4 California Natives Selected in the 2021 NFL Draft
While the West Coast isn’t always known for having elite high school football talent, the state of California is football country for the west. Southern California in particular is littered with future NFL talent, but the state in general has a lot of quality players. The draft is one of the best days of any athlete’s life, and I wanted to highlight four great players from California selected in the 2021 NFL Draft who will represent football from the Pacific Time Zone.
- Najee Harris – RB, Antioch High School, Antioch, CA
Harris was the first running back selected in the draft. He is no stranger to being first as he was the No. 1 running back prospect in the Class of 2017, and played for the No. 1 college football team in the nation. Harris is a man of exemplary character, having grown up in homeless shelters and working all the way to where he is now. He is very involved in giving back to his community, and helping out those in need. He was also one of the best, if not the best, running back in Antioch High School history – accumulating over 2,200 yards per season in his sophomore, junior and senior years.
- Alijah Vera-Tucker – OL, Bishop O’Dowd High School, Oakland, CA
Alijah Vera-Tucker was a top 15 prospect from California in the 2017 recruiting class. He stayed in California for his college career and played at USC. Vera-Tucker was a first round pick, with the New York Jets taking him at No. 14 overall, and trading up nine spots to do so. He might soon be one of the top guards in the NFL.
- Aaron Banks – OL, El Cerrito High School, El Cerrito, CA
Notre Dame has a tradition of creating some of the best NFL offensive linemen, and that tradition will continue with El Cerrito standout guard Aaron Banks. Banks was a Top 20 recruit in the state, and heavily recruited by multiple Power 5 programs – ultimately choosing to join the Fighting Irish. Banks will now return to California for his professional career, as he was drafted in the second round by the San Francisco 49ers. He will be an integral part of that deadly rushing attack, and could play in a few Super Bowls.
- Jaelan Phillips – WDE, Redlands East Valley High School, Redlands, CA
This might be unknown to a lot of people, but Phillips was actually the No. 1 prospect in the nation for the 2017 recruiting class. This is in a class that includes the most recent NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Chase Young. Coming out of high school, Phillips was already being projected as a future first-round pick. While he had offers from multiple Top 10 programs, he chose to stay in California and go to UCLA. Unfortunately, he had multiple concussions, and retired from football for a season. He ultimately ended up playing again for the Miami Hurricanes, and had a great 2020 season. Phillips was drafted No. 18 overall by the Miami Dolphins. He was the best player from his recruiting class, and there’s a good chance he’s the best player from his draft class.
Written by: Siddarth Srivastava
