We are still nearly half a year away from the 2021 NFL Draft, but with the regular season of college football all wrapped up, this is the time of year players declare for the draft and teams really can start stacking their big boards. The current class looks to be another deep offensive group especially at wide receiver, offensive tackle and quarterback. On the defensive side of the ball corner, linebacker and edge rusher appear to be the deepest positional groups. With all-star games, the combine and more tape to evaluate a lot can change, but here is a look at some of the guys most likely to be playing on Sunday next year.
Players 1-30
1) Trevor Lawrence, QB – Clemson
2) Penei Sewell, OT – Oregon
3) Justin Fields, QB – Georgia
4) Ja’Marr Chase, WR – LSU
5) Zach Wilson, QB – BYU
6) Jaylen Waddle, WR – Alabama
7) Micah Parsons, LB – Penn State
8) Christian Darrisaw, OT – Virginia Tech
9) Trey Lance, QB – North Dakota State
10) Kyle Pitts, TE – Florida
11) Patrick Surtain II, CB – Alabama
12) Kwity Paye, Edge – Michigan
13) Rashawn Slater, OG/OT – Northwestern
14) DeVonta Smith, WR – Alabama
15) Caleb Farley, CB – Virginia Tech
16) Gregory Rousseau, Edge – Miami (FL)
17) Joseph Ossai, Edge – Texas
18) Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB/S – Notre Dame
19) Liam Eichenberg, OT – Notre Dame
20) Jaycee Horn, CB – South Carolina
21) Rashod Bateman, WR – Minnesota
22) Wyatt Davis, IOL – Ohio State
23) Najee Harris, RB – Alabama
24) Travis Etienne, RB – Clemson
25) Daviyon Nixon, DL – Iowa
26) Eric Stokes, CB – Georgia
27) Terrace Marshall Jr. WR – LSU
28) Kadarius Toney, WR – Florida
29) Patrick Jones, Edge – Pittsburgh
30) Creed Humphrey, IOL – Oklahoma
High Guy: Christian Darrisaw, Offensive Tackle – Virginia Tech
An absolute eraser on the left side of the offensive line for Virginia Tech, Christian Darrisaw is probably the biggest riser for me since the beginning of the college football season. He has elite movement skills for a left tackle, and his ability to remain nimble on his feet while also sinking and anchoring against power gives him an extremely high floor as a pass protector. In the run game, his athleticism and length allow him to climb and seal the second level consistently with easy. He played against NFL level talent this year absolutely dominating the likes of Quincy Roche, Chris Rumph, and Carlos Basham. Darrisaw is a high ceiling player who can and should start day one on the blind side for the team the drafts him.
Low Guy: DeVonta Smith, Wide Receiver – Alabama
This is not a knock on DeVonta Smith as much as it is a few other players simply being dominant. Smith has arguably the best hands of the class and is the best senior receiver heading into the draft. He is an excellent route runner, doing a great job setting up corners and safeties with double moves where his deceptive speed and long strides help him pull away and create separation. His size and strength are really the only concern for me especially as a blocker in the run game where physical safeties and corners could overwhelm him. However, no team is drafting Smith to block, and his ball tracking, hands and round running are all elite tools that should help him find success in NFL.
My Guy: Liam Eichenberg, Offensive Tackle – Notre Dame
Eichenberg has been a mainstay on the Notre Dame line the past couple seasons and is the next Notre Dame lineman likely to step into a starting role in the NFL. Tough as nails, Eichenberg has played left tackle for Notre Dame and while he can probably hang out there in the NFL, his best position might be to slide over to the right side. He is a menacing blocker with heavy hands to stun and disrupt pass rushers. As a run blocker, Eichenberg can be devastatingly effective in power schemes where his natural strength helps him move defenders out of their gaps. Improvement in foot speed will be necessary to handle speed rushers, but Eichenberg’s no nonsense approach to playing the position is going make him fans in the league, especially his new quarterback.
Players 31-60
31) Zaven Collins, LB – Tulsa
32) Jordan Davis, DL – Georgia
33) Samuel Cosmi, OT – Texas
34) Trey Smith, IOL – Tennessee
35) Derion Kendrick, CB – Clemson
36) Jevon Holland, S – Oregon
37) Pat Freiermuth, TE – Penn State
38) Jalen Mayfield, OT – Michigan
39) Josh Myers, IOL – Ohio State
40) Carlos Basham, Edge – Wake Forest
41) Jaelen Phillips, Edge – Miami
42) Rondale Moore, WR – Purdue
43) Shaun Wade, CB – Ohio State
44) Asante Samuel Jr. CB – Florida State
45) Christian Barmore, DL – Alabama
46) Chris Olave, WR – Ohio State
47) Alex Leatherwood, OT – Alabama
48) Dillon Radunz, OT – North Dakota State
49) Brevin Jordan, TE – Miami
50) Bubba Bolden, S – Miami
51) Jabril Cox, LB – LSU
52) Landon Dickerson, IOL – Alabama
53) Trevon Moehrig, S – TCU
54) Jayson Oweh, Edge – Penn State
55) Darian Kinnard, OT – Kentucky
56) Marvin Wilson, DL – Florida State
57) Nick Bolton, LB – Missouri
58) Myjai Sanders, Edge – Cincinnati
59) Jay Tufele, DL – USC
60) Alijah Vera-Tucker, IOL – USC
High Guy: Bubba Bolden, Safety – Miami (FL)
Maybe not a conventional name as a top-50 player, but Bubba Bolden has excellent size for a safety at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds. One of his greatest assets is his versatility playing all over the field in the box, high zones and even in the slot at times. Bolden brings physicality on the back end and while he can roam sideline to sideline, he can just as easily come down hill as an effective run defender and blitzer. His overall football IQ has really popped this year, and he will bring an aggressive play style to his new secondary. Bolden will have to address some off the field issues that will come up in interviews, but as a player he is a smart, physical safety with all the measurables teams are looking for.
Low Guy: Alijah Vera-Tucker, Interior Offensive Line – USC
USC has been putting offensive line prospects into the NFL consistently over the past several years, and Alijah Vera-Tucker looks to be on his way as the next Trojan lineman to get drafted. Vera-Tucker has caught the eye of the NFL Draft community with his production and versatility for USC. He is an adequate run blocker and rarely allows pressure on pass downs playing with excellent strength to anchor against power. The concern for me rests with his ability to hold up in a true NFL offensive scheme. Playing in the air raid rarely required Vera-Tucker to hold his block long, and he has not really shown the nastiness to finish guys in the run game opting instead just to hold his block until the running back clears him. First round is out of the question for me and while his versatility is nice, Vera-Tucker simply needs to play with a bit more aggressiveness on a down-to-down basis.
My Guy: Asante Samuel Jr. Cornerback – Florida State
Like his father before him, Asante Samuel Jr. is a feisty corner who battles for every blade of grass in front of him. Unlike a lot of college corners, Samuel is refined in his man coverage capabilities consistently leveraging routes and staying in phase with receivers down the field. Samuel has excellent quickness and his ability to click and close is second to none in this corner class. There are some questions about his ball skills and overall size, but players like Samuel have a knack for succeeding in the NFL. His ability to remain calm, never panic or give up on a route will make him fans in DB rooms and likely push him up draft boards as he goes through the process. The combine will be important for Samuel as well, but he should hear his name called early on day two and maybe even sneak into the first round conversation similar to the rise Jeff Gladney experienced last year.
Players 61-100
61) Azeez Ojulari, Edge – Georgia
62) Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR – USC
63) Aidan Hutchinson, Edge – Michigan
64) Tyson Campbell, CB – Georgia
65) Jaylen Twyman, DL – Pittsburgh
66) Tyler Shelvin, DL – LSU
67) Javonte Williams, RB – North Carolina
68) Mac Jones, QB – Alabama
69) Paris Ford, S – Pittsburgh
70) Daniel Faalele, OT – Minnesota
71) Darius Stills, IDL – West Virginia
72) Deonte Brown, IOL – Alabama
73) Dylan Moses, LB – Alabama
74) Jackson Carman, OG/OT – Clemson
75) Hamsah Nasirildeen, S – Florida State
76) Chazz Surratt, LB – North Carolina
77) Seth Williams, WR – Auburn
78) Walker Little, OT – Stanford
79) Michael Carter, RB – North Carolina
80) Joe Tryon, Edge – Washington
81) Hunter Long, TE – Boston College
82) Rashad Weaver, Edge – Pittsburgh
83) Kyle Trask, QB – Florida
84) Paulson Adebo, CB – Stanford
85) Monty Rice, LB – Georgia
86) Hamilcar Rashed, Edge – Oregon State
87) Quincy Roche, Edge – Miami (FL)
88) Levi Onwuzurike, DL – Washington
89) Anthony Schwartz, WR – Auburn
90) Cameron McGrone, LB – Michigan
91) Teven Jenkins, OT – Oklahoma State
92) Andre Cisco, S – Syracuse
93) Tommy Togiai, DL – Ohio State
94) James Cook, RB – Georgia
95) Tommy Tremble, TE – Notre Dame
96) Spencer Brown, OT – Northern Iowa
97) Tylan Wallace, WR – Oklahoma State
98) Israel Mukuamu, CB – South Carolina
99) Victor Dimukeje, Edge – Duke
100) Sage Surratt, WR – Wake Forest
High Guy: Monty Rice, Linebacker – Georgia
This guy is a seek and destroy machine for the Georgia Bulldogs. With excellent agility and burst Rice is great at triggering and getting downhill in the run game. His quickness gives him a unique ability to shoot gaps and play sideline to sideline. There will be questions about him being a bit undersized, but Rice shows the ability to take on and defeat pulling lineman and lead blockers in the run game. Not simply an early down player, Rice plays well in pass coverage specifically in shallow and underneath zones. His ability to stay on the field all three downs combined with his athleticism should help get him on the field early with a linebacker needy team. At worst, he will be an excellent special teamer and sub-package linebacker.
Low Guy: Hamilcar Rashed, Edge – Oregon State
Hamilcar Rashed has been a great player for Oregon State over the past couple seasons. He plays with an extremely high motor and has excellent athleticism for an edge defender. Rashed has great closing burst, combined with his length, quickness and speed to make him a solid developmental prospect. However, that is the reason why he has a lower grade for me. His frame suggests that he can add more weight, but there are concerns about his play strength in the run game especially against NFL tackles. He profiles more as a strongside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme but does not have enough reps as a defender in pass coverage to really have a feel for playing underneath zones. Rashed is still raw as both a pass rusher and zone defender, but his athleticism gives him a chance to be a great player if he can be develop, however that will likely take some time and scare some teams off from drafting him in the first or maybe even the second round.
My Guy: Tommy Tremble, Tight End – Notre Dame
Throughout the course of the year, we have seen how important the tight-end position has become in the NFL. Tommy Tremble would make a great addition to any tight end room with his ability to be multiple as both an excellent blocker and asset in the pass game. Tremble is a phenomenal athlete for the position and while he may be a bit undersized to be a traditional Y tight end, he still will provide match up issues for linebackers and safeties with his quickness and speed. In the run game, Tremble plays with leverage and has excellent functional strength to take on defensive ends and linebackers when sealing the edge. He will be at his best in an H-Back role, but Tremble will see the field early and often as a rookie with his ability to block and play multiple positions if comes out for the draft.
Photo by Samuel Marshall/Eric Evans | GoDucks.com
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