First Round | Picks 21-32
21) Arizona Cardinals: EDGE Gregory Rousseau, Miami (FL)
The Arizona Cardinals are looking like a team that has things figured out on offense. Kyler Murray is blossoming into one of the league’s most promising young quarterbacks. The tandem of Kenyan Drake and Chase Edmonds is producing in both the run and pass phases of the offense. Andy Isabella and Christian Kirk are perfect complements to Murray, and Larry Fitzgerald could maybe play another three years if he wants.
Where the Cardinals are falling short this season is on defense. Particularly in getting to opposing quarterbacks. Chandler Jones has been lost for the season, and he’s not getting any younger. The Cardinals need talent on the edge, and that’s exactly what they get in Miami’s Gregory Rousseau. Rousseau is still fairly raw, but his physical talents are supremely evident. Learning the mechanics of pass rush from a guy like Jones could be huge for both Rousseau and the Cardinals.
22) Cleveland Browns: LB Nick Bolton, Missouri
The Cleveland Browns of 2020 look to be making good on the promise that the 2019 team had. This season the buzz around the Browns is significantly lower, but they’re playing some really good football in Cleveland and are contenders in the AFC North. Things are going to be a bit harder with Odell Beckham Jr. lost for the season, but that’s how it goes in the NFL.
What the Browns need to take them to the next level is help on the defense. Their front four is one of the better units in the league, but their linebacker group is….not. They need all kinds of help, and Nick Bolton out of Missouri is the guy to help right the ship. Bolton would give the Browns a thumper who provides good play against both the run and the pass. Just as important, he provides depth at a position woefully lacking in it.
23) New Orleans Saints: WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama
If Zach Wilson were going to slip into the later portions of the first round, the New Orleans Saints would be another logical spot for him to go. Drew Brees is in the twilight of his career, and it’s hard to imagine Sean Payton and the Saints believing Jameis Winston is their future. However, as I said previously, I’m not fully committing to the first-round hype train on Wilson yet.
Instead, we’re going to address a different need for the Saints in this first-round NFL mock draft and give them a wide receiver. If this year has shown the Saints anything, it’s that they need more than just Michael Thomas in the wide receiver room. Star running back Alvin Kamara has been able to mask some deficiencies, but he can only do so much.
Related | NFL Draft Rumors: Alabama WR DeVonta Smith graded by scouts above Jaylen Waddle?
Alabama — yes, yet another player from the Crimson Tide — wideout DeVonta Smith could easily have gone about ten spots higher in this draft, and I would have no arguments. He’s supremely talented and instantly boosts the group for just about anyone. Here, it’s New Orleans.
24) Buffalo Bills: TE Kyle Pitts, Florida
Credit where credit is due, Bills quarterback Josh Allen has taken a big step forward in his progression this season. He has struggled some recently, but he was playing lights out at the beginning of the season, and the addition of Stefon Diggs to their wide receiver group has been a big help to Allen. He still has a ways to go before he’s to be considered an “elite” QB, and the Bills can help him get there in the 2021 NFL Draft.
One of the big things lacking in the Bills offense is a safety valve over the middle for Allen to find when plays break down. Florida tight end Kyle Pitts can be that guy for Allen. Pitts has the athleticism of a wide receiver and the body of a tight end. He can provide the Bills offense with the proverbial “swing” tight end and give them an added dimension lacking in the current offense.
25) Jacksonville Jaguars (from Los Angeles): DT Christian Barmore, Alabama
In a first-round NFL mock draft dominated by Alabama, what’s one more for good measure? Jacksonville took one Crimson Tide player near the top of the first round, and they nab another one near the bottom here with the Alabama defensive tackle Christian Barmore.
In Barmore, the Jaguars are getting a stout tackle who is sure to shore up some of the troubles the Jaguars have had in the middle of their defense. Taven Bryan has been a disappointment so far in his career, and no one else has really stepped up to fill the void. It has led to the Jaguars defense allowing nearly 150 rushing yards per game and over 31 points per game. Minshew Mania can do a lot, but asking him to overcome that every week is too much.
26) Baltimore Ravens: DT Jay Tufele, USC
The Baltimore Ravens have been a team predicated on defense basically from their inception. The team’s defense is good this year, too, but you can never have enough talent on that side of the ball, particularly in today’s pass-happy era of offense. Someone to rush the passer off the edge may be a bigger need for the Ravens, but Jay Tufele from USC feels like a great fit for the Ravens.
Tufele is one of the more versatile defensive linemen available in this year’s class. He can provide a defense with great play both inside and outside. He won’t provide the kind of pass rush a prototypical EDGE would, but he can step in on day one and provide a rotational NT while also helping bolster the pass rush outside in situational use.
27) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: EDGE Quincy Roche, Miami (FL)
Life has been pretty good for Tampa Bay in the first year of the Tom Brady experiment. The offense seems to be clicking, putting up 35+ points in two straight games. The defense is coming into their own as well, allowing 20 or fewer in three straight, including just 10 points to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.
If there’s one area where the Bucs can improve, it’s in their pass rush. They’ve had a good season, but they could stand to gain from an influx of youth and athleticism. Quincy Roche gets lost in the shuffle playing opposite Rousseau, but he’s a very good EDGE defender in his own right. He makes up one half of arguably the best EDGE tandem in college football and would provide Tampa Bay with a great piece to spell the likes of JPP and William Gholston.
28) Tennessee Titans: WR Chris Olave, Ohio State
The Tennessee Titans made it to the AFC Championship game last season on the back of running back Derrick Henry and the efficiency of new quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill played incredible ball last season, putting up some truly remarkable numbers from an efficiency standpoint. He was bound to regress this season, right?
Well, through the first half of the season, he’s playing just as well as he did last season. What’s more impressive is he’s doing so without a bevy of talent at the wide receiver spot for Tennessee. That can change with Chris Olave from Ohio State. Olave can provide a great complement to A.J. Brown and really open up the Titans offense, which should scare everyone in the AFC not named Kansas City.
29) New York Jets (from Seattle): OT Samuel Cosmi, Texas
As we established at the beginning of this first-round NFL mock draft, the New York Jets need just about everything. We gave them a new quarterback at the start of this draft, and now we’re going to give them some help up front to keep their shiny new toy upright.
The Jets drafted Mechi Becton in the first round of last year’s draft to protect Sam Darnold’s blindside. He’ll do the same for Lawrence for years to come. However, in today’s NFL, having a quality right tackle is becoming just as important as the left side. Samuel Cosmi from Texas can come in and give the Jets quality bookend tackles, a key step in what is sure to be a rather extensive rebuild.
30) Pittsburgh Steelers: TE Brevin Jordan, Miami (FL)
It feels weird to say, but the Pittsburgh Steelers are in rather dire need of help at linebacker. Devin Bush is one of the premier linebackers in the league, but after him, there isn’t a whole lot at the position in Pittsburgh. For a team that has been synonymous with linebacker play throughout their history, that’s not a great place to be in.
Unfortunately for the Steelers, picking this far down in the first round of the NFL Draft isn’t either. This mock doesn’t have any value left at the linebacker position for them. Where there is value, however, is at tight end. Eric Ebron has performed well for the Steelers, but he’s not getting any younger. Brevin Jordan could provide Pittsburgh with a dual-threat at the position while also giving them their tight end of the future. Another win-win situation.
31) Green Bay Packers: RB Travis Etienne, Clemson
Few opinions are unanimous amongst NFL Draft pundits. One of the opinions that came close to unanimous after last year’s draft was that the Packers messed things up. Fans and analysts alike were perplexed by the Packers decision to draft a backup quarterback in Jordan Love rather than give current quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, some help in the offense.
Pass catchers are desperately needed in Green Bay. Unfortunately, there aren’t any left who provide value in this first-round NFL mock draft. Instead, the Packers should make a move for the future and nab Clemson running back Travis Etienne.
Drafting running backs in the first round is generally seen as a poor idea, but when you’re picking in the last two or three spots, why not? Current running back Aaron Jones is in the last year of his contract in Green Bay, and is likely going to command more than the team is willing to give him. They could give him the franchise tag, or they could replace him in the draft and not miss much. Etienne can provide a similar skillset to Jones at a fraction of the price. If you’re in the “running backs don’t matter” crowd, this pick is for you.
32) Kansas City Chiefs: S Caden Sterns, Texas
Rounding out our first-round NFL mock draft is the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs steamrolled their way to the Super Bowl last season, and they seem poised to do so again this year. Patrick Mahomes and company haven’t looked quite as dominant as they were last season, but they’re the champs until someone knocks them off the throne.
Offense wasn’t exactly a need for the Chiefs last year, and yet they took running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire with the last pick of the first round. I don’t see a repeat this year. Instead, they’ll be in a position to address one of the few holes on their team, the safety position. Daniel Sorenson isn’t the long-term answer across from Tyrann Mathieu. Caden Sterns, on the other hand, can be.
With Sterns, the Chiefs would be getting a safety who is reliable in both man and zone coverage schemes, and would allow the Honey Badger to play to his strengths. Mathieu is at his best when allowed to wreak havoc up closer to the line of scrimmage. That is also a role that Sterns could play in the Chiefs defense, giving defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo a variety of schematic options, which is every coach’s dream.
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