t help his draft stock. Kelly Bryant could be someone who gets over drafted due to his name recognition alone.
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Who do you think will get drafted from Missouri’s 2020 draft class?