By: Robert Craft

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

The 2020 NFL Draft will be here soon.

Everyone is focusing on where each of the blue-chip players will go in the draft, but what about all those players that wind up going in the fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh rounds that turn out to be diamonds in the rough?

Guys like Tom Brady Jared Allen (4th round), Brandon Marshall (4th round), Richard Sherman (5th round), Josh Norman (5th round), Antonio Brown (6th round) and many more.

The NFL Draft is an inexact science, which is a pro’s way of calling it an educated guessing game teams routinely experience success based on luck.

Here is a list of a few players that may emerge to become NFL stars.

DeeJay Dallas-Miami: Dallas is a 5’10”, weighs 217 and ran 4.58 forty at the combine. His career stats at Miami 265 carries for 1,557 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns on the ground. He caught 28 passes for 317 yards and two touchdowns.

Dallas showcases explosiveness off his plant foot and moves downhill with a force. He runs with balance to bounce off tacklers and tends to fall forward. He is also a physical presence in pass protection.

Overall, I have Dallas with a 6th/7th round grade. His blocking skills, balance, and ball security makes him a perfect fit to an NFL roster.

Gabriel Davis-UCF: Davis is a 6’2”, weighs 216 and ran 4.54 forty at the combine. Davis was a three-year starter at UCF. His career stats 152 receptions, 2447 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Davis’s production steadily increased in every category each season. Davis is a natural hand catcher with the ability to win one-on-one matchups

Overall, I have Davis with a 4th round grade. He has a large catch radius and “my ball” mentality.

Solomon Kindley-Georgia: Kindley is 6’3”, weighs 337 and did not workout at the combine due to a foot injury.

Kindley was a three-year starter at Georgia at left guard. He did not live up to the hype coming into the 2019 season due to injuries. Kindley has a nasty, aggressive mindset to seek out and extend contact.

Overall, I have Kindley with a 6th/7th grade. Kindley is quick footed with mean man tendencies. He will need to be coached up on his technique.

Kindle Vidlor-Georgia Southern: Vidlor is 5’9”, weighs 191 and ran a 4.44 forty at the NFL combine. Vidlor’s career stats include 95 tackles, 1 sack, 33 pass breakups and 9 interceptions. He was a three-year starter.

Vidlor doesn’t have the ideal size to play outside in the NFL. He makes a perfect slot corner and special team with his burst and physical toughness.  Vidlor plays fearlessly and has good ball instincts.

Overall, I have Vildor as a 7th round or priority free agent.

Rodrigo Blankenship-Georgia and Tyler Bass-Georgia Southern: These are the two top kickers in the 2020 NFL Draft. Overall, I have both with 6th/7th round grades. Well, that’s enough about kickers.

Teams find hidden gems in the draft. It doesn’t happen all the time, but every once in a while, a player will slip in the draft. Yet, he goes on to have an incredible NFL career. Who will be the next big-name draft steal like Tom Brady or Antonio Brown?