Now that we’re just over halfway through the 2021 college football schedule, it’s time that all the pundits start looking forward in anticipation of who will be making the move to the NFL for their next uniform.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper has done just that, and among his “first-round sleepers” to make a jump to a high slot in next April’s event are a pair of B1G players. Michigan safety Daxton Hill and Minnesota defensive lineman Boye Mafe have caught his attention.

Hill entered Ann Arbor as a five-star recruit, and the junior has started every game since his arrival. “At 6-foot, 190 pounds, Hill has long arms and the speed to run with wideouts,” says Kiper. “His versatility is a huge plus. He’s playing great this season and could rise into the Round 1 discussion if he keeps it up.”

On the Gophers defensive side, Mafe has 9.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in his past 11 games dating to the start of last season. “Mafe just barely cracked my top 10 list at OLB in my most recent Big Board,” said Kiper. “But he could rise if he keeps up his production and performs like I think he will at the combine in March.”

There’s still half of a season left to go on the 2021 slate, so be assured there will be plenty of movement in the watch lists along the way, so stay tuned.

The 2022 NFL Draft will start on Thursday, April 28, 2022 and will be held in Paradise, Nevada.