We'll continue our short overview of some of the better known names that may get called in the draft. Today we'll cover defense, special teams and potential sleepers. The rumors are just too out of control this year so there is no point in covering it as everything starting with the 4th pick is massively up in the air. Defensive TackleBarmore is my clear favorite, the next four tend to get intermixed at who is number two. Scheme is very important to a players success so the chances of your team getting a good DT with a pick is probably pretty good as this is crop of defensive tackles is stronger than the defensive end group. 1 Christian Barmore Alabama 2 Daviyon Nixon Iowa 2 Jaylen Twyman Pittsburgh 2 Jay Tufele USC 2 Levi Onwuzurike Washington 6 Marvin Wilson Florida State 7 Alim McNeill NC State 8 Marlon Tuipulotu USC 9 Tyler Shelvin LSU 10 Tommy Togiai Ohio State Defensive EndLacks a freak like Chase Young but pass rushers are always in demand so it will be very like that Rousseau and Paye both go in the first round despite both having some issues. 1 Gregory Rousseau Miami (Fla.) 2 Kwity Paye Michigan 3 Jayson Oweh Penn State 4 Jaelan Phillips Miami (Fla.) 5 Carlos Basham Jr. Wake Forest 6 Ronnie Perkins Oklahoma 7 Rashad Weaver Pittsburgh 8 Dayo Odeyingbo Vanderbilt 9 Patrick Jones II Pittsburgh 10 Joshua Kaindoh Florida State 11 Tarron Jackson Coastal Carolina 12 Adetokunbo Ogundeji Notre Dame LinebackerWe continue to move farther away from the time of the three down linebacker so if they become available, teams go after them. 1. Micah Parsons, Penn State, 6-foot-3, 246 pounds Top-two defensive prospect in the draft. Character concerns from incidents in his high school and college careers. Elite blitzer and run-stuffer who can cover, too. Plays any linebacker spot. 2. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame, 6-foot-1, 221 pounds Is the Butkus Award winner too small to play NFL linebacker? Not as valuable as a safety, even with cover skills. Sideline-to-sideline game-changer with first-one-in, last-one-out mentality. 3. Zaven Collins, Tulsa, 6-foot-4, 259 pounds A 96-yard pick-six showed rare size and speed combination. Big for an inside linebacker, but not much edge experience. Won 2020 Nagurski Award as college football’s best defensive player. 4. Jamin Davis, Kentucky, 6-foot-3, 234 pounds Only 11 career starts, but filled the stat sheet in 2020, including a blocked kick. Reads the quarterback’s eyes, reacts to what’s about to happen and follows the scent of the ball. 5. Nick Bolton, Missouri, 5-foot-11, 237 pounds Knack for shedding blocks. Stands up ball-carriers despite being undersized by NFL standards. Always communicating — like a true middle linebacker. 6. Jabril Cox, LSU, 6-foot-3, 232 pounds Three-time FCS national champion at North Dakota State who fit in seamlessly as LSU’s leader. Change-of-direction quickness to match the best pass-catching backs. 7. Chazz Surratt, North Carolina, 6-foot-2, 229 pounds Played quarterback until 2019. Not a position change you see every day. Still learning linebacker fundamentals, but has athleticism, football IQ and willingness to initiate contact. 8. Dylan Moses, Alabama, 6-foot-1, 225 pounds Five-star recruit who never put it all together as expected. Returned from missing 2019 season to be a team captain who makes others better, but he doesn’t play behind the line of scrimmage often enough. 9. Monty Rice, Georgia, 6-foot, 233 pounds Gutted out a foot injury last season, but might have done more than harm than good for his stock. Hard-hitter who makes ball-carriers want to step out of bounds. 10. Pete Werner, Ohio State, 6-foot-2, 238 pounds Three-year starter who looked comfortable in various linebacker spots and on special teams. Will quickly understand not only his own responsibility, but also those of 10 others on any given play. CornerbackPick your favorite of the top three corners. I could see any of them being the first corner chosen. 1. Patrick Surtain II, Alabama Pros: Will overpower receivers in contested situations. Trusts his footwork. Attacks the ball in the air and can really get up after it. Physical and aggressive against the run. Cons: Will occasionally give up leverage to a physical receiver. Has some trouble locating the ball when in chase on deep vertical route. There have been times he has perfect position but he still gives up a catch. Patrick Surtain II is the son of Patrick Surtain, who was a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback in 11 NFL seasons. 2. Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech Pros: Overwhelming size and range for the position. Can get moving down the field with a combination of pure speed and quick, long strides. Can run the route for a receiver and shows the ability to place himself in a better spot to attack the ball. Cons: Needs to maintain more control out of his breaks against short and intermediate routes. Has gotten caught looking in the backfield too often. 3. Jaycee Horn, South Carolina Pros: Can stand strong and balanced when going after 50-50 balls. Runs with speed on all levels of the route tree. Sticks his foot in the ground and will come downhill with elite explosion. Shows excellent precision when attacking the ball in the air. Cons: Plays too high out of his backpedal, which will cause an extra step or two when he turns. Gives too big of a cushion in off-coverage. 4. Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State Pros: Excellent at forecasting throwing lanes and the passer’s intentions. Reactions to the ball are explosive. Has minimal wasted steps. Attacks the pass as if he were the receiver and the ball was intended for him. A coordinated and balanced athlete who will play with a nice blend of confidence and toughness. Cons: Lack of size shows up when covering big receivers. Long speed does not match quickness. 5. Greg Newsome II, Northwestern Pros: Easily plays low to the ground with excellent knee bend and ankle flexibility. Rarely caught too high in and out of his backpedal. Disciplined with his technique and footwork. Shows excellent and controlled reactions to the ball, even when he sees it late. Cons: Slender frame that plays small on contact. Gets minimal to no push at the point of attack in press coverage. 6. Aaron Robinson, Central Florida Pros: Excellent foot speed and quickness in coverage. Can play sticky on all levels of the route tree. Easy turn-and-run speed. Cons: Lack of staying power shows up against bigger, more physical receivers. Will get caught looking in the backfield. 7. Eric Stokes, Georgia Pros: Has blazing speed connected to a tall, long frame. Simply an easy-and-fast mover who can maintain good control and balance throughout. Has receiver-caliber hands. Willing tackler who will fill the running lanes. Cons: Will get high in his backpedal, which forces him to take extra recovery steps. 8. Elijah Molden, Washington Pros: A do-it-all member of the secondary who has all the athletic traits to play all over the back end, especially in the slot. Has top-tier short-area quickness. Mind and body are completely in sync. Cons: Undersized for an outside corner. Fringe size for a safety. 9. Ifeatu Melifonwu, Syracuse Pros: Shows good body control and balance when tracking and attacking the ball. Plays with a nasty and confident demeanor on the field. Physical tackler who can play safety roles when needed. Has controlled but useful swagger. Cons: Doesn’t always properly use his hands and reach effectively in press coverage. Needs to stay in phase longer and trust his makeup speed. 10. Tyson Campbell, Georgia Pros: Can stick his foot in the ground and hit a top speed in a hurry. Has easy and natural change of direction. Can reach around a receiver without contact. Recognizes routes and has a fast reaction. Not afraid or hesitant to play physical. Cons: Inconsistent ball production. Loses his center of gravity when turning to look back for the pass. 11. Kelvin Joseph, Kentucky Pros: A speedy and twitchy glider who moves like he is on ice skates. Can play sticky to his man on all levels of the route tree. Excellent ball skills; can play a pass like a receiver. Plays the game with his feet; doesn’t get grabby. Cons: Weak impact and presence on contact. Will get too caught up into looking at the quarterback. SafetyI'm not overly impressed with this group compared to some of the others. I think most of what you are looking at here is a functional starter but maybe not a pro bowler. 1) Trevon Moehrig, TCU Trevon Moehrig is by far the top safety in the 2021 class. Moehrig is a smart, physical player who quarterbacked the TCU secondary over the last three years. Despite a strong safety build, Moehrig played centerfield for the Horned Frogs throughout his career. He regularly showed off great instincts, range, and ball skills while also being able to come up in run support. Moehrig doesn’t have many holes in his game besides only being an okay athlete. Other than that, he is a solid, plug-and-play defender in an NFL defense. 2) Hamsah Nasirildeen, FSU In terms of role players, Hamsah Nasirildeen has a clear-cut position in the NFL as a big nickel/box safety. The 6’4”, 215-pound safety looks like a linebacker and plays like one too. He is smart, physical, and able to thrive near the line of scrimmage as a run defender and covering slot receivers, tight ends, and running backs. He is pigeonholed in the NFL, but he could grow into a really nice player in the right role. He is recovering from a knee injury, so his medicals will be huge in determining draft position. 3) Jevon Holland, Oregon Jevon Holland is a very solid player who does lots of things well but nothing extraordinary. This is hardly a knock against him. Teams will love his versatility and dependability be it deep down the field, up in the box, and covering the slot. Holland is going to have a long NFL career. 4) Richie Grant, UCF In terms of experience, Richie Grant is the elder statesman of this safety class with 34 starts under his belt for UCF. Grant is a cerebral defender with a knack for the ball and the range to close in coverage to make big plays. He sees the field very well and makes up for average long speed with recognition and burst. Grant is more of a coverage player, but he does flash impressive ability as a tackler and run defender. It is just an inconsistent part of his game. 5) Ar’Darius Washington, TCU Ar’Darius Washington is a classic example of a player you love on tape and start to feel a little less certain when it comes to everything else. Washington is a quick, physical, and extremely aggressive safety who makes highlight hits and big plays in coverage. His aggressiveness can get him in trouble and his small build (5’8”, 175 Pounds) doesn’t mesh well with his playing style. Betting on Washington is betting on an exception and if the bet hits, a team will have a really fun playmaker in their secondary. 6) Paris Ford, Pitt 7) Andre Cisco, Syracuse 8) Jamar Johnson, Indiana 9) Richard LeCounte, Georgia 10) Caden Sterns, Texas 11) James Wiggins, Cincinnati Special TeamsKickers: No one cares until they miss. 1 Evan McPherson Florida 2 Jose Borregales Miami (FL) 3 Riley Patterson Memphis 4 Luis Aguilar Northern Arizona Punters: No one cares until they shank it. 1 James Smith Cincinnati 2 Pressley Harvin III Georgia Tech 3 Max Duffy Kentucky 4 Zach Von Rosenberg LSU Long Snappers: Not one of you care about any of these people. 1. Camaron Cheeseman, SR, Michigan 2. Thomas Fletcher, SR, Alabama 3. Ryan Langan, SR, Georgia Southern 4. Adam Bay, SR, Wisconsin Potential SleepersQuarterback: Kellen Mond, Texas A&M (6-3, 211 pounds)
Mond is the ideal untapped prospect because he has solid physical tools as a runner and passer and has shown steady development as an experienced college starter so far. He has the arm, athleticism and confidence as a strong baseline and needs help growing with his accuracy and efficiency. With the right coaching, he can go from promising young backup to viable starter. Running back: Rhamondre Stevenson, Oklahoma (6-0, 231 pounds) Stevenson stands out with his strong running and carries extra burst with his hard-charging downhill style. He also does the little things well and is growing in pass protection. Although his receiving sills and open-field explosiveness are limited, he can deliver well with power with the support of a solid blocking system. Wide receiver: Chatarius "Tutu" Atwell, Louisville (5-9, 155 pounds) Atwell is a speed merchant out of the slot and one of the more underrated big-play threats in the class. He does have a small frame, but if used as a right change of pace receiving and running, he can make a lot of explosive plays. For teams interested in Purdue's Rondale Moore earlier, Atwell can provide the same juice later with some Tyreek Hill traits on the field. Tight end: Tommy Tremble, Notre Dame (6-3, 241 pounds) Beyond the intimidating last name, Tremble is another strong prospect out of the Fighting Irish's pro tight end tradition under Brian Kelly. He can excel lining up in multiple places as a blocker and has plenty of potential as an athletic receiver. With some good coaching to shore up his hands and route-running, Tremble can develop into a well-rounded starter. Offensive tackle: James Hudson, Cincinnati (6-5, 313 pounds) Hudson has incredible athleticism one can't teach for his size. He gets around everywhere as a pass protector and run blocker, schooling less agile assignments. He is limited in experience, which ties into needing work on his hands, feet and overall technique. He should be a willing student to put everything together to eventually grow into a starting-caliber tackle. Guard/center: Jack Anderson, Texas Tech (6-5, 314 pounds) Anderson has an interesting blend of quick feet and tough hands to love his potential as a nasty run blocker moving players out of the way. He also needs to be refined and understand how to better use his body and natural athleticism to his advantage. Defensive tackle: Alim McNeill, NC State (6-2, 317 pounds) File McNeill under another lineman with impressive size and sttrength with great agility to match. His high-level athleticism translated into fine interior pass-rush production. He needs to get more consistent overall and more reliable against the run, but he can be disruptive in pressure situations right away. Edge rusher: Dayo Odeyingbo, Vanderbilt (6-5, 285 pounds) Odeyingbo looks the part with his size and some freakish qualities. Teams discounting him coming off a torn Achilles' will be passing on someone with upside to rack up sacks in pressure situations. He can really get to the quarterback from many angles with a variety of moves. Odeyingbo just needs to be coached to have more substance to go with the flash to be trusted with regular snaps. Linebacker: Monty Rice, Georgia (6-0, 233 pounds) Rice is the classic middle-round high-effort linebacker. He's not going to blow away teams with traditional flat-out speed and quickness, but he relies on his smarts snd savvy to make a ton of plays. He's got a fundamentally sound base and his instincts, recognition and leadership skills are welcome intangibles for a defense and special teams unit. Cornerback: Aaron Robinson, UCF (6-0, 186 pounds) Robinson has the size and enough speed to be a top-flight slot corner. He's not the speediest to stay with receivers downfield outside, but his quick feet are ideal for covering the inside well for a long time. Safety: Talanoa Hufanga, USC (6-0, 199 pounds) Hufanga has great size to be an extra linebacker from the position with his thumping, powerful style. He has good range as a tackler and gets around the field to make a lot of plays. He also is active enough to improve his work in pass defense.
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