Future Trojan pros draw interesting NFL comparisons

In an effort far too advanced for most, Thor Nystrom of Rotoworld took the time and effort to create a massive draft board of the top 500 players who could hear their names called during the 2020 NFL Draft this week. The rankings were complete with all the essential information per prospect but included some of the general public’s most sought after resource: comparing your favorite college player to a current or former NFL player in an attempt to help mirror the success, or lack thereof, that we can expect at the professional level.

Four USC Trojans were ranked in the top 500 including potential first-round selections Austin Jackson and Michael Pittman as well as late-round potential draftees Drew Richmond and Christian Rector.

Jackson, who recently was included in a list of tackles who could likely hear their name during Thursday’s Day 1, drew the big board’s 35th overall ranking as the seventh-best tackle prospect. He was compared to D.J. Humphries who has started all 43 career games he’s played for the Arizona Cardinals. He was selected in the first round of the 2015 draft and has found some success on an albeit terrible unit in Arizona.

Perhaps the most favorable comp drawn of the USC four here was Pittman, who was compared to current Detroit Lions No. 1 WR Kenny Golladay. The former Northern Illinois WR led the league in touchdown receptions a season ago and was selected to his first Pro Bowl, proving to be a valuable target with an incredible catch radius for Matthew Stafford and Co. in Detroit.

Richmond finds himself ranked 37th among all tackle prospects on the big board and 380th overall. His pro comp was Josh Wells, who went undrafted out of James Madison in 2014. He played four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and another with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, starting 11 contests in his career so far.

The 446th-ranked prospect overall, Rector came in as the 41st-ranked edge defender and was compared to Drew Ott, the former Iowa Hawkeyes star who saw his potential NFL career (and fifth year in college) derailed by injuries.

So there you have it, the comps for your future Trojan Pros:

Austin Jackson = D.J. Humphries
Michael Pittman = Kenny Golladay
Drew Richmond = Josh Wells
Christian Rector = Drew Ott

What do you think of those comps?