Cal Football: NFL Draft should be Kinder to Cal in 2020

It wasn't entirely unprecedented, but for the first time since 2015, Cal didn't have anyone drafted in the NFL draft. Four Bears have signed UDFA contracts so far, but usually, even in years where not that many seniors left (such as this one) Cal would usually sneak someone in, that wasn't the case this year.

That said, many of the key defenders who played big roles in 2018 are back for another year. For a lot of them, it'll be their final year at Cal, which should put them in a position to be drafted next year.

DB Camryn Bynum

Bynum flirted with the idea of going pro this year, but decided to return for his redshirt junior season. While it's certainly possible he comes back as a redshirt senior in 2020, Bynum will likely have his degree in hand and a solid draft grade to go with it.

Why Bynum?

Cal's top corner is technically sound and savvy. An underrated piece to his game is how he plays the catch all the way through, as even if the wide receiver brings it in, Bynum is still fighting to rip it out, notably doing this on the first drive of the Washington game. Bynum's shown the ability to match up against bigger wideouts, like the 6'3" Anthony Ratliff-Williams from North Carolina and Ole Miss's DK Metcalf, and came away with deflections. Bynum's also a good tackler, PFF had him with 6 missed tackles all of 2018.

Bynum can press, play isolated in man, disguise zones, and has the intuition and work ethic to succeed at the next level

Where He Needs to Improve

Bynum struggled with two receivers in particular in 2018, one of which was Dillon Mitchell of Oregon. Mitchell isn't all that much bigger than Bynum, but used his speed off the line to get by Bynum (also had some pretty good throws to work with from Justin Herbert). Cleaning up technique there and improving speed is necessary, something that Bynum works on near religiously.

The other wideout was JJ Arcega-Whiteside, who used his size more effectively than other receivers had on Bynum. You can't teach height, but Elijah Hicks had success in being more physical with the Stanford wideout, something Bynum will work on.

ILB Evan Weaver

Weaver had a breakout 2018, which led to speculation of him potentially testing the draft waters. He's back to lead the 2019 Cal defense though, with the chance to build on a very strong year.

Why Weaver?

I don't think too many would've believed how well Weaver would adjust after he came in as a defensive end in 2016, but he does a lot of things well. He keeps the ball in front of him, takes great angles and makes the plays that are there. One thing he worked on last year was pass drops, especially cover 2 and cover 3 drops. He looks comfortable in those, and most notably during his interception return against Washington, he can make athletic plays.

At the end of the day, the tackling production speaks for itself. He was a workhorse in playing over 95% of Cal's defensive snaps. Weaver can add value with pass rush as well, as he's got skills in that area from his defensive end days.

Where He Needs to Improve

There's a couple areas that Weaver's currently working on. Leaning out is one of them. Continuing to work on speed is another, as the NFL is a pass happy league that likes quick middle linebackers.

S Ashtyn Davis

Davis, someone who Tim DeRuyter has called an 'elite safety in this league,' might be underappreciated outside of the Cal sphere for everything that he does. The former walk-on from Santa Cruz covers a lot of gaps for the Bears on defense.

Why Davis?

First off is his coverage ability, when he plays center field in a cover 3 situation, he can run out to deflect passes on the sideline. He tracks the ball well, and isn't afraid to come down in the alley to make tackles. His hit on BYU's Dylan Collie, completely clean, was one of the best plays that Cal's defense had in 2018, preventing a first down for a defense that didn't allow a second half first down until the final 3 minutes of the game.

Davis also has return ability, which adds value for NFL teams. That's what has kept Trevor Davis in the NFL so far, and could be similar for Ashtyn. His ball skills are also solid, as seen from a pick-6 against Colorado. He had the highest coverage grade of any of the Cal DBs per PFF.

Where He Needs to Improve

The skills are there for Davis, it might just need to be a case of having a bigger body of work, which this season should provide for him.

S Jaylinn Hawkins

Hawkins led the Bears (and the Pac-12) in interceptions in 2018 (with 6), and is coming back for a hopeful repeat performance in 2019.

Why Hawkins?

He had more interceptions than allowed receptions in 2018 (6 to 4). He tackles well, makes plays in the backfield, and has the prototypical size for an NFL safety. Hawkins is good in zone coverage, with good reactivity to the ball coming out. As a former high school receiver, he can obviously catch the ball and make a play with it.

Where He Needs to Improve

Two or three areas:

- Man coverage, especially in the slot in 1 on 1 situations.

- Not targeting (he had two targeting ejections in 2018)

- Consistency (his 6 interceptions came in 3 games total)

DB Traveon Beck

Beck is a senior in 2019, and with an influx of smaller corners into the NFL, most notably Denzel Ward, Beck could get a shot somewhere.

Why Beck?

Justin Wilcox talks about a 'plus-one' that a player has to have. For Beck, it's quickness, especially lateral quickness. His boasts of being the best nickel corner in the country aren't unfounded, he allows a passer rating of 45.6 when targeted, which is only slightly better than the QB throwing the ball into the ground.

Aside from the coverage skills, the biggest thing about Beck has always been his tackling ability. Beck hits bigger than his stature implies, which helps him limit yards after catch or stop fake field goal attempts.

He's going to need to put on a little more size, but think about it this way. The Super Bowl this year was broken open by a slot receiver burning the defense. Beck's shown ability at limiting guys in the slot, which should give him a fighting chance at being drafted.

DB Elijah Hicks

Hicks is a true junior going into 2019, and while he's big on the academic side (he picked Cal while they didn't have a coach), there's a chance he could declare early.

Why Hicks?

Hicks is about as confident as anyone in the defensive backfield, him and Vic Wharton going back and forth in practice was a treat to watch, and that confidence served him well in defending Arcega-Whiteside better than just about anybody did in 2018. Hicks is physical in press coverage, can play against a variety of different receivers. He's a very good tackler, per PFF, he didn't miss a tackle in 2018.

Hicks only got thrown at 34 times in 2018, allowing receptions on half of them. He may need a bit more playing time to showcase what he can do well.

WR Jordan Duncan

Duncan, a former four-star recruit, is the only offensive player on this list, and that's because he's the only senior projected to start on that side of the ball.

Duncan's dealt with a couple issues over the past two years, those being injury and inconsistent playing time. Duncan broke his hand in the Arizona game, got surgery, and wasn't really back until the Stanford game. He also got hurt early in spring ball this year, which took away another development opportunity.

When healthy, Duncan's as solid as they come, a smooth route runner who can make contested catches. One good year, and his stock can go back in line with his pedigree as a recruit.

DE Luc Bequette

Bequette carved out a big role for himself within the Cal defense, and something that should get him noticed is the fact that he's a workhorse at the 3-4 DE spot. He can bump inside as a 3-technique, as he played the most reps of any defensive lineman in 2018 (670, 307 more than Zeandae Johnson's 363).

Bequette's height is probably something NFL evaluators may question, but he's able to get a push in the pass rush from the interior as well as making plays as a run stopper. One play that stands out, his strip of Amon-Ra St. Brown to save a touchdown against USC, which proved to be incredibly important in that win. Another good year should open eyes from a consistency standpoint.

DE Zeandae Johnson

Johnson should have the other DE spot locked down, and the biggest shift from this spring is how much he looked the part. Before a knee injury took away his 2017, Johnson was making plays from his DE spot left and right, and he's nearly back to that form now. Johnson adds pass rush value from the interior from Cal's pass rush package, and he's put on the bulk to play the run better than he did in 2018.

A note on both Bequette and Johnson, both could conceivably get 6th years via waivers, something Tim DeRuyter has mentioned in multiple interviews.