2021 NFL Draft: Michigan edge Kwity Paye scouting report

Ideal Destinations

Projected: First-rounder, earlier than most expect

Each NFL team evaluates edge defenders differently, often valuing one aspect of a player over another. It is possible that 32-different NFL teams will look at the same defensive end and have wildly different evaluations on them.

Look at 2019, when the Las Vegas Raiders drafted Clelin Ferrell eleventh-overall. This came as a surprise on draft night, as Ferrell was projected to be a late-Day One to early-Day Two edge rusher. But the Raiders clearly saw something in Ferrell they liked and didn’t hesitate to get him, despite having another first-rounder at their disposal.

More than likely, some NFL team will have a really high evaluation on Paye and pull the trigger early in the first round. Paye has the background, the college film, and the experience to be an amazing defensive end in the NFL. He showed leadership skills as a team captain and an ability to improve year-to-year that some NFL franchise will find irresistible.

During his time in Ann Arbor, Paye also thrived in the classroom, finishing college with a degree, while becoming a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and one of ten SENIOR Class Award Finalists in 2020, according to his Michigan profile.

So where would Paye succeed the most in the NFL? Below are three teams that will have a reasonable chance of acquiring him in the 2021 NFL Draft and a quick blurb about why he would succeed there.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles value defensive line talent, as it consistently uses a large portion of its cap space every season on the unit. The team let 2017 first-rounder Derek Barnett’s fifth-year option become guaranteed this offseason. But there is a consensus that Barnett will need to shoot the moon to earn a contract extension next offseason.

On the other side of the defensive line, Brandon Graham is turning 34-years old this spring. The front office restructured his contract in the offseason, essentially making every year after 2021 voidable to get under the cap. There is a very real possibility that the Eagles will lose both their starting defensive ends next offseason.

Getting a prospect like Paye in the 2021 NFL Draft would provide insurance on the defensive line and compliment a highly-valued unit in Philadelphia. The Eagles don’t look ready to compete this season anyway, which would give Paye at least a year to learn from the Super Bowl-winning veterans on the defensive line.

The Eagles may not have the best sense when it comes to acquiring quarterbacks but they don’t mess around when it comes to the defensive line. With the front office in Philadelphia largely unchanged during the organizational shakeup, expect the team to continue its fealty to the pass-rushing position.

Drafting twelfth in the first round, Paye will be on the shortlist for the Eagles, assuming of course the next team on this list doesn’t snag his services first.

New York Giants

The smart money has Paye going to the New York Giants. The front office may have locked down defensive end Leonard Williams to a huge contract extension this offseason, but the team still needs someone to contain the edge and pressure opposing quarterbacks on the other side.

Keeping Williams assures the Giants will have a veteran edge rusher for the future. But it’s going to take another quality pass-rusher on the roster to make the team competitive in the NFC East.

The Giants signed several notable offensive playmakers in free agency this offseason, assuring their third-year quarterback gets all the seasoned help he’ll need. With the return of Saquon Barkley, 2021 represents a “put-up-or-shut-up” season for both GM Dave Gettleman and quarterback Daniel Jones.

The Giants haven’t seen the postseason since 2016 and the last four seasons have seen them go 18-46 in the regular season.

With Paye and Williams as a pass-rushing duo, the Giants would have one of the most dynamic edge-rushing corps in the NFC. Expect the Giants to invest in the defensive line early in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are nouveau riche in draft picks this year. With two picks in the first and second round, they’ll have plenty of opportunities to find offensive help after the first round. With the surplus of wide receiver talent this year, the Dolphins can afford to draft for value with the sixth-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The team has five picks in the first-100 selections, so it is possible they select a generational offensive player with the sixth-overall pick. Let’s say, perhaps, a tight end who also went to a Florida school for college. But they get another turn with the 18th-overall pick and they could really use an elite edge rusher like Paye, as they look to compete in 2021.

Miami will need all the help they can get if they hope to win the AFC East in 2021. They’ll have to contend against the AFC Championship runner-ups and a rebounding New England Patriots team that looks serious about winning in 2021, considering their free-agent acquisitions.

Miami will need to put some serious resources into their defensive line if they hope to separate from the pack of middling-AFC teams in 2021. They missed the playoffs with a 10-6 record in 2020 while nine teams in the AFC finished the regular season with a .500 or better record.

Seven teams won 11 or more games in the AFC last year and most of those teams have, if anything, improved their roster this offseason. An extra turnover or fumble recovery here and there could decide the fate of an entire season.

Paye would give the Dolphins an elite run-stuffer and an ever-improving edge rusher for the next five years. Paye could be the difference-maker the team has been looking for on the front seven, a proven locker room leader with tremendous potential. The Dolphins’ re-build appears to be over.

Now it’s time to make decisions to win now. Paye would represent a huge upgrade off the edge.