2021 NFL Draft: Best Prospect from each Group of Five Conference

2. American Athletic Conference: Zaven Collins, LB (Tulsa)

The AAC will likely have the most players of any Group of Five conference go in the 2021 NFL draft. Multiple players from teams such as Cincinnati and UCF could even go in the first three rounds.

But no AAC player matches the prospect profile of Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins. The native of Hominy, Okla. won some serious hardware after the 2020 season, including the National Defensive Player of the Year, the Nagurski Award, the Bednarik Award, and the Lombardi Award.

He finished the year with 11.5 tackles for loss and four interceptions, adding to a stellar career with the Golden Hurricane in which he totaled 235 tackles.

Collins could go as early as the end of the first round, making him only the fourth Tulsa player to be drafted within the last decade.

1. Independents: Zach Wilson, QB (BYU)

OK, I threw in another category of non-power conference teams (Independents) to include BYU quarterback Zach Wilson. And yes, Wilson is expected to go before any Notre Dame players in this year’s draft.

For better or for worse, Wilson is a near-lock to go as the second overall pick for the New York Jets. It’s an organization that has struggled in recent years and has notoriously failed to protect its young quarterbacks from defensive ends or from the intense media scrutiny that comes with playing in the Big Apple.

Wilson drastically improved as a junior in 2020 after relatively so-so numbers from his first two seasons. Last year, he threw for more than 3,600 yards, 33 touchdowns, and only three interceptions for the No. 11-ranked Cougars.