Two Tigers lead NFL draft position rankings

These two could be the first off the board at their respective positions.

Brandon Rink · Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer · Wednesday, January 20 2021

Pro Football Focus has two Tigers atop the board at positions for the NFL draft.

One of course is Trevor Lawrence, who is slated to go No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"From a physical tools perspective, Lawrence really is one of the best quarterbacks we’ve seen at the position for a while," PFF analyzed. "His arm talent is tremendous, and at times, Clemson has built the offense around his ability to make throws that most college quarterbacks can’t make. His release is also lightning fast.

"Justin Fields and Lawrence have a similar ball path in their throwing mechanics — there’s a little bit of a distal movement down and away when they start their release — but Lawrence’s speed in that same movement is so otherworldly fast that it makes up for it in spades. The speed of his release is head and shoulders above anything in college football, whether he's throwing from inside the pocket or making plays outside of it."

Travis Etienne also tops the running backs, ranked No. 38 overall on the PFF big board.

"Etienne didn’t have his best season on the ground but reinvented himself as a vertical receiver. His 90.9 receiving grade and 588 receiving yards led all FBS running backs," PFF analyzed.