Which college stars will end up coming to New York to join the Giants and Jets? Let’s look ahead to the 2021 NFL Draft!
We’re one week from the Super Bowl, which (unfortunately) means Giants and Jets fans are already looking ahead to the 2021 NFL Draft.
The 2021 NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 29 and runs through Saturday, May 1. With Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence being the assumed number one overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars and new head coach Urban Meyer, the eyes of the football nation turn to the Jets, who own the second overall pick.
What we don’t know yet is whether or not the Jets will make the second pick. Will they trade down to add more picks? They already have two in the first round. Or will they swing big for a franchise quarterback, trading for Deshaun Watson or Matthew Stafford?
While we won’t assume or project any trades, it’s worth taking some time to consider how the 2021 NFL Draft might play out.
With that, let’s jump into a four-round mock draft.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
This has felt like a fait accompli for more than a year. Lawrence is arguably the most hyped quarterback to enter the draft since Andrew Luck, and he’ll be the centerpiece of Urban Meyer’s new look in Jacksonville. Can they build a winner around him? They certainly have the picks to make a quick difference.
2. New York Jets
DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
The Jets were roundly blasted for winning enough to lose out on Lawrence. And this pick may end up in the hands of a team that is looking to move a franchise quarterback. But, if the Jets stay put, receiver is a significant need. Smith, the Heisman Trophy winner, would be an incredible addition to the Jets’ offense.
3. Miami Dolphins (from HOU)
Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
Analysts will argue forever about whether or not Chase or Smith should be the first receiver off the board, but Miami (again – if they’re still picking third) will be happy to have either one. They need a big play target and they should be able to land one here.
4. Atlanta Falcons
Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
Atlanta has issues all over their defense and could look to select an impact player and every level on that side of the ball. They may also consider an heir apparent to Matt Ryan at quarterback. But the best corner in the draft is a smart play. Remember: Atlanta selected Deion Sanders fifth overall 32 years ago.
5. Cincinnati Bengals
Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
The picture of Joey Burrow getting carted off the field last year was the absolute worst case scenario for the Bengals. So they’ll look to protect him at all costs moving forward. Sewell is the best tackle in a really good class at that position, so this is a smart choice.
6. Philadelphia Eagles
Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
What the hell will the Eagles look like by the time of the draft? New coach. New franchise quarterback? New offense? What we do know is they need to protect their quarterback, whomever it is. So taking a big tackle like Darrisaw makes sense.
7. Detroit Lions
Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
They’re shopping Matthew Stafford apparently, which means it’s time for a new era to begin in Detroit. They could have their choice of the second tier of quarterbacks in the draft after Lawrence. We’re banking on them going with the talented Fields, who was tremendous at Ohio State.
8. Carolina Panthers
Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
Carolina needs a new face of the franchise, and will likely address it early like Detroit. Wilson and Fields appear to be swapped out between QB2 and QB3 on most draft boards. So the players we have here at picks seven and eight could flip.
9. Denver Broncos
Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
Denver has to know what the future holds for Von Miller and make a decision about their quarterback position before they can make a choice in the draft. But knowing how Dallas covets an elite corner will make taking Farley a need-filling move here for the Broncos.
10. Dallas Cowboys
Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
If the top two corners are off the board, the Cowboys would be wide to take the best linebacker in the draft. Parsons is the complete package and would fill an enormous need for Dallas. Considering how poorly their defense played last year, drafting a leader makes too much sense here.
11. New York Giants
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
The Giants could go with an edge rusher here, but the incredible talent of Waddle might be too hard to pass on. Waddle is an electric receiver who could immediately change the passing game for the Giants. New York fans would be thrilled to have a talent like this join the offense.
12. San Francisco 49ers
Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
Will they trade for a quarterback? Maybe. If they don’t, Lance is your next quarterback on the big board. He’s an intriguing talent coming from North Dakota State but it’s hard not to fall in love with his tape. We’ll see how they start another build in the Bay.
13. Los Angeles Chargers
Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
After their rookie quarterback broke records for passing in 2020, adding an elite tight end here would be a fun move for the Chargers. Adding an option like Pitts to that offense would make them a team to watch next year, especially knowing they have to score in the same division as the Chiefs.
14. Minnesota Vikings
Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
How long do we keep believing in Kirk Cousins? What is clear is Minnesota needs to identify his heir, and Jones would be a solid choice here. This will be a fascinating pick to watch because most people believe the Patriots are considering a quarterback with the next pick.
15. New England Patriots
Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan
So the top five quarterbacks are off the board already. What do you do in New England? Maybe you trade for Stafford. Maybe you sign or trade for another veteran. Or (as we project here) they might wait to take a quarterback later in the draft. Paye is the best edge rusher in this draft and would fill a need for the Patriots.
16. Arizona Cardinals
Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
The Cardinals have plenty of needs on both sides of the ball. Horn is an exceptional corner who would help their secondary tremendously. They might also look to add to their offensive line depth here as well.
17. Las Vegas Raiders
Christian Barmore, DL, Alabama
This feels almost too good to be true. John Gruden getting together with a disruptive defensive lineman from an elite program? Barmore made himself a lot of money in the National Championship Game and stands to be an impact player wherever he lands.
18. Miami Dolphins
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
Miami’s second pick of the first round addresses another glaring weakness. Selecting an impact linebacker at 18 would be great value for Miami, who need this draft class to hit for them to turn around quickly.
19. Washington Football Team
Alijah Vera-Tucker, iOL, USC
They don’t have a firm answer at quarterback, but they need to protect their signal caller. They might think tackle here, but Vera-Tucker is a nasty interior offensive lineman who would work well with Ron Rivera’s mentality.
20. Chicago Bears
Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
The Bears have had a glaring need at tackle for years, so a deep draft class this year works out perfectly for them. Slater has the potential to be a long-term answer for Chicago’s offensive line. The Bears might be desperate enough to reach for a quarterback, but they need to protect whomever is under center.
21. Indianapolis Colts
Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami
Again, a team that’s in the market for a quarterback that might trade for one… or wait. At this point they would be reaching to take Kyle Trask. But Rousseau is a disruptive force on the edge that would help their defense immediately.
22. Tennessee Titans
Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State
Oweh is a guy who will look like a legend in workouts. He’s athletic and gets off the ball really well. Tennessee will have a number or positions they could address here but Oweh would be a dangerous player on their roster.
23. New York Jets (from SEA)
Zaven Collins, OLB, Tulsa
If Collins is available here, Robert Saleh might personally run the card to the commissioner himself. This is a prospect who looks the part of a dominant outside linebacker for the next decade. As Saleh builds the Jets in his identity, this is the kind of player he should want.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State
How much longer does Big Ben hang around? And what are they doing with the backup spot? Either way, down the stretch they couldn’t run the ball effectively and Roethlisberger got hit far too often. Jenkins would be a prototypical Steelers tackle pick.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR)
Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia
Urban Meyer continues looking to overhaul his roster here with his second pick, and he goes to the edge. This kid has a motor and played big for Georgia. Jacksonville needs athletic talent all over their roster and this is the kind of player that helps immediately.
26. Cleveland Browns
Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina
The Browns took a big step forward this year but saw that they aren’t there yet in the playoffs. Surratt was a consistent player at North Carolina who would come in and make plays all over the field for Cleveland.
27. Baltimore Ravens
Terrance Marshall, Jr, WR, LSU
Hollywood Brown was the only receiver worth a dime on the Ravens’ roster last year, and he clearly can’t do it all by himself. If Lamar Jackson is going to stick at quarterback, he needs help in the passing game; he can’t win every game with his legs. Marshall would be a big addition to the offense.
28. New Orleans Saints
Trevon Moehring, S, TCU
We assume Drew Brees is moving on, so the Saints are a pick that might be interesting for Trask. But they’ve got at least one quarterback they believe in on the roster for next year and have issues in their secondary. Moehring is the best safety in this class.
29. Green Bay Packers
Aaron Robinson, DB, UCF
If you watched them lose the NFC Championship Game you know their secondary has at least one issue. Robinson is climbing draft boards and would come in to help that situation right away. But if Aaron Rodgers is gone, who knows what happens here.
30. Buffalo Bills
Quincy Roche, EDGE, Miami
Buffalo is *this close* to being elite, but have a few issues they still need to address. Roche is having a dominant week of practice at the Senior Bowl and could surprise by coming off the board before this selection.
31. Tampa Bay Bucs
Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa
Tampa could have some decisions to make after the Super Bowl. Nixon is an enormous player who could come in and replace one of the veterans on their defensive front. At the end of the round they might be open to moving back to add options later as well.
32. Kansas City Chiefs
Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas
With news that tackle Eric Fisher tore his Achilles in the AFC championship game, what was a need becomes even greater for the most dangerous offense in football. Cosmi would bring some nasty to the Chiefs line and would be a solid addition to their line.
33. Jacksonville Jaguars – Wyatt Davis, iOL, Ohio State
34. New York Jets – Derion Kendrick, CB, Clemson
35. Miami Dolphins (from HOU) – Deonte Brown, iOL, Alabama
36. Atlanta Falcons – Joe Tryon, DE, Washington
37. Cincinnati Bengals – Joseph Ossai, EDGE, Texas
38. Philadelphia Eagles – Asante Samuel, Jr, CB, Florida State
39. Detroit Lions – Jay Tufele, DT, USC
40. Carolina Panthers – Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia
41. Denver Broncos – Jaelen Phillips, EDGE, Miami
42. Dallas Cowboys – Pauson Adebo, CB, Stanford
43. New York Giants – Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame
44. San Francisco 49ers – Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia
45. Los Angeles Chargers – Kary Vincent, Jr, CB, LSU
46. Jacksonville Jaguars (from MIN) – Tommy Togai, DT, Ohio State
47. New England Patriots – Kyle Trask, QB, Florida
48. Arizona Cardinals – Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
49. Las Vegas Raiders – Josh Myers, iOL, Ohio State
50. Miami Dolphins – Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
51. Washington Football Team – Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida
52. Chicago Bears – Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan
53. Indianapolis Colts – Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia
54. Tennessee Titans – Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USC
55. Seattle Seahawks – Creed Humphrey, iOL, Oklahoma
56. Pittsburgh Steelers – Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina
57. Los Angeles Rams – Walker Little, OT, Stanford
58. Cleveland Browns – Jordan Smith, EDGE, UAB
59. Baltimore Ravens – Trey Smith, iOL, Tennessee
60. New Orleans Saints – Carlos Basham, Jr, DE, Wake Forest
61. Green Bay Packers – Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa
62. Buffalo Bills – Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
63. Tampa Bay Bucs – Ben Cleveland, iOL, Georgia
64. Kansas City Chiefs – Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
65. Jacksonville Jaguars – Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State
66. New York Jets – Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri
67. Houston Texans – Seth Williams, WR, Auburn
68. Atlanta Falcons – Elijah Moore, WR, Mississippi
69. Cincinnati Bengals – Elijah Molden, CB, Washington
70. Philadelphia Eagles – Josh Palmer, WR, Tennessee
71. Detroit Lions – Pete Werner, LB, Ohio State
72. Carolina Panthers – Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama
73. Denver Broncos – Michael Carter, RB, North Carolina
74. Dallas Cowboys – Landon Dickerson, OL, Alabama
75. New York Giants – Ronnie Perkins, EDGE, Oklahoma
76. Washington Football Team (from SF) – Jevon Holland, S, Oregon
77. Los Angeles Chargers – Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State
78. Jacksonville Jaguars (from MIN) – Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern
xx. New England Patriots – forfeited
79. Arizona Cardinals – Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State
80. Las Vegas Raiders – Hamilcar Rashed, Jr, EDGE, Oregon State
81. Miami Dolphins – JaCoby Stevens, S, LSU
82. Washington Football Team – Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State
83. Chicago Bears – Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
84. Indianapolis Colts – Tyler Linderbaum, iOL, Iowa
85. Tennessee Titans – Tristen Hoge, iOL, BYU
86. New York Jets (from SEA) – Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami
87. Pittsburgh Steelers – Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt
88. Los Angeles Rams – Peyton Turner, EDGE, Houston
89. Cleveland Browns – Rodarius Williams, CB, Oklahoma State
90. Minnesota Vikings (from BAL) – Jaylen Tryman, DT, Pittsburgh
91. Cleveland Browns (from NO) – Jackson Carmen, OT, Clemson
92. Green Bay Packers – Nico Collins, WR, Michigan
93. Buffalo Bills – Keith Taylor, CB, Washington
94. Tampa Bay Bucs – Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State
95. Kansas City Chiefs – Patrick Jones II, DE, Pittsburgh
96. Dallas Cowboys (comp) – Ade Ogundeji, DE, Notre Dame
97. New England Patriots (comp) – D’Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan
98. Tennessee Titans (comp) – Richie Grant, S, UCF
99. Los Angeles Rams (comp) – Jabril Cox, LB, LSU
100. New Orleans Saints (comp) – Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson
101. Jacksonville Jaguars – Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota
102. New York Jets – Sadarius Hutcherson, iOL, South Carolina
103. Houston Texans – Cameron McGrone, LB, Michigan
104. Atlanta Falcons – Jamie Newman, QB, Georgia
105. Cincinnati Bengals – Austin Watkins, WR, UAB
106. Cleveland Browns (from PHI) – Nick Eubanks, TE, Michigan
107. Detroit Lions – Anthony Schwartz, WR, Auburn
108. Carolina Panthers – Adrian Ealy, OT, Oklahoma
109. Denver Broncos – KJ Costello, QB, Mississippi State
110. Dallas Cowboys – Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse
111. New York Giants – Josh Jobe, CB, Alabama
112. San Francisco 49ers – Brady Christiansen, OT, BYU
113. Los Angeles Chargers – Chris Rumph II, EDGE, Duke
114. Minnesota Vikings – Deangelo Malone, EDGE, Western Kentucky
115. New England Patriots – Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State
116. Houston Texans (from ARI) – Joshua Kaindoh, DE, Florida State
117. Las Vegas Raiders – Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M
118. Miami Dolphins – Isreal Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina
119. Washington Football Team – Monty Rice, LB, Georgia
120. Minnesota Vikings (from CHI) – Cary Angeline, TE, North Carolina State
121. Indianapolis Colts – Dazz Newsome, WR, North Carolina
122. Tennessee Titans – Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State
123. New York Jets (from SEA) – Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington
124. Pittsburgh Steelers – Hamseh Nasirildeen, S, Florida State
125. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR) – Paddy Fisher, LB, Northwestern
126. Cleveland Browns – Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR, Iowa
127. Baltimore Ravens – Victor Dimukeje, EDGE, Duke
128. New Orleans Saints – Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest
129. Green Bay Packers – Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC
130. Minnesota Vikings (from BUF) – Tony Fields II, LB, West Virginia
131. Tampa Bay Bucs – Xavier Thomas, EDGE, Clemson
132. Kansas City Chiefs – Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State
133. Dallas Cowboys (comp) – Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State
134. Minnesota Vikings (comp) – Ambry Thomas, CB, Michigan
135. New England Patriots (comp) – Richard LeCounte, S, Georgia
136. New England Patriots (comp) – Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU
137. Pittsburgh Steelers (comp) – Greg Eiland, OT, Mississippi State
138. Green Bay Packers (comp) – LaBryan Ray, DT, Alabama
139. Kansas City Chiefs (comp) – Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
