2021 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Ohio State CB Shaun Wade Opts Back In; Latest On Other Big Ten Opt-Outs

September 17th, 2020 at 6:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

With the Big Ten now on track to begin its season in late October, Ohio State will have one of its top players back. Standout cornerback Shaun Wade said during an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter (via ESPN.com’s Field Yates, on Twitter) he changed his mind on opting out of the 2020 season. He is now set to play as a senior.

Set to follow the likes of Bradley Roby, Eli Apple, Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley and Jeff Okudah as an Ohio State corner to hear his name called in the first round, Wade will do so after playing a fourth Buckeyes season. He ranks as the No. 7 player on Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest 2021 big board.

Wade hired an agent but did not file any paperwork, according to ESPN.com. He is not the only one of the Big Ten opt-outs to reconsider. Ohio State offensive lineman Wyatt Davis, a potential first-round pick, also reversed course and opted back in (Twitter link).

First-round prospects Micah Parsons (linebacker, Penn State), Rondale Moore (wide receiver, Purdue), Jalen Mayfield (tackle, Michigan) and Rashod Bateman (wide receiver, Minnesota) opted out before Wade initially decided to pass on 2020. Not all are committed to skipping the season, though some still are.

Penn State coach James Franklin said the door is open for Parsons to play as a junior, according to PennLive.com, while Purdue HC Jeff Brohm intends to check on Moore’s status now that the conference timetable has changed. Bateman, however, does not plan to opt back in, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Golden Gophers standout wideout has asthma and cited health concerns as a reason he will skip the COVID-19-altered season to prepare for the draft. Despite playing just one full season with the Wolverines, Mayfield plans to stick with his decision to bypass his junior season, per the Detroit Free Press.

Ohio State’s Shaun Wade Opts Out

September 14th, 2020 at 6:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Ohio State’s Shaun Wade has opted out of the upcoming season (Twitter link). The cornerback is widely projected to be a Top 10 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and he’ll get an early jump on preparing for the combine.

“This has been an extremely difficult decision to make, but I know it’s the right decision for me. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty surrounding our season I have decided to forgo my remaining eligibility and officially declare for the 2021 NFL draft,” Wade said. “I am forever grateful to Buckeye Nation and looking forward to the next chapter.”

Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Big Ten will go ahead with its season, though it’s expected that the conference will forge ahead with an announcement in the coming days. For Wade, the risk of COVID-19 coupled with the ever-present injury risk didn’t add up.

In April, Wade will likely become the 15th Ohio State cornerback in NFL history to hear his name called in the first round. Earlier this year, Jeff Okudah became the 14th CB to go in Round 1 when the Lions tapped him at No. 3 overall. Other recent first-round Buckeyes include Denzel Ward, Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley, Eli Apple, Bradley Roby, and Malcolm Jenkins.

Trevor Lawrence To Enter Draft After 2020 Season

September 12th, 2020 at 2:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Certainly not a shocking development, Clemson will not have its superstar quarterback for four seasons. The near-consensus projected No. 1 overall pick next year will indeed be available to teams in 2021.

Trevor Lawrence confirmed during an appearance on ESPN’s College Gameday he will enter the 2021 draft after his junior season. The Lawrence sweepstakes will certainly be a key talking point as the 2020 NFL season progresses. Although several other first-round talents have opted out of the 2020 college season, Lawrence does not plan to do so.

A two-time starter in national championship games, Lawrence took the QB reins for the Tigers midway through his freshman season in 2018. The former five-star recruit has been on the No. 1 overall pick radar since that season. In 30 career games, the 6-foot-6 passer has thrown 66 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. As a sophomore, Lawrence became a key rushing presence for the ACC power, gaining 563 yards on the ground and scoring nine TDs.

The Jaguars enter 2020 as the early clubhouse leaders for the Georgia native, according to Betonline.ag, and they have acted accordingly by stripping their roster of key veterans. Washington and Carolina also profile as potential landing spots, with other teams surely set to be connected to the prized prospect as the NFL season progresses. A non-quarterback-needy team holding the pick would be in position to collect quite the haul from a team eyeing the long-sought-after passer.

Lawrence has until early next year to officially declare. He could use a potential fourth Clemson season as leverage, depending on which NFL team ends the season holding the No. 1 overall pick. But that would certainly present an injury risk — in a now-less certain college football environment. But as of now, Lawrence plans to be part of next year’s draft.

Oregon’s Penei Sewell Opts Out Of 2020 Season

September 7th, 2020 at 3:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell announced that he has opted out of the 2020 season. Citing health concerns, Sewell will now turn his attention to the 2021 NFL Draft.

Sewell has long been regarded as one of the top prospects in the ’21 draft. Most boards have Sewell as a Top 5 prospect and some even him positioned as a Top 3 choice. The 6’6″, 330-pound prospect did not allow a single sack last year and allowed just seven quarterback pressures in 2019. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus were fond of him, too — Sewell finished first with a run-blocking grade of 95.3 and while placing third in pass-blocking (91.1).

“There are no words to adequately express how blessed I feel for having played football for the past two seasons at the best school in the country, the University of Oregon,” Sewell wrote (Twitter link). “The love and support I received has been overwhelming, and I could not be more grateful. But ever since I was little, I have dreamt of playing professional football. Accordingly, after long thought, prayer and many conversations with my family, I have decided to opt out of the 2020-21 college football season and prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft.”

The Outland Trophy winner is just the latest top prospect to skip out on the upcoming NCAA season. Late last month, LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase – the draft’s consensus top wide receiver – made the same call.

LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase Opts Out Of 2020 Season

August 30th, 2020 at 12:36pm CST by Rory Parks

College football’s consensus No. 1 wide receiver, LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase, will opt out of the 2020 season and declare for the 2021 NFL draft, as Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports was the first to report. Chase is viewed as a potential top-five pick.

According to Dodd, Chase’s decision was not necessarily due to COVID-19. The SEC is still planning to play its 2020 season in the fall (for now), and while NFL GMs may be hesitant to select a prospect who has not played since the 2019 season when the 2021 draft comes along, it’s hard to imagine Chase’s opt-out impacting his stock too much.

The 6-foot, 208-pounder was part of LSU’s juggernaut offense last year, setting SEC single-season records in receiving yards (1,780) and receiving touchdowns (20). That same offense produced three skill positions players that were selected in the first round of the 2020 draft, including Chase’s running mate, Justin Jefferson. As good as Jefferson was, Chase was even better, winning the Biletnikoff Award in his sophomore season.

Thus far, Chase is the highest-profile collegiate player to opt out, though other first-round prospects and tantalizing receivers like Wake Forest’s Sage Surratt and Purdue’s Rondale Moore have also made that decision. It seems likely that plenty of other players will follow suit.

Chase’s formal announcement is expected tomorrow.

College Football Notes: Winter Season, Slater, Lance

August 21st, 2020 at 1:11pm CST by Rory Parks

Just like everything else in the world, college football has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. And the NFL, whose talent comes almost exclusively from the collegiate ranks, is willing to do whatever it can to make sure college football is played before the 2021 NFL draft.

As Albert Breer of SI.com writes, college coaches have discussed starting their season not in the spring, but on January 1, which would allow them to play out an eight-game season and even a postseason by mid-March. The NFL is willing to assist with that endeavor, whether that means offering its stadiums — like the Lions’ Ford Field — or pushing back its combine and draft.

Of course, the Big Ten and Pac-12 have already announced plans to postpone their fall schedules to the spring, but a winter season may make it more likely that top college prospects choose to play rather than declare for the draft. Either way, it seems inevitable that the NFL will need to make some serious adjustments to its 2021 offseason schedule, but the league seems prepared to do so.

Now for more collegiate notes that could have a major impact on the professional game:

Northwestern OT Rashawn Slater is opting out of the 2020 season, per Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Slater is viewed as one of the best O-line prospects in the country — he was one of the few players to limit Ohio State star Chase Young last year — and Thamel believes Slater will not fall out of the first round.
Slater’s Big Ten colleague, Michigan CB Ambry Thomas, has also declared for the 2021 draft, a decision that Thomas himself announced via Twitter. Thomas just became a full-time contributor on defense in 2019, and he was excellent in press coverage. A likely Day 2 selection, he also has appeal as a kick returner.
One of the country’s premier FCS programs, North Dakota State, will not be playing football in 2020, as Andrew Groover of the NFL Network tweets. NDSU quarterback Trey Lance, whom NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah has compared favorably to former Colts QB Andrew Luck, is a candidate to opt out of the program’s spring season and declare for the draft.
Per Thamel, the NCAA Division I Council has decided that fall sport student-athletes can participate in any number of competitions this year without it counting towards their eligibility (Twitter link). So if, say, a senior in the SEC has a down season in 2020, he can return next year to try and rebuild his stock.

Wake Forest WR Sage Surratt Opts Out

August 19th, 2020 at 11:57am CST by Zachary Links

Wake Forest wide receiver Sage Surratt announced that he will opt out of the 2020 college football season and turn his attention to preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft (Twitter link). Surratt, widely projected to be a first-round pick next April, is just the latest college football star to skip out on the upcoming campaign.

In recent days, Miami defensive end Gregory Rousseau, Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, Minnesota wideout Rashod Bateman, and Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore have decided to prioritize their safety and long-term career prospects. Surratt is widely projected as one of the top WR talents in the ’21 class, along with LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase and Alabama stars Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith.

Surratt, who boasts size and power at 6’3″, caught some attention as a frosh in 2018 with 41 catches for 581 yards and four touchdowns. Last year, he made an even stronger case for NFL evaluators: 66 receptions for 1,001 yards and eleven scores.

More players from the ACC, SEC, and Big 12 conferences are expected to pass on playing this year, including some of the game’s top prospects for the upcoming draft.

Michigan OL Jalen Mayfield Declares For Draft

August 18th, 2020 at 4:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Big Ten’s decision to postpone its football season created ripple effects across the college football landscape. A possible spring season will make it difficult for 2021 draft-eligible prospects. A few such talents opted out of the season when the conference was still hoping to play this fall.

One such player will pass on a not-yet-certain spring slate. Michigan tackle Jalen Mayfield announced he is declaring for the draft ahead of what was set to be his redshirt-sophomore season (Twitter link).

Mayfield rated as a first-round talent on Todd McShay’s first 2021 big board. But he will leave the Wolverines program after just one season of action. The former four-star prospect operated as Michigan’s starting right tackle as a freshman last season.

Mayfield joins fellow Big Ten Round 1 hopefuls Micah Parsons (Penn State), Rondale Moore (Purdue) and Rashod Bateman (Minnesota) in opting out of the in-limbo college football season.

Purdue WR Rondale Moore Opts Out

August 6th, 2020 at 5:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore will opt out of the 2020 collegiate football season, as he announced via his Twitter account.

It’s still unclear whether a college football season will even take place this fall, but we’ve already seen a number of prospective stars decide that taking the field isn’t worth the risk. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s entirely reasonable to assume that more NCAA stars will join Moore, Miami defensive end Gregory Rousseau, Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons, Minnesota wideout Rashod Bateman in sitting out the year.

Moore was a breakout star during his freshman year in 2018, posting 114 receptions for 1,258 yards and 12 touchdowns while also adding value in the rushing game and on special teams. Dane Brugler of The Athletic currently ranks Moore as the third-best wideout in the 2020 class, noting the ex-Boilermaker has accrued an amazing two-thirds of his yardage after the catch.

Top LB Prospect Micah Parsons To Opt Out, Enter 2021 Draft

August 6th, 2020 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2021 first round may not feature too many highlight reels from the 2020 season. Another first-round prospect will opt out, with Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons announcing (Instagram link) he will not play this season.

Parsons will enter the 2021 NFL draft. He is expected to be a surefire first-round pick. The two-year Nittany Lions contributor rates as the No. 6 overall prospect on Todd McShay’s initial list. While Joe Burrow illustrated how much draft stocks can change in a season, Parsons appears a safe bet to be selected in next year’s first round.

Despite working as an off-ball ‘backer, Parsons registered 14 tackles for loss and five sacks as a sophomore last season. The 245-pound defender also forced four fumbles in his second college campaign.

A previous trend saw first-round-caliber players choosing not to play in bowl games. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the equation and forced players to factor in draft-stock damage ahead of their final college seasons.

The list of opt-outs so far: Parsons, Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley, Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman and Miami defensive end Gregory Rousseau. There will almost certainly be more players who choose to bypass the coronavirus-altered 2020 season to prepare for the draft.

2021 NFL Draft News & Rumors