Teams can't always land the prospects they covet the most in the NFL Draft, so a lot of analysis of marquee prospects falls on deaf ears for the vast majority of fans. You know Ja'Marr Chase is a monster, but your team is picking in the late teens -- are there any receivers like Chase who'll be available on Day 2 or Day 3?
You've come to the right place. This article pinpoints "Plan B" and "Plan C" options for some of the most highly coveted prospects in the 2021 draft class.
Quarterback
Plan A: Justin Fields, Ohio State
Plan B: Davis Mills, Stanford
Like Fields, Mills was a big-time recruit -- the No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2017 per 247 Sports -- and while he didn't necessarily live up to the lofty hype that came with him when he stepped on campus in Palo Alto, Mills' immense physical traits are easily noticeable on film. He has a huge arm, capable of ripping the ball through tiny windows even when his base isn't perfect. While not nearly a runner of Fields' caliber, the arm talent is very close between the two.
Plan C: Feleipe Franks, Arkansas
Franks was another highly touted quarterback when he entered the collegiate ranks years ago, and his transfer to Arkansas rejuvenated his draft stock. He played much more under control than his tenure at Florida. Franks is tall, with good athleticism for his size and a rocket for an arm. His accuracy improved in 2020, too. Franks is the type worth picking on the third day of the draft.
Running Back
Plan A: Travis Etienne, Clemson
Plan B: Khalil Herbert, Virginia Tech
Herbert is a bouncy back with impressive contact balance. He's simply not easy to square up and tackle beyond the line of scrimmage. Like Etienne, he's dangerous in the screen game because of his physical tools and his well-trained vision to cut sharply off his blocks in space.
Plan C: Justin Henderson, Louisiana Tech
Henderson's build is stockier than Etienne or Herbert, but stylistically he closely compares to the Clemson star. Not a super-springy jump-cut back, Henderson wins with sharp, subtle cuts without losing much momentum. He's an explosive slasher and tacklers bounce off him at the second level.
Wide Receiver
Plan A: Ja'Marr Chase, LSU
Plan B: Simi Fehoko, Stanford
Fehoko is a big target, and he plays like one -- routine contested-catch victories and physicality to beat press at the line. He also gets open and separates after the catch thanks to impressive twitch and acceleration throughout the play. I won't be shocked if he's available midway through the draft.
Plan C: Austin Watkins, UAB
Watkins was held back by subpar quarterback play most of the season, which very well may push him to the third day of the draft. However, there's not many clear-cut flaws on his film. He's sudden, plays with good power against press and can make plays down the field with a nice combination of deceptive speed and ball-tracking skills.
Tight End
Plan A: Kyle Pitts, Florida
Plan B: Hunter Long, Boston College
Long isn't nearly the athlete Pitts is, but I'm using him as the Plan B option at the tight end spot because he's likely to be available near the end of Day 2 or even early Day 3, and he has plenty of receiving production on his résumé. While not spectacular in any area, Long has a large catch radius, can occasionally rumble his way to extra yardage after the catch, and doesn't always have linebackers and safeties glued to him in coverage.
Plan C: Quintin Morris, Central Michigan
Morris is a rather talented pass-catching tight end bound to be on the board late in the draft. He played receiver for the first three years of his career with the Chippewas and caught over 100 passes with 13 touchdowns. While he's not quite as explosive now, after adding weight before his senior season to play tight end, he has a receiver's skill set.
Offensive Tackle
Plan A: Penei Sewell, Oregon
Plan B: James Hudson, Cincinnati
Hudson transferred from Michigan and looked the part of a raw but highly intriguing project at the left tackle position while at Cincinnati. Why's he so appealing? His supreme athletic traits and the natural power at which he plays. Plus, there's plenty of nastiness to his game. Does he need to dial back the aggression at times? Absolutely. But his physical traits have already created high-end reps on film.
Plan C: Alaric Jackson, Iowa
Jackson's final season at Iowa didn't go how he hoped. There were a lot more one-on-one losses than in his 2019 campaign when he played opposite Tristan Wirfs. A somewhat disappointing senior season doesn't end Jackson's chances of being a quality NFL blocker. He's nearly 6-foot-6 and 318 pounds with a gigantic wingspan, and he's a smooth athlete in any direction. With better knee bend, Jackson can be a late-round steal.
Interior Offensive Line
Plan A: Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
Plan B: Kendrick Green, Illinois
Like Vera-Tucker, Green is a little bit of a hybrid, although the two spots he can play in the NFL are guard and center, not guard and tackle. A dynamic athlete with a powerful playing style and still room to grow into his frame, Green routinely moves people in the run game and is almost always very boring -- a good thing! -- as a pass protector.
Plan C: Robert Hainsey, Notre Dame
Hainsey was Notre Dame's right tackle, yet his frame and limited length project best to guard at the next level. And he'll be one of the more athletically gifted young guards in the league. Like most Fighting Irish offensive linemen, he's been very well-coached. It's rare to see him on the ground or whiffing at air.
Edge Rusher
Plan A: Kwity Paye, Michigan
Plan B: Ade Ogundeji, Notre Dame
Right now, Ogundeji is the most underrated edge rusher in the 2021 class. With good burst and flexibility, phenomenally long arms and a stellar arsenal of pass-rushing moves, he's ready to win in a variety of ways around the corner.
Plan C: William Bradley-King, Baylor
The Arkansas State transfer is a chiseled, bendy rusher with glimpses of technically perfect execution of pass-rushing maneuvers as he's flying around the edge. There's good length on his frame and legitimate speed-to-power conversion, too.
Defensive Tackle
Plan A: Christian Barmore, Alabama
Plan B: Jay Tufele, USC
Tufele rushes high and won't give you much in the run game, but he has an effective arm over and plays through the whistle on every snap. His combination off-the-line juice, that one go-to move, and hustle lead to him roaming around in the opposition's backfield relatively often.
Plan C: Darius Stills, West Virginia
While not built anything like Barmore or Tufele, Stills is the pass-rushing defensive tackle I'd love to pick on Day 3 of the draft. He's so incredibly agile, slower interior blockers typically have a hard time getting a hand on him, and there's plenty of pop in his hands because of his low center of gravity. He looks like the type on the field -- a real high-energy player -- who'll outplay his draft position. Think Poona Ford.
Linebacker
Plan A: Micah Parsons, Penn State
Plan B: Jamin Davis, Kentucky
Davis is as close as you're going to get to the same size and athleticism as Parsons at linebacker in this class. He's tall, smooth, and fast to the football. While not the pass-rushing specialist Parsons is, Davis provides legitimate coverage ability because of his physical profile and loose joints.
Plan C: Justin Hilliard, Ohio State
Hillard played outside linebacker at Ohio State, and often flexed out to cover the slot, which indicates what the Buckeyes coaching staff thought of his athletic talents. While injuries hindered his playing time in Columbus, when on the field, Hilliard is a heat-seeking missile with the feet to turn and run in coverage and strike on underneath throws.
Cornerback
Plan A: Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
Plan B: Ifeatu Melifonwu, Syracuse
Melifonwu may have tested his way into Round 1 at his pro day, but there's still a chance he's available in the second. With Farley, you get a long, athletic outside cornerback with essentially the movement skills to comfortably bump inside if needed. That's the type of explosive, sudden athlete we're talking about here with Melifonwu.
Plan C: Eric Stokes, Georgia
Stokes probably won't get picked much later than Melifonwu. So Round 3 is where you'll likely have to pick this Plan C for the outside corner spot. The Georgia star is very long, fast and plays with as good of zone instincts as mirroring ability in man.
Safety
Plan A: Trevon Moehrig, TCU
Plan B: Andre Cisco, Syracuse
Cisco's film is as dynamic as Moehrig's, it's just that he tore his ACL early in the season so we were robbed of seeing more big-play creation from the stocky but springy and ultra-rangy safety.
Plan C: Richie Grant, UCF
Grant is everywhere. Well, actually, just find the football, and you'll see No. 27 around it at some point during the play. He's twitched-up like a slot corner, hits like an outside linebacker and has free safety range. His experience allows him to play even faster than his athleticism would normally allow, and there aren't any noticeable athletic limitations to his game.
