5 NXT stars who should have been called up in the 2021 WWE Draft 

The 2021 WWE Draft is in the books, and the respective rosters of RAW and SmackDown have been shaken up once again.

This year's draft saw several members of the NXT 2.0 roster get called up to the red or blue brand for the first time in their respective WWE careers.

NXT 2.0 superstars such as Austin Theory, Ridge Holland, Xia Li, Aliyah, Mia Yim, and Hit Row were all drafted to either RAW or SmackDown.

It was reported before the draft that several names from WWE's developmental brand would be called up to the main roster.

This led to a lot of speculation as to which names could debut on RAW or SmackDown. However, now that the draft is over, some surprising names are still a part of the NXT roster.

Let's take a closer look at five WWE NXT 2.0 stars who should have been called up in the 2021 WWE Draft.

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#5 Former WWE NXT UK Champion Pete Dunne

Former NXT United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne is one of the most established superstars competing on NXT 2.0.

The Bruiserweight previously led a faction on the developmental brand that consisted of Ridge Holland, Oney Lorcan, and Danny Burch.

However, Holland and Dunne recently kicked Lorcan and Burch out. This meant that the two British superstars primarily competed as a tag team on NXT 2.0.

But, Ridge Holland being drafted to SmackDown leaves Pete Dunne with no backup on NXT 2.0.

Dunne has competed in either NXT UK or NXT USA since 2017. It was recently reported that The Bruiserweight has signed a new contract extension with WWE. Many assumed this meant that Dunne would be called up to the main roster.

Considering his skill-set and experience, Dunne would've been a great addition to the roster of either RAW or SmackDown.

#4 Former WWE NXT Cruiserweight Champion Santos Escobar

WWE NXT 2.0 Superstar Santos Escobar is one of the most charismatic stars on WWE's developmental brand.

Escobar was one of the longest-reigning NXT Cruiserweight Champions in WWE history and is currently the leader of Legado del Fantasma.

While there's plenty for Escobar to achieve in NXT 2.0, many assumed that the former NXT Cruiserweight Champion would be called up to either RAW or SmackDown during the 2021 WWE Draft.

Santos Escobar is one of the most seasoned competitors in NXT 2.0 and certainly appears to be "ready for primetime."

Legado del Fantasma is currently feuding with Hit Row on NXT television. However, Hit Row are now members of the SmackDown roster after being called up during Night 1 of the 2021 WWE Draft on SmackDown last week.

With the feud between the two factions seemingly nearing a conclusion, perhaps Escobar should've been called up also.

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#3 Former WWE Million Dollar Champion LA Knight

LA Knight has certainly made a splash since debuting in WWE NXT earlier this year.

The former Eli Drake signed with WWE in February and made his debut on the NXT TakeOver: Vengeance Day pre-show.

Knight has primarily spent his time in WWE developmental feuding with Cameron Grimes and WWE Hall of Famer "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase over the fabled Million Dollar Championship.

The 38-year-old star defeated Cameron Grimes at NXT TakeOver: In Your House in a Ladder Match to capture the Million Dollar Title. However, he quickly dropped the title back to Grimes at NXT TakeOver 36 this summer.

Since then, LA Knight has pursued the NXT Championship to little success. The opening match of NXT 2.0's revamp show saw Knight lose decisively to standout star Bron Breakker.

After that loss, many assumed that LA Knight was headed to RAW or SmackDown. However, he's still a member of developmental. At 38 years old, LA Knight is a seasoned competitor and a fantastic talker with a great physical look.

So, it's all the more surprising that the former Million Dollar Champion is not a part of the roster on Monday or Friday nights.

#2 Current WWE NXT Women's Tag Team Champion Io Shirai

Former WWE NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai is arguably the best female competitor on the NXT 2.0 roster today.

The Genius of The Sky held the NXT Women's Championship for an astounding 304 days before losing the title to Raquel Gonzales at NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver earlier this year.

At the time, there was speculation that Shirai could be called up to the WWE main roster in the post-WrestleMania NXT call-ups, however, that was not the case.

Instead, Shirai formed a team with fellow NXT star Zoey Starks. The odd-couple tag team surprisingly defeated Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell at NXT's The Great American Bash to capture the NXT Women's Tag Team Championships.

Despite still holding the titles today, there isn't much left for Io Shirai to accomplish in WWE developmental.

The former NXT Women's Champion is one of the best female wrestlers in the world today and would have made an excellent addition to RAW or SmackDown.

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#1 Former WWE NXT UK Champion WALTER

Former WWE NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER is one of the most dominant superstars in WWE history.

After debuting at NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool in 2019, WALTER defeated Pete Dunne to capture the NXT UK Championship at NXT TakeOver: New York in April of that year.

The monumental title reign went on to last an incredible 870 days as WALTER defeated the likes of Rampage, A-Kid, Ilja Dragunov, Tyler Bate, Trent Seven, and Dave Mastiff.

However, the legendary NXT UK Championship reign of WALTER came to an end earlier this year when the Austrian was defeated by Ilja Dragunov at NXT TakeOver: 36.

There have been reports that WWE wants WALTER to move to the USA to appear more regularly on NXT 2.0, SmackDown, or RAW.

However, the former NXT UK Champion's reluctance is preventing that from happening.