2021 NFL Mock Draft: Who is willing to pay the Atlanta Falcons?

With the conventional NFL combine thrown to the wayside in favor of a flurry of individual pro days for some of the 2021 NFL Draft’s top prospects due to such unique circumstances, the 2021 NFL Draft has seen a gradual shift in which prospects look to be first-round favorites. With names swapping throughout the back half of the first round, who finds their way into day one in this NFL mock draft?

Even within the top half of the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, a pair of trades from the Miami Dolphins saw a shuffle in draft selections that saw the San Francisco 49ers commit to selecting a rookie quarterback and the Philadelphia Eagles slide outside of position for one of the top three wide receivers of the class.

Some highlights of these pro days included a lights-out performance from Zach Wilson, 40 bench reps from Pittsburgh defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman, and a pair of 4.44 forty’s from projected top-ten selections Justin Fields & Kyle Pitts. The biggest headline of pro days though was from a player who never had his workout. Having undergone a back procedure being sold as ‘no issue,’ Farley has seen his 2021 NFL Draft stock fall to the back of the first round due to the nature of back injuries in the NFL. In a video from March 29th during training though, Farley was shown running an unofficial 4.28 forty.

Little to no surprise here. A pick that was foreseen since his freshman campaign regardless of the franchise holding the top selection, Trevor Lawrence inherits expectations that will only continue to climb despite the youth of the personnel surrounding him. Having been a favorite of Urban Meyer’s since his time as a pundit, Jacksonville will not only be making this selection for its impacts on the field.

If the Jacksonville Jaguars were to use their number one overall selection on a player besides Trevor Lawrence, or even if they trade out of the spot, Twitter would see a tirade of fan frustration greater than when Kevin Durant signed with (*insert team here*). The long-reaching fallout of such a decision would not only impact the overarching culture of football operations but taint the brand value and consumer impressions of the Jaguars as a whole.