2021 NFL mock draft – Page 2 – Syndication Server

2021 NFL Draft: Two Round Mock Draft From The College Perspective

2021 NFL Draft: Two round mock draft with the potential options and team needs – from the college perspective

2021 NFL Draft: Two round mock draft with the calls on the picks along with other potential options and team needs.

Let’s do this already – here’s what’s going to happen over the first two rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Maybe.

There will be trades – but, as always, you can and should ignore any mock draft that projects trades that almost certainly will never, ever happen – so the goal here is to get it as close to the pin as possible when it comes to when and where a player should be selected.

Also, this doesn’t have anything to do with how good we think all these players are – that’s what our Top 105 Pro Prospects are for. This is about guessing where everyone will go.

Here we go.

CFN 2021 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings
from the college perspective …
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG & C
DE & Edge | DT | LB | CB | Safeties
Greatest Draft Picks For Each College
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
32 Greatest Draft Picks of All-Time

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– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews | @PeteFiutak

1. Jacksonville

2021 NFL Mock Draft Pick: QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

This was done months ago. You can’t be a franchise like Jacksonville and not take this guy with this pick.

Team Needs 1. QB, 2. OT, 3. DE
Backup Mock Draft Call: None, but maybe trade down for an all-time haul of picks.

2. New York Jets

2021 NFL Mock Draft Pick: QB Zach Wilson, BYU

Here’s the thing about Wilson. If Trevor Lawrence doesn’t work for Jacksonville, whatever – it’s a pick that has to be made. Wilson is a call for the Jets, and if Justin Fields, or Trey Lance, or Mac Jones – or Sam Darnold, by the way – turns out to be special, this could be an all-time whiff.

Team Needs 1. QB, 2. CB, 3. DE
Backup Mock Draft Call: QB Mac Jones, Alabama

3. San Francisco (from Miami from Houston)

2021 NFL Mock Draft Pick: QB Mac Jones, Alabama

Jones appears to have emerged the No. 3, but he’s hardly a shot for the stars in terms of tools. Sort of like Zach Wilson for the Jets, this is one massive call if one of the other quarterbacks on the board turns into a superstar.

Team Needs 1. CB, 2. QB, 3. DT
Backup Mock Draft Call: QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State

4. Atlanta

2021 NFL Mock Draft Pick: TE Kyle Pitts, Florida

It’s going to be very, very, very tempting to go with one of the quarterbacks on the board, but Matt Ryan is hardly a problem. The Falcons have a shot at a generational talent at tight end – let someone else make a guess on a quarterback.

Team Needs 1. DE, 2. DB, 3. QB
Backup Mock Draft Call: QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State

5. Cincinnati

2021 NFL Mock Draft Pick: OT Penei Sewell, Oregon

It might be a whole lot of fun to give Joe Burrow a receiver like Ja’Marr Chase or DeVonta Smith. It might also be a whole lot of fun to give him a Hall-of-Fame caliber left tackle to keep him from getting annihilated. (Shhhhhh, Cincinnati could win the draft with Sewell.)

Team Needs 1. OL, 2. DE, 3. WR
Backup Mock Draft Call: WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU

6. Miami (from Philadelphia)

2021 NFL Mock Draft Pick: WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU

It’s amazing how NFL-think works. Tua Tagovailoa was a rookie coming off a major injury and had little to no offensive superstar help around him, and yet the O was somehow his fault when he played like a rookie coming off a major injury. Give him a true NFL No. 1 target in Chase and let’s have some fun.

Team Needs 1. WR, 2. OL, 3. DE
Backup Mock Draft Call: WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama

7. Detroit

2021 NFL Mock Draft Pick: WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

Now is when the draft gets funky. The first six picks should be close in some way, but Detroit might – and probably should – trade out of this pick to a quarterback-desperate team. Or, it gives Jared Goff a chance to succeed by handing him an elite weapon to work with. If it’s not Waddle or DeVonta Smith, it’ll be Ja’Marr Chase.

Team Needs 1. WR, 2. DB, 3. OL
Backup Mock Draft Call: WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama

8. Carolina

2021 NFL Mock Draft Pick: OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern

It’s a nice spot for the Panthers to be in. They have to go after more offensive production, and they have a relatively good value deal in Sam Darnold to make a deal if a top quarterback slides down here. It’ll be a pick for the infrastructure if they stick in the spot.

Team Needs 1. DB, 2. OT, 3. TE
Backup Mock Draft Call: OT/OG Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC

9. Denver

2021 NFL Mock Draft Pick: QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State

It’s going to be a franchise-defining moment for the Broncos. Do they stick with the Drew Lock experience, or do they go with whatever quarterback prospect slides here, and do they go with Trey Lance over Justin Fields – or Mac Jones – depending on who’s there? Or, do they stick with Lock and give him some O line help? Or, do they go with an upgrade at corner?

Team Needs 1. QB, 2. OT, 3. DB
Backup Mock Draft Call: QB Justin Fields, Ohio State

10. Dallas

2021 NFL Mock Draft Pick: CB Patrick Surtain, Alabama

Defense, defense, and more defense. The Cowboys have to take defensive guys and keep taking them, and then take more. Surtain makes way too much sense, but it’s a corner-rich draft and a few other options wouldn’t be crazy here.

Team Needs 1. DB, 2. DT, 3. LB
Backup Mock Draft Call: CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech

11. New York Giants

2021 NFL Mock Draft Pick: LB Micah Parsons, Penn State

Parsons isn’t the true edge rusher the Giants need, and there’s a chance they could go with an offensive tackle to help keep Daniel Jones upright, but value-wise, both end and OT can be had later at the 42. Parsons is a potential game-wrecker of a talent who might just be one of the five best players in the draft.

Team Needs DE, WR, OT
Backup Mock Draft Call: DE Kwity Paye, Michigan

12. Philadelphia (from Miami from San Francisco)

2021 NFL Mock Draft Pick: WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama

Don’t just assume the Eagles will go receiver here. Of course it’s the biggest need, and of course it would be the fun pick to give Jalen Hurts a guy to throw to, but there’s receiver value at 37. There’s defensive back value there, too.

Team Needs 1. WR, 2. LB, 3. CB
Backup Mock Draft Call: WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

NEXT: 2021 NFL Mock Draft, First Round Picks 13-20

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2021 NFL mock draft: QBs make history at the top of the board

See where the top quarterback prospects land in the latest 2021 NFL mock draft from CBS Sports

We’ve known for quite some time that the quarterback class for the 2021 NFL draft was a special one, but it could be historic.

Never before in NFL draft history have we seen four quarterbacks selected with the first four picks, but with this year’s talented crop of top passers, could it finally happen?

That’s the scenario that plays out in the latest 2021 NFL mock draft from CBS Sports, as Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence (No. 1 overall, Jacksonville Jaguars) and BYU’s Zach Wilson (No. 2 overall, New York Jets) are followed closely by North Dakota State’s Trey Lance (No. 3 overall, San Francisco 49ers) and Ohio State’s Justin Fields (No. 4 overall, Atlanta Falcons).

Alabama’s Mac Jones doesn’t wait too long to hear his name called, either, as this mock sends him to the New England Patriots at No. 7 overall after a trade up from No. 15 with the Detroit Lions.

A pair of talented pass-catchers are the first non-quarterbacks off the board in this projection, with Florida tight end Kyle Pitts heading to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 5 overall, and LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase landing with the Miami Dolphins at No. 6 overall.

The Carolina Panthers wisely snatch up Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell at No. 8 overall, while the first defensive players off the board are back-to-back cornerbacks, with Alabama’s Patrick Surtain (No. 9 overall, Denver Broncos) and South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn (No. 10 overall).

The Lions luck out after their move down to No. 15, as they still manage to land a top-10 talent in Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.

To check out the complete first-round projection at CBS Sports, click here.

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Bengals make tough call with Sewell, Chase and Pitts available in new mock draft

The Cincinnati Bengals have to pick one of three elite talents at No. 5 in a new mock draft.

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The perfect scenario for the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2021 NFL draft isn’t hard to figure out.

Sitting at fifth overall, it would be amazing for the Bengals to see Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, LSU wideout Ja’Marr Chase and Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell on the board.

That’s just what happens in a new mock draft from Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling, where the Bengals make the tough call:

“What a scenario for the Bengals, who get to pick between three blue-chip prospects at positions of need, since they already have their quarterback of the present and future. Speaking of Joe Burrow, don’t be surprised if he has some pull here, getting the Bengals to opt for his former college teammate in Chase over Pitts or Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell.”

At this stage, Chase would be the likely pick. It’s hard to pass up on his sheer upside, never mind the built-in bonuses like the prior work with Joe Burrow, the LSU concepts in the Bengals offense and the big need there.

For what it’s worth, Sewell himself would love to block in front of Burrow. But given the depth of this offensive line class, it makes sense that the Bengals would roll with Burrow’s former teammate, even in the perfect scenario.

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2021 NFL mock draft: Updated 1st-round projections with trades

Draft Wire editor Luke Easterling updates his first-round projections for the 2021 NFL draft, complete with a few more big trades

So close, yet still so far away.

The 2021 NFL draft will arrive next week, and with it, the culmination of one of the most unique predraft processes we’ve ever seen. Teams and prospects alike have had to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, opt-outs and shortened seasons, virtual interviews, and more.

We didn’t even have an NFL Scouting Combine.

One thing that hasn’t changed? Our insatiable desire for mock drafts.

Here are our latest first-round projections, complete with a few more big trades:

*denotes projected trade

2021 NFL mock draft: Playing GM for every team in the 1st round

Draft Wire editor Luke Easterling puts on his general manager hat for every first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft

This time of year, my mock drafts have long turned from my own preference for where a particular prospect should go to projecting what I actually think will happen on draft day.

But with less than two weeks to go before the 2021 NFL draft, I thought it might be fun to go back in the other direction.

Here’s what I would do with every pick in this year’s draft:

Bengals land Penei Sewell and an LSU WR in new 4-round NFL mock draft

The Cincinnati Bengals hit on a popular combo in a new NFL mock draft.

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When it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals and mock drafts, the general idea seems to be the team should end up landing either Penei Sewell or an LSU wide receiver early in the process.

But why not both?

That’s exactly what happens in a new four-round mock draft from Oliver Hodgkinson at Pro Football Network, where the Bengals take Penei Sewell at fifth overall:

“Sewell is athletic, strong, and dominant. He’s demonstrated that he is equally adept in pass protection or run blocking. Plug him in at left tackle, switch Jonah Williams to right tackle, and you’ve potentially got the bookends of a ten-year offensive line. Moreover, they need to make additions to the interior of the offensive line too. Therefore, they use their fourth-round pick in this 2021 NFL Mock Draft on Ole Miss offensive guard Royce Newman.”

In this scenario, Ja’Marr Chase falls to Detroit at seventh overall. But the Bengals make it work by doing the following over the next three rounds:

Second round: Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU
Third round: Jay Tufele, DT, Southern California
Fourth round: Royce Newman, OG, Ole Miss

Marshall isn’t Chase by any means, but he put up 1,594 yards and 23 scores on an average of 15 yards per catch over three seasons, scoring 13 of those touchdowns with Joe Burrow in 2019.

Meaning, Marshall still qualifies for the “Joe Burrow connection” often talked about with Chase. He’s not as high end of a prospect — nobody is — but he’d be a nice value add after attacking the offensive line with Sewell.

This is just one of many possibilities, but one that makes plenty of sense.

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Bengals stun in new 2021 NFL mock draft by selecting…a RB?

The Cincinnati Bengals go an unexpected route in a new mock draft.

NFL mock drafts have the Cincinnati Bengals doing many things this year.

But taking a running back is a new one.

That’s just what the Bengals do in a new two-round mock draft, taking Penei Sewell at fifth overall and using the 38th pick on North Carolina ball-carrier Javonte Williams.

Here’s the writeup from NFL.com’s Chad Reuter:

“Joe Burrow’s season-ending injury occurred in the pocket when he was hit by one defender coming in high and another low. The team must improve its offensive line so that doesn’t happen again. Sewell can dominate at left tackle, former first-round pick Jonah Williams can play right tackle (where he started for two years at Alabama) and veteran acquisition Riley Reiff has experience at guard. Starting running back Joe Mixon also fought injuries in 2020, and the team recently released veteran Giovani Bernard. Williams’ powerful running style, therefore, will be on the Bengals’ radar at No. 38.”

Running back, of course, is one of the least likely things the Bengals will take in the opening four rounds or so, especially since the team likes Trayveon Williams so much and just re-signed Samaje Perine.

Which isn’t to say Javonte Williams isn’t a good prospect — he averaged 6.3 yards per carry with 29 touchdowns over four seasons.

But the only way running back this early becomes a viable option is if the Bengals add to the offensive line and pass-rush in free agency before the draft starts. Even then, the team’s big board figures to prioritize other spots.

Given the nature of the position and the injury woes of Mixon and Williams, the Bengals do figure to take a running back — but taking on in the top 50 would be a stunner.

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Bengals get Joe Burrow a solid haul in new 7-round mock draft

The Cincinnati Bengals net some interesting names in a new 7-round mock draft.

Seven-round mock drafts are by far the most interesting simulations possible for the Cincinnati Bengals ahead of this year’s draft.

A one-round mock is fun enough. But once a mock decides between Ja’Marr Chase and Penei Sewell, it’s pretty disappointing to not see what the Bengals might do after that.

So here’s The Athletic’s Dane Brugler with his seven-round mock, which decides to roll with Burrow’s former LSU teammate at No. 5:

“If I were making the pick, the chance to upgrade the offensive line with Oregon’s Penei Sewell would be the choice. But reuniting Chase with Joe Burrow is understandably enticing for Duke Tobin and Cincinnati’s decision-makers. Which direction to go is a great problem for the Bengals to have at No. 5.”

The next three picks after that:

38. Cincinnati Bengals – Landon Dickerson, OG/C, Alabama

69. Cincinnati Bengals – Milton Williams, DT, Louisiana Tech

111. Cincinnati Bengals – Joshua Kaindoh, edge, Florida State

So over the first 111 picks, the Bengals get an elite No. 1 wideout prospect, a very, very good and versatile offensive lineman and two edge defenders to fill key depth roles that have been problems in the past.

On their own, Chase and Dickerson are “A” picks, though the latter does mean the team will have to go right-tackle hunting again next offseason. The other picks over the remaining rounds strike a balance between offense and defense too with pretty good value, so the whole mock is definitely worth a read.

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Mock draft 3.0: Last of the big movers

With the constant need for elite quarterbacks in the NFL, could one or more teams be ready for big trades to get their franchise signal-callers in the 2021 draft?

Recently, I did a piece on the teams we could legitimately expect to trade up in the 2021 draft after the Panthers traded for Sam Darnold. That didn’t cost Carolina any first-round picks — just a sixth-rounder in 2021 and a second- and fourth-round pick in 2022. Not bad for the second overall pick in the 2018 draft, especially if Darnold is able to do what every other offensive player has been able to do once released from the clutches of Adam Gase — improve his prospects exponentially.

The Jets off-loading Darnold puts them in the catbird seat for any non-Trevor Lawrence quarterback they want, and even money says that’ll be BYU’s Zach Wilson. If that’s the case, there are three other potential first-round quarterbacks on the hoof — North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, and Alabama’s Mac Jones.

And that’s where things could still get interesting regarding quarterback need and quarterback value. The 49ers traded up to the third pick, so one assumes they have their own quarterback in mind. After that, it’s Atlanta at 4, with a re-structured Matt Ryan contract that puts the organization in cap purgatory in the short term, and Cincinnati at 5. The Bengals already have their franchise guy in Joe Burrow, so we then move on to the Dolphins, Lions, Panthers, and Broncos — all teams who might want to move up and get their guy at the game’s most important position. No, I do not think the trade for Darnold or Teddy Bridgewater’s current presence on the roster precludes the Panthers from going all-out if somebody they want gets past San Francisco at 3.

Nor do I believe that the signings of Cam Newton in New England and Ryan Fitzpatrick in the nation’s capital precludes the Patriots or the Football Team from moving up for the same reasons. Both Newton and Fitzpatrick are bridge guys at this point in their careers — very good bridge guys, but that’s what they are.

So, with all that in mind, let’s take another shot at a mock draft, and this time, it’s all about two things: Movement, and quarterbacks.

Mock Draft 1.0: No trades, but quite a few surprises

Mock Draft 2.0: The post-free agency, trade-filled, chaos grenade!

2021 NFL mock draft: Mel Kiper’s latest full of surprises, question marks

The latest two-round NFL mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper is loaded with trades, surprises and head-scratching moves

This time of year especially, everybody wants to know what Mel Kiper thinks. His latest 2021 NFL mock draft, complete with trades, should certainly get folks talking.

Kiper’s latest projection starts out as expected, with three quarterbacks in the first three picks (Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence to the Jaguars, BYU’s Zach Wilson to the Jets, and Alabama’s Mac Jones to the 49ers). Then comes his first trade, and it’s a head-scratcher, as the Miami Dolphins trade back up to No. 4 for Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.

It’s a strange trade because it ends with the Dolphins basically trading down just one spot from their original pick, and not having nearly as much draft capital to show for it. After loading up on all those extra picks from other trades, it would be odd to see them give away a good chunk of it, even for a player as special at Pitts.

Kiper explains his reasoning:

We know the Falcons have talked to other teams about moving out of the No. 4 spot, and they could be open to the highest bidder. There’s a catch, though; they surely don’t want to move too far down, or else they’ll miss on their guy. So this trade allows them to add assets and still pick at No. 6.

I don’t think it would cost the Dolphins a first-round pick in 2022, but it’s tough to predict without knowing who else is bidding. For this exercise, I think it could take something like a second- and third-round pick next year for Miami to move up two spots. (The Dolphins have an extra third-rounder in 2022 from the 49ers.)

Why would the Dolphins move up two spots? To ensure that they get their guy, and to ensure that another team doesn’t trade into that spot to take that guy. Cincinnati at No. 5 could also take the prospect the Dolphins want.

Even if Miami stays at No. 6, though, they’d be assured of getting either Pitts, LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase or Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell at that spot. Any of those three would be a huge win for them, so spending premium picks to move up for one of them seems unnecessary.

The Atlanta Falcons win big in this move, dropping down two spots and still landing their quarterback of the future in North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. Getting rid of Matt Ryan won’t make much financial sense for at least two more years, so picking Lance over Ohio State’s Justin Fields actually makes some sense here for the Dirty Birds.

Kiper’s next trade makes way more sense, as he sends the New England Patriots up from No. 15 overall to No. 10 overall to steal Fields. He should be the second quarterback off the board in this draft, so landing Fields at No. 10, as the fifth passer selected, would be absolute robbery.

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

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