This three-round, draft-week mock includes no trades, and is basically an exercise to lengthen the board and see some of the potential hauls for teams in the 2021 NFL Draft. Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments about the selections for your favorite squad.

 

Round 1

 

1. JAX: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

This should have been written in permanent marker from the moment Jacksonville locked up the No. 1 overall pick.

 

2. NYJ: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

All the signs have pointed to Wilson being the pick here, and the intrigue should start when San Francisco is on the clock.

 

3. SF (from MIA via HOU): Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

Jones is back to being a somewhat heavy favorite to be the No. 3 pick, and Kyle Shanahan will hope he’s an extension of himself as a deadly accurate distributor.

 

4. ATL: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

Even if I were doing trades in this mock, Pitts would still be the pick as a dominant weapon to continue wreaking havoc with Julio Jones and beyond (in the post-Julio era).

 

5. CIN: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU

Oregon offensive tackle remains the betting favorite, but the local media seems to think Chase will be the pick as he reunites with college quarterback Joe Burrow.

 

6. MIA (via PHI): DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

Miami obviously moved back up from No. 12 to No. 6 (after trading out of No. 3) for someone in particular, and my guess would be Smith or teammate Jaylen Waddle.

 

7. DET: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

Detroit is the team most likely to trade back in Round 1, but might they want to stay put if Sewell is on the board?

 

8. CAR: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

Panthers owner David Tepper is desperate for a franchise quarterback, and the acquisition of Sam Darnold shouldn’t stand in the way of that if they have a high enough grade on Lance or Justin Fields.

 

9. DEN: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

Fields is the quarterback most likely to slip on Thursday night, but Denver could be the ones to stop his fall—especially if they don’t need to spend any extra draft capital to acquire him.

 

10. DAL: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

Surtain II to Dallas has been one of the most obvious matches in the class; will someone move up to disrupt the potential selection?

 

11. NYG: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

New York is on the other end of the spectrum in terms of clearness about their pick, but it’d be difficult to see Daniel Jones struggling with Kenny Golladay on the outside and Waddle joining Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram as a run-after-catch playmaker.

 

12. PHI (from MIA via SF): Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan

Brandon Graham was the No. 13 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, and general manager Howie Roseman could easily decide to go back to the Michigan well with another defensive end in the same range.

 

13. LAC: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern

Los Angeles has a few needs they need to plug this week/weekend, but protecting Justin Herbert needs to be the priority; this feels like a better range for Slater than the top-five buzz he generated from media members.

 

14. MIN: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

Darrisaw might not exactly fit the rare athletic profile of prospects Minnesota has targeted up front in recent years, but it might be wise to stop the shuffling and get a stud left tackle.

 

15. NE: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

The team not signing J.C. Jackson to a long-term deal signals to me that they want to be cheaper at cornerback; Horn has the skillset and confidence to be a shutdown option.

 

16. ARI: Alijah Vera-Tucker, G, USC

Similar to Rashawn Slater, Vera-Tucker is a prospect that might have their draft stock boosted more so by analysts because he’s considered a “high-floor” player, but there’s nothing wrong with Arizona going in that direction considering all the big swings they have made.

 

17. LV: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

Las Vegas has shuffled the deck for their roster quite a bit, and Parsons could be an “alpha” in the middle to help lift up some of the young defenders that have disappointed to start their careers.

 

18. MIA: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

It would be good for the league to have Tua Tagovailoa become a star, so sign me up for adding reinforcements in the form of college teammates DeVonta Smith and Harris.

 

19. WAS: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame

Left tackle is the biggest hole for Washington, and they could end up moving up for Christian Darrisaw (or perhaps even a quarterback) in Round 1; if not, Owusu-Koramoah would be tremendous behind a loaded defensive line.

 

20. CHI: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

Chicago is another team that could move up, but Farley—assuming health—would give them a potential decade-long running mate for Jaylon Johnson at cornerback.

 

21. IND: Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama

Leatherwood started three years (two at left tackle) for the Crimson Tide, and his elite athletic testing makes him a definite candidate to be selected by general manager Chris Ballard.

 

22. TEN: Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss

Tennessee signed Josh Reynolds, but they still need help for A.J. Brown at receiver; aside from being a stylistic complement, Moore overlapped with Brown for a year at Ole Miss.

 

23. NYJ (via SEA): Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma

Humphrey might not bring the excitement of Landon Dickerson or Quinn Meinerz, but he’d provide a solid, all-around anchor to grow with Zach Wilson.

 

24. PIT: Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

Would the Steelers rather have Travis Etienne (or Najee Harris if available) and a Round 2 offensive tackle? Or a Round 1 offensive tackle (in this case Jenkins) and a Round 2 running back? We’ll find out soon enough.

 

25. JAX (via LAR): Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU

The buzz for a pass rusher here is picking up ahead of Thursday night, but I’m not sure that makes sense with Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson already on the roster; instead, Moehrig provides versatility on the backend.

 

26. CLE: Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama

This would be a home-run selection for Cleveland, as Barmore (a flashy pass rusher from the interior) fits perfectly next to Jadeveon Clowney (a dominant run defender on the edge).

 

27. BAL: Azeez Ojulari, OLB, Georgia

The Ravens have been connected to wideouts in this range, but Marquise Brown, Sammy Watkins, and Mark Andrews should be enough weaponry in a run-first attack—and Ojulari has an AFC North type of game.

 

28. NO: Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State

Samuel Jr. would be a surprise as the fourth cornerback off the board, though he probably shouldn’t be as a competitive player that can stay outside or defend the slot.

 

29. GB: Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama

Medicals would be the only thing keeping Dickerson out of the first round, but Green Bay might have some comfort in knowing Elgton Jenkins could simply slide to the pivot if and when it’s needed.

 

30. BUF: Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia

Buffalo has been searching for a bigger running mate for Tre’Davious White, and Stokes fits the billing at six-foot-one with 4.28 speed.

 

31. BAL (via KC): Richie Grant, S, UCF

I said Azeez Ojulari fits in the AFC North, and I would go a step further for Grant in saying that he feels like a Baltimore-type player in particular.

 

32. TB: Gregory Rousseau, OLB, Miami

Agents try to generate smoke all the time, but this would be the last chance for Rousseau to go in Round 1 as Drew Rosenhaus said he would, and Tampa Bay’s pass rush could use more depth.

 

Round 2

 

33. JAX: Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State

34. NYJ: Joe Tryon, DE, Washington

35. ATL: Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson 

36. MIA (via HOU): Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State

37. PHI: Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU

38. CIN: Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame

39. CAR: Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern

40. DEN: Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State

41. DET: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa

42. NYG: Joseph Ossai, OLB, Texas

43. SF: Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford

44. DAL: Jevon Holland, S, Oregon

45. JAX (via MIN): Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State

46. NE: Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M

47. LAC: Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia

48. LV: Quinn Meinerz, C, Wisconsin-Whitewater

49. ARI: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

50. MIA: Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky

51. WAS: Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State

52. CHI: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota 

53. TEN: Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan 

54. IND: Carlos Basham, DE, Wake Forest

55. PIT: Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina

56. SEA: Payton Turner, DE, Houston

57. LAR: Brady Christensen, OT, BYU

58. KC (via BAL): Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa 

59. CLE: Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky

60. NO: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue

61. BUF: Chris Rumph II, DE, Duke

62. GB: Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina

63. KC: Amari Rodgers, WR, Clemson

64. TB: Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington

 

Round 3

 

65. JAX: Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas

66. NYJ: Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse

67. HOU: Elijah Molden, CB, Washington

68. ATL: Ronnie Perkins, DE, Oklahoma

69. CIN: Hunter Long, TE, Boston College

70. PHI: Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa

71. DEN: Michael Carter, RB, North Carolina

72. DET: Milton Williams, DT, Louisiana Tech

73. CAR: Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri 

74. WAS (via SF): Jamar Johnson, S, Indiana

75. DAL: Jabril Cox, LB, LSU

76. NYG: Trey Smith, G, Tennessee 

77. LAC: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USC

78. MIN: Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt

79. LV (via ARI): Deonte Brown, G, Alabama

80. LV: Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse 

81. MIA: Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU

82. WAS: Kyle Trask, QB, Florida

83. CHI: Davis Mills, QB, Stanford

84. PHI (via IND): Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama

85. TEN: Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame

86. NYJ (via SEA): Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State

87. PIT: Ben Cleveland, G, Georgia 

88. LAR: Alim McNeill, DT, NC State

89. CLE: Elerson Smith, DE, Northern Iowa

90. MIN (via BAL): Divine Deablo, S, Virginia Tech

91. CLE (via NO): Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State

92. GB: Pete Werner, LB, Ohio State

93. BUF: Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami

94. BAL (via KC): Nico Collins, WR, Michigan

95. TB: Demetric Felton, RB, UCLA

96. NE: Seth Williams, WR, Auburn

97. LAC: Shakur Brown, CB, Michigan State

98. NO: Ar’Darius Washington, S, TCU

99. DAL: Walker Little, OT, Stanford

100. TEN: Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina

101. DET (via LAR): Josh Palmer, WR, Tennessee 

102. SF: Drew Dalman, C, Stanford

103. LAR: Aaron Robinson, CB, UCF

104. BAL: James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati 

105. NO: Cornell Powell, WR, Clemson