Iowa vs. Michigan: Top 2020 NFL Draft prospects to watch
Alaric Jackson, OT, Iowa
Iowa left tackle Alaric Jackson suffered a knee injury in the first week of the season. He has been out of action since that season-opening game, but he is expected to return this week against Michigan.
More from NFL Draft
- NFL Draft: Ranking the top signal callers of the 2024 NFL QB Class
- Packers’ Lukas Van Ness will make a Lambeau leap into the NFL in 2023
- 2024 NFL Draft: Hunter Haas’ Top 50 Big Board
- NFL preseason Week 3: Notre Dame’s Mayer, Foskey with something to prove
- NFL Draft Notebook: Bo Nix is the third-best quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft
It is unknown whether Jackson is ready to take his usual full-load of snaps at left tackle, but regardless, it will be nice to see him back out there. Jackson is not a top-tier offensive tackle prospect like Wirfs, but he is an extremely talented player in his own right.
Jackson moves extremely well for an offensive lineman, showing quick feet and fantastic overall pass protection skills. He can be overpowered at times but has enough functional strength to hold his own against most players.
If Jackson comes out and plays well in his return from injury against Michigan, it will go a long way towards establishing him as an offensive tackle to watch in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Nathan Stanley, QB, Iowa
Iowa quarterback Nathan Stanley has been great this season. Through four games, Stanley has completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 965 yards and eight touchdowns. He has yet to turn the ball over.
Stanley is an interesting NFL quarterback prospect who has the arm talent to compete at the next level. He is also a relatively mobile quarterback who throws well on the run and has improved his decision-making this season. Stanley has solid accuracy on his passes in the short and intermediate-range, but the further downfield the throw goes, the worse he gets.
Deep accuracy is a major concern for Stanley, and while he has been good for Iowa this season, his tendency to overthrow the deep ball is still present. He is far from perfect, but Stanley has a chance to be a solid mid-round quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft if he continues to have success this season. A strong performance against Michigan would only help.