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2021 NFL Draft: Kwity Paye destined for top 10 picks

By Sayre Bedinger

Oct 24, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman Julius Welschof (96) celebrates with defensive lineman Kwity Paye (19) after sacking Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan (not pictured) in the first quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 24, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman Julius Welschof (96) celebrates with defensive lineman Kwity Paye (19) after sacking Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan (not pictured) in the first quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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2021 NFL Draft prospect Kwity Paye could be destined for the top 10 picks.

The quarterback position has received a ton of focus in the 2021 NFL Draft class, especially when it comes to the tremendous underclassmen like Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, and others, but what about the pass rushers?

The 2021 group has long been considered one with high potential and upside, but maybe not quite the level of production that is needed to make an impact in the early goings of the NFL Draft.

Considering how much of a struggle it has been early on for the 2020 NFL Draft class of pass rushers, this 2021 crop really needed to step up to get NFL talent evaluators excited.

One player — among a number of guys — who is living up to some high expectations is Michigan defensive end Kwity Paye, an edge player with unreal short-area quickness and burst along with power and strength.

Leading into the 2020 season, Paye had just 9.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss in three seasons of play, granted he wasn’t playing 100 percent of the Michigan defensive snaps in each of those three seasons.

His athleticism was reported on during the 2020 offseason and that three-cone time of 6.37 would rival just about any position player in the entire NFL right now. The fastest three-cone time in NFL Scouting Combine history is 6.28 seconds. The second-fastest is 6.42 seconds.

If Paye at 6-foot-4, 272 pounds is able to come even close to that time of 6.37, it would be an unbelievable display of quickness and burst, and combining it with a 4.57 and 30 bench press reps?

Good luck, offensive tackles.

Paye had a whale of a season-opener for Michigan with three tackles for loss, a pair of sacks, and an all-around display of every trait scouts love about him.

If his production continues, the athletic traits are there for Paye to ascend to the top 10 picks of the 2021 NFL Draft with relative ease.

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At this point in time, Gregory Rousseau of Miami has popped into the top 10 of most 2021 NFL mock drafts, and some have included Paye as a projection. Soon, those projections should become reality as he continues to dominate offensive tackles against both the run and pass.

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