Over the past three days 32 NFL teams did everything they could to improve their odds for a Super Bowl title. Surprise selections were made, some teams filled big needs while others looked to the future, and a good time was had by all. In fact, it was so enjoyable that maybe we should think about doing it again.
And we will, in about a year for now.
We do not know yet what form the next college football season will take. Are we going to see games in the fall, or will there be a winter/spring college football season? Are we going to see crowded stadiums, or empty venues. Regardless of how that plays out, there is always a new crop of new prospects to get to know over the summer. In that spirit, here is a way-too-early 2021 NFL Draft watchlist, starting on the offensive side of the football.
Quarterbacks
1. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
2. Justin Fields, Ohio State
3. Jamie Newman, Georgia
4. Trey Lance, North Dakota State
5. K. J. Costello, Mississippi State
6. Sam Ehlinger, Texas
7. Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
8. Kyle Trask, Florida
9. Sean Clifford, Penn State
10. Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields are obviously the headliners, but do not overlook the other names on this list. Lawrence has looked every bit the part of a future first-overall selection since his time on campus, leading the Clemson Tigers to a national championship as a true freshman, and then back to the title game as a sophomore. He has the arm, processing speed and athleticism that NFL teams covet. Fields stepped into the Ohio State lineup and was impressive last season, throwing 41 touchdown and just three interceptions. K.J. Costello might be in a position to put up huge numbers, after transferring to Mississippi State to play for Mike Leach in his Air Raid system. But keep an eye on NDSU passer Trey Lance. The rising redshirt sophomore threw 28 touchdowns last year for the Bison, without an interception, and he also ran for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns. He became the first freshman to win the Walter Payton Award, given to the top offensive player in FCS. He might not enter the draft, but another year like last season could find him making the leap.
Running Backs
1. Travis Etienne, Clemson
2. Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma
3. Max Borghi, Washington State
4. Najee Harris, Alabama
5. Trey Sermon, Oklahoma
6. Zamir White, Georgia
7. Master Teague III, Ohio State
8. C.J. Verdell, Oregon
9. Kylin Hill, Mississippi State
10. Pooka Williams, Kansas
It was something of a surprise when Travis Etienne returned to campus for his senior season. He is an explosive running back with elite burst and long speed, as well as the change-of-direction abilities to be dangerous in the open field. Etienne also contributes in the passing game, making him a potential asset in modern NFL offenses. Hubbard is another bursty athlete, with the potential to be a weapon in both the passing game as well as the outside zone system. Borghi might be more of a third down back given his usage in 2019, but was an effective weapon out of the backfield when Anthony Gordon dropped to pass. Keep an eye on Master Teague III. The Ohio State back was ruled out of spring practices with a lingering injury, but when he was healthy in 2019 he ran for almost 800 yards and four touchdowns on 135 carries in the spot behind new professional J.K. Dobbins.
Wide Receivers
1. Ja’Marr Chase, LSU
2. DeVonta Smith, Alabama
3. Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
4. Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
5. Justyn Ross, Clemson
6. Rondale Moore, Purdue
7. Sage Surratt, Wake Forest
8. Chris Olave, Ohio State
9. Tamorrion Terry, Florida State
10. Seth Williams, Auburn
Ja’Marr Chase was incredibly productive last season for the LSU Tigers, catching 84 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns, and a lasting memory for many college football fans was his display in the National Championship Game, when he went off for nine receptions for 221 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Even more impressive is that the bulk of those plays came against A.J. Terrell, who just went in the first round to the Atlanta Falcons. We also just saw a pair of Crimson Tide targets drafted in the first round, and we might very well see that again next draft from Smith and Waddle. Tyler Johnson got a lot of attention this past season, but Bateman might be a better pro prospect. Moore is also an intriguing offensive weapon. He was the first true freshman consensus All-American in Big Ten history, but he missed the last eight games of the 2019 season with an injury. When healthy, he is a versatile weapon and explosive after the catch. His versatility saw him receiver the Paul Hornung Award in 2018, given to college football’s “most versatile” player.
Tight Ends
1. Pat Freiermuth, Penn State
2. Brevin Jordan, Miami
3. Kyle Pitts, Florida
4. Matt Bushman, BYU
5. Charlie Kolar, Iowa State
6. Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin
7. Matt Bushman, BYU
8. Shaun Beyer, Iowa
9. Cade Otton, Washington
10. Jack Stoll, Nebraska
Pat Freiermuth, affectionately nicknamed “Baby Gronk,” made the decision to return to Penn State for his senior year, disappointing fans hoping for an impact tight end in this draft class. He has the size and frame to be a weapon in the passing game, but also handles the blocking part of the position extremely well. He caught 26 passes for 368 yards and eight touchdowns as a true freshman in 2018, and added another 43 catches for 507 yards and seven touchdowns a season ago. Pitts was a weapon in the Florida passing game, catching 54 passes for 649 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore in 2019. Also keep Bushman in mind. The rising senior rebounded from a disappointing 2018 by catching 47 passes for 688 yards and four touchdowns. Even though he had a down year in 2018, he still managed to average 17.6 yards per reception on his 29 catches.
Offensive Tackles
1. Penei Sewell, Oregon
2. Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
3. Samuel Cosmi, Texas
4. Walker Little, Stanford
5. Alaric Jackson, Iowa
6. Thayer Munford, Ohio State
7. Daniel Faalele, Minnesota
8. Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame
9. Jackson Carman, Clemson
10. Adrian Ealy, Oklahoma
While this past season saw a quarterback and an EDGE defender come of the board in the first two picks, there is a chance that Oregon’s Penei Sewell cracks the top two in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Oregon tackle has allowed just one sack through the past two seasons, covering 1,376 offensive snaps, and he was awarded the Outland Trophy in 2019, given to the best interior lineman in the country. Cam Robinson was the last offensive tackle to win the award, back in 2016. But there are some other potential bookends in this group, such as Walker Little from Stanford and Alex Leatherwood from Alabama. We could also have another Iowa tackle crash the party, in the form of Alaric Jackson, who is going to be a four-year starting left tackle at Iowa. That carries some weight in the eyes of NFL evaluators.
Interior Offensive Linemen
1. Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma
2. Trey Smith, Tennessee
3. Wyatt Davis, Ohio State
4. Deonte Brown, Alabama
5. Josh Myers, Tennessee
6. Trey Hill, Georgia
7. Alec Lindstrom, Boston College
8. Landon Dickerson, Alabama
9. Cade Mays, Tennessee
10. Ben Brown, Mississippi
Creed Humphrey was viewed as the third-best center in the country as a recruit, according to ESPN and 247Sports. He redshirted in 2017 and as a redshirt freshman in 2018 he was the team’s starting center, earning a second-team All-Big 12 selection and was a member of a unit that won the Joe Moore Award as the best offensive line in football. Last season he was a second-team All-American selection by the Associated Press, and he did not allow a sack over 799 snaps. Smith is a highly-decorated guard for the Volunteers, who was an All-SEC selection a year ago and named to the 2019 Pro Football Focus All-SEC team.
