2021 NFL Mock Draft: Bears, Falcons, 49ers all join QB rat race

Frankly, I’m not sure what the Washington Football Team has planned at quarterback. Veteran Alex Smith defied the odds to even take the field this season but he was also good enough to push the team into the playoffs, albeit as a sub-.500 division champ in the weak NFC East. Then Taylor Heinicke came into the mix for the playoffs and set the football world abuzz with a star-making performance, even if he’s not a long-term option.

An investment in quarterback sooner rather than later is needed but this may not be the year. Instead, they should grab a player like Alabama’s Alex Leatherwood to keep laying the groundwork for the future. Leatherwood is a mauler in the run game with more than adequate pass protection as well. More importantly, he’s a locker room leader that the team can rally behind. With a need to get younger and fortify the O-line, Leatherwood would be a home-run pick.

Contrary to the situation Washington is in, Chicago has to leave no stone unturned when it comes to the quarterback spot. You honestly have to wonder if they will be the team that is the one to give a king’s ransom to the Texans to get Watson when it’s all said and done given the state of their roster and their glaring hole at quarterback. But without that trade, Mac Jones is the easy selection in the first round of the draft.

Jones does not have the same tools as players like Lawrence, Fields, Wilson and Lance but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a quality NFL starting quarterback. His deep ball might actually be the best in the class and he’s an excellent decision-maker as well. While his arm strength won’t blow you away, his IQ allows him to make the right throws to all levels and he could be the player to finally stabilize the position in the Windy City.