4/7/2021 football Edit

Paye A Likely First Rounder, But Where Will Collins, McGrone & Others Land?

Austin Fox • Maize&BlueReview

Staff Writer

With the Michigan Wolverines' football players having participated in last month's Pro Day, athletes will have no more opportunities to work out in front of NFL scouts and GMs prior to the draft.

Prognosticators have altered some of their predictions as to where Michigan's players (and all athletes, for that matter) could land in the NFL Draft, and we have rounded up the latest estimations (all since April 1) from several of the biggest outlets below.

Publications oftentimes release mock drafts that only include the first and second round, with defensive end Kwity Paye and offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield usually being the only two Wolverines who appear in those.

The mock drafts that went further and included the middle to later rounds held more Michigan players, with wideout Nico Collins, linebacker Cameron McGrone and others oftentimes making appearances as well.

Michigan Wolverines football's Nico Collins hails from Birmingham, Ala. (Per Kjeldsen)

Kwity Paye

• First round, No. 10 overall to the Dallas Cowboys — Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com (April 6)

"Paye is the most explosive pass rusher in the draft. He would team up with [defensive end] DeMarcus Lawrence to give the Cowboys a big-time duo off the edges."

• First round, No. 11 overall to the New York Giants — Drae Harris of The Draft Network (April 1)

"New York needs edge defenders and we all know how much [General Manager] Dave Gettleman likes to draft linemen. While this is a little rich for Kwity Paye for most, Gettleman ultimately decides the upside is too great to pass up, aligns him next to [defensive end] Leonard Williams, and allows the duo to go hunt quarterbacks."

• First round, No. 11 overall to the New York Giants — Luke Easterling of USA Today Sports (April 6)

• First round, No. 14 overall to the Minnesota Vikings — Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports (April 6)

"Paye was more potential than production at the college level, and all that potential remains. He's explosive and powerful, but his repertoire needs refinement. If the Vikings help him tap into that potential, this could be a pick that pays off for years to come."

• First round, No. 18 overall to the Miami Dolphins — Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports (April 7)

"While this season is all about [quarterback] Tua Tagovailoa's development, the Dolphins also desperately need edge-rushing help on defense."

• First round, No. 21 overall to the Indianapolis Colts — Walter Cherepinsky of WalterFootball.com (April 6)

• First round, No. 23 overall to the New York Jets — Vinne Iyer of SportingNews (April 5)

"The Jets got one sturdy all-around edge presence in signing former Bengal Carl Lawson in free agency, but that's not enough for [head coach] Robert Saleh and [defensive coordinator] Jeff Ulbrich as they try to overhaul the defense into a solid front four that can better get after the quarterback.They should like the outside-inside versatility of this prospect. Paye is a freak of nature athletically and just needs some polish to be a consistently backfield-disrupting chess piece."

• First round, No. 26 overall to the Cleveland Browns — Shamus Clancy of NBC Sports Philadelphia (April 5)

"Though he played just four games in a shortened Michigan season in 2020, Kwity Paye was on the rise as a junior in 2019, recording 6.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. Paye is a bit undersized, but could prove to be a great pass-rushing complement to perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate [defensive end] Myles Garrett."

• First round, No. 26 overall to the Cleveland Browns — Nick Farabaugh of Pro Football Network (April 7)

"Somehow, the Browns luck out here and end up with a nice fit in Kwity Paye. The athletic Michigan product will complement Myles Garrett as one of the most explosive pass-rushing duos in the NFL. Of course, with the value at cornerback simply not being there, Paye helps fill the pass-rushing void that the Browns have been so interested in filling through free agency."

• First round, No. 27 overall to the Baltimore Ravens — Brentley Weissman of The Draft Network (April 6)

Jalen Mayfield

• First round, No. 22 overall to the Tennessee Titans — Luke Easterling of USA Today Sports (April 6)

• First round, No. 31 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs — Vinnie Iyer of SportingNews (April 5)

"The Chiefs are overhauling their offensive line with tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz gone and Joe Thuney and Kyle Long signed. This is the next step, landing someone who blossom protecting [quarterback] Patrick Mahomes' blind side in little time. Mayfield has stood out on film with his size, length and strength and can develop into a smooth blocker a la the Broncos' Garett Bolles."

• First round, No. 31 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs — Walter Cherepinsky of WalterFootball.com (April 6)

"We saw what happened to Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. The pass protection must be upgraded, yet Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz were both released. Jalen Mayfield did a great job against [former Ohio State defensive end] Chase Young late in 2019, showcasing his athletic potential."

• Second round, No. 39 overall to the Carolina Panthers — Drae Harris of The Draft Network (April 1)

• Second round, No. 39 overall to the Carolina Panthers — Nick Farabaugh of Pro Football Network (April 7)

• Second round, No. 48 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders — Brentley Weissman of The Draft Network (April 6)

• Third round, No. 81 overall to the Miami Dolphins — Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network (April 7)