2021 NFL Draft: Top 5 sleepers in the first round
Everyone knows about Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Kyle Pitts, but here are five sleepers to watch in the 2021 NFL Draft.
5. Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
Nobody gets excited these days about taking a running back in the first round, but there are some teams which make plenty of sense for Etienne. The Buffalo Bills are one shining example at No. 29, considering how much they struggled to pound the ball in the playoffs. With Clemson, Etienne ran for 4,952 yards and 70 touchdowns on an absurd 7.2 yards per carry. He also caught 85 passes for 1,020 yards and six touchdowns over the last two seasons for the Tigers.
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4. Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern
At 6-feet tall and 192 pounds, Newsome isn’t physically imposing, but he can play. The Chicago kid was Third-Team All-America and First-Team All-Big Ten this year, hanging with some of the conference’s best receivers on a down-to-down basis. He could land in the latter quarter of the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft and would provide exceptional value as a zone and physical man corner.
3. Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
Farley has all the talent of a top-10 pick, but a back injury and some health issues from college have perhaps scared teams into letting him drop in the first round. Should Farley get into the early 20s, some team will have a major steal on their hands if his health holds up. With Virginia Tech, the star corner played 23 games over two years, but wasn’t active in 2020 due to opting out.
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2. Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
In a league which is increasingly focused on throwing the ball, wide receiver are becoming a necessity in the first round. Bateman isn’t getting the attention we’ve seen for the trio out of the SEC in Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith, but he’s worthy of high praise. Last year, Bateman caught 36 passes for 472 yards and two touchdowns in five games. In 2019, though, he went for 60 receptions and 1,219 yards with 11 scores. He’s a star in the making.
1. Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
At 6-foot-5 and 322 pounds, Darrisaw is a mountain of a man who can move and pancake in the run game. Looking at the draft, everyone is talking about Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater at the top of the tackle class, but Darrisaw is a close third. With the Hokies, Darrisaw was Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-ACC in 2020. There’s reason to believe he could make a litany of Pro Bowls in his NFL career.
