NFL Draft: Comparing 2020 five-stars to NFL Draft prospects

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

The NFL Draft is just days away, but we always try to circle back to recruiting. Here is a look at 10 player comparisons from players heading into the draft with five-stars in the 2020 class.

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Overview: Bosa developed a reputation as a relentless, attacking defensive end at Ohio State and it’s why he’s expected to be one of the first picks in Thursday’s NFL Draft. The former five-star prospect finished with 17.5 sacks in 29 games in Columbus. Bresee already measures bigger than Bosa at 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, but the five-star from Damascus, Md., still brings that unstoppable motor to get in the backfield and make plays. His versatility along the defensive line is also special.

Farrell’s take: Bresee is a bull who has some great pass rushing moves and can beat you with power or speed, just like Bosa. He’s not as natural as a pass rusher at the same stage but he’s better against the run. Bresee could end up moving inside but right now he’s a bigger version of Bosa.

Overview: Big, long, athletic defensive ends are rare, especially ones like Sweat, who had an exceptional NFL Combine running the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds and posting great numbers in the other events as well. He had 10.5 and 12 sacks the last two seasons at Mississippi State. Burch looks to be a carbon copy of Sweat at 6-foot-6 and 255 pounds - only five pounds off what Sweat weighed in at the combine - and the five-star prospect has all the athleticism and speed off the edge. Burch could push even higher in the next round of rankings because his measurables and edge ability are so rare.

Farrell’s take: Burch is a freak with great size and length and in a few years he could be the player who blows up the combine. Another in a long line of South Carolina defensive ends that have impressed, Burch has the athleticism to turn into a Sweat at the next level. Sweat started off as a tight end and switched to defensive end, so Burch has a head start on him focusing on defense primarily.

Overview: When Harry was in high school, the five-star weighed 214 pounds and he added 14 pounds while at Arizona State. In terms of height, Harry measured in at 6-foot-2 at the combine while Fleming is listed at 6-foot-3, so the Catawissa (Pa.) Southern Columbia standout has a one-inch edge. Both are incredibly productive receivers as Harry finished his ASU career with 213 catches for 2,889 yards and 22 touchdowns. As the nation’s top receiver, Fleming has proven unstoppable on the high school level and that should translate to the college level. Penn State, Ohio State, Clemson and Alabama among others are involved.

Farrell’s take: When I first saw Harry, I knew he was a five-star talent the way he elevated and how he used power and speed to easily defeat defensive backs. The same can be said for Fleming, who has sneaky downfield speed but can also dominate with power. Both are red zone threats and can also make catches over the middle.

Overview: Flowe is taller and White is thicker, but the two linebackers play similarly when on the field. The five-star linebacker from Upland, Calif., plays football with reckless abandon and he hits harder than any linebacker in recent memory. He’s all over the field on every play, he can track sideline-to-sideline and in games he’s always around the tackle - if not leveling some poor running back or quarterback. White is aggressive as well, is involved in so many tackles and he finished his LSU career with 286 tackles in three seasons. He’s expected to be the first linebacker drafted early in the first round.

Farrell’s take: White got so big in high school, we didn’t know what position to project him at and settled on fullback but he could have been a defensive tackle, linebacker, fullback or even a tailback. Flowe is taller and more athletic at the same stage but he reminds me of White because he’s relentless and makes so many plays off of contact.

Overview: Dillard checked in at 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds at the combine and he showed on tape and during on-field work in Indianapolis that he’s arguably the most athletic offensive tackle in this draft class. That’s why he’s projected as a probable first-round pick looking for a left tackle early in the draft. Hinton’s measurements are almost exactly the same at 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds and the Stanford commit is also known for how well he moves. There is a question about just how physical Dillard and Hinton are as well, which makes the comparison even better.

Farrell’s take: Dillard is arguably the most athletic offensive tackle in the NFL Draft and has great feet and Hinton has the potential to be that same guy in a few years. Hinton has light feet, is very smart and uses his hands well but needs to get more physical. If there’s one question about both of them it’s their ability to handle bull rushes, but you can’t teach their size and agility.

Overview: Brown has 31 pounds on Jarrett at this point and he has a blockier build than the five-star receiver in this class who’s serious about LSU, Tennessee, Ohio State and others, but their on-field games are similar. Jarrett is a game-breaker who can take short passes and make people miss and he also has the speed to go deep and stretch the field against slower cornerbacks. Brown is expected to be one of the first receivers drafted and he was unstoppable at Ole Miss, finishing his career with 189 catches for 2,984 yards and 19 TDs in three seasons.

Farrell’s take: Brown is a tad taller than Jarrett at the same stage, but they are equally filled out and physical for receivers who aren’t that tall. Both project as slot receivers who run great routes and can snatch the ball away from defenders with sneaky strength. Jarrett has that upside to have a similar career to Brown.

Overview: Next in line of outstanding NFL cornerbacks coming out of LSU, Williams is expected to be picked in the first round after showing special ability with the Tigers even though there have been some questions about his showings during the pre-draft process. Ricks, a five-star corner from Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei, has already committed to LSU and could be a star in that defense. He has incredibly long arms, he had six pick-sixes as a junior and he’s looking to possibly skip his senior year of high school to enroll early in Baton Rouge. In a few years, Ricks could be in that first-round discussion.

Farrell’s take: Rick is headed to LSU where Williams was a star and has more length and size at the same stage. Williams is probably more instinctual and more of a natural cover corner but you can’t teach the size and speed of Ricks. Ricks should be the next great one at DBU.

Overview: In NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein’s first sentence on Ford, he writes that the Oklahoma offensive lineman has an “extremely rare combination of size, mass and athleticism.” That has given Ford an edge in some mock drafts and because of his versatility playing either guard or tackle, he could be a late first-round selection. Then we look at Rogers, who is already similarly sized to Ford, and he can be a star along the offensive or defensive line and even played linebacker last season at 6-foot-4 and 314 pounds.

Farrell’s take: Rogers is a tough comparison because he can be a dominant offensive or defensive lineman and is so aggressive and relentless. Ford was a raw interior lineman out of high school who has turned into one of the most agile and athletic tackles in the draft. I remember Ford in high school and his motor was similar to Rogers.

Overview: Smalls is one of the best prospects we’ve seen this offseason and a comparison to Sweat would be applicable. But we decided on Allen since he was incredibly productive at Kentucky and should be one of the first defensive linemen drafted in a loaded class. Smalls is similar in so many ways since he’s unstoppable with speed and power coming off the edge, he can track from behind and the five-star showed during the 7-on-7 circuit that he can cover in space as well. The only difference between the two: Allen was a virtually unknown three-star coming out of high school who had only one offer. Smalls is one of the most recognizable names this class and he has 32 offers.

Farrell’s take: Smalls is a big, athletic freak who can play linebacker or defensive end and makes plays all over the field. He has a head start on Allen, who was a wide receiver primarily until his senior year in high school, but if you’re looking for a big, athletic playmaker who can stand up or put his hand in the dirt, Smalls is the best comparison to Allen.

Overview: No one is going to compare to Metcalf’s physical presence since he looks like Mr. Universe playing football and his testing numbers at the combine were mind-boggling, but if anybody can get close it’s Wilson, who looks outstanding in person and he has impressive physical tools as well. Part of the comparison here, too, is that neither has completely dominated on their respective levels. Considering their outright physical domination, one wonders if production should be higher.

Farrell’s take: Metcalf was a massive wide receiver in high school who was very good but never dominated the way we wanted him to. That’s Wilson, at least right now, is a physical specimen who is very good but should be doing more with his frame. Can Wilson turn into the physical freak Metcalf has become? That’s a big ask, but you can bet he’ll be a guy who impresses down the line with his size and speed.