While several teams added great value and talent to their rosters through the 2021 NFL Draft, there were many picks that left fans scratching their heads.
The NFL Draft is always a gambling game. Through all of the evaluation processes in place — whether that’s looking at film, seeing athletic testing numbers or interviewing the prospects — it’s still an inexact science. There is no guarantee that any college star who looks like a sure thing will actually make it in the NFL.
Even with Trevor Lawrence going to the Jacksonville Jaguars, that’s the case for the 2021 NFL Draft as well. That definitely extends beyond just the first round too. But all teams can do is take the information they do have and make the best picks possible. Of course, no team bats 1.000 in that department.
So that’s where we’re looking today, diving into the swings and misses for every team. This is the worst pick in the 2021 NFL Draft for all 32 NFL teams.
Worst picks by each team in the 2021 NFL Draft: AFC East
Buffalo Bills: OT Tommy Doyle, Miami (OH) – Round 5, Pick 161
As a fan of John Carpenter’s Halloween, I love Tommy Doyle simply because he shares the name of one of the movie’s main characters. Horror nerd facts aside, the Bills taking two offensive tackles in this draft was confusing to say the least. With clear needs at cornerback and running back, taking a second offensive tackle after extending Dion Dawkins made no sense.
Miami Dolphins: TE Hunter Long, Boston College – Round 3, Pick 81
This isn’t an indictment on Long’s playing abilities but the Dolphins already have Mike Gesicki and badly need help in the running back room. The fact that so many are quick to write off Gesicki is strange to me and it’s also strange that they didn’t address running back until the seventh round.
New England Patriots: RB Rhamondre Stevenson, Oklahoma – Round 4, Pick 120
Stevenson wasn’t a guy we heard a whole lot about going into the draft and there were still quite a few running backs who were better than him on the board. Chuba Hubbard went to Carolina just six picks later and Kenneth Gainwell was also still available.
New York Jets: LB Jamien Sherwood, Auburn – Round 5, Pick 146
Sherwood didn’t really hop off the stat sheet to anyone. He started primarily as a safety but will more than likely make the transition to linebacker in the NFL. He was a fifth-round pick, so if it doesn’t work out, no harm no foul.
Worst picks by each team in the 2021 NFL Draft: AFC North
Baltimore Ravens: CB Brandon Stephens, SMU – Round 3, Pick 104
Stephens gives Baltimore a little more depth in their secondary but I feel like they left a lot of talent on the board at different positions of need. USC defensive tackle Jay Tufele would have been a good pickup, as would LSU linebacker Jabrill Cox. It just felt like they had more pressing needs that could have been addressed with a third-round pick.
Cincinnati Bengals: WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU – Round 1, Pick 5
I’m sorry, Bengals fans; please leave my family alone, they have nothing to do with this. But let’s be honest here; they should have taken Penei Sewell.
Joe Burrow’s knee was practically ripped in twain last season and the bonafide best tackle in the draft was there for them to take at No. 5. Instead of worrying about the health of their brilliant young quarterback, they were occupied with getting his old band back together from LSU. I understand they subsequently drafted multiple linemen but passing on Sewell was a mistake.
Cleveland Browns: S Richard LeCounte III, Georgia – Round 5, Pick 169
The Browns already have three really good safeties that will round out their rotation in Ronnie Harrison, John Johnson and Grant Delpit. They could have gotten more value by going with a different position (taking another receiver here wouldn’t have been a bad idea). Aside from that, there wasn’t much to complain about in terms of the Browns’ draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers: DT Isaiahh Loudermilk, Wisconsin – Round 5, PIck 156
When the Steelers traded into the fifth round, many expected them to take Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade, who at one point was an expected first or second-round pick. Instead, they took the interior defensive lineman, a position they didn’t really need. Wade was then drafted by the Ravens of all teams just a few picks later; just a bad look and a bad pick by the Steelers.
Worst picks by each team in the 2021 NFL Draft: AFC South
Houston Texans: DT Roy Lopez, Arizona – Round 6, Pick 195
This is just splitting hairs at this point because Houston did very well with what little draft capital they had to work with. More or less, I just like the selections of Davis Mills and Nico Collins more. With a practically brand new roster, there’s a good chance that Lopez gets some snaps this season and could develop into a rotational piece on Houston’s defensive interior.
Indianapolis Colts: DE Dayo Odeyingbo, Vanderbilt – Round 2, Pick 54
The Colts had just selected Michigan defensive end Kwity Paye in the first round and the overall thought was that they would go with a left tackle in the second. Instead, they double up on defensive ends by taking Odeyingbo. That seems like a misuse of resources for a team that is in the playoff mix.
Jacksonville Jaguars: RB Travis Etienne, Clemson – Round 1, Pick 25
What was the point of this pick other than to reunite Etienne with Trevor Lawrence? James Robinson had a phenomenal rookie year as an undrafted free agent and there was an abundance of talent available on both sides of the ball; bad move by Jacksonville.
Tennessee Titans: WR Racey McMath, LSU – Round 6, Pick 205
McMath didn’t get a ton of targets while at LSU and there were more proven guys at the position that were available. Austin Watkins out of UAB would have been a great addition; instead, he goes undrafted and signs with the 49ers.
McMath got the benefit of playing at LSU and, if Watkins or Cade Johnson from South Dakota State played at bigger schools, it wouldn’t be a competition as to who is more skilled. It seems like the Titans drafted the school rather than the player.
Worst picks by each team in the 2021 NFL Draft: AFC West
Denver Broncos: S Jamar Johnson, Indiana – Round 5, Pick 164
This pick made little sense. The Broncos had just selected a safety with their previous pick, so why double up? Especially after locking down Justin Simmons for the foreseeable future and having Kareem Jackson back in the fold. Johnson is a fine player but doesn’t seem like one Denver really needed to take.
Kansas City Chiefs: TE Noah Gray, Duke – Round 5, Pick 162
The Chiefs didn’t have a first-round pick after sending No. 31 in a package for Ravens tackle Orlando Brown and still left draft weekend with the likes of Nick Bolton and Creed Humphrey. Gray will be a solid addition to the offense, so don’t confuse his inclusion in this list as it being a bad pick; he just wasn’t as big a splash as every other pick the Chiefs had.
Las Vegas Raiders: OT Alex Leatherwood, Alabama – Round 1, Pick 17
Well, this one was easy. The Raiders took Leatherwood when Christian Darrisaw was still on the board. Name a more iconic duo than the Raiders and reaching for draft picks when better talent at the position is there. It’s the Jon Gruden/Mike Mayock way of life when it comes to the draft.
Los Angeles Chargers: LB Nick Niemann, Iowa – Round 6, Pick 185
The Chargers had arguably the best draft among any team in the NFL, so even their worst pick still adds value to the team. Niemann is a guy that will add a little depth to the Chargers’ linebacker room and hopefully aid their dreadful special teams unit. Again, not a bad pick per se, just the guy to have the least amount to be excited for in their class.
Worst picks by each team in the 2021 NFL Draft: NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: The Entire Third Round
Every team will have at least one bad pick in every draft. Jerry Jones heard that and said “Anything you can do, I can do three times worse.” The Cowboys had three third-round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, and they were as follows: DT Osa Odighizuwa, UCLA; DE Chauncey Golston, Iowa; CB Nahshon Wright, Oregon State
Each of these three players was relatively unknown and graded nowhere near the third round. The only player out of these three that sounded familiar was Wright — and that is because his brother, Rejzohn, was featured on Last Chance U. How a team could go 0-for-3 with three picks all within 24 spots of each other is, in a way, impressive
New York Giants: WR Kadarius Toney, Florida – Round 1, Pick 20
Kadarius Toney is a fine player with a lot of skill but the Giants got caught off guard with the Eagles trading up for DeVonta Smith and didn’t know what to do. They seemed set on taking a receiver, even after adding Kenny Golladay and John Ross via free agency, along with Kyle Rudolph and the other receiving threats they already had. Taking a receiver when Kwity Paye was right there just didn’t make sense and I’m sure a lot of Giants fans would agree.
Philadelphia Eagles: DT Milton Williams, Louisiana Tech – Round 3, Pick 73
The Eagles took two defensive tackles in this draft, which I wasn’t a fan of. The selection of Williams in the third round with a ton of value at secondary and linebacker on the board upset a lot of Eagles fans — and for good reason. Williams has great athletic upside but this was a big whiff for Philadelphia.
Washington Football Team: TE John Bates, Boise State – Round 4, Pick 124
Bates isn’t going to add much as a receiving threat from the tight end position and Washington could have waited to get a player that fits his mold. They took Cincinnati safety Darrick Forrest with their next pick, so taking a safety before a blocking tight end would have been the smarter move.
Worst picks by each team in the 2021 NFL Draft: NFC North
Chicago Bears: DT Khyiris Tonga, BYU – Round 7, Pick 250
The Bears drafted so well this year and deserve a lot of credit. Even Tonga could end up being a solid player in the next few seasons. He’ll more than likely be a practice squad player for a while but could end up getting a mid-late season call-up to get some snaps if there is an injury. And he could also play on the field goal unit.
Detroit Lions: DT Alim McNeill, NC State – Round 3, Pick 72
I’m never a fan of drafting the same position with back-to-back picks. The Lions had just drafted Levi Onwuzurike in the second round and should have looked at the linebacker position or the receiver position, as both had great value available in the third round. Maybe McNeill just bites kneecaps better than any of the other guys available.
Green Bay Packers: CB Eric Stokes, Georgia – Round 1, Pick 29
If the Packers ever needed to show Aaron Rodgers they cared by taking a wide receiver early in the draft, this was the time to do it. They did not do it. Instead, they take the second-best cornerback from Georgia when the best cornerback from Georgia was also on the board. So not only did they reach for Stokes but they didn’t do anything to help sway their disgruntled MVP quarterback either.
Minnesota Vikings: QB Kellen Mond, Texas A&M – Round 3, Pick 66
I didn’t understand the Vikings taking Mond. Kirk Cousins has put up very good numbers over the last two seasons. The team has lacked success but that lack of success does not fall on the quarterback. Could they look to move on from Cousins in the near future? Perhaps, but that seems like the wrong move to make.
Worst picks by each team in the 2021 NFL Draft: NFC South
Atlanta Falcons: WR Frank Darby, Arizona State – Round 6, Pick 187
Don’t take this as me disliking Frank Darby. He was one of my favorite players from the Senior Bowl and could be a viable deep threat in the NFL. But the Falcons didn’t need a wide receiver here. They should have gone with more defensive help rather than bolstering a star-laden offense even more.
Carolina Panthers: RB Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State – Round 4, Pick 126
Trying to pick the Panthers’ worst draft pick is like trying to pick the worst dish on the menu at a Michelin-rated restaurant. Sure, technically there has to be one, but the odds are it’s still great. Hubbard could be classified as the Panthers’ worst pick but he is still going to play a vital part in Carolina’s offense in 2021.
New Orleans Saints: DE Payton Turner, Houston – Round 1, Pick 28
What is it with the Saints reaching in the first round for defensive ends? They traded up for Marcus Davenport a few years ago and now they take Payton Turner in the first round. Guys like Gregory Rousseau and Azeez Ojulari were available. Taking Turner just didn’t make sense given what his value seemed to be entering the draft.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: QB Kyle Trask, Florida – Round 2, Pick 64
The Buccaneers didn’t really have a lot of needs coming into the draft. They brought back practically their entire roster from their Super Bowl-winning team and drafted for the future. Personally, I don’t think Kyle Trask will be anything special at the next level. He is everything that the modern quarterback isn’t and, by the looks of it, he won’t get a chance to start anytime soon as Tom Brady looks like he can play until he’s 74.
Worst picks by each team in the 2021 NFL Draft: NFC West
Arizona Cardinals: S James Wiggins, Cincinnati – Round 7, Pick 243
Wiggins was a seventh-round pick, so this was more of a “Low risk, high reward” situation. That’s not to say Wiggins isn’t talented but the Cardinals already have their safety rotation somewhat set, so taking him here didn’t seem to make sense.
Los Angeles Rams: WR Tutu Atwell, Louisville – Round 2, Pick 57
The Rams took Atwell when Terrace Marshall Jr. and Dyami Brown were still on the board, among others. Atwell is a fine receiver, but there was better talent available that would have been better value at the time. Not to mention, another pass-catchers wasn’t high on the list of needs for the Rams coming into the draft.
San Francisco 49ers: CB Deommodore Lenoir, Oregon – Round 5, Pick 172
The 49ers were one of those teams who had a good draft from top to bottom. The selection of Lenoir comes down to the fact that they also took Ambry Thomas, who will be more of a secondary contributor this season than Lenoir.
Seattle Seahawks: WR D’Wayne Eskridge, Western Michigan – Round 2, Pick 56
The Seahawks must hate Russell Wilson because they refuse to get him adequate protection. Sure, the Seahawks needed receiver help. D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are great but there isn’t too much reliability aside from those two. That said, Creed Humphrey was right there for the taking. The Seahawks have needed offensive line help for what feels like the last five years, and once again, they put it on the back burner.