Value can be found throughout the 2021 NFL Draft, including on the third day. Some of these Day 3 picks will struggle to ever make NFL rosters, but there are plenty of players who will come in and make an impact. In this post, we are going to focus on the fourth round, pinpointing the best picks of the round.
Here are the five best selections in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
2021 NFL Draft: Round 4, 107th overall
The New York Jets did not take long to make an impact on Day 3 of the 2021 NFL Draft. With the second pick of the fourth round (107th overall), the Jets took Michael Carter, a talented running back prospect out of North Carolina.
Carter is an extremely quick and elusive running back prospect who sees the hole quickly and explosive through with impressive burst. He is shifty in open space and also shows impressive contact balance for a smaller back.
Carter certainly has plenty of upside as a runner but is perhaps even more of an impact player as a receiver out of the backfield. Having Carter available as a safety valve for rookie quarterback Zach Wilson will be valuable for the early part of the young quarterback’s career.
Running back stood out as a major position of need for the Jets entering the 2021 NFL Draft. Instead of reaching for the position, this team did a great job of simply sitting back and waiting to find value. Carter was undoubtedly one of the premier players available when the third day began and the Jets scooped him quickly.
With the second pick of the fourth round, the Jets found tremendous value at a major position of need with the selection of Michael Carter.
2021 NFL Draft: Round 4, 112th overall
The Detroit Lions entered the 2021 NFL Draft with a massive need at the wide receiver position. Many expected them to fill that need at No. 7 overall, but Penei Sewell fell to them and they pounced on the opportunity to snag an elite offensive tackle prospect. The Lions continued to find proper value on Day 2 but could not find proper value.
As the third day of the 2021 NFL Draft began, USC wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown stood out as clearly one of the best players remaining on the board. With the 112th overall pick, the Lions absolutely stole St. Brown, filling the largest need on their roster with an extremely talented fourth-round player.
St. Brown is a quick and physical wide receiver who consistently shows a ton of natural ability in the slot. He is a sharp route runner who creates separation well in the middle of the field and also shines after the catch. St. Brown shows some natural elusiveness in space and displays impressive contact balance for a wide receiver.
While St. Brown will primarily make an impact in the short-to-intermediate range from the slot, he does show some nice deep-ball ability as well. This wide receiver prospect has above-average speed and tracks the ball in the air well. The Lions did not find a number one wide receiver with this pick but they did find an impact player who will bring some much-needed stability to the unit.
2021 NFL Draft: Round 4, 114th overall
Drew Dalman is one of the best natural center prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft class. He is certainly a bit under-sized on the inside but Dalman is an extremely smart and mobile offensive lineman who is always in a position to do his job.
The Atlanta Falcons addressed their offensive line depth with their third-round selection of Jalen Mayfield on Day 2, which was a nice pick. In Dalman, they find another gifted offensive lineman who will certainly provide quality depth for the team up front.
Atlanta undoubtedly found tremendous value with this pick. Nobody would have considered Dalman a reach, even as early as the second round. However, it is not easy to see where Dalman fits in their immediate plans.
One thing is for sure, this pick is not good for 2020 third-round selection Matt Hennessy. Expect the Falcons to allow Hennessy and Dalman to battle for that starting center position immediately, and it is not difficult to see the new coaching staff giving the edge to the player who they picked.
Whether Dalman jumps in and starts immediately or not, he is undoubtedly a strong value pick in this range. The Atlanta Falcons did a great job of sticking to their board and making a nice talent addition in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
2021 NFL Draft: Round 4, 132nd overall
The Cleveland Browns entered the 2021 NFL Draft with an already loaded roster with impact talent on both sides of the ball. Through the first four rounds, they have consistently found value at positions of need, identifying players who can help provide quality depth across the board.
In the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Browns did it again with the selection of Tommy Togiai at No. 132 overall. Togiai is a big and powerful defensive tackle who displays obvious ability as a run defender. He is quick off of the ball powerful at the point of attack and holds his ground well at all times.
Togiai is a strong two-gap defender who does a great job of keeping second-level defenders clean and also shows a great nose for the ball when he asked to attack. Togiai does not bring much as a pass rusher but his combination of quickness and power up front leads to him pushing the pocket a bit and provide some pressure on the interior.
The Browns simply do not have many needs on this roster but the interior defensive line was one of them. Snagging Togiai at No. 132 was not a sexy pick, but it was a tremendous selection that will help this team for many years.
2021 NFL Draft: Round 4, 139th overall
You did not have to watch much Cincinnati Bengals football last season to see that they have major needs on the offensive line. They addressed the unit with the second-round selection of Jackson Carman, but that was a pick that many looked at as a reach. However, the Bengals did a nice job of finding value at the position late in the fourth round with the selection of D’Ante Smith.
Smith is a long and athletic offensive tackle prospect who shows obvious upside in pass protection. He is a bit of a raw player who is unlikely to be ready to come in and make an immediate impact for the team, but Smith is undoubtedly a talented player who could grow into a very good starter.
Expect the Bengals to start Smith out at offensive tackle, and his combination of length and quick feet should allow him to stick on the outside. If nothing else, this pick gives the Bengals some quality depth at an obvious position of need. However, Smith undoubtedly has the skill-set to grow into a quality starter for this team, probably at the right tackle position. The Bengals invest in the development of their franchise quarterback with this late fourth-round selection.