2020 NFL Draft Preview: These former Rams have the best chance to succeed at the next level

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — There are a lot of questions surrounding the 2020 NFL Draft. We don’t know where the event will take place, who exactly will be there, or what the whole process will even look like.

At this point, it seems like the league is more likely to broadcast the picks from a remote location than hold any formal event where people gather together. Despite all the uncertainty, the one thing we do know is that there are thousands of players across the country that are still trying to make their NFL dreams come true.

Over the last half decade or so, we’ve seen a multitude of former Colorado State Rams go on to have respectable careers at the next level — including but not limited to Weston Richburg, Shaquil Barrett and Michael Gallup.

While it does not look like CSU will have a ton of guys signing professional deals this spring, there are a couple of players that will likely have a chance to make NFL rosters one way or another. Here’s everything you should know about those guys.

Jamal Hicks | Safety

The former CSU player that appears to have the best chance of hearing his name called in the 2020 NFL Draft is safety Jamal Hicks.

Hicks led or tied for the lead in total tackles in seven of CSU’s 12 games last fall and generally was one of the more impactful players over the last four seasons. In total, Hicks recorded 268 tackles in his career, including a career-high 58 individual tackles in 2019.

Although he struggled in pass coverage at times during his younger years, Hicks improved significantly as his career went on. He still is not a guy that you would want on an opposing team’s best receiver but the four-year contributor is a strong open field tackler and definitely has some pop to his game.

If Hicks can play in a system that allows him to frequently creep near the line of scrimmage and help defend the run, he should be strong enough in pass coverage to occasionally handle average tight ends.

In a pass heavy league, it’s still probably a long shot for Hicks to get drafted. After unofficially running a 4.59 at his Pro Day, though, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound defensive back at least gave himself a chance.

Scouts will love how Hicks grinds behind the scenes and is always one of the fiercest competitors on the field. He’s definitely the type of prospect that will impress in interviews and get glowing recommendations from his college coaches.

Because of that, I would be a surprised if he doesn’t  find a way to pave out some form of a professional career — regardless of whether he’s drafted or not.

Much like Shaq Barrett, Phillip Lindsay and many players that came before them, undrafted free agents are in a lot of ways the foundation of NFL rosters.  If Hicks doesn’t end up getting picked by a team in the seven round draft, don’t sleep on him being the next UDFA to make a name for himself at the next level.

Jalen Bates | Edge Rusher

After transferring to CSU from Arizona State, there were big expectations for Jalen Bates in 2019.

Bates flashed with a 10 tackle performance against Utah State on Sept. 28 and finished the season with 46 total tackles in all (27 solo). Aside from a really strong showing against the Aggies, though, it was not exactly the dominant season that Bates was looking to put on film — at least from a pass rushing perspective. In 12 games, Bates didn’t make a single start and only had one sack all year.

Despite a relatively modest 2019 campaign, there is reason to believe Bates will get some looks at the next level and possibly even get drafted.

For starters, Bates brings a unique versatility to the table. He played both as an interior and exterior defensive lineman while with the Sun Devils (2016-18), before spending the entire 2019 season as a defensive end with the Rams.

According to Bates, NFL scouts had him working as an outside linebacker at his Pro Day, so it seems that he is on the move yet again.

“I’m projected as an outside linebacker,” Bates said. “I’m going to be playing on the edge mostly.”

Bates, 6-foot-4, said he currently weighs 266 pounds, which is about 20 pounds more than he was listed at during the fall.

“I’m leaner. I put on about 20 pounds of muscle,” Bates said.

While Bates is about 10 pounds lighter than what Bradley Chubb (6-foot-4, 275 pounds) was listed at during his senior season at North Carolina State, if he can fill the same type of role that Chubb has had in Denver, Bates could potentially make a nice sleeper pick/signing for an NFL team.

Anthony Hawkins | Cornerback

Anthony Hawkins is an interesting case to look at. After starting his career as a wide receiver in 2016, and primarily making an impact on sweeps and plays designed to take advantage of his speed, Hawkins spent most of the rest of his career playing defense.

The 5-foot-10, 192-pound, two-way athlete played in all 13 games at cornerback and made nine starts in 2017. For the year, Hawkins recorded 33 tackles, five pass breakups and a team-high three interceptions in what was his best season at CSU.

In 2018, Hawkins played in all 12 games and made four total starts but his production and playing time both decreased significantly. Hawkins did display his versatility in the San Jose State game, where he started at wide receiver and saw action on defense as well.  In general, Hawkins got surpassed by younger players and transfers, though.

Hawkins then spent his entire senior season as a cornerback and kick returner for the Rams in 2019. It was a fairly quiet season for him on defense but in the win over UNLV on Nov. 2, Hawkins returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown.

Although Hawkins did not get a chance to run routes as a receiver at his pro day, his ability to play offense, defense, or special teams, could give him an outside chance to make a roster at some point if he first catches the attention of a scout somewhere.

Hawkins won’t get drafted but there’s always a place in the league for scrappy special teams players — especially someone like Hawkins that can return kicks or line up as a gunner on kickoffs.

Other CSU guys to keep an eye on

1. Jan-Phillip Bombek (DE)
2. Tron Folsom (LB/DB)
3. Marvin Kinsey (RB)