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Updated 2021 Mock Draft

2021 NFL Mock Draft

1. Panthers- Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

Do I think that we are the worst team in the NFL, and should realistically be the best positioned to get the 1st overall pick? No, that honor would belong to the Jets or the Jaguars, and I would give the edge to the Jets since they have the second hardest strength of schedule. But when has the worst team on paper ever gotten the 1st overall pick (in recent years)? Going through which teams got the 1st overall pick for the past few years, I noticed a trend: it's never the team you expect to get it. Last year everyone (including myself) thought the Dolphins were the worst team in football, and were quite clearly tanking for the 1st overall pick to get Tua. I did think the Bengals were bad enough to challenge for the 1st overall pick, and after their 1st round pick got injured in the offseason last year I actually did give them the 1st overall pick in one of my mock drafts, but most times I had them getting the 2nd pick.

Not only did the Dolphins not get the 1st overall pick, but they ended up getting the 5th pick! Nobody predicted that. The year before them the Cardinals got the 1st overall pick. Everyone expected the Cardinals to get a top 5 or top 10 pick, but not many thought they were going to end up being the worst team in football, especially after drafting who was supposed to be their next franchise QB in Josh Rosen. The year before them was the Browns. Yes, the Browns have been among the worst teams in football for years now, so them getting the 1st overall pick wasn't that surprising, but them getting it for the 2nd year in a row? Nobody expected that. So what I've come to conclude is that the 1st overall pick rarely goes to who you expect to be the worst team in the league. It normally goes to a team that is still pretty bad to the point where you expected them to get a top 5 pick, and maybe even some people had them getting the 1st overall pick, but they're never the consensus choice for the #1 pick.

So I don't think the Jets are going to get that pick, because Lawrence to the Jets just doesn't feel right. And while they could trade down, a team trading down from the 1st overall pick has only happened five times in the history of the NFL, so it would be difficult to realistically predict that happening again. The Jaguars could just as easily get this pick, since they're the worst team on paper in the NFL after trading away all of their talent, and are widely expected to tank for the best QB in the draft. But doesn't that sound familiar? They're literally the Dolphins of this year's draft, in that everyone expects them to be terrible, not to tank for Tua, but this time to tank for Trevor. In many ways, it just seems too realistic to actually come true. The NFL season and draft never goes how you expect to it, and adding COVID to the mix means anything could happen. Plus, the Jaguars are arguably more talented than the Dolphins team of last year considering they still have Minshew, Fournette, Allen, some other young talents, and they have a decently easy strength of schedule.

Which brings us to the last team I had in consideration for the 1st overall pick: our Panthers. Right now there are very few people having us get the #1 pick, but many expect us to be bad enough to get a top 5 pick. Considering we have a rookie coaching staff with very little NFL experience and no offseason because of COVID, we lost a lot of talent on defense including a Hall of Famer in Kuechly, we play in one of the toughest divisions in football and we're relying on a lot of unproven/rookie talent on both sides of the ball, it would only take an injury or bit of bad luck here or there to get the 1st overall pick. Also, the last two years the 1st overall pick has gone to teams with rookie head coaches. Doug Marrone and Adam Gase may be terrible coaches who will probably still be fired after this season, but Matt Rhule is the only rookie HC with a team bad enough to potentially get the #1 pick. We are actually very comparable to the Bengals of last year. We both have game-managers QBs, mediocre O-lines, really good skill position players, only one talented CB, a solid D-line, and mediocre LBs. On paper we're better than the Bengals were last year since we're younger, better coached, and more talented, but we're not far off.

If we are lucky (or unlucky depending on your perspective) enough to get the 1st overall pick, the choice here is a no-brainer. Ever since his first year as a starter, Lawrence has been destined to be the #1 pick. While I think he is slightly overrated, many hype him up as a generational prospect, the best QB prospect since Luck, and a prospect comparable to the likes of Hall of Famers like Peyton Manning and John Elway. He has everything you want in a franchise QB. He's tall, has a strong arm, is very accurate, and is surprisingly mobile. If we're in position to draft him it means Bridgewater either sucks or got injured, so we would be more than happy to draft Lawrence to replace him. And to avoid incurring even more dead money, we could keep Bridgewater as starter for one more year to give Lawrence time to adjust to the NFL.

2. (Trade from Jets to Jaguars)- Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

In this scenario I have the Jaguars doing well enough to finish with the 4th overall pick. If a team that bad finishes that well, it must have been because of some Minshew magic. The Jaguars must really think they have something special in Minshew if they were willing to trade their starting QB in Foles after just one season from both of them. So I don't think the Jaguars are necessarily going into this draft with the idea to get their new franchise QB, but they would only do so if the situation presented itself. Like if they do end up getting the 1st overall pick, they're obviously going to select Lawrence since he's a generational, can't miss type of prospect.

But now that they don't have the chance to select Lawrence, they decide to address their other big need by trading up for the only other generational prospect in this class. The Jaguars have had O-line issues for years now, and a franchise LT is the second most important position in football (behind a QB). Sewell is widely regarded as the best LT prospect in years, and is such a generational talent that he even received two Heisman votes last year. My thinking for the Jaguars is that since they missed out on Lawrence, they shouldn't settle for the next best QB, but should instead trade up to acquire a generational LT, and roll with Minshew as their starter. If Minshew still sucks with a new LT, and probably new coaching staff, then they'll be in position to select their new franchise QB in next year's draft.

3. Redskins- Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

The Redskins should be better now that they finally got a new head coach, and adding a generational talent like Young will certainly help. Unfortunately for them I think it will take a while for Haskins to develop into a starting caliber QB, and they traded away two of their best players in Williams and Dunbar. So this is about as far as I can see them improving. If there was a CB talented enough to be worth this pick, I'm sure the Redskins would select him, since their CBs are terrible now that Dunbar is gone. And if Sewell had happened to fall to them, I'm sure they would have selected him to replace Williams.

But unfortunately for Haskins, the best player available is a QB, and if they're picking this early, it means Haskins probably struggled again. As their new coach, Rivera has no commitment to Haskins, and if he's letting the likes of Kyle Allen and Alex Smith compete for their starting job, that shows how little he thinks of Haskins. Justin Fields is talented enough that he probably would have been a top 2 pick in any draft that didn't have Lawrence or Sewell in it, and he still could challenge Lawrence for the QB1 spot. It's no secret that Rivera loved Cam and even considered signing him with the Redskins, so it would make sense that he drafts a player who's best NFL comparison is arguably Cam Newton.

4. (Trade from Jaguars to Jets)- Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami

I struggled to pick who would get the 2nd pick in the draft, but I finally decided on the Jets for several reasons. The first is that they have Adam Gase, and he's just a terrible coach who ruins every player he coaches. The second is that while Darnold has potential, he's still a developing QB, and I don't think the Jets did enough this offseason to help him. They replaced a solid WR in Anderson with a borderline 1st round bust in Perriman, and they only made mediocre moves in Free Agency to help their Oline. Becton should end up being a good OT for them, but he's very raw and is going to take a year or two to develop. Their defense still lacks quality and depth at any position, and with Adams traded they lost the last bit of talent they had on that side of the ball. Pair all of that with the fact that they have the 2nd hardest strength of schedule, and I could easily see them losing enough games to get the 2nd pick.

While Sewell would be very tempting for them, they just got their franchise left tackle in this year's 1st round, and it seems like they are always trying to trade down in the 1st round. Ja'Marr Chase would make sense here as well since they need a new WR1, but WRs don't seem to be getting much draft love in recent years. Two years ago I had D.K. Metcalf as a top 10 pick, and he didn't end up going in the 1st round. Last year I had Jerry Jeudy as a top 5 pick, and he didn't even go in the top 10. The Jets also really need a good CB1, but unfortunately for them none are worth a top 5 pick. But pass-rusher has been a huge need for them for years now, and Rousseau had an insane 15.5 sacks last year. Rousseau announced today that he'll be opting out of the season, but luckily for him his incredible season paired with a lack of quality edge-rushers should keep him as a top 5 pick.

5. Lions- Alex Leatherwood, G/T, Alabama

The Lions had a solid offseason/draft, and if Stafford could stay healthy they could have a decent season. Unfortunately they have a mediocre coach in Matt Patricia, an injury-prone QB in Stafford, question marks on their O-line and D-line, and the 5th toughest strength of schedule. They could consider moving on from Stafford, especially if they move on from Patricia, but I think if they were willing to stick with Stafford coming off an injury-plagued season when they could have just traded him and drafted either Tua or Herbert with the 3rd pick in last year's draft, then there's no reason for them to settle for the QB3 or worse here.

The Lions really need a quality D-lineman/pass-rusher, but unfortunately for them the only one worth a top 5 pick just went to the Jets. Their other biggest need would probably be an O-lineman. Their RT is in the last year of his deal, their LT has never started a full season before, and they let their best G walk in Free Agency last year. So they could use a quality O-lineman. Leatherwood is a very talented and versatile prospect who can play at tackle or guard, and his versatility makes sense for them here.

6. Bengals- Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

Adding Burrow should definitely help the Bengals win some games next year, but they don't have much talent around him. They have their QB now in Burrow, some weapons in Boyd, Ross, and Green, some solid O-linemen (mainly Williams), and a solid RB in Mixon, so their offense looks fine. Their defense on the other hand has a lot of question marks. They have some solid pieces in the secondary, but it's still one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. While Surtain doesn't appear to be on par with other top 5 CBs like Ward, Okudah, and Ramsey, he is still a very good CB that could easily go in the top 10. It would be really tempting to pair Burrow with his favorite WR in Chase, but like I said earlier, teams don't value WRs as much as they used to, and the Bengals already have a bunch of quality WRs in Green, Higgins, Boyd, and Ross.

7. Dolphins- Michael Parsons, LB, Penn State

The Dolphins should be much improved after they added a ton of talent in their offseason and draft. Unfortunately I don't think Tua will be able to start right away because of his injury history, and they do have the 3rd toughest strength of schedule. The Dolphins filled a lot of needs, but they didn't add much to their LB talent (besides Van Noy who is more of a pass-rusher anyway), and they still haven't replaced Kiko Alonso from when they traded him to the Saints. Parsons is seen as a very athletic playmaker who can play at OLB or ILB, and because of his athleticism/versatility I think he could be this year's version of Isaiah Simmons. Such a versatile player would be the missing piece to Brian Flores' "position less" defense. Parsons did just opt-out of the upcoming college season which could hurt his draft stock, but I think he's still talented enough to be a top 10 pick.

8. Giants- Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU

The Giants also had a solid offseason/draft, but they still have holes and lack of depth at several positions (WR, O-line, D-line, etc). I think a pass-rusher would probably be their biggest need, but as of now there aren't many top 10 worthy DEs. Their other biggest need would probably be a new weapon for Daniel Jones to replace OBJ. The Giants get really lucky here that the best WR in this class, and a top 5 talent, falls to them because of teams undervaluing the position. Chase is a sensational prospect who will instantly provide an NFL-ready, playmaking WR1 to any team.

9. Falcons- Marvin Wilson, DT, FSU

The Falcons will probably regret replacing Trufant with AJ Terrell, and I don't think Gurley will be healthy enough to balance out their offense. Pair that with their top 5 toughest strength of schedule and a mediocre head coach, and I could see them ending up with a top 10 pick. For the past two years they've been expected to get a DT with their first round pick, and both times they reached for a different prospect instead. So maybe this will be the year they finally get someone to help Jarrett on the D-line. Wilson was seen as a late 1st round/early 2nd round prospect if he had declared for this year's draft, but with his potential and athleticism, a good season could make him a top 10 pick.

10. Bears- Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

The Bears have one of the best defenses in football, but defense alone can't carry them. Lacking elite weapons at WR, TE, or RB, having a weak O-line that was made even worse by the retirement of Kyle Long, and having to deal with mediocre QB play by either Foles or Trubisky won't help them win games. They also lost a decent amount of talent, especially on defense, so if Foles doesn't provide the spark they need on offense, I could see them losing enough games to finish with a top 10 pick. Considering the Bears were a 12-4 team with Trubisky as their starting QB, they are literally just one competent QB away from being a contender. If they do finish with a top 10 pick, I could see their GM finally being fired for his questionable decisions.

Since he had a very good 1st year, I think Nagy will be given the chance to stay and prove that his offense and team can do better with a new franchise QB. Either way it seems incredibly likely that the Bears will be drafting the QB3 in next year's draft. As of this writing that title will probably go to either Lance or Jamie Newman. While I think Newman might have a higher ceiling and is probably more physically gifted, the Bears don't need another developmental QB prospect after the failed Trubisky project. Lance had a record-breaking rookie season, and if he has another solid season I could easily see him becoming a top 15 pick.

While Lance obviously isn't playing against NFL talent, Wentz going 1st overall showed that QBs from North Dakota State can be starting caliber NFL QBs. Lance has a big arm, some good dual-threat talent, and generally seems to do better than Newman in terms of accuracy and progression of reads, so he should be a good fit for Nagy's offense. He might go higher than this pick, but after the Bears failed miserably in their trade-up for Trubisky, I doubt they'll put all their eggs in one basket again by trading up for another QB.

11. (Trade from Patriots to Cardinals)- Creed Humphrey, C/G, Oklahoma

In this scenario I have the Cardinals finishing with the 14th pick. I originally had them finishing with a better pick, but their RT opted-out of the season, and since their O-line was already questionable, I have them finishing a bit worse. It also doesn't help that they have the 8th hardest strength of schedule. Their GM showed his aggression and willingness to build a contender around Murray, so I could see him trading up to get a former teammate of Murray's. Like I said earlier, their O-line is kind of mediocre, especially the interior. Luckily for them Humphrey is talented enough to play at C or G, so he can help protect Murray against the likes of Aaron Donald. They only traded up a few spots, but it may have been necessary to jump the O-line needy Chargers.

12. Chargers- Walker Little, OT, Stanford

The Chargers have enough talent on both sides of the ball to be a playoff contender, but unfortunately they have a mediocre bridge QB in Taylor as their starter, and an inexperienced rookie in Herbert as their next best option, So when Herbert develops into their franchise QB they'll be set, but for now they'll probably experience some growing pains. The only reason I have them finishing outside of a top 10 pick is because of their elite defense and relatively easy strength of schedule. They did a good job upgrading their O-line, but after trading away Okung they have a big hole at LT. Little probably would have been a top 10 pick last year if he didn't have a season ending injury and returned for another year, so if he can stay healthy he'll probably be a top pick.

13. (Trade from Cardinals to Patriots)- Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State

Many believe the Patriots will "tank for Trevor". I just can't see any Belichick-led team tanking for anyone, let alone a "useless" position like QB. Their offense is definitely set up to get them a top 5 pick, but with their elite coaching and defense I think they can do much better than people expect. Even though they signed Cam, I don't have them finishing much better than in my last mock draft. That's because I don't think Cam will mesh well with Belichick, they have a lot of talented players opting out, they have the hardest strength of schedule, and I probably should have had them finishing with a worse pick last time.

In typical Belichick fashion they decide to trade down and acquire more draft resources. The Patriots still have not properly replace Gronk, so maybe this would be the time to do so. I personally think that Kyle Pitts is the TE1 of this class, and Belichick does have a connection to the Gators, but he's a receiving TE who sucks at blocking, and that won't fly with Belichick. Freiermuth on the other hand is just as talented, but he's more of a "complete" TE, and many have called him a "baby Gronk", so who better to draft him than the Patriots?

14. Dolphins- Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas

This is the pick that the Texans traded to the Dolphins as part of the Tunsil trade. The Texans are used to winning their division or at least making the playoffs every year, but I don't see that happening for several reasons. They lost several good free agents, they traded away their best player and didn't get anything in return, they didn't have a 1st round pick to address their needs, and they still have the braindead idiot known as Bill O'Brien running their team. Pair that with the fact that they have a top 8 toughest strength of schedule, and they could be in store for a top 15 pick. Watson' greatness is the only reason why they escaped top 10.

Even though the Dolphins used a 1st round pick on an OT this year, he is raw and will need some development. To keep Tua standing and to give him a better chance at staying healthy they should upgrade their O-line as much as possible. They don't have any viable starters at RT at the moment, and it just so happens that Cosmi started most of his career at RT. They do need an RB1, but they did trade for Jordan Howard and Matt Breida, and there's not really an RB in this class worth a top 15 pick.

15. (Trade from Jaguars to Packers)- Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

This was the pick that the Rams sent to the Jaguars as part of the Ramsey trade. While the Rams have a solid team and a good head coach, they just keep getting worse instead of better in terms of talent. They also have a top 10 toughest strength of schedule. So I think they'll regress some more and finish with an average pick.

I don't really know what the Packers are doing. I can understand not wanting to use their 1st round pick on a WR in last year's draft since the class was so deep, but to not even draft one WR? And then to use that 1st round pick on Rodgers' replacement? They went from a potential Super Bowl contender to a team that would be lucky to make the playoffs as the 7th seed. Well if the Packers are still committed to winning a Super Bowl with Rodgers, I could see them trading up for the next best WR. Waddle makes sense for them because he's better suited as a WR2, and obviously they have their WR1 in Adams. He also makes sense because his speed will make him a good deep threat for Rodgers, his versatility will make him a lethal weapon to be used in many ways on offense, and he'll be a dangerous return-man for them.

16. Raiders- LaBryan Ray, DE/DT, Alabama

The Raiders didn't have the best draft, since Ruggs over Jeudy/Lamb was a mistake and Arnette was a reach, but they still addressed their biggest needs with talented players. They even signed Mariota hoping he can do to the Raiders what Tannehill did to the Titans. Even if Mariota ends up starting I don't think their team is talented enough to be anything more than a fringe 7th seed contender. Supposedly they were interested in getting a run-stuffing DT in the last draft, and Mayock loves to get players from winning organizations like Alabama. A QB like Newman could be an option here, but I do think Mayock and Gruden genuinely like and believe in Carr.

17. Eagles- Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse

I originally had the Eagles winning their division because they have an established coach and a slightly more talented team on paper. But since they didn't draft that well, have already lost their starting RG (who Wentz has never won a game without him) to injury, and Wentz is bound to get injured at some point, I think they'd be lucky to even get a playoff spot. So they just barely miss out on the playoffs. Considering the Eagles already had safety issues before they cut Malcom Jenkins, they should get the best safety available here.

People have mixed opinions on who the best safety in the class is. I went with Cisco since many regard him as the best safety in this class due to his ball hawking skills, and the Eagles could use another ball-hawk like him in their secondary. He is more of a FS which is unfortunate since they have their FS right now in McCloud but lost their SS in Jenkins. But in my opinion true free safeties are harder to find, so they can have Cisco start right away at FS, and move McCloud to SS.

18. (Trade from Broncos to Cowboys)- Jevon Holland, S, Oregon

In this scenario I have the Cowboys winning their division, and finishing with the 24th pick. I feel like Jerry Jones is getting really tired of not winning Super Bowls, so he could be feeling aggressive and trade up to get a player they need to be a contender. If Trevon Diggs can't develop into their CB1, a CB could make sense here, but I think Diggs will be fine for them. If a good C was available that would make sense to replace Travis Frederick, but the player they just drafted from Wisconsin should do fine as well. A TE like Pitts would definitely make sense, but they have some solid TE talent, and just spent a 1st round pick on a receiver. I think a safety makes the most sense here since they've ignored the position for years, and since they didn't trade for Adams, they could use the next best safety here. Holland is the other player that many believe is the best safety in this class, since he's also a pretty good ball-hawk. I think his best fit is at FS, yet he's talented enough to play at either position, so he makes sense for the Cowboys since they already have Clinton-Dix, who can also play either position.

19. Titans- Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

From here on I am going to be basing the order on my updated 2021 NFL Playoff Predictions (https://www.catscratchreader.com/2020/8/6/21357135/updated-2021-playoff-predictions). The Titans have a solid team with not many holes. Many predict the Titans could let Derrick Henry go and then use this pick on their next franchise RB. I disagree with this thinking, because why not just let him walk instead of franchise tagging him? Then they probably could have resigned Conklin and then used their 1st round pick on an RB to replace Henry.

So I think it would make more sense to draft for a different need. They have solid CBs, but they lost some talented ones in Free Agency as well, and they could use an upgrade anyway. Some considered Farley to be a top 10 pick before he opted out, and unlike Parsons, I think opting out could hurt his draft stock. He was never a definite top 10 pick or even CB1 of the class, so not having another season to potentially boost his stock will hurt while other CBs will help their stock. He's still talented enough to be the CB2 of this class, but unfortunately he's not even a top 15 pick.

20. (From Packers to Jaguars)- Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

Since the Jaguars have a ton of needs, they don't mind trading back and acquiring more draft resources. The Jaguars went all defense with their two 1st round picks last year, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them go all offense here. They already got their franchise LT, so a weapon for Minshew would make sense. Pitts makes sense here since they haven't had a good TE since Julius Thomas, Tyler Eifert can't be relied upon as a TE1, and they love drafting players from Florida.

21. Browns- Deonte Brown, OG, Alabama

The Browns surprisingly don't have many needs, since they either have established starters or rookies with talent/position at almost every position. Even though they just used last year's 1st round pick on an O-lineman, that shouldn't stop them from doing it again. The one weakness on their O-line is at OG, where they only have average at best players, and with their new head coach wanting to establish a run healthy offense, it makes sense to get an OG here who is good at run-blocking.

22. (Trade from Vikings to 49ers)- Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State

In this scenario the 49ers were one game away from getting back to the Super Bowl. Knowing that Super Bowl windows don't last long, Shanahan/Lynch get aggressive and trade up to address a position of need. Supposedly their interior O-line is very suspect, and since they didn't draft a single O-lineman last year, getting the next best one would make sense here. Considering Jimmy G doesn't handle pressure well and good-run games normally rely on a good interior O-line, they could prioritize that over a position like CB.

23. Bills- Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State

The Bills have a very talented CB1 in White, but they don't have any established talent at CB2, so they could use this pick to get the next best CB. Some have Wade as a top 10 pick contending for CB1 status, but I just don't think he's on par with Ohio State CBs of past drafts. I think he's a really good slot CB, but will struggle at times on the outside, which will lower his draft stock.

24. (Trade from Cowboys to Broncos)- Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame

I originally had the Broncos getting the 5th seed in the AFC, but because they have the 12th hardest strength of schedule, and their RT opted-out when their O-line was already questionable, I have them just missing out in this scenario. Since all the best OT prospects went early, the Broncos were fine with trading back and acquiring more picks. Since neither of their tackles are anything special, and one of them is going into his contract year, they could get the next best OT here to help protect Lock.

25. Steelers- Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

I feel like Big Ben is past his prime and will hold the Steelers back, but they were literally fringe playoff contenders last year with Mason Rudolph as their starting QB. Riding their elite defense, dominant O-line, and 2nd easiest strength of schedule, they should be able to carry Big Ben to a playoff spot. A QB would definitely make sense here to take advantage of their talented, playoff-ready team, but they seem committed to let Big Ben start until he retires. They tried to draft his replacement with a 3rd round pick, and Ben got pissed, so they didn't even sign or draft any potential replacements last year, and they resigned him to a new deal that will keep him around for the next few years.

Jamie Newman would definitely make sense since he could sit behind Big Ben while he develops, but Big Ben has too much of an ego to let that happen. So instead the Steelers will pin their offensive troubles on a different position. The Steelers GM already expressed his disappointment with Conner's recent performance, and since they didn't draft any viable replacements, they could use a new RB1. Harris isn't the RB1 of this class right now, but I think he is very underrated. From the games I've watched him in, he has the power/workhorse nature of someone like Josh Jacobs, but he also has the patience, vision, elusiveness, and receiving ability of someone like Le'veon Bell. Considering their offense hasn't been the same since they let Bell go, I think Harris makes the most sense for them. The only issue with Harris is that one could argue he's only successful because of Alabama's dominant O-line, but considering the Steelers have a top 10 O-line, he should be a good fit for them.

26. Seahawks- Trey Smith, OG/OT, Tennessee

I originally didn't have the Seahawks as a playoff contender, and honestly I wouldn't be surprised if they just missed out. But as long as they have Russell Wilson they will always be a contender, and adding Adams should greatly improve their chances. You can never predict what the Seahawks are going to do with their 1st round pick. They traded back every year for the last 7 years, but for whatever reason didn't do so last year. And instead of getting an O-lineman to help protect Wilson, or an edge-rusher to help replace Clowney, they get an LB when they already have Wagner and Wright. Not only did they get an LB, but they didn't even get the best LB available. So this pick was hard to predict. I picked Smith because his medical concerns will cause some teams to completely remove him from their draft boards, so of course the Seahawks would risk a 1st round pick on him. However he is very talented and should be an upgrade over their mediocre OGs.

27. Colts- Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford

The Colts have had CB issues for years, and even though they have some solid talents there, they still don't have a true CB1. So they get the next best one here.

28. Buccaneers- Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State

You were probably expecting the QB4 of this class to be Jamie Newman. I just think he is a very similar prospect to Jordan Love. They're both athletic, dual-threat players with big arms, but they also require a lot of development. Similar to Love, I think Newman could go anywhere from top 10 to not even being a 1st round prospect. If he has a huge year for Georgia that would obviously help him, but the offense Georgia had been running isn't suited well for Newman, and with the COVID situation he won't have the offseason to help him get used to their playbook. So I could see him falling out of the 1st round altogether, or to a team in the late 20s who already has a veteran QB, like the Packers did with Love.

I actually originally had the Bucs drafting Newman. But when I was thinking of his NFL comparison, Jameis Winston kept coming to mind. Both are mobile QBs with big arms, but struggle with accuracy and turnovers. So why would the Bucs draft the next Winston when they just let him walk in Free Agency after even QB guru Bruce Arians couldn't fix him? So instead I have the Bucs getting Purdy, a solid, playmaking QB who should be a better fit for Arians. Now you may think this landing spot doesn't make sense since the Bucs have Brady, and won't he be upset that they drafted his replacement, similar to how Rodgers must have been pissed at the Packers? Well the difference between Rodgers and Brady is that at this point Brady will almost be 45, going into the last year of his contract with the Bucs.

Also, since the Bucs didn't actively trade up for Purdy, that shows that they only drafted him because he fell to them, not because they're trying to replace Brady. Since the Bucs also traded last year to draft an RT solely for the purpose of protecting Brady, that should have developed some trust between Brady and the Bucs. So in this scenario the Bucs still have Brady in his last year of his deal for one last chance of a Super Bowl run, but to prepare for life after Brady (which will probably sooner rather than later), they draft a very talented QB who can sit on the bench for a year and develop behind one of the greatest QBs of all time. The Bucs now have their franchise QB of the future, and can use the rest of their draft picks to try to help Brady win another Super Bowl.

29. (Trade from 49ers to Vikings)- Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan

The Vikings are also a pretty talented squad with few holes on their roster. However, outside of center their O-line is pretty mediocre, so they should just get the next best O-lineman here. They were fine trading down since the best ones were already gone.

30. Chiefs-Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia

Since the Chiefs don't have anything better than mediocre CB talent, many expected them to use a 1st round pick on the position. They ended up not using a pick on the position until the 7th round, and that decision could cost them the chance at a Super Bowl repeat. So to avoid the same mistake they get the next best CB here.

31. Saints- Dylan Moses, ILB/OLB, Alabama

Unfortunately for us the Saints don't have many needs, since they're stacked at almost every position. However the only quality LB they have on their roster is Demario Davis, and they've lacked a true ILB for some time now. Many expected them to use a 1st round pick on a player like Patrick Queen in last year's draft, and while they did get a solid LB in Zach Baun, he's more of a pass-rushing LB. Moses is a very talented and versatile player who can play at ILB or OLB, and the only reason he falls this far is because of his injury history.

32. (Trade from Ravens to Buccaneers)- Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson

Since the Ravens don't have many needs and just won the Super Bowl in this scenario, they're fine with trading back and getting more draft resources.

To show Brady that they aren't solely focusing on the future with Newman, the Bucs trade up for their franchise RB. Since they don't have a true RB1 on their roster, and to win a Super Bowl with Brady this late in his career they're going to need to pair him with a good run game and dominant defense, they take a gamble by trading up here. Etienne is considered by many to the RB1 of this class, and because he's a good receiving back as well, he could be Bruce Arians' next David Johnson.

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