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Adding to the New York Giants’ receiving corps remains the top priority of mock drafters in the second edition of our 2021 NFL Mock Draft Tracker. This time, Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle is the No. 1 choice, selected for the Giants in 10 of 46 mock drafts (21.7 percent).
Overall, a receiver was the choice at No. 11 in 23 of the 46 mock drafts (50 percent). Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith of Alabama was chosen 6 times (13 percent), Florida tight end Kyle Pitts 5 times (10.9 percent), and Ja’Marr Chase of LSU 2 times (4.3 percent).
Michigan defensive lineman Kwity Paye was the most often selected defensive player (8 times (17.4 percent).
Waddle, listed at 5-foot-10, 182 pounds, is an explosive speedster. He averaged 18.9 yards on 106 catches in three seasons at Alabama. He was also a play-making return man, averaging 19.3 yards on 38 punt returns and 23.8 yards on 9 kickoff returns.
Here is part of our projection for Waddle:
Alabama receiver and kick returner projects as a dynamic offensive weapon at the NFL level. His size will likely limit him to the role of slot receiver in the eyes of many coaches and scouts, but he has the potential to be explosively productive for teams with the scheme to involve him in a variety of ways ...
Waddle can serve an offense well out of a traditional slot role, particularly if that team incorporates spread or Air Raid concepts which make use of spacing. However, he could play a similar role to Tarik Cohen or Tyreek Hill in an offense which is able to scheme ways to get him the ball in space or uses the slot receiver in vertical concepts. Creative offensive coordinators could also use him with motion to add elements a defense will need to track, or even use him out of the backfield to ensure free releases.
Coaches will probably be drawn to Waddle for his home-run capability as well as his competitive toughness and willingness to do the dirty work when a play is designed for another player. However, he isn’t a “plug and play” prospect and will likely need a plan for incorporating him into their existing scheme for him to reach his full potential.
2021 Mock Draft Tracker
Date | Mock Draft | Round 1 | Round 2 |
---|---|---|---|
Date | Mock Draft | Round 1 | Round 2 |
4/29 | The Athletic (Brugler) | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/29 | ESPN (Kiper) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/29 | ESPN (McShay) | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/29 | NFL.com (Schrager) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/29 | NFL.com (Casserly) | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/29 | NFL.com (Zierlein) | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | |
4/29 | FOX Sports (Rang) | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | Carlos Basham, DE, Wake Forest |
4/28 | CBS (Trapasso) | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/28 | NFl.com (Jeremiah) | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | |
4/28 | Tankathon | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/28 | Pro Football Network (Albright) | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/28 | Newsday (Klopsis) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/28 | Tony Pauline (Pro Football Network) | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State |
4/28 | CBS (Brinson) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/28 | Yahoo Sports (Edholm) | Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina | |
4/28 | Sporting News (Iyer) | Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern | |
4/28 | Pro Football Focus (Renner) | Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern | |
4/28 | NFL.com (Davis) | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/28 | DraftTek | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/28 | Walter Football (Walt) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | Azeez Ojulari, Edge, Georgia |
4/28 | NFL Trade Rumors | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/28 | Walter Football (Campbell) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | Azeez Ojulari, Edge, Georgia |
4/27 | SI (Breer) | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/27 | Draftwire | Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern | |
4/27 | Pro Football Focus (Staff) | Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern | |
4/27 | CBS (Prisco) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/27 | Philadelphia Inquirer (Bowen) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/27 | Pro Football Talk (Florio) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/27 | ESPN (NFL Nation Staff) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/27 | Pewter Report (Ledyard) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/27 | NFL.com (Brooks) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/26 | SI (Countryman) | Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama | |
4/26 | Draft Network (Melo) | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/26 | Draft Network (Arians) | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | |
4/26 | CBS (Jones) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/26 | Draftwire (Easterling) | Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern | |
4/26 | Establish The Run (Silva) | Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern | |
4/26 | Touchdown Wire (Farrar) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/26 | CBS (Wilson) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/26 | NBC (Peter King) | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | |
4/26 | USA Today | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/26 | Akron Beacon Journal (Kadar) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/26 | Sun Sentinel (Kelly) | Penei Sewell, Ot, Oregon | |
4/26 | Athlon Sports | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/26 | Pro Football Focus | Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota | |
4/26 | Penn Live | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | |
4/25 | NFL.com (Lewis) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/25 | Draft Kings | Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina | |
4/25 | Blogging The Boys | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | Ronnie Perkins, Edge, Oklahoma |
4/25 | EDS Football (Hanson) | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan |
4/24 | Pro Football Network (Schulte) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | Gregory Rousseau, Edge, Miami |
4/24 | San Diego Union Tribune (Brown) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/24 | CBS (Benjamin) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/23 | FOX Sports (McIntyre) | Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa | |
4/23 | Dallas Morning News (Watkins) | Azeez Ojulari, Edge, Georgia | |
4/23 | CBS (Edwards) | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri |
4/23 | Underdog Fantasy (Norris) | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/23 | NFL.com (Reuter) | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/23 | CBS (Dubin) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/23 | NJ.com (Giglio) | Jaelan Phillips, Edge, Miami | |
4/22 | SI (Fabiano) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/22 | Houston Chronicle (McClain) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/22 | Draft Network (Solak) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/22 | EDS Football (Hanson) | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | |
4/21 | Pro Football Network (Tanier) | Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern | |
4/20 | Sharp Football Analysis | Azeez Ojulari, Edge, Georgia | |
4/20 | SI (Vrentas) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/19 | UPI (Butler) | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/19 | Huddle Report (Johannes) | Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern | |
4/19 | North Jersey (Stapleton) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/19 | USA Today (Davis) | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | |
4/19 | LA Times (Farmer) | Gregory Rousseau, Edge, Miami | |
4/19 | Pro Football Focus (Palazzolo) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/18 | Baltimore Sun | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | |
4/18 | Walter Football (Campbell) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | Trey Smith, G, Tennessee |
4/17 | Pro Football Network (Farabaugh) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/17 | Pro Football Network (Hodgkinson) | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | |
4/16 | Draft Network (Sikkema) | Alijah Vera-Tucker, iOL, USC | |
4/16 | Cleveland.com | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/15 | NFL.com (Casserly) | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/14 | The Phinsider (Nogle) | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | |
4/14 | Rotoworld (Daigle) | Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech | |
4/14 | Pro Football Network (Williamson) | Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern | |
4/14 | Touchdown Wire (Farrar) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/12 | NFL.com (Jones-Drew) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | |
4/12 | Outkick | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/12 | Sharp Football | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/12 | Pro Football Focus (Monson) | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | |
4/10 | Pro Football Network (Valdovinos) | Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama | Joseph Ossai, Edge, Texas |
4/10 | NY Post (Serby) | Kwity Paye, DL, Michigan | |
4/9 | Pro Football Focus (Erickson) | Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern | |
4/8 | Pro Football Focus (Evans) | Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern | |
4/8 | Pro Football Network (Rolfe) | Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech | |
4/8 | AL.com | Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern | |
4/7 | USA Today (Middlehurst-Schwartz) | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | |
4/5 | NFL Draft Room | Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State | |
4/5 | Pro Football Focus (Spielberger) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/5 | Pro Football Focus (Linsey) | Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern | |
4/4 | Pro Football Network (Cummings) | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | |
4/3 | NBC Sports (Winks) | Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern |