04-21-2021, 05:44 PM
Just a couple guys of interest:
Landon Dickerson, OC, Alabama (Brugler rank: 21, Consensus rank: 34)After season-ending injuries in three straight seasons at Florida State, followed by a late-season injury in his final year at Alabama, it’s not hard to figure out why analysts might disagree on the smart, heady Dickerson. Even so, ranking him at No. 21 is bold.
Brugler: I just can’t quit Landon Dickerson, who is easily one of my favorite players in the class. His combination of power, quickness and competitiveness is outstanding and why he has Pro Bowl potential at either center or guard. His injury history is tough and makes it tough to accurately rank him. But in the late first or early second, he would be a bargain.
Joe Tryon, Edge, Washington (Brugler rank: 34, Consensus rank: 53)This is a draft full of toolsy players at the edge rusher position without a consistent pattern of production, so it can be tough to sort through the different players vying for first-round consideration. Even so, Brugler argues that Tryon deserves to be in that conversation.
Brugler: Tryon put intriguing flashes on his 2019 film and led the Huskies in tackles for loss (12.5) and sacks (8.0). He opted out of 2020, but the intrigue is still there, especially with his raw traits. At 6-5, 260 pounds with 34-inch arms, he ran a 4.65 40-yard dash with a 7.18 three-cone and posted numbers very similar to Marcus Davenport, who was a top-15 pick in the 2018 draft. Davenport hasn’t lived up to his draft spot, but that won’t stop NFL teams from betting on intriguing traits, especially at pass rusher. There will be several teams in the back half of Round 1 that consider Tryon.
Dillon Radunz, OT, NDSU (Brugler rank: 74, Consensus rank: 47)In 2019, Radunz played well for a sophomore, but wasn’t a finished product and needed to improve some critical areas of his game in order to earn high-end draft consideration. Unfortunately, COVID-19 halted FCS play in the fall of 2020 and he only played in an exhibition showing before choosing to focus on the draft instead of playing the formal 2020 season, which is currently being played in 2021.
Brugler: Based on his tape, I gave Dillon Radunz a fourth-round grade, mostly due to strength and balance issues. But he played well during Senior Bowl practices, which gave him a little bump for me. He moves well and plays with attitude and toughness, so there is plenty to like. But his overaggressive tendencies are usually costly and will be more pronounced versus NFL talent, which is why I just couldn’t put him in my top 50.
Walker Little, OT, Stanford (Brugler rank: 59, Consensus rank: 94)In a case not too different from Dickerson’s, Walker Little has been plagued by injury throughout his career at Stanford. The difference is that Dickerson was able to put together nearly a full season of tape in 2020, while Little hasn’t had more than 80 snaps since the end of the 2018 season. Nothing embodies the projection nature of draft analysis more than the community’s uncertainty surrounding Little.
Brugler: Walker Little is tough because he is missing basically two seasons of tape. But he was on a first-round trajectory based on his 2018 film and the one game he played in 2019. If the medicals are clean (a big “if” after his knee injury), he is going to go on Day 2 because he has the foundational traits to be a starting tackle in the NFL.
Landon Dickerson, OC, Alabama (Brugler rank: 21, Consensus rank: 34)After season-ending injuries in three straight seasons at Florida State, followed by a late-season injury in his final year at Alabama, it’s not hard to figure out why analysts might disagree on the smart, heady Dickerson. Even so, ranking him at No. 21 is bold.
Brugler: I just can’t quit Landon Dickerson, who is easily one of my favorite players in the class. His combination of power, quickness and competitiveness is outstanding and why he has Pro Bowl potential at either center or guard. His injury history is tough and makes it tough to accurately rank him. But in the late first or early second, he would be a bargain.
Joe Tryon, Edge, Washington (Brugler rank: 34, Consensus rank: 53)This is a draft full of toolsy players at the edge rusher position without a consistent pattern of production, so it can be tough to sort through the different players vying for first-round consideration. Even so, Brugler argues that Tryon deserves to be in that conversation.
Brugler: Tryon put intriguing flashes on his 2019 film and led the Huskies in tackles for loss (12.5) and sacks (8.0). He opted out of 2020, but the intrigue is still there, especially with his raw traits. At 6-5, 260 pounds with 34-inch arms, he ran a 4.65 40-yard dash with a 7.18 three-cone and posted numbers very similar to Marcus Davenport, who was a top-15 pick in the 2018 draft. Davenport hasn’t lived up to his draft spot, but that won’t stop NFL teams from betting on intriguing traits, especially at pass rusher. There will be several teams in the back half of Round 1 that consider Tryon.
Dillon Radunz, OT, NDSU (Brugler rank: 74, Consensus rank: 47)In 2019, Radunz played well for a sophomore, but wasn’t a finished product and needed to improve some critical areas of his game in order to earn high-end draft consideration. Unfortunately, COVID-19 halted FCS play in the fall of 2020 and he only played in an exhibition showing before choosing to focus on the draft instead of playing the formal 2020 season, which is currently being played in 2021.
Brugler: Based on his tape, I gave Dillon Radunz a fourth-round grade, mostly due to strength and balance issues. But he played well during Senior Bowl practices, which gave him a little bump for me. He moves well and plays with attitude and toughness, so there is plenty to like. But his overaggressive tendencies are usually costly and will be more pronounced versus NFL talent, which is why I just couldn’t put him in my top 50.
Walker Little, OT, Stanford (Brugler rank: 59, Consensus rank: 94)In a case not too different from Dickerson’s, Walker Little has been plagued by injury throughout his career at Stanford. The difference is that Dickerson was able to put together nearly a full season of tape in 2020, while Little hasn’t had more than 80 snaps since the end of the 2018 season. Nothing embodies the projection nature of draft analysis more than the community’s uncertainty surrounding Little.
Brugler: Walker Little is tough because he is missing basically two seasons of tape. But he was on a first-round trajectory based on his 2018 film and the one game he played in 2019. If the medicals are clean (a big “if” after his knee injury), he is going to go on Day 2 because he has the foundational traits to be a starting tackle in the NFL.
