As the saying goes, “the Draft starts in Mobile”. With the Senior Bowl about to get underway, we are really getting into the heart of draft season. There are some interesting players in attendance, from household names to small school gems. Here are ten defensive players I will be watching this week.
You can read more of my 2021 NFL Draft content here.
Hamsah Nasirildeen – S, Florida State
Nasirildeen is a versatile defender, who epitomises the move towards positionless football. He possesses the athleticism to cover vast areas of space as a single high safety, whilst having the size and strength to play in the box. He is an elite tackler too, with just 22 misses on his 233 career attempts.
Nasirildeen doesn’t offer elite ball production, but there is no other major hole in his game. I’m interested to see how he performs at the Senior Bowl after injuries limited him to just two games this season. A good showing this week could see him rival Trevon Moehrig as the top safety in this year’s class.
Carlos Basham – EGDE, Wake Forest
There are a number of athletic freaks at the top of this year’s edge class, and Carlos Basham is one of them. What makes him so special is that he combines this athleticism with tremendous size. Basham stands at 6’5″ and 285 lbs, with the burst and length to give opponents all sorts of problems. He enters the NFL on the back of four excellent seasons for Wake Forest.
Few can rival Basham’s college production. He racked up 152 career pressures, with 25 sacks. His pass rushing moves are versatile and refined and he has the ability to beat his opponents in a variety of ways. Basham is one of the names on the edges of first round contention. A good Senior Bowl could solidify his place inside the top 32.
Jordan Smith – EDGE, UAB
Smith started his collegiate career with Florida, before a suspension led him to JUCO football. He arrived at UAB in 2019 and has become one of college football’s best edge rushers. His production has been incredible, with 50+ pressures in both of the past two seasons. In his 550 career pass rushing snaps, Smith has generated 102 pressures, including 13 sacks.
He showcases tremendous burst off the line, with elite length to test opposing tackles. His pass rushing moves are varied and impressive and he plays with a really high motor. He didn’t face top tier competition in the C-USA so a strong showing in the Senior Bowl could help answer his critics.
Elijah Molden – CB, Washington
Molden is one of my favourite players in this year’s draft. He is another in a long line of Washington defensive backs and for my money he is the best slot corner in the class. Few players can rival Molden’s tape from the last two seasons. He has been responsible for 21 career forced incompletions and is coming off back-to-back 85+ PFF coverage grades.
He was limited to four games this season but still managed to impress, giving up just 65 yards on his 18 targets for a passer rating of 44.9. Molden is also an elite tackler and a move to safety is a possibility. Some teams will have concerns about his lack of size at just 5’10” and 190 lbs, but he has shown more than enough talent to be a top pick on Day 2.
You can read my full scouting report on Molden here.
Robert Rochell – CB, Central Arkansas
Robert Rochell could be one of the hidden gems in this year’s draft. In his four seasons with Central Arkansas he put up some of the best numbers we’ve seen from a defensive back. Since 2017 he has logged an astonishing 45 forced incompletions and is one of the best ball hawks in this year’s class.
Rochell is an elite athlete too, with sub 4.4 speed and excellent agility. This is the profile of a player who has all of the tools to succeed as a cornerback in the NFL. The level of competition is an obvious concern though and the Senior Bowl will help to provide context to Rochell’s numbers. If he can echo those performances against NFL-level competition, he could play his way into Day 2 contention.
Chazz Surratt – LB, UNC
Surratt has a fascinating back-story. A former quarterback for the Tar Heels, he only started playing linebacker in 2019. He has been a revelation at the position and was voted First Team All-ACC in back-to-back seasons. Surratt showcases elite speed, with the athleticism to play in coverage or come downhill as a blitzer.
Surratt’s performances for UNC have been excellent, but he is understandably still raw from a technical position. His tackling improved this year, but he is still developing the instincts required to play the position at a high level. Surratt offers incredible upside and will be one of the players to keep a close eye on this week.
You can read my full scouting report on Surratt here.
Richie Grant – S, UCF
There aren’t many safeties in this class who can rival Grant’s ball production. In four years at UCF he logged 29 forced incompletions, allowing a passer rating of just 52.4. His numbers in 2020 were elite, allowing a reception rate of just 43.8 per cent and contributing three picks. He allowed a passer rating of 32.2. For context, throwing the ball away on every play would be a passer rating of 39.6.
Grant was used in a number of roles for UCF, but his best fit is as a single high safety. He has great speed, with the ability to cover a tonne of ground. He is also a strong tackler and enters the Senior Bowl with very few weaknesses to his game. A good week could help propel him into the second round.
Marvin Wilson – IDL, Florida State
Wilson is in need of a strong Senior Bowl performance more than most. He was widely regarded as a top 15 pick and the clear IDL1 in the 2021 Draft coming into the season. He was a consistently disruptive presence for the Seminoles and was an elite pass rushing threat from the interior. His added strength against the run made him one of the most well-rounded players in the class.
This all fell off a cliff in 2020. His performances were underwhelming to say the least, and he’s likely played himself out of the first round altogether. He generated just 10 pressures and one sack through six games, before a leg injury cut his season short. It will be interesting to see which version of Marvin Wilson we get to see this week.
Benjamin St-Juste – CB, Minnesota
St-Juste is another name that is going under the radar in this year’s draft. At 6’3″ and 205 lbs, he has the prototypical size to translate to the NFL. His numbers have been impressive too, allowing just a 56.5 per cent completion rate through his career. He is yet to log an interception, but he has shown the ability to disrupt at the catch point, with 11 pass breakups on 62 career targets.
St-Juste has all of the tools to be a Day 2 prospect in the draft but maybe needs a good showing at the Senior Bowl to guarantee it. His biggest weaknesses are a lack of long speed and limited sample size. That said, corners who tick the size and athleticism boxes and who are comfortable in press coverage don’t stay on the board for long.
Monty Rice – LB, Georgia
Rice is likely to find himself in the mix on Day 3 come draft time. He has excellent athleticism and sideline-to-sideline agility. One of his biggest strengths is his tackling, with just 22 misses on 232 attempts. His short area quickness makes him a solid blitzing weapon and he’s racked up 23 pressures on 119 pass rushing snaps throughout his career.
Rice lacks the ideal length and size profile for the position and this will impact his draft stock. Despite his athleticism he has also been distinctly average as a coverage player. He needs to show better processing and play recognition skills but he certainly has the talent to play a role at the next level. I will be interested to see how he performs this week.
