4 players who should have declared for the 2020 NFL Draft

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STATE COLLEGE, PA – SEPTEMBER 29: Pat Freiermuth #87 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after catching a 2 yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes on September 29, 2018 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State

The circumstances around Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth were fascinating leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft. Despite only being a true sophomore in 2019, Freiermuth turned out to be draft-eligible because he has been out of high school for three years.

At the end of the day, however, Freiermuth decided to return to the Nittany Lions for his true junior year in 2020. In this year’s draft class, the first tight end did not come off the board until the midway point of the second round, and the majority did not hear their names called until the third day of the draft.

Instead, Freiermuth now finds himself making a decision this next year between entering the 2021 NFL Draft, where the tight end class is stacked with Florida’s star pass catcher Kyle Pitts, Miami’s Brevin Jordan, Boston College’s Hunter Long, or head back to College Station for another year of unpaid football.

Nicknamed “Baby Gronk,” Freiermuth could have not only been one of the youngest players in the 2020 draft, but the first tight end off the board in a weak class at the position. While he can still be the first tight end off the board in the 2021 NFL Draft, he’s got a ton more competition, and a ton more unusual circumstances to battle through.

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