NFL mock draft: Eagles follow rumors, pick QB of the future
The offseason's biggest question was finally answered last week - where is Carson Wentz going? - which means we can finally look forward to the NFL Draft and start planning where the biggest names might fall.Here's a run through the first round for all 32 teams.
There are sure things, and then there is Trevor Lawrence going No. 1 overall. The Jaguars haven't been shy about their affinity for the prototypical QB prospect, and they shouldn't be: he has the athleticism, size, arm strength, and talent every NFL team would drool over. But can he fix this woebegotten franchise? We'll see.
Robert Saleh and the Jets stick with Sam Darnold as the answer this year, not enamored with any QBs outside of Lawrence and unable to land Deshaun Watson, so they pick the most dangerous weapon available in Chase, who put up video game numbers (84 catches, 1,780 yards, 20 TD) in 2019.
It's a perfect storyline: after Tua Tagovailoa's underwhelming rookie year, the Dolphins vow to improve his supporting cast by drafting the guy he played college ball with down in Tuscaloosa. The 2020 Heisman winner lands in Miami, and the Dolphins aim for the playoffs.
The Falcons allowed more passing yards than any team in the league last season, so they double down and draft a cornerback in the first round for the second straight year. Outside of last year's first-rounder A.J. Terrell, their depth at corner is brutal. Surtain has the tools to be a top-flight shutdown CB.
Sacks are increasingly seen as a QB stat, but Joe Burrow still needs some protection. His 3.1 sacks taken per game in 2020 put him third-worst in the league last season, behind just Daniel Jones (3.2) and Carson Wentz (4.1). Sewell is exactly the kind of guy who can slide in at tackle and improve those numbers immediately.
Is Jalen Hurts the guy? It's not set in stone just yet. The quarterback board falls to the Eagles at No. 6, and they get their pick of the non-Lawrence options. Howie Roseman opts for the high upside pick of Zach Wilson, the intriguing BYU riser who threw just three interceptions in 2020 and has received favorable comparisons this past week to the current best in the game, Patrick Mahomes. And we get a fun storyline: with Roseman choosing Wilson over Ohio State's Justin Fields, let's see if the general manager made the right decision, or if his recent draft woes continue.
The Detroit defense was a sieve in 2020 (30th in passing yards, 32nd in passing TDs, 28th in rushing yards, 32nd in rushing TDs). Parsons is a legit stud with a combination of size and speed that makes him the ideal 2021 linebacker.
Teddy Bridgewater wasn't the answer, and Matt Rhule needs to find one. Fields has questions about his release, mechanics-wise, but his performance against Clemson in the playoff likely turned a lot of heads around the NFL.
The Broncos released A.J. Bouye, and after leaning heavily on the offense in last year's draft, Denver reverses course and tries to shore up a defense that could use a defensive playmaker like Farley, who had four interceptions in 2019.
The Cowboys' defense last year was truly miserable, particularly along the lines, allowing the second-most rushing yards in the NFL. Enter Rousseau, a high-motor guy who can help immediately.
Darius Slayton has had a solid first two years, so the idea of adding an electric playmaker like Waddle across from Slayton, with a healthy Saquon Barkley back next year, will entice the Giants into swinging for the fences and hoping that Daniel Jones can figure it out if they just ply him with weapons.
In this reality, Trent Williams doesn't return and San Fran decides to draft both for value and for need. Slater is one of the most vaunted OL in this class and will go a long way to helping the 49ers back towards the postseason in 2021.
The Chargers have their answer at QB in Justin Herbert, so it's time to button up on defense, and adding a consensus All-American corner in Wade is a pretty good place to start.
The Vikings couldn't stop the run to save their lives in 2020, allowing bottom-of-the-barrel figures in yards per attempt and touchdowns on the ground. Barmore should help stop the bleeding.
Belicheck! The Hoodie goes with the riskiest of the QB picks and takes Lance, a guy with just 16 collegiate games on his resume. The upside is high. The downside? Well, the Patriots don't really have much lower to go at QB, so they'll take the chance.
Ojulari had a legit breakout year with Georgia last season, racking up career-bests in tackles for loss (12.5), sacks (9.5), and forced fumbles (4). He's a force.
Paye averaged a sack per game last year with Michigan but missed most of the year with a groin injury. He nothced 11.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss in his last 16 games of college ball. Good stuff.
After adding a wide receiver earlier, the Dolphins continue to try and help Tua Tagovailoa by adding some protection on the line with Vera-Tucker, a 6-4, 315-pound beast of a 21-year-old.
Washington could easily force a quarterback here - Mac Jones or Kyle Trask fit the bill - but they show restraint and opt to beef up the offensive line instead as a little OL run continues on the board.
The Allen Robinson era ends in Chicago, and the Bears go after a new, cheaper option at wide receiver: Moore had 86 catches for 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns for the Rebs last year.
All the way to 21? I think a lot of teams will be unsure of where exactly they should take a tight end in the first round, even one with Pitts' insane upside, so he feels like a possible surprise slide candidate. The Colts pick Carson Wentz's new favorite target.
The Titans averaged just 1.4 sacks per game last year, fourth-fewest in the league. Phillips had 8.0 by himself in 10 games with the Hurricanes. You do the math.
Ossai is a linebacker who gets after the quarterback in a big way, picking up 11.5 sacks in 29 games with the Longhorns. The Jets allowed the seventh-most points in the NFL last year and need to build a defense of the future. Ossai is a good start.
If JuJu Smith-Schuster does indeed move on from Pittsburgh this offseason, the Steelers can try to keep their draft magic going with St. Brown, an overlooked but intriguing option at wideout.
Nixon was a disruptor in backfields all throughout 2020, racking up 13.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. For a Jacksonville defense that jettisoned talent last year like the plague, adding someone like Nixon to their defensive line is a way to kickstart the rebuild.
Sione Takitaki flashed in 2021, particularly against the Eagles, but the Browns still need answers at linebacker, and Bolton is one of the best non-Micah Parson options at the position.
If the Ravens are serious about Lamar Jackson being the kind of quarterback who can win championships, they need to surround him with better pass catchers than Mark Andrews and miscellaneous faces. Bateman caught 60 passes for 1,219 yards and 11 TDs in his last full season with Minnesota.
It's just too easy. As Drew Brees steps into retirement, the Saints finally realize the Taysom Hill experiment was a failure and decide to draft an actual quarterback.
Perhaps a year too late, Green Bay's front office decides to give its MVP quarterback more weapons rather than sabotaging his chances by drafting his replacement. What an idea. The Packers have a down year and Rodgers leaves after 2021, and Green Bay devolves into chaos.
Free agency has the potential to ravage Buffalo's offensive line, and Davis - who stands an enormous 6-4, 315 pounds - could be a solid answer for the future.
Daniel Kilgore, 33, isn't getting any younger, and the Chiefs can't afford to leave the center position to just anyone when they have a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes.
Leonard Fournette showed what the Bucs' offense can look like with a powerful, talented RB. He'll get paid this offseason after a bet-on-yourself deal last year, and Tampa will say thank you for the ring as they draft his replacement.
