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

After moving back to the twelfth overall selection despite seemingly throwing their last contest against the Washington Football Team for a better selection, the Philadelphia Eagles have placed themselves in a dangerous position regarding the likelihood of acquiring one of the top three wideouts from the 2021 NFL Draft. After seeing division rival New York select freak linebacker Parsons though, the Eagles front office can rest easy in this NFL mock draft with a quick & easy decision with their top pick.

After being held out of the majority of the 2020 season with a nagging ankle injury, Alabama burner Jaylen Waddle has retained much of his draft stock thanks to a playstyle encapsulating the trends of modern wide receivers. Mismatch speed and creativity with the ball in hand, Waddle is a singular offensive asset capable of forcing defenses to develop game plans just for him, a presence that has been sorely missed in Philadelphia since Desean Jackson.

As pictured at the top of the page, Northwestern tackle Rashawn Slater managed to rise above concerns about his tangible measurables with an impressive performance against future second overall pick Chase Young as well as a flurry of other various future draft selections & prospects throughout the course of the 2019 season.

Following pro days, Slater cemented himself at the number two offensive tackle of the 2021 NFL Draft with a 4.88 forty-yard dash and 33 bench reps. What stood out as the most substantial measurement though was his 33-inch arms. Having been touted as a tackle prospect greatly lacking in reach, Slater’s reach comes in only a quarter-inch short of top prospect Penei Sewell, a resounding similarity that not only bumps the stock of Slater but brings to light the potential for Sewell to be brought in as a guard in his rookie campaign.

A bold move in this 2021 NFL mock draft, the Minnesota Vikings make Miami defensive end Jaelan Phillips the top pass-rusher taken in the 2021 NFL Draft ahead of Michigan’s Kwity Paye. Filling in for opt-out Gregory Rousseau, Phillips managed to collect eight sacks through ten games with 15.5 tackles for loss.

Lean, feisty, and intentional, Phillips is a pass-rusher who combines his lengthy frame with elite burst off of the snap-in order to beat tackles to the corner and bends the edge with the best of them. Once into the chest of the opposition, Phillips has an arsenal of pass-rush moves used with preconceived plans to attack to set up and outdo tackles relying upon their athleticism. These same moves are also used to develop in-game tendencies to be exposed later on (ex: speed-rushes countered with an inside spin).