Room to grow as pros
10 NFL draft prospects who could be better as pros
With general managers and scouts under pressure to unearth more standouts, 10 players in the 2021 NFL draft could be more productive as pros than they were as college players.
While the NFL draft frequently is defined by players looking to extend their prolific production to the next level, an extended track record of success isn’t a prerequisite for a fruitful pro career.
Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, for example, was only Alabama’s third-leading rusher before the Raiders made him the first ballcarrier selected in 2019 with the No. 24 overall pick, and he was selected to the Pro Bowl in his second season. And from Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce to Washington Football Team wide receiver Terry McLaurin, the NFL has plenty of players whose best work didn’t begin until they started suiting up on Sundays.
With general managers and scouts under pressure to unearth more of those standouts, here are 10 players in the 2021 NFL draft who could be more productive as pros than they were as college players:
Davis Mills, QB, Stanford: After the five likely early first-round quarterbacks, it’s difficult to find another surefire starter in this class. For any team willing to bet big on traits over experience, however, Mills might be the next tier’s most attractive option. There’s still something of a disconnect in the former five-star recruit’s game, as he at times alternates between delivering dazzling tight-window throws and making
head-scratching decisions. Ultimately, it’s clear that making just 11 starts across two years has inhibited his development, as he too often is undone by lapses in his footwork or being forced off his first read. Yet the skill set of a potential starter is waiting if a coaching staff can repair those problem areas.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma: An 18-carry, 186-yard outing in Oklahoma’s Cotton Bowl romp of Florida left many wondering what more Stevenson could have done in his collegiate career. The junior college transfer and backup in 2019 was suspended for the first six games of last season due to a failed drug test, but he still managed to lead the Sooners with 665 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 101 carries. Stevenson moves far more nimbly than one would expect from a 6-0, 231-pound back, though he doesn’t run as powerfully as his size would suggest. Even if he isn’t selected until Day 3 and doesn’t take on a featured role, Stevenson’s best playing days might still be ahead of him.
Simi Fehoko, WR, Stanford: In his final college game, Fehoko showed his potential to be a dominant, go-to target with 16 catches for 230 yards and three touchdowns in a double-overtime win against UCLA. That production, however, represented a high point he never came close to matching at any other point in his career, during which he recorded 62 catches and made just five starts. At 6-4 and 222 pounds with a penchant for making circus catches and using his speed (4.43 seconds in the 40) to beat cornerbacks vertically, Fehoko evokes comparisons to Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf. While his acclimation to the NFL might be extended given his unpolished routes and issues with drops, few other receivers in this class can match his upside.
Josh Palmer, WR, Tennessee: With potentially six of the top seven wide receivers in this year’s draft coming from the Southeastern Conference, it’s easy to understand why Palmer didn’t garner much national attention during a season in which he posted just 33 catches for 475 yards. Yet it was clear that Tennessee’s lackluster aerial attack was attributable primarily to coaching and the play of the Volunteers’ quarterbacks
rather than Palmer. The 6-1, 210-pound target turned heads at the Senior Bowl with his determined route-running and physical play. As a potential third- or fourth-round pick, Palmer could be a starting receiver who satisfies the role of making tough catches in traffic and handling other unglamorous but important work.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR, Iowa:
Getting open downfield was never an issue for Smith-Marsette, who routinely ran past defensive backs for big-play looks. But Iowa’s shaky quarterback play left many of those opportunities unrealized, and he recorded just 25 catches for a team-best 345 yards a senior. Projecting as a deep-threat specialist, Smith-Marsette will have to demonstrate he can catch passes more comfortably than he did in college and avoid being erased by more physical defensive
backs. But NFL teams will find ways to position him for success, particularly on special teams after he averaged 26.7 yards per kick return for the Hawkeyes.
Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame: With 2020 second-round pick Cole Kmet and star freshman Michael Mayer being used heavily as tight ends in Notre Dame’s passing attack, Tremble recorded just 35 catches and 401 yards in two years while frequently relegated to a role in which he blew open holes in the run game. In the NFL, however, he may have untapped potential as an H-back or fullback. His drops and underdeveloped route-running might signal some early bumps in his career, but Tremble offers the athleticism to be a more productive pass catcher while still earning his keep as a bulldozing blocker.
Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State: Fairly or unfairly, Oweh might be known to many as the likely first-round pass rusher who failed to record a sack last year as a redshirt sophomore. Having started his football career when he was a high school junior, the 6-5, 257-pounder is no doubt a project given the lack of refinement in his approach. But he’s one coaches will gladly take on, as edge rushers with his size, speed (4.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash) and explosive traits (391⁄2-inch vertical leap and 11-2 broad jump) are extremely rare. So long as he’s paired with a position coach who can hone his instincts, Oweh has a solid chance to become a more consistently disruptive player at the next level.
Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan: Like Oweh, Paye didn’t enjoy the college career one would expect from one of the draft’s most physically gifted pass rushers, finishing with just 111⁄2 sacks in 38 games. But the two-time second-team All-Big 10 selection showed enough promise to entrench himself as a likely first-round pick bound for better things. Few of Paye’s peers can pack his level of fluidity and burst into a 6-3, 261-pound frame. Even though he might not be a consistent producer of seasons with double-digit sacks, Paye should be a versatile and disruptive fixture along a defensive line once he diversifies his arsenal of pass-rush moves and improves his hand usage.
Milton Williams, DT, Louisiana Tech: Having recorded 19 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in two seasons, Williams was no underachiever for the Bulldogs. He amplified the buzz around him, however, when his remarkable athleticism became more evident on the field late in last year’s campaign. On his pro day, he showed off a unique blend of lateral agility, explosiveness and strength. If he lands in a scheme that asks him to tap into his aggressiveness, Williams could end up one as of this draft’s most disruptive defensive linemen.
Jamar Johnson, S, Indiana: A oneyear starter for the Hoosiers, Johnson likely would not have ended up on this list had he elected to return after his breakout campaign. He proved to be masterful in making highlight-reel plays on passes thrown anywhere near him, though his work in stopping the run game was sporadic at best. With the fluidity to handle the slot and the range to operate deep, Johnson is exactly the kind of defensive back that NFL coaching staffs prize.