Trevor Lawrence could have thrown every one of his pro-day passes underhanded and out of bounds and it wouldn't have changed his draft stock. Instead, he was clinical, showing off his athleticism and arm strength, and reconfirmed what we all knew: He's the best player in this class. Now he'll have surgery on his non-throwing shoulder and get ready for the 2021 season in Jacksonville.
Four other teams target quarterbacks in Round 1, starting with the Jets and followed by the Falcons, Panthers and Football Team. Meanwhile, other clubs, who have their QB situations settled (for now, anyway), look to bolster the rosters around their signal caller; the Dolphins add offensive line help, the Bengals go with a tight end and the Steelers add a running back in Round 1 for the first time since 2008.
Keep reading to see how the rest of the first round unfolds.
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
Trevor Lawrence aced the last test -- his pro day -- and now he's set for surgery on his non-throwing shoulder. He's expected to be ready for the start of the NFL season and there's still no reason to think he won't be the first-overall pick in April.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
The Jets have to decide where their future lies at quarterback; they can stay put and stick with Sam Darnold, trade down and get a QB later in the draft, or trade down and accumulate picks to give Darnold more weapons. If New York goes QB here, no player did more for their draft stock in 2020 than Zach Wilson.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 3
Dolphins rookies Austin Jackson and Robert Hunt saw plenty of playing time in 2020, but Sewell is one of the best players in this draft class and immediately upgrades the O-line in front of Tua Tagovailoa, who according to GM Chris Grier, remains the face of the franchise.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Jones was a better QB at Alabama than Tagovailoa and for us, he's a better NFL prospect too. He shares some similarities with Matt Ryan, whose contract will almost certainly require him to remain in Atlanta for the 2021 season.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
The Bengals would love to get offensive line help here, but with Sewell off the board they could focus on the best pass catcher in this draft class. Pitts is listed as a tight end but he can line up anywhere and is a matchup nightmare for corners, safeties and linebackers.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Chase is our WR1 by a whisker. He doesn't have elite athleticism but he is a dog; he consistently wins at the line of scrimmage, plays with the type of physicality you rarely see in college wideouts, and is at his best in contested-catch situations. However the QB situation resolves itself in Philly, Chase immediately improves the WR corps.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Parsons opted out, but he didn't hurt his draft stock by doing so. He might end up being the best off-ball linebacker to come out in the last 4-5 years.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
The Panthers got a first-hand look at Mac Jones at Senior Bowl practices but he's already off the board. Instead, they select Fields, who has unlimited potential but is still growing into the position. Fields could spend a year learning behind Teddy Bridgewater before taking over the starting job in 2022.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Bryce Callahan was a bright spot in the secondary in 2020 but he, along with four other CBs, will have his contract expire next spring. Farley, who opted out for 2020, is our CB1.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
The Cowboys season clearly didn't go as expected and much of that can be traced to a ton of injuries, starting with Dak Prescott. And despite being in the NFC East playoff race until late, that doesn't change the fact that the pass rush needs to get better and Paye, who has improved greatly from the 2019 season, is a freak athlete and legit first-round talent.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
The Giants have a lot of needs -- edge rusher, cornerback, offensive lineman, tight end -- but it's hard to pass up on the best player in college football. Smith is an out-of-this-world talent whose only shortcoming is that he's undersized. His slight frame didn't limit his effectiveness during his Alabama career and he gives Daniel Jones an immediate downfield threat in New York.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
San Francisco has five cornerbacks headed for unrestricted free agency (including Richard Sherman and Jason Verrett) and two more as exclusive rights free agents. Surtain was Alabama's best CB the last two seasons and and is coming off a strong junior campaign.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Slater opted out for 2020, but he was dominant in '19, and he more than held his own when he faced off against Ohio State and Chase Young. Slater can play tackle or kick inside to guard, though we feel he's a Day 1 starter on the outside.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
The Vikings have needs at edge rusher but also along the interior offensive line and Vera-Tucker, who is a stud on the interior but starred at tackle this season for USC, has the versatility to line up anywhere.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Waddle is a high-upside speed demon who is also a threat in the return game. The Patriots desperately need to get better at wideout and Waddle solves that problem on Day 1.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Patrick Peterson, Dre Kirkpatrick and Johnathan Joseph will be free agents this spring, and Horn is a physical, athletic playmaking cornerback who would add depth at the position.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
The Raiders managed just 21 sacks in 2020 (that ranked 25th overall) and Phillips is a high-energy tone-setter off the edge. There are injury questions (he retired from the game in 2018) but if he's healthy, he's a terror.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Moore is undersized and he's only played in seven games the last two seasons, but could end up being the most dynamic player in this entire class. He is a YAC machine and could make life easier for Tagovailoa, who likes to get the ball out quickly and let his pass catchers do the heavy lifting.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Would the Football Team take a high-upside franchise quarterback in Round 1, especially since they're just two years removed from drafting Dwayne Haskins? Lance is a special talent who played just one season at NDSU, but he can do it all. Unfortunately for WFT, he'll need at least a year of seasoning before assuming the starting gig.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
The Bears need a quarterback, but with five already off the board they turn to the offensive line. Darrisaw, who had a strong season for the Hokies, is an athletic offensive lineman who may eventually move inside to guard.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
Anthony Castonzo has announced his retirement and Jenkins plays with an edge, is athletic, has great feet and moves well in space. He can also man the left or right tackle positions.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
The Titans have 19 sacks this season. By comparison, Rousseau racked up 15.5 sacks last season but opted out in 2020. He's new to the position and the question is whether he can come close to replicating that type of production at the next level.
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From
Seattle Seahawks
Round 1 - Pick 23
Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams led the Jets with seven sacks, and Carlos Basham was next with three. Put another way: New York needs to get better at getting after the QB. Oweh has all the physical tools to make the jump to the NFL; he just needs more experience.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
The Steelers need to beef up the O-line, but they also need to figure out how to re-establish the run. Najee Harris isn't Derrick Henry, but he has similar traits with the added ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. If Pittsburgh can find a run game, their passing offense becomes much more consistent (and less predictable).
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From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 25
Barmore was our DT1 coming into the season, took a while to get going, and then saved his best football for the final month of the season. He was absolutely dominant in 'Bama's run to the championship.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Onwuzurike opted out in 2020 but flashed consistently during his one day of practice at the Senior Bowl last month. He needs to play with more consistency, but he has the type of potential that could translate to being a difference-maker in the middle of a young defense in Cleveland that will only get better in '21.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
Yannick Ngakoue and Matt Judon will be free agents in a few weeks and even if one (or both) returns, the Ravens need to get better off the edge. Ojulari somehow flew under the radar at Georgia, where he had a standout campaign.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
For the season, Collins had four sacks, four interceptions (including two pick-sixes) and two forced fumbles. At 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, he looks more like a defensive end but moves with the fluidity of the modern day inside linebackers that have become so prevalent around the league. The Saints could also be looking for a QB and even a wideout, but with the best players at those positions already off the board, they opt to bolster the defense.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
We're going to will this into existence. The Packers offense -- and Aaron Rodgers, in particular -- need to add weapons on the outside because for as dominant as Davante Adams is, he can't do it alone. Toney is a four-down player who carries the ball like a running back after the catch.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Owusu-Koramoah is a tweener, which is why some NFL teams view him as a safety and not a linebacker. Above all else, he's an athlete, and Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier will find ways to get him on the field.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
Basham is a physical specimen who will be dominant once he puts it all together. In K.C., he'll give the Chiefs defense a much-needed boost off the edge.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
Nixon is an explosive interior defensive lineman who has a knack for finding his way into the backfield and being disruptive vs. both the pass and the run. And while he won't replace Ndamukong Suh (assuming Suh leaves in free agency), adding depth makes sense here.
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