2021 NFL Mock Draft: Jets make Justin Fields No. 1 pick, Cowboys target Penei Sewell
7. player. 56. . WR. Cincinnati Bengals. Ja'Marr Chase
No one is going to mistake the Cincinnati Bengals for being a good team in their current state, even if Joe Burrow has continued to impress overall. However, they have been too good this season if their goal is to improve the offensive line, namely by being able to pick high enough to land Sewell. So instead of looking there, they get Burrow another weapon to pair with Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd.
The rest of the Bengals wide receiver corps has some issues as A.J. Green is aging and may be gone after this season while John Ross is clearly not part of the plan. Pairing Burrow with his former LSU teammate, Ja’Marr Chase, just makes too much sense. He’s a dynamic playmaker who caught 20 touchdowns in 2019 and will have an instant rapport with his quarterback in Cincy.
Carolina Panthers. Caleb Farley. 8. player. 87. . CB
People have been giving Matt Rhule and the Carolina Panthers a ton of credit for what they’ve done in the 2020 season but the truth about it is that this team is still well below .500 and has ways to go before they can compete for a playoff spot. And though the defense is incredibly young, it’s still missing some pieces, especially when you look at the secondary in Carolina.
Caleb Farley was the first high-profile college football player to opt-out of the 2020 season but the Virginia Tech is still an easy first-round pick and potential top-10 selection, as he is here. He needs to work on his discipline as he can gamble too much but his playmaking combined with size and physical tools make him an extremely enticing prospect that the Panthers could easily slot in right away.