NFL Draft: Breaking down the top two-stars, unrated prospects selected
RELATED: Top 10 five-stars drafted | Top 10 four-stars drafted | Top three-stars drafted | First-round grades | Possible 2020 first-round picks
Here is a breakdown of the top 10 two-star and unranked prospects who were selected earliest in the NFL Draft last week:
DANIEL JONES - No. 6 overall, Giants
The skinny: Jones had a productive high school career but received little to no recruiting interest and he decided to walk-on at Duke. In three seasons with the Blue Devils, the unrated prospect threw for 8,201 yards with 52 touchdowns and 29 interceptions. Some analysts have said Jones going sixth overall was much too high in this draft, especially with Dwayne Haskins, Drew Lock and others on the board.
Farrell’s take: Jones was not evaluated or ranked because he was considered an FCS prospect despite the big numbers he put up in high school. He walked on at the FBS level and the rest is history. Maybe the Giants reached on him or maybe they will look very smart, but this time around he wasn’t ignored.
GARRETT BRADBURY - No. 18 overall, Vikings
The skinny: Bradbury committed to NC State in the spring of his junior year. His only other offers were from Colorado State and Charlotte. He parlayed an impressive career and then a strong showing at the Senior Bowl into a first-round pick. In high school, Bradbury played tight end.
Farrell’s take: Bradbury was a two-star tight end out of high school who was mainly a blocker who grew into one of the best centers in the country. There was no way to see this coming and I expect Bradbury to be a long-time NFL success.
ANDRE DILLARD - No. 23 overall, Eagles
The skinny: Dillard committed to Washington State in December of his senior season with his only other offers from Idaho, Eastern Washington and Portland State. Teams liked him because he played almost exclusively at left tackle during his time in Pullman and he was considered one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the draft.
Farrell’s take: Dillard was a late take by Washington State and was listed as 240 pounds coming out of high school, so it’s hard to project how much mass he would add in the college ranks and how good he would be come. If I could see these guys coming I’d be a genius, but there was no way to tell.
TYTUS HOWARD - No. 24 overall, Texans
The skinny: Howard played quarterback in high school and also lettered in basketball but went to Alabama State to play tight end. After redshirting in his first season, Howard moved to the offensive line and never looked back.
Farrell’s take: Howard has no ranking in our database because he was considered an FCS prospect and played so many different positions so he was hard to project. Like Dillard, he was a 240-pound kid out of high school who grew into an elite tackle.
ROCK YA-SIN - No. 34 overall, Colts
The skinny: Listed as Abdurrahman Yasin in the Rivals.com database, Ya-Sin signed with Presbyterian over offers from Florida A&M, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Hampton and Tennessee State. He was ranked as a two-star cornerback. Ya-Sin played for three seasons at Presbyterian before the program decided to move from FCS to Division II, so he transferred to Temple as a mid-year player. He totaled 47 tackles, two interceptions and a team-high 12 pass breakups this past season.
Farrell’s take: Ya-Sin was an FCS prospect out of high school who had a low two-star rating because he still had pretty good size and speed. But he wasn’t heavily recruited at all, was only evaluated on film and the Georgia Tech offer was not committable. A transfer later and he’s a future NFL star.
SEAN BUNTING - No. 39 overall, Buccaneers
The skinny: Listed as a two-star receiver in the database, Bunting was offered a greyshirt in the weeks leading up to signing day by Central Michigan and he didn’t end up committing there until March. It was his only listed offer. In three seasons, Bunting had 104 tackles, nine interceptions and 15 pass deflections.
Farrell’s take: Bunting was a skinny and small wide receiver prospect who was evaluated in person and on film and deemed as a low FBS talent. He switched sides of the ball and became a pretty high draft pick. Central Michigan did a good job evaluating and scouting him.
JAHLANI TAVAI - No. 43 overall, Lions
The skinny: A tight end and defensive end in high school, Tavai was hearing from only USC and Sacramento State into his senior season but ended up signing with Hawaii. He had a brother play at Kansas and another, J.R., played at USC and is now with the Tennessee Titans. Tavai totaled 390 tackles and 16.5 sacks in college.
Farrell’s take: Listed as a jumbo athlete, he received the lowest FBS grade we can hand out and blossomed into a great and productive player. This is another example of where bloodlines matter and the younger brother of a top player panning out.
ELGTON JENKINS - No. 44 overall, Packers
The skinny: During a visit to Mississippi State with friend J.T. Gray shortly before National Signing Day, the Bulldogs offered and Jenkins quickly made his commitment. Ole Miss, Memphis and others were showing interest but Mississippi State was his lone offer. During his time in Starkville, Jenkins played all across the line but really shined at center.
Farrell’s take: Jenkins was a late take as an in-state lineman who weighed 275 and needed to add strength and size. We labeled him as a low FBS level prospect and he clearly outplayed that ranking. Some thought he was a throw in with Gray to keep him committed but Jenkins made his own way.
ERIK MCCOY - No. 48 overall, Saints
The skinny: During his visit to College Station for the Texas A&M-Missouri game, McCoy landed his offer from then-coach Kevin Sumlin and the two-star prospect committed on the spot. His other offers were from Oklahoma State, Arkansas State, Houston, Louisiana-Lafayette and North Texas. Playing guard but mostly center, a lot of analysts love his ability to deal with both powerful and athletic defensive tackles.
Farrell’s take: McCoy was a big kid at center out of high school but slow and not overly athletic which is why he was a two star and wasn’t heavily recruited. A&M, as they often do, did a great job developing him as an offensive lineman and now he should be a long-term NFL player.
BEN BANOGU - No. 49 overall, Colts
The skinny: Rated as a two-star weak-side defensive end Banogu committed to ULM and after playing there for one season after a redshirt year he transferred to TCU. During his two seasons with the Horned Frogs, Banogu totaled 112 tackles (34.5 for loss) and 17 sacks. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein called him a “predictable pass rusher” and put a fourth- or fifth-round grade on him so it was a surprise to see him go in the second.
Farrell’s take: Banogu wasn’t heavily recruited and was given our lowest FBS grade coming out of high school with only film evaluation and he wasn’t overly explosive nor did he have that many pass rushing moves. He could be a reach in round two but time will tell.