The next great Penn State linebacker and more 2021 NFL Draft notes
By John Blair
This week’s scouting notes takes a look at a linebacker from Linebacker U, an underrated tight end, 2021 NFL Draft quarterback rankings and much more.
Linebacker U
One of the most well-known terms in college football is that Penn State is known as Linebacker U. The school has earned this label after producing several great linebackers including Jack Ham, LaVar Arrington and Paul Posluszny. The next player to join this distinguished list will be Micah Parsons, who should be a high draft pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Parsons is widely projected as a top-ten pick due to his impressive physical skill set. The skill that catches my attention first is his speed, as he is one of the best linebackers I have seen when it comes to chasing down ball carriers. He also has the versatility to become a great linebacker in the NFL.
As a pass rusher, Parsons shows great timing, speed and strength. He also has the athletic ability to hold up in coverage and has good awareness in zone coverage. One of the other traits that really impress me is his ability to get off blocks with ease.
The only concern teams might have with him is awareness as a run defender. From time to time he can get out of position, but he was still able to record 192 tackles in just two years at Penn State so this is far from a major concern. The two teams that seem to have the most interest in him are the Miami Dolphins and Denver, Broncos and he would be a great fit for either team with their first-round pick the 2021 NFL Draft.
Unsung hero
One of the better players in the 2018 recruiting class who has yet to put up big numbers is Ohio State tight end Jeremy Ruckert. Coming out of high school, Ruckert was rated as the second-best tight end in the country by 247 Sports and the 37th best player in the country overall. He also drew praise from former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer who said “I think Jeremy Ruckert might be the best tight end prospect that I’ve ever seen and recruited. His skill set is ridiculous.”
Despite this high praise coming out of high school, Ruckert has yet to produce at a high level at Ohio State. Through his first three seasons on campus, he has only recorded 28 receptions.
However, this is more due to the system he is in at Ohio State than a lack of talent. Ohio State rarely throws the ball to its tight ends instead opting to go outside more often to its wide receiver in the passing game. Plus, when Ruckert is used, he is able to produce some pretty impressive results including a spectacular one-handed grab against Michigan State last year, and a two-touchdown performance against Clemson this year.
When scouting Ruckert, the thing that impresses me the most is his ability to contribute in both the passing and run game. As a receiver, he shows outstanding hands and is one of the more athletic tight ends in the Big Ten. When it comes to helping out in the run game he does a great job of being an in-line blocker and has his share of pancake blocks.
If Ruckert was playing in a program that featured the tight end position more, there is no doubt he would be a second-round prospect, but since he is not a primary receiver in the Buckeye’s system he could fall to the fourth or fifth round if he declares for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Intriguing Day 3 option
Stanford quarterback Davis Mills is an intriguing developmental quarterback prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft class. Mills has had an up and down career at Stanford as he struggled with turnovers and consistency. However, he was the highest-rated quarterback coming out of high school in 2017 and shows some traits that make you think he could develop with the right coaching.
One of the traits that make you think he could be a good developmental quarterback is his strong arm. He can easily throw any pass in an NFL offense and shows nice zip on intermediate passes. He also is able to throw with nice touch and throws an easily catchable ball when he throws the ball accurately.
Unfortunately, his accuracy can be off at times due to poor footwork. He struggles when being forced to move in the pocket as he doesn’t always throw with his feet underneath him. He also tends to throw with a poor base, which leads to accuracy issues. While these concerns did have an impact on him in college, with the right quarterback coach in the NFL he could fix this issue and improve in this area.
Sleeper of the week
A sleeper in the 2021 NFL Draft class is Iowa tight end Shaun Beyer, who is currently projected to go late in the draft. While he may not have been used much in Iowa’s offense, only catching 18 passes during his Hawkeye career, he showed high upside when used. The thing that stands out when evaluating him is his ability to make the tough catch. He was able to snag a one-handed catch against Nebraska, and also showed great body control on his touchdown vs. Illinois this year.
He also has the skill set to be a complete tight end at the next level. He has shown he is a capable blocker like most Iowa tight ends have. As a blocker, he shows the power to hold up at the point of attack. He also gets off the ball quickly which allows him to get an early advantage on his opponent. Overall, I would expect Beyer to be the type of player who finds his way onto an NFL roster next year and contribute as a number two tight end for years to come.
2021 NFL Draft quarterback rankings
This year’s quarterback class is loaded as I currently project four quarterbacks to go in the top-ten of the draft. Even though I do project North Dakota State’s Trey Lance to be a top-ten pick and to go ahead of Kyle Trask, I currently have Trask as the higher-rated quarterback. This is due to him being a better passer and having seen more game action against tougher competition.
Next. Ideal landing spots for Mac Jones. dark
- Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
- Zach Wilson, BYU
- Justin Fields, Ohio State
- Kyle Trask, Florida
- Trey Lance, North Dakota State
- Mac Jones, Alabama
- Davis Mills, Stanford
- Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
- Sam Ehlinger, Texas
- Shane Buechele, SMU
- Jamie Newman, Georgia
- Feleipe Franks, Arkansas
- Brady White, Memphis
- Ian Book, Notre Dame
- Levi Lewis, Louisiana
- Zac Thomas, Appalachian State
- Dustin Crum, Kent State