2021 NFL Draft Weekly Risers: Week 12 Edition
Jaret Patterson, RB Buffalo
I’ve been waiting for a reason to talk about Jaret Patterson this year, and there’s no better time than now. Buffalo junior Jaret Patterson turned in one of the most dominant performances you will ever see this week, rushing for 301 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 42-17 win over Bowling Green. Yes, you read that right, he rushed for over 300 yards, the first 300-yard rushing performance of the year. Jaret Patterson had a big sophomore campaign last year, with 1799 yards and 19 touchdowns. He already has over 500 yards and 8 touchdowns in just 3 games this season. He’s impressed me over the past two years with his blend of vision and agility and is my favorite sleeper of this running back class.
Rondale Moore, WR Purdue
Welcome back, Mr. Moore! It looked like we would never get to see Rondale Moore playing college football again earlier this year. After a terrific freshman campaign and a promising start to his sophomore season, Moore missed most of last season due to injuries. After initially opting out this year, Moore announced his return to Purdue once the Big 10 season was back on, yet he missed the first three games of the season. In his first game back in over a year, Rondale Moore reminded everyone why he’s one of the top receivers in this class, with a 15 catch 116-yard performance. He also scored a rushing touchdown too, doing it all for the Boilermakers. In a stacked wide receiver class, don’t forget about the electric playmaker from Purdue.
Dustin Crum, QB Kent State
Jim Nagy confirmed on Twitter that there will be 8 quarterbacks brought in for this year’s Senior Bowl. 5 quarterbacks have already accepted their invites, including Florida’s Kyle Trask who was featured in last week’s edition of Weekly Risers. Maybe it’s time to consider Kent State’s Dustin Crum for one of the spots. Crum threw for 348 yards and 3 touchdowns this week, only missing 3 passes in a 69-35 blowout of Akron. He also had 104 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Crum has 9 touchdowns to only one interception through 3 games this year, boasting a 75% completion percentage. After an efficient junior campaign that saw Crum throw 20 touchdowns to 2 interceptions with a 69% completion percentage, Crum is making an even bigger case to NFL teams this year.
Ronnie Perkins, EDGE Oklahoma
Ronnie Perkins was the best player on the field for the Oklahoma-Oklahoma State rivalry game. All night he terrorized the left side of the Oklahoma State line, constantly in the backfield and pressuring the quarterback. He finished the night with 3 sacks and 2 tackles for loss. It was more than just the numbers for Perkins on Saturday night, it was the tone he set for the Sooners defense. From the very first play where his pressure caused an intentional grounding penalty, Perkins was the heart of the Oklahoma defense with his aggressive play. With 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks through 3 games, Ronnie Perkins is officially on the NFL’s radar.
Bo Melton, WR Rutgers
It’s time to seriously start talking about Rutgers receiver Bo Melton. Melton is having a breakout year for the Scarlet Knights and is making a name for himself after a big game against Michigan. The South Jersey native caught 7 passes for 109 yards, including a big 61-yard touchdown. Melton was coming off a 150 yard 2 touchdown performance against Illinois the previous week. Currently, Melton is 5th in the Big Ten in receiving yards with 443, and 4th in touchdowns with 5 touchdowns through 5 games this season. A high-level athlete, Melton is a big-play threat whenever he’s on the field. If he keeps up his stellar play, Melton could possibly be a late-round/UDFA steal for a team.
Writer
-By: Jacob Keppen