Louisville Football: Top 4 prospects for the 2021 NFL Draft

After being second on the team in tackles in 2018, CJ Avery took a mammoth step forward and was named Louisville’s top defensive player in 2019.

Avery went from 56 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks with two interceptions and two pass deflections to 93 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and six passes defended. He had a nice leap from his sophomore to his junior year and if he can take another step forward and surpass 100 total tackles and potentially find his way into the backfield more consistently, NFL teams are going to start taking notice if they haven’t already.

The one major thing that’s holding Avery back from being a mid-to-late round pick next year is his size. He’s a linebacker/safety hybrid and he stands just 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds. Ideally, he’d be a few inches taller if he’s going to play linebacker at the next level.

Still, Avery is arguably the best player on the Louisville defense and as long as it improves along with him in 2020, he could hear his name called in the 2021 NFL Draft.