Gophers 2020 Draft/Combine Conversation

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gophernut1

gophernut1

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Always glad to see Minnesota Gophers get recognized for their hard work. Saw this 7 round 2020 draft projection:

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft...ers-take-qbs-on-day-2-steelers-start-with-rb/

They had several gophers projected to get drafted:

Rd 3 - #78 - Tyler Johnson
Rd 6 - #184 - Kamal Martin
Rd 6 - #207 - Antonio Winfield
Rd 7 - #249 - Carter Coughlin

I think there are a little low on some, but nice to see them having all 4 getting drafted. 2015 was the last time we got 4 players drafted and would have to go back to 1988 when we had more players drafted (of course they had more rounds then). 1950 was the last time we had more than 4 drafted in the first 7 rounds of any draft.

Excited to see what their combine numbers are, how they perform in their Bowl game and in the draft bowl games.

Love to hear other people thoughts on other people draft expectations for our expected draftees.
 

Carter is going to need to play LB over there and I am not a good enough judge of his pass coverage skills to make that call. He has excellent speed. I sort of see him as a lot like Blake Cashman and he did very well with the Jets before injury. Plus, Carter is exactly the imagine that the NFL likes.
 

If Winfield is really projected as a 6th-rounder, he might just decide to come back for another year.

On Coughlin, it all depends on how the pros project him - as a 4-3 DE or a 3-4 OLB.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
If Winfield is really projected as a 6th-rounder, he might just decide to come back for another year.

On Coughlin, it all depends on how the pros project him - as a 4-3 DE or a 3-4 OLB.
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Well, the 6th round evaluation was for Antonio Winfield, not Antoine so there is that. ;)
 

gophernut1 said:
Always glad to see Minnesota Gophers get recognized for their hard work. Saw this 7 round 2020 draft projection:

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft...ers-take-qbs-on-day-2-steelers-start-with-rb/

They had several gophers projected to get drafted:

Rd 3 - #78 - Tyler Johnson
Rd 6 - #184 - Kamal Martin
Rd 6 - #207 - Antonio Winfield
Rd 7 - #249 - Carter Coughlin

I think there are a little low on some, but nice to see them having all 4 getting drafted. 2015 was the last time we got 4 players drafted and would have to go back to 1988 when we had more players drafted (of course they had more rounds then). 1950 was the last time we had more than 4 drafted in the first 7 rounds of any draft.

Excited to see what their combine numbers are, how they perform in their Bowl game and in the draft bowl games.

Love to hear other people thoughts on other people draft expectations for our expected draftees.
Click to expand...

I hope Winfield is successful in the NFL. It would be a damn shame if he comes out early and he ends up getting screwed because of his size.

It is still shocking to me that he fell to Minnesota, and if people in the NFL are going to buy-in to that original assessment then I hope he gets to stay and just have an awesome time at Minnesota.

He is an intelligent football player, but the NFL is another level entirely and smarts can only carry you so far.
 


Winfield wouldn't drop to the sixth round. Guys like Matheiu and Patrick Chung are right around the same height. Both are pretty flexible players that play a bit of slot as well.

Earl Thomas, Devin McCourty, Dante Whitner, Troy Polamalu, etc......all checked in at 5'10".
 

Kamal and Carter were both invited to the Senior Bowl, so right now their respective draft position is viewed higher than Tyler's. If Antoine is expected to go in the 6th round, he would get a "stay in school" report back from the advisory committee. I think he might go anyway, but it would be a huge shot in the arm for the Gophers to have him back for another season. As a Gopher fan, I'd love to have him back for another year, but it is probably in his best interest to go (even as a late round pick) given he had his first healthy year in 3 seasons and was so productive.

I think all 4 guys have at least a shot at going in the 3rd round provided they test well. The WR position is loaded this year and Tyler isn't projected to test well, so I'd actually make him the least likely of the 4 to go first. Regardless, it will be great to put 3, 4 or more Gophers in to the NFL this year.
 

I hope nobody sits out the bowl game :-(
If they were higher projections, I could see the logic in sitting out, but lower projections could use this as a spotlight to improve their stock.
 

Here is another 7 round mock draft. OK I think these people missed out on a few of the Gophers I would expect to be drafted. No mention of Martin or Winfield (I get he is a junior). They have an undrafted listing by postition but only listed Robert Smith as someone of interest.

Link: https://www.draftsite.com/nfl/mock-draft/2020/round3/

Rd 3 - #67 - Tyler Johnson
Rd 6 -#127 - Chris Williamson
Rd 7 - #225 - Carter Coughlin

Glad to see Tyler listed as a 3rd rounder in this deep wide receiver class and Chris mentioned as being drafted. I think it will be very interesting to see how many Gophers get drafted. There is a lot of talent leaving this team (plus a lot coming back).
 



This one has TJ going to the Cardinals in R3, and AWjr to the Vikings in R3.

draftwire.usatoday.com

2020 NFL mock draft: Updated 3-round projections

The holiday season is upon us, which means crunch time across both levels of the football landscape. Only four weeks remain the NFL regular season, which means the top portion of the league is jock…
draftwire.usatoday.com draftwire.usatoday.com
 

Mock Drafts are horribly unreliable as they tend to undervalue lower division schools and FCS. I've seen guys listed as 2nd rounders that end up 5th or later...and guys not even listed go in 3rd/4th round


With that said, I feel Coughlin/winfield/johnson will get drafted (assuming winfield enters draft). Martin, i put as a maybe.
 

I love the early mock drafts as they are an indication of value based upon often times incorrect assumptions about the teams people play for. It is a good measuring rod the value people place upon the talent the Gophers have. While I value the opinion of the NFL more, it does help one understand perceptions of talent. While I feel we have as many as 4 NFL draftees, I believe we could see as many as 7 get camp invites. I am so impressed by the level of depth that was developed (THanks PJ) and the level that was recruited here that year (Kill and Claeys).
 




gophernut1 said:
I love the early mock drafts as they are an indication of value based upon often times incorrect assumptions about the teams people play for. It is a good measuring rod the value people place upon the talent the Gophers have. While I value the opinion of the NFL more, it does help one understand perceptions of talent. While I feel we have as many as 4 NFL draftees, I believe we could see as many as 7 get camp invites. I am so impressed by the level of depth that was developed (THanks PJ) and the level that was recruited here that year (Kill and Claeys).
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Agreed. It's a great marker for a program. In perusing Auburn boards yesterday, they seem to think MN will be about as talented as Purdue was last year. I would've liked to point out that a) MN beat the crap out of PU last year with a worse team; b) mostly dominated against PU this year until very late; and c) will have a minimum of 4 players (and up to 7 as you point out) from this team in the NFL next year, which PU had perhaps 2 UDFA last year if I'm not mistaken?
 

Not sure what AWjr11 would do next year to help his stock - regardless of where he is projected to be drafted. He isn’t going to grow so will just prove it at the next level. I bet if the experts say he will be drafted that he goes.
 

Spoofin said:
Not sure what AWjr11 would do next year to help his stock - regardless of where he is projected to be drafted. He isn’t going to grow so will just prove it at the next level. I bet if the experts say he will be drafted that he goes.
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Yeah - would love to have him come back but not sure it makes sense for him.
 

For Winfield, I think the only question might be health - or more accurately, durability. He's missed two of the last 3 seasons. So, I can see where some teams might be wary about using a high draft pick on him. If that's the case, he would be good value with a 5th-round or lower pick.

On the other hand, if he comes back for another year with MN, stays healthy and plays at the same level or higher, he could be at least a 2nd or 3rd-round pick.
 

Winfield will be rolling the dice on this one. I'm curious as to what his dad would want him to do. Naturally he would like him to head to the NFL. However is he anxious for him to do it now, or wait another year to prove he is healthy etc.?
 

I feel like if Windfield comes back there isn't much he can do to improve his draft stock, 7 interceptions and up for some awards. If i was him I would enter the draft
 

I don’t think the injuries are a huge concern. Hamstring injuries can happen to anyone at any time. Do we now have injury concerns about Adam Thielen, going forward? Not really. The thing with AW’s foot? Seems flukey to me. He hasn’t been one of those banged up every other week, like Xavier Rhodes or Anthony Barr.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
On the other hand, if he comes back for another year with MN, stays healthy and plays at the same level or higher, he could be at least a 2nd or 3rd-round pick.
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Or he could get hurt again and drop even lower. I love him, but he's been in college four years, he's close to graduating and, unless he just wants to play college football, he should go.
 




Here is a draft site that really like Johnson and has Winfield going higher than some of the other draft sites I have looked at:

Johnson - 2nd Rd - #38 to Arizona
Winfield - 4th Rd - #111 to Raiders
Martin - 7th Rd - #212 to Steelers
Coughlin - 7th Rd - #214 to Rams

2020 NFL Mock Draft | Rounds 6 & 7

www.drafttek.com

They also have position rankings

Smith - #19 RB
Johnson #6 - WR
Coughlin #22 - Edge Rusher and OLB - #17
Martin #18 - ILB
Winfield - #8 - S
Williamson - #33 - CB
 


I'd be surprised if Winfield makes it to day 3 of the draft. Johnson should go higher than end of the third.
 


An 11-2 record certainly helps the guys.
 

I would love Winfield on the VIkings. If they choose not to re-sign Anthony Harris (because he will be too expensive) Winfield would be an awesome pick. Tyler Johnson would be a good pick too, but the VIkings are going to have a lot of holes to fill with WR not being one of them
 

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