Account
Projecting Randy Moss' Son Thaddeus, Peoples-Jones' 2020 NFL Draft Landing Spots
April 25, 2020
With three rounds of the 2020 NFL draft in the books, LSU tight end Thaddeus Moss, son of Hall of Famer Randy Moss, and Michigan wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones remain on the board.
Here's a brief breakdown on both players and when they might hear their name called Saturday.
Thaddeus Moss, TE, LSU
Moss slipping this far isn't a significant surprise. He obviously has a great pedigree but lacked a strong body of work in college before making the jump to the pros.
He only caught six passes as a true freshman at North Carolina State in 2016 and then transferred to LSU. That required him to sit out the 2017 season, and he missed the entirety of 2018 because of a foot injury.
Moss put together a solid 2019 campaign, catching 47 passes for 570 yards and four touchdowns. He closed the year on a high, finishing with nine receptions for 135 yards and two scores in the Tigers' two College Football Playoff victories.
Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranked Moss as the eighth-best tight end in a class with few standouts. Miller also projected him to be the No. 132 pick in his final mock draft.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein was even lower on Moss, viewing him as a possible seventh-rounder or undrafted free agent.
Beyond the question marks stemming from his lack of production, a physical at the NFL Scouting Combine showed he had a Jones fracture in his foot that required surgery, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.
Pelissero added that the surgery shouldn't limit Moss' availability for his rookie season, but it's another variable for a player who isn't a sure thing already.
Few teams stand out as desperately needing a tight end on Day 3.
The Washington Redskins (No. 108, 142, 162) would benefit from upgrading over Jeremy Sprinkle. With Joe Burrow in tow, the Cincinnati Bengals (No. 107, 147) could look for a pass-catching complement to C.J. Uzomah for the rookie quarterback.
Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR, Michigan
Peoples-Jones was hurt somewhat by the sheer depth of receivers available in this year's draft. Miller gave him a low-Round 2 grade (81 out of 100), which was only 13th-best at the position.
He was also hindered by a Wolverines offense that continued to sputter in 2019. He finished his junior season with only 34 receptions for 438 yards and six touchdowns.
Peoples-Jones averaged 12.9 yards per catch in his three seasons in Ann Arbor, which isn't an impressive number. He ran an unofficial 4.48-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, illustrating how he should have big-play potential at the next level.
"Personally, I think he's scratching the surface of where he can eventually go," ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit said of the Michigan wideout, per MLive.com's Aaron McCann. "I still think he's a little raw, (but) he had a really great combine. But I love his competitive spirit."
Peoples-Jones' experience as a return man on punts will add to his value right out of the gate. Even if he doesn't make an immediate impact in the passing game, he can play a role in the special teams unit.
Few would've been shocked to see him gone in the third round, so he shouldn't have to wait long before he knows where he's making the next stop in his football career.
The Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and New England Patriots all make sense, though the Patriots and Packers are without fourth-round picks. Detroit selects third in the round with the 109th overall pick. The Houston Texans, who have the No. 111 pick, could be in the mix, too.