Category: 2021 Player Profiles

STRENGTHS
DWayne is a physical receiver who loves contact on the line or off the line. He shows on film good speed but what he brings with him is the toughness that not many receivers show coming out. DWayne has good hands and does a good job catching the ball over the middle. He is excellent on the cover units for special teams and with his aggressiveness and physical nature, Dwayne shows the character to continue to improve until he can become an intricate part of a team’s success.

CONCERNS
DWayne is a poor route runner, lacking the lateral agility and fluid hips, needed to be an outstanding receiver. He also has a small catch radius because everything below his waist seems to be a struggle for him to catch consistently. DWayne doesn’t have those soft hands to catch the ball away from his body also. Dwayne gets open right now when he runs routes because he is so physical at the line of scrimmage, and that is a gift and a curse because he hasn’t bothered to improve his ability to run routes and gain separation without being physical.

BOTTOM LINE 4.00
DWayne’s ability to play on special teams will attract teams to selecting him and that means DWayne will have the time and coaching to improve as a receiver and with his work ethic and character I believe he will. Right now, he has to have the ball delivered to him in his small catch radius, and increasing that radius, and catching the ball more consistently, will make Dwayne a more multi-positional receiver. Because of his physical nature, DWayne does better against bump and run coverage on the outside than he does against off coverage because of his quick hands and love for contact. He is not quick enough or has the hands and catch radius, to play in the slot but he can in the future if he works hard at it. DWayne is the Julian Edelman of this draft. Like Julian you just draft Dwayne and not worry about how he can impact your team because his effort to improve and be better comes from within and is difficult for most experts to see. DWayne for me personally, would be a late-round selection and certainly a rookie free agent priority.

STRENGTHS
Tamorrion has the athletic talent, size, and explosiveness to be a dominating receiver for the team that selects him. He has the speed and lateral agility to get off the line of scrimmage and into his routes quickly. He is a big receiver that plays bigger than his size because of his long arms and legs and very strong hands to catch the ball. He can easily adjust to the ball in the air, and with his strong hands will make the difficult contested catch to move the chains. Tamorrion has the long speed to go deep and the ability to catch the contested pass down the field, with a very big catch radius. The truth is, he has monster-type talent, and with his speed agility, and strong hands, Tamorrion could be the type of receiver you build your passing game around…or is he?

CONCERNS
As long as Tamorrion is engaged and a big part of the game plan he will be happy but keeping him happy could be a 24/7 job. He has to prove he can take the pounding and double-teaming he will receive at the next level and right now that’s a question mark. He is not much of a blocker and that sends a signal that being a good teammate may not be a priority. Nevertheless, he is so talented and has a lot of fun on the field so it’s easy to overlook these small concerns when a team is winning.

BOTTOM LINE 2.19
Tamorrion is very talented but he has to decide if he wants to be as good as Alshon Jeffries who has never reached his potential to be a top receiver or A. J. Green who is a top receiver. His play on the field is without a doubt impressive but also, his lack of attention to details and questionable ability to come off the line consistently, with the effort makes me question what his true goals are for the next level. Tamorrion has everything you look for in a top receiver for any team in this draft but the one-character issue that he doesn’t have right now is…trust. I believe that Tamorrion will be an impact receiver and do not believe he is a boom or bust type of player, I just wonder how much of an impact he will be, like Jeffries or like Green? If Tamorrion can convince just one team that he is ready for the NFL then do not be surprised if he selected higher than I have him rated but, it’s my guess he will have to prove it on the field first.

STRENGTHS
Tre is a playmaker. He reminds me a lot of Tyrann Mathieu because Tre has those same kinds of “Tyrann” instincts, speed, and quickness to make plays. Tre competes on every play and loves the challenge that others seem to insist he will be overmatched in. He is fast and quick and will fight for the ball in the air and has the hands of a receiver to make the interception. For a defensive back, he has a big catch radius and can make the acrobatic interception that other backs will not even try to make. Tre is a playmaker on defense and he will be a nightmare for opponents to deal with on special teams also. He is smart and he is the best defensive back, tackler in this draft. He doesn’t play bigger than his size, but he does outplay his size. Tre has all the agility and lateral explosiveness needed, to be an impact player for the team that selects him. The question is, will Tre be as good as Ty Law or Tyrann Mathieu?

CONCERNS
Tre’s lack of height, will be the ONLY real issue, teams will have in deciding if they are going to draft him. Three inches taller, and we are talking about one of the best defensive backs in this draft and a sure-fire 1st Rd selection. Nevertheless, size matters when it comes to the draft. That being said when impacting or make an impact play, size doesn’t matter once a player is on the field. All that matters then is, impact and making plays.

BOTTOM LINE 1.99
Tre will get beat, every defensive back in the NFL gets beat but when a taller defensive back gets beat coaches never think that it’s because of their size. My theory is, draft Tre, put him on the field, and let his play dictate where he best fits in your defense. He could be an excellent safety or cover in the slot because of his toughness, ability to fight off blocks, and because he is an excellent tackler. He can cover those smaller speed receivers that teams are looking for on the outside or those quick slot receivers. The taller receivers, he will fight them all the way down the field until he makes a play on them and they are called for a penalty because Tre has them so frustrated. Tre has to be on the field because he is a playmaker and there are very few pure playmakers who play on defense in the NFL. There are good cover corners, and smart safeties but few playmakers. Tre is the type of impact player offensive coordinator’s game plan to stay away from. So, you want to match Tre up against a tall receiver then I suggest you make the perfect throw to beat him otherwise, he will make a play on the ball and bring it back for 6 points. I dare you to tell me then that his size matters.

STRENGTHS
Nico is a tall, physical receiver with excellent speed and skills to become dominating receiver for the team that selects him. He can make the tough catch going over the middle and move the chains but what will make him dominating in the future is his acrobatic ability to catch the contested pass. Nico is an excellent blocker. He is smart and understands zone coverages. He has good speed, and with his longs legs and longs arms, Nico has the ability to be open when he is not open. Nico is the definition of a sleeper in this draft, a player hiding in plain sight who is playing for a big program, who no one seems to notice until he is off the field and the player replacing him misses a block, or screws up his route getting the QB sacked, or better yet, doesn’t catch that contested pass in the red zone. Nico can go long and move the chains and that’s why he could become a dominating receiver at the next level for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Nico will have to learn better route-running skills against man-to-man coverage. Because he is a long strider, coming off the line is difficult for him to stay on balance when corners or safety’s get physical with him. He will struggle until he learns to anticipate and use strong strides against his opponent and run through the coverage with confidence, getting into his routes quickly instead of trying to finesse his way off the line of scrimmage.

BOTTOM LINE 2.06
For Nico developing better route-running skills off the line of scrimmage will be a process. So many big receivers in college use a lot of finesse and think like a smaller receiver because that’s what coaches teach them to do. They teach, not running through your opponent off the line but faking him out. Nico needs to get into his routes quicker and he needs to use those long strides off the line to his advantage and not allow his chest to be so open by finessing his opponent. When a receiver gives his opponent an open shot at his chest, he can be moved off the timing of his routes. Even when running routes, a receiver still has to protect against a defender getting a shot at his chest. When Nico learns the tricks of the trade, he will become a dominating receiver, he just has to believe that he can.

STRENGTHS
Kelvin is a fluid athlete with the size, speed, and strength to play multiple positions in your defensive backfield. He has the athletic talent to be considered as one of the better and most intriguing corners in the draft. He has excellent hands to make the interception and watching him catch the ball I wonder why he didn’t consider playing receiver on the other side of the ball. Kelvin does a solid job when playing man-to-man defense or in zone coverages. As I stated before, Kelvin is an intriguing and talented defensive back, and if and when he matures he could be a solid number 2 corner for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
There is a list, as long as my arm of concerns about how Kelvin panics when he gets beat and how he doesn’t play up to his 40 times and lacks the agility to recover, and how he tries to guess too much in zone coverages and that causes him to freeze and how sloppy and poor a tackler he is but, I’m not going to harp on all of those concerns. My biggest concerns are that Kelvin has to upgrade and gain more maturity because what I see on film is a lack of maturity and confidence in his ability to be the player he thinks he is.

BOTTOM LINE 4.56
For all of Kelvin’s size and athletic talent, it surprised me when I turned on the film and saw a player who lacked the passion to match up and try to dominate. Against Florida, he got beat and didn’t catch the Tight End from behind and that told me two things. First, he doesn’t play to his speed, and second, when he gets beat he surrenders. Getting beat in coverage is just a part of the job but giving up after you get beat is not and poor tackling skills because you hesitate, is not a part of the job description also. If Kelvin matures and learns to handle adversity as well as success, he could become one of the best defensive backs from this draft class, lord knows he has the talent. But for me personally, if I was a GM, I would let another team go through the growing pains and see where he is at after his first contract is up. But that’s just me, and many players over the years, have proven me wrong before, because my profiling is not absolute, when it comes to the draft. Hopefully, Kelvin will be one of those that will prove me wrong, but I do see a long road ahead of him before that will happen.

STRENGTHS
Grant is the “Rudy” of this draft. He will be your special teams captain for your very successful special teams. He shows a quick burst to the ball and is around just about every play because of his instincts. He shows leadership skills because of his pure effort on every play. His ability to affect an opponent’s play, in the red zone, is unique because of his quickness and instincts. He recognizes and reacts to plays quickly and this gives him an edge that his athletic talent does not give him. Grant plays like an FIM-92 Stinger Missile on the field. He fires off in one direction, he gets to his target very fast, and then he explodes into his opponent demoralizing them and leaving them wondering what the hell just hit them.

CONCERNS
Truthfully, Grant does not have the overall athletic talent to be on an NFL field. He takes 45 steps to go 20 yards. His hips are so tight he can’t change direction quickly enough to get out of the way of a sloth. He is too small to play linebacker and not athletic enough to be a safety. He is limited in coverage skills because he has no lateral agility. Nevertheless, as a GM or Head Coach…I want this guy on my team because you can’t teach or coach effort, and Grant has an abundance of that skill, the one that will allow him, to be on an NFL field.

BOTTOM LINE 4.11
There should not be a special team coach, in the NFL, that is not standing on top of his stadium, demanding his GM and Head Coach to select Grant in this draft at some point and not leave it to the chance of trying to get him, in the Rookie Free agency pool. The truth is, it will be more cost-effective to draft him than to compete for him after the draft is over. The nuisances of how Grant is able to affect his team’s play on the field for his college team is hard to describe unless you look at film. Grant’s ability as a linebacker to force a QB off their first read on inside routes, on passing plays, is interesting to watch. His ability to put his hand down on the goal line and burst off the line, at his size, and make a tackle is interesting. His ability to run as fast as he can go, sideline to sideline and turn a player back in, or make a player hold up for others to make the tackle, happens only because of his pure effort. As I stated before, Grant does not belong on an NFL field because he just is not athletic enough and still, I want him on my team because you can’t teach or coach, the one skill he has in abundance…effort. Grant will be your captain on special teams and make your special teams…special…trust me, I know everything there is to know about…effort.

STRENGTHS
Kellen has dramatically improved in his overall quarterback play from year to year similar to the way Dak Prescott did when he was in college. Kellen has good size and throws the ball with good velocity that will help him at the next level to score inside the red zone. He has solid athleticism to make first downs and move the chains with his feet and to learn how to manipulate the pocket to extend plays. Kellen, as I stated before, has improved his ability to manage his athleticism and his game, in general, every year that he has played at the college level, and that bodes well for his ability to continue to improve at the next level.

CONCERNS
Kellen has improved, but still has a world of improving to do. He struggles with pre-snap reads and coming off his first read quick enough to make a play. When a play breaks down he doesn’t manipulate the pocket at all right now. When he leaves the pocket, if it’s not a designed rollout, Kellen does not look to pass the ball and doesn’t continue to look at the whole field to run. Kellen still struggles with accuracy under pressure if he stays in the pocket. He also struggles, throwing from different release points and going to his check-downs quick enough. Kellen really struggles to identify the blitz and in general and that’s the reason he is late to throw to his check-downs.,

BOTTOM LINE 4.39
I’m not convince Kellen can start and produce consistently for a 17-game schedule but I am convinced that he is a good enough player to continue to develop in the hope that he can after his first contract is up. His ability to improve from year to year is his best attribute and that alone gives me hope that he can become a starter for some team in the future.

STRENGTHS
Davis play on the field reminds me a lot of Ryan Fitzpatrick. He has that same, I’ll do anything to win a game, attitude. He has a good arm with good velocity in the red zone to make the tough throw. He has enough athleticism to make 1st downs with his feet and manipulate the pocket to extend plays. Davis shows good leadership skills through his play on the field and has all of the developmental skills to become a starting quarterback for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Davis, like Ryan, struggles to manage games and gets frustrated and that leads to him forcing the ball and making mistakes on the most important downs of a game. He is erratic in his mechanics, and his delivery, and that leads to mistakes and interceptions. Davis has a bad habit of changing his arm speed when under pressure in the pocket because he gets anxious to make a pass when his receivers are not ready or have not adjusted. He has a lot to learn about reading the blitz and feeling the pressure in the pocket, nevertheless, he is stout and a strong pocket passer and that is a sign of his ability to succeed at the next level.

BOTTOM LINE 4.28
I watched Davis’s pro day and thought, it would be nice to see that Davis on the field instead of the fly by the seat of his pants, player you see on film. His delivery was compact and accurate. His footwork was coordinated and improved and consistent. His accuracy was not erratic and showed excellent red zone velocity. This led me to wonder, will Davis be able to play like that in a game instead of the “Wild Bill Hickock” I see on film? Can Davis bring what he does in practice onto the field and marry it to his “I’ll do anything to win”, attitude in a more controlled and intellectual way? That ladies and Gentlemen is the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question, with just about every quarterback coming out in the draft. Davis can light a fire under a team but can that fire last for a seventeen-game schedule? Draft him and hope he sits and learns for a few years and see. My guess is, in years to come he will be as good as Ryan Fitzpatrick and if you can keep Davis from throwing interceptions when the game is on the line, there is no telling where he can take your team.

STRENGTHS
Payton is a quick/twitch athlete and might be one of the quickest Defensive Lineman in this draft. He is quick off the line with the quickest hand techniques to free himself up to make a tackle or a sack. He has the size, and the length, teams are looking for in a pure edge rusher along with the effort on every play. He has the athletic talent to fall off the line of scrimmage in coverage and could cover most big Tight Ends because of his ability to flip his hips in coverage situations. Because of his quick hands, Payton is one of the best at shedding blocks and making a tackle. He was invited to the Shrine game this year and dominated. Because of his play in practice and the game, he was then invited to play in the Senior Bowl and embarrass many top players in practice and the game because of his size, quickness, excellent hand techniques, and effort on every snap in practice and the game. Payton has the potential to be a special player for the team that selects him at the next level and as of this writing, no one has even mentioned him.

CONCERNS
Payton will need to get stronger in his lower body, he does get moved off his line to the quarterback, when he takes that outside rush but this should not be much of an issue to correct and get better at. Basically, I’m nitpicking.

BOTTOM LINE 1.61
I don’t know what to tell you, I turn on the film and see this type of talent, in a player who is 6’ 5”, 270 lbs, and I just shake my head and wonder how no one has mention Payton as one of the top edge rushers in this draft? I mean, he goes to 2 all-star, draft evaluation games, and dominates, and still, no one says a word about this kid. He changes the line of scrimmage in his favor on every snap and his effort, on a play even when it goes away from him, is unique to only the players whose passion, is to play at their highest level. Think about it, at 6’5” 270 lbs, and his college team used Payton in the robber position for 4 games last year…think about that. As I stated before, Payton could be a special player for the team that selects him so look at Rob’s board to see at what point in this draft he is most likely to be selected in but for me, he’s a player with 1st round talent that should be selected in the 1st round. Oh boy, that limb I’m out on is bending big time this year.

STRENGTHS
Jamin has the size, length, speed, burst, and open field tackling skills to be an excellent linebacker in any style of defense. He can play multiple Linebacker positions in any style of defense because of his length and ability to handle different coverages in the passing game. He is a quick twitch, athlete and might be one of the best linebackers in this draft at tackling in the open field. Jamin has those long arms that will help him in the future to keep blockers off his body, to shed and make tackles. Jamin has excellent potential to be a starting linebacker for the team that selects him with the athletic talent to build your linebacker core around.

CONCERNS
Jamin struggles against the run because he is not reading his keys and doesn’t seem to understand run blocking schemes. When teams run inside he struggles to identify and react and find the ball and doesn’t attack with the aggressiveness you see when he is playing in the open field. He seems very unsure and hesitant when he plays in the middle, on runs between the tackles. When he plays on the outside, it is less of an issue but still a weakness to his overall game.

BOTTOM LINE 2.22
Jamin concerns are really about techniques and repetitions more than anything else. Nevertheless, some players never understand, how to defend the run in the middle of the field and until Jamin shows he can learn and improve and bring what he learns in practice on to the field it will affect his draft status for some teams. For me, I believe playing him on the outside will be Jamin’s impact position at the next level and possibly in a 3/4 defense where a team can use his length and speed in coverage and also attacking the line of scrimmage to make sacks. That being said, there is no reason that Jamin eventually, can play in any style defense, at any linebacker position, if he can continue to read and react quickly, on the field as he learns. For Jamin, maturity and work ethic will be of great value for him to improve. Jamin has talent very much like Vikings Anthony Barr and to think he could not be as impacting as Anthony has been for his team, is foolish. Jamin is the type of player teams might be looking at selecting earlier than his talent grade suggest. He just might sneak into the late part of the 1st round, you just never know.

STRENGTHS
Dylan is the new style linebacker with the size, speed, football IQ, length, and multi-position skills, that teams are looking for in their new 4-2-5 defenses. He shows agility and coverage skills to be effective against the passing game along with the speed and burst to go sideline to sideline shutting down the run. Dylan has been an excellent linebacker for his team and shows leadership skills on the field that could make him attractive to teams in this draft along with his athletic talent and overall skills.

CONCERNS
Injuries have robbed Dylan of his impact but what injuries have also robbed Dylan of is, his passion to play the game at his highest level. I don’t know if that passion, will ever return to the degree he played with, in his early college years.

BOTTOM LINE 4.33
You can fix injuries but you cannot fix a player’s passion. Once they lose the passion to be one of the best, but still have the talent to be the best, they become average, at best. If some team can find a way to re-introduce the passion in Dylan’s play then he could become a core player and a fan favorite for the team that selects him but for the purposes of this draft, I don’t see that happening. My guess, Dylan will become a solid player for the team that selects him. After his first contract, he will go from team to team making a lot of money in free agency… a good late-round selection….that is unless the passion returns.