Editor’s note: This article was originally published by USA TODAY Sports and has been republished in its entirety below.
With less than a month left until the start of the 2021 NFL draft, some of the first-round pieces are starting to fall into place.
Much of the picture still remains murky, but a few teams’ plans are starting to crystalize. With the New York Jets sending quarterback Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers in a trade Monday, both franchises sent clear signals about how they view their short-term plans behind center. But with three signal-callers poised to be taken in the top three picks for the first time since 1999, a historic rush at the position looks to be the defining trait of this year’s class.
With all that in mind, here’s our latest first-round projection: