Potential 2021 Chiefs draft prospects: Group 11
Week 12 of the 2020 college football season is here. Many teams still face postponements and cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but we’ll still get a good helping of college football on Saturday. I’ve identified a number of college prospects to keep an eye on ahead of the 2021 draft. All of them are potential fits with the Kansas City Chiefs. I’ll be releasing my thoughts on many of the prospects in random groups of four on Saturday’s throughout the season.
Check out our eleventh group of prospects down below:
Clemson OT Jackson Carman
Ken Ruinard - The Greenville News / USA TODAY Sports
The starting left tackle for the Clemson Tigers has been on a steady rise throughout the 2020 college football season, leading some to believe that the junior could declare early for the draft. Listed at 6-5 and 335 pounds, Carman has been a pivotal part of the Tigers' rushing attack. He's helped to pave the way for standout RB Travis Etienne over the past two seasons. He has that finisher mentality that coaches love from their offensive linemen and he seems to have the uncanny ability to get defenders on the ground. Carman is not the most agile tackle out there and sometimes struggles with speed rushers. At the same time, if you give him a full head of steam and a target, he'll lay them out. He also has a monstrous wingspan which helps him engage with defenders and keep them away from the quarterback and ballcarriers. While he hasn't played any offensive interior spots in college, I think he has the flexibility to play both guard and tackle in the NFL. That'll be appealing to a Chiefs team that values positional flexibility. WATCH: Clemson at Florida State, Saturday, Nov. 21 at 11:00 a.m. CT Update: This game has now been postponed.
BYU WR Dax Milne
Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
BYU QB Zach Wilson may be grabbing all the headlines for his Patrick Mahomes-like play, but he has some weapons too. One of those weapons, junior wideout Dax Milne, has been having a standout junior season. Listed at 6-1 and 190 pounds, Milne is a technician at the receiver position. He's an underrated route runner, with incredible concentration and ball-tracking ability. He does a good job in contested catch situations, providing a safety net for his quarterback. He also knows how to find the soft spots in coverage when plays break down and improvisation is needed on the part of the quarterback. If Wilson declares for the draft, perhaps Milne will also leave early. He could be a solid mid-round option for Kansas City and a great complement to what they've already got in the receiver room. WATCH: North Alabama at BYU, Saturday, Nov. 21 at 2:00 P.m. CT
Oklahoma State CB Rodarius Williams
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Rodarius Williams is the brother of Cleveland Browns CB Greedy Williams. Entering the year, he was widely considered a late-round draft pick, but he's done a lot to help himself this season. Through five games this season he has allowed a 31.3 completion percentage into his coverage. He might not have gaudy interception numbers, but quarterbacks are avoiding his side of the field or struggling when they do throw his way. This weekend he'll get a chance to show off in the rivalry matchup with the University of Oklahoma, known as Bedlam. If he can continue his solid play through the remainder of the season and in a keystone matchup like this, he'll surely be a riser in the 2021 NFL Draft. While the Chiefs just added a low-risk, high-reward CB in DeAndre Baker, it's been five seasons since the team has drafted a corner with a substantial draft pick. Adding a player like Williams could help solidify the secondary for the next five years. WATCH: Oklahoma State at Oklahoma, Saturday, Nov. 21 at 6:30 p.m. CT
USC DB Talanoa Hufanga
AP Photo/Ashley Landis
One of the top underclassman safeties in the 2021 draft class, Hufanga is already off to a hot start through two games this season. He's already recorded 14 total tackles, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble and a 27-yard interception return on the year. Hufanga is listed at 6-1 and 215-pounds and he really fills that hybrid safety role. He's an instinctive player that can blitz off the edge and make tackles in the open field. He can play linebacker or overhang. He's not the rangiest player as a single-high safety, but in Cover 2 looks he can erase one side of the field. He's at his best when he's allowed to play in the box and allowed to play downhill. One thing that flashes often is his football IQ and ability to read and react to a play on the fly. With Daniel Sorensen set to become a free agent at the end of the 2020 season, the Chiefs will likely need to look to the draft for his replacement. As much as it may hurt to part ways with Dirty Dan, Hufanga has that same do-it-all playmaker mentality. WATCH: USC at Utah, Saturday, Nov. 21 at 9:30 p.m. CT
