This article is part of our NFL Draft series.
Here is a two-round stab at how the 2021 NFL Draft might shake out.
For more rookie content check out our Pro Day Tracker and this updated Dynasty Top 50.
- Jacksonville – Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
Make a list of everyone says Zach Wilson is as good or better than Lawrence.
- New York Jets – Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
Rocky Mountain Jimmy Clausen imo
- San Francisco (from HOU via MIA) – Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
I think so lowly of Kyle Shanahan as a talent evaluator but even I can't imagine him taking Mac Jones here.
- Atlanta Falcons – Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
Matt Ryan will be 36 in May, and Arthur Smith has never utilized tight ends as featured pass catchers. I'm deeply skeptical that he could come up with an offense that would do as much for Kyle Pitts, especially with Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley already taking reps. This pick has to be Fields or Lance.
- Cincinnati Bengals – Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU
Penei Sewell would be a good pick but it's not as much of a Win Now move given how young he is and how difficult it is to play left tackle as a rookie.
- Miami Dolphins (from PHI) – Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
I would trade Gesicki and draft Pitts if I were Miami, but Parsons carries a high freak factor in his own right.
- Philadelphia Eagles (from DET) – Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Eagles trade No. 12, No. 37 and No. 123 to Detroit for No. 7 and No. 101. Or maybe Ertz is in there somewhere. Who cares.
- Carolina Panthers – Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
Sewell won't turn 21 until October which is great for his long-term upside but not that great for his short-term ability to compete. The latter point is immaterial to the Panthers.
- Denver Broncos – Jayson Oweh, DE/OLB, Penn State
The objective comparison for Oweh is still probably Manny Lawson, but Oweh is on another level yet as an athlete and no one coaches pass rushers better than Vic Fangio. This is a bad pick for any other coach but with Fangio it could work.
- Dallas Cowboys – Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
Surtain or Jaycee Horn, whichever.
- New York Giants – Jaelan Phillips, DE/OLB, Miami (FL)
The Giants have surprisingly few needs, but edge rusher might be the biggest remaining one.
- Detroit Lions (from SF via MIA via PHI) – Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Perhaps it's overkill to take Horn after Okudah, but it's hard to argue another player on the board is better.
- Los Angeles Chargers – Rashawn Slater, OL, Northwestern
The Chargers need something at left tackle and Slater's lack of reach could be offset by what he offers athletically for zone blocking functions.
- Minnesota Vikings – Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa
Maybe this is too high for him but Nixon belongs in the first 20 picks and Michael Pierce can't play more than like 450 snaps.
- New England Patriots – DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Smith or Waddle, whichever.
- Arizona Cardinals – Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Christian Kirk is very good but a free agent after this year, and the Arizona offense is far too slow.
- Las Vegas Raiders – Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma
I assume there was some grand plan behind the Raiders blowing up their offensive line.
- Miami Dolphins – Alijah Vera-Tucker, G, USC
Ereck Flowers hasn't played right guard before but the Dolphins should just make him so that 2020 first-round pick left tackle Austin Jackson can play next to Vera-Tucker again, aiding both of their developments.
- Washington Dan Snyders – Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
Washington still needs something at left tackle.
- Chicago Bears – Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
Jones in the top three is brutally stupid talk but he'd be a justifiable pick for the Bears, doomed as they would remain.
- Indianapolis Colts - Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas
Maybe I'm reading too much into workout numbers but Cosmi seems exceptionally uncommon as an athlete and the Colts need a left tackle.
- Tennessee Titans – Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia
Stokes is worth taking earlier than this and Vrabel doesn't deserve the steal, but sometimes dumb coaches luck into good picks.
- New York Jets (from SEA) - Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
So glad I never ranked Javonte Williams ahead of this guy.
- Pittsburgh Steelers – Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State
Perhaps Alejandro Villanueva re-signs, but Jenkins makes sense either way for Pittsburgh.
- Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR) – Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama
I wanted to project Barmore higher than this but couldn't figure out how.
- Cleveland Browns – Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami (FL)
Rousseau is the perfect strong-side cleanup end to catch quarterbacks who attempt to flee Myles Garrett on the other side.
- Baltimore Ravens – Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa
Collins is supposed to be an elite athlete, so let him disrupt from the edge.
- New Orleans Saints – Terrace Marshall, WR, LSU
Elijah or Rondale Moore would make sense here if New Orleans wants to move Tre'Quan Smith out of the slot, but if they keep Smith in the slot then Marshall would be a great idea.
- Green Bay Packers – Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama
Linsley replacement.
- Buffalo Bills – Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern
Levi Wallace and Josh Norman are far too slow to soak up so many cornerback reps.
- Kansas City Chiefs - Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB/S, Notre Dame
Willie Gay should step up at one linebacker spot, but the Chiefs need more talent in the middle of the field either way.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Joseph Ossai, (3-4) OLB, Texas
Very toolsy and can learn behind Jason Piere-Paul for 2021.
ROUND TWO
- Jacksonville Jaguars – Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
DJ Chark is a burner but there's no speed otherwise in this offense. Moore would resolve that and pick up on jet sweeps some of the rushing workload that would traditionally go to a backup running back.
- New York Jets - Elijah Moore, WR, Mississippi
Jamison Crowder has talent, but not enough to put up with his injury troubles, and especially not enough to justify passing on Moore here.
- Atlanta Falcons – Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
He's not Derrick Henry or close to it, but the closest thing to it that Atlanta can access all the same.
- Miami Dolphins (from HOU) – Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
Bateman/Fuller/Parker/Williams/Bowden would be a pretty sick rotation.
- Detroit Lions (from PHI) - Quinn Meinerz, C/G, Wisconsin-Whitewater
Maybe this is a bit early for Meinerz but in terms of athletic tools he has few peers.
- Cincinnati Bengals - Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
Farley was the CB1 before his back troubles jumped to the forefront of his evaluation. Not sure what to make of it, but the Bengals have no one opposite Chidobe Awuzie, who might not be that good either.
- Carolina Panthers – Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida
Toney's route-running questions might not matter in Curtis Samuel's low-ADOT role.
- Denver Broncos – Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
Right tackle candidate.
- Detroit Lions – Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa
Taylor Decker has the left side locked down, but the Lions might be able to do better on the right side.
- New York Giants – Ben Cleveland, G/OT, Georgia
Guard option first, right tackle option second if Peart fails.
- San Francisco 49ers – Azeez Ojulari, DE/OLB, Georgia
The 49ers are thin on the edge.
- Dallas Cowboys – Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame
Cowboys tackle situation remains unsettled.
- Jacksonville Jaguars (from MIN) – Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU
Seems like a weak safety class but one has to go eventually.
- New England Patriots – Asante Samuel, CB, Florida State
A little earlier than the last one.
- Los Angeles Chargers – Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford
The Chargers could probably stand to add talent at corner, where Michael Davis is good but Chris Harris is older and ideally kept in the slot.
- Las Vegas Raiders – Milton Williams, DT, Louisiana Tech
Even Mayock gets one right occasionally.
- Arizona Cardinals – Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse
Hopefully an upgrade over Kirkpatrick.
- Miami Dolphins – Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State
Hubbard isn't well-rounded but his speed is unique and the Dolphins have Myles Gaskin and Malcolm Brown around for the responsibility-oriented running back tasks.
- Washington Dan Snyders – Robert Rochell, CB, Central Arkansas
If Rochell is raw then Kendall Fuller can handle the outside opposite William Jackson, and if Rochell isn't raw then Fuller can take the slot in nickel/dime formations.
- Chicago Bears – Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina
The Bears finally get their quarterback of the future.
- Tennessee Titans – Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State
Not sure how the Titans are going to figure out their right tackle situation but Radunz would probably be a welcome addition.
- Indianapolis Colts – Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan
The Colts could have used an edge-rushing boost even before the possibility of Justin Houston leaving.
- Pittsburgh Steelers – Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina
So glad I never compared this guy to Nick Chubb.
- Seattle Seahawks – Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State
Seattle's receiver depth could be better but Freiermuth and Everett would constitute a big upgrade over Olsen and Hollister.
- Los Angeles Rams - Elijah Molden, CB, Washington
The Rams didn't mind that Troy Hill and Darious Williams are smallish, so perhaps they won't hold it against Molden either.
- Baltimore Ravens – Nico Collins, WR, Michigan
For the love of God please get Miles Boykin off the field.
- Cleveland Browns - Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State
Even if the Browns don't trade Odell Beckham, Terry's vertical threat is a great element to leverage against the Chubb rushing threat. You need safety help over the top.
- New Orleans Saints – Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia
Janoris Jenkinsonly has so many reps left.Janoris Jenkins plays for another team.
- Buffalo Bills – Ronnie Perkins, DE, Oklahoma
Sean McDermott tends to appreciate smallish motor rushers.
- Green Bay Packers – Ambry Thomas, CB, Michigan
Have mercy, get Kevin King off the field.
- Kansas City Chiefs – Joe Tryon, DE, Washington
Tryon has yet to do athletic testing yet and might time his way out of this draft slot and into an earlier one.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jamie Newman, QB, Georgia
Newman might be raw but he's toolsy and would have time to develop.