2021 NFL Mock Draft 2.0

 

 

2021 NFL Mock Draft 2.0 (Post Super Bowl)

    After the Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV and Brady cemented his status as the greatest football player of all time, the 2020-2021 NFL Season concluded which means that it is now the best time of the year: MOCK DRAFT SEASON. I know we are still over two months away from the 2021 NFL Draft, which takes place from Thursday, April 29th to Saturday, May 1st, but sports writers need something to clutch onto following the end of football season, and after the Super Bowl the draft order is finalized, barring the trading of picks. This year's draft has a clear cut favorite at the number one pick with Clemson's Quarterback Trevor Lawrence taking his talents to the professional level, but after him, the subsequent picks become a lot harder to predict. The confusion begins with the New York Jets at the #2 overall pick where they have to decide how they want their future to look, and the uncertainty continues as the order of five quarterbacks unfolds throughout the first night of the Draft. 

If you want to check out our NFL Mock Draft 1.0 to see how our Mock has changed since the beginning of the Playoffs, check out this link.

1. Jacksonville- Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

With the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, The Jaguars use their one of two first round selections to make a no-brainer move by selecting Trevor Lawrence. The top overall player in this draft will become their franchise's starting quarterback to lead their rebuilding effort under their new Head Coach Urban Meyer. 

2. NY Jets- Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

With the second pick, the Jets decide that Sam Darnold is not their quarterback of the future, selecting BYU Quarterback Zach Wilson to be the face of their franchise as they look to improve next season with a young roster and a new coaching staff.

3. Miami(via Houston)- DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

With the third pick, the Dolphins get their young quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, another weapon in Alabama’s DeVonta Smith. Smith, the 2020 Heisman winner, tore up opposing secondaries last year and is one of the best wide receivers in this draft class. 

4. Atlanta- Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

With the fourth selection, the Falcons select Georgia native Justin Fields from Ohio State University to become the successor to longtime franchise Quarterback Matt Ryan. With this pick the Falcons look to turn the page from their past misfortunes and begin the process of bettering themselves for the future.

5. Cincinnati- Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

With the fifth pick of the Draft, The Bengals select the top offensive lineman in the Draft to protect their young franchise Quarterback, Joe Burrow, who will be coming off a terrible knee injury to start his second season in the NFL.

6. Philadephia- Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU

With the sixth selection, The Eagles decide to take the 2019 Biletnikoff Award winner in order to bolster their wide receiver group that struggled throughout the past season and provide another weapon for Jalen Hurts next year.

7. Detroit- Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

With the seventh pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions select the top defensive player in the Draft to become the new steady force in the middle of their defense as the whole roster undergoes a turnover for the upcoming season.

8. Carolina- Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

With the eighth selection, the Panthers choose to build their offense for the future by selecting Quarterback Trey Lance from North Dakota State. Lance will develop under current starting QB Teddy Bridgewater before he is handed the reins to the offense.

9. Denver- Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

With the ninth pick, the Broncos decide to replenish their defense by adding the top cornerback in the Draft in Surtain II. Their secondary struggled this past year, and with the recent cutting of AJ Bouye Denver will need some help in their defensive backs. 

10. Dallas- Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

With the tenth selection in this year's NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys address a big need for their defense by drafting Cornerback Caleb Farley to help better the league's worst defenses for a potential playoff run next year with QB Dak Prescott returning. Then again, Cowboys fans have been saying this for the last 24 years. 

11. NY Giants- Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

With the eleventh pick of the Draft, the Giants select the top tight end in the Draft to address their need for more weapons to help out their struggling young quarterback, Daniel Jones, and to make up for the inconsistencies of their current tight end, Evan Engram.

12. San Francisco- Rashawn Slater, OL, Northwestern

With the twelfth selection, the 49ers take the top interior lineman prospect in the Draft in order to reload a San Francisco Offensive Line that was depleted all of last year. This will help the Niners prepare for another playoff run as they gain back a lot of players who suffered major injuries last season.

13. LA Chargers- Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

With the thirteenth pick, the Chargers select one of the better tackle prospects in this year's Draft in Christian Darrisaw to try to better one of if not the worst Offensive Lines in football from last year. They hope Darrisaw will be able to protect the Offensive Rookie of the Year, Quarterback Justin Herbert, as he enters his second season as the team's franchise Quarterback.

14. Minnesota- Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan

With the fourteenth selection of the Draft, the Minnesota Vikings add one of the best EDGE defenders this year to bolster a Vikings defense that was horrendous throughout the past season and help a Minnesota pass rush that was near the bottom of the league in 2020.

15. New England- Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

With the fifteenth pick of the Draft, the Patriots select the fifth quarterback of the first round as they continue their organization’s search for their new franchise Quarterback after the departure of Tom Brady last season.

16. Arizona- Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

With the sixteenth selection, the Cardinals take the third cornerback of the first round as they try to prepare their secondary for the time when Patrick Peterson is no longer around to be the one constant for Arizona's cornerback group.

17. Las Vegas- Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame

With the seventeenth pick, the Raiders draft the 2020 Butkus Award winner to provide much needed assistance to a Raiders defense that was one of the worst in the league and to provide more consistency to a linebacker group that underachieved greatly last season.

18. Miami- Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC

With the eighteenth and final pick of the non-Playoff team part of the draft, the Dolphins use their second pick of the round to help protect Tua with one of the most versatile offensive line prospects in the Draft, Alijah Vera-Tucker, who is able to play as a tackle or as a guard effectively at the next level.

19. Washington- Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

20. Chicago- Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan

21. Indianapolis- Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami

22. Tennessee- Azeez Ojulari, OLB, Georgia

23. NY Jets(via Seattle)- Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

24. Pittsburgh- Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa

25. Jacksonville(via LA Rams)- Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU

26. Cleveland- Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami

27. Baltimore- Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

28. New Orleans- Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri

29. Green Bay- Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas

30. Buffalo- Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

31. Kansas City- Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

32. Tampa Bay-Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama