:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69209533/862663260.jpg.0.jpg)
The Indianapolis Colts selected Michigan Wolverines defensive end Kwity Paye with the No. 21 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Thursday night.
Paye appeared in 38 career games for the Wolverines with 20 starts along the defensive line in Don Brown’s defense. He was a two-time All-Big Ten honoree on the field and an academic all-conference performer off of it. Paye was voted a team captain by his teammates ahead of the 2020 season, where he appeared in four of six games and started in each. He had 11.5 sacks in four years at Michigan with 23.5 tackles for loss.
Paye will be an NFL starter if he is able to pair his traits with a cerebral, focused plan of attack. That should not be an issue for him, but teams will have to be sold on that. The traits do not always match what shows up on film, which might make it hard for some teams at the top half of the first round to roll the dice. Paye might not be a consistent double-digit sack player at the next level, but has the look of someone who can add seven or eight sacks and a heck of a lot more pressures than that. He also could be someone that teams kick inside on passing downs.
Paye is considered one of around eight Wolverines that could land on NFL rosters by the close of business this weekend. The first round of the draft began Thursday night with the second and third rounds set for Friday. The event will conclude from Cleveland, Ohio with the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday.