2021 NFL Draft Primer: 1st Round

Tag: Jalen Mayfield


29Apr 2021
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2021 NFL Draft Primer: 1st Round

Oct 20, 2018; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman Kwity Paye (19) prepares for the snap of the ball during the second half of a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

I have not delved into the NFL Draft this spring as much as I normally would. There’s a good reason for that. I got roped into coaching a spring sport this year (temporarily), and in addition to my regular football coaching duties, it has really thrown off my schedule. I’ve been struggling to stay afloat in real life, let alone writing regularly for the blog. Luckily, that coaching situation resolved itself and I am now back to regularly scheduled programming.

Briefly, I wanted to take a look at tonight’s 1st round of the NFL Draft.

There are two Michigan prospects who could hear their name called. One is almost a certainty, and the other is unlikely.

First, defensive end Kwity Paye measured in at 6’2″, 261 lbs. with a 74 4/8″ wingspan and 10″ hands. He did 36 reps on the bench, showed off a 35 1/2″ vertical, broad jumped 9’10”, and ran the forty in 4.52. (I don’t trust pro day forty times, so it was probably more like a 4.62, which is still pretty good. I’ve heard multiple draft analysts mention that they do not believe Paye was used optimally at Michigan because he moved around so much (DE, DT, NT) and was not allowed to excel at being a pass rusher. They think he will be better in the NFL once he’s able to stabilize his position.
Possible landing spots: #10 to Dallas, #12 to Philadelphia, #14 Minnesota, #17 Las Vegas

Second is offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield. Mayfield measured in at 6’5″ and 326 lbs. with a 79 5/8″ wingspan and 9 3/4″ hands. He ran a 5.31 forty (or 5.41) with a 7.86 three cone drill and a 4.91 5-10-5 shuttle. Mayfield played pretty well for a redshirt freshman in 2019, but he came back late for the 2020 season . . . and didn’t last very long before getting injured. He never reached his potential at Michigan, but he could be a right tackle or a guard in the NFL. I think he’s more likely to end up in the second or third round, but slipping into the late first is a possibility.
Possible landing spots: #23 New York Jets, #24 Pittsburgh, #27 Baltimore, #29 Green Bay, #31 Baltimore

28Mar 2021
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2021 Michigan Pro Day Results

Chris Evans (image via Maize ‘n’ Brew)

Several NFL Draft hopefuls worked out at Michigan’s pro day on Friday, March 26. Here are some of the noteworthy results:

WR Nico Collins (6’4″, 215 lbs.)
40 time: 4.43 seconds
Bench press reps: 14
Vertical jump: 37.5″
Broad jump: 10’5 3/4″
3-cone drill: 6.71 seconds
5-10-5 drill: 4.32 seconds

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19Dec 2020
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Goodbye Again, Jalen Mayfield

Jalen Mayfield (image via Pro Football Talk)

HIGH SCHOOL
Mayfield, from Grand Rapids (MI) Catholic Central, was recruited to Minnesota by then-Gophers offensive line coach Ed Warinner, but he flipped to Michigan when the Wolverines came through with an offer. He ended up playing in the Army All-American Bowl and finished the 2018 recruiting cycle as a 4-star, the #16 offensive tackle, and #268 overall. I initially gave him a TTB Rating of 84 (LINK) before bumping him up to an 87 at the end of the cycle (LINK).

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9Nov 2020
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Michigan vs. Indiana Awards

Remember this?

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Jalen Mayfield. Naturally, because it’s 2020 and everything sucks, Michigan had one returning starter on the offensive line and that lone returning starter was the first lineman to get hurt. Mayfield missed the Indiana game, and so did left tackle Ryan Hayes. I said in the lead-up to the game that I thought Michigan would lose the game if Mayfield didn’t play. The Wolverines had 18 rushing attempts for 13 yards (0.7 yards/carry) and the Hoosiers had 3 sacks.

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24Oct 2020
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2020 Season Predictions

Daxton Hill (image via Maize ‘n’ Brew)

It’s 2020 and nobody knows anything, so here are my wild guesses for what we’ll see this year.

LEADING RUSHER
Zach Charbonnet led the team in rushing as a true freshman last year with 729 yards. I do think Chris Evans will steal some of his carry share from last year, with Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum lurking, but Charbonnet should get the plurality of the opportunities.
Prediction: Zach Charbonnet, 498 yards

Hit the jump for the rest of the prognostications.

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