2021 NFL Draft: 5 first-round picks teams will soon regret

The first round of the 2021 NFL Draft is over, and the following picks will have five different GMs wishing they’d made a different decision — or looking for a new job.

Making the right pick during the 2021 NFL Draft is tough. That’s why the vast majority of us are not in a position to make said selection. Regardless, that doesn’t mean we can’t criticize and critique now that the first round of this year’s draft is in the books.

With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of regrettable picks that will end up biting teams in the backside before all is said and done.

When pinpointing these particular picks, I looked at a few criteria. The primary thing I looked for is long-term value at what point in the draft the player came off the board. Were they the right choice at that pick, will they develop into a noteworthy starter, and will they accomplish everything they’ve been drafted for.

So many questions, and so few answers. That’s what makes the 2021 NFL Draft so intriguing.

Enough with the idle banter, though. Let’s jump right in to the five selections from April 29 that I believe will make the teams that made wish they’d gone a different direction. These are million-dollar decisions, and sometimes they don’t go the way they’re supposed to. Such is life.

CB Eric Stokes, No. 29, Green Bay Packers

Seriously, are the Green Bay Packers trying to give Aaron Rodgers an aneurysm? With all of the rumors around the reigning MVP wanting out, the Packers showed him some love by yet again ignored the wide receiver position by selecting a cornerback in the first round.

Almost as bad as drafting a quarterback in the first round, but not quite.

Green Bay already has an exceptional secondary highlighted by Jaire Alexander, Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage. They’ve also got quality options at cornerback in Kevin King and Josh Jackson. So now they’ve got Stokes as well, ensuring they’ve got a fourth cornerback to slow down opposing NFC North passing games. Okay then.

Meanwhile, let’s look at the wide receiver position for the Packers. There’s Davante Adams and then, umm, a bunch of capable No. 3s and 4s. I understand that most of the first-round options were already taken, but guys like Elijah Moore and Terrance Marshall were still available. And the Packers continue to give Rodgers the middle finger.

If they were hoping to repair the relationship with their star quarterback, the Packers missed the mark. They upgraded an already-solid position, and ignored a seething future Hall of Famer in the process. This will end well.