Michigan football: Potential landing spots for Kwity Paye in 2021 NFL Draft

Michigan football star Kwity Paye will come off the board early in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Michigan football program should have two players going in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. One of those former Wolverines standouts is defensive lineman Kwity Paye.

Paye was a two-time All-Big Ten performer. The 6-foot-4 and 272-pound defensive lineman from Rhode Island by way of Guinea registered 97 total tackles, 23.5 for a loss of yardage and 11.5 sacks during his four-year run in Ann Arbor. Paye projects as a mid-first-round pick this spring but could go inside of the top 10 if the right team is willing to take a chance on him. Where will he go?

Where will Kwity Paye fall in the 2021 NFL Draft?

A reach at No. 4, but a solid piece to add in a potential trade back

The Atlanta Falcons had a terrible season last year. They fired former head coach Dan Quinn after five abysmal performances. While interim head coach Raheem Morris filled in admirably, Atlanta opted to go in a totally different direction at head coach and in the front office. They hired Arthur Smith to be their next head coach, who was able to bring Dean Pees out of retirement. This is big.

The former Tennessee Titans coaches, along with new general manager Terry Fontenot, will figure out what is best for the Dirty Birds to do at No. 4. Some pundits want the Falcons to take a quarterback, which is silly, because Matt Ryan is still playing at a high level. With that in mind, Atlanta will look to get better in the trenches inside the top 10 or find a defensive playmaker.

Admittedly, going with Paye at No. 4 would be a gross reach for the Falcons. However, Atlanta is a trade-back candidate in the 2021 NFL Draft. If they were to move down to No. 8 in a deal with the division rival Carolina Panthers, taking Paye and pairing him with Grady Jarrett along the defensive line is something we could all get behind, as well as the other compensation coming Atlanta’s way.