This new section highlights which players have improved or worsened their 2021 NFL Draft stock as the draft approaches.
By Charlie Campbell.
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2021 NFL Draft Stock Up
Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida As we reported yesterday in the Hot Press, three NFL teams have Pitts as the No. 2-rated player in the 2021 NFL Draft, behind only Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and they believe that Pitts could play wide receiver as well as tight end. Sources from a larger sample of teams called Pitts a high intangibles player and said teams will love having him in their building given his work ethic along with being a good teammate.
While those three teams thought Pitts ran well enough to play wide receiver, sources from four other teams disagreed, seeing Pitts only as a tight end. They felt Pitts was an elite tight end prospect, and worthy of a top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but they did not feel he was fast well enough to play wide receiver in the NFL.
“[Pitts] is a stud and has a chance to be the next great pass-receiving tight end,” said a director of college scouting. “The physical composition is there. The athletic ability and speed is there as well. Matching up against him is going to be a nightmare. All that said, he is a generational talent at the tight end position.”
A national scout said some thing similar, “[Pitts] will stay at tight end … – a potential All-Pro. Second-overall prospect is possible, and he’s definitely top five. He’s a taller, longer Travis Kelce with a little less bulk. Positional value is only thing that is working against him, but he will still go [as a top-10 pick].”
Another director of scouting had a Hall of Famer in mind as well when watching Pitts, “I think Pitts will run well, but he will be a tight end, and could end up being a Tony Gonzalez-type tight end.”
Sources from all seven teams sampled were in agreement that Pitts is definitely worthy of going as a top-10 selection and it would not be a reach to take him as one of the first five guys. Pitts is a hot prospect who teams around the league are falling in love with.
Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia Campbell was one of the cornerbacks who Kyle Pitts victimized, but aside from a play or two, Campbell produced a good 2020 season that has him as a first- or second-round pick for the 2021 NFL Draft. Some team sources over the weekend indicated over the weekend that they had graded Campbell in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft but think he could go late in the first round.
With his size, length, and cover ability, Campbell projects as a starting outside corner. He stands a real shot of being a pick on the opening night of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia Stokes decided to skip his senior year and enter the 2021 NFL Draft. He has the potential to be selected on the second day of the draft. Some in the media have projected Stokes to the first round, but team sources WalterFootball.com spoke with have him graded in the third round. Good pre-draft workouts could give Stokes a shot at being a second-round pick. If Stokes had returned for his senior year and played well, he had the potential to be a first-rounder if the 2022 NFL Draft, so he could end up being a good value for some team on Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington Onwuzurike has fallen under the radar somewhat after sitting out the 2020 season, especially because other defensive tackles like Alabama’s Christian Barmore and Iowa’s Daviyon Nixon had the chance to impress NFL evaluators. Some are still high on Onwuzurike, however, with NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah projecting him to be a first-round pick in his first mock draft.
Onwuzurike had a good junior year in 2019 with 45 tackles and two sacks. He had three sacks as a sophomore and two as a freshman, so he brings some interior pass-rush ability, which is highly in-demand talent for the NFL.
Aaron Robinson, CB, Central Florida Similar to Tyson Campbell, Robinson is a cornerback who could sneak into the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-1, 193-pound Robinson had a solid senior season with 41 tackles, one forced fumble, and six passes defended. He was even better in 2019, recording 54 tackles, three interceptions and 10 passes broken up. Thanks to his size and record of quality play over the past two seasons, Robinson looks like a safe bet to end up as a first- or second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
2020 NFL Draft Stock Down
D.J. Daniel, CB, Georgia Daniel was part of secondary comprised of future NFL talent for the Bulldogs, but he did not stand out sufficiently enough in 2020 to push his draft grade higher. Team sources have Daniel graded as a late-round pick after he had nine tackles and one pass broken up as a senior. Daniel had 42 tackles and eight breakups in 2019, but he did not record an interception as an upperclassman.
Mark Webb, CB, Georgia Webb played cornerback and safety while at Georgia, but team evaluators said they were not confident Webb has a natural position for the NFL. They feel he is more of a backup competitor and late-round pick or undrafted free agent. Webb could help himself if he performs well in the Senior Bowl practices.
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