2021 NFL Draft: Offense leads the way in this 2021 NFL mock draft
By Ian Higgins
In this 2021 NFL Draft scenario, five franchises decide to invest in their future franchise quarterbacks and Trevor Lawrence is reunited with a college teammate.
The last three years of quarterback prospects within the NFL draft have been nothing short of transcendent for their respective franchises. Josh Allen has ascended to the top of the AFC East, Kyler Murray has kickstarted the number one offense in football, and rookie Justin Herbert appears to be the lead candidate for rookie of the year after Joe Burrow’s unfortunate injury.
This 2021 NFL mock draft includes one of the deepest rosters of first-round quarterback talent in years that has a potential six candidates for a first-round selection. Clemson star Trevor Lawrence has all but locked in his ticket to New York, but prospects such as Kyle Trask and Mac Jones find themselves unsure of their status once Trey Lance and Zach Wilson come off of the board.
Playmakers outside the hash marks are littered through the first-round, continuing a shift towards explosive playmaking at the boundaries. This selection ranges from the shiftiness of Jaylen Waddle to the raw physicality of Terrace Marshall Jr. Teams looking to invest in their receiving corps will be satisfied with the range of skillsets on display in this year’s draft.
Although the highlights of this mock draft come on the offensive side of the ball, the defensive talents of the 2021 NFL Draft are concentrated at cornerback and linebacker. Micah Parsons currently figures to be one of the best conventional linebackers drafted in recent memory, and Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II looks to carry the family name with plenty of talent.
This mock draft will not be including trades, but some of the most likely possibilities include the New England Patriots moving back for a quarterback such as Mac Jones, the Atlanta Falcons moving up in pursuit of Justin Fields, or the Baltimore Ravens finding a wideout to place alongside Marquise Brown. The Miami Dolphins are also the only team to own multiple first-round picks besides the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars, making them a likely draft-day mover.