NFL Draft's 2021 class could feature the next best things in football
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The 2020 NFL Draft had some of the most promising players come off the board in the first round and even more solid selections were taken on days two and three of the event.
The 2021 class is expected to be one of the better ones in recent memory. Clemson Tigers star quarterback Trevor Lawrence is one of the players who is going to come off the board early, and a few of his teammates could follow him.
Alabama is also projected to have a handful of players taken in the first round.
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Here are a few other college football stars who are going to be called upon to help NFL teams next season.
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BROCK PURDY, IOWA STATE
Brock Purdy will be on teams' radar next year. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Brock Purdy could be among the crop of quarterbacks that might enter the draft next year and be taken in the first round. The Iowa State star threw for 3,982 yards and 27 touchdowns during his sophomore season.
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DEVONTA SMITH, ALABAMA
Devonta Smith could be among several Alabama players taken in the first round next year. Smith, a standout wide receiver, finished his junior year. During that season, he recorded 68 catches for 1,256 yards and 14 touchdowns. He will be a big player for Alabama next season.
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GREGORY ROUSSEAU, MIAMI
Gregory Rousseau was the 1B to Chase Young's 1A last season.
Gregory Rousseau is the most dominant pass-rusher in the nation going into the 2020 season. The Miami star racked up 15.5 sacks last season and could end up being as big of a star as Chase Young. Along with his sacks total, he had 54 tackles and 19.5 tackles for a loss.
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JA’MARR CHASE, LSU
Ja'Marr Chase is expected to be the next top LSU player to turn pro. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Last week it seemed like LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was the lone standout Tigers player who wasn’t taken in the draft. Chase is looking like the top receiver in a deep pool for 2021. Chase had 84 catches for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns last season.
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JAYLEN WADDLE, ALABAMA
Jaylen Waddle is going to line up on the other side of Devonta Smith during the 2020 season, but come next NFL season he is most likely going to split with his partner. It’s not out of the question that Waddle could be a high first-round pick. He had 33 catches for 560 yards and six touchdowns in 2019.
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JUSTIN FIELDS, OHIO STATE
Justin Fields might be on a team's radar next season. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete, File)
Justin Fields starred at Ohio State in 2019 and could turn into the top quarterback in the nation come 2020. Fields could make an NFL team very happy in 2021. In his first season at Ohio State, Fields threw for 3,273 yards and 41 touchdowns.
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JUSTYN ROSS, CLEMSON
Justyn Ross emerged as a top wide receiver when he entered Clemson and his solid sophomore season could parlay into a big paycheck in the NFL. Ross had more than 1,000 receiving yards in 2018 and the following season he had 865 yards. He will be Trevor Lawrence’s top receiver in 2020.
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MARVIN WILSON, FLORIDA STATE
Marvin Wilson is a brooding defensive lineman who could make teams really happy in 2021.
Marvin Wilson is projected to be the first interior defensive lineman to be taken off the board in next year’s draft. At Florida State in 2019, he had 44 tackles and five sacks.
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MICHAH PARSONS, PENN STATE
Micah Parsons is projected to be one of the top linebackers taken in next year’s class. He had 109 tackles and five sacks in his sophomore season at Penn State.
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NAJEE HARRIS, ALABAMA
Alabama is poised to have several players taken in the first round of next year’s draft. Najee Harris is projected to be one of them. Harris, a running back, rushed for 1,224 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.
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PATRICK SURTAIN II, ALABAMA
Patrick Surtain II could be the next great lockdown defensive back to grace the NFL gridiron. He will enter his junior year with Alabama in 2020 after coming off a two-interception, 42-tackle season.
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PENEI SEWELL, OREGON
Some draft experts believe Penei Sewell could be a top pick in 2021, even over the likes of Trevor Lawrence. Sewell was the first Oregon offensive lineman to win the Outland Trophy and the first consensus All-American since Marcus Mariota in 2014.
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RONDALE MOORE, PURDUE
Rondale Moore might not be a household name going into the college football season, but he is expected to have a high draft grade when he does decide to go pro. Moore had 114 catches for 1,258 yards during his freshman season at Purdue. His 2019 season was mostly lost because of injury. A solid 2020 season might put him on the map nationally.
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SAMUEL COSMI, TEXAS
Samuel Cosmi, of Texas, is set to become an NFL talent within the next year or so. He’s played in 27 games for the Longhorns and received honorable mention for All-Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year.
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SHAUN WADE, OHIO STATE
Shaun Wade is another NFL-ready talent who will likely make the leap to the NFL next year. The Ohio State star has four career interceptions. Last season, he added one to his resume along with 26 tackles and two sacks.
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TRAVIS ETIENNE, CLEMSON
Travis Etienne may be the best rusher in Clemson history. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
It may have taken a while for Travis Etienne to garner NFL eyes, but two consecutive seasons of more than 1,000 yards on the ground have some eyes open and mouths drooling. Etienne rushed for 1,614 yards along with 19 touchdowns last season. He also caught a career-high four touchdown passes.
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TREVOR LAWRENCE, CLEMSON
Trevor Lawrence has made NFL scouts drool since his freshman season. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Trevor Lawrence was gaining NFL attention after he led Clemson to the national championship in 2018. The attention is still there, and the spotlight is getting brighter. He got Clemson to the national championship again in 2019, but the team came up short. He had 3,665 passing yards and 36 touchdown passes.
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TREY LANCE, NORTH DAKOTA STATE
Trey Lance didn't throw an interception last season. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Trey Lance is projected to be the best quarterback in the FCS. The North Dakota State star is going to draw a lot of eyes come draft day in 2021. Last season led North Dakota State to an FCS title. He had 2,786 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes. Even more remarkable, he didn’t throw an interception.
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TYLER SHELVIN, LSU
Tyler Shelvin has been a menace up front for LSU and could continue the trend in 2021. Shelvin had 39 tackles and three tackles for a loss last season. A solid season in 2020 could make him a top draft pick.
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WALKER LITTLE, STANFORD
Walker Little was a first-team All-Pac 12 Conference selection in 2019. The Stanford standout will likely be projected as a first-round pick if he has another solid year in Cardinal red and white.