Biggest Potential Sleepers in the 2021 Draft
Knowledge will tell you the first and second round of the draft is where you will find your stars, but that is not always the case. Year after year we see guys drafted in the 3rd-7th round go on to make an impact for an NFL roster. Some guys with a spot in Canton were picked late in the draft. Antonio Gates, Tom Brady, Richard Sherman, Jason Kelce, and Russell Wilson were all drafted in the third round or later. Now I’m not going to proclaim any of these young men are guaranteed to achieve that level of greatness, and some of them may go earlier than currently projected. But one thing is certain, these guys have a chance to make a big impact for a small investment.
Jaelon Darden
WR North Texas
Jaelon Darden started garnering some draft buzz after an impressive senior season posting 19 TDs and nearly 1,200 yards in only 9 games. He capitalized on his excellent season and received a Senior Bowl invite, where he performed well against some of the best talent in the country. Many will look at his blazing speed and small frame and assume he is a one trick pony. You would be very wrong on that, the slippery and speedy senior can run every route asked of him and constantly creates separation. He attacks the ball and despite his size isn’t afraid to extend for a catch, even in the face of a defender. He has good hands and rarely drops a catchable ball. He is absolutely dynamic after the catch consistently making defenders miss, and can be utilized in a myriad of ways. From screens, to slants, to go routes and jet sweeps; Darden is electric. He also doubles as a return specialist. He has a quick twitch and outstanding vision when fielding a punt or a kickoff. The only things holding him back are his size (5’8 175lbs) and only playing against small school competition. Regardless of his slight frame and lack of pedigree, there will be a spot for him in the NFL as a slot WR and return specialist. Expect to see his name called in the 4th round.
Jamie Newman
QB Georgia
Jamie Newman was the forgotten man this season when it comes to draft eligible QBs. He was once viewed as a lock to go in the top two rounds, and in a QB hungry league he very well still could be; but his draft stock has taken a major hit. Newman was a standout at Wake Forest, showing outstanding touch and arm strength. Despite playing in a fairly vanilla offense with a weak supporting cast he made the most of every snap. Newman made a decision to transfer to Georgia but unfortunately for his draft stock, he never got a chance to see the field; opting out of the 2020 season due to Covid. In Newman you get a guy who is very athletic but not overly reliant on legs. He has the ability to run for a first down, but would rather hang in the pocket and deliver the ball showing great poise. He throws a tight spiral that can cut through the windiest of conditions, and he seems to let it rip almost effortlessly. He has the size you love to see in a quarterback (6’3 235lbs) along with sub 4.6 speed in the 40. He can be a bit erratic at times, letting his cannon of an arm get the best of him and overthrowing WRs. He has struggled in the intermediate passing game, and lets some balls get away from him that should be easy completions. He also has a tendency to stare down his top read, leading to more batted balls and interceptions than you would like to see. Coupling that with missing his chance to play against SEC competition has really knocked him down a peg or two on most draft boards. If he can get with a team willing to be patient and help clean up his accuracy issues he projects as a very high upside QB that could be comparable to Josh Allen if he can put it all together. As of right now Newman looks like he could be had in the 4th/5th round, but as we know about the NFL everyone is looking for that high upside QB.
Andre Cisco
Safety Syracuse
Andre Cisco would be a virtual lock for a top 50 pick if it wasn’t for some very real injury concerns. One of the premier ball hawks in the NCAA had a catastrophic ACL tear putting an end to his season after only 2 games.A three year starter at Syracuse, the junior has been nothing short of dynamic. He has excellent instincts and is among the most intelligent players at the position. He always seems to be in position to make a play. His stats in his time at ‘Cuse back that up. He posted 13 INTs, 14 pass break ups and 2 forced fumbles in 24 games. He is a very good athlete and has shown the ability to man up on receivers and tight ends alike, as well as playing a great “center field”. While he won’t be posting blazing 40 times he has a great first step, can jump out of the building and breaks on the ball with purpose. He can sometimes get burned by being hyper aggressive, but he wins a lot more than he loses. Hopefully his athleticism hasn’t been too hampered by his ACL tear. It’s a tough injury to come back from, even tougher when agility is the main facet of your game. He has pretty good size at the position but nobody will be asking him to play in the box, doing so would take away his greatest asset. He can lay the wood but can be a bit suspect as an open field tackler. That could get him in trouble against the run at the next level when he is facing guys like Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry. The important part is that he is willing and won’t shy away from the contact. Ideally he would get with a team who runs a cover 1 heavy scheme where he sit back, diagnose and force some turnovers.Cisco’s stock may have taken a hit after his ACL injury but don’t expect him to fall into the 6th/7th round. A team will most likely pick him up in the back half of day two.