The 2021 NFL Draft is just a few days away. Teams have finalized their big boards and are working through mock scenarios to predict what teams ahead of them might do in the NFL Draft. Some teams will pick purely based on best player available while others will consider need. In the same sense that there are rarely 32 players carrying a first round grade, most teams do not begin draft night with a board consisting of the exact number of picks to be taken. Browns executive vice president and general manager Andrew Berry told assembled media this week that the team has 114 players considered draft-worthy and an additional 54 players that they would target in undrafted free agency.
After some final tweaks, my final Top 250 is here:
1. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
2. Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
3. Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
4. Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
5. Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
6. Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
7. Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
8. Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
9. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU
10. Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
11. Alijah Vera-Tucker, IOL, USC
12. Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
13. Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
14. Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina
15. DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
16. Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan
17. Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
18. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
19. Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
20. Landon Dickerson, IOL, Alabama
21. Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami
22. Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State
23. Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern
24. Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
25. Christian Barmore, IDL, Alabama
First, let's address the elephant in the room. How could Mac Jones be listed at No. 24 overall but be taken in the top 10? Positional needs drive up his selection. There are teams that have a quarterback and teams that are chasing a quarterback. It is the most valuable position in football and teams will not be successful unless they have one of the game's best. Although he is a very talented player, he does not have the ceiling to become a top five quarterback in the NFL and that's what drives him a little lower for me. Landon Dickerson, Caleb Farley and Jaelan Phillips are talent projections but injury history has to be taken into account with their selection. It would not surprise me if any of the three were taken much lower. Micah Parsons is an athletically gifted player but there is more to be sorted through before a team is comfortable taking him that early.
26. Joe Tryon, EDGE, Washington
27. Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia
28. Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU
29. Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State
30. Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami
31. Jayson Oweh, EDGE, Penn State
32. Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky
33. Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
34. Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan
35. Joseph Ossai, EDGE, Texas
36. Aaron Robinson, CB, UCF
37. Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss
38. Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State
39. Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
40. Creed Humphrey, IOL, Oklahoma
41. Jevon Holland, S, Oregon
42. Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford
43. Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
44. Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky
45. Hamsah Nasirildeen, S, Florida State
46. Jordan Smith, EDGE, UAB
47. Josh Myers, IOL, Ohio State
48. Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU
49. Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
50. Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame
I am a big Joe Tryon fan and would be comfortable taking him in the first round. Jamin Davis is almost assuredly going in the first round somewhere. He is the cleanest of the linebacker prospects right now. Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo are smart, savvy leaders in the secondary. Kelvin Joseph has as much upside as any cornerback prospect in this draft class. I am admittedly higher on Jordan Smith than most because of his length and waist bend. I am in the minority in the sense that I have Dillon Radunz and Jalen Mayfield in this range rather than Liam Eichenberg and Sam Cosmi.
51. Marlon Tuipulotu, DL, USC
52. Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia
53. Levi Onwuzurike, IDL, Washington
54. Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida
55. Trey Smith, IOL, Tennessee
56. Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa
57. Wyatt Davis, IOL, Ohio State
58. Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma
59. Richie Grant, S, UCF
60. Michael Carter, RB, North Carolina
61. Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia
62. Quincy Roche, EDGE, Miami
63. Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Memphis
64. Ambry Thomas, CB, Michigan
65. Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
66. D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan
67. Tyler Shelvin, IDL, LSU
68. Amari Rodgers, WR, Clemson
69. Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State
70. Daviyon Nixon, DL, Iowa
71. Hamilcar Rashed Jr., EDGE, Oregon State
72. Jay Tufele, IDL, USC
73. Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri
74. Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State
75. James Hudson III, OT, Cincinnati
76. Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State
77. Elijah Molden, CB, Washington
78. Deonte Brown, IOL, Alabama
79. Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State
80. Jabril Cox, LB, LSU
81. Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina
82. Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami
83. Quinn Meinerz, OG, Wisconsin-Whitewater
84. Cameron McGrone, LB, Michigan
85. Bryce Hargrove, IOL, Pittsburgh
86. Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa
87. Davis Mills, QB, Stanford
88. Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State
89. Robert Jones, IOL, Middle Tennessee State
90. Aaron Banks, IOL, Notre Dame
91. Pete Werner, LB, Ohio State
92. Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina
93. Monty Rice, LB, Georgia
94. Osa Odighizuwa, EDGE, UCLA
95. Jaret Patterson, RB, Buffalo
96. Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson
97. Shaka Toney, EDGE, Penn State
98. Tommy Togiai, DT, Ohio State
99. Payton Turner, DL, Houston
100. Walker Little, OT, Stanford
Walker Little will likely be taken higher because it is so difficult to find offensive tackles with the athleticism that he brings to the table. It is likely that Eric Stokes is taken higher than I have him ranked as well. Tyson Campbell's coverage skills are fantastic but his lack of ball production is concerning. Kadarius Toney and Zaven Collins are ranked lower than most. Collins supposedly measured in at 270 pounds at his medical re-check, which is tough to understand. With Toney, it is just a matter of him knowing what to do each play. I am higher on Hamilcar Rashed Jr. than most because I think he offers more upside as a committed edge rusher as opposed to a glorified off-ball linebacker.
101. Hunter Long, TE, Boston College
102. Tyree Gillespie, S, Missouri
103. Larry Borom, OT, Missouri
104. Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR, Iowa
105. Ronnie Perkins, EDGE, Oklahoma
106. Tedarrell Slaton, IDL, Florida
107. Brenden Jaimes, OT, Nebraska
108. Kyle Trask, QB, Florida
109. Alim McNeill, IDL, NC State
110. Patrick Jones II, EDGE, Pittsburgh
111. Ifeatu Melifonwu, S, Syracuse
112. Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame
113. Jamar Johnson, S, Indiana
114. Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest
115. Jaylen Twyman, IDL, Pittsburgh
116. Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama
117. Brady Breeze, S, Oregon
118. Nico Collins, WR, Michigan
119. Anthony Schwartz, WR, Auburn
120. Marlon Williams, WR, UCF
121. Drake Jackson, IOL, Kentucky
122. Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas
123. Adetokunbo Ogundeji, EDGE, Notre Dame
124. Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina
125. Camryn Bynum, CB, California
126. Ar'Darius Washington, S, TCU
127. Chris Rumph II, EDGE, Duke
128. Trey Hill, IOL, Georgia
129. Victor Dimukeje, EDGE, Duke
130. Cornell Powell, WR, Clemson
131. Marvin Wilson, IDL, Florida State
132. Rashad Weaver, EDGE, Pittsburgh
133. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USC
134. Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State
135. Jamien Sherwood, S, Auburn
136. Eric Burrell, S, Wisconsin
137. Shakur Brown, CB, Michigan State
138. Kary Vincent Jr., CB, LSU
139. Wyatt Hubert, EDGE, Kansas State
140. Malcolm Koonce, EDGE, Buffalo
141. Milton Williams, DT, Louisiana Tech
142. Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC
143. Elijah Mitchell, RB, Louisiana
144. Carlo Kemp, IDL, Michigan
145. Khalil Herbert, RB, Virginia Tech
146. Tre' McKitty, TE, Georgia
147. Tommy Kraemer, IOL, Notre Dame
148. Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State
149. Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State
150. Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse
Milton Williams, Sam Cosmi, Ronnie Perkins and Ifeatu Melifonwu could be massive steals in this part of the draft. The highs are noteworthy but I wanted to see more consistency. Amon-Ra St. Brown was surprisingly low when I went through my grades. He could be a solid contributor. Talanoa Hufanga is a unique talent with a specialized skill set. If he goes to the right system, then he will be great value for a team. Ihmir Smith-Marsette is great after the catch and Iowa was able to get him the football in a variety of ways. Eric Burrell is a really smart safety. Ar'Darius Washington is a bit undersized but is instinctive and always around the ball.
151. Keith Taylor, CB, Washington
152. Chatarius Atwell, WR, Louisville
153. Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston
154. Frank Darby, WR, Arizona State
155. Joshua Kaindoh, EDGE, Florida State
156. Carlos Basham Jr., EDGE, Wake Forest
157. Cameron Sample, EDGE, Tulane
158. Tre Norwood, CB, Oklahoma
159. Earnest Brown IV, DT, Northwestern
160. Caden Sterns, S, Texas
161. Joshuah Bledsoe, S, Missouri
162. Seth Williams, WR, Auburn
163. Damonte Coxie, WR, Memphis
164. Paris Ford, S, Pittsburgh
165. Drew Dalman, IOL, Stanford
166. Trevon Grimes, WR, Florida
167. Marco Wilson, CB, Florida
168. Dazz Newsome, WR, North Carolina
169. Stone Forsythe, OT, Florida
170. Malik Herring, IDL, Georgia
171. Josh Ball, OT, Marshall
172. Chris Evans, RB, Michigan
173. Jamie Newman, QB, Georgia
174. Jerome Johnson, DT, Indiana
175. Olaijah Griffin, CB, USC
176. Cole Van Lanen, OT, Wisconsin
177. Patrick Johnson, EDGE, Tulane
178. Jaelon Darden, WR, North Texas
179. Shi Smith, WR, South Carolina
180. Kayode Awosika, IOL, Buffalo
181. Bobby Brown III, IDL, Texas A&M
182. Harry Crider, C, Indiana
183. Zech McPhearson, CB, Texas Tech
184. Brandon Stephens, CB, SMU
185. Ben Cleveland, IOL, Georgia
186. Larry Rountree III, RB, Missouri
187. Tre Walker, WR, San Jose State
188. Brady Christensen, OT, BYU
189. Richard LeCounte III, S, Georgia
190. Brett Heggie, IOL, Florida
191. Charles Snowden, LB, Virginia
192. Ben Skowronek, WR, Notre Dame
193. Rodarius Williams, CB, Oklahoma State
194. James Wiggins, S, Cincinnati
195. Jose Borregales, K, Miami
196. D'Ante Smith, OT, East Carolina
197. D'Angelo Amos, S, Virginia
198. Kendrick Green, OG, Illinois
199. DJ Daniel, CB, Georgia
200. Tre Brown, CB, Oklahoma
Carlos Basham will be a surprise inclusion in this section. The moments of brilliance are few and far between unless I have just seen the wrong games. Stone Forsythe is a player that has tremendous length but he looks stiff to me. My writeup of him does not read as someone projected in this range, however. It is much more favorable than his final grade. A common theme amongst prospects in this range is that most have traits that could lead to a starting role down the line but are more likely to be reserves or fill a role. The first specialists come off the board in this area as well. Interior offensive linemen Kendrick Green, Brady Christensen and Drew Dalman will likely come off the board earlier than where they are listed.
201. Darren Hall, CB, San Diego State
202. Kene Nwangwu, RB, Iowa State
203. Pooka Williams, RB, Kansas
204. Max Duffy, P, Kentucky
205. Royce Newman, OG, Ole Miss
206. Jermar Jefferson, RB, Oregon State
207. JR Pace, S, Northwestern
208. Benjamin St-Juste, CB, Minnesota
209. Darius Stills, IDL, West Virginia
210. Thomas Graham Jr., CB, Oregon
211. Justin Hilliard, LB, Ohio State
212. Cade Johnson, WR, South Dakota State
213. Shemar Jean-Charles, CB, Appalachian State
214. Josh Palmer, WR, Tennessee
215. Whop Philyor, WR, Indiana
216. Jaelin Fisher, C, Charlotte
217. Syrus Tuitele, OT, Fresno State
218. Kylen Granson, TE, SMU
219. Brandin Echols, CB, Kentucky
220. Robert Rochell, CB, Central Arkansas
221. Nick Eubanks, TE, Michigan
222. Kenny Yeboah, TE, Ole Miss
223. Alaric Jackson, OT, Iowa
224. Landon Young, OT, Kentucky
225. David Moore, IOL, Grambling
226. Robert Hainsey, IOL, Notre Dame
227. Riley Patterson, K, Memphis
228. B.J. Emmons, RB, Florida Atlantic
229. James Smith, P, Cincinnati
230. Demetric Felton, RB, UCLA
231. Chris Wilcox, CB, BYU
232. Bryan Mills, CB, North Carolina Central
233. Larnel Coleman, OT, UMASS
234. Miller Forristall, TE, Alabama
235. Brandon Smith, WR, Iowa
236. Isaiah Dunn, CB, Oregon State
237. Quintin Morris, TE, Bowling Green
238. Bryce Thompson, CB, Tennessee
239. Trill Williams, S, Syracuse
240. Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M
241. Mark Webb, S, Georgia
242. Antonio Phillips, CB, Ball State
243. Derrick Barnes, LB, Purdue
244. Nate Hobbs, CB, Illinois
245. Michal Menet, IOL, Penn State
246. Isaiah McDuffie, LB, Boston College
247. Christian Tutt, CB, Auburn
248. Dai'Jean Dixon, WR, Nicholls State
249. Tristen Hoge, IOL, BYU
250. Deommodore Lenoir, CB, Oregon
Kellen Mond is being included in second round projections. He has a lot of potential but, how often has that worked out in the NFL at the quarterback position? Day 2 quarterback picks rarely pan out with Russell Wilson and Andy Dalton being the primary exceptions. There are some very intriguing skill players in this group as well as developmental offensive linemen like David Moore, Landon Young and Larnel Coleman. Robert Rochell and Bryan Mills have great length at their respective positions.
