2020 NFL Draft Recap: 17 AAC players drafted

2020 NFL Draft Picks

OT Josh Jones, Houston (Round 3, Pick 72) — Arizona Cardinals
C Matt Hennessy, Temple (Round 3, Pick 78) — Atlanta Falcons
WR James Proche, SMU (Round 6, Pick 201) — Baltimore Ravens
WR Gabriel Davis, UCF (Round 4, Pick 128) — Buffalo Bills
LB Trevis Gipson, Tulsa (Round 5, Pick 155) — Chicago Bears
WR Darnell Mooney, Tulane (Round 5, Pick 173) — Chicago Bears
CB Reggie Robinson III, Tulsa (Round 4, Pick 123) — Dallas Cowboys
TE Josiah Deguara, Cincinnati (Round 3, Pick 94) — Green Bay Packers
CB Chris Claybrooks, Memphis (Round 7, Pick 223) — Jacksonville Jaguars
CB Thakarius Keyes, Tulane (Round 7, Pick 237) — Kansas City Chiefs
WR/RB Malcolm Perry, Navy (Round 7, Pick 246) — Miami Dolphins
CB Harrison Hand, Temple (Round 5, Pick 169) — Minnesota Vikings
C Dustin Woodard, Memphis (Round 7, Pick 230) — New England Patriots
OT Matt Peart, UConn (Round 3, Pick 99) — New York Giants
LB Shaun Bradley, Temple (Round 6, Pick 196) — Philadelphia Eagles
LB Chapelle Russell, Temple (Round 7, Pick 241) — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
WR/RB Antonio Gibson, Memphis (Round 3, Pick 66) — Washington Redskins

Notable Undrafted Free Agent Signings

*signings are as of the time of publishing

RB Patrick Taylor, Memphis (Green Bay Packers)
LB Kendall Futrell, ECU (Cincinnati Bengals)

Breakdown

Biggest surprise: Josh Jones

Honorable Mention: Josiah Degura

It’s not a surprise that Jones got drafted, but how far he fell turned some heads. The range for where he’d be drafted was arguably the biggest of any prospect. Houston’s star tackle was projected to go anywhere from the first round to the third, and he continued to fall until the Arizona Cardinals snatched him up. Degura comes in second because the Packers needed weapons for Aaron Rodgers. So maybe it’s the Packers draft that would be the biggest surprise (and not a good one).

Favorite pick: James Proche

Honorable Mention: Darnell Mooney

Proche was an absolute stud for the Mustangs in 2019, and the team that drafted him was going to get a guy that would compete for a starting job. He was the most targeted receiver in the conference and proved that he could make big plays in big games. Baltimore’s offense already features Lamar Jackson and Marquise Brown, and adding Proche gives them another talent to utilize. Mooney getting drafted by the Bears gave Green Wave fans flashbacks of Matt Forte, and Mooney will push for starting reps like Proche.

Underrated pick: Gabriel Davis

Honorable Mention: Dustin Woodard

Davis somehow fell to the fourth round, but joins a Bills team that can use more weapons out wide. He’ll join Cole Beasley and newly acquired Stefon Diggs, but his skillset could make him the primary target with his success in the deep passing game. Woodard heads to New England, and gives the Patriots versatility on the line.

Draft by team

This is the surprising part of this year’s draft: Temple produced the most draft picks from the conference with four. Memphis came in next with three, followed by Tulsa (yes Tulsa) and Tulane with 2. Houston, SMU, UCF, Cincinnati, UConn, and Navy all produced one. It’s weird to think that UConn managed to have the same number of draftees as teams that competed for the conference title when the Huskies were the worst team.