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2021 NFL Draft FCS Sleeper Prospects: Offense

Craig Forrestal of NFL Draft Diamonds recently broke down his top Fcs Sleeper prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft. Check out who made the list!

By Craig Forrestal

Heading into the upcoming college football season here are some draft-eligible prospects from the FCS level to be familiar with.

QB: Daniel Smith/Villanova/6ft/205

  • Smith set school career records for total offense, rushing touchdowns, passing yards and passing touchdowns at Campbell University before transferring to Villanova. Smith also sits 2nd All-Time on the Campbell rushing list. Smith posted 48 total TDs in 2019, 35 passing TDs, to go along with more than 3200 yards passing. Smith is electric and another big season should help his draft stock.

RB: Percy Agyei-Obese/James Madison/6ft/205

  • Agyei-Obese ran for more than 1200 yards in 2019 and scored 19 rushing TDs with an average of almost 5 YPC. He enjoyed his breakout season as his team played for the FCS championship. He is a powerful back at 205 and runs bigger/stronger than his listed weight. Agyei-Obese is a tremendous special teams player.

RB: Bishop Bonnett/Florida A&M/5ft7/175

  • Bonnet average an impressive 7.2 YPC in 2018 and has been described as ‘lightning in a bottle’ by some in the program. While Bonnet is undersized he has mastered how to use it to his advantage. His size allows him to hide behind the OL making it hard for the defense to find and once they do it is hard to bring him down as he is slippery and avoids defenders.

WR: John Brunner/Western Illinois/6ft3/205

  • Brunner transferred to WIU from Butler CC and had a solid 2018 season for the Leathernecks as he had 38 receptions and over 600 yards. Brunner did not see action in 2019 and the season was deemed a redshirt year due to a broken foot. He looks to bounce back this year as he is a physical WR and was viewed as a key playmaker before his injury.

WR: Zachary Leslie/North Carolina A&T/6ft3/203

  • Leslie had a breakout 2019 season where he  led the Aggies in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Leslie is an impressive athlete posting a 33 ½-inch vertical and running 4.46 in the 40-yard dash. These athletic traits make him one of the most dangerous receiving threats in the MEAC and all of FCS football.

WR: Rashid Shaheed/Weber State/6ft/180

  • Shaheed has out of this world ability as a KR and has earned multiple All-American honors for those talents; having added 4 return TDs. He suffered a season-ending ACL injury in 2019. Shaheed has 86 receptions for 1218 yards and 11 TDs on his career.

Check out NFL Draft Diamonds 2021 Small School Rankings

TE: JJ Howland/Yale/6ft6/252

  • Howland is another basketball player turned TE. Howland was a 1000-point scorer and guided his high school team to a semifinals appearance. Howland was constantly asked to join the football team and finally, when he wasn’t getting the basketball recruiting interest he hoped for he decided to give football a try. Howland earned All-Ivy honors in 2018.

OT: Cordell Volson/North Dakota State/6ft6/312

  • Volson is the other OT on the NDSU OL opposite the headliner Dillon Radunz. While Radunz gets all the attention Volson is equally capable having earned All-Conference and All-American honors in 2019. Volson can be heavy-footed at times but he is a solid OL prospect with few weaknesses to his game.

OG: PJ Burkhalter/Nicholls State/6ft3/330

  • Burkhalter has been a starter for the Colonels program since his Redshirt Freshman season. During that time Burkhalter has started games at both OG and C. Burkhalter enters this season as a returning All-American.

C: Paul Grattan/Villanova/6ft4/300

  • Grattan is a versatile OL who will be a 4-year starter in 2020 and has seen action at both OG and C. Grattan is one of the top OL in FCS football. Grattan is fundamentally sound with a solid understanding of angles, positioning and how to utilize leverage. Paul Grattan is in store for a huge rise this upcoming season.

OG: Liam Dobson/Maine/6ft3/340

  • Dobson is a Canadian native that decided on Maine. Dobson is a top-notch athlete for a man his size which is demonstrated by his ability to dunk a basketball. Has started games at both OG and OT. It is seen on film, Dobson is a bully on the field.

OT: Nick Zakelj/Fordham/6ft5/325

  • Zakelj stepped in as a Freshman and started 8 games at RT. Since then he has started games at LT and earned multiple All-Patriot League honors. Zakelj has the ideal NFL size and the ability to play both LT and RT will appeal to NFL teams.

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