Lance's 2021 Prospects to Watch: TEs and Safeties
TIGHT ENDS
Guys getting all the love: Jalen Wydermyer (Texas A&M), Will Mallory (Miami)
Guys to Watch:
Austin Stogner (Oklahoma): If you can catch a ball and are starting in Oklahoma’s offense you’re expected to put up big numbers, I think that’s why Stogner isn’t getting more love as it stands now. 422 yards and 3 touchdowns in 8 games isn’t anything to scoff at for this position, but I’d like to see him do more to really make a leap.
Charlie Kolar (Iowa State): If you follow college football you definitely know Kolar’s name. He’s been a dominant force at the Tight End position and a key cog in Iowa State’s recent success. Still, he hasn’t been getting the same attention that Wydermyer and Mallory have, which is disappointing. He can have the same type of season he has been, but for his stock to rise he’ll have to show how athletic he is at the Combine.
Greg Dulcich (UCLA): He was UCLA’s best receiving option, period, last season. He’s not a big Tight End (listed at 6’3”, 245), but he’s still an athletic mismatch in the middle of the field. He needs to prove last year wasn’t a fluke.
Josh Whyle (Cincinnati): Though his numbers weren’t crazy high (353 yards, 6 touchdowns) he was still at the top of the Receiving charts for the best Group of Five team. He was also PFF’s #2 Tight End.
SAFETIES
Guys getting all the love: Kyle Hamilton (Notre Dame), Bubba Bolden (Miami)
Guys to Watch:
Daxton Hill (Michigan): Hill was a hype machine two years ago and then last season...eh, not so much. During one of his games in 2019 I heard the commentator saying that he can play Safety, the Slot or outside Corner. Provided he can demonstrate that on the field, his stock will rise.
Jaquan Brisker (Penn State): He received a high rating from PFF (#11) and posted 57 tackles, 1 int and 5 deflections in 8 games. If he keeps that up and follows in the footsteps of so many recent Penn State prospects who completely torched the Combine, we could see him jump Bolden.
Kolby Harvell-Peel (Oklahoma State): He had a fantastic 2019 season and the expectations were high heading into 2020 because of it, but he ended up taking a step back and rightly-decided to return to school. The talent and athleticism are there, we just need to see the 2019 version of himself and his stock will go back up.
Bralen Trahan (Louisiana): He received the second highest coverage rating from PFF among the Safeties for 2020. However, he also received a bad run defense rating. If you want to be a high pick at Safety you have to be able to play the run and cover.
