2020 NFL Draft: Top Week 8 cornerback v. wide receiver match-ups
By Seth Steere
Week 8 of the college football season presents exciting match-ups between some of the top wide receivers and cornerbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Outside of the running back position, receiver and cornerback appear to be the deepest positions headlining the 2020 NFL Draft, and it has created exciting match-ups all year.
Here we’ll take a look at some of the top battles to watch in week 8.
#2 LSU Tigers vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (3:30 pm ET): Justin Jefferson, WR vs. Cameron “Cam” Dantzler, CB
Justin Jefferson — like his teammate Joe Burrow — has burst onto the scene for the Tigers this season. He has racked up 650 yards and 8 touchdowns in just 6 games. Jefferson has great size, listed as 6-foot-3, 192 pounds, and is often a mismatch for most corners.
That likely won’t be the case for Cam Dantzler, who is listed at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds. Dantzler is a very physical corner who looks to impose his will at the line-of-scrimmage. He lacks the hip fluidity to stick with receivers as the route progresses.
Jefferson has good movement skills for his size and will be a big test for Dantzler, who looks to raise his stock in one of his premier face-offs of the year.
#9 Oregon Ducks vs. #25 Washington Huskies (3:30 pm ET): Deommodore Lenoir, CB vs. Aaron Fuller, WR
Oregon currently has one of the best secondaries in the nation, and a big part of that is because of Deommodore Lenoir. A recent article (Future First-Rounders? Five under-the-radar NFL prospects ready to emerge) posted to theathletic.com by Dane Brugler, had Lenoir as a potential first-round talent. Dane went on to say “…outstanding speed to blanket receivers up-and-down the field.”
Despite how talented Lenoir may be, he will have his hands full this weekend covering one of the craftiest route runners in the Pac-12, Aaron Fuller. Fuller has drawn comparisons to former Washington receiver Dante Pettis. Both possess slender frames and are nuanced route runners.
It should be a back-and-forth battle between two of the more talented players at skill positions in the Pac-12.
#18 Baylor Bears vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (4:00 pm ET): Denzel Mims, WR vs. AJ Green, CB
Denzel Mims is a big boy: 6-foot-3, 215 pounds.
In the last three years for Baylor, Mims has been their primary target no matter who is slinging the ball. In those years he has 148 receptions, 2,384 yards, and 21 touchdowns, and this season he is on pace to have a career-year.
If he can have a big game against AJ Green, one of the best corners in the Big-12, it will certainly help his draft stock.
Green doesn’t get a lot of attention because for two reasons. First, he’s in the Big-12 and it’s not often defensive players get drafted from that conference. Secondly, Oklahoma State usually gets torched defensively and it’s hard to make a name for yourself when your team allows 27.5 points-per-game. Despite all that, Green is a talented player who will have a great chance to show off his skills against Mims.
#13 Utah Utes vs. #17 Arizona State Sun Devils (6:00 pm ET): Jaylon Johnson, CB vs. Brandon Aiyuk, WR
Ah, yes, another battle between the Pac-12 and another doozy.
Before the start of the season, Jaylon Johnson was receiving first-round hype but has struggled this season and those talks have died down. Nonetheless, Johnson is still a very skilled corner who should find himself selected sometime during Day-2. He possesses great length and can be tough to deal with at the line-of-scrimmage.
The road to victory will not be easy for Johnson on Saturday; he’ll be facing off against one of the biggest risers in the 2020 class in Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk didn’t get much love last season because of N’Keal Harry, who was selected in the first round by the New England Patriots. This year things are different. Harry is gone and Aiyuk has the chance to become the number one guy, which he certainly has done.
His season totals from last year were 33 receptions, 474 yards, and 3 touchdowns; this year he already has more yards (651) and touchdowns (5), despite having fewer receptions (31) than a year ago.
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Tennessee Volunteers (9:00 pm ET): Trevon Diggs, CB vs. Jauan Jennings, WR
Trevon Diggs is currently the only player in this article who appears to be a lock first-rounder. Things don’t always turn out how you “mock” them, but it’s fair to say he is the most talented player listed.
Playing for Alabama, one can be overlooked quite easily, but that isn’t the case for Diggs. When Diggs went down last season because of an injury his presence was greatly missed, especially in the National Championship against Clemson. He has yet to be tested outside of South Carolina receiver Bryan Edwards, and his match-up against Jauan Jennings will help to prepare him for the tougher match-ups ahead.
Prior to the season, if you would’ve asked me, I would’ve told you Marquez Calloway would be the Volunteers top receiver, but that has not been the case. Jennings has been solid this season, even throughout some rocky quarterback play. He is currently on his way to having his best season as a Volunteer, and breaking his personal best in every statistical category.
We may not get to see much of this match-up because Alabama is likely to put a hurting on Tennessee, allowing for the back-ups to come in, so you might want to catch the kick-off for this one.