Tag: 2021 Mock Draft

Mock draft watch: Latest from CBS sees Browns adding versatile defensive help

JOK is a good one, and our Josh Keatley adds in some other LB options too

We have been blessed with an updated mock draft from CBS Sports with expert Ryan Wilson mocking a Notre Dame tweener to the second level of the Browns defense.

Wilson believes both Micah Parsons and Azeez Ojulari will be off the board once the Cleveland Browns are up, but slots Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to the pick at 26 and states the following:

“Owusu-Koramoah is listed as a linebacker but you can find him all over the field — and he may eventually end up at safety at the next level. He can come off the edge and has the athleticism, speed and change of direction to be an asset in coverage.”

Other OLB Options:

Zaven Collins, Tulsa, 6-4, 260 pounds:

Collins is still on the board in Wilson’s hypothetical and goes two picks later to New Orleans, but he would also be a fantastic fit in Cleveland. Wilson mentions his four sacks and four interceptions on the COVID shortened season that show his dominance as both an effective pass rusher and in coverage.

Later Round OLB Options:

Garret Wallow, TCU, 6-2, 230 pounds:

Wallow was supposed to play at the Senior Bowl, but was forced to sit the week out due to a positive COVID-19 test. Despite not being able to shine in Mobile, Wallow is viewed as a mid round prospect who has had an insanely productive college career as evidenced by the fact that he led the Big 12 in tackles in 2019 and was second in the conference in 2020.

 

Antjuan Simmons, Michigan St., 6-0, 216 pounds:

Like Wallow, Simmons has had some terrible all-star game luck as he received invites to both the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl and the East-West Shrine Bowl and both have been cancelled. Simmons is a violent hitter with ability to hang in coverage and provide a solid pass rush. Simmons also shows no fear against the run. The Spartans move Simmons around their entire defense and he has proven to have a very high football IQ.

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Mock Draft Roundup: Cowboys favoring CB, OL prospects

The Cowboys have plenty of need for 2021, but most mocks have them eyeing Patrick Surtain or Rashawn Slater… with one notable surprise.

The sudden appearance of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford into the pool of acquirable talent may have shaken up the big boards of many teams around the league and caused some to rethink their draft strategy. But seemingly not the Cowboys. Despite the uncertain long-term employment prospects of Dak Prescott in Dallas, No. 4 isn’t going anywhere in 2021. And that means the front office’s objective with the tenth overall pick is unlikely to change.

Could Jerry and Stephen Jones trade out of that spot to a club eager to pay out, reach up, and snatch a top-ten-talent youngster? Of course, but the Cowboys’ needs are too glaring across the board to not view that early selection as a prime opportunity to bring an elite superstar-in-the-making into the fold.

While some of this week’s mock drafts forecast movement among teams based on a Stafford trade, none of the scenarios here had the Cowboys moving out of the tenth pick. Two names came up repeatedly- one on offense and one on defense- that would beef up areas of obvious weakness. Another mock entertained the familiar notion of a name Cowboys fans have had repeatedly this offseason. And one hypothetical draft went outside the box to add a playmaker to a positional group that is already top-tier in the league.

Mock draft watch: Breaking down Fantasy Pros’ latest projection for the Browns

Zaven Collins is a polarizing prospect

Marching through “mock draft season”, everyone likes to get in on who the Cleveland Browns will be taking. At this point, without knowing who the Browns have re-signed or have added in free agency, everything is on the table.

This mock draft is brought to you by Fantasy Pros Fantasy Football podcast host, Kyle Yates.

LB Zaven Collins, Tulsa

This draft, all the attention for the Browns should be on their defense. Their offense is humming and they still get Odell Beckham Jr. back in the fold in 2021. The LB spot in Cleveland could use some upgrading and the Browns do just that by bringing in Zaven Collins from Tulsa. He’s a smart and instinctive linebacker that can be a force against the run and also a factor when dropping into coverage, as evidenced by his four interceptions in 2020.

My Opinion

While I don’t disagree with positional need, this is not a draft pick I would expect Andrew Berry to do or sign off on.

According to Over The Cap, in 2020, the Browns had the eighth-lowest salary allocation to the linebacker position and are currently projected to have the lowest salary cap allocation to the position in the entire NFL. With this in mind, the current Browns regime, to this point, has not allocated significant resources in the linebacker position, and spending a first-round draft pick at the position would be out of character for this front office and coaching staff.

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Mel Kiper delivers a shocking pick at No. 2 in latest 2021 NFL mock draft

See who ESPN’s Mel Kiper sends to the New York Jets at No. 2 overall in his latest 2021 NFL mock draft

Okay, so it’s hard to say any pick is “shocking” in a January mock draft, but this might be the closest thing.

The latest 2021 NFL mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper has the predictable selection of Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence at No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but things get wild at the next spot.

Kiper has the New York Jets not only passing on the rest of this year’s quarterback class, but spending the No. 2 overall pick on Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith.

Here’s Kiper’s explanation for the selection:

This is where the intrigue in the draft begins. Will the Jets stick with quarterback Sam Darnold for another year, or will they take Zach Wilson or Justin Fields? (Or maybe even trade for Deshaun Watson?) The good news for general manager Joe Douglas and new coach Robert Saleh is that they have three months to figure it out. This is a huge decision, and Douglas and Saleh have to be 100% sure that Wilson or Fields is an upgrade over Darnold.

My feeling right now is that yes, Darnold’s stats are ugly, but he’s only 23 and he has had no offensive talent around him for three years. Do the Jets really want to move on from him and watch him thrive elsewhere? That’s why they could give him a one-year audition under Saleh, pick the Heisman Trophy winner at No. 2, and give Darnold one more shot to put all of his talent together. Smith is the true No. 1 target Darnold hasn’t had.

The biggest question with this projection isn’t necessarily the decision to stick with Darnold and pass on the rest of this year’s quarterback class, but rather the choice of Smith, who isn’t even the consensus No. 1 player at his position in this draft.

Despite his incredible campaign in 2020, one that ended with Smith becoming the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since Desmond Howard, many consider LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase to be the better NFL prospect at the position. There’s no denying his incredible production and the areas of his skill set at which he excels, but concerns about Smith’s slim frame and durability at the next level would make him a somewhat risky pick at the No. 2 overall spot.

Chase lands with the Miami Dolphins at the very next spot in Kiper’s mock, followed by BYU quarterback Zach Wilson (No. 4 overall, Atlanta Falcons) and Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell (No. 5 overall, Cincinnati Bengals).

Two more quarterbacks join Lawrence as top-10 picks in Kiper’s projection, with Ohio State’s Justin Fields and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance coming off the board with back-to-back selections, landing with the Detroit Lions at No. 7 overall and the Carolina Panthers at No. 8 overall, respectively.

To check out Kiper’s full first-round projection at ESPN.com, click here.

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Mock draft watch: Mel Kiper projects Justin Fields to the Lions

Kiper’s mock has 3 WRs going in the top 6

Perhaps the most notable NFL draft analyst out there, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is back with his first solo mock draft projections for the 2021 NFL draft. And with the Detroit Lions quickly shifting the primary need on the team from wide receiver to quarterback, Kiper’s first-round forecast for the Lions makes a nice fit.

Kiper has the Lions taking Ohio State QB Justin Fields with their first pick. The Buckeye standout is often projected in the top three picks, and now the Lions are focused on replacing Matthew Stafford.

Kiper’s justification for projecting Fields makes sense,

it appears that new general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell will go all-in on a rebuild, and so Fields could be the face of it. He had an up-and-down season, but we saw the flashes of his talent, particularly in his six-touchdown performance against Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal. Fields has superstar potential, but he’ll need help around him.

The players off the board for the Lions at No. 7:

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU

Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

Mel Kiper’s Mock Draft 1.0: Cowboys work on solidifying offense in 1st round

The Cowboys needs are many, and their first round draft picks are one. With this mock that one is spent on an offensive lineman. Here’s why.

The Dallas Cowboys have a myriad of needs, and while the defense was one of the worst in the NFL in 2020, it’s no guarantee they use their first-round pick to shore up those holes. There is a line of thinking that making a strength a super strength is the better strategy. Not everyone agrees of course, but ESPN’s Mel Kiper does.

In his inaugural mock draft for 2021, Kiper bypasses the several defensive prospects who have been commonly linked to Dallas and instead chooses to go offense. However, he didn’t go for the skill position player many have linked to the the Cowboys in recent weeks. With Kyle Pitts, the tight end out of Florida still on the board, and both of the top cornerbacks, Kiper has Dallas going offensive line with 1.10.

10. Dallas Cowboys

Rashawn Slater, OL, Northwestern

Heading into the 2020 season, the Cowboys’ offensive line looked solid on paper, and that was after center Travis Frederick retired in March. But then injuries hit: Right tackle La’el Collins missed every game, left tackle Tyron Smith played just two and guard Zack Martin missed six. And what you saw was a poor Cowboys offense, even before quarterback Dak Prescott was lost for the season due to his ankle injury. That’s why I think Slater fits in Dallas, where he could play either tackle spot or move inside to guard. Todd McShay thinks Slater could excel at center, too. He was another prospect who opted out, but he didn’t allow a single sack playing left tackle in 2019. This is a spot to watch for Surtain as well because Chidobe Awuzie could leave in free agency.

Pitts went the next selection, No. 11 to the New York Giants.  The next selection was Patrick Surtain II, the Alabama corner going to San Francisco at No. 12. Virginia Tech corner Caleb Farley went No. 16.

Slater’s versatility along the line is important, but the idea that the Cowboys would slide him up and down as injuries popped up is a pipe dream of the worst kind. Dallas would identify one spot to play him and stick him there to let him learn.

If the draft would play out, the Slater selection would forever be linked to these players. It may not be a bad thing, but it would certainly raise eyebrows. Many draftniks wonder if Slater is the best offensive line prospect in the draft, competing with Oregon’s Penei Sewell.

The draft will be pure chaos, as so many players opted out of the 2020 season due to coronavirus risk (like Slater), and now that the scouting combine and in-person interviews are ruled out, there’s likely going to be a huge gap between fan expectations, draftniks and what teams actually do come April.

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Mock draft watch: Latest from CBS sees Browns adding DE sizzle

Our Josh Keatley likes the choice but also offers several good alternatives too

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The 2021 off-season is here and there is no better way to kick it off than diving into the Draft possibilities for the Cleveland Browns. After an extremely impressive season, Cleveland actually drafts fairly late in the first round at number 26 and the pickings are not slim, but prospects that are viewed as locks such as Micah Parson and Zaven Collins are already off the board.

CBS expert Ryan Wilson, in his latest mock draft, provides Cleveland with a former Georgia Bulldog star in Azeez Ojulari and states the following:

“The Browns were middle of the road in getting after the quarterback and there is little depth behind Myles Garrett. Ojulari had a standout season for the Bulldogs and while he hasn’t drawn the national attention of Kwity Paye or Jaelan Phillips, he’s a legit terror off the edge.”

Ojulari has decent size for the outside linebacker position at 6’3″ and 240 pounds and was one of the more dominant edge rushers in the SEC last season. Ojulari broke out as a freshman in 2019 with 37 pressures and 5.5 sacks and followed that up with another 5.5 sacks in a COVID shortened 2020.

Other OLB Options:

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame, 6-1, 215 pounds:

For the second season in a row, Owusu-Koramoah led the Fighting Irish in tackles for loss after recording 13.5 in 2019 he recorded another 11 in 2020. Owusu-Koranoah would be an interesting and athletic chess piece for the Browns defense.

Nick Bolton, Missouri, 6-0, 232 pounds:

Bolton has two years of starting experience under his belt and led the Tigers in tackles in both seasons. PFF rated Bolton as the highest rated power-five linebacker for the 2019 season. Bolton is a sure tackler who rarely misses and we all know how bad the Browns can be at tackling.

 

Later Round OLB Options:

Chazz Surratt, North Carolina, 6-3, 230 pounds:

Surratt is a former quarterback who has led the Tar Heels in tackles the past two seasons with 115 in 2019 and 91 in the Covid shortened 2020 season. Surratt’s career is at an uphill trajectory as he was named All-ACC after changing positions in 2019 and was named All-American after this season.

Charles Snowden, Virginia, 6-7, 235 pounds:

A former division one basketball prospect for obvious reasons, Snowden has a rare blend of athleticism and size that has made him a terror off the edge for the Cavaliers and its hard to envision these traits not transitioning to the next level.

 

 

 

Cowboys Mock Draft Roundup: Corners rule the day, but which fits best?

The Cowboys have needs in many areas, but a recent survey of the latest 2021 mock drafts identify corner as the likely landing spot.

The Dallas Cowboys sit with the No. 10 draft pick in the upcoming April NFL draft and this early in the process fans are still split amongst where they want the team to go. Prevailing sentiment is for the club to focus on defense after having one of the worst units in all of football for much of the 2020 season.

Others believe that offense is the key to it all and the defense, while yes needing reinforcements, will improve based on addition by subtraction of coordinator Mike Nolan. So which is right? No one knows, and no one will know for the next several years to be honest, but when has that stopped us before? Mock draft season is in full swing, and here’s the latest from around the interwebs of Cowboys projections.

Across these 10 mock drafts (9 national and our Cowboys specific 7-round mock exercise from this week) there are a total of 5 players picks. Only one name hails from the offensive side of the line of scrimmage and all three top corners are represented. A couple exercises include trade down scenarios for the Cowboys, while others have them taking those targets where they sit at No. 10.

Daniel Jeremiah gives the Detroit Lions an elite WR in his first 2021 mock draft

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah gave the Detroit Lions some elite wide receiver help in his first 2021 mock draft of the season.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah posted his first 2021 mock draft of the season, and with the seventh overall pick, he paired the Detroit Lions with Heisman trophy winning wide receiver DeVonta Smith.

“If the Lions are going to keep Matthew Stafford, they would have a prime opportunity to sell this selection to a QB-needy team,” Jeremiah wrote. “If they stick and pick, Smith will be an immediate-impact player on the outside.”

Smith to Detroit has been a widely popular choice since last year’s draft ended. And as we at Lions Wire started tracking mock drafts this season, not a lot has changed, but there have been a few other candidates that have emerged.

Smith’s teammate at Alabama Jaylen Waddle, found his way to the Lions a few mocks drafts last week, but the next major competition has been Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.

In Jeremiah’s scenario, all three were on the board and he went with his highest-rated player in Smith — which matches our early rankings as well.

It’s worth acknowledging Jeremiah’s qualifier with this pick: “If the Lions are going to keep Matthew Stafford”, this pick makes a lot of sense. It’s also worth noting that if they elected to move on from Stafford, the top quarterback option available in this scenario was Ohio State’s Justin Fields, who went to the Carolina Panthers with the next pick.

Regardless of whether you want Stafford and Smith combo or a fresh start with Fields, it’s fair to say the Lions are going to have several quality options if they stay put at seven.

Big names tumble in Daniel Jeremiah’s latest 2021 NFL mock draft

See which top prospects fall in the latest 2021 NFL mock draft from NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah

For months now, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields and Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell have felt like top-five locks for the 2021 NFL draft.

But if the latest 2021 NFL mock draft from NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah is any indication, both plays could be in for a draft-day slide of sorts.

In his initial first-round projection, Jeremiah has Fields falling to No. 8 overall, sending him to the Carolina Panthers as the fourth quarterback off the board. Going ahead of Fields in Jeremiah’s mock are Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence (No. 1 overall, Jacksonville Jaguars), BYU’s Zach Wilson (No. 2 overall, New York Jets), and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance (No. 4 overall, Atlanta Falcons).

Jeremiah thinks the Panthers would be wise to stop Fields’ tumble and make him the team’s long-term solution after Teddy Bridgewater:

I don’t think Matt Rhule will be picking this high again in the near future. Now is the time to secure the long-term answer at QB.

Sewell falls even further than Fields, finally landing with the Dallas Cowboys at No. 1 overall. Jeremiah acknowledges that Sewell could go much higher, but doesn’t rule out a slide to the bottom of the top 10:

Sewell could go as high as No. 3 overall to the Dolphins, but there’s a chance he slips to the Cowboys. They need to get younger and more talented along the offensive line.

While stranger things have certainly happened on draft day, it would be surprising to see both of these prospects fall outside the top five picks.

To check out Jeremiah’s complete first-round projection at NFL.com, click here.

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