Michigan Wolverines football defensive end Kwity Paye has a decision to make. He’s made it clear that he’s in no rush to decide on his NFL future, but if the Big Ten does not have a fall season after all, there’s a good chance surefire 2021 NFL Draft picks such as himself will opt out of a winter or spring season and instead choose to prepare for the combine.
Heading into the 2020 campaign, Paye landed on two watch lists for coveted college football awards — the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (most outstanding defensive lineman) and the Bednarik Award (best defender in the country). He was expected to be one of the Wolverines’ top defenders and leaders, as well, on the end of the defensive line opposite of junior Aidan Hutchinson, with the two being nicknamed “Salt and Pepper.”
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A two-time All-Big Ten honoree, Paye was tabbed as a first-round pick, at No. 14 overall, by PFF’s Michael Renner in his latest 2021 NFL mock draft. But Renner believes that Paye could go even higher if he has the opportunity to compete again on the field for the Maize and Blue. He pegged Paye as the No. 1 prospect who needs football this fall, with his criteria being “the players who have flashed the skills to be starters in the NFL but, for whatever reason, haven't proved it consistently on a college football field,” and “guys who need football this fall for the sake of their draft stock.”
“In a class full of freaky pass-rushing specimens, Paye may be the freakiest,” Renner wrote. “But in three seasons with the Wolverines, little he's done from an on-field perspective could be described as freaky. He earned only a 77.8 pass-rushing grade last year, with many of his wins coming from slants and stunts. Charging head down toward the quarterback is currently his most effective pass-rushing move. He could be a top-10 pick if he gets the chance to show anything more this fall.”
As a junior and first-year, full-time starter in 2019, Paye notched 50 tackles, with a team-leading 12.5 for loss, 6.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery.
Fifth-year senior running back Chris Evans was also on Renner’s list, checking in at No. 17.
Evans missed the entire 2019 campaign due to an academic issue. To the surprise of many, Evans recently landed on ESPN analyst Todd McShay’s draft board as the No. 50 prospect for 2021.
“Evans once looked like the next big thing when he averaged 7.0 yards per carry on 88 carries as a freshman back in 2016,” Renner wrote. “He's been known as a versatile receiving weapon, with one drop on 41 career opportunities, but never quite took hold of the lead role before he found himself off the team in 2019 for reported academic reasons. The fifth-year back was due for a second chance this season, but now that may not come.”
During his time in Ann Arbor to this point, Evans has carried the ball 304 times for 1,722 yards with 14 touchdowns.
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