We’re still nearly a year away from the 2021 NFL draft, but that hasn’t stopped us from making way-too-early projections for next year’s big offseason event.
The conversation always centers around the top quarterback prospects, and next year’s class promises to deliver plenty in that department. Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Ohio State’s Justin Fields and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance are all getting preseason hype as potential top-10 picks, and are already battling it out for that No. 1 overall spot.
In the latest 2021 NFL mock draft from Bleacher Report, Lawrence gets the nod at No. 1, heading to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fields lands in Washington at No. 2 overall, while Lance goes to the Detroit Lions at No. 9 overall.
Lawrence and Fields are expected by most to fight for that top spot, with Lance as the dark-horse challenger coming from the FCS level, similar to what we saw from Carson Wentz when he came out of Fargo. Lawrence saw some regression last season after a stunning freshman campaign, but he’s still the easy pick to go No. 1, unless Fields takes things to another level in 2020.
https://its-always-draft-szn.simplecast.com/episodes/episode-1
Gardner Minshew is entertaining, but his presence shouldn’t keep the Jags from taking a rare prospect like Lawrence if they do indeed land next year’s top pick. Washington would have to be convinced that Dwayne Haskins, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, isn’t worth passing on the next-best quarterback in the 2021 class in order to take Fields at No. 2. Lance in Detroit would be ideal, as the redshirt sophomore would get to sit behind an established veteran in Matthew Stafford for at least one season before having to start.
The only other quarterback to crack this first-round mock is Jamie Newman, who is transferring from Wake Forest to Georgia to take over for Jake Fromm. This projection sends him to New Orleans in the latter part of the round, where he would join what looks like a loaded depth chart for now, with Drew Brees currently listed alongside both Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston.
To check out the full mock draft at Bleacher Report, click here.
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