Front Porch FootballTop 25 2021 NFL Prospects from the SEC
by Harris Oates of DraftID Sports
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1. Derek Stingley Jr. | LSU, CB
Stingley leads off this list by a wide margin and has been a consensus first round pick since he first stepped on the field as a freshman in the 2019 LSU National Championship Campaign. In terms of prototypical corner prospects Stingley is just that…it was as if he was built in a lab and designed to lock down elite receivers. He is not only the best technical corner over the last 3 years but is also one of the most athletic ones as well. He covers the field with grace but not afraid to get scrappy.
He had a down year in 2020 due to the strange circumstances and playing a part of a much worse defense, but his draft stock did not take a hit as he is still graded as a top 5 pick. Stingley is the next great LSU defensive back and will join the greats such as Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu and Tre’Davis White.
2. J.T. Daniels | Georgia, QB
The Georgia gun slinger showcased his raw talent on a limited basis last year, but I am extremely excited to see how he plays this coming season. Though we saw Daniels take just 258 snaps last season he showcased his efficiency by throwing a 67.2% completion rate for 1,200 yards and 10 TDs to just 2 interceptions. He looked extremely sharp in the team’s Chick-Fil-A Bowl victory over Cincinnati where he shredded an extremely solid Bearcat defense. Daniels is my Darkhorse 1st Round QB prospect and my top-rated SEC offensive guy coming into the season.
3. DeMarvin Leal | Texas A&M, DL
Leal is a wrecking ball that has become a dominant lineman for the Aggies. He has yet to have the production that you would hope for out of a do-it-all lineman, but his versatility jumps off of the tape. He is extremely nimble for a 6’4” 290 lb lineman and projects as a defensive tackle, however, his versatility will allow him to fit any lineman position in any scheme. Leal is considered a first-round prospect that could go inside the top 5.
4. Darian Kinnard | Kentucky, OT
Kinnard hasn’t become a mainstream project yet, but he was the cog of Kentucky’s offense over the past two seasons. Although he was a solid prospect last year, Kinnard elected to return for his final season at Kentucky rather than competing with the better-than usual 2020 OT group. Kinnard has started every game for Kentucky since 2018 and finished each of the last two seasons as an all-conference lineman. He is a run blocking mauler at 6’5” 345 lbs and is a huge reason why Kentucky found much luck on the ground. Look for Kinnard to shoot up draft boards this fall and could even find himself as the first tackle selected.
5. Evan Neal | Alabama, OT
At 6’7” 360 lbs, Neal is hard to miss. He has been a consistent starter on the star studded Crimson Tide OL since 2019 where he has lined up along with former first rounders Jedrick Wills and Alex Leatherwood. Neal was extremely successful both blocking on the ground and in pass protection and has first round written all over himself.
6. Jordan Davis | Georgia, DT
This may come as a bit of a surprise, but Jordan Davis is our sixth highest SEC prospect coming into the 2021 season. At the end of the 2020 season, we had Davis ranked atop of the class of draft eligible defensive tackles and were a bit surprised when he elected to return to Georgia for another season. Davis wreaked havoc and was in our minds a first-round pick in the weak interior DL class, but after another season of solid tape we could see Davis move into the top 10 or 15 overall picks. He sits in a tough spot, as we have seen other guys in the same position topple down draft boards (see Marvin Wilson in 2020).
7. Kenyon Green | IOL, Texas A&M
Green had a breakout sophomore season in 2020 and racked up the awards including 2nd Team All-SEC and 2nd Team AP All-American. Green has started 23 games thus far in his career, a majority of which were from the LG position. Green sits atop the interior lineman in the class and could hear his name called as early as the top 15 picks.
8. George Pickens | Georgia, WR
Pickens enters the draft cycle in a tough spot. Following last season, he was on everybody’s radar as a top ’21 receiver but suffered a torn ACL in the spring and will probably miss the season. He will likely be back for the combine and spring process, but it will be tough for his tape alone to elevate him over other top receivers like Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave (the Ohio State dynamic duo). We saw other receivers like D.K. Metcalf miss their final season with an injury and ended up fine in the draft process, so he likely won’t fall too far. However, Pickens will need to prove he has matured since his early years at Georgia.
9. Jalen Wydermyer | Texas A&M, TE
Wydermyer is undoubtedly one of the top tight end prospects over the last several years but is several tiers below Kyle Pitts. He probably doesn’t have a ceiling of a top 5 pick (as we saw Pitts go last year) but he certainly has the athleticism and skill set to lock himself into the first round. At 6’5” 265, he is one of the most physically gifted prospects in the entire class and his athleticism and footwork is astounding for a player that big, however, he is not the most gifted blocker. This is very common for the top TE prospects, but it is also something that can push him to the top of the draft board if improved upon.
10. Christian Harris | Alabama, LB
Christian Harris is the next great Alabama prospect and has a huge season ahead of himself. Harris has all the traits to become a first round prospect but will need to have a huge year on film to crack the front of the top round. He is a promising prospect; however, we have not seen him make the jump to taking over the defense and being the best player on the field. That is very much in the equation to see that transformation early this season.
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11. Kaiir Elam | Florida, CB
Kaiir Elam was one of the best cover corners in the nation last year but has struggled as a run defender throughout his career, as many top CB prospects have. This season will be huge for Elam to showcase his abilities on a much worse team than last year. At 6’2” 195, Elam is a rangy press corner that can slow down any receiver in the SEC.
12. Isaiah Spiller | Texas A&M, RB
Spiller is one of the top RBs in the nation and stands neck and neck with Breece Hall for the 2021 RB1 of the class. At just 20-years-old as recently as last week, he has already racked up roughly 2,000 yards and 19 TDs on just 362 touches. To put that in comparison, Najee Harris had double that after four seasons and 630+ touches but was also 23 years old. Youth is on Spiller’s side, which is huge for the NFL RB window and has 1st round prospect written all over him. One aspect we would love to see Spiller improve on is in the receiving game as he has just 49 receptions in his career.
13. Treylon Burks | Arkansas, WR
The Razorback Receiver enjoyed a breakout season in 2020 where he recorded 820 yards and 7 TDs through the air. The 6’3” 225 lb receiver is an option on all three levels of the field and is an extremely impressive route runner for his size. Don’t sleep on Burks becoming one of the biggest risers in this class.
14. Kevin Harris | South Carolina, RB
You may not know much about Kevin Harris, but the running back burst onto the scene during the COVID season with 1,138 yards and 15 TDs on the ground, all while averaging over 6 yards a carry. If you want to talk about Darkhorse NFL candidates, then Kevin Harris is your guy. He has all it takes to excel at the next level…size, speed, hands…he just hasn’t had much of a chance to impress the national media. Look for another big season for Kevin Harris.
15. Jahleel Billingsley | Alabama, TE
I have loved every ounce of tape that I have consumed of Billingsley…big, lanky, sharp. He is a solid receiving tight end with extremely high NFL potential. He is still super young but had somewhat of a breakout season of sorts last year and made some huge plays down the stretch. He is not huge nor the best blocker but look for Billingsley to be amongst the top TE prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft.
16. Roger McCreary | Auburn, CB
McCreary is one that I am extremely early and high on. He hasn’t gained much attention from the media yet, but you best believe he has the attention of NFL scouts. At just 6’0” 190 he is a bit small to get drafted early to play on the outside, but he is an absolute pissant on the field. He has shown steady improvement through his three years at Auburn and made all-conference honors (Phil Steele) last season in one of the most stacked CB groups the SEC has ever seen. Look for McCreary to be a big-time disrupter in 2020 and build up his brand similar to guys like Asante Samuel Jr. (undersized, but playing on the outside).
17. Phidarian Mathis | Alabama, DT
Mathis provided solid depth as a starter on the interior DL alongside Christian Barmore, but this will be his season to become “the guy.” He had a great 2020 season and was a key reason why the Tide won the title, however, was frequently overshadowed by the stars. He shares a similar game type to Barmore and is a great pass rusher from the inside, something that is hard to find amongst prospects. Look for Mathis to be amongst the top lineman prospects this year.
18. Owen Pappoe | Auburn, LB
Pappoe is a bit of a LB/DE tweener in terms of NFL potential but has shown flashes of why he was an elite 5-star prospect coming out of high school. He is a bit undersized to play the traditional defensive end position, but his improvements as a run stuffer were astounding in 2020. He finished the season with 93 tackles, which was nearly double the year before. A big season could elevate Pappoe into the first round.
19. Matt Corral | Ole Miss, QB
This was extremely hard for me to rank Corral all the way at 19 in the conference, but this class is just too stacked. Corral is an extremely impressive passer, but I just haven’t seen enough consistency throughout his career to keep him as a top round grade. He certainly has the potential to move up into that category, but as of now I think of him as a third to fifth round player. He had many high points in 2020, where he threw for 3,300+ yards and 29 TDs but struggled to protect the ball and threw for 14 interceptions. That number will have to decrease dramatically if he wants to be a top round pick.
20. Chris Rodriguez | Kentucky, RB
Rodriguez is one of the biggest sleepers in the entire class. With just 119 carries last year he carried the rock for 785 yards and 11 TDs, which made him one of the most efficient football players in the country. He lines up behind an amazing offensive line, but what he has done so far is special in his own right. It is concerning that he has just two career receptions, but that number should probably go up with a bigger role in 2021. Keep your eyes out for a breakout season for Rodriguez. He is on the older end of the spectrum, but his low carry count should probably make up for that.
21. Josh Jobe | Alabama, CB
Jobe played out wide last year opposite of Patrick Surtain Jr. and showed steady improvement throughout the season. At 6’1” he has solid height and reach to be an impact at the next level but will need to improve on several aspects before being a top recruit. His game is more like Trevor Diggs rather than Patrick Surtain, in which he relies heavily on his athleticism rather than his technique. 2021 is a huge season for Jobe where he will need to prove he is a top corner in the SEC.
22. Nehemiah Pritchett | Auburn, CB
Pritchett projects to start for his first full season across from McCreary and could prove to be the better NFL prospect in due time. He is a bit bigger and lankier but doesn’t miss a step on the field and showcases elite NFL speed. He has a huge opportunity to turn some heads this season and will get a chance to prove himself against several top SEC receivers.
23. John Metchie III | Alabama, WR
Is Metchie the next great receiver prospect out of Alabama? Only time will tell, but he looked great in 2020 when he was pushed into action following an injury to Jaylen Waddle. He put up impressive numbers and finished the season with 900+ yards and 6 TDs, but the question that will come up is how much of that was on him vs. having the best QB in the nation throwing him the ball. DeVonta Smith also took the attention from most defenses, but Metchie’s tape is solid. This year is huge for his draft stock and Bryce Young is certainly no slouch. 23 may seem low, but I just haven’t seen enough yet to garner a high grade…there is too much on the line this season. However, if he comes out improved and hasn’t skipped a beat then he likely will be a top 4 WR.
24. Will Levis | Kentucky, QB
Hear me out…I LOVE Levis…buy Levis stock while you can. It was just last week that he was named the QB1 at Kentucky and that pushes him onto this list for me. The Penn State transfer was nestled behind longtime starter Sean Clifford, who has draftable potential on his own. Levis can absolutely sling it and is a big time sleeper for me.
25. Charles Cross | Mississippi State, OT
Cross is a bit more of a project than a masterpiece, but he has portrayed all of the tools to become an elite NFL tackle. If he can make the necessary jump he will be in the first round category for sure. At 6’5” 300+ he is the prototypical tackle size and has displayed explosiveness and power on tape. Look for Cross to have a make-it-or-break it season in 2021.
Honorable Mentions
Derion Kendrick | Georgia, CB
This one is tough. Kendrick was a top prospect in the NFL Draft, but had a skid in the college football playoffs that led him to returning to Clemson. Just several months later he found himself in trouble with the law and kicked off Clemson’s team. Of course, Kirby took advantage of this in hopes of replacing one of the three CB spots that found themselves in the NFL by way of the 2020 First Team All-ACC corner. Kendrick has the potential but will need to show majors forms of maturity before garnering a high draft pick.
Henry To’o To’o | Alabama, LB
Formerly the cog of the Tennessee defense, To’o To’o has transferred to replace Dylan Moses in the middle of the Crimson Tide defense. He hasn’t flashed too much potential yet as a pro, but anyone who is worthy of being the leader of an Alabama defense is on every NFL team’s radar.
Luke Matthews | Texas A&M, IOL
Luke is the fourth of the Matthews brothers to suit up for Texas A&M and the potential for greatness is there. Unfortunately, he missed the 2020 season for the aggies due to injury, however, he comes into 2021 as the starter at center. He is a high potential prospect but will really need to pop on tape to elevate his status as a prospect.
Nolan Smith | Georgia, Edge
To say Smith has underperformed expectations to this point in his career is an understatement. The former national number 1 recruit in the nation has been overshadowed by prospects like Azeez Ojulari thus far in his career and has struggled to consistently find time on the field. He, like Pappoe, is a LB/DE tweener but won’t hear his name called early unless he can break out as a pass rusher or run stuffer. At this point in his career he has just 40 tackles and 5 sacks through 2 seasons, however, the potential is there.
Brenton Cox | Florida, Edge
Cox is a solid athlete with a lot on the line this year, but I haven’t seen enough out of him yet to separate him from another other Florida bust.
Zakoby McClain | Auburn, LB
A long-time playmaker for the Tigers but hasn’t showcased that elite NFL potential. What will he do as the captain of the defense this year?
Smoke Monday | Auburn, DB
Monday has the best names in college football, and certainly one of the most fitting with his reputation to “smoke” receivers. However, the consistency in coverage is the big question. He has made highlight after highlight but has also given up TD after TD. Maybe this year is the year he makes the jump. However, if you just need a hard-hitting tackling machine, then Monday is good for Sundays.
Ventrell Miller | Florida, LB
Another tackling machine out of the SEC, but how is he in coverage? A lot to prove this year.
Kingsley Enagbare | South Carolina, DL
He has showcased steady improvement and has a lot on the line coming into this year. He has doubled his sack production in each of the last 2 years…can he make it 3 by recording 12? If so then he is worthy of a draft pick.
Nick Broeker | Mississippi, OT
I have seen Broeker rated as high as a first-round grade, but I am going to need to see a lot more this season before declaring him that high.
