NFL Football Betting: 5 Best Defensive Ends In 2021 NFL Draft

The 2021 NFL Draft is coming closer, and one of the big keys for a lot of franchises will be the ability to land a top pass rusher. So much of football comes down to the quarterback’s ability to throw and the defense’s ability to hit and rattle the opposing quarterback. Football offenses depend on the pass these days, so the ability to disrupt the quarterback is paramount for any defense which is looking for a missing piece.

Azeez Ojulari, Georgia

The dynamic pass rusher led the Southeastern Conference in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles in 2020. If that isn’t a strong indication of his ceiling and his ability to be a highly productive and disruptive pass rusher, nothing is. Ojulari helped Georgia contain Cincinnati’s offense in the Peach Bowl, giving the Bearcats their only loss of the season. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is a great talent evaluator and a superb defensive coach. The development of Ojulari occurred under a coaching staff which knows what to do with defensive talent. This will make the Georgia Bulldog a very attractive pick on draft night.

Kwity Paye, Michigan

Paye led Michigan in tackles for loss when he was a Wolverine under coach Jim Harbaugh. Michigan’s offense profoundly struggled last season, but the defense did a credible job – not spectacular, but much less of a problem than the offense was. Paye could be viewed as a particularly strong player on a team which wasn’t that strong. If Paye finds an NFL team in which his defensive line teammates are formidable, it will be hard for opposing offenses to double-team him. Paye can operate one on one and do a lot of damage in his position.

Jaelan Phillips, Miami (FL)

The Miami Hurricanes were blown away by the North Carolina Tar Heels in a late-season game, but Phillips provided a bright spot for UM as the Canes made a serious run at the ACC championship. Phillips led Miami in tackles for loss and sacks this past season. Other parts of Miami’s defensive line were not especially strong, but Phillips did his part. He stood his ground and increased his draft stock. Scouts noticed that, and as a result, Phillips has a first-round projection from a number of draft experts, quite possibly in the top 25.

Jayson Oweh, Penn State

The Penn State pass rusher didn’t get any sacks in 2020, so why is he on the list, and why is he projected to go off the board in the final few picks of the first round? Quite simply, he received a lot of attention from opposing defenses and had to beat double-teams if he wanted to get sacks last season. Oweh is an attractive NFL prospect because he isn’t as likely to get extra attention. Scouts are banking on his ability to win one-on-one battles, a situation he hasn’t always faced in college.

Joe Tryon, Washington

The Washington Huskies have had a good defense for several years, and Tryon was a big part of that effort. Washington had a bad offense in 2019, but the UW defense generally did what it had to do. Tryon’s strong 2019 season was followed by a non-season in 2020. Tryon opted out of the season in order to be safe during the pandemic.