2021 NFL Mock Draft: Cowboys surprise with Micah Parsons, 49ers land Mac Jones

The Dallas Cowboys make a surprise move in this 2021 NFL Mock Draft.

With half the season behind us, many teams in the league are already looking ahead to the offseason — with the 2021 NFL Draft being the most important piece of that puzzle.

Championship teams are built through the draft and teams that need to rebuild are often only able to do so when they hit on their picks in the first round. With that being said, we try and predict how the opening round this coming year will play out with our latest 2021 NFL Power Rankings.

As has been the case for a while now, the quarterbacks are taking center stage with players such as Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields and Trey Lance in play as top-10 selections. However, BYU’s Zach Wilson is also making a strong case to go early.

With that being said, we dive right in to see where these players land while also checking out a bold, and unexpected, pick for the Dallas Cowboys.

Note: Our order is determined by our most recent Power Rankings, which has us turning to the New York Jets for the first pick.

Sam Darnold never stood a chance. The USC product was taken third overall in 2018 but the New York Jets have failed him miserably. The good news for him is that he could be traded in the offseason since Gang Green is winning the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes.

Lawrence has missed time recently due to coming down with COVID-19 and with him out, the Tigers lost to Notre Dame in double overtime. That doesn’t happen with him under center. The only real question now is if he can make up for all the shortfalls in New York.

Another pick is used on a quarterback here as the Jacksonville Jaguars take Justin Fields out of Ohio State. One of the more exciting prospects in the game, Fields would be the first true franchise quarterback in Jacksonville history. That would go a long way toward fixing this struggling team.

The Dallas Cowboys were expected to be contenders in 2020 but they fell apart in a hurry and suddenly has a lot of holes to fill. They could go with an offensive tackle to replace Tyron Smith or a cornerback to start opposite Trevon Diggs. They could also use help on the defensive line and have what seems to be a never-ending hole at safety.

Then, there are the linebackers. While Jerry Jones keeps saying Jaylon Smith is a fixture in this offense the coaches have to be privately concerned about this. Smith has taken not one, but several steps back as a player and Dallas needs to replace him if they want to be better on defense. Enter Micah Parsons, who checks off all the boxes as a defender. Parsons sat out this season but he did enough as a junior to prove he’s worthy of a top-five pick.

Ron Rivera, the head coach of the Washington Football Team, insists Dwayne Haskins’ career is not over despite his recent benching for Kyle Allen. That might be true, but it’s probably still safe to assume his time in D.C. is just about done.

Washington finds a replacement here in Trey Lance as Rivera gets his guy. Lance will have some concerns due to the level of competition he faced but he has all the tools to be a star in the NFL and is well worth the pick.