NFL Draft: Pro comparisons for 33 top prospects

NFL Draft: Pro comparisons for 33 top prospects

By Daniel Jeremiah
NFL Media analyst

[www.nfl.com]

Mitchell Trubisky and Trent Green. Christian McCaffrey and Devonta Freeman. Daniel Jeremiah goes through some of this year's top prospects and compares them to past and present NFL players. Find out whose games match up.

Mitchell Trubisky, quarterback, North Carolina

NFL comparison: Trent Green

They have a similar body type, and both players are above-average athletes at the quarterback position.

DeShone Kizer, quarterback, Notre Dame

NFL comparison: Carson Palmer

I don't believe Kizer will be the No. 1 overall pick like Palmer was in 2003, but Kizer (6-foot-4, 233 pounds) and Palmer (6-5, 235) are similar in size and arm talent.

Brad Kaaya, quarterback, Miami

NFL comparison: Cody Kessler

These two are great decision-makers and efficient players, but lack premier skill sets.


Dalvin Cook, running back, Florida State

NFL comparison: Jamaal Charles

They have electric speed and are capable of scoring from anywhere on the field.

Christian McCaffrey, running back, Stanford

NFL comparison: Devonta Freeman

They don't have the same body type, but versatility is their calling card. Atlanta used Freeman in both the run and the pass, and I envision McCaffrey being used in a similar way.

Joe Mixon, running back, Oklahoma

NFL comparison: David Johnson

They are big, tall, athletic running backs who expand a team's playbook because of their special talents.

D'Onta Foreman, running back, Texas

NFL comparison: LeGarrette Blount

Foreman (6-foot, 233 pounds) and Blount (6-foot, 250 pounds) are big power backs who excel in short-yardage and end-of-game situations.

Corey Davis, wide receiver, Western Michigan

NFL comparison: Terrell Owens

Davis has almost an identical build to Owens. They are very explosive as route runners and when the ball is in their hands.


Curtis Samuel, running back/wide receiver, Ohio State

NFL comparison: Reggie Bush

Both lack ideal size for the running back position, but they can be major weapons out of the backfield in the pass game.

Evan Engram, tight end, Mississippi

NFL comparison: Jordan Reed

Engram (6-3, 234 pounds) and Reed (6-2, 246 pounds) are small tight ends/big receivers, creating major mismatches for linebackers and safeties. We've already seen the headaches Reed gives opponents.

O.J. Howard, tight end, Alabama

NFL comparison: Greg Olsen

These guys are tall, long athletes who can stretch the seam in the passing game. One of their best attributes is they are quality run blockers.

Cam Robinson, offensive tackle, Alabama

NFL comparison: Andre Smith

They are big and physical run blockers. Smith has played his best football on the right side of the offensive line, and that's where Robinson is best suited.

Forrest Lamp, interior offensive lineman, Western Kentucky

NFL comparison: Cody Whitehair

Lamp and Whitehair played tackle in college, but Whitehair has since exceled as an interior O-lineman with the Bears. Lamp is likely to see the same sort of success with the same move.

Ethan Pocic, interior offensive lineman, LSU

NFL comparison: Max Unger

Tall, long center prospects are few and far between, but Unger has carved out a nice career for himself in Seattle and New Orleans. I envision Pocic to follow in Unger's footsteps as a solid center in the years to come.


Myles Garrett, defensive end, Texas A&M

NFL comparison: Julius Peppers

These two are rare athletes with special traits capable of taking over football games.

Derek Barnett, defensive end, Tennessee

NFL comparison: Shaq Lawson

Although they might not have ideal quickness, both players are very productive pass rushers who play with a relentless motor.

Charles Harris, defensive end, Missouri

NFL comparison: Justin Houston

They’re both skilled pass rushers with the flexibility and athleticism to drop in coverage if needed.

DeMarcus Walker, defensive end, Florida State

NFL comparison: Derrick Morgan

Both are skilled pass rushers who win matchups more on technique than on rare athleticism.

Malik McDowell, defensive tackle, Michigan State

NFL comparison: Malik Jackson

They are athletic defenders with inside-outside versatility. It took a while for Jackson to reach his potential, and I see McDowell developing over time at the pro level.

Carlos Watkins, defensive tackle, Clemson

NFL comparison: Corey Liuget

Watkins (6-3, 309 pounds) and Liuget (6-2, 300 pounds) possess similar builds and are rock-solid, consistent players on tape capable of playing all three downs.


Takkarist McKinley, outside linebacker, UCLA

NFL comparison: Bruce Irvin

Their games are predicated on pure speed. There will be debate in some rooms as to whether McKinley should be put at linebacker or defensive end -- the same conversations have surrounded Irvin.

Tim Williams, defensive end, Alabama

NFL comparison: Everson Griffen

Like Griffen was, Williams is a raw, explosive, twitched-up edge rusher who was inconsistent in college but possesses tremendous potential at the next level. Griffen has been a force in the last three seasons, with his best performance coming in his fifth NFL season (12 sacks).

Ryan Anderson, outside linebacker, Alabama

NFL comparison: Markus Golden

Like Golden, Anderson is a strong, physical edge rusher with underrated pass-rush skills coming out of college. Golden has been more productive in the NFL than he was at the college level, and I think we'll see the same is true with Anderson.

Reuben Foster, inside linebacker, Alabama

NFL comparison: Bobby Wagner

Foster and Wagner are rare talents. Both are ultra-fast, athletic and explosive linebackers who can play all three downs.

Justin Evans, safety, Texas A&M

NFL comparison: Marlon McCree

Evans (6-foot, 199 pounds) and McCree (5-11, 204 pounds) have good size and are impact tacklers with a lot of explosion on contact.


Marlon Humphrey, cornerback, Alabama

NFL comparison: Xavier Rhodes

Like Rhodes was, Humphrey is a tall, long, athletic corner who needs a little development coming out of college. Rhodes has improved in each of his four NFL seasons, and Humphrey will experience that same upswing with the right coaching.

Desmond King, defensive back, Iowa

NFL comparison: Glover Quin

Quin was a cornerback in college, and there was debate about which position would best suit him at the pro level. Since then, he's blossomed into one of the league's top safeties, and I'm predicting King will have a similar career path.

Marshon Lattimore, cornerback, Ohio State

NFL comparison: Janoris Jenkins

They are ultra smooth, fluid and instinctive in coverage. A huge plus: neither Lattimore nor Jenkins have physical limitations.

Cameron Sutton, cornerback, Tennessee

NFL comparison: Darius Butler

These are versatile players who can do a bit of everything -- play cornerback, safety or nickel. Sutton also has the ability to contribute in the return game.

Quincy Wilson, cornerback, Florida

NFL comparison: Aqib Talib

These tall, fluid corners are ideally suited for matching up with bigger, more physical receivers -- and there are plenty of those in the league. Wilson and Talib possess outstanding ball skills in coverage.


Jamal Adams, safety, LSU

NFL comparison: Troy Polamalu

These two can take over a football game from the safety position, and we don't see that often. You never know where these tone-setting players will line up.

Marcus Maye, safety, Florida

NFL comparison: Keanu Neal

Ironically, they played together at Florida in 2015. They are rangy, fast and physical safety prospects. Neal took his game to another level as a rookie in Atlanta, and whoever drafts Maye will hope to get the same type of production early on.

Jabrill Peppers, safety, Michigan

NFL comparison: Devin McCourty

Like McCourty did, Peppers has positional flexibility coming out of college. They're twitched-up, explosive and fast. McCourty has settled in as a Pro Bowl safety, and Peppers has similar upside.