2021 NFL Draft: Buyer beware on Trey Lance, Kadarius Toney, and these other top prospects

The 2021 NFL Draft is quickly approaching and we have broke down film on quite a bit of players in the draft, but there are some players we have concerns about. I am not saying that they are not worthy of a high draft pick, but what I am saying is their production and rise on the scene are something that concerns me. When we say Buyer Beware we say that because there are still many questions out on the player.

Let’s break down the prospects we feel NFL teams should be cautious with, and why we feel the way we feel.

Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida – Toney is by far one of the most exciting players in the NFL Draft, but what concerns me the most is why he was not on the field in the years prior. Toney blew up last year hauling in 70 receptions for 984 yards and was the primary receiver on the Gators. I watched him live and he was amazing to see on the field. His speed and cutting ability is amazing, but his lack of production in his college career scares me. In 2019 Tony averaged only 4.9 yards a reception, and only hauled in 10 receptions. He had more receptions his senior year at Florida than he did in all three prior years combined, and his yardage almost doubled his yardage in the years prior. Is Toney a one year wonder? That is the question NFL scouts will have to ask themselves. I see Toney in the first round, does his production translate to a first round pick? In my opinion, I would say no.

Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State – People are in love with Jayson Oweh and I have even looked at some Mock Drafts around the web that has him going in the top 15. I would not take Oweh in the first round, because his production is not worthy of a top pick. Oweh finished this season with 38 tackles and zero sacks. He is a 6’5 pass rusher that weighs 252 pounds. He maybe the most athletic defensive end in this draft class, but if you cannot get to the quarterback why am I drafting you again? Oweh has 7 career sacks, that does not ring out as a first rounder to me. I would stay away from him in the first round if I was a GM.

Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State – I am a huge supporter of Trey Lance being that he is a small schooler but I believe the early hype could have ended up hurting his stock. He has won every game in his college career, but he has not played enough to really grade him. Many are going off of a great season, but that will scare off some teams. I feel deep down inside he is a top quarterback prospect, but I know several teams that are nervous about his film. Lance has a big time arm and is super athletic, but his body of work is limited. I would not be surprised if he fell out of the top 20. Scouts were not very impressed with his one game performance against Central Arkansas, he may have been better off sitting it out.

Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC – Vera-Tucker is considered a first round pick by almost everyone, but at the end of the day he does not have a lot of film to review. He has only started in 13 games in his career. He has played in 25, but all his starts came at the guard position. He played well in 2020 and as a back-up did well coming in and filling in at guard for the Trojans. Vera-Tucker is solid when watching film, when he latches on you good luck getting away from him. Because of the little film though, I cannot take him based on athletic ability alone. If you take a guard early in the NFL Draft you better make sure there are no question marks.