In this way too early top 32 for the 2021 NFL Draft, we discover that the wide receiver class may be better in 2021 than 2020.
While the 2020 NFL Draft just ended, it’s never too early to start thinking about next year. Many have already begun scouting the 2021 NFL Draft and all that it has to offer.
The hype is on at the quarterback position, where Clemson signal-caller Trevor Lawrence is already being lauded as the greatest quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck. There are others at quarterback to watch, especially Ohio State’s Justin Fields. There are always sleepers as well, and two of them made this board.
Another story line surrounding the 2021 class is the wide receiver position. The 2020 class was very deep, but the 2021 NFL Draft could feature more talent at the top of the board. Get ready for the class comparisons all process long. The SEC has a boatload of receiver talent to pay attention to, and several made the list. Other top conferences aren’t slouching though.
The 2021 NFL Draft should also feature a much better tight end class, with both well-rounded players and athletic pass-catchers. Two of them made the early top 32, but there are several others to keep an eye on.
All of that said and we haven’t even discussed the top prospect for 2021, and offensive lineman with almost no holes in his game. The linebacker position is another one to be familiar with, as there are two names fighting for the early top spot.
If it’s too early for you, we understand, but the 2021 NFL Draft is going to be just as fun to cover, and we are just getting started. Let’s kick off another year of summer scouting with a way too early top 32 big board for 2021. Why don’t we dive on in?
Penei Sewell starts off the early 2021 NFL Draft board at the top. There isn’t much Sewell can’t do. He has elite footwork in pass protection and has great hand placement to keep rushers from gaining an advantage. Sewell also is a fluid mover in space and can maul opponents in the run game.
Trevor Lawrence is the clear top quarterback in the class right now. Despite some struggles early in his sophomore season, Lawrence has the traits to be an elite quarterback in the NFL. Lawrence shows great poise in the pocket and navigates it well under pressure. He’s a good athlete as well and can make accurate, crisp throws on the move.
Ja’Marr Chase lands at the top of the wide receiver class early in the 2021 NFL Draft process. Chase can win in a variety of ways. He’s dominant at the catch point and high points the football well. Chase has great play strength and can win vertically with active hands. He has some drops on tape, but he’s got the A.J. Green mold.
Micah Parsons is the next great linebacker to come out of Penn State, and the early favorite to be the first linebacker off the board in 2021. Parsons can win coming downhill by sifting through blocks and working around linemen to rush the quarterback. He also is a good enough athlete in space to excel in coverage.
Justin Fields presents plenty of upside as a quarterback. He’s got the mobility and shows great touch on the football, along with solid accuracy. There’s still some refinement needed in 2020 for Fields to be a top-five pick, but the potential lands him in the early top five.
Shaun Wade could’ve declared for the 2020 draft, but instead, he chose to return for another year at Ohio State. Wade played a lot of snaps in the slot and some at safety in 2019 but will get the chance to show he can succeed on the boundary in 2020 with his recognition skills and ball skills.
DeVonta Smith will likely end up a favorite of this writer in the 2021 NFL Draft. Smith is so well-rounded as a receiver. His release package is excellent and he’s a consistent separator with his great route running skills. Smith has very reliable hands and can be a vertical threat. If he adds to his frame, the sky is the limit.
Dylan Moses was talked about a ton entering the 2019 season, and then he ended up tearing his ACL before even taking a snap. Moses decided to return for 2020, and he could end up going early in the 2021 NFL Draft. Moses has the range to work to both sidelines and the instincts and recognition working downhill.
An interior offensive lineman in the top 10? You bet. Trey Smith has every bit of talent to be in this spot. He’s one of the few players to be able to hold their own against Javon Kinlaw. Smith is a brick wall at the point of attack and has good footwork along with experience at the tackle position.
Three receivers make the top 10! Jaylen Waddle has breakaway speed along with great ball skills. He has all the potential in the world, and another year working on his route tree will prove to be great for his game.
The 2021 NFL Draft doesn’t look like it’ll have a top tier edge rusher like the last two classes, at least for now. Gregory Rousseau looks like the best hope. Rousseau has a lot of potential, but has done his best work rushing from the interior. He will need to be more consistent this fall.
The Pittsburgh Panthers will have a few defenders to watch for in the upcoming season, but Jalen Twyman is the best of them. He has very good hand usage and is a very good pass rusher from the interior. A big step in 2020 will vault him into first-round conversation.
Marvin Wilson decided to return for his senior season, and that may prove smart. Wilson can stack and shed in the run game and has a powerful lower half to push the pocket. He could end up being the first defensive lineman taken in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The 2021 running back class has some talent to potentially rival the 2020 class, and it starts at the top with Travis Etienne. Etienne has the burst and long speed to be a game changer at running back. He needs to iron out some woes in the passing game and with ball security, but the traits are there.
Patrick Surtain II continues the pipeline of Alabama corners, and he already has gotten plenty of attention. Surtain has the size, length, and physicality to make the jump to the NFL after another season.
Is this a little high for Rashod Bateman? Maybe, but Bateman has a lot of traits that translate to the NFL. He has the straight-line speed and size to win down the field vertically, and the technique to win quickly at the line of scrimmage. Bateman could be one of the big risers throughout the 2021 NFL Draft process.
Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey returned for another season, and it should help him refine his game. Humphrey has the mauler mentality in the run game but needs to work on his footwork in pass protection to be a top-flight prospect.
The Trey Lance hype train has already left the station, and it’s for good reason. Lance has a ton of arm talent, with great touch and accuracy to all levels of the field. His tools are excellent, and if he decides to declare, he will likely go in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Alex Leatherwood has played in multiple spots on the Alabama offensive line, at right guard and left tackle, the latter of which he played in 2019. Leatherwood has strong hands and is quick into his stance, but his pass sets need some work. His best spot might be at guard in the NFL.
Get ready for the Jaycee Horn hype train. The son of Saints wide receiver Joe Horn, Jaycee plays the corner spot, and will quickly get attention when the season starts. He has good click and close ability in off coverage, and great timing at the catch point. He might challenge for the title of “CB1” in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The early leader in the clubhouse for “TE1” in the 2021 NFL Draft, Kyle Pitts is everything teams want in a receiving tight end. He can stretch the field running seam routes and is very physical after the catch. Pitts needs to refine his blocking skills to be well-rounded enough for the next level, but the potential is there.
Rondale Moore absolutely dominated as a freshman with the Boilermakers, but injuries forced him to miss a lot of time as a sophomore. Moore should bounce back in 2020. He’s got the Jalen Reagor and K.J. Hamler mold, as he’s an elite athlete after the catch, constantly making defenders miss and possessing the requisite speed to turn any catch into a touchdown.
Andre Cisco headlines the safety class early on in the 2021 NFL Draft. Cisco plays the single high spot very well with great route recognition skills, solid closing speed, and good ball skills. He should grab plenty of attention this fall.
Paulson Adebo returned to Stanford for the 2020 season, and he sits in the top five corners in the class right now. Adebo has the size and physicality to excel in press coverage, and the ball skills to create turnovers. Deep speed is the main question for him, which may limit his fit in the NFL.
Many have Clemson receiver Justyn Ross a bit higher, but he possesses a similar game to Tee Higgins. Ross has the ability to win in contested spots and has good straight-line speed to threaten vertically, but his horizontal route tree needs some work in 2020.
This could be a good season for 2021 NFL Draft prospect Samuel Cosmi. The Longhorns left tackle improved mightily in pass protection in the 2019 season but lacks a road-grader mentality in the run game. Still, he has first-round upside heading into 2020.
Richard LeCounte is another safety who can play on the back end. He was a ball hawk for the Bulldogs in 2019, picking off four passes and adding three more passes defense. LeCounte also had 4.5 tackles for loss playing near the line of scrimmage, and his versatility can prove valuable.
It’s a little bit of a drop off at the edge position after Rousseau in the 2021 NFL Draft right now, but Carlos Basham Jr. sits in the second spot. Basham is a technician rushing the passer, showing good hand usage to trim the edge and collapse the pocket.
Pat Freiermuth had a chance to be the top tight end in 2020, but opted to return for the Nittany Lions. Freiermuth is an excellent player working inline as a blocker, and has good hands and a wide catch radius as a receiver. He could easily end up the top tight end with his well-rounded game.
Walker Little missed time due to injury in 2019, but will hopefully return to form this fall. Little plays left tackle but is likely more suited for the guard position based on his raw power, good hands, and lack of quickness handling more athletic rushers.
There’s a chance that Hamsah Nasirildeen will get comparisons to Derwin James, as Nasirildeen is listed at 6’4 and 215 pounds. He’s an explosive athlete with great range and plays extremely well in the box.
The quarterback class gets a little murky in the 2021 NFL Draft after the top three, but Brock Purdy has the most potential of the rest of the field. Purdy has a great arm, flashes good accuracy and placement, and can make plays out of structure. He needs to be more consistent, but the potential is there.
Make sure to keep following NFL Mocks for all your NFL Draft content, including reviews of past draft classes and upcoming scouting for 2021.