2021 NFL Mock Draft: Vikings and Patriots get QBs, Giants and Washington target game-changing WRs
Four QBs and and six WRs go in the first round of this week's mock draft
By
Ryan Wilson
•
1 min read
Trevor Lawrence remains the No. 1 overall pick but he wasn't the best quarterback in college football over the weekend. That honor belongs to Ohio State's Justin Fields, who finds himself going off the board right after Lawrence for the second straight week. Meanwhile, after two straight weeks of stagnant offense, the Patriots look to Alabama for their next franchise quarterback.
And a year after one of the deepest wide receiver classes in recent memory, six wideouts go off the board in Round 1.
OK, let's get to this week's mock draft. And remember, the draft order below was determined using SportsLine's reverse Super Bowl odds following Week 7 action.
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
The Jets actually led the Bills during much of their Week 7 matchup and it was the first time New York was in the lead at any point since Week 4. Put another way: This offense is historically abysmal and Trevor Lawrence remains the clearcut No. 1 overall pick.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Fields and the Buckeyes had their season opener on Saturday and he looked even better than he did in 2019 -- and that's saying something. The Jags were reportedly thinking about benching Gardner Minshew and there's no reason to believe they won't be in the QB business this offseason, especially if they have a top-5 draft pick.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
Same as last week and for the same reasons: Sewell is the best offensive lineman in this draft class and Joe Burrow continues to run for his life. We just hope he can keep it up for nine more weeks until help arrives.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
The Giants would LOVE Sewell but he's already off the board. And with no other offensive lineman currently worth a top-5 pick New York gets Daniel Jones a big-play wideout that can win at every level.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
The Broncos are thin at linebacker behind Josey Jewell and A.J. Johnson, and Johnson will be a restricted free agent after the season. Parsons, meanwhile, is a dynamo who has the athleticism, physicality and playmaking ability we see in the modern NFL linebacker. He opted out for the 2020 season but there was a lot to like on his 2019 tape.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
The Falcons are a bad football team, and most of their shortcomings have been on the defensive side of the ball. Paye is a freakish athlete who looked great in Michigan's debut against Minnesota. He used his physical gifts to harass Gophers QB Tanner Morgan all night and he looks like a much more polished pass rusher than what we saw a season ago.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 7
This has been a popular match in our recent mock drafts and for good reason -- Rousseau, who opted out before the season, came out of nowhere in 2019, logging 15.5 sacks for the Hurricanes. He's new to the position but there's a lot to work with and he'd give Miami a much-needed spark off the edge.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Waddle was lost for the season after suffering an ankle injury on the opening kickoff Saturday vs. Tennessee. But he's expected to make a full recovery from surgery and if everything checks out medically he remains one of the most explosive wideouts in this draft class. The Football Team needs a quarterback too but with Lawrence and Fields gone, upgrading the receivers corps makes sense here.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
The Vikings extended Kirk Cousins' contract in the offseason but they can get out of it after the 2021 season. And that year Lance could use on the bench learning the offense. He's a special talent who played just one season at NDSU, but he can do it all.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Ereck Flowers has been much improved after moving inside to guard but Tua is the future and Wyatt Davis is the best interior lineman in this class.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Donte Jackson and Rasul Douglas have been solid in coverage this season but Jackson will be a free agent after 2021 and Douglas hits free agency in the spring. Adding Surtain will give the Panthers another young, physical playmaker on an emerging defense.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
The Cowboys have A LOT of needs on defense but with two pass rushers already off the board, bolstering a flagging secondary seems prudent. Farley, who has opted out, is also a big, physical corner and as a converted WR he has playmaking abilities too.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Slater was dominant at left tackle during the 2019 season, and he played right tackle the two seasons before that. He also has the versatility to line up inside and, in fact, his future may be inside at guard. In related news: Trai Turner is the right guard but the Chargers, who have found their franchise QB in rookie first-rounder Justin Herbert, could be looking to upgrade the left guard position.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola are all in the final year of their deals. And while the Lions will almost certainly keep Golladay, adding Smith would be smart. For an idea of how good Smith is, consider this: he was probably the best wideout on the Crimson Tide's roster last season, and that roster included Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy and Jaylen Waddle.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
The Raiders have been one of the NFL's worst defensive units, according to the advanced metrics. And while Nick Kwiatkoski has been really good, the rest of the linebackers have struggled with consistency. Dylan Moses is a first-round talent who returned to Alabama after tearing his ACL just before the 2019 season. He was tentative at times early this season but flashed against Tennessee on Saturday. Once he gets comfortable expect Moses to return to his pre-injury form.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Owusu-Koramoah is listed as a linebacker but you can find him all over the field. He's having a great 2020 campaign and he can come off the edge and has the athleticism, speed and change of direction to be an asset in coverage.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
Don't laugh, Jones is legit. He's proven it week in and week out for Alabama, and he did it again on Saturday against Tennessee without Jaylen Waddle. Jones has been a lethal deep-ball passer this season and he always makes good decisions with the ball. It's probably fair to say that the Patriots won't be signing Cam Newton to a long-term deal all the while Jones is generating some buzz around the league.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Myles Garrett is one of the best players in the NFL but he can't do it alone. Oweh, meanwhile, is a physical freak who is still learning the position. He has a chance to drastically improve his draft stock with a strong showing this fall.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Rashod Bateman opened his season last Saturday against Michigan and he we saw glimpses of what makes him special. He has to prove that he can consistently win at the line of scrimmage but what he put on tape last season was a lot of first-round reps. He's a really good player who looks like an NFL wideout.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
The 49ers have five cornerbacks headed for unrestricted free agency (including Richard Sherman and Jason Verrett) and two more as exclusive rights free agents. Campbell is an intriguing height/weight/speed guy whom NFL teams will be watching closely this fall.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
The Bears have Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman (who opted out before the season) under contract for multiple years but the defensive line could used depth. Barmore plays better each week for the Crimson Tide; he was a part-time player a year ago and has the type of potential that could see him work his way into the first-round conversation.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Shaun Wade has a ton of big-game experience at Ohio State but he played mostly in the slot throughout his career and he now moves to the outside in 2020. He's not the playmaker of former teammates and first-rounders Damon Arnette and Jeffrey Okudah, but his versatility will make him an attractive first-round option, especially if he can prove he can play outside.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
AJ Brown is a grown man but he can't do it alone; Corey Davis and Adam Humphries are in the final year of their current deals. Moore played in just four games last season because of a hamstring injury, and opted out of the team's game last weekend. He's one of the most dynamic playmakers in this draft class who is looking to build on a promising 2018 and 2019 campaign.
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From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 24
Horn put himself on NFL teams' radar with a strong 2019 effort but he's stepped up his play in '20. The Jags tooke CJ Henderson with one of their 2019 first-rounders but the secondary still needs a lot of work.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
The Cards could stand to upgrade the offensive line but it's hard to pass on a playmaking tight end for Kyler Murray. Pitts has been just about unstoppable for the Gators and it's pretty easy to imagine him seamlessly integrating into Arizona's offense.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
A former QB who made a close-to-seamless transition to linebacker got off to a strong start to the 2020 campaign for the Tar Heels. It he a top 32 pick? Not yet, but no one was talking about Jordyn Brooks that way either 12 months ago.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
Marshall played in the shadow of Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson a year ago but he's a legit prospect. He already has 27 receptions and nine touchdowns in just four games, and he's averaging 19 yards per catch. Imagine Rodgers having Davante Adams and Marshall on the field at the same time.
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From
Seattle Seahawks
Round 1 - Pick 28
The Jets desperately need weapons and Freiermuth can do it all. And in just about any other draft class, he'd be the first tight end off the board.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
A Temple transfer who had 13 sacks in 2019, Roche has been up and down through the early part of the season though he has flashed more consistently lately. He has the athleticism to play the position at the next level but he needs to continue to show more consistency against ACC opponents.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
The Ravens would love a big-play wide receiver but five are already off the board. Matt Skura is in the final year of his contract and Humphrey, the anchor of a dominant offensive line at Oklahoma, has been the center for Kyler Murray and Jalen Hurts, and now Spencer Rattler.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
Offensive tackle makes sense here but Donovan Smith and Tristan Wirfs are off to strong starts. And while the same can be said for Ronald Jones, Etienne is the best running back in this class, is a beast as a rusher and is a threat as a receiver too. One more weapon for Tom Brady and the Bucs, who currently look like the best team in the division.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
The Chiefs have very few holes on offense but Kelechi Osemele is an unrestricted free agent after the season and Andrew Wylie will be a restricted free agent. Smith, who played tackle earlier in his career, is a road grader on the interior.
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