I Just Moved This Strong Safety Prospect To The Top Of My Draft Board

We're a couple weeks out from the 2021 NFL Draft. This is when you see the final moving and shaking up and down the draft board before teams really hone in on their guys and starting to map out a path to navigate through all seven rounds. There's a ton of posturing, smokescreens, and false narratives ready to be leaked between now and the opening bell, so the only thing you - the fan - can trust right now is your own two eyeballs. That's right, I'm talking grinding tape. Letting the pure talent and raw athleticism jump off the screen. That's the only truth we're able to discern at a time like this, so without any more beating around the bush allow me to introduce you to SS1 on my Big Board.

Goodness gracious! Did you see that closing speed? Can we discuss the angle of pursuit? You wanna talk about lowering the shoulder and finishing a hit, the conversation begins and ends with this lion. At least, I think it was a lion. I view it as a positive that this prospect was running so goddamn fast that I could hardly make out the number on the back of its jersey. 

And I know what a lot of the detractors are saying. "Plays at a small school. What about the level of competition. It's quite literally a jungle cat. Blah, blah, blah." Old, tired, hackneyed ways of thinking. Any lion can hunt when no one's watching. It takes a special talent to do it when the cameras are on, the stands are packed, and the lights are at their brightest. All we've seen is production, speed, tenaciousness, and elite measureables. In an era where the forward pass reigns supreme, you'd be a fool not to have the ultimate counter for the Tyreek Hills of the world.

We already know the top three teams are going quarterback, so after taking a look at the rest of the top 10 I think you really have to circle Detroit at 7. Not because they're literally the Lions, though one should factor in the jersey sales and marketing opportunities, but because of what Dan Campbell said at his introductory press conference upon being named head coach. Detroit is looking for old school, hit 'em in the mouth, bite off their kneecap football players. I can't imagine a better prospect more inline with that way of thinking.