Alright, the 2021 draft class is starting to shape up to being a deep deep draft and possibly should be looked at even more importantly due to the seeming lack of depth in the coming years of ‘22 and somewhat in ‘23. We know the big names of Devonta Smith, Jamarr Chase and Travis Etienne. The QB class looks like it could be 5 good quarterbacks deep at least and even more if prospects like Jaime Newman, Kellen Mond and Desmond Ritter can show promise and have some capital behind them in the draft. I wanted to highlight some of my picks as good value from what it is looking like right now.
Javonte Williams RB North Carolina
Coming in at 5-10 and 220 pounds, Williams is a wrecking ball that can move with well with power and explosiveness. He is a tough beast to bring down on initial contact and has shown three down ability this season playing a good amount on third downs. While not the best in pass protection, he has shown a willingness to put his body in the hole and take the hit. Ball security was an issue in the pass but improvement was shown this past season in that department. It all depends on where Williams ends up going in the draft, but dont be surprised if a team such as Pittsburgh(hometown bias here), Miami or even Atlanta looks to add a bruiser with soft hands such as Williams in the second or third round this year.
Kyle Pitts TE Florida
Yes, i know, Pitts is going to end up going in the top-10 this year. That doesnt
Mean he isn’t a value even that high. Pitts is going to create peak Jimmy Graham levels of mismatches in the NFL. Linebackers cannot stay with him and he is able to shrug off defensive backs in size mismatches as seen consistently this past season. The Kyle Trask hype train was going strong this past season and we saw what happens when a playmaker like Pitts was missing from the offense. I could see teams like Atlanta or maybe even Philadelphia moving down into the bottom of the top 10 going for Pitts, but I can not see Dallas letting his potential move by them. If the Cowboys resign Dak Prescott to a large deal they need cheap talent that can make an impact now, and Pitts fits that bill exactly.
Rashod Bateman WR Minnesota
This is a bit of deeper pick here with Bateman out of Minnesota. With the mess that was the Big Ten’s season its harder to see what Bateman is, and that is a future Alpha receiver in the NFL. He has the size, speed and hands to make any move and beat any corner eventually. He does have issues with a limited route tree and possibly the ugliest stance that causes footwork issues at the line of scrimmage but these can be corrected and worked on at the NFL level. Bateman runs his routes with confidence and has the size and speed that most dream of having at 6’2” 210 he can become a true all around threat in the league. Watch a team like Baltimore and Tampa Bay take a look at Bateman on Day 2 of the draft. My ideal landing spot would be Green Bay but I still am not sure how their front office minds work so I don’t want to get too excited.
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