Draft Notes: Trevor Lawrence, DeVonta Smith, Kyle Pitts

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com has been taking an early look at some of the top draft prospects to watch for the upcoming season and for the 2021 draft. 

Trevor Lawrence

• Jeremiah writes that Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence possesses the “ideal blend of size, athleticism, arm strength and toughness” and has all of the necessary tools to emerge as an elite quarterback in the NFL.
• However, Jeremiah says there’s still some development needed, as he is not at the same level of consistency that Andrew Luck was at Stanford.
• Jeremiah compares Lawrence to Texans QB Deshaun Watson as they both have lean, athletic frames and are capable of making winning plays from inside and outside the pocket.

DeVonta Smith

• Jeremiah writes that Alabama WR DeVonta Smith is a smooth, fluid route runner with outstanding body control, hands and toughness, who is capable of playing inside or outside.
• Jeremiah notes that Smith has a knack for finding ways to make important plays and he was the only player he’s seen get the best of LSU CB Derek Stingley Jr.
• Two areas of improvement for Smith, per Jeremiah, are his lean frame and lack of elite top speed.
• As for a comparison, Jeremiah says he sees some glimpses of Marvin Harrison while studying Smith, given that they both have lean builds, crisp route-running, excellent hands and toughness.

Kyle Pitts

• Jeremiah says Florida TE Kyle Pitts is “tall, long and ultra athletic” and is versatile enough to be used in a number of alignments.
• While Pitts is a willing blocker, Jeremiah thinks he could add strength and bulk to help him in that area, as he tends to get overpowered too often by bigger, stronger edge defenders.
• Jeremiah mentions that Pitts stood out against top competition last year and he came away impressed with his instincts and savvy as a route runner.
• Jeremiah compares Pitts to Raiders TE Darren Waller for their ability to stretch the field and their length.