2021 NFL Mock Draft: Steelers bank on Mac Jones, Dolphins land Jaylen Waddle
![Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against Texas A&M during the first half at Kyle Field Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019 in College Station, Texas. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]Alabama Vs Texas A M](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fe9bd955f1b6a788609036b46337545e028cc9060926b7ddc18a0694f4397ba84.jpg "Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against Texas A&M during the first half at Kyle Field Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019 in College Station, Texas. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]Alabama Vs Texas A M")
. TE. Carolina Panthers. Kyle Pitts. 17. player. 87
The Carolina Panthers have been one of the most pleasant surprises of 2020 to this point as Teddy Bridgewater and Co. have thrived under Matt Rhule and Joe Brady. The defense has been fine too but should get better as young players simply develop. Thus, this pick is used to get Bridgewater another weapon in Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. A matchup nightmare with his size, speed and route-running, Pitts could be a lethal addition to take this offense to another level.
. EDGE. Las Vegas Raiders. Kwity Paye. 18. player. 28
Despite using a top-five pick on Clelin Ferrell in 2019, the Raiders pass-rushers are still in need of depth moving forward. That’s why the newest Nevada residents use their first-rounder to take Kwity Paye out of Michigan. A bit of a raw prospect, Paye needs to produce more in the 2020 season to boost his stock further but his arrow is pointing decidedly upward and the Raiders will jump at the opportunity to keep developing a physical specimen.
32. . CB. Arizona Cardinals. Shaun Wade. 19. player
Patrick Peterson is still playing well for the Arizona Cardinals secondary but he’s not getting any younger. Moreover, the Cards defense still needs plenty more help around Peterson and Chandler Jones, the latter of whom has been ruled out for the rest of 2020. That’s why they take Ohio State’s Shaun Wade, a cornerback who has shown a ton of prowess in a talented secondary and presents great versatility. He has outside corner size but great film playing in the slot, meaning Arizona can move him around and help bolster a secondary lacking in depth.
player. 15. . WR. New Orleans Saints. DeVonta Smith. 20
The New Orleans Saints have presented a mixed bag this season, largely because of Drew Brees showing his age a bit. Whether he plays beyond 2020 or not, though, the Saints need to get their quarterback for 2021 and beyond more weapons outside of Michael Thomas.
DeVonta Smith is a bit slight-framed but he does everything so well that you can overlook it. He has the speed and quickness to succeed but is a magician as a route-runner as he consistently cooks defensive backs. Pairing him with Thomas would make for quite a difficult group for opposing defenses to keep up with.