In most early projections for the 2021 NFL Draft, we’ve seen a pair of quarterbacks battling for the No. 1 overall pick, as Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields both make strong cases for that top spot.
But in the latest 2021 NFL mock draft from Bleacher Report, while Lawrence indeed takes the No. 1 slot, Fields nearly falls out of the top 10 altogether. Lawrence goes to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 1, while Fields tumbles all the way to No. 9 overall, where the Las Vegas Raiders snatch him up.
There are a few teams picking earlier who could conceivably be in need of a quarterback, which makes all of them passing on a talent like Fields questionable, at best. If Washington ends up picking at No. 2, they could easily decide that Dwayne Haskins isn’t the man for the job, while the Carolina Panthers (No. 4 overall) and Detroit Lions (No. 7 overall) could each use a better long-term plan behind their current veteran starters.
The only other quarterback to crack this first-round mock is North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, who lands with the Chicago Bears at No. 15 overall. Other top prospects like Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan, Iowa’s Brock Purdy, and Georgia’s transfer tandem of Jamie Newman and JT Daniels all have to wait until Day 2.
Among the other surprises in this mock are two off-ball linebackers landing in the top five (Penn State’s Micah Parsons, Alabama’s Dylan Moses), and a pair of interior offensive lineman climbing into the top 12 (Ohio State’s Wyatt Davis, Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey).
To see the full first-round projection at Bleacher Report, click here.
