2021 NFL Draft defensive end rankings: Ronnie Perkins leads a deep class
By John Blair
17. Payton Turner, Houston
6-foot-6, 270 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Fifth round
A player who quietly had a strong year last season is Peyton Turner of Houston. He was able to account for 25 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in just five games. Part of the reason he was able to be so productive is his high motor as he routinely chased down plays and never stops before the whistle. In addition to his non-stop motor Turner has good size coming in at 6-foot-6 270 pounds.
A concern with Turner is his long injury history. He missed most of his senior year in high school with a knee injury, suffered a season-ending foot injury in 2018, and battled a hand and knee injury this past season. He is an average athlete as well and has only decent speed overall. He also needs to widen his stance and work on not getting off the ball with such a high pad level. He will likely be an early day three pick who finds a role as a backup defensive end in the NFL.
18. Adetokunbo Ogundeji, Notre Dame
6-foot-4, 256 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Fifth round
Notre Dame’s Adetokunbo Ogundeji made the most out of his one year as a starter in 2020. He was able to account for 34 tackles and six sacks on the year, which more than doubled what he had the rest of his Notre Dame career. As a prospect, he is a player with good length, a quick first step, and nice overall strength.
On the downside, Ogundeji has had limited production during his Notre Dame career only having seen significant action for one year. He lacks great speed overall and really slows down after his first couple of steps. One more concern with him is that he is a bit stiff in the upper body. One team that has already shown a decent amount of interest in Ogundeji is the New Orleans Saints, and he would make sense for them in the middle of day three.