2021 NFL Draft: Post-Super Bowl first-round NFL mock draft
By Ian Higgins
College Stats. Notre Dame. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. 21. player. Scouting Report. 59. LB
After wheeling-and-dealing to further load their war chest of draft assets in the 2021 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins find themselves in a position to reinvigorate a linebacking group that has been coached well beyond their raw talent. Seeing what head coach Brian Flores has done with the group in their amoeba-front though, there is no better fit than Notre Dame ‘rover’ Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
A dedicated sideline-to-sideline tackler whose role demanded a high-motor every single snap, Koramoah was the heart of the Fighting Irish defense, capable of filling any given role from snap-to-snap. Having shown the ability to keep pace with mismatch receiving-backs as well as a speed-based pass-rusher, Koramoah is the perfect fit for a Miami linebacking group that requires versatility out of each of their personnel.
DT. 22. Christian Barmore. player. 35. Scouting Report. College Stats. Alabama
In a 2021 NFL draft class lacking top-end talent on the interior of the defensive line, the Alabama Crimson Tide never fail to provide the NFL starting-quality big men to clog the interior and ruin the pocket of opposing quarterbacks. Having been missing an imposing presence at defensive tackle since trading Jurrell Casey, the Tennessee Titans could solve their pass-rush issues with an interior presence.
At six-foot-five, 311-pounds, Barmore fits the conventional frame for an NFL defensive tackle and has shown the functional strength in his time at Alabama to be a sufficient run-defender. Barmore’s greatest quality though has been the quickness of his feet, allowing him to capitalize on pass-rush moves against heavy-footed guards and centers to get into the face of the quarterback and kill the down either by disrupting the timing of the play or collecting a sack.
Interior pass-rusher who break down pocket-structure (i.e. Aaron Donald) have reshaped how teams approach their pass-rush, and Barmore is the next defensive lineman to bring this unique dimension of pass-rush to an NFL defense.
Scouting Report. player. 30. College Stats. HB. Alabama. Najee Harris. 23
After a 2020 season that saw the New York Jets utilize the ageless wonder Frank Gore as their lead running back and LaMichael Perine unable to break through into the starting role, the New York Jets need to find a halfback who can support future franchise quarterback Zach Wilson.
After a dominant postseason run for the Crimson Tide which included an unforgettable hurdle over a Notre Dame defender, Najee Harris has seemingly ascended to the top of the 2021 NFL draft running back class ahead of Clemson’s Travis Etienne. Combining head-down power-running with the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield on check-downs, Harris exemplifies all of the qualities NFL franchises search for in a franchise running back worthy of a first-round selection.