2021 NFL Mock Draft: Dolphins grab DeVonta Smith at 3, Mac Jones goes to Washington
By Randy Gurzi
DeVonta Smith leaps up the board in this 2021 NFL Mock Draft
All but six teams are now in the offseason as the first round of the playoffs are in the books. With that being the case, we now know who owns the first 24 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft this offseason, which feels like a perfect time to once again jump into a 2021 NFL Mock Draft.
Recently, DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy as he was the first wideout since Desmond Howard to do so way back in 1991. That helps him jump up the boards but he’s not leapfrogging the No. 1 and 2 picks.
Those will still be signal-callers as teams such as the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets need to sell some hope to their respective fanbases. And that’s exactly what happens here as the Jags start things off with the gunslinger from Clemson.
The excitement of the Ohio State win over Clemson made it to where Justin Fields jumped over Trevor Lawrence in a previous mock draft. While it’s still a valid argument about who will have the better career, it seems as though Lawrence will end up getting the call as the No. 1 pick — he’s just simply been ‘the guy’ for far too long.
It’s easy to see why since he’s one of the most refined passers in the nation. In three seasons, he completed just under 67 percent of his passes for 10,098 yards with an insane 90-to-17 touchdown-to-interception ratio. It’s no wonder his team was so dominant during his run and it’s actually a surprise that he has just one National Championship under his belt because it felt as though he won more with the Tigers.
Having said all this, the one thing that could throw a wrench in the plans for Lawrence to go No. 1 is Urban Meyer taking the head coaching job. Should that happen, there’s a chance Meyer could take the Ohio State product, who worked under Ryan Day who was a long-time assistant under Meyer. Outside of that, it feels as though Lawrence is the pick.