2021 NFL Draft: Jets and Giants kick off this first-round mock draft

With the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft obtained from the Houston Texans as part of the Laremy Tunsil trade, the Miami Dolphins consider adding an offensive lineman or target for second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. With another deep wide receiver class and two first-round picks, Miami instead opts out and selects Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons as their defensive star of the future.

Like Rosseau, Parsons opted out of the 2020 college football season and should solidify his spot at the top linebacker in the draft. As a two-year starter, Parsons was a do-it-all linebacker for the Nittany Lions, excelling as both a pass rusher or run-stopping linebacker. Parsons may be the most talented defender in the draft, possessing great speed off the snap and is a strong tackler. With two first-round picks and plenty of holes, the Dolphins go best available.

The Minnesota Vikings have not finished at the bottom of the NFC North standings since Mike Zimmer took over following the 2013 season. Minnesota is 58-43 overall under Zimmer, but following a 1-5 start, could finish the year in the NFC North cellar with a new head coach. With two years remaining on Cousins’s contract and a dead cap hit of $41 million, the Vikings likely stick with Kirk for another year.

It feels lazy mocking another first-round cornerback to the Minnesota Vikings, but with a cornerback group that lost several starters and a unit ranking fourth-worst in pass yards allowed, Minnesota goes after your prototypical number one cornerback. Surtain II possesses the length and speed of an NFL cornerback and with excellent on-ball skills, gives Minnesota an ideal counterpart to 2020 first-round pick, Jeff Gladney.

With a 1-5-1 record, Cincinnati finds themselves with the final pick amongst all one-loss teams. 2020 first overall pick Joe Burrow has been a bright spot on the Cincinnati offense and the Bengals will want to protect their franchise quarterback, allowing a joint-worst four sacks allowed per game.

With weapons at skill positions, the Bengals select versatile Alex Leatherwood, hoping to strengthen an offensive line which faces Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Cleveland six times a year. Leatherwood, a three-year starter at Alabama is one of the nation’s top tackles and has yet to allow a sack in the 2020 season. Leatherwood can play on Burrow’s blindspot or slot in at guard, where he started during his sophomore year.

With a top ten pick in the 2021 NFL Draft which looks to only go higher after the season-ending injury to Dak Prescott, the Cowboys could be in a position to move on at quarterback. Dallas was unable to come to a long-term agreement with Prescott and could potentially look to move up in the 2021 Draft if Jerry Jones wants to avoid locking up Prescott.

With both Lawrence and Fields off the board, Dallas instead looks to improve a defense allowing over 400 yards per game. Shaun Wade was overshadowed by 2020 third overall pick Jeff Okudah in Ohio State’s secondary last year, but is arguably the top corner in the class and looks to continue the Buckeye legacy of highly drafted defensive backs. Wade has played mostly as an inside corner but looks to make the move as an outside corner for the 2020 year.