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Tom Luginbill
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ESPN Analyst- Senior National Recruiting Analyst for ESPN.com
- Coached in four professional football leagues
- Graduated from Eastern Kentucky and Marshall
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Craig Haubert
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ESPN Staff Writer- National recruiting analyst and analyst for ESPNU
- More than a decade of college and pro coaching experience.
- Graduated from Indiana and Nebraska-Omaha
The 2020 NFL draft is here. Some football players have displayed elite talent since high school and will continue to celebrate their strengths on draft night.
Defensive end Chase Young, a likely top-three-overall selection, was among the top three defensive end prospects in the high school Class of 2017. Others, such as 2017 five-stars DeAngelo Gibbs and No. 2 DE Robert Beal Jr., haven’t developed as we’d projected.
But arguably, the more intriguing prospects are the ones who exceeded our expectations. Here are six such players — low-to-no-star recruits — who are now projected to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft.
OT Tristan Wirfs, Iowa Hawkeyes
2020 ESPN NFL draft rank: 14 overall (No. 3 OT)
2017 ESPN 300 rank: Unranked (No. 56 OT)
Wirfs was a high three-star prospect in the 2017 class, and while his promising physical tools and upside were evident, his adjustment to Power 5 football was quicker than expected. An in-state product, Wirfs seemed to be a bit of big fish in a small pond, relying on his blend of size, strength and physicality to get the job done in high school without fully maximizing his natural talents or sharpening technique.