Are you ready for the 2021 NFL Draft? I am. I don’t know how much more speculating and hypothesizing over these players I can take, so I’m going to be happy when we get to the Jacksonville Jaguars being officially on the clock.
We’re fairly certain who the first two picks of the NFL Draft are going to be, but after that it really does become a wide open conversation. The 49ers moved up to take one of the best remaining QBs, but they have not showed their hand as to who they prefer quite yet. It’s going to be absolutely must watch television on April 29th and make sure that you join us over on Youtube for our draft night coverage!
We’ll be live for the entire first round of the 2021 NFL Draft reacting to the selections, breaking down every single pick, and talking about the fantasy football impact and how these players fit with their new teams. No commercials and no side stories, we’re simply going to be talking nothing but football. Make sure you subscribe to the FantasyPros Youtube Channel and click the bell to get notified any time we post a new video.
Tune in to our LIVE Coverage of the entire Round 1 of the NFL Draft >>
This NFL Draft is going to have plenty of twists and turns. Let’s find out what some of those surprises could look like come draft night.
(All trade values were calculated using The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine)
Round One
1. Jacksonville Jaguars – Trevor Lawrence (QB – Clemson)
Do I really need to write a paragraph here? No? Okay, great.
2. New York Jets – Zach Wilson (QB – BYU)
While we haven’t exactly heard anything directly from New York’s camp associating them with Wilson, it seems to be a foregone conclusion that the Jets will add the QB prospect out of BYU.
3. San Francisco 49ers – Trey Lance (QB – North Dakota State)
The 49ers made a drastic move up to put themselves in the best position to get any of the remaining three QBs. While Mac Jones has been connected here, it would be a massive reach to take him above the other two talented QBs in this class. Justin Fields has the pedigree to warrant this pick, but apparently the league is torn on him and we could see him fall a bit in the draft. With Jimmy Garopollo in town, the 49ers can afford to wait for a bit before they plug Lance into the starting lineup. It takes the pressure off of Lance to make the immediate jump from the FCS level to the NFL and also allows him to take some time and learn the playbook. Once he’s ready, it’s wheels up for this offense.
4. Atlanta Falcons – Kyle Pitts (TE – Florida)
The Falcons have been involved in trade chatter for this pick throughout the entire off-season, but there seems to be a growing belief that they could stay put. Arthur Smith relies heavily on his tight ends in this scheme and there’s a generational prospect at the position waiting for him here at the top of the draft.
5. Cincinnati Bengals – Ja’Marr Chase (WR – LSU)
Should the Bengals take an offensive lineman here? Yes. Will they? That’s a whole other question. All signs are pointing to the Bengals gambling that an offensive lineman will be waiting for them in the second round and reuniting Chase with his former college QB. Joe Burrow throwing to Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd is scary, but they still have to worry about protecting him.
6. Miami Dolphins – Rashawn Slater (OT – Northwestern)
Miami traded back up in the hopes – reportedly – of getting either Pitts or Chase. Unfortunately, both just went off the board right before their pick. A team could look to move up for one of the remaining QBs, but the Dolphins might not want to move back that far. Instead, they stay at No. 6 and draft arguably the top OT in this class. The league is reportedly split on whether Penei Sewell or Slater should be the first Tackle off the board and the Dolphins could highly value Slater’s versatility.
7. Detroit Lions – Penei Sewell (OT – Oregon)
The Lions are heading into a multi-year rebuild. While adding a WR is going to be incredibly important, it’s not worth passing on a potential generation prospect at OT. Sewell has the chance to step in and be a staple of the Lions’ offensive line for the next decade and the Lions need to be thinking about taking the best player available.
8. Chicago Bears – Justin Fields (QB – Ohio State)
(Trade: Panthers receive picks No. 20 overall, No. 83 overall, and a 2022 1st for No. 8 overall)
Desperate teams make desperate moves. Ryan Pace needs to do something to invigorate the fanbase in Chicago and taking a big swing at a talented QB is going to be the best way to do that. The league is reportedly split on Fields, but he’s shown that he has the talent to be a top-tier QB in the NFL. The Bears get their QB of the future that could potentially save this front office’s jobs and the Panthers get some significant draft capital to compensate for their expense in the Sam Darnold trade.
9. Denver Broncos – Mac Jones (QB – Alabama)
All reports out of Denver indicate that the Broncos are unlikely to make a move up for a QB, but they’re not opposed to taking one if one is still sitting there. Jones needs the right situation to be successful in the NFL and the receiving weapons that Denver has in place, plus the commitment to winning with great defense and taking care of the football, seems to be a perfect fit.
10. Dallas Cowboys – Patrick Surtain (CB – Alabama)
Dallas needs to invest in its secondary and arguably the most talented defensive player in this draft is waiting for them here at No. 10 overall. This is an easy selection for Dallas to make.
11. New York Giants – Jaelan Phillips (EDGE – Miami)
From a talent perspective, Phillips is absolutely worth selecting here with the No. 11 overall pick. However, it all comes down to his injury history. As long as that checks out, this is no-brainer selection for the Giants.
12. Philadelphia Eagles – Jaycee Horn (CB – South Carolina)
Philadelphia could absolutely look into getting Jalen Hurts some weapons, but bolstering this defense should take precedence. With Darius Slay on one side of the field, and Horn on the other, NFL offenses are going to have a lot to worry about.
13. Los Angeles Chargers – Jaylen Waddle (WR – Alabama)
Los Angeles would love it if one of the top OTs dropped to them at this point of the draft, but sadly they’re both off the board. Instead, they build around Justin Herbert in another way and get him a playmaker. Waddle can create with underneath routes and utilizing his elusiveness after the catch, or he can be sent out on deep routes to open everything else up for the offense. Either way, he’s a perfect fit with Justin Herbert and he’ll make life easy for the young QB heading into his second season.
14. Minnesota Vikings – Kwity Paye (EDGE – Michigan)
Minnesota doesn’t have a second-round pick this year, so trading down could absolutely be in the cards, but adding a key pass-rusher opposite of Danielle Hunter has to be a top priority for this front office. Paye wasn’t utilized to the best of his abilities at Michigan, but the talent is there. He might not give you a ton in year one, but his long-term projection is outstanding.
15. New England Patriots – Zaven Collins (LB – Tulsa)
Collins is a big presence at MLB and Bill Belichick might not be able to help himself. Collins brings versatility where he can move extremely well in the middle of the field, he can be a force against the run, or he can kick out to the edge and rush the passer. For all the other needs on offense that this team has, Collins seems like a prime candidate to be the pick.
16. Arizona Cardinals – Caleb Farley (CB – Virginia Tech)
Farley’s a top-10 talent in this class, but he’s fallen a bit due to the back injury concerns. The Cardinals have to walk out of the first two rounds with a CB prospect and Farley’s worth taking the shot on in hopes that he can stay healthy.
17. Las Vegas Raiders – Micah Parsons (LB – Penn State)
The Raiders have had the most puzzling off-season. Due to that fact, they could go a number of different ways with this pick. However, a talented player like Parsons falling into their lap is too much for Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock to pass up on. Parsons might fall to this spot in the NFL Draft due to character concerns, but if he’s still here, the Raiders will have no problem pulling the trigger.
18. Miami Dolphins – Devonta Smith (WR – Alabama)
It doesn’t quite matter how much Smith weighs – 166 pounds – because he simply produces when he’s on the football field. His wingspan and vertical jump allow him to compensate for his lack of size and he can go up and highpoint the football surprisingly well. Reuniting him with Tua Tagovailoa makes all the sense in the world.
19. Washington Football Team – Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (LB – Notre Dame)
Washington could look at OT at this point of the draft, but Owusu-Koramoah still being on the board is too good for them to pass up. JOK is a leader and trend-setter on defense and he’d be a perfect fit to take this already talented defense over the top.
20. Carolina Panthers* – Christian Darrisaw (OT – Virginia Tech)
The Panthers traded down, added an additional 1st-round pick next season, and still got a top-tier OT in this class. Carolina made a move for their QB and now they’re doing everything they can to surround him with what he needs to be successful.
21. Indianapolis Colts – Samuel Cosmi (OT – Texas)
With Justin Houston still out on the free agent market, the Colts have a pretty pressing need at EDGE. However, the more glaring hole right now is at LT. Sam Tevi isn’t the long-term answer, but Cosmi absolutely could be. He’ll need some refinement to get to the point where he’s in the top-10 LT conversation in the NFL, but he has every trait and tool necessary to get there.
22. Tennessee Titans – Rashod Bateman (WR – Minnesota)
With Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith out of town, the Titans have to address WR. Bateman’s a perfect plug-and-play replacement for Davis in this offense.
23. New York Jets – Greg Newsome (CB – Northwestern)
Robert Saleh is going to be pounding the table all throughout draft weekend for CB depth. Getting Newsome at this spot to bolster a weakness on this roster right now is a huge get.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers – Teven Jenkins (OT – Oklahoma State)
This is a dream scenario for the Steelers to have Jenkins fall to them at No. 24 overall. If Pittsburgh is going to attempt to make one last push with Ben Roethlisberger as the QB, they need to make sure they can protect him.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars – Travis Etienne (RB – Clemson)
One thing that Urban Meyer is notorious for wanting in his football players is speed. It’s hard to find another player that has more of that at the RB position than Etienne. While James Robinson was great for the Jaguars last year, he might not be exactly what Meyer is wanting out of his Running Back room.
26. Cleveland Browns – Christian Barmore (iDL – Alabama)
With Jadeveon Clowney now in town, the Browns don’t have to go after an EDGE rusher at this spot of the draft. Instead, they can focus in on replacing Sheldon Richardson. Barmore might need a little bit of time before he reaches his true ceiling, but the upside is simply tremendous.
27. Baltimore Ravens – Joe Tryon (EDGE – Washington)
Tryon’s been a favorite of mine since I watched his tape back in February and there are now significant signs pointing to the potential that he may be off the board on draft night even before this pick. The Ravens need EDGE help in the worst way and Tryon would be a fantastic addition to this roster.
28. New Orleans Saints – Eric Stokes (CB – Georgia)
New Orleans could certainly trade back from this spot and accumulate more picks, but adding secondary help has to be a top priority. With very little reliable depth behind Marshon Lattimore, adding a speedy corner like Stokes should be an easy decision.
29. Green Bay Packers – Terrace Marshall (WR – LSU)
Green Bay has to upgrade at WR this time around, right? Marshall fits the prototype that the Packers love at WR and he’d be an excellent addition opposite of Davante Adams.
30. Buffalo Bills – Azeez Ojulari (EDGE – Georgia)
The Bills typically prefer bigger bodies at their EDGE spots, but Ojulari brings a true speed threat that you won’t find with bigger players. Ojulari has the skillset to pull attention away from the interior of the line and open things up for the interior pass-rushers on this talented defensive front.
31. Kansas City Chiefs – Alijah Vera-Tucker (OT – USC)
Having Vera-Tucker still on the board at this spot is a dream come true for Kansas City. He brings versatility to the offensive line and would fill a huge need for this team.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jayson Oweh (EDGE – Penn State)
Jason Pierre-Paul is getting older now and the Bucs really don’t have many glaring needs on this roster that they need to address right now. Allowing Oweh – who is about as raw as they come – to get some situational pass rush reps in year and then take over for JPP down the road is a smart move.
Round Two
33. Jacksonville Jaguars – Trevon Moehrig (S – TCU)
34. New York Jets – Joseph Ossai (EDGE – Texas)
35. Atlanta Falcons – Carlos Basham (EDGE – Wake Forest)
36. Miami Dolphins – Najee Harris (RB – Alabama)
37. Philadelphia Eagles – Dyami Brown (WR – North Carolina)
38. Cincinnati Bengals – Alex Leatherwood (OT – Alabama)
39. Carolina Panthers – Jamin Davis (LB – Kentucky)
40. Denver Broncos – Baron Browning (LB – Ohio State)
41. Detroit Lions – Elijah Moore (WR – Ole Miss)
42. New York Giants – Landon Dickerson (iOL – Alabama)
43. San Francisco 49ers – Kelvin Joseph (CB – Kentucky)
44. Dallas Cowboys – Ronnie Perkins (EDGE – Oklahoma)
45. Jacksonville Jaguars – Pat Freiermuth (TE – Penn State)
46. New England Patriots – Rondale Moore (WR – Purdue)
47. Los Angeles Chargers – Liam Eichenberg (OT – Notre Dame)
48. Las Vegas Raiders – Brady Christensen (OT – BYU)
49. Arizona Cardinals – Creed Humphrey (iOL – Oklahoma)
50. Miami Dolphins – Gregory Rousseau (EDGE – Miami)
51. Washington Football Team – Dillon Radunz (OT – North Dakota State)
52. Chicago Bears – Kadarius Toney (WR – Florida)
53. Tennessee Titans – Asante Samuel (CB – Florida State)
54. Indianapolis Colts – Ifeatu Melifonwu (CB – Syracuse)
55. Pittsburgh Steelers – Javonte Williams (RB – North Carolina)
56. Seattle Seahawks – Payton Turner (EDGE – Houston)
57. Los Angeles Rams – Wyatt Davis (iOL – Ohio State)
58. Baltimore Ravens – Nico Collins (WR – Michigan)
59. Cleveland Browns – Nick Bolton (LB – Missouri)
60. New Orleans Saints – D’Wayne Eskridge (WR – Western Michigan)
61. Buffalo Bills – Kenneth Gainwell (RB – Memphis)
62. Green Bay Packers – Levi Onwuzurike (iDL – Washington)
63. Kansas City Chiefs – Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR – USC)
64. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Quinn Meinerz (iOL – Wisconsin-Whitewater)
Round Three
65. Jacksonville Jaguars – Spencer Brown (OT – Northern Iowa)
66. New York Jets – Michael Carter (RB – North Carolina)
67. Houston Texans – Tommy Togiai (iDL – Ohio State)
68. Atlanta Falcons – Elijah Molden (CB – Washington)
69. Cincinnati Bengals – Josh Myers (iOL – Ohio State)
70. Philadelphia Eagles – Tommy Tremble (TE – Notre Dame)
71. Denver Broncos – Aaron Robinson (CB – UCF)
72. Detroit Lions – Kellen Mond (QB – Texas A&M)
73. Carolina Panthers – Brevin Jordan (TE – Miami)
74. Washington Football Team – Richie Grant (S – UCF)
75. Dallas Cowboys – Stone Forsythe (OT – Florida)
76. New York Giants – Amari Rodgers (WR – Clemson)
77. Los Angeles Chargers – Janarius Robinson (EDGE – Florida State)
78. Minnesota Vikings – Ben Cleveland (iOL – Georgia)
79. Las Vegas Raiders – Tyler Shelvin (iDL – LSU)
80. Las Vegas Raiders – Trey Smith (iOL – Tennessee)
81. Miami Dolphins – Jabril Cox (LB – LSU)
82. Washington Football Team – Tylan Wallace (WR – Oklahoma State)
83. Carolina Panthers* – Paulson Adebo (CB – Stanford)
84. Philadelphia Eagles – Jevon Holland (S – Oregon)
85. Tennessee Titans – Jamar Johnson (S – Indiana)
86. New York Jets – Jalen Mayfield (OT – Michigan)
87. Pittsburgh Steelers – Tyson Campbell (CB – Georgia)
88. Los Angeles Rams – Chazz Surratt (LB – North Carolina)
89. Cleveland Browns – Quincy Roche (EDGE – Miami)
90. Minnesota Vikings – Benjamin St-Juste (CB – Minnesota)
91. Cleveland Browns – Daviyon Nixon (iDL – Iowa)
92. Green Bay Packers – James Hudson (OT – Cincinnati)
93. Buffalo Bills – Trill Williams (CB – Syracuse)
94. Kansas City Chiefs – Pete Werner (LB – Ohio State)
95. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jay Tufele (iDL – USC)
96. New England Patriots – Kyle Trask (QB – Florida)
97. Los Angeles Chargers – Hamsah Nasirildeen (S – Florida State)
98. New Orleans Saints – Jordan Smith (EDGE – UAB)
99. Dallas Cowboys – Alim McNeill (iDL – NC State)
100. Tennessee Titans – Jackson Carman (OT – Clemson)
101. Detroit Lions – Olaijah Griffin (CB – USC)
102. San Francisco 49ers – Kendrick Green (iOL – Illinois)
103. Los Angeles Rams – D’Ante Smith (OT – East Carolina)
104. Baltimore Ravens – Andre Cisco (S – Syracuse)
105. New Orleans Saints – Cameron McGrone (LB – Michigan)
Round Four
106. Jacksonville Jaguars – Chatarius Atwell (WR – Louisville)
107. New York Jets – Hunter Long (TE – Boston College)
108. Atlanta Falcons – Trey Sermon (RB – Ohio State)
109. Houston Texans – Anthony Schwartz (WR – Auburn)
110. Cleveland Browns – Deonte Brown (iOL – Alabama)
111. Cincinnati Bengals – Elerson Smith (EDGE – Northern Iowa)
112. Detroit Lions – Derrick Barnes (LB – Purdue)
113. Carolina Panthers – Aaron Banks (iOL – Notre Dame)
114. Denver Broncos – David Moore (iOL – Grambling)
115. Dallas Cowboys – Ar’Darius Washington (S – TCU)
116. New York Giants – Israel Mukuamu (CB – South Carolina)
117. San Francisco 49ers – Victor Dimukeje (EDGE – Duke)
118. Los Angeles Chargers – Keith Taylor Jr. (CB – Washington)
119. Minnesota Vikings – Tyree Gillespie (S – Missouri)
120. New England Patriots – Robert Rochell (CB – Central Arkansas)
121. Las Vegas Raiders – Dayo Odeyingbo (EDGE – Vanderbilt)
122. New England Patriots – Milton Williams (iDL – UCF)
123. Philadelphia Eagles – Drew Dalman (iOL – Stanford)
124. Washington Football Team – Trey Hill (iOL – Georgia)
125. Minnesota Vikings – Robert Hainsey (OT – Notre Dame)
126. Tennessee Titans – Kenny Yeboah (TE – Ole Miss)
127. Indianapolis Colts – Cade Johnson (WR – South Dakota State)
128. Pittsburgh Steelers – Sadarius Hutcherson (iOL – South Carolina)
129. Seattle Seahawks – Walker Little (OT – Stanford)
130. Jacksonville Jaguars – Talanoa Hufanga (S – USC)
131. Baltimore Ravens – Adrian Ealy (OT – Oklahoma)
132. Cleveland Browns – Ihmir Smith-Marsette (WR – Iowa)
133. New Orleans Saints – Divine Deablo (S – Virginia Tech)
134. Minnesota Vikings – Dez Fitzpatrick (WR – Louisville)
135. Green Bay Packers – Shaun Wade (CB – Ohio State)
136. Kansas City Chiefs – Khyiris Tonga (iDL – BYU)
137. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jaelon Darden (WR – North Texas)
138. Dallas Cowboys – Tre Brown (CB – Oklahoma)
139. New England Patriots – JaCoby Stevens (S – LSU)
140. Pittsburgh Steelers – Cameron Sample (EDGE – Tulane)
141. Los Angeles Rams – Hamilcar Rashed Jr. (EDGE – Oregon State)
142. Green Bay Packers – Dylan Moses (LB – Alabama)
143. Minnesota Vikings – Davis Mills (QB – Stanford)
144. Kansas City Chiefs – Patrick Jones II (EDGE – Pittsburgh)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
Kyle Yates is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Kyle, check out his archive and follow him @KyleYNFL.