2021 NFL Draft: You can depend on Robert Rochell to make big plays
Final thoughts on Robert Rochell with 2021 NFL Draft looming
Altogether, Central Arkansas really has a hidden gem in Rochell. He’s a big-time ballplayer who is not to test. Right now, he’s looking like a high upside Day 2 prospect for the April draft. In the NFL, Rochell will be a starting corner that can contribute with good coverage skills. It is very exciting to see what the young corner has in store for Saturday’s game vs. Austin Peay and the rest of the 2020 season.
More from With the First Pick
- 2024 NFL Draft: Prospect Viewing Guide for Week 0
- 2024 NFL Draft: All Eyes On NFL Draft Defensive Prospects
- Player Spotlight: USC Safety Calen Bullock
- 2024 Senior Bowl Watchlist Announced
- 2024 NFL Draft: Florida State is Loaded with Prospect in 2023
This is what The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman had to say about the Central Arkansas cornerback, an addition to his Freak List:
"Get to know this dude. He’s a former track stud from Louisiana who has really blossomed at Central Arkansas. NFL scouts are really intrigued by him. He’s a shade under 6-1 (6-0 7/8) and weighs 197 pounds. His coach Nathan Brown says he’s broad jumped 11-8 (!!) and has vertical jumped 41 inches. His 40 time is 4.38, and his short shuttle is 3.98. His 60-yard shuttle time is 10.98. Those are all big-time numbers. In 2019, he broke up 18 passes and intercepted five others"
Luckily for the FCS prospect, he has started to gain more national attention before the season even starts. Just this week, Rochell was named to the Reese’s Senior Bowl Top 250 watchlist, as he will try to earn a spot on the roster in Mobile, Alabama for the January event.
Heading into the season, Rochell is labeled as a 3rd-4th round pick. The 2019 season opener against Western Kentucky is the game that caught the eye of NFL scouts.
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) August 28, 2020
Larry Hart (5th round – 2010) is the highest player ever drafted from UCA. He has a chance to challenge that. pic.twitter.com/lTS7JLpLn6
Next. Three 2021 NFL Draft replacements for Raekwon McMillan. dark
Of course, it is not ideal for an NFL prospect to play against lesser competition than other top-rated players around the nation, but Rochell has the size that other players have and he shows glimpses of a star in the making. If he ends up getting invited to the Senior Bowl and he shines against other fantastic draft-eligible players, there would be an even lesser reason to pass up on this stud.