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Jeremiah's Top 50


prime21

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Only pasting top 12.  Please see link for the rest 

https://www.nfl.com/news/daniel-jeremiah-s-top-50-2021-nfl-draft-prospect-rankings-1-0

 

1) Trevor Lawrence, QB

School: Clemson | Year: Junior

Lawrence is a tall, long and athletic quarterback. He has a long delivery, but he still gets the ball out quickly and it explodes out of his hand. The Clemson offense features a lot of quick screens and quick hitters. He showed excellent touch and placement on those throws. He can really drive the ball down the field when called upon and he also has the ability to layer the ball (over linebackers/under safeties) in the middle of the field. His overall accuracy is excellent at all three levels. He does need to improve his pocket awareness. He doesn't always feel back-side pressure and needs to speed up his clock versus front-side pressure. Outside of his final game with the Tigers (College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Ohio State), I was impressed with his decision-making. He is a dangerous runner because of his build-up speed and toughness. Overall, Lawrence is ready to start right away and he has the tools to ultimately emerge as a top-five player at his position.

2) Ja'Marr Chase, WR

School: LSU | Year: Junior

Chase is a dominant player on tape. He lined up both outside and in the slot at LSU. He defeats press coverage with a combination of foot quickness and upper-body strength. He creates separation off the line of scrimmage and he can also find another gear when the ball is in the air. He is a clean route runner. He won't gear down in traffic and has very strong hands to pluck and play through contact. He attacks 50/50 balls and consistently wins. Chase is at his best after the catch. He routinely breaks tackles and can make defenders miss, too. He did have a couple drops when the ball was on his back hip but I have no concerns about his hands. Overall, I love Chase's attacking style of play and see him as a faster version of three-time Pro Bowl selectee Anquan Boldin.

 

3) Kyle Pitts, TE

School: Florida | Year: Junior

Pitts is a long, lean tight end prospect with excellent speed, ball skills and production. He has lined up inline, flexed in the slot and split out wide. He runs routes like a wideout. The former Gator has burst off the line, sets up defenders and explodes out of the break point. He beat upper-echelon SEC cornerbacks on a weekly basis. He builds speed to separate down the seam and tracks the ball naturally down the field. Pitts has an enormous catch radius. He uses his speed to pile up yards after the catch. He showed tremendous improvement as a blocker in 2020. He fits up, doing his best to wrestle and stay attached. He will fall off at times, but the effort is there. Overall, Pitts is a unique talent with the ability to take over a game. He is the definition of a mismatch player.

4) Zach Wilson, QB

School: BYU | Year: Junior

Wilson has average height and a lean/narrow frame for the quarterback position. He's an excellent athlete and generates several wow plays in every game I've studied. Wilson has a dynamic throwing motion. He carries the ball low but once his hands separate, the ball comes out in a hurry with a high level of RPMs. He's extremely accurate from a variety of platforms and arm angles. He makes some incredible throws while fading away with both feet off the ground, and he can drive the ball to the boundary from the far hash. He also uses his quickness and creativity to buy time to let his targets uncover. He's effective on designed QB runs, but that part of his game will need to be limited at the next level due to his lack of size. My only real concern with Wilson is durability. He's already been through shoulder surgery (after his freshman season) and he doesn't have an ideal frame. If he can stay healthy, his upside is enormous

 

5) Caleb Farley, CB

School: Virginia Tech | Year: Junior (RS)

Farley has outstanding size, length and speed for the cornerback position. He mixes up his technique and effectively re-routes wideouts with a one- or two-hand jam in press coverage. He's very fluid/loose and stays in phase with his man underneath and down the field. Farley has a quick/smooth pedal in off coverage and his patience helps him handle double moves. He shows exceptional burst when he does drive on the ball. The redshirt junior has plenty of speed to carry vertical routes. He can find and play the ball down the field. He's aggressive to fill versus the run, but he will fall off a few tackles. Overall, Farley has all of the ingredients to be a No. 1 cornerback at the next level.

6) Rashawn Slater, OT

School: Northwestern | Year: Senior

Slater is a slightly undersized tackle prospect. He plays with outstanding knee bend, foot quickness and balance. He explodes out of his stance in the passing game and does an excellent job of re-working his hands to maintain inside position. Slater gives a little ground versus power before dropping his weight and anchoring late. His best trait is his ability to recover when he finds himself in a bad position. In the run game, he plays with quickness and urgency when working up to the second level. He takes great angles and is one of the best I've seen when it comes to cutting off linebackers. He doesn't have elite power to knock back defenders over his nose, but he does a good job of running his feet and staying attached. He has excellent awareness. Overall, Slater might lack ideal length, but it doesn't hinder him and I believe he can excel at left tackle. If a team chooses to play him inside, he should quickly develop into a Pro Bowl guard.

7) DeVonta Smith, WR

School: Alabama | Year: Senior

Smith is a rail-thin wideout with long arms, excellent play speed and outstanding hands. He's a silky-smooth route runner who accelerates into and out of the break point, which creates an unusual amount of separation against quality competition. He has complete faith in his hands, allowing him to run through the ball (without gathering his feet) on underneath and intermediate crossers. His leaping ability and length creates some special high-point grabs. He has a second gear after the catch and surprising toughness to break tackles. He competes as a blocker, too. People inside the Alabama program rave about his character, work ethic and professionalism. Smith should emerge as a high-volume weapon as soon as his cleats hit an NFL field.

 

? Jaylen Waddle, WR

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

Waddle is a slightly undersized receiver with extraordinary speed and playmaking ability. He has the ability to line up inside or outside. His acceleration in his release is elite. He destroys the cushions he receives from defenders in a hiccup and can find a second and third gear once the ball is in the air. He's at his best on runaway routes, but he flashes the ability to efficiently gear down and work back downhill. I thought his hands were improved this fall (see: crazy catch versus Missouri in the season opener). He's one of the most talented kickoff and punt returners (just watch the tape of his 2019 performance against Auburn) to enter the NFL over the last decade. Overall, Waddle isn't quite as strong as Tyreek Hill, but he's capable of having the same impact in the NFL.

9) Micah Parsons, LB

School: Penn State | Year: Junior

Parsons has a big, athletic frame and possesses excellent speed and versatility. He is quick to key/read before attacking the line of scrimmage. He can defeat blocks with his hands or use his quickness to slip past them. He has the speed to make plays sideline to sideline, although there were a few occasions where he overran the football in the games I studied. He also had some issues sniffing out the ball on zone reads. He's very gifted in coverage versus tight ends and running backs. He has timing and burst as a blitzer off the edge. Overall, there aren't many holes in Parsons' game. It's difficult to find linebackers with his size and ability to impact the passing game.

10) Penei Sewell, OT

School: Oregon | Year: Junior

Sewell has a huge frame, quick feet and strong hands. He has the foot quickness to kick out and cover up speed rushers in the passing game. His hands can get too wide at times, which allows defenders to get underneath him (see: matchup against then-Auburn DT Derrick Brown in 2019). However, he stays connected and usually wins when he locks on. He has the ability to bend and drop his weight, but he gets too upright on occasion. Sewell does some special things in the run game. He can uproot defenders over his nose and he is explosive as a puller. The more I watched, I did have some concerns about his balance. He lunges at times and ends up on the ground more often than you'd like. Overall, Sewell isn't the most polished blocker in this class, but he does offer the most upside.

 

11) Trey Lance, QB

School: North Dakota State | Year: Sophomore (RS)

Lance has a thick/sturdy frame for the quarterback position. He only started 17 games at North Dakota State, but there is plenty to get excited about. He split his time between under center and in the shotgun. He plays with excellent patience and poise, taking what the defense gives him. He rarely puts the ball in jeopardy (he didn't throw an interception until his final collegiate game). He shows the ability to change ball speed and trajectory underneath, while also displaying the velocity to fit the ball into tight windows on intermediate throws. His deep-ball accuracy needs to improve, though. He has a bad habit of sinking his weight before he throws, which impacts his placement. He is very strong in the pocket, routinely shrugging off rushers and creating plays. He is ultra-competitive on designed QB runs, displaying build-up speed and power. Lance is going to need time to develop, but I'm going to bet on his skill set, competitiveness and decision-making.

 

12) Justin Fields, QB

School: Ohio State | Year: Junior

Fields has good size, excellent arm strength and remarkable athleticism for the quarterback position. He has produced monster numbers both passing and rushing in the Buckeyes' spread system. He is at his best when he throws on time and in rhythm. The ball jumps out of his hand and he can deliver it accurately at all three levels. When the defense takes that initial target away, he's had issues quickly aborting that opportunity, which has made him late on throws and also resulted in sacks. He has shown flashes of quickly getting deeper in his progressions (see: 2021 Sugar Bowl vs. Clemson), but that part of his game is still a work in progress. He's dynamic as a runner. His first step is explosive and he pulls away from defenders with ease. He's also incredibly tough, as evidenced by his performance after getting drilled in the semifinal game against the Tigers. Overall, I think Fields has a chance to be special, but it's going to take some time for him to speed up his clock in the passing game.

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Some interesting points

1) half of DJ's top 50 are OL, Edge and CB's. And that's not even including the QB's. Sets up about as perfect for us as it has in a long time.

2)Fields #4 QB

3) has an OT from N. Dakota State in the top 50. That's two guys, Lance the other, from that school. Maybe @football guy is onto something with how they prepare guys for the next level after all.

4) describes Waddle as a 'slightly undersized " receiver. Isn't that a concern with Smith as well?

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  I knew this was going to happen once people started watching Wilson's film.

By the time the interview process is over people will have Wilson solid #2 QB.  At the end of the season I had hoped that maybe Jets could trade down a bit, get an extra 2nd or two, and still get Wilson top 10.

That's not going to happen.  Wilson is going at #2.  Hope it's to the Jets

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34 minutes ago, prime21 said:

These are top players not mocked picks.  The QB's are more valuable but not necessarily the best players.  Unless your Trevor Lawrence  lol

I get that.  I'm wondering why Wilson is the 4th-ranked prospect but Fields is not in the top 10.  To me, either they both belong in the top 10 or neither do.

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10 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

I get that.  I'm wondering why Wilson is the 4th-ranked prospect but Fields is not in the top 10.  To me, either they both belong in the top 10 or neither do.

It’s a good draft class up top. His top 15 players might all have top 10 draft grades.

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10 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

I get that.  I'm wondering why Wilson is the 4th-ranked prospect but Fields is not in the top 10.  To me, either they both belong in the top 10 or neither do.

i'm still floored at saying Sewell has the most upside in the class and he's ranked 10th

the draft is always about upside 

side note has this board become like DJ central? He's the only source allowed to start thread?   it's all DJ all the time around here 

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6 minutes ago, bitonti said:

i'm still floored at saying Sewell has the most upside in the class and he's ranked 10th

the draft is always about upside 

side note has this board become like DJ central? He's the only source allowed to start thread?   it's all DJ all the time around here 

I thought Sewell was the pick at 2 because he was a safe pick? 

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37 minutes ago, LAD_Brooklyn said:

Would have loved to see Chase this season without his 5,000 yard QB. Had he done great his freshman year similar to the Farley (CB, VT) then I would be convince. But with us just getting one good season I would have to place him as a top 7 instead of top 2 guy. 

Terrance Marshall was tearing apart the SEC without the 5K yard QB before he opted out, no doubt Chase would have continued to prove his worth. 

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Nobody gets clicks by putting out the same order as everyone else.  So they would rather look stupid but get clicks than vice versa.  It's how the 'system' is set up.  Get used to it.

What you probably won't see from anyone now is a top-5 of Lawrence, Sewell, Fields, Wilson, Smith.  Because boring...

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55 minutes ago, nycdan said:

Nobody gets clicks by putting out the same order as everyone else.  So they would rather look stupid but get clicks than vice versa.  It's how the 'system' is set up.  Get used to it.

What you probably won't see from anyone now is a top-5 of Lawrence, Sewell, Fields, Wilson, Smith.  Because boring...

I looked at his 2018 list, and he was spot on about Allen needing time but sky is the limit. He is very invested in Sewell being the number two tackle. I’m intrigued by that. 

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2 hours ago, Jetsfan80 said:

I get that.  I'm wondering why Wilson is the 4th-ranked prospect but Fields is not in the top 10.  To me, either they both belong in the top 10 or neither do.

There are 32 teams in the NFL... I'm sure you can get a job scouting for one of them lmao...  I had to sorry :D

BTW, when are you inviting me to the coast lol...

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33 minutes ago, 68JET11 said:

There are 32 teams in the NFL... I'm sure you can get a job scouting for one of them lmao...  I had to sorry :D

BTW, when are you inviting me to the coast lol...

If it were up to me, Watson would have been our QB in 2017.  And I never would have touched Christian Hackenberg.  :)

I am better than Mike Maccagnan.  Not a high bar to clear, but still...

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Thoughts on drafting Kadarius Toney with the 23rd pick.  He would fit the system nicely. 

20) Kadarius Toney, WR

School: Florida | Year: Senior

Toney is a versatile, explosive playmaker. He lines up in the slot and does a lot of damage on fly sweeps and seam routes. His combination of play strength, burst and wiggle makes him difficult to get on the ground once the ball is in his hands. He doesn't run a wide variety of routes, but he has the skill set to develop in that area. He's dangerous in the return game because of his athleticism and lack of fear. Overall, Toney isn't quite as big as Deebo Samuel, but I envision him playing the same role at the next level.

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3 hours ago, peekskill68 said:

Man that flub against Bama has really hurt Fields.  He was probably Top 5 after the Clemson game...

I wouldn't say hurt him, I'd say it more so brought everyone's view of him back to pre-Clemson. 

Because for as bad as he was against Bama, he had an excellent game against Clemson. Really evened everything out.

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