We’re at the business end of the college football season. It is the conference championships, and that means plenty of draft-eligible talent on show. These are some of the players to keep an eye on this weekend. Some will be first rounders, whilst others are likely to be late round gems. Either way, they will be fun to watch this weekend.
You can read more of my 2021 NFL Draft content here.
Amon-Ra St. Brown – WR, USC Trojans
The 2021 wide receiver class is stacked and arguably better than last year’s. I have five receivers in the Top 32 of my Big Board and 14 in the Top 100. St. Brown comes in at No. 6 as one of a number of players who will be on the fringes of the first round come April. He’s been impressive this season, with 404 yards and six touchdowns through his five games. He was the key to the Trojans’ win over UCLA last weekend and will be hoping for another big game against Washington.
St. Brown is one of the best route runners in this year’s class. He showcases great burst off the line and agility in the open field. Whilst he isn’t the quickest receiver, he has consistently been able to generate separation. He is comfortable playing the game with physicality too and is effective in contested catch situations.
St. Brown played almost entirely in the slot before moving outside this season. He’s translated to his new role effectively and this will inevitably boost his draft stock. His exposure to press coverage remains pretty limited though and his lack of long speed may limit his effectiveness on the boundary. He’s got a good test this weekend against a solid Washington secondary and it will be interesting to see how he performs.
Nik Bonitto – EDGE, Oklahoma Sooners
Along with wide receiver, the edge class is one of the deepest in the 2021 draft. Bonitto is one of the biggest risers, coming off an excellent redshirt sophomore season with the Sooners. He may decide to return to school for another year, but if he declares for the draft he is one of the names that will be pushing for a first round pick.
Bonitto’s numbers this season are amongst the best in the nation and he has excelled as a pass rusher. He has generated 39 total pressures on just 143 pass-rushing snaps. This puts him ninth amongst Power Five edge rushers and gives him the highest pressure rate in the country at 27.2 per cent. He is currently PFF’s highest graded edge rusher in all of college football.
Bonitto has proven effective in coverage too, allowing a career passer rating when targeted of just 57.7. This weekend he will face Iowa State in the Big 12 Championship Game. Another strong performance on a big stage like this would result in even more draft buzz, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bonitto declare. He is definitely a name to keep an eye on over the next few months.
Mike Jones Jr. – LB, Clemson Tigers
Clemson are always full of NFL talent, but one of the names going under the radar this year has been Mike Jones. The redshirt sophomore is in his first full season as a starter, taking over from Isaiah Simmons as the versatile linebacker at the heart of the Tigers’ defense. Whilst he is a little undersized, he’s excelled on the field and deserves to be getting more draft buzz.
Jones’ biggest strength is his ability in coverage. He is comfortable to play a variety of roles for Clemson, lining up in the slot almost as often as he does in the box. He’s allowed a passer rating when targeted of just 25.0 this season and a career total of 52.1. His PFF coverage grade of 90.2 ranks second in the nation behind Tulsa’s Zaven Collins. He’s been an effective blitzer too, with nine pressures on 44 pass-rushing snaps this season.
Jones certainly has room for improvement. Missed tackles have been a problem, with 15 on 59 career attempts. At just 6’0″ and 220 lbs he is also undersized for an NFL linebacker and teams will have concerns about his play strength. Jones didn’t get to play against Notre Dame in the regular season so it will be interesting to see how he performs in a tough test this weekend.
Brock Purdy – QB, Iowa State Cyclones
Coming into the season I had Purdy as my No. 5 quarterback in the 2021 class. The rise of Zach Wilson, Kyle Trask, and Mac Wilson has seen him slip down the list, but he’s still an intriguing player. After a rough start to the season, Purdy has shown improvement over the last few weeks. A good performance this weekend might help him to play himself into Day Two contention.
Purdy is an intelligent quarterback, with good athleticism to create plays outside of structure. Despite a lacklustre supporting cast he has been productive at Iowa State. He is coming off arguably his career best performance last week against West Virginia. Purdy went 20 of 23 for 247 yards and three touchdowns against one of the toughest pass defenses in the nation.
There will be concerns about Purdy’s lack of arm strength, as well as his tendency to struggle in the big games. This weekend will be a tough test for the Cyclones, who are 5.5 point underdogs to the Sooners. If they are to have any chance of getting an upset Purdy will need to be at his very best.
Kadarius Toney – WR, Florida Gators
Kyle Pitts and Kyle Trask have been the talk of this Gators team this season, but Kadarius Toney is deserving of some attention. After just 12 targets in 2019 and 50 catches in his first three seasons, Toney has had a breakout 2020. The senior wideout has taken on a bigger role this season and leads the team in targets, receptions, and receiving yards.
Toney is one of the most elusive receivers in the class and you won’t find many players better with the ball in their hands. He has 19 forced missed tackles on his 62 receptions this season after having 12 on 10 receptions in 2019. He was used as a gadget player prior to 2020, but has shown he is capable of winning at all levels of the field. Whilst he doesn’t possess elite long speed, his short area quickness will cause a tonne of problems for opposing defenses.
Toney isn’t the most physical player and is likely a slot-only weapon in the NFL. His route running isn’t the most polished and he does tend to body catch too often. That said, his elusiveness and after the catch ability are always going to have significant appeal at the next level. A good game against a top Alabama secondary should secure his place as a Day Two pick.
