2021 NFL Mock Draft: The insatiable hunger of the quarterback market

After being exposed by an overwhelming Tampa Bay pass-rush in the super bowl the Kansas City Chief’s first order of business in this NFL mock draft will be to find a day one starting tackle within the 2021 NFL Draft who excels in pass protection. With one year remaining on both starting tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz’s contracts, this injection of youth has become dire.

Jalen Mayfield is possibly the most adept pass-blocker of the 2021 NFL Draft class, using quick feet and conserved punches to keep himself in front of the pass-rusher and able to use his 320-pound frame.

Lacking the raw strength to clear lanes in the rushing game, Mayfield is an immediate solution to the Chief’s protection woes. After serious injuries to both Schwartz and Fisher, Mayfield could see meaningful action in his rookie campaign.

With the final selection of this first-round NFL mock draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers directly replace free-agent running back Leonard Fournette with what some may claim to be his Crimson Tide cousin. Displaying similarly athletic freakishness out of college, Harris has asserted himself as the best running back within the 2021 NFL Draft thanks to a National Championship run which saw him operate as an effective check-down option to Mac Jones.

Despite the need for pass-rushers and wide receivers in the wake of a name-heavy free-agent class, Tampa Bay retains the relief to Brady and the passing attack by keeping two starting-caliber backs rotating in the backfield. Incumbent running back Ronald Jones will also see his contract come to an end following the 2021 season, meaning it’s Harris’s backfield for the future.

Selecting late in the first round, the most impactful thing the Tampa Bay front office could for their roster and coaching staff would be to take the best player available, ensuring the offense has a similarly-impactful running back.