2021 NFL Draft: 7 Prospects who need a college football season

STILLWATER, OK - NOVEMBER 30: Running back Chuba Hubbard #30 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys looks for an opening against the Oklahoma Sooners in the fourth quarter on November 30, 2019 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. OU won 34-16. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /

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Kwity Paye, Michigan football (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

4. Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan

One of many players negatively impacted by the cancellation of the Big Ten’s season was Kwity Paye. The senior edge rusher made a wise decision returning to school for his senior year, despite impressing as a junior.

Last season he played part-time as a rotational player finishing the season with 6.5 sacks. A Wolverine by title, Paye has elite traits, speed, quickness and athleticism for a guy who’s 6-4, 277 pounds.

With Josh Uche’s departure to the NFL, the 2020 college football season was Paye’s time to shine. The senior edge rusher needs to show he’s capable of bottling up those athletic traits and use them consistently. With his length or lack thereof, he has to dominate at the point. Paye must show he’s a technician and capable of winning with counters.

There are questions about his flexibility in addition to his length. As of now, he doesn’t look like an elite pass rusher. Instead, his tape shows a run-stopping base end capable of playing in a tight alignment. Without a Big Ten season, Paye may not get the opportunity needed to prove he has the tools to be the first senior edge defender of the board in the 2021 NFL Draft.

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