Brown is a popular man on Auburn's campus, and he gained enough respect from others in the SEC that he was named to the conference's Student-Athlete Leadership Council in 2017. He was the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Defensive Player of the Year and the Georgia Sports Writers Association Player of the Year as a high school senior with 106 tackles, 42 for loss, and 12 sacks at Lanier High. Brown played in all 13 games as a true freshman (11 tackles, 1.5 for loss) and then became a full-time starter for the Tigers in 2017 (56 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles in 14 games). SEC coaches voted him second-team all-conference in 2018, when he started all 13 games, compiling 48 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two pass breakups from the middle of Auburn's defense. Despite likely being a first-round selection, Brown returned to The Plains for 2019. He won the 2019 Lott IMPACT Trophy, which goes to the defensive player who has the biggest IMPACT (Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity). Brown also garnered first-team Associated Press All-American and first-team All-SEC honors and was a finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award and Outland Trophy after posting 55 tackles, tying for the team lead with 12.5 tackles for loss, collecting four sacks and four pass breakups and causing two fumbles.

Yetur Gross-Matos (pronounced YEE-tore gross mah-toes) was a four-star recruit from Spotsylvania, Virginia, before making the trek to Happy Valley. He suited up for all 13 games as a reserve in his first year with the Nittany Lions (17 tackles, two for loss, 1.5 sacks). During that season he showed glimpses of the talent that would manifest itself in 2018. Gross-Matos earned third-team All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore, as well as Penn State's Defensive Lineman of the Year award, after leading the team with 20 tackles for loss and eight sacks among his 54 stops (with two forced fumbles) in 13 games. He moved up to first-team all-conference as a junior after pacing his defense with 15 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks among 40 total tackles.

Colleges overlooked Chinn because he was not 100 percent healthy his junior year, when recruiters are performing their due diligence. He was an All-Metro pick in the Indianapolis area as a senior, though, which landed him at SIU. Missouri Valley Football Conference coaches voted him to their All-Newcomer team in 2016 (51 tackles, three interceptions, two pass breakups, six starts in eight games), even though he missed the first three games of the year with a dislocated shoulder. Chinn started all 11 games the following season, garnering second-team all-conference honors (66 tackles, three interceptions, six pass breakups) and tying for fourth in the FCS with four forced fumbles. He was a first-team All-MVFC pick as a junior, intercepting three passes for the third consecutive year and posting 55 tackles, seven pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. Chinn garnered second-team Associated Press All-American and first-team all-conference notice in 2019 (71 tackles, 2.5 for loss, team-high four interceptions, three pass breakups).

Pride was an all-state receiver and superb returner at Greer Senior High in South Carolina but spurned an offer from Clemson to become part of the Notre Dame tradition. He started three games and played in five other contests as a true freshman (12 tackles, one pass breakup). Pride started four times in 2017, recording 22 stops, two pass breakups, and his first interception. In addition to becoming a full-time starter at cornerback in 2018 (47 tackles, 1.5 for loss, two interceptions, 10 pass breakups), Pride ran track for the Irish, posting the squad's best 60- and 200-meter dash times for the year. He finished his career on the gridiron as a 13-game starter in 2019 (40 tackles, one interception, six pass breakups).

Robinson went to West Virginia with the goal of taking over for veteran safety Dravon Askew-Henry. The all-state defender and dual-threat quarterback from Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, actually played cornerback for the Mountaineers at first, before moving back to safety due to injuries. He earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors for his play in eight starts and 13 games played as a true freshman (46 tackles, two for loss, three interceptions, two returned for TDs, three pass breakups). Robinson moved up to first-team all-conference as a sophomore, starting all 12 games and leading the team with four interceptions (also posting 77 tackles, two for loss, and four pass breakups). He was ejected from the team's Camping World Bowl appearance, however, for targeting. Robinson was dismissed from WVU for a code of conduct violation related to academic fraud before the 2019 season. Instead of transferring, Robinson signed with the newly formed XFL. In five games with the league's St. Louis Battlehawks, he posted 21 tackles, two interceptions and one sack.

Bravvion (pronounced BRAY-vee-on) Roy was a Baylor fan in high school and enjoyed watching the dominant play of DT Andrew Billings. Now young Texans are looking up to Roy, who steadily improved throughout his career to justify the top-200 national recruit ranking he earned coming out of Spring High School (15 tackles for loss, six sacks as a senior). He played in nine games, with one start, as a true freshman in 2016 before dislocating his elbow. As a sophomore, Roy played in 12 games with four starts (31 tackles, three for loss, 0.5 sack). Coaches started him in 11 of the 13 games he played his junior campaign (34 tackles, three for loss, 1.5 sacks). Roy took his game to another level as a senior, racking up 61 stops, 13 for loss, and 5.5 sacks in 14 games (13 starts) to earn first-team All-Big 12 accolades. He is one of the few players in this draft class to have a safety (2017) and a blocked kick (2018, 2019) on his career stat sheet.

Thomas-Oliver made the switch from receiver to cornerback after his sophomore year, and it's hard to argue with the results. He was an honorable mention All-Conference USA selection in 2018, leading the Panthers with 10 pass breakups (40 tackles, three for loss, one interception). League coaches voted him second-team all-conference in 2019 after he again led his squad with 8 PBU in 13 starts, along with 54 tackles, four for loss, two sacks, one interception and two forced fumbles. Thomas-Oliver's career at receiver for FIU started strong, as he was named to the C-USA All-Freshman squad after starting all 12 games in his first year on campus (35-485-13.9, one TD). Thomas-Oliver added a second surname when he turned 18 to honor his stepfather, who helped raise him since he was eight years old.