Top 32 Big Board 1.0 for the 2021 Draft - 2/26/21
I know a lot of Draft Twitter normally does Top 50 Big Boards or even larger for some people. Unfortunately, I don't watch tape. I watch the games, see the highlights, watch specific snaps on Twitter, and take bits and pieces from a lot of different analysts to shape my opinions on these players. It is still February and because of that, I know the top guys pretty well. But once we get towards the back end of the 1st round, my knowledge kind of dwindles of who I know. So February and March is a lot of research that I do annually (which is partially me creating this article and learning about all these players). This year is tougher than in previous years because of opt-out players. The ones at the top like Chase, Parsons aren't too hard. But guys like EDGE Joe Tryon from UW, EDGE Greg Rousseau from UM, or OT Dillon Radunz from NDSU... they either didn't play or had 1 game in 2020. Hardly enough for me to go off of.
So, similar to my mock draft, I will get better at this as I do a few more. I will eventually make it up to 40 players, and eventually a top 50 by the end of it all, and will have a personal database of about 100 players. Hopefully, you will join me on this journey and it will make the entire draft a little more exciting for you.
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Football Glossary
Power/Gap Run Scheme: Pulling OL from one side to create alleys for the RB to run through
Outside Zone Blocking Scheme: The RB runs outside of the farthest tackle on his running side
Press Man Coverage: 1v1 with the route runner. Normally, a physical battle and requires patience but ball skills.
Zone coverage: Defends by playing off-man/off-ball. Looks and reacts to the QB but still moves in a general area with any man in his zone.
Off-ball LB: More likely used a coverage LB, not known to be the first LB to cover up the rushing lanes.
WILL LB: Weak-side LB. Lines up on the side without a TE.
MIKE LB: Middle LB. Normally calls the plays of the defense and has the mic in his helmet.
SAM LB: Strong-side LB. Lines up on the side with a TE.
West coast offense: A pass-first offense that is focused on short/routine passes rather than long balls.
Spread offense: Normally shotgun formation with 3,4,5 WRs on the field to spread out the defense.
Multiple defense: More than one base defense. Can run a 4-3 or a 3-4 depending on the personnel on the field at the time or how they want to match up against the offense.
2nd level of the defense: LBs are the 2nd level of the defense.
3-technique: defensive lineman that aligns between the tackle and guard
1-technique: defensive lineman that aligns between the guard and center
5-technique: defensive lineman that aligns outside of the tackle
Games and Stunts: a play where DL switch their alignment post-snap to confuse the OL
RPO: Run-pass option. A play that the QB can either throw it to a WR quickly or hand it off to his RB.
In-phase: on the inside hip of the WR OR in between the QB and the WR
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TOP 32 Big Board 1.0
- QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
Trevor is not the perfect QB prospect. There isn't one, except that one Dad's son at Peewee football. It is microscope season and you are going to see teams saying this and that from now until Draft night. Some of it is smoke. What is not smoke? Trevor Lawrence is the best player in this class. Just because we have known he is this talented for 2 years people begin questioning it. I don't know about that one chief. While Trevor could play in any offense, I would love to see him play on a team that isn't afraid to push the ball down the field. Trevor has amazing arm talent to fit it in very tight windows. - WR Ja'Marr Chase, LSU
Ja'Marr is a rare talent at WR. He has plus route-running, hands, and contested catch ability. Those are the 3 traits I value the most in a pass catcher. Chase doesn't have breakaway speed like others may have, but he is able to separate from DBs, and when he can't he uses his frame to box out. He will probably measure in around 6'0 200+lbs. He is the standard of what a WR1 looks like, and in this class with 100 different types of WRs, he could fit with every single team. - QB Zach Wilson, BYU
The debate between Fields and Wilson isn't really one for me at least. Wilson has had some injury issues while at BYU. They were prevalent in 2018-19 and we were able to see what he could do in 2020. But that sample size is limited. I won't count the small school factor against him. Wilson has a "spidey-sense" about him in the pocket. His pocket skills remind me a lot of Tua, but he is much more of an athlete on the ground and is willing to tuck it and run. He has a good arm, but it isn't Rodgers/Allen/Mahomes level. Though that arm still has allowed him to make some incredible throws whether he is off-balance, falling back, or with one foot off the ground. Zach's best trait is his ability to extend the play. A west coast offense with RPOs that keeps the defense guessing will be best for his game. - OT Penei Sewell, Oregon
Penei is one of the most athletic tackles I have seen in my brief draft twitter career. He can run downfield and will always take at least 1 guy down. Any gap/power run system that will utilize him as a puller will love his style. He has a very good first step to get in position off the snap. He has a very strong anchor and can be left alone on his side (though he is very strong as a combo blocker). He hasn't been that great against the perceived "better" competition in his 2-year sample size as a freshman and sophomore, but we didn't see him in 2020. If he ever struggles at tackle, he has the frame to be able to kick inside to guard. - OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
Slater might be the most fundamentally solid OL in the entire class. He doesn't have the prototype height that we want to see out of a franchise tackle, which is one of a few reasons teams may see him as an interior player rather than tackle. Though, he held up against Chase Young at LT just fine as a Junior last year. He has incredible hands and has great agility to work to the outside or get upfield and work on some LBs. He isn't as strong against a strong bullrush as Penei is (possibly because of his smaller frame), but he is able to anchor once he gets his feet reset. If Slater plays at LT, he would fit best in an outside zone run scheme that will highlight his athleticism. - TE Kyle Pitts, Florida
Kyle is listed as a TE, but he is so high up on my board because of his position flexibility. He lined up on the end of the OL as a TE, as a slot WR, and on the outside. Pitts is living in Calvin Johnson's body and he also stole his ability to make insane catches. Kyle is a willing blocker but he isn't being drafted for his blocking if you catch my drift. On top of being body beautiful, he also has amazing speed and uses that big body in contested catch situations well. There is no way an NFL team will be able to get away with a LB in coverage against him. - WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
There were 4 WRs at Bama in 2019 that will all be 1st round draft picks. Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, and Devonta Smith alongside Waddle. Jeudy and Smith were probably the best college WRs. But if you need a game-changing player in the NFL, the guy you want is Waddle. He has such insane speed that he constantly challenges the secondary in what angles they need to take to cover him and to tackle him after the catch. Waddle has better hands than people give him credit for and has a very large route tree. Waddle isn't your typical WR1 in that he is only 5'10, 180 lbs. But he has game-breaking speed that will keep defensive coordinators awake at night. Using him in a Tyreek role with a lot of pre-snap movement will be essential for a team drafting him. - LB Micah Parsons, Penn St
The best defensive player in the 2021 class is a 3 down modern-day NFL LB. Parsons has plus pass-rushing skills, instincts in coverage, and speed and range to go sideline to sideline. He has the patience to find the hole in run support and has a knack for shedding blocks. Micah projects as a MIKE, but a team could also play him at OLB and use his athleticism to cover TEs/RBs. Parsons is going to be able to play in most defenses, but a blitz-heavy, multiple alignment defense might suit his talents best. - WR Devonta Smith, Alabama
Devonta Smith is a WOW player. Every single game he will make a play that leaves a football lover saying WOW. He has a crispy route-running ability with incredibly soft hands. He understands leverage when in man coverage and he knows how to find the soft spots in a zone defense. He doesn't have breakaway speed but is faster than he looks. He is the perfect WR... except for his body. His playing weight in college was less than 180 lbs and he is probably just shy of 6'0. That alone may make him drop out of the top 10. Scheming up Devonta to get away from press coverage, especially against larger corners that want to get handsy with him, will be a key to his success. - QB Justin Fields, Ohio St
Fields impressed me the more I saw him. At first glance, he was throwing to guys that are wide open without needing to look off his 1st read. But as the competition got tougher, Fields got better. Fields outperformed Trevor Lawrence twice on the National stage. He was able to get to multiple reads and even had shown the ability to look off the safety, which is impressive for a college QB. On the flip side, he needs to develop the ability to do that consistently. Fields is very athletic but doesn't tuck it and run as much as he uses his mobility to find an open WR, sometimes to his own detriment. Similar to Wilson, he doesn't have a cannon but his arm strength is sufficient for the NFL level. Fields will succeed best in a spread offense that also utilizes RPOs to put his athleticism at the forefront. - CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
I have Surtain ahead of Farley because I have seen more of Surtain in action. This may change as we get closer to launch day. Surtain has NFL roots with his father being a Pro Bowl CB for the Dolphins and Chiefs. Like his dad, he is best suited for the boundary in a man coverage defense. Surtain is 6'1 (so the ladies like him) and has a good knack for being aggressive at the catch point. There are some questions about his speed/quickness, but if he can learn how to reroute quicker players, that should help his game. - CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
Farley has only played CB for 2 years in his football career but has shown that he is a fast learner. Farley has a certain quickness that is rare for a corner above 6'0 and is very fluid with his motion to get in phase quickly. He is a former QB and WR, so he is very good at tracking the ball, but also playing off leverage. He knows what irritates WRs as he is very good at rerouting and jamming. His weak spot is his tackling isn't totally consistent, but he isn't shy about helping out. Like Surtain, Farley is suited for a press man coverage defense as an outside corner. - OG/OT Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
The USC product has experience at OT and OG in his college career and played both at a very high level. As a left tackle in 2020, he showed a good kick slide to be able to match up with speed rushers on the outside. He shows good balance and weight distribution when he is bull-rushed. He is very impressive in the run game and is eager to get downfield and control his blocker. A team taking him may try him at tackle first, but he probably has a higher ceiling at guard. If trying him at tackle, he is best suited for an outside-zone running scheme. - LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
JOK is what I will call him henceforth because I always spell his first name wrong. JOK is a new school LB that can play multiple positions depending on the package. In base defense, he is going to be a WILL LB. When more DBs are needed, JOK is so athletic that he can play box safety. He isn't going to be your 1990s LB or Safety. JOK is insanely twitchy and quick. He has plus coverage and pass rush ability. His speed and instincts have failed him in the past where he is getting ahead of the play and thus taking himself out of it, but he has the right intentions. Under 220 lbs, he will need to use his slender frame to blitz around OL in the pro's as he won't have much success taking them head-on. - RB Najee Harris, Alabama
My favorite RB in the class. Najee looks like your prototypical Alabama RB. Runs through the tackles and takes all the goal-line work. Then you watch him go out for a route and my goodness is it clean and crisp... AND HE HAS HANDS. Najee was a 4-year player at Bama and he put it all together in 2020. He developed Leveon Bell-esque patience in his senior year. Rarely did he get tackled by a single man and he also has the bunnies to be able to hurdle defenders. DBs are gonna have a tough time bringing him down once he is in the open field. The only issue with Najee is he doesn't have breakaway speed. Finally, something very important for 1st round RBs, he is a very dependable pass protector. I believe he fits best in a gap/power offense. - QB Trey Lance, North Dakota St
Lance is the 4th and final QB in my top 32. He has only played about a dozen and a half games at the Division 1A level of college football. However, the football up in Fargo, ND is no joke and neither is Trey Lance. Carson Wentz was also drafted out of this school, but Trey is a different player. The most athletically gifted QB in this class and the man has a cannon for an arm. He has good accuracy on his deep balls and is always a threat to take off and run. More good news is he has a lot of experience taking snaps under center (something not very common in college) and in the shotgun/pistol. He needs to work on his touch/timing on short/intermediate throws that will keep the chains moving, but he didn't throw an INT until his 17th out of 17 games (showing tremendous patience/poise to take what the defense gives him). The word on Lance is he will need some time to develop, but depending on the system he is drafted in, I think he could start right away. Carolina is a good example of a team that would fit well with his talents. - OT Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech
A 3-year starter for the Hokies, Darrisaw improved in each and every season. Darrisaw has a picture-perfect body for a OT, but his feet don't always agree with the rest of him. He doesn't have quite the first-step quickness to get outside with his pass rushers but has a very strong base and power when he is in front of his man. He is best suited for an outside zone run scheme and his ability to connect with defenders and wall them off is the reason why. - EDGE Kwity Paye, Michigan
Paye is a massive EDGE coming in at 275 lbs. So much so that he aligned over the center and over guards at Michigan, as well as on the outside. Though, he projects as a hand in the dirt DE in 4-3 alignments. Paye doesn't have a ton of pass rush moves in his arsenal, but has very strong hands that are able to create knockback into the QB. He is one of the better EDGE's against the run in this class and has the speed to chase down a loose back. Paye isn't going to be your 15 sacks a season type of player but will win by creating pressures on the QB. - RB Travis Etienne, Clemson
Etienne is a controlled bottle of lightning. He has a great one-cut to full-speed move that gets him through to space in an instant. Etienne isn't as big as Najee, but he is by no means small. Coming in at 210 lbs at 5'10, he is a muscled up Chris Johnson. Coming back in 2020, he grew as a pass catcher and will be a nightmare for LBs to cover. He didn't shine in pass protection, but I'm not sure if that is because of his willingness to do so or his ability to recognize the pressure. Etienne has the home-run capability but also doesn't try to break every run outside and cost his team yards. He is willing to show patience and take what is given. He should fit in any scheme. - EDGE Gregory Rousseau, Miami
Rousseau exploded on the scene in 2019 (after missing most of 2018 with injury) and promptly opt-ed out of the 2020 season, so we have seen very little from the 15.5 sack, 19.5 TFL man. Greg is rather new to playing on the DL after playing as a 260 lb safety in high school (yeesh), so his technique needs to be honed. With his rawness, he continued to improve in each game he played, showing a few impressive pass rush moves. If he accepts coaching, the sky is the limit for this player. He has shown the ability to line up outside on the EDGE or on the inside, and I believe a team willing to be versatile with him will bring out his best. - LB Zaven Collins, Tulsa
Collins is a truly versatile LB/EDGE. He played QB in high school and his ability to feel leverage in coverage and read the QB are obvious. Zaven is going to be able to line up as an EDGE for certain teams and OLB for others, or he could go to a team that plays with multiple base defenses. I love his pass-rush ability with his length and power to take on OL and his speed to get around OTs. His range and speed are also very evident when covering TEs and RBs. I personally think he succeeds best as a 3-4 OLB that can stand up on the EDGE, as well as drop into coverage. - OT Dillon Radunz, North Dakota St
I'm in the minority here. Most don't think he is a top 5 OT, but I see his athletic ability and his performance at the Senior Bowl as the difference. Trey Lance's left-hand (left tackle jokes lol) man checks in at a rather lean 305 lbs and most think he will be able to add some weight to build up his strength. Dillon wants to maul you in the run game and attacks the defense and 2nd level LBs with a force. He invites pass rushers into his body rather than keeping them at arm's length and trying to control them, which will leave him susceptible to bull rushes. Though, he did show an ability to recover and redirect rushers if he gets beat early. He may be best suited for a power/gap run scheme as a RT, but if he adds some strength, I personally could see him as a LT. - RB Javonte Williams, North Carolina
Again, a player I'm probably higher on than the consensus, but man I love his game. The thing that stands out to me is his contact balance. He understands how to use his pads for leverage to bounce off wimpy tackles and he has nice handles to be able to juke and avoid contact altogether. Javonte has good vision and plus hands as a pass-catcher. He doesn't flash the patience of the other 2 RBs, but when he sees the hole he has the acceleration to burst through it onto the 2nd level. He is also a very capable pass protector. He will fit in any scheme. - EDGE Jaelan Phillips, Miami
Jaelan has a history of concussions and other injuries at UCLA which fueled his transfer to Miami. He is body-beautiful and showed his ability to bend around the edge and use power and technique to win through lineman. He has lined up inside but would best fit as an EDGE in either a 4-3 or 3-4. He had some issues with his hand placement, especially against the run, to be able to shed his blockers. He has good speed and burst off the snap to pair with his bend to get around OTs and pressure the QB. - LB Nick Bolton, Missouri
Another player I am banging the drum for, Nick Bolton is probably going to start as a 2-down MIKE in the Pros. Nick has a smaller frame than the average MLB but makes up for it with speed and explosiveness, especially in running lanes. He is very instinctive against the run and has excelled in shedding blocks with his quickness to meet the RB head-on. His coverage grades are incomplete. He has shown the ability to flash and fill throwing lanes in his FOV (field of view) but doesn't show it consistently enough. He has the speed to be able to go sideline to sideline, though. I probably like him too much because he would fit very well on the Dolphins as a run stuffer. - WR Kadarius Toney, Florida
Toney has death-defying speed. He wasn't asked to run a full route tree at Florida, but he won't in the pros either. Toney's skillset translates to a full-time Slot WR in a vertical passing offense. Using his speed in jet-sweeps, screens, fly routes, and comebacks are all great, but he is also a great decoy. He should be used similarly to Tyreek with a lot of pre-snap motion and disguise about where the play is going. When the ball is in his hands are when things get fun. He has a great ability to make people miss and bounce off tacklers. Whoever drafts him should also consider him at kick returner. He is expected to measure similarly to Tyreek Hill at 185 lbs. - S Trevon Moehrig, TCU
Trevon is a ball-hawking FS with excellent playmaking instincts in the middle of the field. He is able to play man coverage in the slot and does a good job at mirroring the WR, but he has been the victim of double moves. Trevon is eager to come up and help out in the run game. He is best suited as a single high safety, or the farthest player from the QB, where he can survey the field and play the last defender role. He isn't the biggest player, but is a good mover and takes good angles to the ball in the air and in run support. - CB Jaycee Horn, South Carolina
Horn is a physical and disruptive player in press-man coverage. He did line up in the slot in 2018, but his 6'1 200lb frame is better suited for the outside. He has good speed for a big man, but can get grabby if he begins to lose his man (rather than recovering with his speed). When he does stay in phase with the WR, he has a great ability to locate and get his hands on the football either with a pass breakup or INT. Jaycee is the son of former Saint WR Joe Horn. - C/G Landon Dickerson, Alabama
My best center in this class despite his ACL injury late in 2020. He also had 3 injuries at FSU, prior to his transfer to Alabama. Dickerson has experience at guard from his FSU days, but I think he is a center in the pros. He is a thicc boi (yes it has gotten to that point of the article) but knows how to use his 326lb frame to his advantage. He understands how to shut down interior lineman with his hands and keep them in front of him. He has quick feet which allow him to get to his reach blocks and not detach from them. He is left-handed as a center (hey Tua) if that means anything. He is probably going to fall to the 2nd round because of injury concerns, but I could see a team running a gap/power offense using a 1st on him. - WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
Bateman has a very similar build to Ja'Marr Chase and has the same big playability. He is very good at bringing down 50/50 balls and adjusting his body in the air. He shows a good understanding of working back to the QB, but did have some silly drops that were due to concentration. He had trouble separating from man-coverage but his catch radius solves some of that issue. He doesn't do too much work after the catch, but he does have a good initial burst off the line of scrimmage. Bateman projects best to a vertical passing offense, but Minnesota did use him in an RPO offense. - OT Jalen Mayfield, Michigan
Mayfield played RT for the Wolverines and most expect he will do the same in the pros. This is due to average athletic ability and not being very fleet of foot off the snap. He doesn't allow pass rushers to get to the outside of him and succeeds at staying square with them. Once there, his thick build allows him to attach on with his strong hands. He takes angles well in the run game, but doesn't get to the 2nd level very well. I expect he will fill into a gap/power running scheme at the next level. - DT Christian Barmore, Alabama
Barmore started as a bench player in 2020 and exploded onto the scene as a 3-technique in their National Championship run. Barmore has good quickness and power that he combines with his heavy hands to push the pocket in on the QB. Barmore only has a swim move in his arsenal, but is very good with games and stunts. He is still very raw and as he continues to get reps he should continue to build up his instincts and moves. He has shown some struggles against double teams, so keeping him off the nose tackle should be noted. He is going to be best used as a 3-tech in the NFL.
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Who are your top 10 players in this class? Let me know in the comments or at @KyleTheCommish on Twitter.
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