The 2021 NFL Draft is almost here! One of my favorite times of the year, but I'm more into this draft than any other that I've researched in my recent memory. I love the wide variety of predictions in mock drafts, and I love that very few picks in this draft are concrete. We have a QB class in which we could have 4 QB's go #1, #2, #3, and #4, which has never been done before. I don't know enough about this year's draft to do an in-depth mock draft, but I figured that I'd put the knowledge that I do have on the topic to work, by compiling my pro comparisons for some of this draft's top prospects. I will be doing a comparison for the consensus top prospect at each position, with a short description for each comp. If you don't agree with my comps, don't flame me too hard in the comments, I'm usually more in-tune with an NBA version of this, but I'm trying the NFL side out. So, without further ado, let's start the comparisons!

Quarterback

Prospect: Trevor Lawrence
Pro Comparison: A more mobile Eli Manning

Trevor Lawrence is the clear #1 overall pick. He stands at 6'6", and 220 lbs, and yet he is quite mobile. He isn't known for his ability to run, but, like Eli, he has the capability to scramble well when necessary. He doesn't have the best arm strength in this QB class, but he is by far the most complete prospect. Lawrence has stunning accuracy, he is calm under pressure, and he can fit the ball into windows like no other prospect in this class. Eli Manning certainly isn't Lawrence's ceiling by any means, but I think that they share similar aspects in their respective skill sets.

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Runningback

Prospect: Najee Harris
Pro Comparison: Aaron Jones

Najee Harris was a standout back at Alabama. He has a complete three-down game, and can drive through tacklers for every inch of every yard. He isn't particularly known for his pass-catching ability, but, like Jones, he has the ability to make an impact in the YAC game off of a leak-out screen. Harris possesses a great number of physical tools, and is a great blend of fast, strong, and powerful. He doesn't build his game around fancy moves in the open field, but he is also capable of pulling off a highlight reel quality play with a hurdle or a spin move. I've become familiar with Jones' game over the past two years, as he has been on my fantasy team in a keeper league for two seasons. I think that the three-down ability applies to Jones, as well as the sneakily solid YAC aspect. Some could make an argument for Travis Etienne over Harris here, but I am more familiar with Harris so I went with him. Overall, Harris is a quality back who could be picked in the first round by a team in the back of the draft like the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jones wasn't selected nearly as high (5th round, #189 overall, and the #19th RB selected in that draft), but I think that Harris can pan out similarly to him.

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Wide Receiver

Prospect: Ja'Marr Chase
Pro Comparison: A better version of JuJu Smith-Schuster

Chase was the Heisman Trophy winner in 2020, and won the National Championship as a member of Joe Burrow and Ed Orgeron's 2020 LSU Tigers. Physically, Chase is similar to Smith-Schuster. Chase measures in at 6'0", 201 lbs, and Smith-Schuster stands at 6'1" and 216 lbs. Both Chase and Smith-Schuster aren't known for blazing speed, but can transition well off of solid footwork and use their frames to essentially box out defenders and reach out for the grab. Smith-Schuster is more of a hard-nosed player than Chase, as Smith-Schuster fights and pushes for every yard after the reception. But, Chase won't shy away from contact in the air and has incredible hands that he uses to make tough catches. Smith-Schuster translated well to the NFL quickly, and I think that Chase can as well. Overall, this comp isn't exact, but I think that Chase shares some definite similarities with Smith-Schuster.

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Tight End

📸 courtesy of Fansided - Inside The Iggles

Prospect: Kyle Pitts
Pro Comparison: A cross between Mike Evans and Darren Waller

Kyle Pitts is a freak of nature. He is incredibly fast, especially for his frame (6'5 5/8" and 245 lbs), and has amazing hands. He's essentially a top wide receiver in a tight end's body. There is no single comp for Pitts, so I decided to make a cross. Evans is a tall receiver who has insane hands and impeccable timing in any aspect of play. Waller is one of the faster tight ends in the league, and has established himself as an all-around great player. I feel like Pitts is tough to make a comp for, so this isn't one of my most accurate comps, but I think that Pitts could have a similar impact to Evans and Waller at the pro level.

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Interior Offensive Lineman

Prospect: Rashawn Slater
Pro Comparison: Elgton Jenkins

If I'm being perfectly honest, finding a pro comp for Slater was difficult. During my research, I saw comps such as Russell Okung for a statistical comp, Anthony Castonzo for a pro ceiling comp, but I see a decent amount of Elgton Jenkins in Slater. Jenkins (6'5" and 311 lbs) and Slater (6'4" 315 lbs) have very similar physical frames, and both Jenkins and Slater have high athletic upside on the offensive line. One statement that I've seen frequently is that Slater is going to be a "day 1 starter." I likened that to Jenkins starting at guard for the Packers in his rookie year. Jenkins came in, started, and that Packers OLine only allowed 18 sacks that year. Slater has been projected to have that kind of impact, so that was a major similarity that I saw.

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Offensive Tackle

Prospect: Penei Sewell
Pro Comparison: Jack Conklin

In his career, Jack Conklin has established himself as a top offensive tackle in the league. He was drafted inside the top 10 (#8 overall to be precise) by the Tennessee Titans, and made an immediate impact, earning All-Pro honors in his rookie year. That is a mark that I (and many others) can see Sewell making. Sewell and Conklin have similar physical profiles (Conklin is 6'6" 326 lbs and Sewell is 6'6" 331 lbs). If Sewell gets drafted by a team poised to make an improvement from their previous season, I think that Sewell can jump right in and hold his own, if not thrive and succeed in his rookie year. The one thing that worries me is that Sewell opted out of playing in college last season, but I don't see that as a major cause for concern.

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EDGE

Prospect: Jaelan Phillips
Pro Comparison: JJ Watt

Jaelan Phillips is a beast of an athlete. He can push into opposing tackles and drive them back almost casually. He isn't the absolute fastest edge rusher in this league, but according to DTG's premier draft scout @jacksontm, he is the best "pretty comfortably." My comp for him is JJ Watt, because of the injury history, and similarity in size. Watt is 6'5" and 289 lbs, while Phillips is 6'5" and 266 lbs. Watt has had multiple surgeries and has missed more than half of the season in multiple seasons. Phillips had to retire from UCLA due to major injury troubles, and that's the only knock on him. If Phillips can push past the injury history, I think that he can reach prime JJ Watt's level fully healthy.

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Interior Defensive Lineman

Prospect: Christian Barmore
Pro Comparison: Heavier DeForest Buckner

Just like DeForest Buckner, Christian Barmore is sneakily quick and elusive for a defensive tackle. Buckner measures 6'7" and 287 lbs, and Barmore measures 6'5" and 311 lbs. Barmore is like a slightly shorter and slightly heavier Buckner. He is a three-technique DT, who can drop back and hold his own in pass coverage. He is able to use his hands to counter the techniques of opposing OLinemen, and get around them with his surprising speed for his frame. I don't see Barmore becoming as prominent as Buckner, but I do see him as a next breed of DT's, tall and quick especially for their massive size.

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Linebacker

Prospect: Micah Parsons
Pro Comparison: Za'Darius Smith

Micah Parsons is a powerful athlete. He is a tackle machine, that racks up tackles like it's a video game. Much like Za'Darius Smith, Parsons is a beast in the tackling game, but not so great in pass coverage. Parsons and Smith are somewhat similar in size (Parsons is listed as 6'3" 245 lbs and Smith is listed as 6'4" 275 lbs). Parsons and Smith both have good footwork, and are both hard-hitting pass rushers who can pressure the QB and stop the run. For opposing running backs, you don't want to see either Parsons or Smith shooting a gap and barrelling into you.

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Cornerback

Prospect: Caleb Farley
Pro Comparison: A more athletic and more versatile JC Jackson

Caleb Farley is bursting with raw talent and athleticism. He has great size (6'2" and 201 lbs) and he couples that frame with a mind-blowing combination of strength and speed. He and JC Jackson are similar in physical frame (Jackson is 6' 1" and 198 lbs), and they are both ballhawks. Last season, Jackson ranked 2nd in the NFL in interceptions, hauling in 9 picks using his combination of good reads and impact-play-making ability. I see that in Farley, but I also see a much higher ceiling with Farley. The debate between Farley and Surtain is close, but I have Farley over him because of the edge-up that Farley gets due to his teeming raw athleticism and talent. Farley's back surgery has had some people move him down their boards, but he was completely cleared so I'm still comfortable with having Farley over Surtain II. If Farley can shake off this back surgery, he has the talent and potential to be everything that Jackson is and more.

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Safety

Prospect: Trevon Moehrig
Pro Comparison: Minkah Fitzpatrick

Some could make the argument for Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah here due to his dual-positioning of safety and linebacker, but I see Moehrig as the best pure safety in this draft. He is impactful, hard-working, hard-nosed, and has great instincts. Moehrig makes the right play by taking the right angles and using his athleticism to knock a receiver over. As a Steelers fan, I see a lot of Minkah Fitzpatrick's amazing play, and I see that in Moehrig. Not only do they have similar builds (Moehrig is 6'2" 203 lbs and Fitzpatrick is 6'1" 207 lbs), but they also have a similar preference of play. Like Fitzpatrick, Moehrig works best when being able to roam and make reads to determine where he needs to be on his own. I don't think that Moehrig has as high of a ceiling as Fitzpatrick, but I do think that Moehrig's full potential is close to Fitzpatrick's level of play.

Those are all of my pro comps for the top prospect at every position in this offseason's NFL Draft! This is one of my first ventures into draft scouting for the NFL, so I appreciate you sticking with me to the end of this article (if you did). I hope you enjoyed the article, thank you so much for reading, and stay safe!