We already know that three quarterbacks are likely to be selected with the first three picks of the 2021 NFL draft, but which teams will be next to take a passer off the board, and will five of them land in the top 10?
That’s the scenario that plays out in the latest 2021 NFL mock draft from NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, who has five quarterbacks taken in the first seven selections.
After the obvious ones (Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence at No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars, BYU’s Zach Wilson at No. 2 overall to the New York Jets), Jeremiah sends Alabama’s Mac Jones to the San Francisco 49ers at No. 3 overall. At the very next pick, Jeremiah has the Atlanta Falcons taking North Dakota State’s Trey Lance as the eventual successor to Matt Ryan, while Ohio State’s Justin Fields heads to the Detroit Lions at No. 7 overall to challenge Jared Goff for the starting job as a rookie.
That’s the end of the quarterbacks in this first-round projection, though, as the rest of the top 32 rattles off without another passer coming off the board, illustrating the significant gap between the top tier at the position this year and the rest of the class.
The first non-quarterback selected in this mock is Florida tight end Kyle Pitts (No. 5 overall, Cincinnati Bengals), followed by LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (No. 6 overall, Miami Dolphins). Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater is the first offensive lineman off the board (No. 8 overall, Carolina Panthers), going one spot ahead of Oregon’s Penei Sewell (No. 9 overall, Denver Broncos).
The first defensive player doesn’t come off the board until No. 10 overall, where the Dallas Cowboys opt for Michigan edge defender Kwity Paye over this year’s top cornerbacks.
To check out Jeremiah’s full first-round forecast at NFL.com, click here.
