Round One Mock Draft
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Round One Mock Draft Pick Position Player School 1. Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence Clemson Trevor Lawrence has been highly sought after since high school. After his incredible four-year run with Clemson, nothing changes here. Trevor is still the best quarterback and will lead this young Jacksonville team for years to come under new head coach Urban Meyer. 2. New York Jets QB Zach Wilson BYU After the Sam Darnold trade, it became increasingly evident the New York Jets were all in on Zach Wilson. He has all the intangibles needed to help turn this franchise around. New head coach Robert Saleh will be instrumental in maximizing Wilson’s skill sets to get the most out of him. 3. San Francisco 49ers QB Justin Fields Ohio State The 49ers believe their guy will be available with the number three overall pick, and with that came the decision to trade up with Miami. To me, there are a number of targets San Francisco could go after, but Justin Fields makes too much sense to pass up on. He is an absolute stud with the ball in his hands and offers the most talent at the position. Kyle Shanahan should make great use of his skills to become one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL. 4. Atlanta Falcons QB Trey Lance North Dakota State With Matt Ryan under a hefty contract for the next few years, Atlanta would be wise to take advantage of their current situation and take a quarterback with arguably the highest ceiling in this year’s draft class. Trey Lance does need some time to develop and who better to learn behind than the great Matty Ice. I do believe this could be a trade down scenario but acquiring Trey Lance would be a smart investment. 5. Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase LSU An argument can be made for OT Penei Sewell, but to have your quarterback reunite with his former go to target, Chase, might be too good to pass up on. This pick would easily help further develop Burrow because with the loss of WR AJ Green, Chase could come in right away and take over as WR1. His physicality and play making abilities would be perfect for the AFC North. 6. Miami Dolphins TE Kyle Pitts Florida There was a reason why Miami decided to trade back up. His name is Kyle Pitts. A physical specimen at the TE position that was responsible for 12 TDs with 43 receptions and 770 yards in 2020. He can line up as a true TE or out wide and be an absolute mismatch. Tua Tagovailoa needs a ton of help if he wishes to succeed and that begins with playmakers like Kyle Pitts. 7. Detroit Lions WR Jaylen Waddle Alabama With the recent departures at the WR position, the Lions have to reload and a player like Jaylen Waddle would be wonders for this team. His speed and catch radius are unmatched. His playmaking ability is very Tyreek Hill-ish. He could very easily light up the stat sheet on any given Sunday. 8. Carolina Panthers OT Penei Sewell Oregon Carolina is such a young and uber talented team that also happens to be well coached. Last year they bolstered the defense with every pick. This year however, I do believe it is time to focus on the offensive side of the ball. Penei Sewell has not been projected to fall this far, but with the rush on QBs early could see Carolina taking the best OT in this year’s draft. 9. Denver Broncos OT Rashawn Slater Northwestern The Broncos are a very interesting team with not a lot of holes on either side of the ball. The options here are abundant and they honestly could not go wrong with whoever they decide. With that said, it is time to protect Drew Lock and give him a legitimate chance. He has the weapons to succeed, but his OL hasn’t always given him the appropriate time to make plays. That is where I see Slater being such a huge asset. 10. Dallas Cowboys CB Patrick Surtain II Alabama Since the very first mock draft of 2021, Patrick Surtain II to Dallas has been the consensus pick. He does a lot of things very well whether it is playing Man or Zone coverages. Although this is not a sexy selection, Surtain is such a gifted corner that could fit in any scheme. 11. New York Giants EDGE Gregory Rousseau Miami (FL) Is this finally the year the Giants take an edge rusher in the first round? This has been a huge need for many years; although they have filled the depth chart with players, the EDGE position for New York has been severely underwhelming. Gregory Rousseau played very well in his lone season before opting out in Miami leaving many people to be excited about. 12. Philadelphia Eagles CB Jaycee Horn South Carolina The Philadelphia Eagles have come a long way since winning the Super Bowl in 2018. New QB, new head coach, new offensive coordinator, and every position needing to be upgraded is where the Eagles stand now. With much in doubt and no future plan in place, the Eagles need a shutdown corner of Horn’s caliber to build around. He has the ability to resemble Jalen Ramsey and has the tools to do so. 13. Los Angeles Chargers OT Christian Darrisaw Virginia Tech The Chargers cannot afford to miss on this selection after having Justin Hebert win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. His blindside must be protected to reduce the amount of he gets per game. Who better than a 6’5” 322 lbs. OT in Christian Darrisaw who started for the Hokies as a true freshman? My only concern is his drive as he leaves a lot to be desired on the field. Although playing very well in every contest, there was never a sense of urgency to his film. Nonetheless, he is a huge prospect with much upside that could very quickly take over as LT for the Los Angeles Chargers. 14. Minnesota Vikings DE Kwity Paye Michigan Many have OL as the first-round projection for the Vikings which makes a ton of sense, but reality dictates the reason they struggled early in the year was due to the fact of their lack of pressures on opposing quarterbacks. Throughout the draft, teams will find OL depth, but the same cannot be said for finding a quality edge presence. Kwity Paye has given reason to be the number one EDGE prospect on many people’s big board because of his skill set to go along with his high motor. 15. New England Patriots LB Micah Parsons Penn State Arguably one of the best defensive prospects in this year’s draft falls to none other than the New England Patriots. He is not a complete prospect but could truly excel under Bill Belichick and his “just do your job” mentality. Parsons ran a sub 4.4 at 246 lbs. at his Pro Day proving his sideline-to-sideline speed. He is a force in the run game that his lack of coverage skills could be overlooked as he continues to build on that part of his game. 16. Arizona Cardinals OL Alijah Vera-Tucker USC There have been rumors that Arizona could trade up to take a WR and as exciting as that might be, I still believe upgrading the OL would be the better option here. AVT can play anywhere along the line and help Day 1 which is a trait the Cardinals really covet. Kyler Murray needs to be protected if he is to survive the defenses of the NFC West. 17. Las Vegas Raiders LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Notre Dame Originally, I was excited with the Cory Littleton pick up, but his lack of coverage ability has really hurt this defense get off the field. With that said, insert JOK who can truly do it all as a sideline-to-sideline linebacker who also excels in coverage to lead this young defense. Whether he is stopping the run, to covering a skilled position, Jeremiah has all the skill sets to be a sleeper for Defensive Rookie of the year. 18. Miami Dolphins EDGE Jaelen Phillips Miami (FL) Despite not having a lot of talent on the edge, the Dolphins created a lot of pressure with their defensive tackles. If those guys can create that must pressure, now imagine Jaelen Phillips with his high motor coming off the edge to help. He finally showed his potential at Miami with 8 total sacks and 1 interception making this an easy selection for the Dolphins. 19. Washington Football Team WR DeVonta Smith Alabama The Washington Football Team needs receivers in the worst way. Terry McLaurin is an amazing talent, but he could truly benefit from another guy alleviating some of the attention off him. WFT is a team with a plan and is headed in the right direction under head coach Ron Rivera and company. With Smith, not only do they get a Heisman winner, but they also get a battle proven receiver who has beaten the best of the best at the collegiate level on a weekly basis. 20. Chicago Bears QB Mac Jones Alabama Unlike Washington, I do worry with the future in Chicago. This is a team that could use help at every position, so going with best player available would be a wise choice. With that said and even with the Andy Dalton acquisition, I think they must get a quarterback like Mac Jones who led his team to win the National Championship.