2021 NFL Draft: 3 prime landing spots for Rashod Bateman after opting out
By Cory Kinnan
It is full steam ahead towards the 2021 NFL Draft for Rashod Bateman
After quite the successful season with the Minnesota Golden Gophers as a sophomore in 2019, wide receiver Rashod Bateman has decided he has enough film to hang his hat on. With all of the uncertainty surrounding college football, Bateman has decided training for the 2021 NFL Draft will be a better use of his time.
Bateman is one of three players, joining Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley and Penn State linebacker as potential first-round prospects to opt out of the 2020 season. As the dominoes have begun to fall, there is likely to be another large wave of potential prospects to use their season to train for the draft.
Bateman will have plenty of suitors after racking up over 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns on 60 catches a year ago. He ends his collegiate career with over 111 catches, nearly 2,000 yards receiving, and 17 touchdowns for the Golden Gophers.
Pro Football Network’s Dalton Miller broke down Bateman, and while he is not the best athlete in the class, he wins in a variety of other ways:
"But despite all of that, he’s able to get open consistently. He’s savvy and detail-oriented in non-traditional ways, particularly using his eyes and blind spots to get massive amounts of separation both upon release and late in routes."
Where will the star Minnesota receiver land when his name is eventually called early next April? Here are three potential suitors among NFL teams with a full season to go before we get to the 2021 NFL Draft.