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Published Apr 6, 2020
Five college programs with surprising draft droughts
Adam Gorney and Mike Farrell
Rivals.com

The NFL Draft is right around the corner, which means there is no better time than now to look at some storylines leading up to the event. Today, we look at some teams who have had a surprising draft drought at a specific position and why that may end this year.

MORE NFL DRAFT COVERAGE: Which conference is best at producing NFL TEs?

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ALABAMA QUARTERBACK

The Crimson Tide have had just an incredible run of draft picks recently and almost every position is well-represented in the league except for quarterback. That will change in this draft as former four-star Tua Tagovailoa is expected to be an early first-round pick barring any unforeseen medical issues as he’s dealt with health questions in the pre-draft process.

Alabama has not had a quarterback drafted since AJ McCarron in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. Since that pick, the Crimson Tide have had an amazing 52 players drafted. Quarterback has not been a position of tremendous strength for NFL Draft purposes at Alabama, though, in the last decade as before McCarron, the most-recent selection was Greg McElroy in the seventh round of the 2011 draft. Tagovailoa should give Alabama a first-round selection.

Farrell’s take: This is puzzling because we all know Alabama recruits quarterbacks at a high level but many just don’t translate to NFL stardom or even NFL careers. But let’s remember that Jalen Hurts will also be taken in this draft, likely in the second round, and he should partially count towards Alabama. Tagovaioloa will be a top-five pick and he and Hurts show that perhaps this trend is changing. Most Alabama quarterbacks under Saban were known as game managers and that’s changed now with Hurts, Tagovailoa and incoming freshman Bryce Young, who is expected to have a great career.

OREGON QUARTERBACK

Quarterback Justin Herbert might not crack the top-two overall picks like Marcus Mariota did in the 2015 draft when he was taken second by the Tennessee Titans but Herbert is expected to be an early first-round selection. Other than Mariota, Herbert would be the first Oregon quarterback taken since 2008. In that draft class, Dennis Dixon was selected in the fifth round, so there has been a drought of Oregon QBs selected over the last decade-plus. By all accounts, Herbert had an excellent showing on and off the field at the NFL Combine and he could be moving even higher than some projected just a few weeks ago. Could he best or equal Joey Harrington, who was the third overall pick in the 2002 draft?

Farrell’s take: Oregon has long been known to have a wide-open passing offense, so it’s puzzling to see the lack of quarterbacks drafted. But with Mariota as a top-two pick and Herbert expected to go in the top 10 that’s not so bad. But you’d still expect more from such an explosive offense. And I’m not sure there is anyone on the current roster who will be a big-time NFL prospect as well short of Jay Butterfield, who is a prospect with a lot of upside.

SOUTH CAROLINA DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Javon Kinlaw is expected to be drafted somewhere in the middle of the first round and that would make the history books for South Carolina football. The last defensive tackle drafted from the Gamecocks was Travian Robertson in the seventh round of the 2012 draft. Prior to that pick, it was Darrell Shropshire in the seven round of 2005. Only a handful of defensive tackles and nose tackles from South Carolina have been drafted, so Kinlaw will definitely be one of the highest picks for the Gamecocks at that position in a long time, if not ever.

Farrell’s take: This is puzzling because the SEC is known for defensive linemen and recruiting was pretty good under Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier, two coaching legends. Kinlaw will end this drought and players like Zacch Pickens and Jordan Burch could end up moving inside and continue the new trend Kinlaw will start. But for the Gamecocks to have so few interior linemen drafted is astonishing.

TCU DEFENSIVE TACKLE

Not only is Ross Blacklock a potential first-round NFL Draft selection but the defensive tackle would be the first player at that position drafted from TCU since 2001 when Shawn Worthen was taken in the first round. Several defensive ends have been drafted from the Horned Frogs. Jerry Hughes in 2010 and L.J. Collier in 2019 were both taken in the first round, but the interior of the defensive line has not been well-represented by TCU in a long time. Blacklock would be a big piece to having back-to-back first-round defensive linemen.

Farrell’s take: You don’t think of TCU as a program that provides a ton of talent to the NFL but under Gary Patterson they haven’t done a bad job. But defensive tackle just hasn’t been in the cards until now. Blacklock will likely be a first-rounder and that always makes it easier to sell to future recruits at the position. This will help TCU.

WASHINGTON QUARTERBACK

The pre-draft thinking on quarterback Jacob Eason is all over from the map from him having a once-in-a-generation arm to having little control to not showing enough maturity to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL. That’s why he might not be a first-round pick, but he’ll definitely get drafted, the first Washington quarterback who can say that since 2011 when Jake Locker went as the eighth overall pick. Since that time, the Huskies have had 29 players drafted but none have been quarterbacks. The former five-star was the first true freshman at Georgia to start since Matthew Stafford but after being injured lost his spot to Jake Fromm and then transferred to Washington.

Farrell’s take: Washington has had a lot of success in recent years, which is why it’s puzzling that no quarterback was deemed NFL worthy. Jake Browning was solid and I really thought Cyler Miles would turn into something but neither wowed. Eason has the arm that someone will love in round two and the way Washington is recruiting quarterbacks, he will be followed by someone soon.

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