2021 NFL Draft: 5 Pac-12 prospects hurt by canceling fall season
The Pac-12 canceling the fall football season will affect the 2021 NFL Draft
In a move that every fan of college football and the NFL Draft dreaded but saw coming, the Pac-12 made the official decision to cancel fall football in the 2020 season after the Big Ten was the first conference to make a similar call. Both conferences will attempt to play in the spring but that still leaves profound effects on the 2021 NFL Draft.
With the season not being played in the fall and the NFL having previously said that there are no plans for the draft to move from its position in late April, any prospect projected as a top-100 pick is likely going to opt-out of the spring to prepare — and even those not in the top 100 could do the same.
For some Pac-12 players like Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell, this has little effect. He’s going to be picked in the top five. However, there are plenty of 2021 NFL Draft prospects in the conference who would’ve benefitted from playing this fall. Let’s look at some of the players who are hurt by the decision to cancel Pac-12 football in the fall.
Note: All stats are via Sports Reference unless otherwise noted.
Five 2021 NFL Draft prospects hurt by the Pac-12 decision to nix fall football.
5. Keith Taylor, CB, Washington
The box score isn’t necessarily going to drop your jaw if you look at what Keith Taylor has done throughout his three years with the Washington Huskies prior to this year. He has no interceptions in 26 career games to go with only nine pass defenses. Yet, he’s still a potential top-100 pick.
Taylor checks all the boxes from a physical perspective, though. He may not be the fastest player but the 6-3, 195-pound cornerback is long and disruptive in coverage. His ball skills, as evidenced by the stats, aren’t necessarily where they need to be. But his overall upside is evident with how he can mirror and use his length to win leverage battles.
Where Taylor could’ve benefitted was using another year in Washington’s defense to showcase just how dominant he can be with his length and hopefully put up some numbers. As of now, though, he could finish his collegiate career with no interceptions, something that will certainly be brought up in the draft process.