2021 NFL Draft: What returning college players are the best pro prospects going into the 2020 season?
CFN in 60: 5 Top 2021 NFL Prospects to Know
Pete Fiutak takes a quick look at five key college football players for the 2021 NFL Draft … besides the obvious.
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CFN 2020 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Greatest NFL Draft Picks From Each School
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
32 Greatest Draft Picks of All-Time
Full 2020 NFL Draft Order
CFN Top 106 Player Rankings (1st 3 rounds)
How Will Leagues Do in 1st Round?
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | SEC
2021 NFL Draft Top Pro Prospects: Pre-2020 NFL Draft
How hard is it to figure out the top pro players so early in the NFL Draft process?
Had the 2019 college football season never happened, Tua Tagovailoa would’ve been the easy No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and …
Joe Burrow would’ve been a late-round flier.
Sometimes, seemingly sure-thing prospects get banged up or don’t produce at the high level expected. Superstars emerge from out of the blue, and good prospects – think Chase Young and Isaiah Simmons – turn into can’t-miss killers.
CFN in 60 Video: The rising star 2021 NFL Draft prospect is …
There’s a chance we’ll all have to fly a little bit blind if there’s no 2020 college football season, but it’s possible to figure out who most of the guys with the NFL tools are.
One note before getting going. These might be the top guys – or close to it – but that doesn’t mean they’re all projected to go in the first round. Some positions – like running back – don’t hold as much value in the real world NFL.
With that as a backdrop, 32 of the best-looking pro prospects going into the 2020 college football season – fingers-crossed really, really hard that it happens – are …
All players listed will be seniors unless otherwise noted.
32. OT Alaric Jackson, Iowa
His stock dropped a bit after fighting through a knee injury that knocked him out for three games and limited him for most of the season, but he’s still a special talent. Tristan Wirfs turned into the big-time first round draft pick, but the 6-6, 320-pound Jackson has the size, quickness and upside to be a stronger NFL left tackle.
31. WR Justin Ross, Clemson (Jr.)
Does he have the raw wheels? He’s got the 6-4, 205-pound size, and he’s been plenty fast on the field averaging close to 22 yards per catch as a freshman and following it up with 66 grabs for 865 yards and eight scores last year. Get the ball in his zip code and he’ll go any get it, but … will he have the 40 time to boost himself up in a class of blazers?
30. CB Shaun Wade, Ohio State (Jr.)
No one will put him in the Jeff Okudah category, but he’s another very good, very athletic Ohio State defensive back – at least, he’s the one returning main man to the secondary – with the leadership and versatility to work just about anywhere. He’s a 6-1, 195-pound corner who picked off a pass, broke up eight, and made 25 tackles last year.
29. DT Jay Tufele, USC
Athletic for his size, the 6-3, 315-pounder also has the strength to hold his own as a next-level anchor against the run. In his first two seasons he made 64 tackles with 6.5 sacks and ten tackles for loss. While he might not be quite as massive as some will want, he’ll make up for it with his quickness off the ball – he doesn’t stay blocked.
28. OG Cade Mays, Tennessee (Jr.)
The 6-6, 328-pound former Georgia Bulldog returns to his hometown in what should be his final season in college. Big and athletic, he’s been able to bulk up over his three seasons after working just about everywhere at times over the UGA line. His NFL future is at guard, but he has the athleticism to be tried out at tackle.
27. WR Seth Williams, Auburn (Jr.)
Okay, QB Bo Nix … get your big star the ball. The 6-3, 224-pound Williams might not have the 4.3 wheels of some of the other stars in the 2021 draft class – assuming he comes out – but he averaged 16 yards per catch in his first two seasons with 85 grabs for 1,364 yards and 13 touchdowns. Very big and very physical, throw it somewhere near him and he’ll come up with a big play.
26. TE Pat Freiermuth, Penn State (Jr.)
From the start, Freiermuth has been an ultra-reliable target who always seems to come through with the big grab down the middle. At 6-5 and 259 pounds he’s got the bulk, the blocking ability, and the hands, catching 43 passes for 507 yards and seven scores last season.
25. DE/LB Quincy Roche, Miami
Can his game translate to the ACC level? There isn’t much concern about it, especially with pass rushing star Gregory Rousseau on the other side. The 6-4, 235-pound Rouche is a hybrid pass rusher who came up with 137 tackles with 26 sacks and 39.5 tackles for loss in three years at Temple. The motor doesn’t stop, and the quickness and burst are special on the outside.
NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft Top Prospects 17-24
2021 NFL Draft Top Prospects 17-24
24. OT/OG Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
The NFL tends to like Alabama left tackles. If you’re able to hold down the prime spot, you’re good enough to start for some next-level team as soon as you’re ready to go get paid. The 6-6, 310-pound versatile blaster can play almost anywhere on the line, with his long-term future likely to be at guard after getting a shot at taking over a left tackle job for a while.
22. S Hamsah Nasirildeen, Florida State
Part linebacker, part defensive back, part offensive playmaker coming out of high school, the 6-4, 212-pound veteran has grown into a whale of a safety. He might not necessarily look the part – he’s tall for a safety – but he’s got corner speed and he’ll bring the pop, king 192 tackles over the last two seasons.
22. RB Travis Etienne, Clemson
Ultra-fast, he’s got 4.4ish speed – and that might be selling him short – to go along with his tremendous production. He was ready to go this year – he would’ve pushed for the late first round – coming off his second straight 1,600+ yard season. Great at getting into the end zone, he has 62 career scores and is turning into a stronger receiver.
21. WR Rondale Moore, Purdue (Jr.)
He’s not 6-3 and 210 pounds. Other than that, there isn’t much more you could want out of the 5-9, 180-pound academic all-star and all-around flash of lightning.
Along with his 4.3 speed, he’s able to work bit as a runner, a return man, and he catches everything. He grabbed 114 passes for 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns as a freshman, but he’s coming off a knee injury that knocked him out for the year just four games in.
20. RB Najee Harris, Alabama
The star of recruiting stars in 2017, the 6-2, 230-pounder was okay early on in the crowded backfield, but he wasn’t able to take over and become the transcendent next-level back expected when he signed on. He was great in key spots in the national championship win over Georgia, but his workload was limited over his first two seasons.
Good out of the gate last year, he took over the Bama offense at Tua Tagovailoa got hurt to finish with 1,224 yards and 13 touchdowns, and became a more dangerous receiver with 27 grabs and seven scores.
19. CB Thomas Graham, Oregon
A big-time ball-hawker, he might not have blazing speed – he’ll hang around the 4.5s – but he’s got decent 5-11, 193-pound size. An all-around statistical force from his freshman year, he came up with 183 tackles, eight interceptions, and 32 broken up passes – with a whopping 28 in the last two years – over his three seasons. Everyone keeps challenging, and he keeps on coming through.
18. WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU (Jr.)
Call it the offensive system, or having Joe Burrow throwing to him, or having Justin Jefferson on the other side, but there’s no faking 84 catches for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns – averaging over 21 yards per grab – for a national championship offense. So what’s the problem? The 6-1, 200-pounder will likely clock in closer to 4.6 than 4.4, but whatever. He’s always open.
17. LB Hamilcar Rashed, Oregon State
He’s a little tall and rangy, but he’s ultra-productive. The 6-4, 238-pounder showed glimpses of what he could do in his sophomore season – with 53 tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss – and then he destroyed the Pac-12 with 14 sacks, 22.5 tackles for loss, and 62 tackles. Extremely quick with great closing speed, he’s a fantastic hybrid pass rusher.
NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft Top Prospects 9-16
2021 NFL Draft Top Prospects 9-16
16. DE Xavier Thomas, Clemson (Jr.)
At 6-2, he doesn’t have the height or the frame NFL teams might not like, but at 265 pounds he’s got the bulk. How much will you really care that he’s not 6-5 when he’s as quick as he is? The production has to crank up – he only came up with 1.5 sacks last season with 27 tackles and eight tackles for loss – but he missed a few games with concussion issues.
15. OT Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame
Notre Dame has turned into a factor for the lines under Brian Kelly, and the 6-6, 305-pound Eichenberg is the next one up as a true left tackle at the next level. He’s not as massive as some might like, and he’ll likely be just behind the prototype-looking tackles at the top of the 2021 NFL Draft, but he can move. He’s going into his third year as a starter on the left side.
14. RB Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State
And he’s not off to the NFL getting paid lots and lots of money for his services, why?
An all-around flash of a running back – who can bring a little power, too – he ran for close to 2,100 yards with 21 touchdowns last season, and caught 45 passes over his last two years.
Tough enough to handle the ball over 350 times last season and hold up well, and blazing enough to show off his 4.3 speed when needed, the 6-0, 201-pound Canada native has all the NFL tools in the bag.
13. DT Marvin Wilson, Florida State
A perfect-sized defensive tackle, the 6-5, 310-pound Wilson came back after missing the last part of season with a hand injury. Before getting knocked out, he made 44 tackles and became more of a playmaker in the backfield, coming up with five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. He’ll be a leader and anchor of any NFL D line.
12. LB Micah Parsons, Penn State (Jr.)
The former superstar recruit has easily lived up to the hype and billing. 6-3 and 244 pounds, he’s got the size to work on the inside – he led the team in tackles with 109 – with the pass rushing skills to work on the outside. He came up with five sacks and 14 tackles for loss as he turned into a forced fumble machine and more of a playmaker in the backfield.
11. CB Patrick Surtain, Alabama (Jr.)
The 6-2, 203-pound son of the former NFL star by the same name, Surtain came into college with tremendous prep hype and the pressure to be a star right away. Strong in the rotation as a freshman, he became more of a factor as a sophomore with 42 tackles, two picks, and eight broken up passes. He doesn’t have elite wheels, and he might project to be a killer of a safety, but he’s a top starting NFL defensive back wherever he ends up.
10. CB Paulson Adebo, Stanford
The Stanford veteran has 6-1, 192-pound size and the wheels to be a starting NFL corner right out of the box. A projected late first rounder had he come out, he suffered an injury late last year and chose to come back after making 33 tackles with four picks and ten broken up passes in his nine games. While he might not be a killer of a tackler, he’ll be someone’s No. 1 cover-corner.
9. QB KJ Costello, Mississippi State
When it comes to draft stock, no one needs the 2020 college football season to happen more than Costello. The 6-5, 222-pounder pounder has the size, the arm, the Stanford smarts, and the NFL tools, but he’s coming off a disappointing, injury-plagued season.
Now he’s at Mississippi State running the Mike Leach offense – it’s not a stretch to call him the most NFL-talented quarterback Leach has had as a head man. Combine the tools with the stats, and he’ll be one of the rising superstars in the draft world as long as he gets to show what he can do.
NEXT: 2021 NFL Draft Top Prospects 1-8
2021 NFL Draft Top Prospects
8. LB Dylan Moses, Alabama
He was staying, he was maybe not staying, and then he decided to stay for his senior year. The 6-3, 235-pound veteran lived up to his superstar prep billing with an 86-tackle, 3.5-sack, ten tackle-for-loss sophomore campaign, but he suffered a torn ACL before last season and missed the entire year. When he’s right, he’s a scary-good athlete with sideline-to-sideline range.
7. WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama (Jr.)
It took something special to bust into a receiving corps with Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs and DeVonta Smith already in the mix, but that’s Waddle. The 5-10, 182-pounder might not be Ruggs fast, but he’ll flirt with the 4.3s. Electric, he caught 33 passes for 560 yards and seven touchdowns last year when it was his turn, averaged 24.35 yards per punt return, and return a kickoff for a sore.
6. OT Walker Little, Stanford
It seems like this guy has been considered a top pro prospect since he was blocking for John Elway back in the early 1980s. A phenomenal recruit for the Cardinal, the 6-7, 320-pound true left tackle started right away and turned into an instant All-Pac-12 star.
Knocked out for the 2019 season in the opener against Northwestern with a knee injury, he has to show that he’s back to his previous form. If everything is right, he’ll push Oregon’s Penei Sewell to be the first lineman off the board.
5. QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State (Soph.)
Get ready for the hype to be off-the-charts if he can come close to matching his national championship 2019 redshirt freshman season for the Bison. The 6-3, 221-pounder isn’t as good as Carson Wentz, but he’s better than Easton Stick.
He’s a big, ultra-quick all-around high-riser who plays like a seasoned vet. All he did was was hit 67% of his throws for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdowns, run for a team-high 1,100 yards and 14 scores, and throw a grand total of zero interceptions.
4. DE Gregory Rousseau, Miami (Soph.)
After his freshman season was cut short with an ankle injury, he was a key part of a Cane line that needs new pass rushing stars to emerge. The 6-7, 253-pounder was dominant throughout the season with 54 tackles, 15.5 sacks, and 19.5 tackles for loss. Impossible to throw over and with the length and reach to earn an extra half-step on a quarterback, he’s a giant presence on the outside.
3. OT Penei Sewell, Oregon (Jr.)
The Outland Trophy winner as the nation’s top blocker is the prototype left tackle who might just be good enough to make a push for the No. 2 spot. Ready right now to man some NFL team’s anchor, he’s 6-6, 330, and can move. A devastating run blocker, he’s also got the right feet and the right technique as an elite pass protector.
2. QB Justin Fields, Georgia (Jr.)
There might be more of a battle for the No. 1 overall spot than it seems.
Fields brings the mobility, the patience, and the all-around game that would be a lock for top selection in most years, and he still could be the franchise quarterback some teams like more than that other guy who needs a haircut.
Before last season, some doorknobs actually wondered aloud whether or not the guy really could be an elite starting college quarterback – hand raised, but my protective bandana fortunately hides my shame – after he couldn’t beat out Jake Fromm at Georgia and struggled in the Ohio State spring game.
All the 6-3, 223-pounder did was complete 67% of his passes for 3,3273 yards and 41 touchdowns, and run for 484 yards and ten scores in his debut as a full-time starter. He only threw one lonely interception all season until he gave up two in the fantastic Fiesta Bowl loss to Clemson and …
1. QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (Jr.)
Lawrence would’ve been the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft if he was eligible. He would’ve been the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft if was eligible. He’ll be the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and …
Hold up. Let’s not do this quite yet.
Tua Tagovailoa was a mortal lock to be the first overall pick in the 2020 draft, and then he got hurt and perceptions changed.
Barring a catastrophic injury – or something insane, like Lawrence deciding to return for his senior year, which isn’t totally off the table – he’s it. He’s the one. He’s the quarterback prospect NFL scouts dream about, but …
Just wait.
Incoming freshman QB DJ Uiagalelei Lawrence would be the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft if he was eligible, and he’ll be the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
CFN 2020 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Greatest NFL Draft Picks From Each School
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
32 Greatest Draft Picks of All-Time
Full 2020 NFL Draft Order
CFN Top 106 Player Rankings (1st 3 rounds)
How Will Leagues Do in 1st Round?
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | SEC
PHOTO CREDITS: Greg Rousseau Credit: Sam Navarro; Trey Lance Credit: Tim Heitman; Penei Sewell Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
