2021 NFL Mock Draft, pre-free agency: Bears trade for Russell Wilson, Bengals move up for Penei Sewell
New York Jets. Rashod Bateman. 23. player. 30. . WR
Pick via Seahawks – After bringing Zach Wilson into the fray with the second pick, the Jets have options at No. 23 with the selection owed to them by Seattle via the Jamal Adams trade. They could look to find an edge rusher or they could keep upgrading the offense line. But what New York needs the most is to get Wilson some more reliable options to feed in the passing game.
Rashod Bateman continues to be slept on to some degree in this class. He’s not going to crack the Chase-Waddle-Smith triumverate but the Minnesota product has more than enough goods to be considered a top-20 player. His footwork and breaks are great and he’s shown he has plenty of speed. Especially with more route development, he could be a No. 1 for the Jets offense and pair with Denzel Mims as an intriguing young pair of pass-catchers.
RB. Pittsburgh Steelers. Travis Etienne. 24. player. 55.
There is definitely an argument to be made for the Steelers taking an offensive tackle with their first-round pick given that they could lose Alejandro Vilanueva in free agency. While that may be the case, this is a team that I believe is looking for a spark on the offensive side of the ball, which is why they’ll turn to Travis Etienne with the No. 24 pick in hopes that he can give that side of the ball a big lift.
Etienne is a home run waiting to happen, which is one of his most attractive traits. But while that may be part of what he brings to the table, it’s not all of it. He proved at Clemson that he’s capable of being a work horse and, just as importantly for the NFL, that he’s a top-tier pass-catcher out of the backfield. He would give the Steelers the running back weapon they’ve clearly been lacking in recent years.