2021 NFL Draft: Return to Ohio State key for Shaun Wade

Shaun Wade has a chance to significantly improve his 2021 NFL Draft stock this season.

Earlier this week, Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade declared for the 2021 NFL Draft. Since that declaration, the Big Ten has decided to bring back fall football, changing things a bit for guys like Wade. Now, Wade has made a return to Ohio State and will likely be on the field for the Buckeyes this fall.

Wade is considered to be one of the top cornerback prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft class. He has nice size at the cornerback position (listed at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds by Ohio State) and shows an impressive mix of athletic skills. Wade is extremely quick and agile in short spaces, and also shows fantastic natural long speed. He is sticky in man coverage, displays great awareness in zone and has a knack for playing the ball in the air.

Simply put, Wade is a top-notch cornerback prospect who undoubtedly has a bright future at the next level. However, his 2021 NFL Draft stock will largely be determined by what he is able to do on the field for the Buckeyes this season.

Can Shaun Wade play on the outside?

While Wade is undoubtedly a talented defender, he has primarily played out of the slot for the first two years of his college career. The 2020 season was always supposed to be his opportunity to prove himself on the outside, but if he was unable to do so, his draft stock would likely suffer.

Wade has proven himself as a fantastic slot defender, but there is always going to be some sort of unknown about his ability to kick outside and defend the boundary until he proves that he can do so.

Without a 2020 season, Wade would enter the 2021 NFL Draft as a prospect who scouts would have to project to the next level. Returning to college for another year allows Wade the opportunity to prove himself on the outside and erase any potential doubts about his ability to play on the boundary.

Wade is undoubtedly valuable as a slot defender and playing inside has allowed him to showcase his toughness and ability to help defend the run over the last two years. Now, if he can prove that he can handle outside duties, it will be tough to find negatives in his game and his 2021 NFL Draft stock will soar.

If Wade becomes a player with proven versatility to add to his tremendous natural coverage ability, he could easily end up being the first cornerback off of the board next April.