2021 NFL Draft | FCS Scouting Reports: James Madison
Liam Fornadel NFL Draft Scouting Report | Offensive Line
Positives: Nice-sized college right tackle who projects to guard in the NFL. Sets with a wide base, bends his knees, and stays square. Keeps his feet moving, fights with his hands throughout the play, and shows strength at the point. Makes outstanding use of body positioning and angles to seal opponents from the play. Easily controls defenders once engaged in a block. Works through the whistle and plays with a nasty attitude.
Negatives: Lacks balance and struggles blocking in motion. Lacks fluid footwork as well as range off the edge in pass protection. Displays a lot of stiffness in his game, which hampers his ability to finish blocks.
Analysis: Fornadel is a hard-working, small-area blocker who could back up in a power gap offense.
Michael Greene NFL Draft Scouting Report | Defensive Tackle
Positives: Explosive, undersized defensive tackle who projects to the three-technique position. Bends his knees, plays with leverage, and fluidly moves about the field. Keeps his feet moving and his hands active. Quick when asked to twist or stunt, consistently gets leverage on opponents, and is rarely off his feet. Fires off the snap with a quick first step, shoots through gaps and plays with balance.
Negatives: First-step lineman who struggles getting off blocks and gets handled at the point. Easily out-positioned from the action.
Analysis: Greene is a hard-working lineman with excellent movement skills, but he must add bulk to his frame as well as strength to his game. He’s a practice-squad player for a team that lines up four defensive linemen.
2021 NFL Draft | FCS Scouting Reports: Merrimack
Jovan Grant NFL Draft Scouting Report | Safety
Positives: Tough, hard-hitting safety who is also effective on special teams. Athletic, effectively reads and diagnoses plays, and takes proper angles to the action. Hard-hitting, aggressively lays his shoulders into ball handlers, and delivers crushing blows.
Keeps the action in front of him, shows explosion at the point, and sells out to make plays. Gets vertical and competes to defend the pass. Quickly locates the ball and shows good hands for the interception. Very effective on special teams.
Negatives: Not quick or fluid pedaling in reverse or flipping his hips to transition with opponents. Plays to one speed.
Analysis: Grant possesses the size and style to line up as a traditional strong safety or in a zone system. The ability he brings on coverage units could help him capture a roster spot this fall.
Sam Cooper NFL Draft Scouting Report | Offensive Line
Positives: Explosive small-school blocker who is best in a small area. Sets with a wide base, bends his knees, and fires off the snap into blocks. Plays with a nasty attitude and consistently works to annihilate opponents. Dominant at the small-school level, gets his hands into opponents and easily rides them from their angles of attack. Blocks down well and completely smothers opponents from the action. Displays excellent vision, quickly picks up stunts and blitzes, and jolts defenders with explosive hand punch. Keeps his head on a swivel and works well with teammates.
Negatives: Lacks footwork in space. Heavy-footed pulling across the line of scrimmage and lumbers in motion. Must be more consistent about his hand placement.
Analysis: Cooper was a dominant power-gap blocker at the small-school level and offers possibilities as a backup in the NFL if he adds more bulk to his frame and completes his game.
2021 NFL Draft | FCS Scouting Reports: Nicholls State
Dai’Jean Dixon NFL Draft Scouting Report | Wide Receiver
Positives: Long, lanky receiver who plays faster than his 40 time. Nicely tracks deep throws, makes the difficult over-the-shoulder reception, and presents himself as a solid vertical receiver. Displays a sense of timing on receptions, adjusts to the errant throw, and extends to make the reception away from his frame. Uses his frame to shield away opponents, possesses eye/hand coordination, and competes to come away with the contested grab. Sells routes and displays a sense of timing on receptions. Quickly gets to top speed and turns on his burst in a single step.
Negatives: Not quick releasing off the line of scrimmage. Doesn’t seem to work hard if the play is away from him. Lacks a second gear.
Analysis: Dixon was a big-play threat at the small-school level and comes with reliable hands. He flashed playmaking skills at Nicholls State and has enough tools to develop into a fifth receiver in the NFL.
2021 NFL Draft | FCS Scouting Reports: North Alabama
Mike Boykin NFL Draft Scouting Report | Defensive Line
Positives: Well-traveled defensive tackle who began his college career at Louisville before landing with North Alabama. Large, plays with good lean, and is a tough load to handle in the middle of the line. Attracts double-team blocks, shows power in his lower body, and is tough to move off the point. Flashes agility, plays with consistent leverage, and has a solid closing burst. Keeps his feet moving, displays terrific leg drive, and shows the ability to bull rush opponents off the line. Quickly locates the ball and nicely redirects the action. Flashes terrific hand technique.
Negatives: Consistently handled at the point or ridden from his angle of attack despite being a large-bodied lineman. Often very late and lazy with his hands. More of a gap occupier than a playmaker.
Analysis: Boykin flashed ability but never really developed his game after bouncing from college to college. He possesses a next-level frame and enough athleticism to capture a spot on a practice squad this fall.
2021 NFL Draft | FCS Scouting Reports: North Dakota
Jaxson Turner NFL Draft Scouting Report | Linebacker
Positives: Athletic, undersized linebacker who often comes out of a three-point stance. Nimble, moves well laterally, and consistently plays with proper pad level. Bends off the edge as a pass rusher, nicely redirects to the action, and immediately alters his angle of attack.
Fluid moving to every area of the field, smooth getting down the line of scrimmage, and shows ability in pursuit. Plays with balance as well as body control and works his hands throughout the action.
Negatives: Easily blocked from the action and taken from his angle of attack. Lacks size and growth potential. Better making plays up the field than in reverse.
Analysis: Turner is an explosive defender who shows good athleticism but must learn to make plays in space as well as moving in reverse.
2021 NFL Draft | FCS Scouting Reports: North Dakota State
Josh Hayes NFL Draft Scouting Report | Cornerback
Positives: Tough, feisty corner who is best facing the action. Quick pedaling in reverse, battles opponents throughout the route, and stays with assignments. Does not bite on ball fakes, gives effort defending the run, and aggressively lays his shoulders into ball handlers. Displays a terrific closing burst out of his plant and shows good hands for the interception.
Negatives: Constantly face guards opponents and is slow getting his head back around to locate the pass. Very quick to leave his backpedal.
Analysis: Hayes is a well-built, small-school cornerback with effective ball skills facing the action. He offers possibilities as a ninth defensive back who can be used in zone coverage and play special teams.
For information on NDSU quarterback Trey Lance, check out his 2021 NFL Draft Profile.
For information on NDSU offensive line Dillon Radunz, check out his 2021 NFL Draft Profile.
Brayden Thomas NFL Draft Scouting Report | EDGE
Positives: Explosive small-school pass rusher with solid size and speed. Relentless, goes very hard, and effectively uses his hands. Fires off the snap with a great first step, plays with exceptional leverage, and is fast up the field. Keeps his feet moving, shows the ability to bend off the edge, and is rarely off his feet.
Negatives: Lacks bulk as well as strength and is easily handled by a single blocker. Driven off the line on running downs. Had just a single year of big production at the small-school level.
Analysis: Thomas flashed brilliance and was a relentless defender who consistently blew up plays at Minnesota State in 2019. He had minimal impact at North Dakota State this season but has the size, skill, and intensity to get consideration as a standup 3-4 outside linebacker or one-gap defensive end.
Cordell Volson NFL Draft Scouting Report | Offensive Line
Positives: Hard-working, small-school offensive tackle with potential at guard in the NFL. Sets with a wide base, quickly gets off the snap, and stays square. Strong, turns defenders from the line, and engulfs them altogether. Blocks with a nasty attitude.
Negatives: Average athlete who isn’t fluid moving about the field. Stiff and struggles to adjust. Lacks balance in motion and tends to fall off defenders rather than finish blocks.
Analysis: Volson is a tough, nasty blocker who gets the most from his ability but is best in a small area. He lacks great upside, but his approach to the game and workmanlike attitude could help him develop into a backup at the next level.
2021 NFL Draft | FCS Scouting Reports: Northern Iowa
For information on Northern Iowa offensive line Spencer Brown, check out his 2021 NFL Draft Profile.
For information on Northern Iowa EDGE Elerson Smith, check out his 2021 NFL Draft Profile.
Brawntae Wells NFL Draft Scouting Report | Defensive Line
Positives: Average-size defensive end who gets the most from his ability. Fires off the snap, keeps his feet moving, and moves well around the field. Slides down the line of scrimmage to make plays against the run, nicely adjusts and redirects to the action, and possesses a closing burst. Plays with excellent pad level and consistently gets leverage on opponents.
Negatives: Lacks strength at the point and gets easily controlled by a single blocker. Lacks great upside.
Analysis: Wells is a hard-working college player with marginal potential for the next level.
2021 NFL Draft | FCS Scouting Reports: Prairie View A&M
Jaylen Harris NFL Draft Scouting Report | Cornerback
Positives: Short, feisty cornerback with outstanding ball skills. Quick pedaling in reverse, fluid flipping his hips, and has a burst to the ball off his plant. Runs downfield with opponents, has a nice move to the throw, and gets his head back around to track the pass in the air. Positions himself against receivers and competes to break up throws. Effective facing the action, reads the quarterback’s eyes, and quickly closes to the action. Works hard to get off blocks and make plays up the field.
Negatives: Can be quick out of his backpedal. Not a stout tackler and has ball handlers or receivers running through his arms.
Analysis: Harris is a solid cornerback with next-level ball skills, but he comes with size limitations. He offers potential in a variety of systems and can line up in man coverage, backed off the line of scrimmage, and in zone. He should compete for a roster spot as a team’s dime back.
Reggie Stubblefield NFL Draft Scouting Report | Safety
Positives: Hard-working safety who plays bigger and faster than his measurables. Quick to read and diagnose the action, tracks the pass in the air, and has a nice move to the throw. Displays good speed getting to the sidelines, shows range in center field, and possesses solid ball skills. Hard-hitting defensive back who breaks down well, effectively uses his hands to protect himself, and goes for the knockout blow. Effectively quarterbacks the secondary.
Negatives: Possesses average size and poor hands for the interception. Mistimes his pass defenses.
Analysis: Stubblefield is an overachiever who gets the most from his abilities, but he needs to refine the rough edges of his game. He has the skill to make a roster as a ninth defensive back, although it may be best for Stubblefield to spend a season on the practice squad.
2021 NFL Draft | FCS Scouting Reports: Sam Houston State
Jequez Ezzard NFL Draft Scouting Report | Wide Receiver
Positives: Small, feisty receiver with the speed and skill to be a vertical wideout. Quickly releases off the line, immediately gets to top speed, and displays terrific focus and concentration. Has a burst that he turns on in a single step. Tracks the pass in the air, gets vertical, and consistently comes away with the difficult reception.
Gets up in a crowd, effectively times receptions, and possesses soft hands. Nicely adjusts to the errant throw and makes the reception in stride. Works hard even if the play is away from him. Plays bigger than his listed size, takes a big hit, and holds onto the throw.
Negatives: Small and struggles in battles. Lacks a true second gear.
Analysis: After sitting out the 2019 season and transferring from Howard, Ezzard showed big-time potential this season at Sam Houston State. He’s an undersized slot receiver who can also double up as a return specialist on Sundays, and I expect Ezzard to surprise in camp this summer.
Zyon McCollum NFL Draft Scouting Report | Cornerback
Positives: Nice-sized cornerback who is instinctive, aggressive, and works hard. Breaks down well, fires up the field, and works hard to get off blocks. Quick to read and diagnose, works to locate the pass in the air, and possesses solid hands for the interception. Battles receivers and physically outmuscles them to defend passes. Solid special teams player who fires downfield on coverage units to make plays.
Negatives: Average quickness and poor speed. Stiff pedaling in reverse and not smooth in transition.
Analysis: McCollum is a hard-working defensive back who more often than not physically beats down opponents to make plays rather than relying on good ball skills. He lacks the speed for corner, but his playing style and size could dictate a move inside to safety.