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Folks, it’s finally here! It’s officially Draft Week! This draft season has absolutely been a wild ride for us here at 366 Sports. We LOVE Draft Season and we enjoy bringing you all coverage of it so much.
This season the support from you all has been unreal. We’ve had hundreds of thousands of new viewers on our website. Our live show, Draft Night with 366 Sports Presented by Manscaped (get 20% off using promo code 366Sports over at manscaped.com), is going to be the biggest show we’ve had to date. Be sure to tune in on Thursday Night over at Facebook.com/366Sports.
So from the bottom of my heart, thank you. It truly does mean the world to both myself and my brother Matt.
But let’s get into this mock draft because it’s truly the wildest one yet. There seems to be so many more rumors flying around this year than in a normal year. Will Justin Fields drop? Will the Patriots trade up for a quarterback? What will Atlanta do? What about Detroit?
I certainly can’t wait to find out the answers to those questions. Until then, let’s speculate one final time for the 2021 NFL Draft season!
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: QB Trevor Lawrence
Duh. You can put this pick in stone.
2. New York Jets: QB Zach Wilson
You could put this pick in ink unless the Jets decide to offer up a crazy package for Russell Wilson that sways the Seattle Seahawks.
3. San Francisco 49ers (Via Miami via Houston): QB Mac Jones
The plot is getting thicker and thicker here for the 49ers who apparently are a bit divided on which quarterback they should take on Thursday night. Reports have it that Head Coach Kyle Shanahan wants Mac Jones and General Manager John Lynch apparently wants Trey Lance. So it’s the age old question of will the Head Coach get his guy or will the General Manager get his guy? I give the edge to Kyle Shanahan here who is a noted quarterback guru. Trey Lance is a MUCH better prospect but if Jones is who Shanahan wants then I can’t see him not getting his guy. This will be a HUGE mistake.
4. Atlanta Falcons: TE Kyle Pitts
This pick is going to set the stage for the rest of the first round of the draft. There’s a lot of speculation that the Falcons are going to be moving WR Julio Jones out of town after the draft in a post-June 1st trade to save cap space. They can replace Julio Jones with another unicorn in Kyle Pitts. I also think that they’re convinced that Matt Ryan still has some gas left in the tank (which he does) and they’re going to take the best player available here.
5. Cincinnati Bengals: WR Ja’Marr Chase
Everyone thinks that the Bengals are going to take Penei Sewell here but the closer we get to the draft night the closer I think the Bengals are going to take Joe Burrow’s college teammate and reunite them. This is an organization that loves drafting wide receivers. This is also a very deep offensive line class and they can get the interior help that they need in rounds two and three.
6. Miami Dolphins (Via Philadelphia): WR Devonta Smith
Speaking of reuniting college teammates, the Dolphins will reunite Devonta Smith and Tua Tagovailoa together with this pick here. The Dolphins have spent a lot of time with Devonta Smith and he’s an extremely gifted football player despite his size. Real football minds will realize that and he won’t get past six if the draft falls like this.
7. TRADE: Denver Broncos (Via Detroit): QB Trey Lance
The Broncos are in an interesting spot because they have a new General Manager who apparently hasn’t reached out about trading up. That smells like a smoke screen to me. I can’t see this team going into next season with Drew Lock as their quarterback. With the Panthers leaking rumors (that I think are hogwash) that they’re going to potentially take a quarterback at number eight despite bringing in Sam Darnold, the Broncos hand is forced and they go and get their guy.
Trade Terms:
Denver Receives: 2021 First Round Pick (7)
Detroit Receives: 2021 First Round Pick (9), 2021 2nd Round Pick (40)
8. Carolina Panthers: OT Penei Sewell
There are a lot of rumblings that the Panthers are going to take a Quarterback. I think it’s a complete load of crap. They’re going to take Sewell if the board falls like this and they can’t trade back.
9. Detroit Lions (Via Denver): LB Micah Parsons
Dan Campbell wants football players on his team. Micah Parsons is the best linebacker prospect to come out in a long time. He can rush off the edge in situational pass rushing scenarios and he can play sideline to sideline. This pick makes sense for Detroit.
10. Dallas Cowboys: CB Patrick Surtain
If the board falls like this then the Cowboys will have to decide between Patrick Surtain and Rashawn Slater. The closer I get to the draft, the more I feel like the Cowboys are going to address their failing defense in the first round. Surtain is the best cornerback in this draft.
11. New York Giants: CB Jaycee Horn
This is by no means an official prediction from me for who the Giants are going to draft. I promise that I’ll get that to you all on Giants 366 by Thursday. But with everything that’s swirling around right now, the Giants seem like they have their sights set on adding another cornerback. Would this be my pick if the board fell like this? No. But I wouldn’t hate it. And apparently the organization loves Horn. Also, don’t discount the possibility that the Patriots trade up here and take Justin Fields.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (Via Miami via San Francisco): WR Jaylen Waddle
The Eagles have been tied to Horn for a while so seeing him go to a division rival would be crushing for them. With that being said, they get a nice consolation prize in Jaylen Waddle.
13. Los Angeles Chargers: OT Rashawn Slater
Both Chargers fans out there are going to be ecstatic if the draft falls like this. They get a top player in the entire draft in a position of great need for them. It wouldn’t shock me to see them try and trade up for either Sewell or Slater.
14. Minnesota Vikings: OG Alijah Vera-Tucker
The run on offensive linemen has begun and the Vikings get one of the highest floor players in this draft. Minnesota could look to trade this pick back.
15. New England Patriots: QB Justin Fields
The free fall ends. Justin Fields ends up in one of the best spots that a player could end up in with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. I wouldn’t be terribly shocked if the Patriots end up trading up for him if he falls.
16. Arizona Cardinals: Edge Kwity Paye
I have Paye as the first edge off the board. The more I think about it, the more I think that teams will view Paye as the safest edge. He is loaded up with potential and his excellent run defending ability and motor will make him the safest edge pick. This is a position of need for Arizona even though they signed JJ Watt.
17. Las Vegas Raiders: LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Did someone say the Raiders are going to take a really good athlete who is versatile? This fits their organization’s motto and Owusu-Koramoah is going to be a really good player.
18. Miami Dolphins: Edge Jaelan Phillips
The Miami boy stays home. The Dolphins get the most complicated player in the entire draft in Jaelan Phillips who is a good player with great technical skills but has previously retired from football due to injury.
19. Washington Football Team: OT Christian Darrisaw
The Football Team gets a top five offensive lineman in this draft and they get stronger in the trenches with this pick. Darrisaw is a mauler.
20. Chicago Bears: CB Greg Newsome
The Bears lost Kyle Fuller this offseason as a cap casualty and they need to replace him. Newsome went to school right up the street and is a very technically sound cornerback.
21. Indianapolis Colts: Edge Azeez Ojulari
The Colts add a boom or bust pass rusher in Azeez Ojulari. He will either be a ten sack guy or he won’t be in the league past his rookie contract.
22. Tennessee Titans: OT Tevin Jenkins
The Titans take an offensive lineman who is not Isaiah Wilson.
23. New York Jets (Via Seattle): CB Caleb Farley
The Jets have enough draft capital to take a risk on Caleb Farley, who is a great player, but has an extensive injury history. Farley would likely be a top 10 pick if he wasn’t injured.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: RB Najee Harris
I hate taking running backs in the first round but the Steelers are an old school organization and this is a position of great need for them. Harris would give their offense something that they haven’t had since Le’Veon Bell.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (Via Los Angeles Rams): S Trevon Moehrig
The Jaguars continue to add to a secondary that has CJ Henderson and free agent acquisition Shaquill Griffin. Moehrig is a versatile safety that can do it all.
26. Cleveland Browns: Edge Gregory Rousseau
The Browns get a project edge rusher who is raw but was very productive in college. Rousseau is the most boom or bust player in this draft.
27. Baltimore Ravens: WR Elijah Moore
The Ravens get a pass catcher who will fit their offense well. Elijah Moore is a speedster who can be used in the slot as well as in a gadget style offense with their first pick in the first round.
28. New Orleans Saints: LB Zaven Collins
Zaven Collins is a solid interior linebacker who can help bolster the Saints front seven.
29. Green Bay Packers: WR Kadarius Toney
The Packers get a guy in Toney who could open up an entirely different side of Matt LaFleur’s offense.
30. Buffalo Bills: RB Travis Etienne
The Bills add yet another weapon to their offense and hope to win the offensive arms race that they’re currently in with the Kansas City Chiefs.
31. Baltimore Ravens (Via Kansas City): OT Samuel Cosmi
The Ravens traded Orlando Brown and they get his replacement with the pick they got back from Kansas City.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Edge Jayson Oweh
Jason Pierre-Paul has had a borderline Hall of Fame Career but he isn’t getting any younger. The Buccaneers can take a project edge rusher that they can mold into a guy who can potentially be the next JPP.