2021 NFL Draft: Post-Super Bowl first-round NFL mock draft

With a defensive unit nowhere close to being ready for a legitimate divisional push under Joe Burrow, the Cincinnatti Bengals begin the reconstruction of the unit with an athletic boundary-corner to match the likes of Chase Claypool and Marquise Brown.

Having opted out of the 2020 college football season due to COVID-19, Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley is expected to ‘wow’ scouts with his already inherent athleticism. At six-foot-two, 207-pounds, Farley has the size to match the physical six-foot-four red zone threats now regularly roaming the NFL. What makes Farley so rare though is his speed at such size. Currently projected to run in the mid 4.3’s, Farley was once clocked at 24 miles-per-hour in a game against Notre Dame in 2019.

Few prospects have the kind of raw athleticism displayed by Farley, making him one of a select number of high-value players in the NFL capable of keeping pace with Tyreek Hill and the players who have embraced his playstyle. This makes him the perfect starting point for the Cincinnati Bengal’s defensive rebuild.

After the first five selections of the 2021 NFL draft not including one of the top two wide receivers of the class, the Philadelphia Eagles get their choice of two differing prospects, both outstanding in their own right. After having drafted Jalen Reagor and the recent emergence of Travis Fulgham though, the Eagles opt for the more physically dominant of the two national champions.

LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase is the most well-rounded athlete of the 2021 NFL draft wide receiver class. Despite only standing at six-foot, Chase uses his athleticism effectively to outcompete cornerbacks to jump balls and creates separation with downfield speed.

Combined with polished route-running and the ability to create at all three levels, Chase has the tools of a number one wideout and could solve the woes that have plagued Philadelphia for so long.