2019 NFL Draft: 11 Sleepers to watch from East-West Shrine Game

STARKVILLE, MS - OCTOBER 06: Ryan Davis #23 of the Auburn Tigers runs with the ball as Jaquarius Landrews #11 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs defends during the first half at Davis Wade Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

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COLLEGE STATION, TX – AUGUST 30: Daylon Mack #34 of the Texas A&M Aggies rushes Shelton Eppler #5 of the Northwestern State Demons during the first half of a football game at Kyle Field on August 30, 2018 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /

1. Daylon Mack, DT, Texas A&M

No player in this draft has a better first step then Daylon Mack. His jaw-dropping initial burst can’t be overstated. Unfortunately, the former 5-star recruit didn’t have the career scouts had hoped, which is why he’s in the Shrine Game and not the Senior Bowl.

Early on with the Aggies, the staff had him as a rotational player. The end result was underwhelming. However, he was able to put it all together in his senior season. The burst and quickness were reflected is his numbers. Mack finished the season with 10 tackles for loss and five sacks.

He’s compactly built at 6-0, 320 pounds — a rocked-up body with a ton power. With his burst plus his strength, Mack does a great job of generating power. His best fit comes as a two-down nose/run defender. Mack brings raw power and toughness up front. In fact, The Draft Network called him a “rare run defender” in their scouting report:

"“[Mack’s] the rare run stuffer with the power to reset the line of scrimmage and the explosiveness to disrupt plays in the backfield as well.”"

2019 NFL Mock Draft: Kyler goes No. 1. dark. Next

Teams will get value from Mack later on in the draft as he can come in and start right away. With his powerful, compact old school style of play, Mack truly is a blast from the past. There’s no doubt that Mack hears his name called inside the top 100 picks.

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