As the 2021 NFL season comes nearer and nearer, one important aspect of the NFL season still has not come to pass, that being the 2021 NFL Draft. Always an unpredictable event, the buzz this year has mostly been surrounding the astonishing quarterback class, with QBs from many top five schools eligible to be picked, likely in the first round. But what teams will they be joining?
1. Jacksonville Jaguars - Trevor Lawence (Clemson)
An absolute no-brainer for any team with a QB deficiency, and boy, do the Jaguars have a deficiency. After the surprisingly solid showing of sixth-round pick Gardner Minshew, the Jags elected to have him start the following season instead of reaching to get guys like Jordan Love or Jalen Hurts. Unfortunately for the mustachioed man from Washington State, he showed a clear regression in his sophomore year in the NFL, and had injuries for a large chunk of the season, delivering the Jaguars a fifteen game losing streak and the first pick in the draft. Trevor Lawrence has proven himself to be a generational talent, with great arm, accuracy, pocket presence, and athleticism. He shows no glaring flaws in his game, aside from some issues with throwing receivers open; although with the Jaguars having DJ Chark, Marvin Jones, and Laviska Shenault, he shouldn’t have any trouble finding open targets. I see him being the Peyton Manning of the next generation of young QBs.
2. New York Jets - Zach Wilson (BYU)
The Jets recently traded their former starting quarterback to the hometown team here, the Carolina Panthers. Whether you believe that Darnold’s talents got wasted by the Jets or that he never had the talent to begin with, the Jets now have a hole at the game’s most important position. All signals point towards the Jets taking a similar player to Darnold in Zach Wilson. After a middling 2019 season, Wilson elevated his game to a new level in 2020, with 33 touchdowns and only three interceptions. His deep ball looks beautiful and he has incredible pocket presence, constantly throwing into tight windows and letting his receivers make plays. However, these two amazing strengths also cause his most apparent weakness, playing too much hero ball. Wilson could do that against his level of competition, but he’ll have to be more careful at the next level. I see him as having a floor of Drew Lock’s ability and having all the upside Sam Darnold provided the Jets, with much more potential to reach it.
3. San Francisco 49ers - Justin Fields (Ohio State)
Fields brings his own benefits. Fields has top-tier arm strength, more so than any other QB in the class, as well as the ability to put a lot of speed on the ball. The ability he has to extend plays with his legs also has shown to be incredibly solid, leading him to be compared to Dak Prescott by some scouts. The 49ers could use that electric presence, as their offense has been stacked with young talent and their defense stands as a unit that only needs to be supported by a solid team doctor.
4. Atlanta Falcons - Kyle Pitts (Florida)
While some might view this as unexpected due to their recent trade for tight end Hayden Hurst, this seems like the most competent possibility for the Falcons to draft at the moment. Pitts remains arguably the best player in the class, with the height of Calvin Johnson and speed like Darren Waller. He shows the type of talent at the tight end position we haven’t seen since the glory days of Gronkowski. He’ll undoubtedly be a solid receiving threat for the team who has a stacked offense that could carry them to a Super Bowl with the right momentum.
5. Cincinnati Bengals - Penei Sewell (Oregon)
Joe Burrow’s injury this year showed the worst-case scenario for the Ohio team, but the scenario didn’t come as a surprise to many. The Bengals have had a horrendous offensive line for years now, which has undoubtedly caused their lack of postseason success. Sewell has the potential to be a generational tackle for the Bengals, a position they sorely need an upgrade, as Jonah Williams hasn’t quite panned out as they expected. Penei Sewell stands as an incredible combination of athletic and strong, and while he may have some struggles in his rookie year due to his lack of polish, it seems likely that he will develop into a star in the position.
6. Miami Dolphins - Ja’Marr Chase (LSU)
As fun as it would be to pair Tua with one of his old Bama receivers in Devonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle, I decided to give the Fins the most complete package at the receiving position in 2021. After Tua had an underwhelming season marked more by checkdowns than championships, the need to get the young QB a receiver shined incredibly bright. Chase proves a smooth operator who plays like a ball hawk, always going up to snag the pass above a cornerback’s head. He shows effortless transition between his burst and his top speed, giving him the ability to slide past the secondary when running routes, similarly to Amari Cooper. Maybe he’ll give a bit more motivation for Tagovailoa to throw the deep ball.
7. Detroit Lions - Jaylen Waddle (Alabama)
Waddle, unlike his unfortunate last name, screams “speed”. The wide receiving core of the Lions just screams “depleted”. After the Lions lost both Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones this offseason, headed to the Giants and Jaguars respectively, the Lions still have...Tyrell Williams? Breshad Perriman? Aside from their first round tight end TJ Hockenson, the Lions have no true playmaking pass catchers on the offensive side of the ball. Waddle, on the other hand, presents the definitive playmaker. He can’t be stopped by cornerbacks, he runs routes crisply, and his only flaw revolves around the injury concerns that came after he broke his ankle last year. Ankles improve, true talent rarely does.
8. Carolina Panthers - Rashawn Slater (Northwestern)
As mentioned previously, the Panthers went out and traded for former New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold’s worst enemy in the Big Apple proved to be his lack of a competent offensive line, with him claiming to have “seen ghosts'' during a game with the Patriots. The Panthers should try to solve this problem with the pro-ready tackle Slater. Slater has a tendency to stop edge rushers in their tracks, most notably in his bout with Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young in 2019. Slater proves to be a confident and heads-up blocker, which the Panthers will need, as they depend on Darnold’s development for future success.
9. Denver Broncos - Trey Lance (North Dakota State)
The Drew Lock experiment needs to end. It’s as simple as that. You had your fun, Elway, but Lock hasn’t done what should be expected of an NFL quarterback. Lock constantly throws balls off-target and, barring a Josh Allen level improvement, he will never be a franchise guy. Lance requires similar risk taking in my eyes, but still a risk that hasn’t proven to be wrong yet. Lance comes with all the upside in the world as a dynamic athlete with high football IQ, but he hasn’t proven himself against competition or time, both of which can be incredibly important at a pro level. However, the possibility of the QB he may become proves tantalizing to say the least. I hate to keep bringing up Josh Allen, but with Lance’s arm and intelligence, Allen’s current talent could be his ceiling.
10. Dallas Cowboys - Patrick Surtain II (Alabama)
The Cowboys secondary has one major hole, a true number one dominant cornerback. Trevon Diggs, Jourdan Smith, and CJ Goodwin can work in a pinch, but when a guy like Surtain remains on the board, you take him. Surtain has all the physical traits you’d want in a cornerback. Great cover speed, solid height, and a guy who never shows signs of fear when wrapping up a receiver. Surtain should be an instant boost to a defensive group lacking in star power, with a similar ceiling to Byron Jones.
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