Robert Craft
Offensive Flow
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
During Dan Mullen’s three years as head coach and play caller, Florida has climbed from sixth, to fourth, to third in the SEC total offense.
Also, at this time I’m morally obligated to remind everyone that the 2017 (pre-Mullen) Gator’s offense was ranked 13th in the conference, next to last.
Whether it’s Emory Jones or Anthony Richardson playing quarterback this fall, neither are as accurate as Kyle Trask, nor will they enjoy the luxury of throwing to Kyle Pitts or Kadarius Toney, so it’s imperative the running game is reestablished this season.
Florida has averaged 5+ yards per carry only once in the past 11 years. In 2018, when Lamical Perine, Jordan Scarlett and Dameon Pierce churned out more than 2,000 yards. Mullen was freely deploying quarterback Felipe Franks in the running game.
I think Florida returns to that style of offense this season with Pierce, Malik Davis, Nay’Quan Wright, Lorenzo Lingard and Demarkcus Bowman in a crowded running back room and Jones or Richardson taking 100 plus carries.
If Florida’s offense plays at a similar level as last season, Dan Mullen’s play book will rival Coach Klein’s from the Waterboy. Furthermore, my prediction of Georgia winning the SEC East should be flushed at the Florida Welcome Center on I-75.
It’s not that I think the Gators will stink offensively this year, it’s just that last year’s unit was exceptional, so I’m bracing for descent.
The 7.3 yards per play were the second most in school history behind the 7.4 average in 1995. The 1995 team did not play a SEC only schedule and had the luxury of facing two cupcake schools.
I believe Mullen will field a productive ball control offense. Of course, and as always, the offensive line will ultimately determine the production of this team’s offense.
After two seasons without a quarterback capable of running the ball, Jones and Richardson change the narrative with the verve that Mullen desires.
I’m intrigued to see whether Emory Jones commands the offense, executes the system efficiently, and becomes another of Mullen’s success stories. He’s certainly starting at a point with higher expectations than Kyle Trask.
Because Jones was Mullen’s first quarterback commit, and he has spent 3 years developing ahead of his starting job, I don’t expect Mullen to pull him at the very first sign of trouble.
Jones is such an electric runner with a strong arm that will flourish this fall. Understanding the variations of Mullen’s offense, which changes to fit personnel as well as any in the nation. Jones has the arm to stretch the field deep and the speed to make plays when things break down in the trenches.
The Gators still have a puncher’s chance of returning to Atlanta, and this year is one of those times, when the SEC crossover scheduling imbalance favors Georgia (Arkansas and Auburn). Plus, there’s the undeniable fact that on paper the Bulldogs are loaded!
Florida has yet to reach the College Football Playoffs through its first seven years and the odds of getting there in 2021 will be daunting.
Florida is currently +4000 odds to win the National Championship.
Extension
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There are stories out everywhere, on June 1, 2021 the dead-period was lifted.
For those who forgot about COVID-19 already, and all the restrictions around that, it means the return of camps on campus, unofficial/official visits and workouts on campus.
For the first time since January 2020, official visits return to college campuses. For the record, an official visit means the college is able to finance the trip for the recruit. Recruits and their families can take five visits total but only once per school.
The Florida Gators wasted little time getting recruits back in The Swamp, as they had their Summer Kick Off event on June 1st.
With all that pent up recruiting energy ready to be released, the plans for a return to “normal” are anything but, unfortunately. Florida Gators have official visits scheduled for every June weekend. Camps are already planned out and for the first time ever, players can work out for coaches.
Florida coach Dan Mullen said, “it will be waves upon waves upon waves upon waves of kids coming to visit.”
Throw in the transfer portal. And don’t forget the new one-time transfer rule. Did the waves just get larger?
All of it is another example of college football essentially coming down to a simple declarative statement: It’s all about recruiting.
The Gators have camps scheduled the entire month of June: June 7, Skills and Drills Camp; June 9, 16 & 23 7 vs 7 Gator Shootout and OLine/DLine Big man Challenge; June 14 Top Gun QB/WR Camp, In the Trenches Camp and Skills Academy for RB, DB & LB; June 25 Elite Individual Camp.
June 2021 is the biggest recruiting month in the history of recruiting.
Florida administration has been so impressed with the recruiting job; they have given Coach Dan Mullen a three-year contract extension that gives him a significant raise. Under the terms of Mullen’s new contract agreement, he will be the coach at Florida through the 2026 season.
The new extension will also raise Mullen’s annual compensation total to $7.6 million for each year remaining on his deal. With a raise of about $1.5 million per season, the financial breakdown varies by year.
USA Today shows Mullen is now the fourth highest paid coach in 2021.
Tebow Impact
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Consumers love Tim Tebow and are happy to see him back in the NFL.
Just 24 hours after signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tebow’s apparel has been flying off the sleeves.
NFLShop.com reported the top 5 selling items all belong to Tebow: black alternate jerseys for men, women and children, as well as T-shirts for men and women.
The Tebow effect caused Tom Brady’s red Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey to fall to ninth on the list of top sellers.
Tebow’s jersey was the bestselling uniform when he was with the Denver Broncos in 2010, New York Jets in 2012, New England Patriots in 2013 and Philadelphia Eagles in 2015.
In 2016 for a few weeks his New York Mets jersey was the best-selling Major League Baseball jersey in the country.
Tebow’s longest run as the best-selling jersey in sport came as a quarterback at the University of Florida, where even to this day, it holds the record for the most jerseys of a college player ever sold.
Tebow signed a one-year deal (non-guaranteed) to play tight end with the Jaguars. He is currently sporting the number 85 jersey. He might not even wear the 85 jersey for long.
If Jacksonville moves backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, which rumors suggest they are trying, Tebow could claim his iconic 15 jersey.
If that happens, you can bet football and Tebow fans won’t hesitate to complete their collection.
As a sputtering franchise, the Jaguars didn’t warrant much attention last season, but look at them now! The Jaguars are the talk of the NFL on shows, radio and social media around the country.
The attention is only going to intensify as OTA’s starts and the media will be allowed to watch practice in person this week. Tebow obviously has generated most of the attention because of his comeback at age 33 to play tight end, a position he’s never once played.
Jaguars jerseys are three of the top seven and four of the top 15 jerseys on NFLShop.com.
Tebow is a megastar in the Jacksonville area, a former standout at Nease High School and the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner at Florida. He also helped Urban Meyer win two national championships for the Florida Gators.
Tim Tebow will be trying to land a spot on the Jaguar roster and battling Chris Manhertz, James O’Shaughnessy, Luke Farrell and Tyler Davis on the roster.
Whatever you think of Tim Tebow, you must say, he makes a tremendous financial impact wherever he plays.
Knighting Up
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Gus Malzahn has a reputation for being one of college football’s top recruiters. Since he arrived in Orlando, Malzahn has been able to capitalize by landing several top transfers to UCF.
Malzahn emphasized recruiting is very important to play with the Power 5 programs. Since his arrival on February 15th, “The Gus Bus” hasn’t slowed down.
Linebacker Bryson Armstrong, an All American from Kennesaw State, is the latest player to commit to Malzahn and UCF. Armstrong was the Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2019.
Wide receiver Jordan Johnson transferred to UCF. Johnson was one of the most talented players in the country in the class of 2020 according to 247Sports Composite Rankings. He ranked as the number 37 overall player and the number 6 receiver in the country. Johnson makes the fourth former Notre Dame product to transfer to UCF since 2017.
Former Western Kentucky redshirt freshman defensive tackle Ricky Barber has transferred to The Knights. Barber was a 2020 Freshman All American by Football Writers Association of America this past season.
Big Kat Bryant announced he was transferring to UCF over Tennessee. During his time at Auburn, Bryant recorded 56 tackles, 10 sacks, seven passes defended, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery for the Tigers. SEC coaches named Bryant a Second Team All-SEC selection.
The defensive lineman became the third former Tiger to follow Malzahn to Orlando as running back Mark Anthony Richards and receiver Nate Craig Meyers each made the decision to continue their college careers at UCF.
Running back Isaiah Bower (Northwestern) kicker Ryker Casey (App State) and linebacker Hirkley Latu (BYU) round out the new Knights.
The transfer portal can be a double-edged sword. While it can help provide teams with much needed depth and experience, some worry that coaches are signing free agents rather than developing younger talent from high school recruiting.
Unlike former UCF coaches, Malzahn has been offering 4-star and 5-star recruits to UCF. He said it’s about building relationships and UCF is working on changing the narrative with recruits vs transfers.
Malzahn’s sites are set to get these talented players to UCF and be part of building something special. The best way to create franchise energy is to get plugged into the establishment and its actions.
Malzahn will inherit a program that went 6-4 this past season and quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel, one of the top returning sign callers in the country, should mean the Knights program start Malzahn’s tenure with a high floor.
Non-Conference games against Boise State and Louisville in September will give Coach Malzahn a chance to shine early against big names.
The Gus Bus is creating major synergy, so buckle up Knight fans it is going to be UCFast.
What Do They Look Like?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis signed the bill for Florida college athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness starting July 1, 2021.
Making Florida the first State with NIL (name, image & likeness), however California was the first state to implement an NIL bill.
The California bill won’t go into effect until January 1, 2023. The state of Florida was a leader on NIL, and the other states quickly tried to follow our model, college athletes in Florida have been able to position themselves to be ready to benefit starting July first.
The state has consistently been at the forefront for NIL legislation, with Governor DeSantis championing it over the last few years. Other states have already passed NIL laws Mississippi, Iowa, New York, Maryland, Alabama, New Mexico and Georgia to name a few.
While most of these NIL laws are exceedingly athlete friendly, some are more restrictive than others.
Mississippi allows the universities to impose limitations on the date and time which an athlete may participate in NIL events. Iowa places a cap on the number of hours per week a student can participate in athlete activity.
New Mexico prohibits schools from denying an athlete enrollment if they earned NIL compensation as a recruit. South Carolina compels schools to set aside $5,000 per year in a trust for each football and basketball player.
Alabama gives athletes the option to participate in NIL or receive $10,000 a year from the school.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed the NIL bill during a ceremony at the University of Georgia. The law is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2021.
Georgia’s NIL law contains a unique feature: Colleges in Georgia can elect to require their players (on all their teams) to share up to 75% of compensation received for the use of their name, image and likeness.
The force sharing would occur pursuant to what Georgia House Bill 617 terms a “pooling arrangement,” with the shared compensation directed to a fund for the benefit of individuals previously enrolled as student athletes.
One year after graduation former players could draw pro rata shares of the fund’s pulled contributions.
Another crucial aspect of Georgia’s NIL law is that the decision to compel sharing is at the discretion of the school. University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and other colleges might decline to provide for pooling arrangements.
One obvious reason why a school would be reluctant to adopt a pooling arrangement is recruiting. If a high school athlete is recruited by Miami, Mississippi State and Georgia, he or she could keep all their post tax NIL compensation by attending one of the first two schools.
If a player instead attends UGA, and if UGA adopts a pooling arrangement, the player will lose some portion of his or her endorsement, sponsorship and influencing compensation.
In my opinion, this is just window dressing. Next month the Supreme Court may decide to make this federal law or defer to individual state laws.
Congress will take that opportunity to roll out a federal law and the state laws will be moot.
Draft Domination
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There were 259 players drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, with 14.3% hailing from The Sunshine State. The state of Florida accounted for 37 players selected. South Florida alone had 17 and Broward County accounted for 12 players.
Texas was a close second, with 33 players, the same number as in 2020, which led the draft for most picks.
Georgia (21), California (19), Louisiana (13) and North Carolina (10) were the other states with double digit players selected.
American Heritage High School in Plantation set an NFL record with six players picked in this year’s draft. The Patriots are considered to be one of the best high school programs in the country.
Heritage draftees in 2021: Patrick Surtain II the ninth player selected in the draft by the Denver Broncos, Tyson Campell the 33rd to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Anthony Schwartz the 91st to the Cleveland Browns, Marco Wilson the 136th to the Arizona Cardinals, Tadarrell Slaton the 173rd to the Green Bay Packers and Khalil Herbert the 217th to the Chicago Bears.
Fort Lauderdale’s St. Thomas Aquinas had three players selected, giving the Raiders 26 alumni being drafted since 2001, the most by any high school during that time period. Elijah Moore, Josh Palmer and Asante Samuel Jr are the newest Raiders in the NFL.
It’s no surprise that Florida leads for Power 5 signees the past 10 years, and that South Florida has roughly provided 45%-50% of the talent pool.
Elite football players come from all over the country, but the largest concentration of them originated from the SEC. The SEC set a record with 65 players selected and this continued the conference’s distinct dominance over the three-day event.
This year’s SEC haul included 6 of the first 10 picks and 12 of the 31 players in the first round.
They included Florida tight end Kyle Pitts 4th to Atlanta, LSU wide receiver JaMarr Chase 5th to Cincinnati, Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle 6th to Miami, South Carolina corner Jaycee Horn 8th to Carolina, Alabama corner Pat Surtain II 9th to Denver and Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith 10th to Philly.
For the 15th year in a row, the SEC asserted its dominance over every other Power 5 conferences. All 14 SEC football programs helped break its own conference’s record of players drafted.
It was a record setting day for Alabama too, the Tide led the way among SEC schools with a total of 10 players selected. Georgia was in second with nine sections, followed by Florida with eight, LSU with seven, Kentucky with six, Missouri with five, Auburn, South Carolina and Texas A&M with 4, Tennessee, Mississippi State and Ole Miss with 2 and Arkansas and Vanderbilt with 1.
The 2021 NFL Draft featured record setting and record tying draft results for the SEC and Alabama. The University of Alabama had six players drafted in the first round, which tied the record set by the 2004 Miami Hurricanes.
You’ve heard the saying before: “The SEC, it just means more.” College football’s juggernaut conference has done it again, and look out for the 2022 class: a class that looks to break the 65-player mark.
Boom Or Bust
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In some ways the NFL Draft is the ultimate crapshoot, and oftentimes some teams simply need good luck more than anything else.
That was the case with the Seahawks landing Russell Wilson in the third round along with a bunch of other teams finding diamonds in the rough late rounds.
Only 50% of second round picks actually pan out, and the odds are obviously worse for later round picks.
With that in mind, my personal belief is teams should target boom-bust picks in the late rounds. The odds are against a so-called safe pick panning out, so teams should go for the player with one or two NFL traits who could turn out to be a massive steal.
Here is my list of boom or bust players that may get drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft.
1.Zach Wilson, QB, BYU: Wilson will blow you away with the kinds of throws you’d expect from an All-Pro NFL quarterback (good tape brings Aaron Rodgers to mind) but there are a few outliers that trouble me.
Wilson’s pocket presence is a concern, because he tends to bail. He needs to better identify pre-snap pressure.
With a lack of competition this season Wilsons completion percentage jumped 11 points. Finally, he is being drafted by the Jets. Wilson does not have the body type, accuracy, and support cast. He has BUST written all over him.
- Marvin Wilson, DL, Florida State: Wilson played with quickness and explosiveness in 2019, but in 2020 he added weight and played slow and uninterested.
Wilson went from a late first, early second round pick to a day three flyer. I say the buyer beware of a BUST.
- Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia:On the field, Campbell looks like an NFL boundary corner. At 6’1” 193 pounds and runs a 4.45 40, he has all the traits NFL teams drool over. However, with these traits, Campbell should have more in-game ball production.
He had 10 pass breakups and just one interception in college. The former five star is susceptible to losing contested 50-50 balls (watch the Florida/Georgia tape).
NFL quarterbacks will test him and I believe a challenging and rocky career will BUST.
- Monty Rice, LB, Georgia: Rice isn’t going to blow teams away with his speed or quickness, but he is a smart and savvy linebacker that just makes plays.
As a classic middle linebacker with a nonstop motor, he is fundamentally sound and more importantly, Rice’s instincts and leadership skills will be welcomed in any locker room.
As a late second day or early third day draftee, Rice will excel on defense and special teams. Rice looks like the type to deliver the BOOM.
- Aaron Robinson, CB, UCF: Robinson is a quick footed, urgent athlete with excellent turn and run skills to stay in phase versus speedy receivers.
He has solid ball production with 20 passes defended in the last two seasons. One scout stated, “scrappy run defender and a dog in coverage.” After weighing some good with some bad, I see Robinson as a BOOM.
- Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami:Rousseau put up video game numbers with 19.5 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 13 games.
Rousseau is the opposite of Jayson Oweh of Penn State, he is very productive where Oweh is very active.
At 6’5” 260 pounds, he seems pro ready but his limited experience makes him an unignorable risk. I’m still calling BOOM.
- Richard LeCounte, S, Georgia:I know Bulldog fans are thinking I picked on their team, but LeCounte was the player I just kept watching.
I know he doesn’t have NFL size or speed, but he is a solid football player who was ultra productive at Georgia.
He had 61 tackles, 3 passes defended and 2 forced fumbles, while providing a strict no fly zone on deep passes. I think LaCounte is a disruptive force that will make an impact an NFL roster. Bulldog fans should look out for this BOOM
Throughout NFL history there have been HOF-ers drafted in the mid to late rounds of the draft, and this year may produce one or more of those.
Great players are often backups for a few seasons before earning a starting role and excelling. When all is said and done, the truth is definitive: The NFL is a big crapshoot!
The Golden Boy
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Trevor Lawrence has been on the NFL radar since he was in High School at Cartersville, GA.
It is a foregone conclusion that he’ll be joining one of the league’s most faceless teams. Lawrence enters the NFL as the surest thing since the last sure thing, former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.
Add Lawrence with three-time national champion head coach Urban Meyer, and suddenly the Jacksonville Jaguars have a chance to turn things around in a span of a few months.
The Jaguars have long been one of the first names to be mentioned when it comes to relocations. According to Jacksonville Business Journal, the Jaguars attendance was way down before the pandemic. Despite a passionate city around them, owner Shad Khan has looked into the ideas about playing overseas.
Now, the talk of Lawrence changes everything as Khan appears ready to invest in Jacksonville.
The city and Khan have recently reached an agreement to update parking. Jacksonville historically is not a professional sports town, but this vote has it trending in the right direction.
The best comparison for the Jaguars is the 1998 Colts, who drafted Peyton Manning first overall. Just like the 98 Colts, the Jaguars need a face of the franchise. They need an identity.
Khan has long championed a Lot J deal as a catalyst to the development of Downtown Jacksonville.
Khan hopes the stadium and surrounding area will become the centerpiece of a revitalized downtown, bringing hotels, restaurants, office space and housing with it.
Lawrence is coming to Jacksonville at what is the tail end of a year long quarantine that has altered business plans of every retailer in the world.
Lawrence has a unique opportunity that could make him and the City of Jacksonville the best ‘buy low’ proposition in sports history.
With most stadiums empty or mostly empty last season due to the COVID Pandemic, the Jaguars actually finished second in the league in attendance despite having the 1-15 record.
When the Jaguars hired Meyer and had the top selection in the upcoming draft (Trevor Lawrence), they raised season ticket prices by 7.2%. The team just announced that the 2021 season will involve a normal stadium experience as the Jaguars will host a full crowd.
Also, the Jaguars currently do not have an agreement with the league to play a home game in London, as they have from 2013-2019.
The team said demand for 2021 season tickets is “at an extreme high.”
Shad Khan purchased the team in 2011 for 770 million dollars. Forbes value the Jaguars at 2.45 billion dollars with a 14% increase in value since January 2021. That increase is not due to fans in the seats, it is due to the team drafting Lawrence.
Add all this up and there is a subsequent event setting up in Jacksonville. One that can change the fortunes of the Jaguars and City of Jacksonville.
Few players in NFL history have this much pressure riding on them. The marriage between Lawrence and the Jaguars begins with big expectations, and that’s what Jacksonville needs for the next decade and beyond.
The Defense Captains
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There has been somewhat of a de-emphasized value on linebackers in recent years but the NFL Draft class of 2021 features some of the most prominent under the radar prospects in this year’s draft.
Linebackers are always one of the most important pieces for a defense in the NFL. They hold the group together and many wear the “green dot” that has them become the voice of that eleven-man defensive squad.
They are the defensive quarterbacks that lead the team onto the field. They are asked to cover, blitz and attack the run game each and every down.
What is the prototype NFL linebacker? The answers depend on the scheme, but it all comes down to versatility. Each linebacker prospect offers something a little different with wildly different body types and plenty of intrigue.
1.Micah Parsons, Penn State, 6-3, 244: Parsons was a one-year starter at Penn State and played the off-ball spot or weak side linebacker.
He is a physical freak with impressive size, speed and athletic strength. Parsons has great vision and agility to hunt running backs from sideline to sideline.
He shows to be an NFL three down linebacker that has yet to scratch the surface on his talents. He is projected as the best linebacker in the class, but there is major concern about his character and immaturity. Grade: 1st Round.
- Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame, 6-2, 215: Owusu-Koramoah is the most versatile linebacker in the draft. He can play both linebacker and nickel defender.
He has remarkable speed and closing burst to blitz, cover and mirror both tight ends or wide receivers across the field.
Owusu-Koramoah’s first step explosion, playmaking range, and intelligence gives his coach flexibility to play him at linebacker, safety, or nickel.
Major concern is what position fits his new team’s skill set, as well as his discipline at times. Grade: 1st Round
- Jamin Davis, Kentucky, 6-4, 234: Davis is a rising prospect and some teams have him as their top linebacker in the 2021 Draft.
He had a phenomenal pro day workout that displayed incredible speed in the 40 and excellent explosion in the jumps.
Davis is a rangy player with a nose for the football, stretching out his stride to close against the run or drop coverage. Major concern is tackling technique, shedding blockers, and trusting his eyes. Grade: late 1st-2nd Round
- Zaven Collins, Tulsa, 6-4, 256: Collins is a big, quick and versatile athlete who displays the ability to drop into coverage, make tackles in the run game, and rush the passer.
He is an ultra smooth mover in coverage with the awareness that leads him to football.
Collins has the hand power to dispose of blockers in the hole and find the ball carrier. He has flashed untapped pass rush skills that have NFL defensive coordinators drooling.
Concerns are that he is not very physical and the scheme fitted to his playstyle are likely 3-4 systems. Grade Late 1st-2nd Round
- Nick Bolton, Missouri, 6-0, 235: Bolton has terrific range and play personality as a run defender, trusting his read and vision to blow up plays at the line of scrimmage.
He lacks size, which reduces his margin for error taking on blocks and with his tackle radius. He is explosive through contact and is a reliable finisher. Concerns are lack of speed, size and athleticism. Grade 2nd Round
- Jabril Cox, LSU, 6-3, 233; 7. Baron Browning, Ohio State, 6-3, 241; 8. Chazz Surratt, North Carolina, 6-2, 277; 9. Dylan Moses, Alabama, 6-3, 235; 10. Pete Werner, Ohio State, 6-1, 235.
Once a highly regarded position, linebackers are seeing their stock take a bit of a hit over recent years, as coverage players or pass rushers tend to be more valued in today’s NFL, where passing is king.
The Disruptive Types
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Since 2013, at least one pass rusher has been drafted in the top five each year. However, that eight-year run will assuredly end this year. This year Rush End is loaded in terms of depth between picks 20-150.
There is tremendous talent available but many of the top prospects are young and not as proven as many of the prospects we have seen in the prior years like Myles Garrett, Chase Young, and the Bosa brothers.
Teams will be hesitant and cautious when looking at this area on the football field. Azeez Ojulari is my top defensive end available but there is currently no clear-cut number two.
1.Azeez Ojulari, 6-2, 241, Georgia: Ojulari was the best pass rusher in the SEC in 2020 while leading the conference in sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles.
He is a dangerous edge rusher with elite quickness and puts good pressure on the quarterback.
Ojulari uses his burst and bend to attack the outside shoulder of the offensive tackle while establishing the corner and detaches from blockers with violent hands. Ojulari lacks elite size and length but that shouldn’t limit his NFL ceiling.
- Gregory Rousseau, 6-7, 265, Miami:Rousseau has been the consensus top defensive end prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft, but most of his college production came from rushing in the A Gap.
He is an intelligent player when it comes to breaking down pass rush execution. Rousseau is not a fast, explosive pass rusher and is not overly physical, but he is a faith-based prospect with the length, frame and athleticism that leave defensive coordinators drooling.
- Kwity Paye, 6-3, 271, Michigan: Paye has size, speed, athleticism and improving technique. He looks like a player with big upside for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Paye has rare lower body twitch and fluidity for his size and uses his physical hands to attack the point of attack.
Paye’s pass rushing toolbox isn’t very deep right now, but he is a compact, explosive athlete with menacing energy. He showed improving pass rushing moves and toughness versus the run in his final college season.
- Jaelan Phillips, 6-5, 265, Miami: Phillips has first round talent with his body type, twitchy athleticism and a nose for the football, but unfortunately the medical feedback will ultimately decide his NFL Draft grade.
He is very smooth in his upfield attack and redirects blockers naturally. He uses his hands as weapons and rushes with his curls on fire. Phillips has a good skill set with strength to shed blocks and hold the edge in run defense.
- Carlos Basham, 6-3, 281, Wake Forest:Basham is rarely controlled due to his active play style, power, and hustle, which directly leads to his production.
He has shown the skills to be able to rush from the edge and tackle in sub packages.
His hands have a lot of pop, but his stiff hips off the ball show when he’s trying to bend the corner.
Basham needs to improve his pass rush creativity; but his size, explosiveness and effort make him a safe pick to become a solid starter in the NFL.
- Jayson Oweh, 6-5, 255, Penn State: Oweh is super explosive with his first two steps, making him consistently disruptive and affecting the backfield’s action.
He was not productive in college, notching just four sacks over his last 18 games, but he has a projectable body and moves differently than most athletes his size, but his pro-level instincts are lacking.
The 6 foot 5, 255 pounder is a workout warrior with shocking speed. He is a high risk, high reward pass rush prospect. Don’t let activity outshine production.
- Joe Tryon, 6-4, 263, Washington; 8. Joseph Ossai, 6-3, 255, Texas; 9. Payton Turner, 6-5, 270, Houston; 10. Ronnie Perkins, 6-3, 248, Oklahoma.
This isn’t a great draft for high end, eye popping talent at the defensive line. There is talent, no doubt or disrespect to any of these athletes and their ability, but there’s not a Chase Young or Aaron Donald type that jumps off the page as top 10 future highlight-making picks.
This year, there are players with high ceilings, and low floors who are physically gifted.
