Another week, another mock draft. This won’t be our last one, but with more information being released about each team’s specific needs, it felt like a good time to do another mock. We are less than two weeks away until the draft, so let the fun begin!
1. Jacksonville Jaguars- Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
READ MORE: Trevor Lawrence- The Prince That Was Promised
Duh.
2. New York Jets- Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
READ MORE: Zach Wilson- The Mormon Manziel
Sam Darnold is gone and the Jets have zeroed in on Wilson as their franchise quarterback. There’s a good chance he struggles early, but the upside is too tempting.
3. San Francisco 49ers- Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
READ MORE: Mac Jones Draft Profile
Before you 49ers fans get mad at me for this, I am one of you. As a fan, I would hate this pick. However, it’s what every major national draft analyst is reporting now. It seems like a possible smoke screen, but sometimes where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
4. New England Patriots (Trade with Atlanta Falcons)- Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
READ MORE: Justin Fields- The King of Columbus
Atlanta receives: 2021 1st, 2nd, 4th (15,46, 122), 2022 first round and second round pick
New England receives: 2021 1st (4th), 2022 6th round pick
Can the Patriots win with Cam Newton? Maybe, but Belichick wants Super Bowls. Because of this, he’ll look to trade up and acquire a quarterback who can do it all. Let Fields sit for a season, then push all the chips in for a championship run the following year.
5. Cincinnati Bengals- Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
READ MORE: Penei Sewell- Best Tackle Prospect In Years?
The Bengals need to resist the temptation of a pass catcher and draft the best offensive lineman on the board. Sewell is a Hall of Fame level talent at left tackle and could be exactly what Burrow needs to stay off of the ground.
6. Miami Dolphins- Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
READ MORE: Kyle Pitts- The Next Big Thing
Is tight end a need? No, but Pitts is so much more than a tight end. He’s the highest-rated pass catcher this year and can line up anywhere. The Dolphins could run a lot of two-tight end sets with him and Gesicki, who is more of a slot receiver than tight end anyways.
7. Detroit Lions- Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
READ MORE: Ja’Marr Chase- The Next Tiger King
The Lions need talent everywhere. Chase is the best player available and just happens to fill a need at receiver.
8. Carolina Panthers- Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
READ MORE: Rashawn Slater- Smooth Slater
After trading for Darnold, the Panthers don’t have to worry about making a move for a quarterback this year. They do need to strengthen up their offensive line and Slater is a versatile option.
9. Denver Broncos- Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
READ MORE: Trey Lance- The Best Player You’ve Never Heard Of
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but Drew Lock isn’t the future. The Broncos should see Lock as a short-term option and go with Lance who has as much upside as any player in this draft.
10. Dallas Cowboys- Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
READ MORE: Patrick Surtain- Sensational Surtain
Jerry Jones is infatuated with Kyle Pitts, but the Cowboys need defense. Surtain II fills a need at corner across from Trevon Diggs which gives the Cowboys a pair of young corners to build their secondary around.
11. New York Giants- Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
READ MORE: Micah Parsons- A Monster In The Middle
At the end of the day, the Giants need a defensive playmaker. Leonard Williams blossomed as a pass rusher and they did a nice job of strengthening the secondary the past two years. They need a linebacker, though, and Parsons is a do-it-all player that would make an impact right off the bat.
12. Philadelphia Eagles- Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
READ MORE: Jaylen Waddle- The Flash
Devonta Smith might be the more polished player, but Waddle has the upside to be a Tyreek Hill-type player. With Jalen Hurts as their quarterback, I assume that the Eagle will want to run more quick routes which would give Waddle plenty of YAC opportunities.
13. Los Angeles Chargers- Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC
Since the Chargers don’t need help at just one offensive line position, it makes sense for them to want a versatile player like Vera-Tucker. Personally, I think he’s better off at guard, but he could play tackle if needed.
14. Minnesota Vikings- Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
At the moment, the Vikings presumed starting left tackle is Rashod Hill. Yeah, that’s not going to work. Darrisaw is a safe option at left tackle who’ll start at the position for the next decade.
15. Atlanta Falcons (via New England Patriots)- Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami
READ MORE: Jaelen Phillips- The Great Gamble
After a big trade down that sees them set up nicely for the future, the Falcons need to address the defense. No defender has the upside of Phillips. Assuming he’s fully healthy, he should be a double-digit sack guy for the next few seasons.
16. Arizona Cardinals- Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
READ MORE: Jaycee Horn- The Alpha Male
No player’s stock has gone up more over the past month than Horn. In fact, there’s a chance he won’t be here at 16 and could be the first defender taken. However, in this case, the Cardinals get their Patrick Peterson replacement and a guy who’ll elevate an improving defense.
17. Tennessee Titans (via Las Vegas Raiders)- Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama
READ MORE: Devonta Smith- Mr. Heisman
Raiders receive: 2021 1st, 3rd, 6th round pick (22, 85, 205)
Titans receive: 2021 1st round pick (17), 2022 7th round pick
The Titans lost three of their top five receivers this offseason. If a guy like Smith falls past 15, you can expect a few WR needy teams to be aggressive in trading up for him. Smith and A.J. Brown would form an elite duo in Nashville.
18. Miami Dolphins- Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State
Robert Hunt played pretty well at right tackle last year, but his natural position is guard. By drafting a stable right tackle in Jenkins, the Dolphins offensive line as a whole will take a positive step in the right direction.
19. Washington Football Team- Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
READ MORE: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah- Irish Eyes Are Smiling
I’ve consistently mocked Owusu-Koramoah to Washington and will continue to do so because it makes so much sense. The Football Team are a rangy linebacker away from becoming an elite defense.
20. Chicago Bears- Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
READ MORE: Rashod Bateman: Ready To Rumble
The Bears should have their pick of receiver here. Allen Robinson is one of the league’s best, but doesn’t seem committed to Chicago for the long haul. Bateman would be an excellent replacement.
21. Baltimore Ravens (via Indianapolis Colts)- Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia
Colts Receive: 2021 1st, 3rd, 5th round pick (27, 104, 184)
Ravens Receive: 2021 1st, 6th round pick (21, 206)
As a team with very few needs, the Ravens should look to move up and go for an impact player. Right now, they are lacking speed on the edge and Ojulari has the juice to rush the passer.
22. Las Vegas Raiders (via Tennessee Titans)- Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas
After seeing a mass exodus on the offensive line, the Raiders will need to find a new tackle. Based on their recent draft history, they go for players from big-named schools with plenty of experience. Cosmi checks those boxes and has the upside to play on either side of the line.
23. New York Jets- Kwity Paye, EDGE, Miami
READ MORE: Kwity Paye-The Super Athlete
We saw the Jets get their high upside quarterback at number two overall, so now it’s time to find that equivalent for their defense. Paye is the best pound-for-pound athlete in this year’s class, but never quite put it all together at Michigan. He had flashes of brilliance and with proper coaching he could become a star.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers- Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State
With Alejandro Villanueva still unsigned, the Steelers don’t have a stable tackle on either side. Radunz isn’t flashy, but he’s consistent and has the strength to play left tackle.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars- Christian Barmore, DL, Alabama
Barmore is a boom or bust prospect. For the first half of the season, he looked out of place and slow. However, down the stretch he was dominant against the run and pass.
26. Cleveland Browns- Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa
Slotting an exact position for Collins is tough because he can play at either edge or as a stand-up linebacker. On the Browns, he could do both. The signing of Jadeveon Clowney shouldn’t change the need for a pass rusher for the Browns as they also need a three-down linebacker who can drop into coverage.
27. Indianapolis Colts (via Baltimore Ravens)- Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami
READ MORE: Gregory Rousseau- Rock You Like A Hurricane
Not many teams are better drafters than the Colts which is why we should see them take the best player available here. Rousseau is raw, but he had 15.5 sacks in his only college season and has incredible length.
28. New Orleans Saints- Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss
The Saints offense in 2021 will look much different than the offense we’ve seen the past decade. Regardless of the quarterback, they can’t rely on that person to elevate the talent around them. Instead, they need to find elite playmakers, like Moore, who can provide a much-needed home run threat.
29. Green Bay Packers- Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
READ MORE: Caleb Farley- Next Top CB?
This is a dream scenario for the Packers. Farley’s stock is going down due to his back injury, but the Packers can be patient with him. From a talent perspective, he has the tools to be an All-Pro. Having him as CB2 opposite of Jaire Alexander is just unfair.
30. Atlanta Falcons (via Buffalo Bills)- Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU
Bills receive: 2021 2nd rounder, 4th round pick(35, 108)
Falcons receive: 2021 1st round pick (30)
After making the move to trade out of the fourth overall pick, the Falcons will have plenty of ammo to trade back into the first. Moehrig is an immediate starter at safety and can help improve one of the worst defenses in the league in 2020.
31. Kansas City Chiefs- Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri
The Chiefs are one of the toughest teams to project because they like going for luxury picks like Edwards-Helaire rather than true needs like linebacker. However, I see Bolton has a vocal leader at the second level for a team that hasn’t had exceptional linebacker play in a few years.
32. Philadelphia Eagles (via Tampa Bay Buccaneers)- Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern
Buccaneers receive: 2021 2nd, 4th round pick (37, 123), 2022 4th round pick
Eagles receive: 2021 1st round pick (37), 2022 6th round pick
No roster is as deep as the Bucs at the moment, so it makes sense for them to trade down and acquire assets in the future. The Eagles are in a great spot to trade up because of a few trades they’ve made this offseason. Outside of Darius Slay, their secondary is poor. Newsome has been a riser as of late and projects as a steady corner who can produce as a rookie.