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Live Updates from the First Round of the 2021 NFL Draft

Live picks and analysis as the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft gets underway on Thursday in Cleveland
Joey Blackwell|
Live Updates from the First Round of the 2021 NFL Draft
Live Updates from the First Round of the 2021 NFL Draft

First Round Live Updates

(updates will be in descending order to preserve pick order)

  • The 2021 NFL Draft is officially open, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are on the clock with the first pick of the draft. The Jaguars will have 10 minutes to make a selection.
  • Pick No. 1: With the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jaguars select quarterback Trevor Lawrence from Clemson.
  • The New York Jets are now on the clock, and they will have eight minutes to make their pick.
  • Both Ric Serritella of NFL Draft Bible and Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated had Lawrence going as the first overall pick.
  • Pick No. 2: With the second pick, the Jets select quarterback Zach Wilson of BYU.
  • As with Lawrence, both Serritella and Orr also predicted that Wilson would go to the Jets as the second pick.
  • The San Francisco 49ers are now on the clock. Alabama quarterback Mac Jones has been a hot topic of discussion in regards to the 49ers.
  • Pick No. 3: With the third pick, the 49ers select quarterback Trey Lance of North Dakota State.
  • With that pick, the NFL Draft has officially been turned on its head and the night just got a lot more interesting. Both Serritella and Orr had Jones going to the 49ers. Serritella had Lance going to the Panthers at No. 8 while Orr had him headed to the Denver Broncos at No. 9.
  • The Atlanta Falcons are now on the clock.
  • Pick No. 4: With the fourth pick, the Falcons select tight end Kyle Pitts of Florida.
  • Serritella had the Falcons picking Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields while Orr correctly predicted the Pitts pick.
  • The Cincinnati Bengals are on the clock.
  • Pick No. 5: With the fifth overall pick, the Bengals select wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase of LSU. The first wide receiver off the board is not from Alabama.
  • Both Serritella and Orr had Chase heading to the Bengals.
  • The Miami Dolphins are on the clock. The Dolphins picked the first Alabama player off the board last year in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at No. 3.
  • Pick No. 6: With the sixth pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Dolphins select wide receiver Jaylen Waddle of Alabama. Waddle is officially the first Crimson Tide player off the board.
  • Serritella had Waddle going to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 12 while Orr correctly predicted that Waddle would be reuniting with Tagovailoa down in Miami.
  • Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network just described Waddle with two words: "Ludicrous speed!"
  • The Detroit Lions are on the clock.
  • Pick No. 7: With the seventh overall pick, the Lions select offensive tackle Penei Sewell, Oregon.
  • Serritella had Sewell going to the Dolphins while Orr once again correctly predicted him going to the Lions.
  • The Carolina Panthers are now on the clock. The Panthers are another hot spot for Mac Jones, but Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields has also been discussed as a top favorite pick for the Panthers.
  • Pick No. 8: With the eighth pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Panthers select defensive back Jaycee Horn of South Carolina.
  • Serritella had Horn heading to the New England Patriots at No. 15 while Orr had him going at No. 12 to the Eagles.
  • The Denver Broncos are now on the clock.
  • Pick No. 9: With the ninth pick, the Broncos select defensive back Patrick Surtain II of Alabama. Surtain is the second Crimson Tide player of the night to be taken off the board.
  • Serritella had Surtain heading to Denver, while Orr had him heading one pick later to the Dallas Cowboys.
  • The Dallas Cowboys are on the clock.
  • The Cowboys have traded their No. 10 pick to the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • The Eagles are now on the clock.
  • Pick No. 10: With the 10th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Eagles select wide receiver DeVonta Smith of Alabama. With Smith being reunited with former quarterback Jalen Hurts, that makes the third SEC wide receiver being reunited with their former quarterback (Hurt and Smith, Burrow and Chase, Tagovailoa and Waddle).
  • Smith is the third Crimson Tide player off the board.
  • Between Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith, Alabama football is now the first program in history to have multiple wide receivers drafted in the first round in two consecutive NFL drafts.
  • Serritella had Smith heading to the Lions at No. 7 while Orr had him heading to the Cardinals at No. 11.
  • The New York Giants are now on the clock.
  • Another draft shakeup as the Giants trade their 11th pick to the Chicago Bears.
  • The Bears are now on the clock.
  • Pick No. 11: With the 11th pick of the draft, the Bears select quarterback Justin Fields of Ohio State.
  • Serritella had Fields heading to the Falcons at No. 4 while Orr had him heading to the Lions at No. 7.
  • The Cowboys are once again on the clock after trading down to No. 12 with the Eagles.
  • Pick No. 12: With the 12th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Cowboys select linebacker Micah Parsons of Penn State.
  • Serritella had Parsons headed to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 17 while Orr had him at No. 15 to the Patriots.
  • The Los Angeles Chargers are on the clock.
  • Pick No. 13: With the 13th pick of the draft, the Chargers select offensive tackle Rashawn Slater of Northwestern. Slater is the first player from Northwestern to be drafted in the first round since 2005.
  • The Minnesota Vikings are now on the clock.
  • The Vikings trade the No. 14 pick to the New York Jets.
  • The Jets are on the clock.
  • Pick No. 14: With the 14th pick of the draft, the Jets select offensive tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker of USC.
  • Serritella had Vera-Tucker heading to Minnesota as did Orr.
  • The New England Patriots are on the clock. Mac Jones was just seen laughing on the phone, so it is expected that Jones will be joining Bill Belichick in New England.
  • Pick No. 15: With the 15th pick, the Patriots select quarterback Mac Jones of Alabama.
  • "It's not really where you get picked, it's what you do with the opportunity. That's what Nick Saban taught me," said Mac Jones in his first interview as a Patriot. He is the seventh Alabama player drafted by the Patriots since 2010.
  • Jones is the 100th Alabama player to be drafted since Nick Saban arrived at the Crimson Tide in 2007.
  • Former Alabama running back Damien Harris seems pretty excited about his Patriots' pick:
  • Jones is the fourth Crimson Tide player off the board.
  • The Arizona Cardinals are on the clock.
  • Pick No. 16: With the 16th pick, the Cardinals select linebacker Zaven Collins of Tulsa.
  • The Las Vegas Raiders are on the clock.
  • Pick No. 17: With the 17th pick, the Raiders select offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood of Alabama. Five Crimson Tide players have now been drafted.
  • The Dolphins are now back on the clock.
  • Pick No. 18: With the 18th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Dolphins select defensive end Jaelan Phillips of Miami.
  • The Washington Football Team is on the clock.
  • Pick No. 19: With the 19th pick, Washington selects linebacker Jamin Davis of Kentucky.
  • The New York Giants are back on the clock after swapping picks with Chicago earlier tonight.
  • Pick No. 20: With the 20th pick, the Giants select wide receiver Kadarius Toney of Florida.
  • The Indianapolis Colts are now on the clock.
  • Pick No. 21: With the 21st pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Colts select defensive end Kwity Paye of Michigan.
  • The Tennessee Titans are on the clock.
  • With 11 picks remaining in the first round, Alabama still has a shot of breaking the all-time record for most first-round picks in one draft from a single team. Currently, the Crimson Tide has had five players drafted, with defensive lineman Christian Barmore, running back Najee Harris and center Landon Dickerson still on the board. All three were projected in the majority of mock drafts to find a home within the first 32 picks.
  • Pick No. 22: With the 22nd pick, the Titans select defensive back Caleb Farley of Virginia Tech.
  • The Minnesota Vikings are now on the clock.
  • Pick No. 23: With the 23rd pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Vikings select offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw of Virginia Tech. He is the second Hokie drafted tonight.
  • The Pittsburgh Steelers are now on the clock.
  • Pick No. 24: With the 24th pick of the draft, the Steelers select running back Najee Harris of Alabama. That now makes six Alabama players drafted in the first round of the draft, tied with the 2004 Miami Hurricanes for the most all-time.
  • Barmore and Dickerson are the last two projected first rounders remaining on the board for Alabama.
  • Alabama has as many first-round picks as the ACC, Big 12 and PAC-12 combined.
  • The Jaguars are back on the clock after taking Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence as the No. 1 overall pick.
  • Pick No. 25: With the 25th pick, the Jaguars select running back Travis Etienne of Clemson.
  • The Cleveland Browns are now on the clock.
  • Pick No. 26: With the 26th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Browns select cornerback Greg Newsome II of Northwestern. It is the first time in history that Northwestern has had two players drafted in the first round.
  • The Baltimore Ravens are on the clock. Christian Barmore has been placed here by several mock drafts. If he is drafted, the Crimson Tide will break the record for the most first-round picks from a single team.
  • Pick No. 27: With the 27th pick of the draft, the Ravens select wide receiver Rashod Bateman of Minnesota.
  • The New Orleans Saints are on the clock. The Saints are another popular predicted destination for Barmore.
  • Pick No. 28: With the 28th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Saints select defensive end Payton Turner of Houston.
  • The Green Bay Packers are now on the clock.
  • Pick No. 29: With the 29th pick, the Packers select defensive back Eric Stokes of Georgia. He is the first Bulldog to be drafted in the first round.
  • The Buffalo Bills are now on the clock.
  • Pick No. 30: With the 30th pick of the draft, the Bills select defensive end Gregory Rousseau of Miami. He is the second Hurricane to be drafted tonight.
  • The Ravens are back on the clock.
  • Pick No. 31: With the 31st pick of the first round, the Ravens select linebacker Jayson Oweh of Penn State.
  • The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are now on the clock and will be the last pick of the first round. This will be Alabama's last chance at breaking the single team first-round pick record.
  • Pick No. 32: With the 32nd and final pick of the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Buccaneers select linebacker Joe Tryon of Washington.
  • Alabama finishes the night with a total of six players drafted.

Red Carpet

  • The players participating in this year's draft have now been introduced, the national anthem has been sung, and we are just minutes away from the Jacksonville Jaguars being on the clock with the first overall pick.
  • Check out Patrick Surtain's bling:
  • Defensive lineman Christian Barmore has now made his way onto the red carpet in Cleveland:
  • Quarterback Mac Jones looks like he just stepped off of the set of the latest James Bond movie:
  • Cornerback Patrick Surtain II is going with a salmon suit on draft night:
  • On ESPN's College Gameday, Desmond Howard predicted that Alabama's Najee Harris will be the first running back off the board. David Pollack went with Travis Etienne of Clemson.
  • Just going to leave this here:
  • Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has appeared on the red carpet, sporting another great look for the Crimson Tide:
  • Here's a look at DeVonta Smith's getup for the draft:
  • DeVonta Smith, looking fresh on the red carpet, had this to say to ESPN's Laura Rutledge when asked why he was the best wide receiver in the draft: "Because I can do everything. Whatever you want me to do."

Alabama Projections

It's that time of the year once again.

A year ago this month, nine Alabama players were selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. Four of those players were taken in the first round in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at No. 3 to the Miami Dolphins, offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. at No. 10 to the Cleveland Browns, wide receiver Henry Ruggs III at No. 12 to the Las Vegas Raiders and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy at No. 15 to the Denver Broncos.

This season, the Crimson Tide looks to outdo its 2020 draft results and increase its number of first round picks. While the team had four former players join the ranks of the NFL in the first round last season, some mock drafts have as many as six Alabama players being drafted in the first 32 picks on Thursday.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. is one of the draft experts who has six players going in the first round of his mock draft. Along with quarterback Mac Jones third overall to the San Francisco 49ers — the same draft spot that Tagovailoa had the year before — Kiper also has wide receiver DeVonta Smith in the top 10 at No. 8 to the Carolina Panthers.

According to Kiper, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle is likely to go at No. 11 to the New York Giants followed closely by cornerback Patrick Surtain II at No. 12 to the Philadelphia Eagles. The final two Crimson Tide players in the first round are likely to be running back Najee Harris at No. 24 to the Pittsburgh Steelers and defensive tackle Christian Barmore will close out the first round as the No. 32 pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The first round of the draft will take place at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, with the second and third rounds taking place on Friday and rounds 4-7 closing out the draft on Saturday.

Below you'll find all the information you need to plan your draft day on Thursday:

Draft Day Information

Where: Several locations in Cleveland, Ohio: FirstEnergy Stadium, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Great Lakes Science Center.

When: 7 p.m. CT, Thursday.

TV: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network.

Online: FuboTV, ESPN app, NFL app.

2020 Draft: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 NFL Draft was moved from its original location in Las Vegas to a virtual event. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the picks of each round from the basement of his home. While the annual draft attracts viewers from around the world each and every year, last year was an even more special occasion as it marked a return of sorts of sports to the United States. In total, four Alabama players were selected in the first round of the draft, including quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. and wide receivers Henry Ruggs III and Jerry Jeudy.

Draft History: The first NFL draft was held in 1936 in Philadelphia. While the process has come along way from 90 college players' names being written on a chalkboard for franchises to mull over and pick from, the principle of the draft remains the same: to pick the best that college football has to offer to suit each team's needs. While the first draft didn't have any media coverage, the first televised draft took place on the fledgling ESPN in 1980. Since that time, the event has grown to become one of the largest annual NFL events, second only to the Super Bowl in terms of fan anticipation.

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Published
Joey Blackwell
JOEY BLACKWELL

Joey Blackwell is an award-winning journalist and assistant editor for BamaCentral and has covered the Crimson Tide since 2018. He primarily covers Alabama football, men's basketball and baseball, but also covers a wide variety of other sports. Joey earned his bachelor's degree in History from Birmingham-Southern College in 2014 before graduating summa cum laude from the University of Alabama in 2020 with a degree in News Media. He has also been featured in a variety of college football magazines, including Lindy's Sports and BamaTime.

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