Our analysts are constantly talking to NFL and college sources about players in the college game. This week, NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein shares some of what NFL folks are saying about one of the best defensive prospects in college football and a top RB prospect.
Note: Click through the tabs above to see Sources Tell Us from previous weeks.
The scoop: "If you compare him to Derek Barnett, he has similar production but he is a much more explosive athlete. I think he is way ahead of (Boston College's Harold) Landry as a pro prospect. -- AFC scout on N.C. State DE Bradley Chubb
The skinny: I'm not sure why a comparison to the Philadelphia Eagles rookie defensive end was made for Bradley Chubb, but let's dig in. Chubb (6-foot-4, 275 pounds, per school measurements) is bigger than Barnett (6-3, 259) and I would agree that Chubb is the better athlete. Barnett has better hands. Chubb is faster than Barnett and might be the best pass rusher in the 2018 class. I'm undecided on where I project him, but he will be drafted earlier than where Barnett, the 14th overall pick in 2017, went.
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The scoop: "When I watched Auburn and Alabama, that Auburn running back stood out. He's kind of upright as a runner but, man, was he physical against that front." -- NFL executive on Kerryon Johnson
The skinny: Johnson's value to the Auburn offense was on full display with not just what he did against Alabama, but also what he was unable to do against Georgia thanks to a lingering shoulder injury from the Alabama win. Johnson is a tall, angular runner who is more of a banger than a slasher, but he has the short-area foot quickness to elude tacklers and create for himself. While Penn State's Saquon Barkley and LSU's Derrius Guice are the RBs who receive the most buzz in scouting circles, Johnson might be third on the list.
Follow Lance Zierlein on Twitter @LanceZierlein.
