BSR Sports Staff: Bi-Weekly 2021 NFL Mock Draft V3

Photo Credit: 247Sports

*Editor’s Note: The San Francisco 49ers swung a trade with the Miami Dolphins, and the Dolphins made a swap with the Philadelphia Eagles. The 49ers now pick at No. 3, the Dolphins at No. 6, and the Eagles at No. 12. This mock draft was completed before the trades were consummated. Version 4 will reflect these trades.

The BSR Sports Department is back with the third edition of our 2021 NFL Mock Draft. Click here to view version one, and click here to view version two.

We’ll see a couple names this time around that we haven’t seen yet!

Onto the picks!

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1) Jacksonville Jaguars- Trevor Lawrence: QB, Clemson (Ryan Struhar- BSR Sports Staff)

Trevor Lawrence is the can’t-miss prospect of the draft. He is the most NFL-ready QB we have seen in a long time, perhaps since Andrew Luck in 2012.

Lawrence will be a franchise turn-around player and will make the Jags contenders for years to come.

 

2) New York Jets- Zach Wilson: QB, BYU (Sean “Fitz” Fitzgerald- Sports Director. Co-Host of Pass the Mic Sports Talk)

For the longest time, I liked Zach Wilson, but I didn’t love Zach Wilson. As we’ve had more time to look over tape and see what he’s really made of, I see someone with franchise quarterback potential written all over him.

Wilson can make every throw needed of him and gives Gang Green a fresh start from Sam Darnold. He has the potential to end up being the best signal caller in this draft down the road, but only time will tell.

 

3) Miami Dolphins- Ja’Marr Chase: WR, LSU (Gabe Collura- Sports Coordinator. Co-Host of Opening Day)

Miami finds themselves at a crossroads.

Tua Tagovailoa was far from the franchise talent they hoped he would be last season, but that’s no reason to give up on him just yet. The biggest priority this offseason is to get him some help, and they do just that with the selection of Ja’Marr Chase. While it would be nice for Tua to have a reunion with fellow Alabama alum Devonta Smith, I’m not sold on the guy just yet.

Chase has proven a lot to us during his time at LSU, even while sitting out the last college football season. I heavily believe he is the best receiver in this draft.

The former Biletnikoff Award Winner’s size, speed, and route running ability give him all of the tools of a No. 1 receiver. Brian Flores’s crew would be thrilled to have him.

 

4) Atlanta Falcons- Kyle Pitts: TE, Florida (Logan Egleston- BSR Sports Staff)

While I could easily see this pick being traded to a more quarterback needy team, if the Falcons use it, Kyle Pitts is likely the selection.

Pitts is one of the best pass catchers in this draft with likely longevity. Taking a quarterback anywhere in the draft is always a gamble and it is not likely that a QB taken can be ready right away.

Yes, it may seem like Atlanta is looking for a guy to replace the game managing Matt Ryan, but the truth is he has veteran experience and getting him a versatile TE could make for a better long term investment.

Not to mention, whoever the heir to Matt Ryan ends up being, they would be better off with a guy like Pitts to throw to when they first get under center.

 

5) Cincinnati Bengals- Penei Sewell: OL, Oregon (David Profusek- BSR Sports Staff)

Sewell is easily the most NFL-ready O-line prospect in the draft, and the Bengals need someone to protect their franchise QB Joe Burrow. This is a no-brainer pick if Sewell falls this far in the draft.

 

6) Philadelphia Eagles- DeVonta Smith: WR, Alabama (Fitz)

Let’s believe that the Eagles actually give Jalen Hurts a shot. What they need to do is surround him with weapons and an offensive line, something Carson Wentz lacked last season.

We’ll fix the weaponry problem by adding the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner.

Smith is elusive, sure handed, and there’s only room for further growth. I’m not looking to give Eagles fans Jalen Raegor PTSD by passing on the best guy available like they did with Justin Jefferson last year.

 

7) Detroit Lions- Micah Parsons: LB, Penn State (Enzo Orlando- Sports Coordinator. Co-Host of Pass the Mic Sports Talk)

Micah Parsons has to be the best defensive player in the draft. Adding him to the Lions would be a huge help to them on the defensive side of the ball.

 

8) Carolina Panthers- Patrick Surtain II: CB, Alabama (Logan)

This pick seems rather straightforward. Even with Justin Fields’ stock dropping lately, it would not surprise me if the Panthers take Surtain if he’s available.

While Fields may not drop quite this far, even if he is available here, it only makes sense to take the best player in the draft a particular position of need. For the Panthers, that position is the defensive secondary, and that player is Patrick Surtain II.

 

9) Denver Broncos- Justin Fields: QB, Ohio State (Jake Matson- BSR Sports Staff)

With Fields falling this far, it would be criminal not to pick him up. Drew Lock really hasn’t lived up to the hype and the Broncos have been in the cellar of their division ever since Peyton Manning left. It seems the time has come to move on.

Fields comes with some nice mobility and decent arm strength, so he could find a home for a while in the Mile High City who is still looking for a signal caller to anchor a franchise.

 

10) Dallas Cowboys- Kwity Paye: DL, Michigan (Alex Wilcox- BSR Sports Staff)

The Cowboys have lacked defensive depth the last two seasons, especially in the front seven.

With the withering of Sean Lee and the busting out of Taco Charlton, Dallas could use a guy that can come in and give them 70 snaps a game defensively. That guy is Kwity Paye. This pick may not be too sexy, but it’ll get the job done at ten.

 

11) New York Giants- Jaylen Waddle: WR, Alabama (Ryan)

The Giants are in desperate need of upgrades at receiver. Waddle can add instant fire power to an offense that needs it.

He is a great pass catcher with great speed and he will cause headaches for anyone he plays against, especially NFC east teams.

 

12) San Francisco 49ers- Mac Jones: QB, Alabama (Jake)

You may think I have lost my mind with this pick. I might have, but hear me out. In the last three seasons, Jimmy Garoppolo has had season ending injuries twice, and well before the half way point, too. He was injured twice last season.

The question now is if it’s worth finding a suitable backup here. The answer is yes.

The only season where Garoppolo didn’t get injured, the 49ers made the Super Bowl. With the lackluster quarterbacks they used after Jimmy G went down, they could barely win a game.

It seems to be time for Kyle Shanahan and Co. to get a solid back up to help them win games if Jimmy G goes down again.

 

13) Los Angeles Chargers- Rashawn Slater: OT, Northwestern (Fitz)

The Chargers made good progress on protecting their golden goose by signing ex-Packers center Corey Linsley to a record contract. However, there’s five guys on an offensive line, and the Bolts need a few more pieces to prevent Justin Herbert from becoming roadkill.

Adding Slater would shore up a tackle spot and protect Herbert as well. Slater is also coming into the league fresh, having opted out of the 2020 college football season.

 

14) Minnesota Vikings- Christian Darrisaw: OT, Virginia Tech (Gabe)

The Vikings have made tremendous strides in free agency on defense. Adding Patrick Peterson is the best move of them all, shoring up an otherwise suspect secondary.

With Riley Reiff being released, Minnesota is in need of a replacement option at offensive tackle, and Darrisaw is just the guy for the job.

Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 313 pounds, Darrisaw is a BIG MAN guarding the edge. Ideally, he would play on the left side: protecting Kirk Cousins’s blindside.

Minnesota could benefit greatly from keeping Captain Kirk upright, something Darrisaw will do very well. In his senior season at Virginia Tech, he only allowed six hurries and ZERO sacks.

Perfect.

 

15) New England Patriots- Christian Barmore: DL, Alabama (Alex)

In 2020, Barmore compiled a 91.5 pass rushing grade, which led all defensive linemen in the country by a significant margin.

We know that Bill Belichick is currently stockpiling players like a madman, so going with a best-player-available mindset with this first Pats pick would come as a surprise to no one. Barmore would come to Gillette and fill an immediate starting role for New England in the front seven.

 

16) Arizona Cardinals- Jaycee Horn: CB, South Carolina (Enzo)

Jaycee Horn will be able to make a big impact in the secondary for the Cardinals.

Horn is very physical when guarding receivers, as well as on the blitz. He is able to shed blocks very effectively.

Adding Horn to their recent additions on defense, this pick rounds up an extremely solid offseason for Arizona.

 

17) Las Vegas Raiders- Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah: LB, Notre Dame (Jake)

Last season the Raiders were a train wreck defensively, and that will certainly be addressed with this pick.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is a very underrated player that can prove to be one of the biggest steals of this round.

 

18) Miami Dolphins- Nick Bolton: LB, Missouri (Gabe)

Not many people have heard the name Nick Bolton. GET TO KNOW IT.

While he doesn’t have the elite stature that other LBs in this class have, he might be the most sound all-around. Pro Football Focus has Bolton ranked 2nd behind Micah Parsons in LB rankings, and his highlight tape justifies that ranking. Big play after big play. Massive hit after massive hit.

This guy is the real deal. He is a serviceable athlete who can perform at a high level for years to come.

Brian Flores loves defense, and he will love Bolton at No. 18.

 

19) Washington Football Team- Trevon Moehrig: S, TCU (Alex)

Moehrig is a natural deep cover safety, which would allow Landon Collins to be the oft used 7th man in the box for Washington. This could solve many of the linebacking problems that WFT may also look for answers for with this pick.

Moehrig is not quite this high on a lot of draft boards yet, but he certainly has a mid-1st round ceiling. His lateral quickness and deep-ball prevention speed more than mask his slight lack of ball skills to this point in his career.

 

20) Chicago Bears- Trey Lance: QB, North Dakota State (David)

The Bears have two veterans QBs in Nick Foles and the newly signed Andy Dalton that will hold the ship for another year or so, but they need someone to take their place, and soon!

Lance showed great skills running the Bison’s offense two seasons ago and will be tasked to be the QB of the future for Chicago.

 

21) Indianapolis Colts- Jayson Oweh: EDGE, Penn State (David)

With the departure of veteran edge rusher Justin Houston, the Colts need someone to cover at defensive end. Oweh is possibly the best pass rusher in this draft, and will be a solid addition for the defensive unit out in Indy.

 

22) Tennessee Titans- Gregory Rousseau: EDGE, Miami FL (Logan)

If Rousseau falls this far, it is almost cut and dry that the Titans will take him.

With an inconsistent pass rush being one of the glaring lacks of defensive production from last season, I can only imagine edge rushers were the center of conversation in Nashville this offseason.

Rousseau has the skillset and the build to make something of himself in the NFL early on in his career. Not to mention, he would have a defensive minded head coach in Mike Vrabel who played the same position in his college days.

 

23) New York Jets- Travis Etienne: RB, Clemson (Fitz)

The Le’Veon Bell experiment failed due to factors beyond Le’Veon not being productive (see Gase, Adam).

Etienne is a monster. Period.

Clemson’s star rusher can deal out punishment and has improved catching passes out of the backfield each year in college. While this may be an unexpected pick, I’m all for giving Zach Wilson a new toy in the backfield.

 

24) Pittsburgh Steelers- Najee Harris: RB, Alabama (Gabe)

I would like to preface the emotional explanation ahead by admitting that I am a MASSIVE Steelers fan.

Running the football effectively has always been part of Pittsburgh’s offense. In 2020, they stunk at running the ball. Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook each rushed for more yards themselves than the Steelers’s entire TEAM last season.

James Conner looked to be a star in the midst of the historic Le’Veon Bell holdout, but showed his true colors after Bell’s departure.

Pittsburgh’s offense was difficult to watch all season long. If you can’t run the ball, you become a one-dimensional offense, which is tremendously easy to prepare for. There is no reason a quarterback near the age of 40 should be attempting 50 passes a game.

With Big Ben returning, he needs a star running back to open the passing game up more. With that, I am thrilled to select Najee Harris with this pick.

This dude is an ABSOLUTE MONSTER.

He’s 6-foot-2, 229 pounds, and he can MOVE. He’s one of the most athletic running backs I’ve ever laid my eyes on coming out of college and I can genuinely say I enjoyed watching him pound the rock. He was another dominant part of the historic 2020 Alabama offense, and that dominance will translate to the NFL level.

I know some are concerned with taking a running back in the first round due to their short shelf-lives, but Najee Harris is a star. The Steelers absolutely cannot miss with this pick if they expect to have a sliver of hope at traveling to Seventh Heaven.

Oh, and Najee Harris is the ultimate team guy. He drove NINE HOURS from Dallas to Alabama’s pro day in Birmingham just to support his teammates.

How about that?

 

25) Jacksonville Jaguars- Kadarius Toney: WR, Florida (Ryan)

One of the many needs for this Jacksonville roster is wide receiver. Having already drafted Lawrence with their first pick, why not give him a weapon on offense?

Kadarius Toney is one of the most explosive receivers coming out of this draft. He will be a great asset to Lawrence and Urban Meyer’s offensive system.

 

26) Cleveland Browns- Zaven Collins: LB, Tulsa (Ryan)

After coming off their best season in a long, long time, the biggest weakness for the Browns was clearly defense. After signing John Johnson III and Troy Hill to shore up the secondary, they have yet to acquire a linebacker. It seems like they are waiting for the draft, and they’ll get their guy.

Zaven Collins was one of the best defensive players in the 2020 college football season season and he will be an impact player for this Cleveland defense that desperately needs him.

 

27) Baltimore Ravens- Rondale Moore: WR, Purdue (Jake)

Last season, the Ravens wide receiver corps was something that needed to be fixed. It got so bad at one point they brought in Dez Bryant, someone who hadn’t played in almost two years. This year, the Ravens will look for more weapons for Lamar Jackson to throw to.

 

28) New Orleans Saints- Caleb Farley: CB, Virginia Tech (Alex)

Farley, especially at this point in the draft, would be a grand slam pick for Sean Payton. With depth dwindling in the secondary, Farley is a versatile option to line up opposite of Marshon Lattimore in the secondary.

I would look for another receiving weapon with this pick, but in this case, I have to go with the best talent left on the board falling right into the Saints’ hands.

 

29) Green Bay Packers- Isaiah Mckoy: WR, Kent State (Enzo)

In a shocking twist, the Packers go with the top receiver from the Mid-American Conference, Isaiah Mckoy.

Standing at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, he is the ideal size for a wide receiver. However, he does not always block when the ball is not in his hands, a major responsibility for the position. He also tends to not give every play 100% effort.

But in man coverage? He’s unstoppable.

 

30) Buffalo Bills- Wyatt Davis: OL, Ohio State (Logan)

While it may be entertaining to watch Josh Allen make nearly impossible plays while being chased around by defenders, I can promise that it is not seen that way by those in the Bills organization.

For any team with a quarterback at the caliber of Josh Allen, it is absolutely imperative that he is protected.

Davis is a very talented interior OL who knows how to block in an offense that is fast paced with a mobile QB.

 

31) Kansas City Chiefs- Alijah Vera-Tucker: OL, USC (Enzo)

From what we have seen from Kansas City this offseason, they seem to be aiming to upgrade their offensive line.

Adding Vera-Tucker would be a great help to the Chiefs both protecting Patrick Mahomes in the pocket in the passing game and opening up holes for Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the running game.

 

32) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Jaelan Phillips: DL, Miami FL (David)

The reigning Super Bowl Champions do not have many weaknesses, but they could look to bulk up their defensive line.

With several linemen leaving for free agency, it makes sense to pick up Phillips to help replace those guys. He has size and good rush skills to rotate in with this stacked edge rushing core.