2021 NFL Mock Draft: Pats land two players after trading for an extra first
The 2021 NFL Draft is less than a month away and with the bulk of free agency in the books, everyone is starting to focus on what will come next.The draft is stacked with talent and is packed with a rare glut of quarterback talent. New England Patriots fans are surely chomping at the bit to see if they can get a passer, but will the team do what it takes to get one of the top QBs? It depends on how early they come off the board.In a recent episode of the Next Pats Podcast, Tom E. Curran, Phil Perry, and DJ Bean participated in a live first-round mock that saw the Patriots try to get a quarterback. Unfortunately, they weren't able to move up to get one, but they did manage to acquire a second, first-round pick and add two key players to their team.Here who the Patriots ended up with and which five teams landed the top five quarterbacks in this year's draft class.
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
This is a no-brainer. Lawrence is the best quarterback available in this draft class and the Jaguars have already admitted that they're leaning towards taking him No. 1 overall.
2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
Wilson has rocketed up draft boards and now appears to be the likely No. 2 overall pick. He'll give the Jets a big-armed quarterback with sky-high upside. The bigger question is, what will the Jets do with Sam Darnold and which teams might be interested in trading him?
3. San Francisco 49ers: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
Phil Perry said that he would never do this, but it seems like Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers may take a shot on Jones here. He fits the Kirk Cousins mold. Could this be a smokescreen? Maybe, but the 49ers will take a QB here. It's just a matter of which one, and the NFL loves accurate passers like Jones.
4. Denver Broncos (from Falcons): Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
Curran and Perry pulled off a trade here where the Broncos moved up to get Fields. They gave up the No. 9 pick, a 2022 first-round pick, and a 2023 first-round pick. Curran accepted Denver's deal and it narrowly beat out a Perry-built Patriots trade package of the No. 15 pick, a 2022 first, a 2023 first, and the 96th pick this year.
Fields is a super athletic quarterback and put on a show by running a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at his pro day and launching countless quality downfield passes.
5. Cincinnati Bengals: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU
Bean tried to trade down one spot with the Dolphins, but Perry declined. Despite the Bengals' need for a tackle, Chase was the pick, as he and Joe Burrow had a strong connection together at LSU. Pairing him with Tee Higgins would give the Bengals a great long-term receiver tandem that Burrow could utilize for a decade or more.
6. Miami Dolphins: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
Sewell is the best tackle in this year's draft class and Perry said that he has Hall of Fame-caliber traits. He dominated the Pac-12 as a 19-year-old before he opted out of last season. Sign the Dolphins up for more offensive line help.
7. Detroit Lions: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
By Curran's estimation, this was a "best player available" selection for the Lions. Pairing Pitts, who could eventually be one of the NFL's best tight ends, with T.J. Hockenson, another great tight end who made the Pro Bowl last year, should make Jared Goff's life a bit easier.
8. Carolina Panthers: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
The Panthers want a quarterback and Trey Lance is the only one of the top five options left on the board. They didn't have to move up for Lance, a raw 20-year-old with one year of starting experience at the FCS level, but can bank on his upside coming through. And if he needs time to develop, that's fine. They can start Teddy Bridgewater in front of him for however long he needs to adjust to the NFL level.
9. Atlanta Falcons (from Broncos): Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Here's a true speed option for Matt Ryan. Waddle will become the third Alabama receiver on the Falcons along with Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones. As Perry put it, he "may be the closest thing to Tyreek Hill in this year's draft class."
10. Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
The Cowboys had success with one Alabama cornerback last year in Trevon Diggs. Surtain II would pair well with him and is coming off a great pro day at Alabama where he looked very good in the on-field drills.
11. New York Giants: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
Three Alabama players come off the board in a row with Smith joining the G-Men. Smith became the first receiver to win the Heisman since Desmond Howard in 1991. He and Kenny Golladay will provide a massive upgrade to New York's receiving corps.
12. Cincinnati Bengals (from Eagles): Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
Bean makes an ENORMOUS leap here to get the second-best offensive tackle in this year's draft after passing on Penei Sewell earlier. The details of the trade: the Bengals get this pick while the 38th pick in this year's draft, the 69th pick, and a 2022 first-round pick head to the Eagles. This gives Philly four first-round picks in 2022 and gives Cincy a versatile offensive lineman that can play every position and prevent Joe Burrow from taking as many big hits as he did during his rookies season.
13. Los Angeles Chargers: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
Curran tried to move up to get Slater, but couldn't do it. Darrisaw will help protect reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert.
14. Minnesota Vikings: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
The Vikings add another young cornerback to their defense, and snipe a player that Perry was hoping the Patriots would have a shot at with the 15th overall pick.
With Horn off the board, Perry wasn't a huge fan of his available options. He mentioned LB Micah Parsons, DL Christian Barmore, and WR Rashod Bateman as options, but he ultimately went with Kwity Paye.
"Kwity Paye is the one name that kinda stands out as a real elite talent on the edge," Perry said. "He comes from a program that I love, that I trust. I know I'm getting a quality guy, but I'm also getting a rare specimen athletically."
Perry did get a couple of trade offers from Bean, who was representing the Jaguars, but he declined them citing Paye as being pretty close to a blue-chip player.
16. Arizona Cardinals: Greg Rousseau, DE, Miami
Rousseau was extremely productive in his last college season when he logged 15.5 sacks at Miami. The Cardinals would be thrilled to pair him with Chandler Jones.
17. Las Vegas Raiders: Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU
The Raiders need a lot of defensive help, and that's especially true in the secondary. Moehrig is the best safety in this draft class and Bean wasn't high on the potential cornerbacks on the board with this pick.
18. Miami Dolphins: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
Perry called Parsons a "rare talent with size and crazy athleticism". There are some character issues with Parsons, but Perry was willing to take the chance on Parsons with the Dolphins' second first-round pick. Brian Flores should be able to get the most out of this talented linebacker.
19. Washington Football Team: Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia
Chase Young. Montez Sweat. Daron Payne. Jonathan Allen. Azeez Ojulari. The Washington Football Team would put NFL teams on notice if they keep adding to their edge rush like this.
20. Chicago Bears: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
The Bears invest in a player to pair with Allen Robinson. And as Bean reminds us, keep in mind that Robinson is playing on the franchise tag, so Bateman could replace Robinson as the No. 1 receiver if Robinson leaves in free agency next offseason.
21. Indianapolis Colts: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
Farley is a great athlete with plus traits. He's dealing with a back injury, but he should be able to be a No. 1 corner when he returns to full health.
22. Tennessee Titans: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
The Titans have a lot of needs, in Curran's opinion, but their biggest needs come on defense. Owusu-Koramoah can do a bit of everything and should help generate some pass rush from the linebacker spot and help out in coverage. Perry compared him to Jamal Adams.
23. New York Jets: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC
Vera-Tucker will help build the Jets offensive line in front of Zach Wilson. He played tackle in college but may be best at the guard position in the NFL.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State
"He's a mauler, he's a bully, he's a bad human being on the field, which I love." -- Phil Perry
25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern
Newsome is a talented cornerback and a high-character guy. His skill-set compliments C.J. Henderson's well and sets the Jaguars up with two young cornerbacks with star potential.
26. Cleveland Browns: Christian Barmore, DL, Alabama
The Browns had to let Larry Ogunjobi go this offseason. Here's a potential replacement for him.
27. Baltimore Ravens: Jayson Oweh, EDGE, Penn State
Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue left the Ravens in free agency. Oweh is an athletic freak. His production wasn't there, but his tape was still good. He just needs to finish for some sacks more frequently.
28. New Orleans Saints: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida
The Emmanuel Sanders signing didn't work out for the Saints last year. Toney is great with the ball in his hands and has good speed. He pairs very well with Michael Thomas.
29. Green Bay Packers: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
The Packers finally get Aaron Rodgers some help. Or Jordan Love, if you're taking the long-term view like Bean is. The small speedster with great route running ability and strength would add another element to the Packers' offense.
30. Buffalo Bills: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami
Phillips has had some concussion issues during his career, but he tested through the roof at his pro day and was productive in his final year at Miami.
31. Kansas City Chiefs: Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State
Radunz played very well at the Senior Bowl and will help the Chiefs to better protect Patrick Mahomes after the disastrous performance the unit had in the Super Bowl. Curran called the o-line's outing "a disgrace."
The Patriots offered a second-round pick and a future second-round pick to make a move here. The Buccaneers agreed, and the Patriots selected Elijah Moore at this juncture.
"He's special. He reminds us of Deion Branch," Perry said of Moore. "We didn't think he was gonna be there if we waited in the second round.
"We feel so much better of our offense because we needed receiver help. If Cam's our quarterback, we gotta get him more help."
Moore was very productive in the SEC and will be a great slot receiver for the Patriots.
For more analysis from Perry, Curran, and Bean, check out the latest episode of the Next Pats Podcast!
