2021 NFL Draft Intriguing Late Rounders

Quinn Meinerz – OL, Univ. of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Height: 6’3 1/4″

Weight: 320 LBS

Expected Draft Position: Late 2nd Round – Early 3rd Round

Prospect Comparison: Ali Marpet

I have had the privilege to be able to sit and have an interview with this surprising prospect. Quinn Meinerz is a D3 small-school lineman whose NFL draft profile has risen the moment he declared the draft. Nobody was expecting Meinerz to have such an impact during his road to the draft journey. When he was invited to the Senior Bowl this year, that’s when everyone had eyes on the D3 prospect.

Meinerz stood tall with some of the top NFL draft prospects on the defensive end during the senior bowl game. Also, Meinerz has stood out in every practice during the senior bowl. The best way for Meinerz to silence the concerns scouts had about the level of D3 competition was by competing in events like the Senior Bowl.

The young prospect has received a personal workout invitation from the Green Bay Packers. More teams are starting to gain interest as the draft day comes around. He’s compared to Ali Marpet, another small-school lineman who is now a force to be reckoned with as he protects the great Tom Brady.

Garret Wallow- LB, TCU

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 230 lbs

Expected Draft Position: 6th Round

Prospect Comparison: Blake Martinez

Garrett Wallow, the horned frog linebacker, stood out to me as a late bloom pick. He is said to compare to Giants LB Blake Martinez as far as stature and athleticism. His coverage game isn’t the best, but he can work on it with a suitable veteran ahead of him. He has a low coverage grade, so that might impact him heavily.

Although Wallow has had a high grade in coverage in his first two seasons at TCU, his final grade coming into the draft was relatively low. Maybe he can improve or show the team that selects him that he is a hidden gem. His size and speed compare to Blake Martinez and his grit when tackling a ball carrier. He will be a steal in the draft for teams with dire needs in the draft other than a linebacker. Linebackers selected this late hasn’t been as bad as other positions, as there has been plenty of late-round gems at the linebacker position.

Brady Christensen- OL, BYU

Height: 6’6″

Weight: 300 lbs

Expected Draft Position: Late 3rd Round

Prospect Comparison: David Bakhtiari

Brady Christensen stood out to me for the sole reason being the agile wall of Zach Wilson’s blindside at BYU. Christensen’s size isn’t the heaviest, but his athleticism goes without saying. He is one of the reasons for Zach Wilson’s production at BYU. However, the age of Christensen isn’t ideal, being the age of 24 coming into the draft. Age plays a big part for draft prospects, but Christensen is a different story here.

Last season in 2020, his PFF grade was 96, pass blocking 92.5, and run blocking 95.5. The numbers were absurd but in a good way. The only reason Christensen is projected this low because of his age and size, but if you stick him at guard, it will be a worthy investment. There is a possibility that teams could take him much sooner, depending on team needs. Keep a close eye on this nfl draft prospect.

Paulson Adebo– DB, Stanford

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 190 lbs

Expected Draft Position: Mid 3rd Round

Prospect Comparison: Greedy Williams, William Jackon III

Paulson Adebo will serve someone well as a steal. Not exactly sure who wouldn’t snag him immediately, but there are some reasons. Adebo comes from a school that is known for some quality DBs that has come into the draft. DBs like Richard Sherman, Justin Reid, and even the new HOF’er John Lynch. So yes, there might be shoes to fill, but can Adebo fill them appropriately?

There are already some hidden gem DBs in the draft so far, like Eric Stokes of UGA. However, I see Paulson falling into the early to mid 3rd Round in the NFL draft. A DB with length, athleticism, and production is what you find in Paulson. He has a 40-time of 4.42 and a 3-cone drill time of 6.7. The kid has a lot of potentials and shows that he can grow into a lockdown corner.

There isn’t much of a downside to the young prospect unless you are concerned about his tackling. His tackling isn’t great, but if you are drafting a corner solely on run defense, that’s a problem in itself. It’s a bonus with DBs, not necessarily a high priority. I would say he dropped that low in the draft because he opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID. But remember Cameron Dantzler, one of the top graded DBs in the late-round as well. There is no doubt Adebo will have a high impact in the NFL draft if selected by the right team.

William Bradley-King- EDGE, Baylor

Height: 6’3 2/4″

Weight: 252 lbs

Expected Draft Position: Late 3rd Round

Prospect Comparison: Yetur Gross-Matos

I like this kid. He stood out to me and can serve a purpose on someone’s defense in the next year. He lacks the size but has the speed and has some physicality to push around these massive offensive linemen in the NFL. Bradley-King transferred from Arkansas State to Baylor as a grad student and flourished. He gambled on himself because he decided to play as most players decided to opt-out of the 2020 season.

The young prospect has the tools needed to play situational downs this year if selected to the right team. The only concern some scouts had is the lack of bulk in his body frame. Bradley-King ended the 2020 season with Baylor with 31 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, four deflections, and a pass deflection.

I don’t see him selected anywhere earlier than late 3rd, early 4th Round, but whoever decides to select him will be an actual steal indeed. He shocked scouts at the senior bowl after pushing the OL from Alabama, Alex Leatherwood, down on the ground.

Honorable Mentions: Jeremy Bell- DB (Univ. of Charleston), Jordan Smith- EDGE (UAB)

I enjoy putting together these lists because these hidden gems are overlooked and can shock the football world in the next year. Be on the lookout for these guys as the draft lurks around the corner.

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Check out the big 100 draft board on OTH written by my colleague, Alex Simpson