2021 NFL Draft: Top prospects to watch for each ACC team
By Kyle Edmond
Pitt – Jaylen Twyman, Defensive Line, Redshirt Junior
One stat is almost enough to show the hype surrounding Jaylen Twyman heading into the 2020 season. Last season he became the first Pitt interior defensive lineman to lead the team in sacks since Aaron Donald had 11 during the 2013 season. Twyman had 10.5.
Sure, there’s a lot more to Donald’s game than just his sack numbers, but it isn’t that much of a stretch to begin the comparisons between the two. In addition to the sacks, Twyman also logged 12 tackles for loss and totaled 41 tackles.
Twyman’s effort on the field was enough for him to be a second-team All-American and first-team All-ACC. Looking ahead to the 2020 season, Twyman is already being looked at as a player with breakout potential, even beyond his 2019 campaign. He has already been placed on the watch list for the Outland Trophy, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Chuck Bednarik Award.
If he can continue to grow and receive more comparisons to Aaron Donald, then teams will take a close look at him during the pre-draft process. Don’t be surprised if he begins to challenge players like Marvin Wilson for the best interior defensive lineman in the 2021 NFL Draft class.