2021 NFL Draft: 3 overhyped prospects led by Zach Wilson

3. Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia

Tyson Campbell really had a lot of hype during the season and was often in the first round conversation during the earlier parts of draft season. While this first round talk has worn off a bit, Campbell is still projected to be a second round, potential top-50 pick, and is often graded in this range. This is one of the first I just do not understand and simply can not get behind. While I understood the love and justification for some of the other players discussed in this article, I have a hard time finding good reasoning for spending an early-round pick on Campbell, especially in a deep corner class.

Campbell currently sits as an early fifth round grade for me, making me much, much lower than the consensus on this player. The calling card for Campbell is his athleticism, and man is that exciting and shown in his potential as a corner. However, he is simply too far away from actually reaching that potential as he is extremely raw and will likely need multiple years before he is ready to see the field and consistently produce.

From a mental standpoint, he really lacks the route anticipation aspect you look for, which will put him behind the ball a ton. Currently, he is much more of a reactive player than an anticipatory one, which will likely kill him in the NFL. In his current state, he relies on his athleticism to win and that simply will not afford him as much recovery time in the NFL as it did in college.

Add in the fact that Campbell brings pretty much zero ball skills to the table, and I struggle to see how he could see the field early in his career. Campbell struggles to play with his back to the ball and through the hands of the receiver. He is late to locate the ball in the air and react to it, and often instead gives up leverage quite often within reps.

Drae Harris of The Draft Network gives his takes on the inconsistencies of Campbell as well:

"“When combined with his movement skills and length, it is easy to see why this player would be intriguing to NFL scouts. He has very good man coverage ability, but struggles with situational awareness. He remained healthy in 2020, which worked to answer durability concerns. However, when on the field, he has struggled to consistently make plays in the passing game.”"

Campbell has all the potential in the world to be one of the best corners in the league, but if he is going to reach that potential he will need multiple years of development to get close to a consistent player. That type of development is just not something I am as willing to buy in on with an early-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.