2021 NFL Mock Draft: Pats get busy by landing their QB, trading Gilmore
When Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff exchanged teams over the weekend, our prediction for the 32 starting quarterbacks in 2021 predictably went up in flames. So let's scrap that and start again, shall we?For this mock draft that trade between the Lions and Rams will of course weigh heavily on the results. But let's also presume that Deshaun Watson is dealt -- not to the Patriots. And let's presume that, with options dwindling, the Patriots end up with the quarterback option that feels inevitable for them.In this exercise, we have the Patriots trading their second-rounder to the San Francisco 49ers for Jimmy Garoppolo. (The Niners, for their part, dealt a package of future picks to the Vikings for Kirk Cousins.) And we also have Bill Belichick signing one of the receivers in this year's deep free agent class.From there, how would the Patriots then build around Garoppolo in the draft? Not the way you might think. Partly because of the way in which the draft falls here, partly because of Patriots needs at positions of value, and partly because of the number of talented pass-catchers who'll be available to Belichick in later rounds.
Don't overthink it. Trevor Lawrence on a rookie contract will soon be one of the most valuable assets in football.
Jets trade: No. 2 overall, No. 23 overall, Quinnen Williams, Sam Darnold, 2022 third-rounder
Texans trade: Deshaun Watson
Whopper of a trade. As it should be. Matches up well enough with what the Houston Chronicle's John McClain has said would be the asking price for Watson: two firsts, two seconds, two starters on the defensive side.
Williams is a star in the making. Darnold can be spun off for more draft capital. (Maybe to the Colts?) The Jets still have two firsts in 2022 to build around their new quarterback. And the Texans get the quarterback of the future.
Important to remember that not all first-round picks are created equal when you're talking trades. That No. 2 overall selection is gold thanks to the quarterbacks available this year.
The consolation prize for losing out on Watson is that Miami can stick and pick the best receiver in the draft in order to help along Tua Tagovailoa's development.
Falcons trade: No. 4 overall
Panthers trade: No. 8 overall, No. 39 overall, 2022 first-rounder
We know the Panthers are going to be aggressive looking for a quarterback. And they had to be here in order to pull off this in-division deal. The MMQB's Albert Breer reported that the Panthers offered No. 8 to the Lions for Matthew Stafford.
Moving up from No. 8 to No. 4 to get one of the three best passers in the class makes sense for them. Even considering the cost.
Joe Burrow needs to be protected, and Sewell can be his blindside guy for the next five years.
Smith and his Alabama teammate Jaylen Waddle are close enough in terms of their outlook as pros, that when choosing between the two, it could come down to fit for Philly. If Waddle's skill set is too similar to that of second-year man Jalen Reagor, then Smith would work.
Lions trade: No. 7 overall
Broncos trade: No. 9 overall, No. 104 overall, No. 135 overall
The Lions could end up taking their quarterback of the future here. But they're paying Jared Goff boatloads of money over the next two years. They're reportedly open to trying to make it work with him. So they take a pass on Lance, trade down, and the Broncos get their promising developmental arm since it looks like Drew Lock isn't that guy.
Good move by Denver leapfrogging the Falcons. Atlanta might've been interested in a young quarterback like Lance who looks like a good fit for coach Arthur Smith's scheme. The Falcons end up taking the best front-seven option available instead.
The Lions continue to add draft capital and still get one of the most promising physical talents in this year's draft. If you were to make a modern-day corner in a lab, he'd look like Farley, who opted out of the 2020 season for the Hokies.
With the top cornerback talent off the board, the Cowboys opt to get the top edge-rushing talent available. Paye has the size and quickness to one day develop into a force at the end of the line of scrimmage. Jerry Jones still needs a corner, though...
Providing Daniel Jones a little more help in the way of weaponry has to be a priority this offseason. Waddle has the kind of speed that even an old-school football guy like general manager Dave Gettleman can appreciate.
Now this is scary. Remember, the Niners already got their quarterback in Kirk Cousins in this scenario. That's Kyle Shanahan's guy. Now picture Shanahan devising schemes with two dynamic receivers (Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel), two dynamic tight ends (George Kittle, Pitts) and a fullback like Kyle Juszczyk at his disposal. Mismatches galore.
The Bolts have to protect their investment in Justin Herbert. Nabbing the player who some would argue is actually the top offensive lineman in the class at No. 13 is a good place to start.
Minnesota could've gone with a cheap rookie option at quarterback here, but they need pass-rushing help and Rousseau fits perfectly the prototype they've taken in the past.
Having Jimmy Garoppolo in house, as we explained to start this piece, means the Patriots don't have to force it at quarterback. So they can pass on Alabama's Mac Jones.
There's not a tight end here who'd make sense. And while they need speed on the outside, they will have already added a wideout via free agency, and they know they can get another (Western Michigan's D'Wayne Eskridge, perhaps?) later on draft weekend because it's such a deep group of pass-catchers.
That leads to them filling another need at a foundational position: cornerback. And, yes, it's a need. Stephon Gilmore isn't long for New England. Jason McCourty is set to be a free agent. JC Jackson has one year left before he's due to hit unrestricted free agency.
Surtain checks all the boxes as a man-to-man corner with size, polish (thanks in part to his dad, also his high school coach, who was an All-Pro corner), and tons of experience in Nick Saban's defensive scheme that'll have him ready to go in Year 1. Surtain might not be the freaky athlete Farley is, but he's one of the safest projections in the class. In an offseason lacking in easy evaluations thanks to opt-outs and limited access to prospects, the Patriots will be happy to scoop him up.
Toney has had some off-the-field questions during his time at Florida, but he apparently had himself a nice week in Mobile, Ala., at the Senior Bowl. His quickness and ability to accelerate are astounding.
The Raiders need help on the defensive side of the ball, and they start here at the second level with an undersized playmaker who will fly around the field for Jon Gruden.
This will make two years in a row that the Dolphins have taken an interior defensive lineman from 'Bama -- they took Raekwon Davis in the second round last year -- but Barmore has much more upside than anyone else currently playing up front for Brian Flores.
Washington needed competent quarterback play if it was going to make another run at winning one of the worst divisions in football. Football Team gets an accurate passer with little in the way of impressive physical traits in Jones.
Who's playing quarterback for the Bears? Doesn't matter. He'll need protection. And the Bears get one of the best protectors in the class in Darrisaw.
With T.Y. Hilton a possible defector via free agency, Moore would be an ideal replacement. He's small but incredibly hard to bring down. After missing on Stafford, the Colts will need to surround their next quarterback with as many high-end pass-catchers as possible. Moore will be a great complement to second-year wideout Michael Pittman.
Desperate for pass-rush help, Mike Vrabel lands an edge defender who is technically refined and has the flexibility to get around tackles and straight to quarterbacks.
Sensing a theme here? New young quarterback in the mix in Fields. He'll need protection. Houston goes and gets perhaps the top interior lineman in the class in order to pursue that end.
The Steelers are taking a similar approach but for a very different reason. Ben Roethlisberger looks like he'll be back for 2021. His body looked like it was on its last legs in 2020. If he's going to get through next season, Pittsburgh's going to have to keep him upright.
We're on a little offensive lineman run here. Jenkins is a bully. He'll slide in as part of the Trevor Lawrence plan seamlessly in Year 1.
Cleveland lost Olivier Vernon to injured reserve last year, and now Vernon is about to be a free agent. After playing part of the year with Adrian Clayborn as their answer opposite Myles Garrett, they import another solidly-built edge but with much more juice in Basham.
Baltimore tried investing in Lamar Jackson's passing-game arsenal in 2019 by selecting Marquise "Hollywood" Brown. Nice idea in theory. But Jackson could use a bigger body who can win jump balls and help Jackson out when his passes aren't pinpoint.
Nice story here. Horn's dad, Joe, lit it up as a receiver for the Saints years ago. Now Horn will have an opportunity to show his stuff on the other side of the ball as a physical man-to-man corner.
It's not a receiver. But at this stage, it doesn't make much sense to overdraft a wideout for Aaron Rodgers. There will be plenty available in the second, third and even fourth rounds.
Matt Milano could be gone as a free agent, but if Collins was here at the end of the first round, he might represent an upgrade. His size and athleticism are hard to find. (He's someone you could see the Patriots taking a liking to, actually, since linebackers don't measure in at 6-foot-4, 260 pounds all that often anymore.)
Little bit of a risk here. Phillips actually walked away from the game for a bit because of concussions, but he returned and played well last season for Miami. The Bucs could use an infusion of young talent for the edges of their defense as Shaq Barrett could be gone as a free agent this offseason.
The Chiefs' offensive line is a mess headed into Super Bowl week. Leatherwood could play a number of spots along the line as Kansas City looks to do what it can to keep Patrick Mahomes as fresh as possible for as long as possible.
It's just about adding good players for the Jags. They get a very good, very big (6-foot-2, 202 pounds) and versatile safety here.
Watson is going to love throwing to Moore, who might be the best slot receiver in the class because he understands how to run the short-to-intermediate stuff while also possessing plenty of speed.
The Falcons continue to load up on the defensive side of the ball. Maybe they feel as though they have enough offensively, and with new offensive-minded head coach Arthur Smith there's a short path for them back to contention.
Brian Flores is going to love Bolton's hard-charging style of play. He's undersized but a hammer in the middle of the field. The Dolphins liked Elandon Roberts enough to sign him as a free agent. They'll love Bolton.
Another son of a Pro Bowler finds his way into the first two rounds of this mock. And Samuel, like Horn, ends up back at a spot where his dad played. Ball hawk. Wonder where he got that trait?
More help for Burrow is on the way. He got his left tackle at the top of the first round. Now he's reunited with one of his favorite targets from college who reeled in 13 touchdowns and had 14.6 yards per catch in 2019 with Burrow throwing his way.
With one the extra pick the Falcons landed from the Panthers, Smith (former Titans offensive coordinator) gets his version of Derrick Henry.
Von Miller ain't gonna play forever. Time for the Broncos to go find another young, talented pass-rusher from Texas.
Jared Goff isn't going to be confused for a great deep-ball thrower any time soon. But if Detroit wants to run any of those long crossing patterns Goff was used to throwing in L.A., Brown could be its version of Robert Woods.
Now this is more like it. For Gettleman, at least. He picks up a fellow Bay Stater in the Merrimac, Mass. product. He has the size and the dual-threat ability that both Gettleman and coach Joe Judge will love.
There's defensive help available to the Niners here -- they could use a corner if they end up parting ways with Richard Sherman -- but they go with one of the best interior linemen in the class. You'll remember him as the guy with the injured knee who suited up for the national championship anyway and convinced Nick Saban to let him snap out of the victory formation.
Cowboys trade: No. 44 overall
Patriots trade: Stephon Gilmore
If the Patriots have to part with a second-rounder to land Garoppolo, there's one way they could still land a pick and dip into one of the deeper position groups in the draft: Trade Gilmore.
At this stage of his career, with just one year left on his contract and a new one coming soon, Gilmore won't bring in a haul of top-end picks like Jalen Ramsey did for the Jaguars. But would Dallas make a play for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year?
The Cowboys want to compete now. They're in desperate need of corner help. It's not a strong free-agent class at the position, and after the first couple in the draft, it's not a great spot to be looking.
Carman would make sense here as another semi-under-the-radar need in New England. Marcus Cannon's future is up in the air. Last season's rookie sensation Mike Onwenu might be better suited to play guard.
Like Cannon and Onwenu, Carman is a massive body (6-foot-5, 335 pounds) who moves well for his size. He played exclusively left tackle for Clemson, but maybe he could move to the right side as a rookie and potentially take over if Isaiah Wynn moves on as a free agent in 2022.
The Jaguars just continue to rack up physically-gifted pieces in the first two rounds. Turner is a rare specimen at 6-foot-6, 270 pounds.
Patriots trade: No. 46 overall
49ers trade: Jimmy Garoppolo
There's that defensive help the Niners needed. Campbell might make more sense for a man-heavy defense, but his coverage skills will work in San Francisco as well.
Another pick for the Chargers, another offensive lineman. They were atrocious up front last year and Herbert still had a ridiculous rookie season. Can't count on that happening twice.
The Raiders have made waves the last couple of years for taking high-character guys at the tops of their drafts. The only issue is those guys haven't provided much in the way of immediate results. Weaver is someone who'll fit right in and hopefully provide them a little more production off the edge than, say, 2019 first-round pick Clelin Ferrell has.
Name look familiar? That's Obi Melifonwu's brother. And like his former Patriots safety brother, he's an incredible athlete. The Cardinals need help on the outside because Patrick Peterson isn't who he used to be.
Miami needs some talent in its backfield. Give Tagovailoa a legitimate outlet, and Etienne -- who some believe is talented enough to go in the first round -- would be just that.
Ahem. Young quarterback. Young offensive lineman to protect said quarterback. Rinse. Repeat. Little hasn't played much at all in the last two seasons (72 snaps), but he has tools. And they're such that they might get him taken in the second round despite his lack of tape.
Who's playing quarterback for the Bears? Doesn't matter. He'll need a dependable receiver to run those short-to-intermediate routes over the middle of the field to keep the chains moving. That's St. Brown, whose brother Equanimeous plays for Green Bay.
More front-seven talent for Vrabel and the Titans. Shelvin is a massive body with all kinds of talent who should serve a real role on the nose in Tennessee immediately.
Philip Rivers isn't the only retiree impacting Indy's plans. After Anthony Castonzo retired this offseason, the Colts are in need of tackle help. Eichenberg is one of the most sound players at the position in the class. He might've made sense for the Patriots in the second round, but Bill Belichick went with the bigger and better athlete.
OK. We get it. The Steelers need to protect Roethlisberger at all costs. Adding linemen in back-to-back rounds signals the all-in approach Pittsburgh brings to 2021.
The Seahawks need trench help. Offensively. Defensively. They get some here in one of the Senior Bowl's top performers on the defensive side of the ball.
Andrew Whitworth plans to play in 2021, but he can't play forever. The Rams snag the top practice player at this year's Senior Bowl as a solid backup plan at one of the most important positions in the sport.
Another Senior Bowl standout, Grant is the kind of coach-on-the-field type who John Harbaugh will trust to make calls in the secondary very early on in his career.
The Browns could've thought about a receiver here, but adding a true slot corner here in Molden would be a big boost to their secondary. There's real value in that position since defenses see so many three-receiver sets these days. Especially against receiver-heavy groups in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, Molden's role will matter.
Someone who can run and cover with the tight ends and backs populating the NFC South? Makes sense for Sean Payton.
It feels as though the Bills could always upgrade at corner after Tre'Davious White. Robinson might be too small to play on the outside -- he looks like another slot specialist -- but coach Sean McDermott would figure out how to use him most effectively.
There it is. A receiver for Aaron Rodgers. At 5-foot-11, 193 pounds, Wallace may be destined to play inside, but he has plenty of speed and he impressed with his route-running ability at the Senior Bowl. Pair him with Devante Adams and watch him go to work.
The Bucs could use more beef up front if they don't want to dedicate so many blitzers as part of their attack in 2021. McNeill is a sturdy presence who won't necessarily tear up the field, but he'll occupy blockers with the best of them in this class.
Would you look at that. Another offensive lineman for Mahomes. He's at his best on the move, but if the Chiefs can invest in order to keep him from piling up the bumps and bruises that come with being a quarterback with escapability, then all the power to them.
Hudson is inexperienced after switching over from the defensive side of the ball. But there aren't many linemen who have his size and movement skills. He just needs some seasoning.
