A look at what prospects are rising their stock for the 2021 NFL Draft.
With almost all college football games behind us for the year, it will not be easy for 2021 NFL Draft prospects to raise their stocks in the coming months. That being said, there have certainly been prospects who have been able to improve their stocks in recent weeks and that is what we are going to look at here. Up first, one of the premier prospects in the entire class.
Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
One of the most debated topics in draft circles is who is the second-best quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. Going into the new year, it looked like BYU’s Zach Wilson was starting to pull ahead in this race, especially after Fields struggled in the Big Ten Championship game. However, that all changed with Field’s performance against Clemson last week.
To say Fields was impressive in the first round of the College Football Playoffs is an understatement. On the day Fields completed 22-of-28 passes for 385 yards and six touchdowns. He did this despite playing most of the game hurt after taking a nasty shot from Clemson linebacker James Skalski.
What stood out about Fields’ talents in this game included being more decisive with his decisions and the overall toughness he showed. One of the biggest knocks on Fields going into this game was that he held onto the ball too long. That did not happen in this game as he was willing to take the check down route if something wasn’t open, and didn’t seem to second guess himself when throwing downfield.
What may have stood out the most though was the toughness he showed playing through an injury that clearly affected him on the field. The grit he showed to do this and how his team rallied around him shows the leadership skills needed to be a successful NFL quarterback.
Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State
A player who has come on incredibly strong over the last part of the season is Ohio State running back Trey Sermon. Sermon did not have over 100 yards in a game in the first four games of the year but has now put up over 100 yards in each of the last three games.
He started to shine this year against Michigan State when he rushed for 112 yards on just ten carries. Then he absolutely dominated the Big Ten Championship rushing for 331 yards. He built on that game in the first round of the College Football Playoffs as well running for 193 yards against Clemson.
When watching his film over the past few weeks what has really stood out is his power. He does a great job of running downhill and when he gets a full head of steam is extremely hard to bring down. He has had numerous runs over the last couple of weeks where he breaks arm tackles and is able to pick up valuable yards after contact.
Another trait that has stood out is his vision. Sermon does a great job of finding running lanes and cutting back in the open field to create better running angles.
Sermon will face another test on January 11th, in the National Championship game against Alabama. If he can have a big game against the Tide, he will likely have moved up from a mid-day three pick to a possible second-rounder in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma
Last week, Oklahoma running back Rhamondre Stevenson capped off a great career with one of the best rushing performances in Cotton Bowl history. Against the Florida Gators, he rushed for 186 yards on just 18 carries and also scored one rushing touchdown. This gave Stevenson 665 rushing yards in only six games this year. He also was a factor in the passing game for the Sooners as hauled in 18 passes on the year.
When evaluating Stevenson the first thing that sticks out is his power. Coming in at 246 pounds, he is one of the bigger backs in this draft class. He also knows how to use his size as he has no problem trying to run over defenders.
While he would much rather run over a defender than around them, he does show impressive speed for someone his size and has the ability to break off the long run. One more positive with him is he has the receiving ability to contribute in the passing game.
The one red flag Stevenson will draw going through the scouting process is the suspension he had to serve at Oklahoma. He was suspended for six games for reportedly failing a drug test at the end of the 2019 season. This will be something teams will have to thoroughly investigate before using a 2021 NFL Draft pick on him. If a team is comfortable with his background and overall character, they could take Stevenson in the second round.
Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota
A player who quietly had a great season is Minnesota defensive end Boye Mafe. In just six games this the junior recorded 27 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. His average of 0.75 sacks a game placed him second in the Big Ten in sacks per game, and his average of 0.92 tackles for loss per game finished 18th in the conference.
Mafe has also turned heads off the field with his impressive weight room testing numbers. According to Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, Mafe has a vertical jump of 40.5 inches. If he is able to post a similar number to this at the combine he would have the sixth-best vertical jump among defensive ends in the NFL combine’s history. To go along with his strong vertical jump numbers he also posts a 4.57 40-yard dash, which would have beat any defensive end’s time in last year’s draft class.
While he has the raw tools to make an NFL team next year, Mafe might be best off by returning to school next year. This is due to the fact that he is still working off of natural ability and needs to refine his game. One area he especially needs to work on is his hand use as he doesn’t have a ton of pass-rushing moves.
I would also like to see him improve his instincts, as he can be slow to react at times. If he returns to Minnesota next year and posts double-digit sacks, I could see him moving from a day-three prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft to a possible late first-rounder in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami
2020 will go down as Jordan’s best year of his career, as he set career highs in receptions with 38, receiving yards with 576, average yards per catch averaging 15.2 yards per receptions, and touchdowns with seven. His numbers would have been much higher as well had he not missed three games due to injury.
As a receiver, Jordan shows the skills to help in a variety of ways. He has the speed to get downfield evident by his 15.2 yards per catch. He also does a nice job of catching the ball in traffic and can fight through contact to make the catch. One area he needs to improve on in this area is his concentration. He has had his share of drops this year, as he seems to not always focus on the ball when bringing it in for a reception.
While Jordan is not the strongest blocker in the class, he is someone you can count on to give a great effort every play. The biggest downfall with him is he lacks the power and strength to hold up against bigger defenders.
Overall, Jordan offers great value as a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. This is due to him being able to help out in all three areas of the passing game and that he can help some as a blocker.