Picks 17-32
17. Arizona Cardinals: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
The Arizona Cardinals offense is fun to watch. Running back Kenyan Drake has flourished since leaving Miami. DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk have provided the explosive element to the offense. Larry Fitzgerald keeps defying Father Time to be the steady, consistent presence.
What are the Cardinals missing? A reliable, big target over the middle. That’s Kyle Pitts in spades.
Pitts has been huge for the Florida Gators offense in more ways than one. At 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, Pitts is a massive target over the middle and down the seams. He has provided quarterback Kyle Trask with the reliable option he needed to become a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate.
Kyler Murray is still developing as a passer. Providing him with this kind of safety blanket should help him reach that next level.
18. Indianapolis Colts: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida
A lot has been made of the 2021 NFL Draft class of wide receivers.
There’s a ton of talent in this group, yet one of the more overlooked of the bunch might be Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney. Toney has come on strong over the last month of the season and is garnering some well-deserved buzz. He’s not the top of the class, but he may surprise some people who expect names like Rashod Bateman and Rondale Moore to come off the board first.
Philip Rivers isn’t likely to be the quarterback of the Colts in 2021. Who knows who will be? But whoever it is, they’re going to need weapons. T.Y. Hilton’s performance has dropped off recently. Last year’s second-round pick Michael Pittman showed flashes this year, but the WR group still needs more. Toney can round out a solid corps for Indianapolis and their next QB.
19. Washington Football Team: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
Things may not have gone well for the Virginia Tech football team this season, but there was a lot of talent on the field for the Hokies. One of the more unsung talents was offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw. Darrisaw quietly put together a great season and has started to generate a lot of first-round buzz about his 2021 NFL Draft stock — he lands to the team with no name in this mock.
Washington needs help along the offensive line. They lost long-time left tackle Trent Williams in the offseason and have yet to find his replacement. Darrisaw can be that guy. Washington has ample turmoil surrounding the quarterback position. Still, no matter who’s at the helm, they’ll be able to breathe a little easier with Darrisaw protecting them.
20. Chicago Bears: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
The Chicago Bears offense has been laughable at times this season. Much of that has to do with the instability at the quarterback position.
However, much of the blame can also be laid at the feet of the team’s lack of help outside. Outside of Allen Robinson, the cupboard is pretty bare for the Bears at wide receiver. With Robinson unlikely to be back with the team in 2021, the cupboard may be just about empty.
Rashod Bateman may have done significant damage to his draft stock this season.
He originally opted out of the season, then opted back in, “playing” five games this season. “Playing” in quotes because Bateman was barely noticed on the field in Minnesota’s games. The Minnesota offense ran through RB Mohamed Ibrahim, and Bateman was little more than an afterthought. Still, he’s a first-round talent and should slip into the back half.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars: Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami
The Jacksonville Jaguars are back on the clock in our First-Round NFL Mock Draft. Now that they have Trevor Lawrence in the fold and have presumably fixed their quarterback woes, where should the team look? They have weapons for Lawrence to throw to. They have a solid running back. However, they do have some questions on the other side of the ball.
The Jaguars need someone who can get after the quarterback and make their life difficult. They had that guy in Yannick Ngakoue, but they shipped him off after expressing his unhappiness with the franchise. Jacksonville doesn’t need to look far to find his replacement.
Rousseau is a physical specimen. He still needs to develop a bit in the technical aspects, but the physical gifts alone make him a first-round talent.
22. Cleveland Browns: Dylan Moses, iLB, Alabama
The Cleveland Browns are on the verge of the playoffs. With a win next weekend, they’ll be in. It would be the first playoff appearance for the team since 2002 and just the second since rejoining the league in 1999. It’s a year late, but they finally capitalized on all the team’s buzz coming into last season.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t still some glaring holes, though.
One of those holes is on defense. Cleveland desperately needs some help in the linebacker group, and Alabama star Dylan Moses can offer that help. Cleveland is solid up front, particularly at the EDGE position. They need players who can handle the middle of the field and provide a physical presence in the run and pass game. Moses can be that guy for the Browns.
23. Miami Dolphins: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
I can already hear what you’re saying. Rule #1 of a mock draft — no RBs in the first round. I get it, and normally I’m right there with you. Running back simply doesn’t have the value it once did in the league. It’s easier to find talent in later rounds at running back than almost any other position.
However, when you have two selections in the first round and three in the top 35, you can bend the rules a little.
The Dolphins need a running back. The rushing attack has been more or less nonexistent the past couple of seasons. Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed have come on strong in recent weeks, but neither is the long-term answer at the position. Najee Harris would provide the Dolphins with their own Derrick Henry-type running back. Not on the level of Henry, but in the same vein.
A good running attack will help take some pressure off Tua Tagovailoa.
24. Baltimore Ravens: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
Lamar Jackson came back down to Earth after his incredible MVP performance last season. The issues that have plagued him throughout his career are still present. He still needs to develop as a passer. But to do so, he needs some weapons to throw to.
Baltimore tried to give him one last year in Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, but that has yet to pan out. Mark Andrews is a great option, but they need more.
Rondale Moore, that is. Pairing Moore with Brown, along with Miles Boykin and Devin Duvernay, should give Jackson a wide receiver group he can grow with. The Ravens have the tight end. They have the running back. They just need to figure out the wide receiver position and they can have a potent offense that competes with the best of them.
25. Tennessee Titans: Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia
To say that the Titans pass rush has been bad this season would be an understatement. Long gone are the days of Javon Kearse wreaking havoc upon opposing quarterbacks.
Harold Landry was that guy last season, but he’s fallen off in a big way this year. Jadeveon Clowney was brought in this season to be that guy, but that did not turn out as the team had hoped. The Titans need help up front, and they can turn to the SEC to find it.
Few prospects have helped their NFL Draft stock more this season than Georgia EDGE Azeez Ojulari. Ojulari may only be 240, but he plays much bigger. He’s explosive and has the lower-body flexibility you want from your EDGE rusher.
However, he also brings a physicality that you don’t necessarily expect. He’s going to be solid in the NFL against the run, too, which greatly enhances his value.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame
Few players in the history of the NFL have had the kind of career Buccaneers QB Tom Brady has had. Brady rewrote the record books during his time in New England and helped build a dynasty the likes of which we may never see again.
Now, he’s writing a new chapter, with a new team, in a new city. And things are going nearly as well for him in his new stop. Brady has the team poised to make a playoff appearance for the first time since 2007.
Brady’s time with Tampa Bay is just beginning. If they want to extend that time, protecting him is vital. The Bucs got him some offensive line help last year in the form of Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs. Now they pair him with another tackle in this First-Round NFL Mock Draft.
Giving Brady a tandem of tackles to protect both sides should only lengthen his already storied career. Year two could be even better than the first.
27. New York Jets: Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State
The New York Jets have found their quarterback. It may not be who the fans figured it would even three weeks ago, but what’s done is done. They still got a strong-armed QB who has a promising future. Now they need to surround him with the talent he needs to succeed. There isn’t much to start with, so the Jets really could go just about anywhere.
Chris Olave may be the forgotten man in this wide receiver class, but he’s a first-round talent every day of the week. He’s adept at creating separation all over the field, and he is going to be able to take advantage of the strong arm and aggressive style that Zach Wilson has.
The Jets need help everywhere, but coming away with Wilson and Olave in this First-Round NFL Mock Draft is a slam dunk.
28. Buffalo Bills: Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State
Shaun Wade came into the 2020 season firmly in the top cornerback conversation in the 2021 NFL Draft class. Since then, Wade’s stock has fallen considerably, as he has struggled somewhat in this abbreviated season. Still, it’s hard for me to imagine his stock has taken so much of a hit that he falls completely out of the first round.
Wade’s loss is the Buffalo Bills’ gain. The Bills have secured their first division title since the days of Jim Kelly, and have put together a nice offense with Stefon Diggs’s addition and the emergence of Josh Allen.
Where the Bills can put themselves over the top is by pairing Tre’Davious White with Wade. This tandem would give the Bills two great outside corners, making throwing against Buffalo a nightmare for opposing QBs.
29. New Orleans Saints: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa
Like several other teams, the Saints may find themselves in the unenviable position of needing to think about the future of the quarterback position while not being in a position to draft for it. Drew Brees has been a legend for the Saints, but his days are numbered as the years, hits, and injuries continue to pile up.
New Orleans is likely the only team to challenge the Packers in the NFC, and aren’t going to be anywhere near drafting a QB without giving up the farm. Instead, they should look to bolster a porous defense with one of the surprise names of this year’s college football season: Zaven Collins.
Collins has played lights out this season for Tulsa and introduced himself to the world. He’d be a great addition to the Saints defense and infuse some youth and athleticism to the LBs.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers: Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
If it feels like this First-Round NFL Mock Draft has been dominated by Alabama, that’s because it has. And here we are, towards the end, and we find yet another Crimson Tide product. This time in the form of offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood.
The Steelers don’t have many holes on the team, but one area they can improve upon is the offensive line. Ben Roethlisberger isn’t going to play forever. If they want to get as much out of his twilight as they can, they need to protect him.
31. Green Bay Packers: Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama
Another pick, another Alabama stud. The Packers were criticized heavily after last year’s draft for not getting Aaron Rodgers any weapons. They aren’t going to get him any weapons in the first round here, either.
However, with the emergence of players like wide receiver Allen Lazard and tight end Robert Tonyan, that’s less of an issue. Their emergence frees Green Bay up to focus on the other side of the ball. Barmore would give the Packers a physical presence inside who is solid against the run and can provide valuable pass-rush skill from up the middle.
32. Kansas City Chiefs: Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri
The Kansas City Chiefs boast the league’s most explosive offense with Tyreek Hill, Mecole Hardman, and some guy named Patrick Mahomes. They ran through the league last season, and they look poised to do so again this year. The only thing that could stop them is lacking that same explosiveness on the defense.
If the Chiefs become the league’s first repeat champs since 2004, it’ll be because of their offense. The defense needs more, and Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton can provide what they need. Bolton is a physical presence in the middle, with great athleticism and explosiveness for the position. The rich get richer.
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