2021 NFL Draft: Mel Kiper Releases First Mock of Season, Includes Two Gators
The 2020-21 NFL season is officially in the books with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the champions of Super Bowl LV, paving the way for new NFL players to earn their way into the big leagues.
That means, the 2021 NFL Draft is not too far away and the first mock drafts from the experts have already begun to surface. One of the experts is ESPN's Mel Kiper who has covered the NFL Draft for decades now, becoming the top-dog in the category of pundits that are draft analysts.
In his first official mock draft of the season, Kiper has his sights set on two Florida Gators prospects that will look to take on the big leagues going as high as the first round, according to Kiper.
The first to be selected is of course elite tight end Kyle Pitts (No. 11 overall, New York Giants), who is thought of as the best tight end to come out of college football this year, and perhaps one of the best tight ends to ever enter the draft. The other former Florida player to be selected in Kiper's mock draft is receiver Kadarius Toney (No. 19 overall, Washington Football Team).
Kiper pegs Pitts as the first tight end off of the board, and just the fourth receiver, period, to go off the board. The other receivers taken ahead of Pitts include wide receivers Devonta Smith (second overall), Jamarr Chase (third overall) and Jaylen Waddle (sixth overall).
Landing at No. 11 overall, Pitts will be saddled with New York Giants head coach Joe Judge and quarterback Daniel Jones. While there is still some uncertainty regarding whether or not Jones can be the guy moving forward, adding another weapon to an arsenal that has been overdue for a revamp will do the Giants some good.
The combination of Pitts and Evan Engram, who Pitts closely resembles from a play-style perspective, could prove deadly in the NFL.
In 2020, Pitts played in eight games, accumulating 43 receptions for 770 yards and nine touchdowns. He led all tight ends in such categories and won the 2020-21 John Mackay Award, given to the top tight end in the nation.
Pitts wasn't the only playmaker on the Gators' offense last year, though. Toney earned plenty of praise due to the leap he made as a receiver during the year after spending the first three years of his career as a scat-back type of player, used as a "get it to" offensive weapon.
This year he was not just someone you want to get the ball to in various ways, but he could be used as much more as a receiver, catching plenty of passes from Trask.
At No. 19 overall to WFT, Toney gets an opportunity to stay in the same division as his running mate in Pitts, battling for the NFC East championship year after year.
Last season, Toney impressed by catching 70 passes for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns, the most on the team. He was one of the most electric players on the gridiron week-after-week and showed that he could be a legitimate receiver at the next level.
With Toney off to Washington, he will pair nicely with Football Team receiver Terry McLaurin, who has quietly become one of the better receivers in the NFL. While Washington's quarterback situation is still up in the air, for now, Toney would have a chance to play with Alex Smith, the quarterback that Mullen taught for many years while at Utah.
Don't be surprised to see the same two players, Pitts and Toney, get selected in the first round. While only Pitts is currently a lock, it appears the scouting reports from his senior season are finally getting into the pundit's hands causing him to seemingly "rise" up the charts as the months unfold.
