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It wasn’t necessarily a shock to see redshirt sophomore Jalen Mayfield opt out of any potential future season that Michigan football might have to focus on the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.
Having received some first and second-round projections just after the 2020 draft, Mayfield isn’t taking any chances of hurting — or conversely, bolstering — his draft stock. Plus, offensive line coach Ed Warinner has been a mastermind, having taken over one of Michigan’s most moribund units and putting four-of-five starters into the NFL this past offseason. And Mayfield is assuredly next.
But, the question is, especially without games, how high?
Rivals.com’s Mike Farrell and Adam Gorney are split on their decision, as they ask themselves whether or not Mayfield will go the way of former center Cesar Ruiz and be selected as one of the first 32 players off the board, or whether he’ll go sometime after that.
Farrell’s take: FICTION. I don’t see it. I know Jalen Mayfield is on at least one early list as a first-rounder after a solid season last year and very good games against Ohio State and Alabama, but missing this season will be tough. And it’s not his fault obviously. But as a one-year starter, Mayfield is still a question mark to some and he’ll end up in round two or three with a pretty strong offensive tackle class set for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Gorney’s take: FACT. There is no guarantee Mayfield is going in the first round as Oregon’s Penei Sewell and Alabama’s Alex Leatherwood are probably the only near-locks at this point. For someone to be 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds and to be able to move like that, Mayfield has a shot to really impress at the combine and quickly move into that first-round discussion. Michigan has pumped out offensive linemen in recent years and NFL teams have noticed. Mayfield is no first-round lock, but if an unfinished product like Isaiah Wilson from Georgia is a first-rounder largely based on his massive size, then Mayfield has a really good shot.
The potential is certainly key, but Mayfield also performed admirably against Chase Young — last year’s No. 2 overall pick — and the vaunted Alabama defensive line.
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According to PFF, his second-best graded game of the 2019 season was his performance against the Crimson Tide in the VRBO Citrus Bowl.
For now, we’ll have to wait until April — at the earliest — to know whether or not Mayfield will have that sort of draft stock.