Who is USFL's version of Justin Herbert, Cooper Kupp, Tyreek Hill?

By Rob Rang
FOX Sports Draft Analyst

With the inaugural USFL season just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to introduce some of the players taken in February's draft by comparing them to their NFL doppelgangers.

The new USFL stars might not be quite as gifted, but they possess similar traits and a playing style that have made their NFL counterparts among the most recognizable names in professional sports.

Let's take a look and see who resembles whom.

QB Jordan Ta’amu, Tampa Bay Bandits
NFL Comp: Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

It didn't take the USFL long to realize that dual-threat quarterbacks are nearly worth their weight in gold. Just as the Chargers struck paydirt by investing their first-round pick in Herbert two years ago, Ta’amu went No. 2 to Tampa Bay on Tuesday. 

Like Herbert, Ta’amu possesses an electric combination of size, athleticism and arm talent. In two seasons at Mississippi, he had more than 6,000 all-purpose yards and 40 scores, including 30 through the air.

WR Lance Lenoir, Michigan Panthers
NFL Comp: Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

Speed and size might cause scouts to sit up and pay attention, but production trumps all. And to put up eye-popping numbers, receivers have to run reliable routes and catch the ball cleanly. No one proved that better that Kupp during his "Triple Crown" 2021 regular season and MVP performance in the Rams' Super Bowl win over the Bengals.

Like Kupp (who was clocked at 4.62 in the 40-yard dash at the 2017 Scouting Combine), Lenoir is more polished than prototypical, clocking in at 4.67 seconds at his Pro Day after dominating at Western Illinois, leaving as the Leathernecks' all-time leader in receptions (273), receiving yards (3,796) and touchdowns (31). Lenoir has spent time with the Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills.

WR Devin Gray, Philadelphia Stars
NFL Comp: Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

Regardless of the level of competition, speed kills in football. Just as Hill is the NFL’s most lethal vertical threat, Gray could give USFL defenses nightmares with his explosive combination of acceleration and change-of-direction. 

The 5-foot-11, 183-pound Gray was clocked at 4.41 seconds at his Pro Day and averaged 15.2 yards per catch in two years with the Cincinnati Bearcats, hauling in eight touchdowns.

RB Mark Thompson, Houston Gamblers
NFL Comp: Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

Boasting a remarkable combination of size (6-foot-3, 247 pounds) and breakaway speed, "King Henry" is the most physically dominating running back in the NFL, earning All-Pro honors following the 2019-2020 seasons. It is a similar size-speed-power element that could make the 6-foot-2, 239 pound Thompson a game-changer in the USFL. 

Thompson was part of a heavy rotation at Florida back in 2016-2017, which limited his opportunities. Though he rushed for just 596 yards and five scores, scouts have always been enamored with his raw tools, which is why he’s spent time with the Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders. 

CB Brian Allen, Birmingham Stallions 
NFL Comp: Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys

With his soft hands and football-tracking ability, Diggs led the NFL last season with a staggering 11 interceptions, including two that he returned for touchdowns. Allen a former wide receiver who transitioned to cornerback late in his college career at Utah, offers similar playmaking ability, as well as exceptional size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) and speed. 

It's no wonder Allen was a fifth-round selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017 and has seen time on five other NFL rosters since. It's also no surprise Allen was the Stallions' first pick at corner.  

WR J’Mon Moore, New Jersey Generals
NFL Comp: DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks

With all due respect to pure speed demons, receivers who can also bully opponents and play above the rim can be even more valuable to their quarterbacks. Seattle’s Metcalf is just 24 years old and yet already is one of the NFL’s most feared receivers.

The 6-foot-3, 207-pound Moore, a Mizzou alum, offers legitimate 4.4 speed of his own and was even more productive in the SEC than Metcalf, registering nearly twice as many receiving yards (2,477 to 1,228) and a third more touchdowns (21 to 14) over their respective careers. Recognizing his talent, the Green Bay Packers made Moore a fourth-round pick in 2018.

NT Olive Sagapolu, Pittsburgh Maulers
NFL Comp: Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

One thing fans can expect with the USFL is that this league will be primarily built around the passing game. Just like in the NFL, however, stopping the run remains important, which is why dominant run-stuffers will always have a place. Sagapolu and Vea have more in common than just their Polynesian ancestry. Both are massive, with the strength and ballast to grow roots at the line of scrimmage and eat up multiple blockers. 

A perennial standout in both running and defending the run, Wisconsin has a proven track record for producing quality prospects along the line of scrimmage. The 6-foot-2, 331-pound Sagapolu was a four-year starter for the Badgers, and many of his 61 career tackles (including 10 for loss and six sacks) were stuffs at the point of attack.

ILB Christian Sam, Tampa Bay Bandits
NFL Comp: Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints

While the USFL will mostly be played in space, traditional linebackers who crave high-speed collisions will always remain critical to the game of football. Davis remains one of the game’s most underrated linebackers, dating back to his time at Arkansas State. The 6-foot-1, 244-pound Sam, out of Arizona State, plays with a similar brand of orneriness and physicality. Bandits fans won’t have to look for his big hits; they’ll hear them.  

RB Mike Weber, New Jersey Generals
NFL Comp: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys

The Buckeye doesn’t fall from the tree with these two bell-cow backs, both of whom starred for Ohio State. The 5-foot-10, 214-pound Weber was often compared to Elliott during his time in Columbus, rushing for 2,676 yards and 24 touchdowns over three seasons while demonstrating similar vision, burst, leg drive and passion as his predecessor. 

Like Elliott, Weber is a true all-purpose back capable of holding up in pass protection and catching passes out of the backfield, hauling in 54 during his time in Columbus. 

Weber was the third running back to come off the board. Don't be surprised if he dominates the USFL in much the same way that Elliott has in the NFL.

OT Isaiah Battle, Pittsburgh Maulers
NFL Comp: Orlando Brown Jr., Kansas City Chiefs

Big men with light feet are in constant demand regardless of the league, and few are larger than the Chiefs’ Brown (6-foot-8, 363 pounds) and Maulers' draft pick Battle (6-foot-7, 310). After starting his NFL career at right tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, Brown was traded to Kansas City and protected Patrick Mahomes’ blindside, which could make him one of the most coveted blockers in this year’s NFL free-agent class. 

Pittsburgh scooped up Battle, who played in 27 games in three seasons at Clemson (2012-14). Like Brown, he has experience blocking on both sides and, like Brown, spent time with the Chiefs after initially being selected in the fifth round of the NFL’s 2015 supplemental draft by the then-St. Louis Rams.

Edge rusher Bryson Young, New Jersey Generals
NFL Comp: Leonard Floyd, Los Angeles Rams

Other than quarterback, the position professional teams are most willing to gamble on traits is with edge rushers. After all, Floyd was selected ninth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft despite the fact that the most sacks he ever registered in three years at Georgia was 6.5 — during his freshman season. Still, his imposing frame (6-foot-4, 231 pounds), length, burst and bend around the edge suggested that with a little tinkering, he could be a monster in the NFL. 

USFL scouts see those moldable traits in the 6-foot-5, 248-pound Young, who didn’t start until his senior campaign at Oregon but exploded for 56 tackles, including 5.5 for loss, and two sacks.

One of the most recognized names in the industry, Rob Rang has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX, Sports Illustrated, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Yahoo, NFL.com and NFLDraftScout.com, among others.