Syracuse Football: Expert weighs in on SU prospects’ NFL Draft potential

Where is the current 2020 NFL Draft stock of the best Syracuse football prospects? We spoke with an insider who gave us all the details.

Syracuse football hasn’t had a player selected higher than the seventh round since the 2014 NFL Draft. That could change in a big way in 2020.

Josh Buchanan is an expert that works with the Phil Steele Magazine and Draft Scout; he joined Paul ‘Boy Green’ Esden on Drive Time Sports to go over the Syracuse football prospects who have the most promising 2020 NFL Draft potential.

Offense:

• Moe Neal (running back)
  • 31st RB listed on Draft Scout.
    • Currently, Moe is pegged as an undrafted free agent that’ll eventually sign with an NFL team as a “camp body or second wave free agent”.
      • “I want to say this from the jump, we’re going to be talking about some guys right now that are labeled in the top-100 pick conversation but will go undrafted and vice-versa.”
  • According to Josh, most NFL scouts believe that the speed Moe Neal has displayed in college won’t translate to the next level. Scouts predict that Neal is a “4.6” kind of guy (40-yard dash).
  • If he wants to change the narrative of NFL scouts there are a few things he can do:
    • Increase his weight. In the spring he was listed at 196, NFL teams would like to see him in the 205-210 range and to test better (NFL scouts are hoping for a low 4.5 40-yard dash test time).
    • Also if he was able to notch a 1,000-yard season on the ground that could really change things for him.

• Sean Riley (wide receiver)
  • 58th WR listed on Draft Scout.
  • While “58th overall” may not be impressive, he’s the fifth best punt returner in all of college football, per the Phil Steele Magazine.
  • Josh Buchanan says that could be a huge difference maker:
    • “Riley is our No. 5 rated punt returner and that can be a big difference in his NFL Draft stock. When you’re in the mid to late rounds, usually the difference between you getting taken and not is whether or not you can play special teams. I’ve seen guys who can only play wide receiver and can’t play on special teams and they’re taken as highly or at all. While on the other side if you can do both you’ve got such a better chance. Even if someone is a slightly better receiver than you, but you play special teams, that can be the difference. NFL people believe Sean can be a good return guy and it wouldn’t shock me if he made an NFL roster.”

• Evan Adams (guard)
  • 40th G listed on Draft Scout.
  • After Syracuse lost three of their five starters on the offensive line heading into 2019, the damage won’t be as severe in 2020. Although Evan Adams will eventually be a huge loss.
  • Adams has started the last three seasons at right guard and that will continue in 2019. He’s also played over 2,400 snaps in the trenches in the ACC.
  • His size (6-foot-6, 341 pounds) will be highly sought after leading into the NFL Draft.

• Ryan Alexander (guard)
  • 70th G listed on Draft Scout.
  • Ryan Alexander will only spend one year on the hill after transferring over from South Alabama. NFL people project Ryan as a guard at the next level.
    • He has never played guard in his football career, although he has played tight end. Most of his time has been spent at right tackle, although he has played left tackle in a pinch.
  • We’ll have to see what he can do at this level. ACC will be a good measuring stick of what he can do as opposed to what he accomplished at South Alabama.