As the 2021 NFL draft creeps closer and I finalize my rankings, I like to unveil my favorite prospects at every position. It has become an annual tradition, highlighting one player from quarterback through safety whom I like more than most.
This is not the best overall prospects in the class nor is it a list of the guys I consider the best at each position, though there are certainly a few first-round picks on my list. (And I had No. 1 pick Joe Burrow in last year's.)
These are the prospects whom I've:
Often rated higher than other evaluators within the draft media or than team evaluators with whom I discuss prospects, or ...
Ranked higher in close debates within position groups -- this is a really fun running back class, for instance -- or ...
Just liked the way they play the game. That's especially the case for my 2021 pick at center.
So let's start with my favorite quarterback for the 2021 class, and I'll include projections on the round in which each prospect is likely to be drafted. I'll also give a few fun nuggets and stats:
Quarterback
Justin Fields, Ohio State
Fields' game has been picked apart during the pre-draft process, but he'd almost certainly be the top quarterback in most other classes. He's a special talent. I've never wavered on making him my No. 2 signal-caller behind Trevor Lawrence. Fields was questioned when he transferred from Georgia to Ohio State, but I love his competitiveness. He just wants to play. Does he have things he needs to work on? Of course. He had two bad games last season in which he compounded his mistakes and threw some ugly picks, but when he's at his best, he's phenomenal. Fields was the best player on the field when Ohio State beat Lawrence's Clemson team on New Year's Day. I really hope he lands with a team that has some weapons, and he'd be great for Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers.
Projection: I don't think Fields drops out of the top 10, even if it takes a team trading up to get him.
Running back
Michael Carter, North Carolina
Carter doesn't get much publicity -- he's not even the popular notable running back on his own team, as UNC's Javonte Williams will likely get picked higher -- but I love the way he runs. He's tough to tackle at 5-foot-8. He carried the ball 514 times in four years for the Tar Heels -- and averaged 6.6 yards per carry. He led FBS with 18 rushes of 20-plus yards last season. He also posted back-to-back-to-back years with at least 20 catches. Carter is going to be a great addition for an NFL team.
Projection: Running backs are tough to gauge in the draft because how they fit a team really matters. I think Carter could go as early as the second round or as late as the top of the fourth round. By the way, Carter and Williams could both join Giovani Bernard as the the only North Carolina running backs taken in the first three rounds since 2000. Bernard went in Round 2 in 2013.
Fullback
Ben Mason, Michigan
There aren't many true fullbacks in this class, but I wanted to mention Mason, a pile-driving blocker. He looks like a player pulled straight from 1985. He's a 6-foot-2, 250-pound fullback who will pave the way for running lanes. Mason wasn't used much in the passing game -- he caught three passes for 32 yards in his career, but he did have some goal-line carries, resulting in nine touchdowns ... and an average of 2.4 yards per rush.
Projection: Mason will be a Day 3 pick for a team that still values having a lead blocker. He'll have to contribute on special teams as well.
Wide receiver
Elijah Moore, Ole Miss
Moore is going to be a quarterback's best friend. He is an explosive and versatile wideout who thrived in the slot at Ole Miss; 64 of his 86 catches last season came when he was lined up in the slot. And he did that in only eight games. He's one of the most pro-ready receivers in this class because a team can get him touches on Day 1 as a rookie. He'll be an instant starter.
Projection: I projected Moore to the Titans at No. 22 in my latest mock draft, but I wouldn't be shocked if he slid to the top of the second round.
Tight end
Hunter Long, Boston College
Kyle Pitts would have been the easy choice here, so let's highlight Long. He's big, tough and physical, and he can block. He'll also stretch the deep middle of the field -- he caught 57 passes for 685 yards and five scores last season. Thirty-nine of his catches last season were on throws between 5-15 yards downfield, which means he knows how to get open. That ranked as the third most in FBS. Long is a complete player, and young tight ends who can block are tough to find, so he's going to have a lot of suitors.
Projection: Scouts love Long's all-around game, and I recently highlighted him as a player who could be a surprise first-round pick. He's likely to go in Round 2, though. No Boston College tight end has been picked in the first three rounds in the common draft era (since 1967).
Offensive tackle
Dillon Radunz, North Dakota State
Radunz towered over FCS defenders, and he stuck out like a sore thumb on tape. He protected Trey Lance's blind side, starting 32 games for the Bison. The 6-foot-6 tackle is very consistent on every rep -- he doesn't have much bad tape. He was also good at the Senior Bowl, where he got his first taste of going against FBS defensive linemen. He didn't look out of place. I also have a soft spot for FCS players, and I want to see them succeed. Radunz is a prospect I'm rooting for.
Projection: Radunz is my seventh-ranked tackle, and he's going to be picked in the second round.
Guard
Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
Vera-Tucker is my top-ranked guard in this class, and he reminds me a little bit of Zach Martin. They're both powerful at the point of attack and have outstanding feet. Vera-Tucker actually played left tackle for the Trojans last season, but I think he'll fit better as a guard at the next level. The folks at ESPN Stats & Info had him down for 849 total pass blocks over the last two seasons, and he only allowed two sacks and had two holding penalties. He has all-pro-level talent.
Projection: Vera-Tucker is going in the top 20. I projected him to the Raiders at No. 17 in my latest mock draft.
Center
Landon Dickerson, Alabama
Dickerson is a leader. Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide staff rave about him. He's going to make a team better on and off the field. After starting as a true freshman at Florida State, he had some injury issues and transferred to Alabama, where he won the Rimington Trophy Award last season. Dickerson tore his ACL in the SEC title game, but he's already healthy enough to reel off a few cartwheels last month. If he can stay healthy, he'll anchor a team's offense for 10-plus years.
Projection: Dickerson could sneak into Round 1 for a team that needs a center, but he's likely to be a second-round pick.
Defensive end
Jaelan Phillips, Miami
Phillips' story has been told a few times, but let me tell it again. This is a former five-star recruit who was forced to medically retire at UCLA because of lingering injuries. Then he transferred to Miami, sat out 2019, got cleared to play in 2020 and now is going to be a first-round pick. He had eight sacks last season and improved as the year progressed. He's the best pure pass-rusher in this draft. His talent was never an issue, and I just hope he can stay healthy.
Projection: There's a big range for the edge rushers in this class, and Phillips could go as high as No. 11 to the Giants or in the 20s to a few teams that really need pass-rushing help.
Defensive tackle
Milton Williams, Louisiana Tech
Williams plays his butt off, and he has some positional versatility. At 6-foot-3, 285 pounds, he could be a 3-technique tackle in a 4-3 or an end in 3-4. He's active and disruptive -- he had 10 sacks over the past two seasons. I think he could put up decent sack numbers if he does play as a 3-technique. I would want him on my team if I was a general manager.
Projection: Williams is likely going to be a third-round pick, but I wouldn't be shocked if a team fell in love with him and took him in Round 2.
Inside linebacker
Nick Bolton, Missouri
Bolton has flown under the radar a little bit behind off-ball linebackers Micah Parsons and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, but he's a really good player. He has stellar instincts, and he fills running lanes with the best of them. He had 195 tackles over the last two seasons. He had four games last season with more than 10 tackles. Bolton is always around the ball, and he is a middle linebacker who can play on all three downs.
Projection: Bolton is going to be a second-round pick, likely near the top of the round.
Outside linebacker
Malcolm Koonce, Buffalo
The term I've used to describe Koonce is "natural" pass-rusher. At 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, Koonce understands leverage and knows how to confuse offensive tackles. He's long. He had 14 sacks over the past two seasons. He has been underrated so far, and he has a chip on his shoulder. So let's give him some publicity here because I think he could be an impact 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL. He might need a little bit of time to adjust to the speed of the NFL -- the tackles he'll face will be more athletic than the ones he saw in the MAC -- but I'm bullish on his future.
Projection: Koonce will likely be a Day 2 pick for a team in need of an edge rusher for its 3-4 defense.
Cornerback
Jaycee Horn, South Carolina
Horn might end up as the top corner off the board. Teams love his aggressive style -- he gets into the faces of receivers and is physical. He only had two interceptions in his career, but I'm not worried. He had 24 pass breakups over the past three seasons, so he does make plays on the ball. He just needs to get more consistent about catching them. Horn isn't afraid to tackle, either. And, of course, I have to mention his father, Joe, who was a fifth-round pick in 1995 and played 12 NFL seasons. Jaycee is fun to watch.
Projection: Horn is likely a top-15 pick, though he could drop a few spots because of the influx of quarterbacks early in Round 1.
Safety
Richie Grant, UCF
Grant has been one of my guys all along, and he can wear a lot of hats. He could play a center-fielder role as a deep safety, or he could play in the box and make plays at the line of scrimmage. He can do it all. He had 70-plus tackles in each of the last two seasons and had 10 interceptions and forced six fumbles in his career. I drafted him onto my superteam, and I mentioned him last month as a prospect who could make an immediate impact. I'm a big fan of his game.
Projection: Grant could be a steal as an early second-round pick.