Fansided
Fansided

2021 NFL Draft: Early top prospects at each position

By Dan Schmelzer

The Cincinnati Bengals select Penei Sewell in the first round of this 2021 NFL mock draft (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
The Cincinnati Bengals select Penei Sewell in the first round of this 2021 NFL mock draft (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
Ja'Marr Chase, 2021 NFL Draft
Ja’Marr Chase, 2021 NFL Draft prospect (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) /

Running Back: Travis Etienne, Clemson

The running back position can be more difficult to predict than most this far out. I mean, who expected Clyde Edwards-Helaire to be the top running back off of the board in the 2020 NFL Draft at this time last year? That being said, Travis Etienne is easily the top guy at the moment.

Etienne is an incredibly explosive back who is a threat to take it to the house from anywhere on the field. He shows solid ball carrier vision and instincts with the ball in his hands and tremendous natural burst through the hole. He gets from 0-60 in an instant and is almost impossible to catch in the open field when he does kick it into high gear.

Etienne’s explosive speed and big-play ability consistently stand out, but he is also a tough and physical runner who creates well after contact. Etienne does a great job of converting his speed to power as a ball carrier and shows impressive natural contact balance at all times. The clear RB1 at this moment, Etienne could easily be a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Other possible RB1 candidates: Kenneth Gainwell-Memphis, Najee Harris-Alabama and Journey Brown-Penn State

Wide Receiver: Ja’Marr Chase, LSU

Ja’Marr Chase exploded onto the scene in a big way at LSU last season, hauling in 84 receptions for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns. Chase was the number one target in the explosive LSU offense and was a huge part of their undefeated, National Championship team.

Chase is a smooth route runner who finds his way into open space at all times. He changes directions quickly, has extremely sticky hands and converts from receiver to runner extremely quickly. He does is an explosive downfield threat who also shines in contested-catch situations. Make no mistake about it, Chase is a superstar wide receiver in the making who will likely be an extremely early pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Other possible WR1 candidates: Rondale Moore-Purdue, DeVonta Smith-Alabama, Jaylen Waddle-Alabama and Rashod Bateman-Minnesota

Home/NFL Draft