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2021 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Miami DE Gregory Rousseau Opts Out

August 6th, 2020 at 2:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2021 NFL draft may feature a player with one season of college experience. Miami defensive end Gregory Rousseau informed coach Manny Diaz he is opting out of the 2020 season, per Susan Miller Degnan of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).

Rousseau broke out last season and landed on the draft radar. He registered 15.5 sacks — tied for the third-most in ACC single-season history — and a conference-best 19.5 tackles for loss. Technically, Rousseau saw action as a true freshman but not enough to use up a year of eligibility. As a result, he stands to go from his redshirt-freshman season to the NFL draft — in all likelihood.

The 6-foot-7 pass rusher would be eligible for the draft, due to being out of high school for three seasons. ESPN’s Todd McShay rated the Miami talent as his top edge defender prospect, with Rousseau coming in at No. 13 overall.

After Virginia Tech cornerback prospect Caleb Farley opted out, others are following suit. While the NFL season will be defined by the coronavirus, the pandemic is wreaking greater havoc at the college level. The Power 5 conferences have all changed their schedules, with lower-level football leagues either postponing or cancelling seasons. It will certainly not be a surprise if more first-round prospects pass on playing this season.

Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman Opts Out, Declares For 2021 NFL Draft

August 5th, 2020 at 3:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although each of the Power 5 conferences announced plans for adjusted seasons, the college football landscape remains uncertain. Some lower-level conferences have tabled their seasons. The University of Connecticut canceled its slate.

A season set to be defined by the COVID-19 pandemic will force NFL prospects to make difficult decisions. A potential first-round talent made one. Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman opted out of the 2020 season. He has declared for the 2021 draft.

“In light of the uncertainty around health and safety in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have to set my wishes aside for the wellness of my family, community and beyond,” Bateman said. “Because of this, I have decided to opt out of the 2020 college football season and I will be taking the next steps in my journey by declaring for the 2021 NFL draft.”

Bateman will only have played two college seasons, but the 2018 recruit will be eligible for the draft due to being out of high school for three years. The Golden Gophers wideout caught 60 passes for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He rates 19th on Todd McShay’s early big board for 2021. The 2021 class could include other standout receivers — like LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase or Alabama holdovers Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle — but the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Bateman figures to factor into the first-round mix.

Coming shortly after Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley‘s choice, Bateman’s opt-out decision may impact other players expected to go early in the 2021 draft.

Postponing 2021 Draft Not On Table?

July 2nd, 2020 at 5:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Numerous positive COVID-19 tests among college football players have created doubt about the viability of the 2020 college football season. Several schools shut down football workouts. The Division I-FBS slate beginning on time is very much in doubt.

This uncertainty has caused some in the college football power structure to discuss a key matter with the NFL. Certain college football officials approached the NFL about the feasibility of moving the 2021 draft back, in the event the college football season must be delayed until spring, Dan Wolken of USA Today tweets. The NFL’s early-July stance on this matter, per Wolken: “No thanks.”

Coronavirus cases are rising in most states, with college football hotbeds like Florida and Texas being hit particularly hard in recent weeks. College football powers Clemson and LSU saw dozens of positive tests when players returned for non-mandatory workouts. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said he would not allow college and high school football to take place in the state if case numbers continue to climb.

Power 5 conferences have yet to place a deadline on making changes to the 2020 season, but the commissioners of these leagues hope to have a universal plan — rather than individual conferences making decisions. The Pac-12 has discussed moving the season to the spring, commissioner Larry Scott said (via Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News).

“I still want to be cautiously optimistic,” Scott said, “but if there’s no change in society’s response and behavior, which results in a quick flattening of the curve and a decrease in the spread of the virus, that would lead to a much more pessimistic view about our campuses being able to open and our ability to play college sports.”

Next year’s draft is scheduled to begin April 29 in Cleveland. Major college football taking place in the spring would throw the evaluation process off axis, and it would seem likely the NFL would consider changing its draft date if the college game postponed its schedule several months. The NFL used to hold its draft before the college season ended, but that practice stopped in the 1960s. The draft process has obviously transformed since, making the scenario of a draft occurring before college players’ seasons conclude less realistic.

Latest On 2020 NFL Season

April 28th, 2020 at 6:03pm CST by Rory Parks

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL has been considering a number of contingency plans for its regular season and postseason schedules, and now we have a couple of details on those contingencies.

Per John Ourand and Ben Fischer of the Sports Business Journal, the league and its broadcast partners are doing whatever possible to play a full 16-game slate and to play the Super Bowl in February. One way in which that could happen would be to have the regular season start on October 15, to eliminate bye weeks and Pro Bowl week, and to play the Super Bowl on February 28. Ourand and Fischer have more details on the logistics of such an arrangement, so their piece is worthy of a full read.

That is obviously less than ideal, but it may be the best the NFL can hope for. The schedule is due to be released on May 9, but there are some within the league office who are still wondering if any announcement should be made that soon (the worry is that a schedule release will look like a challenge to politicians like California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has previously expressed skepticism that professional sports can resume in 2020).

Regardless, the schedule will look like the usual 17-week, 16-game affair, but it will be designed to allow for a number of changes like those referenced above, and it will be released with an emphasis on the possible contingencies. And, while Tampa Bay Sports Commission Executive Director Rob Higgins remains focused on having his city host the Super Bowl on February 7 as scheduled, conversations about pushing it back one week have already taken place, and it seems as if every Sunday in February is on the table at this point.

Meanwhile, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission has already announced that the 2021 NFL Draft will be held from April 29-May 1, 2021, in downtown Cleveland, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. Hopefully, that event will be able to move forward as planned.