The 2021 NFL Draft was supposed to be headlined by the five ultra-talented quarterbacks. Fast forward years later, however, and only one of those QBS has lived up to his sky-high potential — while the other four have quickly gone down as big-time draft busts.
This got us thinking…if each club had the benefit of hindsight… how would the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft play out? Hint: A LOT different than what truly transpired.
With that, let’s dive into this enticing exercise of a re-draft for the first round of the super-stacked 2021 NFL Draft.
Which players were selected correctly in the 2021 NFL Draft, and which fell?
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence
A no-brainer here. The Jaguars knew they were getting a generational talent and true franchise QB with this pick, and T-Law has come exactly as advertised.
He deserves zero blame for a disappointing rookie year that was completely sabotaged by Urban Meyer. Since joining forces with Doug Pederson, Lawrence has played like a true MVP-level signal-caller who has quickly elevated the Jaguars into the class of AFC heavyweights.
2. New York Jets: Ja'Marr Chase
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Zach Wilson has gone down as a giant flop in Gotham — so the Jets take the next-best offensive player available in this draft.
Chase is a top-five receiver in the game, and we’re too busy thinking about how unstoppable a tandem he and Garrett Wilson would be. As a double-whammy, the Chase pick eliminates the Jets’ mistake of taking the BYU QB!
3. San Francisco 49ers: Micah Parsons
Little did the 49ers know that their future franchise QB was 2022 Mr. Irrelevant in Brock Purdy.
They paid a king’s ransom to move up to No. 3 in the 2021 NFL Draft so they could take Trey Lance, who made just four starts in San Fran before getting traded to Dallas.
So in this re-draft, let’s pair Cowboys superstar linebacker Micah Parsons with the likes of Fred Warner and Nick Bosa. This would give the 49ers three of the NFL’s top-10 defensive players, so good luck throwing the ball on them!
4. Atlanta Falcons: Jaylen Waddle
Turns out the Falcons have no idea how to utilize Kyle Pitts. No chance he goes No. 4 in this re-draft, but they correct the miscue in this exercise by going with Miami Dolphins’ speedster Jaylen Waddle.
The Alabama product is on his way to his third 1,000-yard season in as many years. The idea of Waddle lining up with rising star Drake London at wideout would be too much fun for the Falcons to pass up here.
Also read: Ranking All 32 NFL Teams As They Prepare For The 2024 Draft
5. Cincinnati Bengals: DeVonta Smith
The Bengals hit it out of the ballpark when they took Ja’Marr Chase in this spot and reunited him with Joe Burrow. But with Chase off the board, they’ll settle on Alabama’s DeVonta Smith.
Smith has played second-fiddle to AJ Brown in Philly, but the former would be a No. 1 receiver on most other teams. That includes the Bengals, who’d get by just fine with a Smith-Tyler Boyd-Tee Higgins trio.
6. Miami Dolphins: Kyle Pitts
No changes here. The Lions knew they were getting a franchise offensive tackle here in Sewell, who by the way was supposed to be a top-five pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Remember?
Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have built one of football’s best offensive lines here in Motor City, and Sewell has played a hand in that. No way they think about a change here.
8. Carolina Panthers: Justin Fields
The Panthers took a chance on Sam Darnold and thus passed on taking a top QB prospect here. Obviously, Darnold didn’t pan out, and it’s too early to tell if Bryce Young is the guy or not.
So how about taking a chance on the dual-threat QB here? Fields has had his fair share of moments on a lousy Bears team. We’d like to think he would have gotten something going with DJ Moore, Christian McCaffrey and Chuba Hubbard as his main weapons.
At the very least, Fields would have been better than Darnold, Cam Newton, Baker Mayfield and PJ Walker…
9. Denver Broncos: Trey Lance
Not only would Denver maybe have found its franchise QB here, but taking Lance would have prevented the disastrous Russell Wilson trade.
Lance never got a fair shot in San Francisco. With Denver, he would have had Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick and Javonte Williams as his weapons.
Simply put, taking Lance here would have been well worth the risk in the 2021 NFL Draft.
10. Philadelphia Eagles: Amon-Ra St. Brown
With DeVonta Smith off the board, the Eagles take the current Lions’ star who somehow fell down into round four.
St. Brown and Jared Goff have formed an explosive tandem in Detroit. Imagine how much better St. Brown could be with Jalen Hurts throwing him the football…
11. Chicago Bears: Rashawn Slater
Rather than trade up for Fields, the Bears trade up for a bonafide star offensive tackle in Rashawn Slater.
The o-line has been a problem in Chicago for a while now, and Slater would single-handedly change that. The Bears can focus on finding their QB of the future another time, because Fields hasn’t been what they expected.
12. Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Surtain II
With Micah Parsons unfortunately off the board for the Cowboys, they’ll settle on a pure shutdown corner in Patrick Surtain II. Remember how many 2021 mock NFL drafts had him going to Dallas in the first place?
Here, we finally make it happen. Surtain II and Trevon Diggs form the next great super cornerback duo. It’s a fine plan B with Parsons not available here.
Also read: RUMOR: Chicago Bears Are Now Taking Calls To Trade Their First-Round Pick At The 2024 NFL Draft
13. Los Angeles Chargers: Jaycee Horn
The injury bug has bit Horn time and time again in his rookie year. But when on the field, he’s been one of football’s premier cover corners.
For the Chargers, it’s a risk worth taking. Their defense has underachieved tremendously under Brandon Staley, but perhaps that would change under Horn. The Bolts have badly needed quality defensive backs to deal with the wealth of star pass-catchers in the AFC, after all.
14. New York Jets: Mac Jones
Zach Wilson isn’t the answer, but maybe — just maybe —- Mac Jones can be the guy for the Jets? He had an excellent rookie year in New England, but his career went sideways once Bill Belichick made Matt Patricia and Joe Judge the co-offensive play-callers.
Jones wouldn’t have to worry about that in Gotham. Robert Saleh would hire an actual offensive coordinator to work with the Jones-Ja’Marr Chase tandem. Playing complementary football on a Jets’ team carried by a top-five defense and a productive ground game could’ve actually helped Jones flourish in New York.
15. New England Patriots: Zach Wilson
The Patriots needed a QB here one way or another, so let’s assign Zach Wilson to them.
Wilson had a higher upside than Jones, but the BYU kid just hasn’t found his way with the Jets. Playing in New England’s ball-control, rush-first offense would have helped Wilson build up his confidence early.
Having Josh McDaniels as his OC for one year could have helped Wilson succeed in that quick-strike offense. For Bill Belichick and company, Wilson is worth taking a chance on — knowing that Jones was never the guy.
16. Arizona Cardinals: Jaelan Phillips
The departures of JJ Watt and Zach Allen in 2023 left the Cardinals without a capable game-changing pass-rusher. If only they got their hands on Jaelan Phillips — who went to the Dolphins at No. 18 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Phillips had 15.5 sacks over his first two seasons. That’s a playmaker that Jonathan Gannon would greatly appreciate to build the D around.
17. Las Vegas Raiders: Tyson Campbell
Woof, remember when the Raiders reached for Alex Leatherwood in this spot — only to cut him after one season? The Raiders should have addressed the defense with this pick. They do so in the re-draft here by taking Jaguars’ star corner Tyson Campbell — who just might give this team its first true great shutdown corner since Nnamdi Asomugha.
18. Miami Dolphins: Creed Humphrey
Miami’s o-line has slowly but surely improved since Tua Tagovailoa’s arrival, but having Chiefs’ superstar Creed Humphrey in the middle would take it to another level.
Humphrey has made his case as the NFL’s best center. He’d be a better option than Connor Williams, who had to switch to center from his natural guard position.
19. Washington Commanders: Trey Smith
The Commanders’ offensive line has been a major problem since Trent Williams last played for them in 2018. The Chiefs struck gold when they took Smith in the sixth round at 226th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, but Ron Rivera and company thwart Brett Veach’s latest late-round gem by taking the Tennessee product.
Finally, the Commanders have a young cornerstone piece to build the o-line around.
20. New York Giants: Landon Dickerson
Even with the first-round selections of Andrew Thomas in 2020 and Evan Neal in 2022, the Giants’ o-line remains a colossal disaster.
Thomas has emerged as a star, but Neal already looks like a giant bust. The Giants can at least fix up the interior o-line here by taking Dickerson, one of the mainstays on the Eagles’ offense.
21. Indianapolis Colts: Nick Bolton
One of the biggest surprises of the 2021 NFL Draft was Nick Bolton’s fall to round two at No. 58 overall. He has certainly outplayed his draft spot and would unquestionably be a first-round pick in a do-over.
Bolton lining up alongside Shaquille Leonard could give Indy the league’s best linebacker duo. The potential of this indy defense with Bolton’s presence would be, in a word, limitless.
22. Tennessee Titans: Josh Myers
The Titans o-line isn’t the strength it once was in the early Ryan Tannehill-Derrick Henry era. They have one promising piece there in 2023 first-rounder Peter Skoronski, but help on the interior is still a must.
Green Bay Packers ‘stalwart center Josh Myers would be the perfect addition to a Mike Vrabel-coached team that is bent on winning in the trenches. Myers and Skoronski would be a terrific foundation to build the o-line around.
23. Minnesota Vikings: Talanoa Hufanga
The secondary has been a weak link in Minnesota dating back to 2020. They have one veteran mainstay at safety in Harrison Smith, but imagine if Kevin O’Connell’s Group had the chance to pair him with 49ers rising superstar Talanoa Hufanga?
Hufanga earned his first Pro Bowl and first-team all-pro nods in 2022. This special chess piece excels all over — in pass coverage, run defense and at rushing the QB. Hufanga would instantly change the dynamic of this Minnesota D that desperately needs more playmakers.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Andre Cisco
Pittsburgh already has arguably football’s best safety in Minkah Fitzpatrick. But in today’s pass-happy league, you can’t have too many elite defensive backs.
Cisco is a budding star in Duval County already. We can’t help but wonder how much better he’d be lining up with Fitzpatrick in Pittsburgh’s stingy secondary had they selected him in the 2021 NFL Draft. In taking Cisco, Pittsburgh would be well-equipped to defend against the many high-powered offenses in the AFC.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Travis Etienne Jr.
This pick was highly scrutinized at the time, but now we see why the Jaguars took Etienne Jr.
After missing his entire rookie year with a foot injury, Etienne Jr. burst onto the scene with 1,125 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 2022. He’s one of football’s premier workhorse do-it-all running backs who has made life oh-so-much easier for Trevor Lawrence.
26. Cleveland Browns: Gregory Rousseau
The Browns have spent lots of money and draft capital on finding more defensive game-wreckers to complement Myles Garrett.
Buffalo Bills’ star Gregory Rousseau broke out in 2022 with eight sacks and looks even better here in 2023. Rousseau working alongside Garrett would give Cleveland’s already vaunted defense another wreaker of havoc in the trenches.
27. Baltimore Ravens: Kwity Paye
Baltimore didn’t have a single player hit double-digit sacks in 2021 or 2022. Perhaps that’d be different if they got their hands on Kwity Paye — whom the Colts selected with the No. 21 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Despite missing five games in 2022, Paye recorded six sacks and showed signs of growing into a star. No team drafts + develops better than the Ravens, which is why we’re confident that Paye would have been a Pro Bowl-level talent by now if he landed in Baltimore.
28. New Orleans Saints: Christian Darrisaw
The Saints’ offensive line was among football’s best in Drew Brees’ final years, but it’s not the same machine anymore.
2022 first-rounder Trevor Penning hasn’t developed as hoped, and he’s on the verge of entering the “bust” label. Pairing Darrisaw with Ryan Ramcyzk would give the Saints a top-tier offensive tackle duo.
Not to mention that Darrisaw would have nullified the Saints’ questionable move in which they surrendered a 2023 first-rounder to trade up for Penning.
29. Green Bay Packers: Nico Collins
Green Bay has maddeningly passed on taking a wide receiver in the first round every year since 2003. They lacked a capable WR2 for Davante Adams in 2021 and haven’t found a true game-changing pass-catcher since trading Adams in 2022.
Here, the Packers correct the mistake by taking the speedy Collins — one of football’s top young wide receivers. Even with Adams gone, the Packers at least have a new WR1 in Collins to help Jordan Love hone his craft.
30. Buffalo Bills: Najee Harris
Buffalo hasn’t had a star running back since LeSean McCoy’s last great year in 2017. The Bills rely too much on Josh Allen to carry the ground game, but that would change with the selection of a two-time 1,000-yard back in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Harris has been a stud playing behind Pittsburgh’s lousy run-blocking offensive line. Put him in an offense with Allen and Diggs, and you’re looking at an annual 1,500-yard threat.
31. Baltimore Ravens: Jevon Holland
They have Marcus Williams and Kyle Hamilton now, but Holland would have been awfully tough to pass on in a re-draft.
Holland would have been tailor-made for the Ravens’ aggressive and blitz-happy defense as a dangerous ball-hawker and prolific pass-rusher. Taking Holland eliminates the Williams contract and allows Baltimore to build a new super duo safety consisting of Holland and Hamilton.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Asante Samuel Jr.
The Bucs’ secondary was a problem against top-tier quarterbacks in 2021 and 2022 — denying Tom Brady of ring No. 8 in the process.
Samuel Jr. would have been a beautiful fit in Todd Bowles’ opportunistic defense as an interception specialist. Samuel Jr., Carlton Davis and Jamal Dean would have given the Bucs three dangerous corners to combat the Rams and Cowboys — the two clubs responsible for Brady’s last two playoff defeats.
Also read: 2024 NFL First-Round Mock Draft For All 32 Picks: 10.0 (With Trades)
