2021 SB Nation NFL writers’ mock draft

Look, we all know Trevor Lawrence is going to the Jaguars at No. 1, right? But that doesn’t mean the 2021 Draft won’t be a thriller.

The top quarterbacks available are all potential game changers, and nobody’s entirely sure what will happen after the former Clemson quarterback lands in Jacksonville with the top pick. The link between former BYU quarterback Zach Wilson and the Jets seems pretty strong, and they’re basically guaranteed to snag a quarterback after trading Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers. But they could shake things up and grab Ohio State’s Justin Fields, North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, or even pull a bit of a stunner and go with Alabama’s Mac Jones instead.

Same thing with the Niners. They pulled off a massive trade to move up to the No. 3 spot, giving up loads of draft capital in the process. Typically teams don’t give up that much if they’re not moving up for a player they believe can be a long-term franchise quarterback. They’ve been linked to Fields and to Jones, and while I suspect the pick will be Fields, who knows? Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch may be dreaming of the mayhem they could cause by putting former Florida tight end Kyle Pitts on the field with tight end George Kittle.

The Falcons are a real mystery at No. 4, too. They’ve been rumored to be considering the top quarterback prospects — not a terrible idea, considering Matt Ryan is nearly 36 years old — but Ryan’s contract makes him too expensive to cut for the next year or two. If the Falcons do take a quarterback, it’ll likely be a player who could benefit from learning behind the 2016 MVP for a year or two. Maybe they decide to snag a major playmaker like Pitts, or maybe they trade back and gather more picks to shore up some of the many weak spots on the roster.

It doesn’t get much clearer from there on out. There are loads of excellent players available, and every team has various needs to fill.

We won’t have any clue how the first round, beyond the very first pick, will shake out until it’s all said and done on Day 1 of the NFL Draft, but that won’t stop us from giving you our best guesses. Welcome to the 15th annual SB Nation writers’ mock draft.

Results

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
3. San Fransisco 49ers: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
4. Atlanta Falcons: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
5. Cincinnati Bengals: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
6. Miami Dolphins: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
7. Detroit Lions: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
8. Carolina Panthers: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
9. Denver Broncos: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
10. Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
11. New York Giants: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
12. Philadelphia Eagles: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
13. Los Angeles Chargers: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
14. Minnesota Vikings: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
15. New England Patriots: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
16. Arizona Cardinals: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami
17. Las Vegas Raiders: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC
18. Miami Dolphins: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama
19. Washington Football Team: Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky
20. Chicago Bears: Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State
21. Indianapolis Colts: Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan
22. Tennessee Titans: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
23. New York Jets: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa
25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama
26. Cleveland Browns: Azeez Ojulari, OLB, Georgia
27. Baltimore Ravens: Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU
28. New Orleans Saints: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
29. Green Bay Packers: Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern
30. Buffalo Bills: Asante Samuel Jr., CB, FSU
31. Baltimore Ravens: Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami