2021 NFL Draft: Offense leads the way in this 2021 NFL mock draft

Of Buffalo’s current top four edge-rushers, three of them are north of thirty for the 2021 season. Buffalo needs to add young dynamic pieces on the edge to assist the interior talent they’ve managed to collect through recent drafts. Carlos Basham Jr has all of the physical tools to operate as an effective three-down edge in the NFL but is not going to dominate with his athleticism at the next level. What makes the difference in Basham’s game is an incredible down-to-down motor combined with impressive suddenness off of the snap.

The consensus number two tight end of the 2021 NFL draft, Pat Freiermuth is a conventional fit for the position and will bring valuable in-line blocking to the Packer’s recently dominant running game. Pairing this with reliable hands and a polished route-tree. At six-foot-five, Freiermuth also presents the typical mismatch of a physical tight end, able to split the seam as well as work the back of the endzone. Robert Tonyan has been a functional option for the Packers thus far into the season, but Freiermuth will add the dimension of a sixth physical run-blocker.

After an immensely impressive performance during the 2019 season against future number two overall selection Chase Young placed tackle Rashawn Slater onto the 2021 NFL draft scouting map, and he has continued to uphold his reputation as a mobile blocker who can wash out pass-rushers and crash down inside with power.

Current Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva looks to enter free agency this offseason, and with just under $6 million in cap room and a likely falling salary cap, Pittsburgh needs to find more cap-friendly solutions. At only six-foot-three though, Slater will be outreached by more physical edge-rushers and needs to rely upon his footspeed to stay in front of his man.

As New Orleans moves into the 2021 NFL draft, the most glaring need staring back at them will be their interior defensive presence. David Onyemata has been the most effective of the Saints’ current defensive tackles, totaling six sacks and 34 tackles so far this season. In their 4-3 front though, Onyemata needs assistance from another dominant physical presence on the interior. Jay Tufele is a 315-pound nose tackle with surprising quickness and immense strength to stand up interior linemen off the snap.

Tufele also does a fantastic job of shedding blockers against the run and capitalizing. The only concern in his current game is a lack of developed pass-rush moves outside of his swim, but from day one Tufele will be able to physically compete and hold the line for the New Orleans run defense.

As the Chiefs look to continue to strengthen their franchise for a long-term run with Mahomes, attention is to be turned toward an interior offensive line in an attempt to further protect their franchise quarterback. Alijah Vera-Tucker is a cerebral left guard who makes up for his lack of raw athleticism with intelligent, technical blocking.

Vera-Tucker holds great pocket-form and has been a consistently effective figure on the USC offensive line through the 2019 and 2020 seasons. This lack of athleticism will hurt his run-blocking ceiling, but within the Chiefs offense, his mobility and zone-blocking will be much more important than overpowering the opposition with pure strength.