The 2019 NFL Draft is over and teams are getting comfortable with their new draft picks. The next class of players is getting prepared now for another year of college football. Each position will be analyzed in the coming days. Here are the best 2020 NFL Draft prospects: Defensive tackles.
Note: Players will not be ranked in the article.
Derrick Brown, Auburn
Brown was being considered as a top-five pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but surprisingly decided to go back to Auburn for another season. He has tremendous size at 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds, which should still help make him a coveted draft prospect for the 2020 NFL Draft.
As a freshman, Brown got limited playing time, but over the last two seasons he has been a big part of their defense. He registered 9.5 tackles for loss and three sacks as a sophomore and 10.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks as a junior. The 2020 draft class is projected to be weaker on the interior of the defensive line than last season, so Brown should be able to maintain his status as a top draft prospect throughout this season.
Nick Coe, Auburn
Auburn has two players who could be selected very early in the 2020 NFL Draft from their defensive line. Coe broke out last season as a sophomore and can now leave if he chooses after his junior year. He isn’t quite as big as Brown, at 6-foot-5 and 282 pounds, but has a different skillset as well.
Coe got a little playing time as a freshman finishing the season with 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. He had his big season last year with 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. No teams will want to go up against Auburn’s defensive line and for good reason. Coe may not have the ability to pass Brown on draft boards, but will still be ranked highly if he plays well.
Raekwon Davis, Alabama
Davis was another projected first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft who decided to go back to school for another season. He will be one of the biggest players in the draft class at 6-foot-7 and 316 pound, which allows him to be disruptive.
Like other Alabama prospects, Davis had to wait his turn, as he only racked up one sack as a freshman. He generated significant buzz with 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss as a sophomore, but had a rough junior season in which he didn’t produce a lot. Quinnen Williams went to the next level, so Davis will need to play well for the Crimson Tide. He is currently projected to be a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Rashard Lawrence, LSU
Lawrence was a highly-recruited player who decided to stay in state and play for the LSU Tigers. He isn’t the biggest defensive tackle at 6-foot-3 and 317 pounds, but is able to be disruptive, making him a solid NFL Draft prospect.
He played a little as a freshman, picking up one sack along the way. After that season, he started on the defensive line. In his career now, Lawrence has 14.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. After showing good progression over the first three years of his career, Lawrence is poised for another big year in 2019.
LaBryan Ray, Alabama
Ray was one of the top recruits in the country and didn’t have to travel far to play for his home-state Alabama Crimson Tide. He is 6-foot-5 and 294 pounds, giving him a good starting frame that he will look to fill out a little bit more.
While some freshmen have to redshirt at Alabama because of how much talent is on the roster, Ray actually got some playing time and recorded a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. He was a rotational player last season, with one start, and had 2.5 sacks and six tackles for loss. He will now likely join Davis in the starting lineup to wreak havoc on offenses everywhere.
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