This last week is always the longest.
After months of rumors and hot takes, pro days and interviews, all-star games and trades, the 2021 NFL draft is just days away.
As all 32 teams put the finishing touches on their draft boards, we’re doing the same.
A couple of things you’ll notice here:
Yes, there are fewer than 32 first-round grades. That’s typical, especially within the league. Just because there are 32 first-round picks every year doesn’t mean there are 32 prospects worthy of first-round selection.
These rankings are based on my own grades on a macro level, which means they’re likely to vary in many ways from individual team boards that have to take different team-specific variables into account (scheme, position needs, philosophy, medical evaluations by team doctors, private interviews with prospects, etc.).
This is also not a mock draft. Just because a player has a particular number rank doesn’t mean that’s where I think he’ll be drafted, by the team that currently holds that pick.
Here’s how I rank the top 300 prospects in this year’s draft class: