1. Trevor Lawrence, QB1, Clemson (6-6, 220)
Although there are areas of his game that require improvement, Lawrence is a generational talent with his combination of size, arm talent, mobility, processing skills and intangibles. His rare blend of traits makes him the easy choice at No. 1.
2. Penei Sewell, OT1, Oregon (6-6, 330)
For a blocker with his size and strength, Sewell is astonishingly efficient with his movement patterns due to his natural flexibility and footwork. Not only does he offer impressive physical traits, but his split-second reads and reflexes are also advanced for a player his age.
3. Ja’Marr Chase, WR1, LSU (6-0, 210)
Chase is extremely talented after the catch and with the ball in the air, exemplifying the “my ball” attitude to consistently win the catch point (plays like a smaller Larry Fitzgerald). He appears very natural with his route movements but needs to do a better job making every route look the same off the line of scrimmage.
4. Zach Wilson, QB2, BYU (6-2, 212)
Although scouts wish he was bigger and faced a tougher schedule, Wilson has the dynamic skill set that NFL teams covet. A naturally accurate passer, he has outstanding mobility with a whip for an arm to make off-platform throws look routine.
5. Kyle Pitts, TE1, Florida (6-6, 240)
Described as a “unicorn” by the Florida coaching staff, Pitts is what a twitchy big man looks like, using his natural reflexes, flexible movements and athletic ball skills to be a cheat code as a pass-catcher. Although he lacks the body power to convincingly sustain or drive block, he is willing and competitive to contribute as a blocker, but he should be evaluated more as a weapon than a traditional tight end.
6. Rashawn Slater, OT2, Northwestern (6-4, 308)
Slater doesn’t have ideal height or length, but he is agile, stout and power-packed and doesn’t allow rushers to go through him (Isaiah Wynn conversation all over again). He is very quick to lock up pass rushers before they can set up their moves, rarely straying from his fundamentals.
7. DeVonta Smith, WR2, Alabama (6-0, 172)
Despite a frail build and average stopwatch speed, Smith is natural in everything he does, finding space, finishing catches and not going down easy (he is tougher and more competitive than most 225-pound receivers). The Alabama coaches used him across the formation and routinely highlighted him as having the best hands on the team, accounting for only seven drops on 268 catchable targets in his career.
8. Jaylen Waddle, WR3, Alabama (5-10, 182)
With his natural speed and burst, Waddle is dangerous before and after the catch, showing the creativity, competitiveness and separation skills to stress defenses in different ways (responsible for four receptions of 75-plus yards in his career). While still a work-in-progress with several details of the position, he showed clear maturation with his route construction and ball skills in 2020.
9. Justin Fields, QB3, Ohio State (6-3, 218)
Fields is remarkably talented with his size, athleticism and upside as a passer. While his passing vision is not currently NFL-ready, he throws a clean, accurate ball and NFL coaches will love his toughness and composure.
10. Caleb Farley, CB1, Virginia Tech (6-2, 205)
Farley checks boxes with his size, speed and reaction skills while also developing his comfort level on defense, which has allowed him to anticipate the action and play ultracompetitive. With only two years of experience at corner, he needs continued work with his route recognition and fundamental muscle memory, but the majority of his flaws are due to inexperience and not inability.
11. Patrick Surtain, CB2, Alabama (6-2, 205)
With his foot athleticism, body range and ball skills, Surtain plays sticky coverage and doesn’t panic downfield, consistently staying balanced and in phase. While he is athletic and false steps are infrequent, he lacks suddenness in his movements, giving explosive receivers a chance to separate early.
12. Christian Darrisaw, OT3, Virginia Tech (6-5, 315)
Keeping his weight over his toes, Darrisaw shows efficient slide quickness in pass pro, and he is a bulldozer in the run game, unlocking his hips to create movement or seal block. While he shows the ability to manhandle defenders once he locks on, he doesn’t always play with a stout anchor or killer instinct.
13. Micah Parsons, LB1, Penn State (6-3, 244)
Parsons is an excellent ball hunter due to his vision and agility near the line of scrimmage, also displaying exceptional sideline range. He needs to improve his maturity (on and off the field), spacing and anticipation in coverage, but the athleticism and budding awareness are there.
14. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB2, Notre Dame (6-2, 220)
With his explosive athleticism, Owusu-Koramoah will be a hot commodity this spring. He has terrific key, read and flow skills, showing the range and physicality to cover the slot receiver one play and rush off the edge the next play. His “fit” will be different from team-to-team.
15. Trey Lance, QB4, North Dakota State (6-3, 225)
Lance is an unprecedented evaluation. Never before have we seen a quarterback with his talent yet meager experience vs. top competition (17 career games, all vs. FCS competition). Lance is well-built with mobility and arm talent, but the pre-draft interviews will be the key to his final draft grade.
16. Azeez Ojulari, Edge1, Georgia (6-2, 241)
Ojulari is very skilled at using his burst and bend to attack the outside shoulder of blockers, greasing the corner and detaching from blocks with his violent hands. While he lacks elite size and length for the position, that shouldn’t limit his NFL ceiling if he continues to diversify his approach and develop his counters.
17. Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG1, USC (6-4, 315)
A projected second-round pick over the summer, Vera-Tucker opted back into the 2020 season and moved to left tackle, performing at a high level for the Trojans. His NFL future is likely best inside at guard, but his value has gone up by showing his versatility to play well outside as well.
18. Christian Barmore, DT1, Alabama (6-5, 310)
Barmore has been my DT1 since the summer, but it was mostly based on potential until midway through the 2020 season when he started to play like one of the best interior defensive linemen in the country. Only a redshirt sophomore, he is still learning, but the traits are going to be enticing in the mid-first round.
19. Kwity Paye, Edge2, Michigan (6-3, 271)
Equally effective rushing the passer and stopping the run, Paye competes with athletic twitch and relentless energy to work around blockers and make plays in the backfield. He needs to improve his anticipation and countering skills, but the talent suggests he is a long-term NFL starter.
20. Jaycee Horn, CB3, South Carolina (6-1, 205)
With his length and athleticism, Horn matches up well vs. size and shows more ownership for the catch point than most receivers, displaying improved route recognition the last three seasons. While his aggressive nature is a strength to his game, it also works against him at times — he is the type of corner who immediately finds the official after each play to make sure no flags were thrown (five penalties in seven games in 2020).
21. Jayson Oweh, Edge3, Penn State (6-5, 255)
For those who value production above all else, Oweh won’t be a particularly attractive prospect (5.0 sacks in 20 games the past two seasons), but he is a unique athlete for his size and the tape showed a frequent visitor to the backfield even if the box score doesn’t reflect that.
22. Nick Bolton, LB3, Missouri (6-0, 235)
A hammer in search of a nail, Bolton is a forceful downhill defender with outstanding play speed and striking skills to put ball carriers on the ground before they can reach the line of scrimmage. His lack of size and length will show up, especially in coverage, but his fiery play personality is something that will endear him to NFL coaches.
23. Zaven Collins, LB4, Tulsa (6-3, 259)
With the size of a defensive end and the athleticism of a safety, Collins offers every-down ability, ideally suited for a 3-4 scheme. He needs to be better with his take-on skills and run fits, but he flashes like a Dont’a Hightower starter kit.
24. Gregory Rousseau, Edge4, Miami (Fla.) (6-7, 265)
Rousseau is a super long athlete who keeps his momentum going downhill with violent hands and easy acceleration, helping him to quickly disengage from blocks. He is an intelligent player and can talk the talk when it comes to breaking down pass-rush execution, but he is overly reliant on speed/length and needs to improve his anchor, technique and diagnose skills.
25. Kadarius Toney, WR4, Florida (5-11, 195)
A loose, elastic athlete, Toney routinely makes the first man miss with special start/stop twitch that frustrates would-be tacklers and creates explosive plays. While he is an improved route-runner, he remains a work-in-progress with his steps and tempo, and his freelancing will backfire at times.
This stings. So they could’ve had him last season.
