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Pitt Football: Top 4 prospects for the 2021 NFL Draft

By David Glancy

STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 14: Head coach Pat Narduzzi of the Pittsburgh Panthers prepares to lead his team onto the field before the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium on September 14, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - SEPTEMBER 14: Head coach Pat Narduzzi of the Pittsburgh Panthers prepares to lead his team onto the field before the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium on September 14, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Virginia Tech football’s Hendon Hooker is hit by Pitt football’s Jaylen Twyman (Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images) /

Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Pitt. 1. player. 866. DT. Jaylen Twyman

Pitt returns one of the best defensive lines in the country and arguably the top defensive line in the ACC. If the Panthers are going to return to Charlotte, their defensive line with have to live up to its potential.

After breaking into the starting lineup in 2019, redshirt junior defensive tackle, Jaylen Twyman looks to build off his impressive sophomore campaign.

The three-star, Washington, D.C., recruit choose the Panthers over South Carolina, Tennessee and multiple Big Ten and ACC programs. After redshirting his first year in Pittsburgh, Twyman made an appearance in 13 games as a redshirt freshman, picking up one starting and registered four tackles and a sack in the ACC Championship Game against Clemson.

Twyman earned a starting spot in 2019, starting all 13 games on the interior line. Twyman’s 10.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss as a defensive tackle contributed to Pitt finishing second in the nation in sacks in 2019. Twyman’s 13 sacks led the team and were the most by a Pitt interior lineman since Aaron Donald‘s 11 in 2013.

The junior broke out in Pitt’s Week 3 loss at Penn State, where he dominated the Nittany Lions’ offensive line, keeping Sean Clifford’s offense on its heels all game. Twyman registered a career-high six tackles as well as 1.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Pitt’s talented tackle enters the 2020 season as an All-American and Outland Trophy candidate. With another full year of playing time on Pat Narduzzi’s loaded line, Twyman should be a day one selection in the 2021 draft and could go as high as Donald, when the former Panther defender went 13th overall in 2014.

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