It’s NFL Mock draft time!!! Who’s your favorite team taking in round one this year? We’ve got answers!
We already put out our first 2021 NFL mock draft, but several major transactions have since taken place. So that means it’s time for us to update our predictions for how the first round will play out.
And this time, we’ve added some projected trades! So let’s get right into 2021 first-round NFL mock draft 2.0.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence
Nothing to see here. The Jaguars have a can’t-miss prospect on their hands. Urban Meyer didn’t come to Duval County for the Jaguars to botch a franchise-changing first-overall selection.
Lawrence is headed to Jacksonville. Lock it in.
2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson
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We’re flip-flopping here between Wilson and Justin Fields. Fortunately, we aren’t the Jets, so this isn’t our difficult decision to make.
One way or another, we expect the Jets to move on from Sam Darnold, and it’s starting to look more and more like Wilson will be their guy. His poise in the pocket and overall skill set will be too much for GM Joe Douglass to pass up on.
3. (From Miami) Carolina Panthers: Justin Fields
WE HAVE OUR FIRST TRADE! The Panthers acquire the Dolphins’ No. 3 selection in exchange for the No. 8 pick and Carolina’s second 2021 second-rounder, which is 39th overall.
With this pick, Matt Rhule finds a quarterback upgrade for his potent offense. The Ohio State product might take a little longer to develop compared to other QBs in this class, but he’s got “franchise-cornerstone” written all over him.
4. Atlanta Falcons: Trey Lance
The guess is that the Falcons will take the best QB available. It only makes sense to choose Matt Ryan’s successor in a spot like this. Let him play behind Matty Ice for a year, then trade the former in 2022.
Who knows if Atlanta will get an opportunity like this again to take their next quarterback? Lance would be a perfect fit for Arthur Smith’s offense. He’d be entering a great situation, with weapons like Calvin Ridley, Hayden Hurst, and maybe even Julio Jones – if he’s still around.
5. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell
This one also feels like a lock. The Bengals’ biggest organizational need is the offensive line. Sewell is the best offensive lineman prospect in years. And fortunately for Cincy, the four teams picking ahead of them will have other needs to address.
Joe Burrow will be thrilled to get that much-needed pass protection that was greatly lacking in his rookie year.
6. Philadelphia Eagles: Ja’Marr Chase
The Eagles can’t go wrong with Chase, DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle. But the LSU star feels like the best fit in Philly’s new-look offense that will be led by Jalen Hurts now.
Chase’s excellent speed and route-running will go beautifully with Hurts’ scrambling abilities and improvisational skills.
7. Detroit Lions: DeVonta Smith
Now’s not the time to take a quarterback. May as well see what you have in Jared Goff…and the man desperately needs some playmakers.
Kenny Golladay is a goner, but the Lions can offset his departure by taking the Heisman Trophy winner. Smith would give Goff that number one receiver he’ll need in the Motor City.
8. (From Carolina) Miami Dolphins: Jaylen Waddle
Whether they hold the No. 3 pick or trade down, we fully expect Miami to nab one of the “big three” receivers for Tua Tagovailoa. In this case, we have Waddle as the last guy available, so it should be a no-brainer for Miami.
They can’t expect Tua to shrug off a sluggish rookie year without an upgraded supporting cast, after all.
9. Denver Broncos: Caleb Farley
The Broncos could go QB here, but they seem keen on giving Drew Lock another year to prove himself. That’s fine, because cornerback is a major weakness, and the Broncos need to address it with three explosive offenses residing in their division.
Farley is an elite shutdown corner who’s tailor-made for Vic Fangio’s defense. You want a guy like this when you have Tyreek Hill, Darren Waller, Keenan Allen and Travis Kelce to deal with in your division.
10. Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Surtain II
Addressing the secondary is the Cowboys’ biggest need. The front seven underperformed in 2020, but you can bet on a bounce-back from that star-studded unit.
Dallas lacks shutdown corners on their roster. Surtain would immediately change that. He’s the perfect piece for the defense that Dan Quinn will run in 2021.
11. (From New York Giants) New England Patriots Mac Jones (For 15th pick and a third rounder)
ANOTHER TRADE!
We project the Patriots to acquire the No. 11 pick from the Giants in exchange for the No. 15 pick and their 2022 third-round selection (NOTE : Patriots 2021 third-rounder was forfeited because of the Spygate thing with Bengals).
Have to think the Patriots will take a quarterback here. Mac Jones feels like the best option if Bill Belichick can’t trade into the top 10. Jones had the fortunes of learning from the legendary Nick Saban, so it should be a smooth transition over to Belichick.
12. San Francisco 49ers: Christian Darrisaw
49ers fans may want to see a skill position player here, but Kyle Shanahan’s offense doesn’t run so smoothly without protection up front. So we have San Fran settling on the best offensive lineman available after Sewell.
Darrisaw would solidify that 49ers’ o-line for many years to come. He gets it done in every aspect. That level of skill will be too much for John Lynch to pass up.
13. Los Angeles Chargers: Micah Parsons
Parsons is far and away the best linebacker available in this class. He’d probably be a top-five or 10 pick if there weren’t so many QB-needy teams this offseason.
Either way, he promises to be a difference-maker wherever he lands. The Los Angeles Chargers don’t have enough playmakers to complement Joey Bosa in the front seven, but Parsons alone would turn this unit into a juggernaut.
If he’s there at 13, LA cannot let him slide any further.
14. Minnesota Vikings: Kwity Paye
When Mike Zimmer called his 2020 defense “the worst he’s ever had”, that kinda tipped his hand for the draft, no?
The Vikings have to bolster a lackluster pass rush that failed to replace Everson Griffen last year. So Michigan star Kwity Paye is the pick here.
He and a hopefully-healthy Danielle Hunter (DUH-NEEL) will give Minny a resilient pass-rushing duo to work around. And that’s key with Aaron Rodgers in your division.
15. (From New England) New York Giants: Kyle Pitts
Many scouts rank Pitts as a top-five prospect in this class. He’s an insanely athletic, versatile talent. But how many teams will prioritize tight end in this deep class? Not many.
Wherever Pitts goes, he’ll flourish immediately. The Giants won’t build off a promising 2020 campaign if Daniel Jones doesn’t get some better playmakers. Drafting Pitts is a good start.
16. Arizona Cardinals: Rashawn Slater
Gotta love Kyler Murray’s scrambling abilities, but 75 sacks through two seasons is way too much. The guess here is Arizona fills out its weaknesses on defense in free agency, which allows GM Steve Keim to address the o-line with this pick.
Rashawn Slater is NFL ready after another stellar campaign at Northwestern University. Not only would he give Murray more time in the pocket, but Slater should help bolster a rushing game that was often non-existent in 2020.
17. Las Vegas Raiders: Christian Barmore
The Raiders need to stop throwing money around in free agency and simply fix their defense through the draft.
Maxx Crosby is coming into his own as a pass-rusher, but there’s not much else there. New defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will want another guy to complement Crosby’s talents, and Barmore fits the bill nicely.
18. Miami Dolphins: Gregory Rousseau
After addressing the receiver position with their first pick, Miami can probably settle on the best player available here. According to our calculations, that’ll be the Miami Hurricanes stud defensive end.
The Dolphins have a solid front seven, but Emmanuel Ogbah is their only game-wrecking defensive lineman. Adding Rousseau would give Miami the best pass-rushing duo in the AFC East. Can’t complain about that!
19. Washington Football Team: Rashod Bateman
Terry McLaurin is quickly growing into a star, but the Football Team strongly lacks receiving depth here. This is their chance to add another weapon for Washington’s next starting quarterback.
Bateman’s size and playmaking skills on the 50-50 balls would serve as a beautiful complement to McLaurin.
20. (From Chicago) Baltimore Ravens: Rondale Moore (for 27th pick and a third rounder)
Projected trade Number 3! The Ravens get Chicago’s No. 20 selection in exchange for the No. 27 pick and Baltimore’s 2021 third-round selection.
Marquise Brown hasn’t cut it as a No. 1 receiver, so Baltimore trades up to find another star pass-catcher for Lamar Jackson. Rondale Moore would add a new element to Greg Roman’s heavy rushing offense. It’s time to open up the offense for the 2019 league MVP.
21. Indianapolis Colts: Jaycee Horn
The Colts found their new starting QB in Carson Wentz. Perfect…now it’s time to focus on defense.
The Colts secondary was solid throughout 2020, but it’s not good enough to compete with the top clubs in the AFC.
Adding a physical DB like Horn to complement young studs Julian Blackmon and Rock Ya-Sin could quickly take this defense to another level.
22. Tennessee Titans: Alijah Vera-Tucker
The Titans must regret letting Jack Conklin walk, and they gave up on 2020 first-rounder Isaiah Wilson after one year.
GM Jon Robinson tries his luck again at addressing the o-line by taking USC offensive tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker. The Titans need to bolster the pass protection for Ryan Tannehill, who no longer has Arthur Smith calling the plays for him. Vera-Tucker would be a great value pick here.
23. New York Jets: Jaelen Phillips
With the best receiver prospects off the board, the Jets’ best bet will be to find a guy who can fit Robert Saleh’s blitz-happy defense. Quinnen Williams is a nice piece to build around, but why not bolster the unit with Jaelen Phillips?
The Jets have a soft rushing defense, and outside of Williams, there’s a clear lack of playmakers on that side of the ball. This is their chance to fix that.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kyle Trask
2021 will most likely be Ben Roethlisberger’s final season…at least with the Steelers. Yes, they signed Dwayne Haskins following his release from Washington, but it doesn’t hurt to bring in another potential succession plan.
Trask might need one or two years to develop, so he’s the perfect target for Pittsburgh. Let him learn behind the future Hall of Famer for a year, then see if he’s suited to be your next franchise QB.
Like Atlanta, this is the Steelers’ golden opportunity to find their next quarterback. We suggest they don’t waste it.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Nick Bolton
Yes, the Jaguars already have K’Lavon Chaisson, C.J. Henderson and Josh Allen as young franchise cornerstones on defense…but why stop there? Adding Bolton would get you one step closer to replicating that “Sacksonville” defense from a few years back!
Bolton would address Jacksonville’s need for an explosive do-it-all linebacker. Now, you’re really talking about a defense that’s ready to dominate.
26. Cleveland Browns: Asante Samuel Jr.
The Browns already have Denzel Ward at cornerback, but the rest of the secondary leaves a lot to be desired. So we have Cleveland settling on the son of the former Patriots and Falcons’ star cornerback.
Asante Samuel Jr.’s quickness and his knack for attacking the football would go a long way in fixing this leaky pass defense. He and Ward could theoretically form the NFL’s best cornerback duo in short time.
27. (From Baltimore) Chicago Bears: Teven Jenkins
Chicago could also look at quarterback or receiver, but we have them picking very late in this mock, thanks to their trade with the Ravens. But with limited options at QB and wideout, we have them settling on Oklahoma State offensive tackle Teven Jenkins.
Chicago quarterbacks took 36 sacks last year. Their 2021 starter will only be able to do so much behind this lackluster o-line, so GM Ryan Pace has to be all over Jenkins if he’s available here.
28. New Orleans Saints: Trevon Moehrig
With no major weaknesses on the roster, we envision the Saints simply taking the best player available here. Our projections have that being Trevon Moehrig.
The Saints could use a little depth in the secondary. The reunion with Malcolm Jenkins didn’t pan out, and Marshon Lattimore is no sure thing to re-sign long-term. Moerig’s slick coverage skills would make him a nice addition to an already stout New Orleans defense.
29. Green Bay Packers: Najee Harris
The Packers have to show Aaron Rodgers that they’re willing to build around him following a disastrous 2020 offseason.
Adding Najee Harris, the best running back in this class, would be a nice way of showing that they still wanna win with No. 12. Harris would be a virtual lock to rush for 1,000 yards in that offense, too!
30. Buffalo Bills: Dylan Moses
The Bills’ usually stingy defense took a surprising step back in 2020. Imagine if they played more like the 2019 unit? We could be talking about the defending Super Bowl champions here.
But that’s all for another day. The bottom line is that Buffalo needs to upgrade the front seven if they’re to get past the powerhouse Kansas City Chiefs.
Dylan Moses, the athletic linebacker out of Alabama, is the safe pick here. Leslie Frazier and Sean McDermott could do great things with him. This is the type of player the Bills need to slow down a Patrick Mahomes-led offense.
31. Kansas City Chief: Azeez Ojulari
Nothing changes from our first mock draft in this spot. Like we said, the Chiefs need edge rushing help to support Frank Clark and Chris Jones, who do most of their damage up the middle.
Steve Spagnuolo runs a blitz-happy defensive scheme, so Ojulari would be in great position to make an immediate impact.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jayson Oweh
Just like the Chiefs, we’re sticking with the guy whom we had Tampa taking in the first mock draft. Yes, the Bucs already have one of the league’s most fierce front sevens, but why not beef it up even more?
If you thought this pass-rush was scary before, just wait until they add Oweh into the mix.
