Mock Draft Monday: 49ers Select Their Quarterback of the Future
The NFL Draft is finally here! This draft-week mock is an exercise to predict what will happen on Thursday night as accurately as possible. There will be several predicted trades.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
The best quarterback in the draft goes to the team that secured the first overall pick. A big part of why Urban Meyer wanted to coach the Jaguars was being able to work with Lawrence. One of the most hyped high-school recruits in the past decade will try to deliver once again.
2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
General manager Joe Douglas and the Jets organization seem set on drafting Wilson to replace Sam Darnold, who was traded to Carolina. Wilson is an exciting playmaker who can operate off-script. To take the Jets back to the playoffs, he has to win from the pocket on a more consistent basis.
3. San Francisco 49ers (via MIA): Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
The 49ers made a very aggressive trade to secure the third overall pick and now is not the time to draft a low-ceiling quarterback. Lance has the physical tools desired by coaches and is impressive on the board, coming from a pro-style offense at North Dakota State. Kyle Shanahan will coach him up as close to his scary potential as possible.
4. New England Patriots (via ATL): Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
Trade: Patriots send: Pick 15, Pick 46, 2022 First-Round Pick, 2022 Second-Round Pick. Falcons send: Pick 4
Yes, the Patriots are the team that gets aggressive and makes a trade with Atlanta. The offseason has shown that head coach Bill Belichick is willing to take risks, knowing he will not coach forever. Fields can be a quality signal-caller early in his career.
5. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, T, Oregon
The investment in a young quarterback does not stop after the selection is made. Cincinnati has to give Joe Burrow more help on the offensive line to prevent him from having to run around as much and take as many hits as he did in his rookie season.
6. Miami Dolphins (via PHI): Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Miami gets the pick of the litter with all playmakers still being on the board and the rarest one is Pitts. At his size and athleticism, he will be a matchup nightmare and help Tua Tagovailoa just like a No. 1 receiver can.
7. Los Angeles Chargers (via DET): Rashawn Slater, T, Northwestern
Trade: Chargers send: Pick 13, 2022 Second-Round Pick, 2023 Second-Round Pick, Lions send: Pick 7
With a young quarterback the caliber of Justin Herbert on a rookie deal, the Chargers will want to strike when the iron is hot. Slater can be the final piece to an impressive retooling job along the offensive line this offseason.
8. Carolina Panthers: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
Carolina could select an offensive lineman, but with both off the board, they have Chase falling into their laps. The physically dominant wideout will give Sam Darnold the No. 1receiving option he never had with the Jets.
9. Chicago Bears (via DEN): Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
Trade: Bears send Pick 20, Pick 83, 2022 First-Round Pick, Broncos send: Pick 9
Jones is falling down the board and the Bears' brass presumably has to make the playoffs to keep their jobs. That will be difficult with Andy Dalton at quarterback, so moving up for a pro-ready quarterback in Jones makes sense to give them a better chance of winning in 2021.
10. Dallas Cowboys: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Dallas had one of the worst defenses in the league and with no defenders off the board, they get to pick their prospect of choice in Horn. The son of former Saints receiver Joe Horn is a physically dominant press cornerback who tested off the charts. He will add some much-needed swagger and ball skills to a subpar secondary.
11. New York Giants: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
Surtain is one of the safest prospects in the draft, which is rare to say for a cornerback. He has NFL bloodlines, physicality, technique and started for head coach Nick Saban since he was a true freshman. With Surtain, the Giants’ defense looks even scarier than it did last year.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (via SF): DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
General manager Howie Roseman is looking to win with this pick after taking some heat in the last year. Few prospects have as much name recognition as the Heisman-Trophy winner. Smith is a three-level separator who can be a dynamic playmaker if his weight does not limit him too much.
13. Detroit Lions (via LAC): Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Trade: Chargers send: Pick 13, 2022 Second-Round Pick, 2023 Second-Round Pick, Lions send: Pick 7
The new Lions' regime continues to add future draft capital without missing out on one of the big three wideouts. Waddle is a speedster with elite start-stop ability. He can take the top off the defense and make plays with the ball in his hands.
14. Minnesota Vikings: Christian Darrisaw, T, Virginia Tech
Minnesota adds more bulk up front in the form of Darrisaw, who is a great scheme fit for the Vikings' zone rushing attack. His physical traits are very impressive as he is athletic and very strong.
15. Atlanta Falcons (via NE): Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan
Trade: Patriots send: Pick 15, Pick 46, 2022 First-Round Pick, 2022 Second-Round Pick, Falcons send: Pick 4
Taking advantage of a strong quarterback class, Atlanta trades back from the fourth selection, adding draft capital to bolster an aging roster with young talent. In the process, they also pick one of the best pass rushers in the draft. Paye gives the Falcons much-needed juice off the edge.
16. Miami Dolphins (via ARI): Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
Trade: Dolphins send: Pick 18, 2022 Third-Round Pick, Cardinals send: Pick 16
Parsons is falling down the board and Miami can't wait any longer, so they strike a deal with Arizona to get their guy. The versatile linebacker is an athletic freak who can be deployed all over the Dolphins’ defense. He will find success as a pass rusher and a sideline-to-sideline run defender.
17. Las Vegas Raiders: Teven Jenkins, T, Oklahoma State
Head coach Jon Gruden is into nightmares and so is Jenkins, who has some of the meanest college football tape of the past decade. The right tackle is a strong finisher in the run game, putting opponents on their backs consistently. Sound technique in pass protection should make him a Week-1 starter.
18. Arizona Cardinals (via MIA): Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern
Trade: Dolphins send: Pick 18, 2022 Third-Round Pick, Cardinals send: Pick 16
The Cardinals trade down, collect a third-round pick they didn't have and still get who they were targeting at 16. Newsome is a very talented cornerback who possesses the best feet of any cover man in the draft. He will step in and be a starter in the desert, provided that he stays healthy.
19. Washington Football Team: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
Washington head coach Ron Rivera has had a lot of success with Thomas Davis in Carolina and Owusu-Koramoah is similar. While undersized, he has tremendous athleticism and range at the second level. The Notre Dame product could be what turns a very good defense into a special one.
20. Denver Broncos (via CHI): Azeez Ojulari, OLB, Georgia
Trade: Bears send Pick 20, Pick 83, 2022 First-Round Pick, Broncos send: Pick 9
There are uncertainties about the Broncos' pass rush with injury questions around Bradley Chubb and Von Miller. Ojulari is a standup rusher in their mold with good hand usage, get-off and the ability to bend the corner. A young prospect, he can learn behind and take over for Miller.
21. Indianapolis Colts: Samuel Cosmi, T, Texas
The retirement of Anthony Castonzo was a curveball for the Colts’ leadership. Picking at 21, they are sitting pretty to get one of the first-round tackles and plug him in next to guard Quenton Nelson. Cosmi is a fantastic athlete with great feet in pass protection. Increasing strength in an NFL weight room has to be his priority.
22. Tennessee Titans: Spencer Brown, T, Northern Iowa
The Titans got it all wrong last year, selecting Isaiah Wilson to be their right tackle. In this draft, they can make up for it with Brownm who is a first-round caliber player with incredible athleticism at almost 6-foot-9. He may need a year to get acclimated, but has the ceiling to be a premier tackle in the league.
23. New York Jets (via LAR): Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State
Head coach Robert Saleh values pass rush as much as anything on his defense and Oweh could become one of the better defensive ends in the league. A freak athlete, he has only been playing football since his junior year in high school. This is an investment into the future for the new Jets coaching staff.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
Pittsburgh is running it back one more year with an aging roster and franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at the helm. Looking for an immediate impact from their first-round pick, there is not a player as talented as Harris here. The national champion can be a great runner, but more important catch passes as Le’Veon Bell did in his best seasons with Pittsburgh.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (via SEA): Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama
It seems like years ago that every team in the league was scared of the "Sacksonville" front. While Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson were intriguing additions, the Jaguars need an inside presence to get back to their dominant ways up front. Barmore can be just that; in his best games he is as good as anyone. Getting that play consistently will be a focal point for Meyer’s staff.
26. Cleveland Browns: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
The Browns are on the right track after taking a big step in turning the franchise around in 2020. Adding a pro-ready wideout like Bateman to play opposite Beckham gives this offense additional firepower and Baker Mayfield, even more, to work with.
27. Baltimore Ravens: Alijah Vera-Tucker, G, USC
To get back to the top of the AFC North, the Ravens need to help quarterback Lamar Jackson with their two first-round picks after the Orlando Brown trade. Vera-Tucker can feasibly play any spot except center along the offensive line and is one of the most sound lineman in the draft. He allows Baltimore to get the best five linemen on the field.
28. New Orleans Saints: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa
Adding young talent is the name of the game for a Saints team that has lost and will continue to lose important pieces due to their cap situation. Collins is a versatile linebacker who possesses tremendous size, physicality and zone instincts. He can help out as a pass rusher or in space while giving the defense a cornerstone to build around.
29. Green Bay Packers: Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma
Green Bay lost one of the best centers in the league to the Chargers. To replace Corey Linsley, they should look no further than Humphrey who has been a cornerstone of the explosive Sooners offenses in the past three seasons thanks to his leadership and play.
30. Buffalo Bills: Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse
Melifonwu is a height, weight, speed prospect with the tape to back it up. He brings physicality and quick feet as a cover man. At his best, he will be able to take away big wideouts opposite of Tre’Davious White.
31. Baltimore Ravens (via KC): Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida
Continuing their mission to give Jackson more help, the Ravens select the dynamic playmaker Toney with the pick they acquired for Orlando Brown. Winning from the slot and with the ball in his hands on designed touches, Toney can also be an extension of the run game.
32. New York Jets (via TB): Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
Trade: Jets send: Pick 34, 2022 Fourth-Round Pick, Buccaneers send: Pick 32
The Jets are bringing the wide zone running game over from San Francisco and Etienne is a great fit for that system with his speed and explosiveness. Securing the last first-round pick will allow them the flexibility to execute the fifth-year option on his rookie contract down the road.
QB | RB | FB | WR | iWR | TE | LT | RT | OG | OC | DT | NG | 3-4 DE | 4-3 DE | 3-4 OLB | 4-3 OLB | ILB | CB | iCB | FS | SS
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