2021 NFL Draft Stock Report: Week 5
The college football season is the information process when it comes to the 2021 NFL Draft. Each week we learn a bit more about each prospect gathering good or bad tape. This week I focused solely on one game, Auburn vs. Georgia. With a big SEC showdown at night, I was locked in (plus I had a busy Saturday). Who stood out for better or worse in regards to the 2021 NFL Draft?
Auburn vs. Georgia
Let’s start with the Auburn side of things. Bo Nix is such a joke that it’s hard to evaluate the weapons. Forget about the NFL; I’m not sure Nix deserves to start in the MAC. Nevertheless, I think I have a pretty good understanding of the two Auburn wide receivers.
I don’t get the Anthony Schwartz hype. I know some people like him, but it doesn’t make any sense to me. Schwartz finished the game with eight receptions for 57 yards, most of which came off short bubble screens allowing him to inch forward a few yards. The Auburn offense hasn’t changed a lick.
What does Schwartz do well? I’ll give him one thing; the guy is fast. Is Schwartz a good football player? I think the answer to that is no. I don’t sense Calvin Ridley’s craftiness or talent, which is what you need as a smaller receiver to make it in the NFL.
At 6-foot, 179 (he’s probably less than that), you better bring the heat when it comes to being a polished route runner. I don’t see that. I see a small gadget D’Anthony Thomas. Keep it moving.
Seth Williams, I like more, but he’s still a tricky evaluation. The fact of the matter is, Tyson Campbell (who we will get to later) stuffed him in his back pocket. Williams is going to struggle with separation. The 6-foot-3, 211, wide receiver finished the game with three receptions for 34 yards.
Look, Bo Nix is bad, but Williams also wasn’t open. Campbell won this battle whether Auburn had a better quarterback or not. Williams is going to come in that Mike Williams mold. Lacks separation but can win those 50-50 balls. The only problem is, I’m not sure he’s as talented.
The 40-yard dash time will be crucial for the Auburn wideout. I’m not out on Williams by any means. I think the guy can play, but he’s no match for someone like Campbell. I believe Williams proved he’s more of a middle-round prospect.
Keep an eye on Roger McCreary. He got toasted on one ball that George Pickens reeled in for a touchdown. Outside of that, McCreary did a nice job keeping Pickens in check. Pickens only had two receptions, and McCreary deserves a lot of credit for that. I had my eye on other Auburn defenders, but McCreary stood out to me. It’s something to note.
On the Georgia side of things, this reminded me of the 2010 SEC play. Jam the ball down your throat and manage the game with a non-NFL level quarterback. The Dawgs ran for over 200 yards in this one (it helps not having to deal with Derrick Brown anymore). Georgia has become a bit of a running back factory for the NFL, and I think they have some dudes that can play again.
We have another thunder and lightning backfield. The only thing that hasn’t been defined yet is either player’s true potential. Zamir White and James Cook can both play. We don’t know how good either is because of a limited sample size.
Zamir White is a bruiser and boy, is he tough to bring down. White finished the game with 19 carries for 88 yards and two touchdowns. White checks in at 6-foot, 218, and serious power. Overall speed and explosion are his question marks. It was an outstanding showing. We need to see more of it.
On the flip side, we learned something but not enough on James Cook. The brother of Dalvin finished the game with five carries for 41 yards. He left due to a minor injury but it is good to go for the rest of the season.
James shows a lot of the same wiggle that Dalvin does. He also comes with good speed. However, he’s not as big or strong as Dalvin. That’s the next evolution in his game. If James Cook gains about 10 pounds of muscle, then the guy is dangerous. Again, a tiny sample size here and could easily return for a Senior season.
Let’s round things off with the corners. Tyson Campbell and Eric Stokes are, take your lunch money guys. They mug guys all game (in the right way) and refuse to lose the physical battle. Campbell put on an absolute clinic against Seth Williams.
Campbell is more physically gifted and comes with great length at 6-foot-2. Stokes is just so technically sound and had a pick-six last week. I love both of them. Bo Nix is brutal, but nobody was open either. These two corners are going to dawg teams all year.
One last shout out to Jordan Davis. Who? Oh, the 6-foot-6, 320-pound nose tackle. Tank Bigsby never had the running lanes he wanted, unless Davis wasn’t on the field. Look, he’s not an every-down player, but I want him on my team. Davis affects the line of scrimmage in the run game. He’s a people mover.
Maybe this isn’t the most significant thing globally, but Georgia puts him in on goal-line duties to block. All he did was kill people allowing Zamir White to go in for two scores. Again, it has nothing to do with his position, but it tells much of the story. He can be an instrumental player in rotation to stop the run.
