Chattanooga Times Free Press

13 players, 5 from Alabama, to attend 2021 NFL draft

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CLEVELAND — Thirteen prospects will attend next week’s NFL draft in person.

One year after the entire draft was conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league is attempting to return to some normalcy. Most of the 13 players coming to Cleveland are expected to be selected in the first round.

Five members of national champion Alabama will attend: quarterbac­k Mac Jones, defensive lineman Christian Barmore, cornerback Patrick Surtain II, and receivers Jaylen Waddle and Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith.

Also accepting invitation­s were BYU quarterbac­k Zach Wilson and North Dakota State QB Trey Lance; LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase; Miami edge rusher Gregory Rousseau; Northweste­rn tackle Rashawn Slater; Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley, Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons; and Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.

An additional 45 prospects, including likely No. 1 overall selection quarterbac­k Trevor Lawrence of Clemson, will participat­e virtually, the NFL announced Friday. The draft’s first round is Thursday, with the second and third rounds next Friday and the final four rounds on May 1.

In total, 90 players will participat­e in the draft, including 32 current players, and several former NFL stars— seven of them members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Orlando Pace, Joe DeLamielle­ure, John Randle, Anthony Muñoz, Drew Pearson (induction in August), Franco Harris and Will Shields.

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