Spooner’s First Round 2021 NFL Mock Draft | Picks 11-20
11) Denver Broncos: OT Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
In an NFL Draft dominated by Ohio State and Alabama, it’s another Alabama star off the board in this first round mock. This time it’s the talented offensive tackle, Alex Leatherwood. A year after tackle Jedrick Wills went in the first round, Leatherwood makes it back-to-back first-round tackles for the Crimson Tide.
The pieces are starting to come together for the Denver Broncos offense. Drew Lock is maybe the biggest question for the offense, but he hasn’t had much help from his offensive line. They have the talent out wide, and they have some good running backs. Getting Lock the protection he needs to get this offense humming has to be at the top of GM John Elway’s list of priorities.
12) New England Patriots: WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU
Bill Belichick needs to get Cam Newton — or whoever is going to be at the helm next year — some help.
Ja’Marr Chase immediately gives the Patriots this much-needed help in the wide receiver room. Chase is the most talented receiver in this class and the type of receiver who can really open things up for the Patriots offense. Things have to operate a little differently in New England now, and Chase is just the guy to help usher in that change.
13) Carolina Panthers: TE Pat Freiermuth, Penn State
The Carolina Panthers may be one of the biggest surprise and feel-good stories of the 2020 NFL season. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has bounced back from a devastating leg injury and has been one of the league’s best passers through the first half of the season. Robby Anderson was cast off from the Jets and has found a home as one of the most productive wide receivers in the league with Carolina.
What do the Panthers need from this first-round NFL mock draft? A tight end. They haven’t found anyone to step up and be the replacement for Greg Olsen yet, but that will come with Pat Freiermuth from Penn State. Freiermuth was a stand-out in the Nittany Lions offense that also boasted K.J. Hamler, and will provide the middle-of-the-field safety valve every offense needs.
14) Detroit Lions: DT Jaylen Twyman, Pittsburgh
Defense has been a major stumbling block for the Detroit Lions for a number of years. They’ve been looking for an enforcer on that side of the ball arguably since the days of Ndamukong Suh. That need is apparent now, more than ever. They’ve been among the league’s worst defenses against both the pass and the run.
Those woes aren’t likely to be fixed with one player, but Pittsburgh DT Jaylen Twyman can go a long way towards it. Twyman isn’t participating in college football this season, opting out due to COVID-19 concerns, but you’d be wise not to forget about him. Twyman dominated the competition last season and can provide the Lions with a much-needed rush option from the inside, as well as stout run defense. It’s a win-win for the Lions in this first-round NFL Draft mock.
15) Miami Dolphins: WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
The Miami Dolphins make their second appearance in this first-round NFL mock draft. With their previous pick, courtesy of the Houston Texans, the Dolphins nabbed a center to help bolster their offensive line in Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey. Now they once again look to bolster the offense, this time with a playmaker on the outside.
There were many Dolphins fans who wanted to see the team spend an early-round pick on a wide receiver last season. It has become painfully apparent that the team needs to do so this time around. DeVante Parker and Preston Williams have put up decent numbers, but Miami desperately needs someone in the group who can create separation. Rashod Bateman is that guy. His skill set can really open things up for Chan Gailey, Tagovailoa, and the Dolphins offense.
16) Las Vegas Raiders: S Jevon Holland, Oregon
The Raiders have officially made the move to Las Vegas. Unfortunately for Raider Nation, they haven’t had the kind of debut they were hoping for. The biggest stumbling block for the team this season has been the defense. They’re near the bottom of the league in points allowed per game this season and have surrendered at least 30 points in all but one game.
Oregon Ducks safety Jevon Holland would go a long way towards evening that deficiency out. Vegas has a promising young safety already in Jonathan Abram, but the Raiders need someone who can complement Abram’s skill set with someone who can roam around on the back end and let Abram be a difference-maker up towards the line of scrimmage. With Holland providing help for the corners over the top, Vegas could boast a top-tier secondary by this time next season.
17) San Francisco 49ers: CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
The 49ers have been decimated by injuries. The losses have been particularly felt in the secondary. In San Francisco’s four wins, they’ve allowed just 11 points per game. In their three losses, that figure balloons up to just over 30 points per game. Injuries and poor performance in the secondary accounts for a lot of that. Caleb Farley can be the fix the 49ers need going forward. Farley has shown great technical skills, an ability to stick with receivers, and superb ball skills. He checks all the boxes.
18) Chicago Bears: QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State
If you had told me at the start of this year that a redshirt sophomore from North Dakota State would work his way into the first round of the NFL Draft, I would have called you crazy. That’s not a knock on Lance, just a statement on how rare it is for someone so young to come from that level and perform so well.
Related | Trey Lance looks to prove he’s an exception to the rule
Life comes at you fast, and that’s exactly what we might be looking at come next April. It’s become pretty clear in Chicago that they’re going to be in the market for a new quarterback. Incumbent starter Mitch Trubisky was benched in favor of free agent signing Nick Foles. That move has yet to breathe life into the Bears offense. Lance is just the guy to do that.
Lance has a cannon for an arm. He’s got plus athleticism, and he can make plays happen when forced out of the pocket. That’s a skillset he’s going to need to use early and often if he lands in Chicago, as the offensive line has done them no favors this year.
19) Philadelphia Eagles: WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
No one is good in the NFC East. It’s the league’s worst division. But, by rule, someone has to win the division. And by rule, that division winner has to be allowed into the playoffs. Your guess is as good as mine as to who comes out on “top” of this division, but right now, the betting favorite should probably be the Philadelphia Eagles, despite their obvious holes.
Perhaps the biggest of those holes is on offense in the wide receiver group. It’s a hole they attempted to patch last year by drafting Jalen Reagor, and it’s one they’ll likely attempt to patch this year. There’s a lot of wide receiver talent in this year’s class, but for this first-round NFL mock draft, we’ll give them Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle. Waddle should be able to give Wentz and the Eagles the home run threat that the WR group desperately needs.
20) Indianapolis Colts: WR Rondale Moore, Purdue
The Indianapolis Colts are sitting at 4-2 heading into the midway point of the season. Most of their success this season is owed to a defense that has proven to be one of the best in the league. The defense has kept them in games where the offense has been erratic with Philip Rivers at the helm. Rivers won’t be in Indianapolis much longer, and that’s their biggest need heading into the NFL Draft.
Unfortunately for the Colts, that’s not how the first round of this NFL mock draft fell for them. Zach Wilson is a name who is climbing up draft boards, but I’m not ready to cement his first-round status quite yet. So instead, they pick up another weapon for whoever steps into that role in the future. Rondale Moore should provide Indianapolis with the big-play ability they’ve been missing from the likes of T.Y. Hilton so far this season.