Liberty’s Joshua Mack, Ralfs Rusins, and Elijah James have been rated among the top draft eligible players at their respective positions for the 2021 NFL Draft, according to Phil Steele.
Mack was picked as the 67th best draft eligible running back. Mack finished the 2019 season with 792 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. For comparison, there were 16 running backs selected in the 2020 NFL Draft and 25 taken in 2019. The most taken in a single draft in the past decade was 30 in 2017.
Ralfs Rusins is rated the 59th best defensive tackle while Elijah James is ranked 86th among the defensive tackles. Rusins has become a stalwart for the Flames at nose guard. In 2019, he finished 4th on the team with 60 tackles while also adding 6.5 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks. He’s the top returning tackler on the team. James finished the 2019 season with 19 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and a QB hurry. His role is expected to increase significantly in 2020.
