The Jaguars take over the No. 1 pick in this new 2021 NFL Mock Draft.
Tanking seems as though it would be easy, but the problem is, the players are never in on it. While a team, such as the New York Jets, can trade Jamal Adams, cut Le’Veon Bell, and retain Adam Gase, they can’t force the players on the field to give up.
That was proven this past weekend as the New York Jets won a game against the Los Angeles Rams, which was their first victory of the season. While 1-13 is nothing to write home about, it does knock them out of the No. 1 pick in our 2021 NFL Mock Draft.
Here, we follow the latest NFL Power Rankings on Spin Zone, which now has the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 32, which means they get to select first. And it’s not hard to predict which direction they will go.
With the Jets winning a game, the Jacksonville Jaguars are now in play for the No. 1 overall pick and that means they have a chance at Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. While the Jags have had some successful seasons — including a recent trip to the AFC Championship Game in 2017 — they have yet to really boast a superstar quarterback. They get that here as they take Lawrence to help them try and rebuild their roster. Again.
Lawrence is considered by most scouts to be one of the most pro-ready quarterbacks since Andrew Luck. If that proves to be true, he should have no problem finally putting this team on the map. Just in time to move to London.
The bad news for the New York Jets is that they lost the No. 1 overall pick in this mock. The good news is, they still get a star under center in Justin Fields. He might not be as sure of a prospect as Lawrence but Fields still feels like a player that won’t be a miss and the Jets can use that right now.
What a week it was for the Cincinnati Bengals. They went on Monday Night Football and knocked off the Pittsburgh Steelers in one of the biggest shocks of the season. It wasn’t as crazy as seeing the Jets beat the Los Angeles Rams, but it was close.
Even with that win, this team should end up with a top-five pick. Here, they still land at No. 3 and take Oregon’s Penei Sewell. Easily the top offensive tackle prospect, Sewell opted out of the season but his prospects as an NFL player have not taken a hit whatsoever. Cincy can use his talent as they need to start building around Joe Burrow, especially since he will be returning from a devastating knee injury in 2021.
(Pick via Houston Texans): At No. 4, we have the Miami Dolphins who obtained this pick from the Houston Texans in exchange for Laremy Tunsil. Miami uses this selection to solidify their defense with Micah Parsons from Penn State. Miami is in the mix for the playoffs as Brian Flores has quickly turned this team around and has them competitive.
Adding a player such as Parsons who can not only rack up tackles at an alarming rate, but also rush the passer, will only help them get even better as they look to take the next step.
Early in the season, the Carolina Panthers were over-performing but then they came back down to earth. Still, they have shown signs under rookie head coach Matt Rhule, and there are reasons to believe he will get things corrected for them. With him looking to rebuild this roster, Rhule could look to add a new quarterback, or he might want to wait and see what Teddy Bridgewater can do once Christian McCaffrey is healthy and back in the backfield with him.
In this mock, they decide to stand pat under center and instead, they improve their defense with the selection of Patrick Surtain out of Alabama. Carolina is historically known as a defensive team and landing Surtain helps them get back to that, and in a pass-happy NFC South, he will be a welcome addition.
Matt Ryan could be on borrowed time with the Atlanta Falcons since they are bringing in a new coach. It won’t be easy to say goodbye to a player who is a stat machine but will be 36-years of age in 2021 and that might be a hard sell for a new coach — especially with the prospects of someone like Zach Wilson available.
Here, they grab Wilson as they decide to start building for the future. There will be a lot of changes in the coming years for the Dirty Birds, but they at least land a quarterback who can lead them for the next 10-plus seasons.
There’s a chance the Denver Broncos will say goodbye to Von Miller this offseason, and there were even rumors ahead of 2020 that he could be on the move. It won’t be easy to say goodbye to a fan-favorite, but with him coming off a serious injury and having a massive contract — on a team that’s nowhere near ready to contend — it makes sense to get younger.
And here, they do that as they land Gregory Rousseau from Miami. Rousseau is still one of the top pass rushers in this class, and in this mock, he’s the first to land with an NFL team. His addition will not only give the Broncos another great tandem opposite Bradley Chubb, but it will also help fans be able to forgive them should they move on from Miller.
This offseason could be interesting for the Philadelphia Eagles since they just benched Carson Wentz for Jalen Hurts. Wentz is apparently unhappy with his new reserve role and could force his way out of town. It would probably be best for all parties, especially Hurts, who is ready to be the face of the franchise.
Here, the front office starts to build around him the way they never did with Wentz as they take Ja’Marr Chase with their top pick. Adding him alongside Jalen Reagor who they took in Round 1 a season ago gives them two capable starters, which is a massive improvement for them.
With a new coach and general manager coming to town, it will be hard to predict what the Detroit Lions are going to do in 2021. There’s a chance they could blow it all up and move on from everyone — including quarterback Matthew Stafford. Or, they could decide Stafford has the talent to win and surround him with enough help to try and improve quickly.
In this mock, they decide to go with the latter and stick with No. 9 for at least another season. In order to accurately gauge how much he has left, the Lions add another playmaking wideout in Jaylen Waddle with the No. 9 pick.
Waddle finished the season injured as he fractured his ankle, but as long as he’s healthy by the time the Combine rolls around, he should be an early pick as his game-changing speed is worth taking a flier on.
The San Francisco 49ers are another team that could be making a huge change as it’s become apparent Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t the answer. He might be able to put up some solid performances, but he can’t stay on the field. For that reason, Kyle Shanahan could look to make a move, and landing a veteran is probably the play.
With that being the case, the 49ers attack another weakness as they improve at guard here with the selection of Wyatt Davis. Not only will he help keep whoever is the quarterback clean in the pocket, but he will also help pave the way for their already impressive ground game.
This season has been a nightmare for the Dallas Cowboys as they have been forced to play without Dak Prescott while also watching their defense prove to be a complete mismatch for defensive coordinator Mike Nolan’s system. Nolan will likely fall on his sword as the scapegoat for this season but they need to improve their talent dramatically if they hope the next coordinator can be successful.
Dallas should be in the market for either a cornerback or defensive lineman and with Patrick Surtain already off the board, they decide to go with the front lines as they take Kwity Paye from Michigan. This selection could give fans PTSD considering how bad their last Michigan defensive end worked out — sorry Taco Charlton — but they shouldn’t be too worried. Paye is a consensus first-round pick and should have a long and successful NFL career.
Azeez Ojulari is another player Dallas could consider as the Georgia edge rusher has been climbing the charts as of late. The problem is, we aren’t sure how their defense will look but we do know the New York Giants will likely still be utilizing a 3-4 defense, and Ojulari is a much better fit in that scheme.
New York has been much better as of late which gives fans hope that they can compete in the near future. Improving their defense with this selection should go a long way in that endeavor.
Just as there was in 2020, there’s going to be a ton of speculation around the New England Patriots and what they will do under center. Last year, they were expected to go after Andy Dalton, Philip Rivers, Jimmy Garoppolo, and there were even rumors Andrew Luck could come out of retirement and play for the Pats.
In the end, New England went with someone that hardly anyone saw them targeting — Cam Newton. While they missed the playoffs with Newton, he could still return in 2021 but that won’t stop them from drafting a quarterback. And that leads to them selecting Trey Lance from North Dakota State.
Lance has minimal experience so this could be a good fit for him as the Pats would be able to ease him into their offense.
The backend of the Los Angeles Chargers secondary is getting a bit long in the tooth, so they could stand to get a new young stud to lead that unit. In this mock, they find that with the selection of Caleb Farley from Virginia Tech.
He was another player who opted out of the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic but Farley had a breakout campaign in 2019. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound corner has the size and tools to develop into a shutdown corner and should help as the Bolts try and get back into the AFC West race.
Does this feel high for Mac Jones? Yes, it does. But that happens often with quarterbacks, especially when a team is desperate for someone who can lead their franchise. For the Washington Football Team, that’s exactly what they need. They enter Week 16 in the lead in the NFC East and that’s come without consistent play under center.
Washington has an elite pass rush and an overall tough defense. Should they just get competent quarterback play, they could be the favorites to repeat in their division. Mac Jones can offer that as he’s proven since taking over for Tua Tagovailoa that he knows how to get the ball out of his hands and to his playmakers.
The Minnesota Vikings moved Ezra Cleveland to right guard and that’s helped their line improve some. Still, they need a new left guard and that’s where they go with the 16th pick in this mock. Their choice is Alijah Vera-Tucker from USC. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 300-pounds, Vera-Tucker is a good athlete and should help the Vikings continue to dominate on the ground.
He does need to improve in space and is better now at handling the bull-rush than pulling, which seems backward given the fact that he’s just 300-pounds. Even so, he’s a potential day one starter who could solidify the front-five in Minnesota.
Back-to-back USC players come off the board as an interior offensive lineman in Alijah Vera-Tucker is followed by an interior defensive lineman in Jay Tufele, who lands with the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 17. What makes Tufele a great prospect at the pro level is his ability to play both the one and three-technique, which will give the Raiders plenty of options.
He’s able to win with the bull rush but is also an explosive player who can get after the quarterback. He’s a three-down talent and can line up next to Maurice Hurst to really solidify the interior of the Raiders line. They signed Maliek Collins this past year for that role and he hasn/t really stood out, which means it would be a surprise to see him return, making a selection such as Tufele even more likely.
Suddenly, Mitch Trubisky might be good? Since returning to the lineup, he’s looked competent and has the Chicago Bears offense playing well. Of course, we all have seen this before and Trubisky continues to be consistently inconsistent, so expecting him to turn a corner probably won’t end well.
Having said that, the Bears aren’t in a great position right now to draft his replacement. At No. 18, we have already seen five quarterbacks taken and that’s already dipping into players who aren’t definite first-round talents.
So instead, Chicago addresses another issue as they bolster their offensive line by taking Christian Darrisaw. Whoever ends up under center will at least be a little more comfortable thanks to this move.
There was a time where it looked as though the Arizona Cardinals were going to be in the mix for the NFC West title this season, but they faded out in recent weeks. Still, they have a lot of promise and they’ve already shown a lot of growth in just the second season with Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray working together.
Here, they make a selection with Murray in mind as they take Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. An absolute nightmare for defensive coordinators, Pitts is able to break a game open with his big-plays and would be a great compliment to DeAndre Hopkins, who has been worth every penny they have paid him since making their trade with Houston.
(Pick via Los Angeles Rams): With Jacksonville already taking a quarterback at No. 1 in this 2021 NFL Mock Draft, they now find themselves back on the clock at No. 20 courtesy of the Los Angeles Rams. This is the second day one pick they secured in the Jalen Ramsey trade and it’s used to build up the offensive line in front of Trevor Lawrence.
Jalen Mayfield has elite size at 6-foot-5 and 319-pounds, and he has room to grow even. Despite that size, he also has solid mobility, which could help him should the Jags decide to try him out at left tackle — although he has already proven he can get it done on the right side.
With the pick gained in the Laremy Tunsil trade with Houston, the Miami Dolphins added Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons. Now at 21, they’re back on the clock with their own draft pick which they use to bolster the offense. Here, they take Terrace Marshall, Jr. to give them another option out wide as they continue to develop Tua Tagovailoa into a franchise quarterback.
Marshall did more in seven games during the 2020 campaign than he did in 12 during 2019. He improved from 46 receptions to 48 and saw his 671 yard total become 731. The only statistical category that he was lower in was touchdowns as he had 13 as a sophomore and 10 as a junior. Still, it’s beyond impressive given he had five fewer games.
He should have no problem continuing to grow at the pro level as Miami quickly becomes a contender in the AFC East.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are starting to age on their defensive line, which means they could look to add some talent there. That’s what they do with the 22nd pick in this mock as they take Florida State’s Marvin Wilson, Jr. At 6-foot-5 and 311-pounds, Wilson could play in the role currently occupied by Ndamukong Suh and give them a boost on the line.
The addition of Jadeveon Clowney hasn’t worked out for the Tennessee Titans and with him on the injured reserve with a knee injury, there’s a chance the experiment could be done after just eight games — resulting in just 19 tackles and no sacks. With him likely out in 2021, the Titans go for a replacement pass-rusher here in Hamilcar Rashed, Jr. out of Oregon State.
Rashed would be more of an outside linebacker in the Titans base defense, whereas Clowney was better at the line. While he won’t be a straight-up replacement for Clowney, he can provide the help for Harold Landry they thought they were adding in free agency this season.
2020 has been a good year for the Cleveland Browns football team. They’re 10-4 heading into a Week 16 game with the New York Jets and should be locking up their first playoff appearance since the 2002 season. As good as that is, the Browns have had some issues this season, mostly on the defensive side of the ball.
Cleveland could use some help at cornerback and linebacker with the latter being the larger need. Here, they try and address that problem by taking Dylan Moses out of Alabama. His talent suggests he should go much higher than this, but this mock just worked in Cleveland’s favor. If this were to happen on the night of the actual draft, you would have to think general manager Andrew Berry would be sprinting to turn his card in.
After a quick start to the season, the Baltimore Ravens are now in some hot water down the stretch. Several losses in a row now have them needing to win down the stretch to secure a playoff spot. And one thing that could have helped them this season would have been a better receiving corps.
With their first pick in this draft, the try and improve in that area by taking DeVonta Smith out of Alabama. A great route-runner, with soft hands, Smith is overly competitive and great with the ball in his hands after the catch according to Jordan Reid of The Draft Network.
"“Unafraid of rising to the occasion and aims to exceed the intensity of the man lined up across from him. His competitive juices overflow during after the catch dynamics as he’s consistent with attempts to make the first defender miss. Vision is sudden and pressing. Not overly explosive or will wow you with moves to break free, but has a slithery approach to him and is able to put his body in uncomfortable positions in order to avoid tacklers.” — Reid, The Draft Network"
Lamar Jackson is still a former league MVP and can win in the NFL, but he needs more help on offense. Smith could be a huge step in the right direction in that endeavor.
(Pick via Seattle Seahawks): The first piece of the Jamal Adams trade comes here as the New York Jets have the Seattle Seahawks pick. They landed their quarterback already and now need to surround him with talent — unlike what they did for Sam Darnold.
Rashod Bateman is another wideout who can do it all. His route running is fantastic and he catches just about everything. New York needs a No. 1 wideout and he can surely be that for them.
Philip Rivers has been solid for the Indianapolis Colts this season but there’s a chance he could be one-and-done in Indy. There are rumors that the Colts will be the team to give Carson Wentz somewhere soft to land, and it would make a lot of sense. Wentz was at his best when working with Frank Reich and could use his help as he looks to revive his career.
If they do find a way to trade for Wentz, they need to make sure not to do what the Eagles did and fail to protect him. Rather than sticking with an older left tackle, the Colts can take Alex Leatherwood who can eventually replace Anthony Castonzo who enters the final season of his contract in 2021.
What better place for Jaycee Horn to land than with the New Orleans Saints. The son of former New Orleans wideout Joe Horn, Jaycee could become a star in the same city where his dad found NFL success.
The younger Horn proved early in his career with South Carolina that he can cover just about anyone, but then he took his game to another level in 2020. He finally had the breakout performance he needed against the Auburn Tigers and solidified himself as a day one pick. Since then, he decided to end his career and focus on the NFL, which was probably a smart move considering the Gamecocks pulled the plug on Will Muschamp.
Horn starting opposite Marshon Lattimore would give the Saints an elite group of corners in a division that loves to throw the ball.
Following an 11-0 start, the Pittsburgh Steelers are now reeling as they sit at 11-3 with the Cleveland Browns nipping at their heels in the AFC North. One of the issues they have had is an aging offensive line that isn’t able to protect Ben Roethlisberger the way they used to. And while Big Ben was a magician in the pocket at one point in his career, it’s not as easy now for him to avoid the rush.
Pittsburgh likely doesn’t move on from him next season and instead, they get some help up front to keep him clean in the pocket. At pick No. 30, the Steelers grab Samuel Cosmi, the big offensive tackle from Texas. Cosmi is not only good at keeping pass rushers at bay, but he can get into the second level and clear the way in the running game as well. He’s raw but there’s a lot to like about his ceiling.
Josh Allen has taken the next step in his progression and has become one of the better quarterbacks in the game. That’s a huge reason the Buffalo Bills have already won the AFC East and they should be favored again in 2021.
It’s also easy to see what made a huge difference for him — the addition of Stefon Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings. His arrival gave Allen a true o. 1 threat and that’s helped Allen tremendously. Here, they add even more talent to help him take yet another step as they take Pat Freiermuth from Penn State.
One of the more polished tight ends in the nation, Freiermuth should give them an improvement over Dawson Knox and could be the missing piece on this offense.
For some reason, it hasn’t happened yet but the Green Bay Packers absolutely have to add another starting-level wideout to play opposite Davante Adams. This isn’t mean as a knock to players such as Allen Lazard or Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who are both talented wideouts. It’s just that the team would be best served finally adding another starter, and those two would be even better in roles where they are the third and fourth options.
In this 2021 NFL Mock Draft, we finally add a wideout as we take Rondale Moore from Purdue. For Moore, this is also a great fit as he’s a player with a small stature but has home run ability. He would be a great fit across from Adams and his ability to make plays after the catch would be a welcome addition for Aaron Rodgers — who can get him the ball in the right spots to create better than any other quarterback in the league right now.
Not long ago, the Kansas City Chiefs re-made their inside linebacking corps when they signed Anthony Hitchens one offseason followed by Damien Wilson — both former Dallas Cowboys linebackers. Each has been decent but there’s room for improvement, which leads to the selection of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah out of Notre Dame here.
Owusu-Koramoah is undersized but has some ability to play safety which makes him an intriguing prospect. He should fit well in the Chiefs 3-4 defense due to his ability to succeed in coverage.
The Chiefs’ offense is good enough to win in a shootout. Adding more talent to the defense only helps make them seem unbeatable.