With The First Pick
Fansided

Diamond in the rough: 5 underrated prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft

By Cory Kinnan

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Hunter Bryant #1 of the Washington Huskies makes a catch during the second half in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Hunter Bryant #1 of the Washington Huskies makes a catch during the second half in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Malik Harrison #39 of the Ohio State Buckeyes attempts to make a tackle during the first half in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Malik Harrison #39 of the Ohio State Buckeyes attempts to make a tackle during the first half in the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

39

Malik Harrison LB

Ohio State Buckeyes Football
Ohio State Buckeyes Football /

Scouting Report

It took him until his senior season, but Ohio State linebacker Malik Harrison has seen his draft stock take a massive rise after entering the season as a day three flier. Harrison has now played himself into a Reese’s Senior Bowl invite and into a potential day-two pick in the 2020 NFL Draft this upcoming April.

While his solo tackles have taken a bit of a dip this year (mainly because he is not making tackles six yards off the ball anymore), Harrison has had his nose in opposing backfields all season. After just eight and a half tackles for loss and two and a half sacks a year ago, Harrison has jumped those numbers to 16 tackles for loss and six and a half sacks from the second level of the much improved Ohio State defense this year.

Harrison has great size for the linebacker position at 6-3 and 240 pounds, has seen a jump in production, and is expected to test well. The Ohio State product has all of the makings of a linebacker prospect who could continue to climb up boards, despite the slow start to his career.

Right now this writer has a fourth round grade on Harrison, but at the combine, he has the ability to raise that even further.

Home/NCAA Football News