NFL Mock Draft

It's that time of year again. NFL owners, gm's, and coaches have done their evaluations and its tome to make the big move. Which team(s) can find their guy? The one that will change the franchise for years to come. The beauty of the draft is the fact that a star can be born being drafted from any spot in any round. The Indianapolis Colts of course struck gold from the get go drafting Peyton Manning out of the University of Tennessee with the #1 overall pick in the 1998 draft. Other times teams hit the jackpot in the middle or even late rounds. Every football fan knows the story of Tom Brady. I don't know if I've ever seen a less athletic looking person in his combine pick ahead of the 2000 NFL Draft. Brady was not taken until the 6th round at pick #199. Of course the rest is history (that does not seem to be over quite yet after winning yet another ring.) Below is the mock draft for the 1st round of the 2021 NFL Draft that is just two days away.

1. Jacksonville Jags: QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

Shocker! This pick has been manifesting for years now. Lawrence was destined to be 1.1 after his Freshman season – winning the CFB National Championship and becoming the first true freshman QB to grade over 90 in the Pro Football Focus Era. Trevor’s biggest draw is how complete he is as a quarterback. He isn’t necessarily the best in the draft at any one comparable, but ranks in the top 5 in just about everything. New coach Urban Meyer will be coming into a system with a solid group of pass catchers – DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault, Marvin Jones Jr, and James Robinson out of the backfield. Add in the most highly touted QB prospect since Andrew Luck with the Urban Meyer system and all of the sudden the AFC South is quivering in their boots.

2. New York Jets: QB Zach Wilson, BYU

Is this the Jets "guy?" After the Mark Sanchez, Geno Smith, and more recent Sam Darnold experiments I sure hope so for the franchise who has missed the playoffs every year since 2011. Based on his season at BYU and in his pro day Zach's are talent seems to be special. A team who ranked last in many offense categories last season is looking for a guy who can push the ball downfield and make plays improvising outside the pocket as well. Wilson should be a great fit for this squad under new leadership in 1st year Head Coach, Robert Saleh.

3. San Francisco 49ers: QB Mac Jones, Alabama

I still am having an internal debate to if I like the trade up. Lynch and Shanahan are mortgaging their reputation and future on this pick. The Niners were a deep ball away from winning the Super Bowl a mere 14 months ago – making their decision to presumably move on from Garoppolo rather interesting. Why are the Niners making a move away from their golden boy after just 4 seasons? Probably because he has been sidelined with injuries more often than not in his time with the team. Mac Jones has drawn Jimmy G comps since his very impressive 2020 campaign with Alabama. Jones led the Power 5 with an 84% completion percentage, and also with 1,355 deep yards. Jones has shown that he can manage a complex offensive scheme – which is vital to any Quarterbacks success playing under Kyle Shanahan.

4. Atlanta Falcons: TE: Kyle Pitts, Florida

It seems like the best move here would be to trade out of this spot. However there is not much craze surrounding NDSU QB, Trey Lance. With that being said it doesn't look like a slot where a team would trade up. Atlanta desperately needs help on defense but this draft class just does not provide value at this high of a draft spot. Pitts could very well prove to be the most valuable player out of this draft. Pitt's physical frame makes him one of those WR type TE's and he could be the next great TE to make an impact comparable to the Kelce's, Kittle's, and Waller's of the league. This Pick will add some sure fire power to the already dynamic Atlanta passing game.

5.Cincinnati Bengals: WR Ja'Marr Chase, LSU

What better way to satisfy the 2020 first overall pick than drafting him his favorite receiver?

The Bengals graded in the bottom half of the league in almost every single passing category last year – given Joe Burrow was out for the latter third of the season. The addition of a true X receiver – especially one that Burrow is familiar with – will be a huge value add to Cincinnati. Pairing Chase with Auden Tate, Tyler Boyd, and Tee Higgins provides Burrow with plenty of options. Doing so may also decrease their QB hit rate. More wide out weapons means more coverage needs – leading to less defenders in the box. Sewell would also make a lot of sense here, but where would he play? Jonah Williams and Riley Reiff both had solid 2020 campaigns, and the Bengals major line needs are in the interior. I think they defer to their early 2nd round pick to snag one of the many lineman graded in the 30-60 range.

6.Miami Dolphins: OT Penei Sewell, Oregon

The Dolphins made concern is protecting their young QB Tua Tagovailoa who proved to be injury prone during his time at Alabama. With Ja'Marr Chase going off the board they will do just that. Penei was projected as high as pick #2 during the early draft evaluations and for good reason. He is an elite run blocker and the so called "weaker" part of his game is the pass blocking which is still well above average. Some are comparing the big fella to David Bakhtiari, and Trent Williams. Good News all around for Brian Flores and company.

7.Detroit Lions: QB Justin Fields, Ohio State

**Disclaimer: I firmly believe that this pick will be traded. The Broncos, Patriots, Eagles, Football Team, could all be in the sweepstakes to trade up. I think it ends up being the Broncos wanting to ensure they get their guy. Mock trade: Lions receive ’21 9th overall, ’21 40th overall, ’22 2nd round pick in exchange for the 7th overall selection. This lets the Lions replenish their depleted pass catching core while picking up more capital in the future. They are not trying to win now.

For the sake of this no-trade mock draft, I am taking the best player on the board- Justin Fields. Detroit is featuring a new GM in Brad Holmes and new HC Dan Campbell. The two of them would be very happy to draft possibly the most dynamic quarterback in the draft to compete against Jared Goff – who has not shown signs of NFL success (even on a roster that dwarfs the Lions current).

8.Carolina Panthers: WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

Even with his Alabama counterpart WR Devonta Smith winning the Heisman, I still firmly believe Waddle gets take off the board first. New offseason acquisition, Sam Darnold, could of course benefit from another weapon and Waddle can be used on the outside, slot, or even in the backfield. While Jaylen, like Devonta, is relatively small, he possesses tremendous speed, running a 4.3 40. Some scouts are comparing his versatility to Antonio Brown in his prime and even the great Santana Moss.

9.Denver Broncos: QB Trey Lance, NDSU

The Broncos are excited that Lance was passed on by Carolina. The Broncos bolstered their WR core in the 2020 draft by selecting both Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler in the first and second rounds to pair with Cortland Sutton and Noah Fant. The result was a top 10 receiving core without a quarterback to throw them the ball. Drew Lock graded as number 33 out of 38 for qualified quarterbacks in 2020. The AFC West is quickly becoming the conference of quarterbacks, with Mahomes and Herbert taking the reigns as the future of the NFL. If the Broncos want to be competitive, they have to take chances. Trey Lance provides an incredible upside – if he pans out the Broncos will be back in the AFC West mix.

10.Dallas Cowboys:: CB Patrick Surtain. Alabama

The 2021 draft class is not loaded with much defensive talent at the top but the Cowboys will be the first team to take a defensive player in this year's edition of the draft. As much as Jerry Jones likes to make the flashy moves (Usually an offensive player) his defense was abysmal last year and ultimately could have made the playoffs if they were halfway decent. The Alabama corner was targeted 48 times last year and only allowed 273 yards on 21 receptions. He might not be the fastest CB in the draft but his technique is 2nd to none according to scouts and his large frame will make up for any lack of speed. Jerry's world can use all the help it can get.

11.New York Giants: OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern

Despite drafting Andrew Thomas 4th overall just 1 year ago, I have the Giants revamping what they called an offensive line last year. Their offensive line unit was 1 of 2 (LA Chargers) to have a pass block win rate below 50%. Andrew Thomas allowed 57 QB pressures (14 more than the runner up) – and the rest of the platoon was not much better. Daniel Jones needs some protection to do what he is paid to do – move the ball down field. That is why the Giants will take the versatile lineman Rayshawn Slater. To say it simply – the man is freak of nature. He is one of the most athletic lineman you will ever see – and is seen as the more surefire option when comparing Slater and Sewell. Slater will be a great addition to a terrible line – whether he is playing interior or tackle.

12.Philadelphia Eagles: WR Devonta Smith, Alabama

The Eagles are now notorious for passing up on stud WR's. In back to back drafts they chose JJ Arcega-Whiteside over DK Metcalf, and Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson....poor guys out in philly. Carson Wentz got a ton of heat but the Eagles have had nobody to throw to with consistency and have had issues with drops the last couple of seasons. They simply cant afford to miss again and the 2020 Heisman trophy winner can for sure help them out with that. His lack of size and physical build is well documented but his separation ability is 2nd to none. In recent memory I can not think of a better receiver when it comes to YAC, just ask the Notre Dame and Ohio State secondary. While Smith is going to be picked after his teammate WR from Bama the Eagles are getting a great one here.

13.Los Angeles Chargers: OT Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech

Similar to the Giants situation, the Chargers 2020 Offensive Line was a shit storm. Tom Telesco’s sole responsibility in this 2021 draft should be finding the guys to build around, and block for Justin Herbert. They did not make the transition to the next level easy for Herbert – at all actually – as their offensive line unit ranked dead last in the league this past year. The revamping started this offseason bringing in arguably the top center in the league – Cory Linsley from Green Bay – and can continue by drafting Christian Darrisaw. Darrisaw is your traditional left tackle, taking all but 1 of his 2000+ snaps on the left side of the ball – and is seen as very NFL ready. He will make an huge impact blocking for the Chargers franchise QB for the foreseeable future.

14.Minnesota Vikings, LB Micah Parsons, Penn State

Early on in the draft season there was a shot Parsons was going to be the first guy on the defensive side to be taken. Opting out of the 2020 season did not do him any favors but nevertheless he is a talented player. Micah is a physical specimen at 6 foot 4 246 lbs and because of that is elite when it comes to vertical movement, closing speed, and coverage. In my opinion, Parsons slipping down to 14 is a good time to draft talent over need for the Vikings as they are looking for a bounce back year as far as their defense goes.

15.New England Patriots: CB Jaycee Horn, South Carolina

Both JC Jackson and Stephon Gilmore are going to be UFA’s after this coming season, so coach Belichick is going to go out and find his Stefon Diggs defense for the future. The Patriots run a defensive scheme incorporating lots of Man Coverage – which just happens to be Horn’s selling point. I see the Patriots taking Horn only if all of the quarterbacks are off the board. If that is the case, Horn will provide depth at an increasingly needed position in the league – where he can develop under the best defensive minded coach in the league as well as veteran corners who can take a majority of the zone snaps.

16.Arizona Cardinals: CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech

Some scouts believe the Cardinals would be getting the draft's best CB here. He would have no doubt been the first one taken had he not hurt his back at Virginia Tech and like many others, decided to opt out of the 2020 season. As a sophomore he only allowed opponents to catch 18 passes on him with 50 targets. The QB's had a tough time when they actually did decide to test him with a whopping 26.8 passer rating. He is elite in coverage and has the best speed of any corner in this class.

17. Las Vegas Raiders: S, Trevon Moehrig, TCU

Who knows who the Raiders will draft? No one. Snagging Ruggs as the top receiver in 2020 over Juedy and Lamb, and reaching for Clelin Ferrell 4th overall in 2019. The Raiders have proven to have rather obscure drafts – but I would be dumbfounded if they do not strengthen their secondary with the 17th overall pick. Trevon Moehrig has led the all FBS safeties in each of the last two seasons in pass breakups – something desperately needed from a depleted Raiders secondary. In a conference with Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, Jerry Juedy, Keenan Allen, etc – the Raiders need to protect against the deep ball. Moehrig could be the answer.

18. Miami Dolphins: WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota

After going tackle with their first pick you might as well get a weapon for Tua to throw to. With the top WR's gone, Bateman is a bit of a sleeper. While nothing pops out at you he is solid at everything he does. He can defeat you in many different ways whether it be one on one on the edge, press coverage, or in the slot. A player like Rashod requires a great fit to showcase his potential and I believe the dolphins will find a way to use him in the right ways.

19. Washington Football Team: OT Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC

Martin Meyhew loves his lineman – and that is exactly what he does 19th overall. Although offensive line is not a staggering need, Vera-Tucker is a Swiss Army Knife that can be deployed to any of the 5 lineman positions. Vera-Tucker put up the highest pass blocking numbers of any lineman over the past 2 seasons while at USC – so the new additions of Fitzpatrick and Curtis Samuel to pair with Terry McClaurin and a great pass blocking offensive line could push the WFT to the next level.

20. Chicago Bears: CB Greg Newsome, Northwestern

Bears GM, Ryan Pace, has been heavily criticized for draft performance so he better get this one correct. With Kyle Fuller out of town the Bears will look to re-tool their secondary. Newsome is coming off a spectacular season in 2020 allowing just a 31.7 passer rating against him. This Ranked #1 amongst all corners(Caleb Farley's number was from the 2019 season.)

21. Indianapolis Colts: DI Christian Barmore, Alabama

With the premier pass catchers off the board, I have the Colts taking the best player available in Christian Barmore. You know what seems to be the most consistent part of the NFL draft? Really good defensive tackles out of Alabama. Barmore is the next in line. Add Barmore to an already excellent Indi defense alongside DeForest Buckner – teams are going to have to change their offensive game plan to ensure their Quarterback isn’t getting injured.

22. Tennessee Titans: ED Kwity Paye, Michigan

The Titans pass rush was absent for most of last season as the Jadeveon Clowney acquisition did not work out. The Titans will look to revamp it with Kwity Paye here. The first player taken out of Michigan is an exceptional athlete Paye improved each season while in college and can both rush the QB and is reliable in coverage.

23. New York Jets: ED Jayson Oweh, Penn State

Imagine being 6’5 257 and running a 4.39 40 yard dash. Oweh doesn’t have to. He is a freak athlete that has untapped potential. The Jets, obviously, have a plethora of needs including offensive line, defensive back, and pass catchers. In 2021, the NFL seems to have deviated from need based drafting to talent/ upside based. Upside is precisely what the Jets will get in drafting Oweh. Line Oweh up opposite of newly acquired edge rusher Carl Lawson, and the Jets already serviceable pass rush just got a whole lot better.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: ED Jaelan Phillips, Miami

Concussion issues have hurt Jaelan's stock as it ultimately cut his college career short. When "the U" was lucky enough to have him on the field he was a force. He made Offensive Lineman look silly across the ACC as he won over 20% of his pass-rush snaps. The former #1 high school recruit in 2017 could make for a dynamic duo on the edge with TJ Watt and himself. Scary stuff.

25. Jacksonville Jags: WR Rondale Moore, Purdue

What better way to accommodate to a new Quarterback and new Head Coach than give them an offensive weapon they can play with? As a freshman at Purdue in 2018 Rondale Moore was the most electric player in college football – tallying 12 touchdowns, 1,258 yards and a 37 broken tackles. The latter part of his college career was riddled with injury – but the intrigue into the most dynamic athlete on the board remains. Rondale could add another weapon to the Chark, Shanault, Jones Jr. Wide out array for the Jags, and provide at minimum a stud of a slot receiver.

26. Cleveland Browns: LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame

The Linebacker of Notre Dame is highly underrated in my opinion. I have talked about it a little bit earlier but I love versatile players and Koramoah is one of them. Concerns will always be there for his lack of size but his ability to move vertically across the field and play in coverage is elite and should get the Browns and their fans excited as their defense already looks to be amongst the best in the league....at least on paper.

27. Baltimore Ravens: WR Terrace Marshall Jr., LSU

The Raven’s wide receiver struggles continued in 2020 – and was apparent as they ended the season with the least passing yards in the league (given they passed the ball the least amount of times). With this pick, the Ravens are hoping to duplicate the efforts of the Vikings in last year’s draft by taking LSU’s slot receiver. Out of the Jefferson, Chase, Marshall LSU WR core, Marshall was seen to be the guy early in his career. He didn’t necessarily underperform, he was just amongst receivers that outperformed. Marshall Jr. will provide the Ravens with a receiver who is big bodied and dominates at the point of catch – something Baltimore has been reliant on tight end Mark Andrews for in years passed.

28. New Orleans Saints: CB Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State

We all remember how good Asante's father was, especially during those years in New England. The Saints will look to create the same magic with Jr. in the coming years. Samuel might be the strongest of any corner in this class and he makes tough catches a true challenge for the opponent. He may lack in size but his close in ability is above average and should make for a good selection to help the saints get back to where they want to be in the secondary.

29. Green Bay Packers: LB Nick Bolton, Missouri

I have always been a fan of Green Bay Linebackers – AJ Hawk, Clay Matthews, and more recently Blake Martinez. This past year the Packers struggled to find any rhythm in stopping the run and blitzing the quarterback – so they are very happy to see Nick Bolton still available at 29. Bolton graded very well in a conference that breeds offensive line talent. He will come in and instantly upgrade one of the two MLB’s in Green Bay’s 3-4 defense.

30. Buffalo Bills, ED Gregory Rousseau, Miami

Rousseau bursted onto the scene during his freshman year at Miami with 16 sacks. How you could opt out after that kind of season I am not sure but that is what he did. Scouts are worried about his ability to win on the edge, especially with the fact that he did not play more than the single college season. This is a classic guy with an incredible ceiling but with the small sample size there is always going to be a concern. For a team looking for some help on the outside it is worth the risk for the maffia.

31. Baltimore Ravens, OT Tevin Jenkins, Oklahoma State

After dealing Orlando Brown to the Chiefs – acquiring this pick – the Ravens select the second best Jenkins to play offensive line in the Big 12’s history (Jackson Jenkins, Kansas 2016). The rumor mill has spit out that Alejandro Villanueva will be occupying the right tackle position for the Ravens this coming year – but the Raven’s take their future starter. Jenkins has had success in both run and pass blocking snaps. Blocking for a rush evading mastermind like Lamar Jackson should help Jenkins get acclimated to the life of an NFL tackle.

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ED Azeez Ojulari, Georgia

The Bucs can pretty much go in any direction they want with the last pick in the 1st round, after all they have the goat under center. Ojulari will provide some youth on a defensive line that is aging a little bit with JPP and Suh. Can they win the super bowl again? Probably.