2021 7-Round NFL Mock Draft | Round 2, Picks 49-64
Listed on this page are the picks 49-64 (Second Round) of this 7-Round 2021 NFL Mock Draft. We begin with the Detroit Lions at pick 49.
49. Detroit Lions (via ARI): Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa
There’s been plenty of buzz about the Lions moving Halapoulivaati Vaitai from right tackle to guard. Hence, this means a spot opens up at right tackle. Right tackle is a bit dry in this 2021 NFL Draft Class, but Northern Iowa’s phenom tackle Spencer Brown is one of the ascending talents.
Brown is still developing as a tackle, given he was a tight end that converted over. However, his frame and athletic testing will remind many of Lane Johnson. Brown fits the “junkyard dog” mentality that Dan Campbell covets.
50. Miami Dolphins: Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky
Pauline said last month that the Dolphins were interested in targeting a CB early in the 2021 NFL Draft. This move is either a reflection of Noah Igbinoghene’s play or an indication of the future of Xavien Howard. Regardless, cornerback is on their radar.
Kelvin Joseph is an intriguing athlete with excellent ball skills and aggressiveness as a corner. I’ve talked to a couple of analysts who have said Joseph reminds them of Howard coming out of Baylor. If they are looking for a future replacement for cheaper, Joseph makes a lot of sense for Miami.
51. Washington Football Team: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
Washington has star Terry McLaurin and signed Curtis Samuel in free agency. However, I believe they are still looking to add more playmakers on the perimeter to their WR room. This wide receiver class boasts so much talent that it would be remiss not to take advantage of.
Rondale Moore is an electrifying talent. He’s a bit of an outlier with his size, and the durability concerns are certainly noteworthy, but Moore’s talent is superstar-worthy.
52. Cleveland Browns (via CHI): Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss
Trade! The Cleveland Browns trade picks 59 and 110 to the Chicago Bears in exchange for pick 52.
I’ve seen lots of mock drafts with Elijah Moore rated in Round 1. That’s in the realm of possibility, and I wouldn’t necessarily be surprised if that happened. Yet, I think that the talent of this WR class, and the fact that Moore will be viewed as a “slot only” receiver, might push him down, similar to how many viewed A.J. Brown and Diontae Johnson.
Still, I don’t want to be too unrealistic and have him fall any further. Cleveland has to use those assets at some point, and going up and getting a receiver who boosts their offense vertically is a great way to use them.
Moore is small at just 5’9″, but he’s a nifty route runner and explosive vertical threat. Moore was money on double-moves deep against SEC competition. The Browns need that kind of vertical presence in their receiving room.
53. Tennessee Titans: Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State
With Jonnu Smith gone, the Titans would be relying on Anthony Firkser and Geoff Swaim as their top tight ends. Seeing how critical that position was for their offense in recent memory, and with the Titans trying to repeat in the playoffs again, I can’t imagine they’d pass on a premium talent at the position here.
Pat Freiermuth won’t wow anyone with his athleticism, but he’s a reliable target who catches everything and wins with great route running for his size. He’s more smooth than explosive, but he’s still plenty athletic. He projects as a TE1 at the next level.
54. Indianapolis Colts: Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan
The Colts have an immediate need at left tackle. They’ve even thought about moving All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson over to left tackle. While that feels like an excessive move, it does show their hand as to their priorities. Ballard has a type. He prefers powerful tackles who aren’t necessarily elite in pass protection. Jalen Mayfield fits the bill.
He’ll have to convert over to left tackle after playing right, but having Nelson next to him and an excellent offensive line coach will help ease that transition. He’s also still just 20 years old, so his youth and upside are evident.
55. Pittsburgh Steelers: Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State
With Mike Hilton and Steven Nelson gone, the Steelers need to retool their secondary. Playing in a division against Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Baker Mayfield needs good corner play, and the Steelers lost significant talent.
The Steelers love their bloodlines, and Asante Samuel Jr. has an excellent bloodline. He’s a corner that can play inside and outside with excellent competitive chops and athleticism. He’s a small corner, but he plays with a fierceness that belies his stature.
56. Seattle Seahawks: Quinn Meinerz, OC, Wisconsin-Whitewater
Seattle re-signed Ethan Pocic to be their center, but I’m not sure he’s the long-term solution. He’s not a great fit with their new run scheme with Shane Waldron at OC. Besides, he’s only on a one-year deal for cheap. That’s not enough incentive to pass on an excellent player here, especially one that could go to a rival later on.
Quinn Meinerz fits their offensive scheme and the prototypical build the Seahawks like in their offensive linemen. He’s a dominant interior player with plenty of intangibles.
57. Los Angeles Rams: Aaron Robinson, CB, UCF
I could have put a pass rusher here, but it seems like the Rams are placing a premium on defensive backs in this draft class, leading me to believe they’ll drop edge rushers in terms of priority. The Rams lost Troy Hill in free agency to the Browns. While they still have superstars Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams on the roster, they need another corner who has the inside/outside versatility that Hill offered them.
Aaron Robinson is that kind of corner. He’s a fluid man-coverage corner with good size and instincts. He’s not afraid to get mixed up in the run game either, something the Rams covet in their corners.
58. Kansas City Chiefs (via BAL): Payton Turner, EDGE, Houston
The Chiefs’ pass rush was mediocre in 2020. The team ranked 12th in pressure rate and 19th in total sacks. However, they frequently blitzed to achieve these numbers (ninth-highest blitz rate). With such an average pass rush, Kansas City couldn’t get home enough outside of the Buffalo game in the playoffs.
Furthermore, the team loses 4 of their 32 sacks and 20 pressures with the departure of Alex Okafor and Tanoh Kpassagnon. They re-signed Taco Charlton, but he is not the answer. As such, the team needs to invest heavily in their pass rush.
Payton Turner is a long, explosive athlete that can fit right in as an end in Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. His traits and upside are immense, and his character drew rave reviews down in Mobile.
59. Chicago Bears (via CLE): Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina
The Bears have an issue coming up with the future of Allen Robinson, and they’ve made it known they want to move on from Anthony Miller. Darnell Mooney had an excellent rookie season, but they need to continue to add more receivers.
Dyami Brown is an explosive vertical threat, with the ability to play both inside and out. He has to do a better job of catching the ball, but Brown’s vertical threat and ability to stack DBs with ease will provide a nice boost to the Bears’ offense.
60. New Orleans Saints: Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa
With Sheldon Rankins’ departure and the trade of Malcom Brown, there’s a void left behind in the interior of the Saints’ defensive line. David Onyemata is there, but he can’t be expected to pick up the nearly 800 snaps left behind by Rankins and Brown.
Daviyon Nixon is an explosive athlete who is one of the best interior pass rushers in this class. A JUCO transfer to Iowa, Nixon enjoyed a breakout 2020 season as a full-time starter. He won the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy. Nixon has some areas to continue to grow as a pass rusher and overall player, but his upside is tremendous.
61. Buffalo Bills: Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia
While the Bills do have standout All-Pro CB Tre’Davious White, the rest of their corner room isn’t inspiring. I’d expect them to invest in a long-term athletic prospect in this deep corner class.
Tyson Campbell is a tremendous size/speed combination corner. He’s long, twitchy, and his skill set projects he can play inside and outside. He’s a long-term investment worth investing in Buffalo’s excellent development program.
62. Green Bay Packers: Carlos Basham Jr., EDGE, Wake Forest
The Packers enjoyed a variety of unique blitzes and alignments under DC Mike Pettine. However, with Joe Berry in town, I’d imagine they will be switching to a more traditional base defense. As such, I’d expect them to look at defensive linemen who fit inside and outside alignments. They love long and explosive linemen.
I’d expect Carlos Basham Jr. to rank highly on their boards because of this. He might even be their first-round pick come draft night. He’s a high-motor, disruptive lineman who has heavy hands and uses his length to his advantage.
63. Kansas City Chiefs: Pete Werner, LB, Ohio State
While the Chiefs’ defense is better than many give it credit for, the linebacker room needs serious turnover. Anthony Hitchens, Damien Wilson, and Ben Niemann all combined for nearly 2,000 snaps in 2020. Wilson, however, has yet to be re-signed, and Hitchens could be a cap casualty come June 1. The Chiefs did draft Willie Gay Jr. last year, but they still need more talent at that position even if they can keep the group together.
Enter Pete Werner in this 7-Round 2021 NFL Mock Draft. For Ohio State this season, Werner displayed respectable athletic traits and the ability to turn and cover tight ends downfield. The athleticism certainly showed up testing at the OSU Pro Day as well. As a result, Werner’s traits suggest he can be deployed in various ways for the Chiefs to help neutralize the elite talents in their division.
64. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Milton Williams, DT, Louisiana Tech
The Bucs have done an excellent job bringing back most of their defense. They even retained depth pieces like Steve McLendon and Rakeem Nunez-Roches on the defensive line! Nevertheless, Tampa could still use some young talent all across their defense, especially in finding a future long-term answer at the defensive tackle spot opposite of Vita Vea.
Milton Williams is a polarizing prospect among analysts. He has some high grades across the league, but many analysts are skeptical about his overall profile. His 31.5” arms show up on film, and he’s not a perfect pass rusher in terms of his technique. Yet, he’s an excellent athlete, boasting one of the best RAS in this class. Much like Ndamukong Suh, he has the versatility to play inside as a three-technique or five-technique.