Trevor Lawrence

Predicting every pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft

10. Cowboys – Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

The Cowboys’ secondary was pitiful at times last year. Selecting Surtain goes a long way towards remedying this. He and Caleb Farley were considered the two best Corners in the draft until reports of Farley’s back issues emerged.

Surtain has the size to compete with any receiver in the league at the catch point, and has instincts on route recognition (likely stemming from watching tape). He uses his body well to jam the man he defends and keep them off balance, and can pick the ball off if he needs. Surtain looks like a bonafide CB1.

11. Giants – Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan

Despite signing Kenny Golladay this offseason, one could forgive the Giants for being tempted by the possibility of adding Jaylen Waddle as another target for Daniel Jones. Alas, need prevails over glamour here.

The Giants have Golladay, Sterling Shepard, and Darius Slayton at Receiver, and Edge Rusher is a much bigger need.

       

Paye is a twitchy athlete and can explode off the line. He has an engine to consistently chase the ball carrier with effort. His pass rush attack does sometimes tend to be simplistic, but that will improve with tutelage. Paye adds a run stuffer and developing pass rusher to a Giants defence sorely needing someone on the line to pair with Leonard Williams.

12. Eagles – Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

Waddle drops past their division rival, and the Eagles begin making amends for missing on Justin Jefferson. Philadelphia needs some weapons to properly evaluate Jalen Hurts, and Waddle adds a new facet with his speed.

Waddle is able to change gears rapidly, outpacing defenders at ease, and he has a knack for tracking the ball in the air well. He has durability concerns, and his route tree needs to develop a little more, but he becomes a slot weapon that will worry defences with his ability to break away from man coverage. A regular, although slightly reductive, NFL comparison scouts have made is Tyreek Hill.

13. Chargers – Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

The Chargers have already invested in their offensive line this offseason by signing Centre Corey Linsley. They continue building a wall around Justin Herbert with Darrisaw, who didn’t allow a single sack with Virginia Tech last season.

       

Darrisaw likes to push pass rushers and move them where he wants with physical hands and balance. He gets quick out of his stance too, but he must be more dominant against defenders by controlling rather than pushing. Darrisaw would accelerate the Chargers’ ability to compete, even in a division with the Chiefs.

14. Vikings – Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama

Another Alabama product goes off the board. This time with Barmore, the clear no.1 Defensive Tackle in the draft. Barmore offers Minnesota a dominant lineman who performed in the biggest games last season (12 pressures in the CFP).

He had problems with consistency last year, and needs to react better to double teams. At his best though he looked almost as commanding on the line as Quinnen Williams. Minnesota can rebuild their D-line with Barmore at the heart of it, as he explodes off the line and makes plays in the backfield.

15. Patriots – Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

The Patriots find themselves in luck, as one of the 1st round-calibre QBs falls to them. Lance is a more raw prospect than the other players in his position, but he can make all the throws and has shown touch with his passing. He can locate his second reads with his passes, and can make off schedule throws. He is also comfortable sitting in the pocket to let plays develop.

Lance slides into a nice scenario at Foxboro, sitting behind Cam Newton for a year. He can learn from Newton and Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels in that time. Lance needs to improve his accuracy when throwing on the run, and his inexperience and low level of competition will count against him, but he played in a pro-style offence in college so he’s already more experienced under centre than most rookie Quarterbacks nowadays.

16. Cardinals – Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

With worries about Farley’s back, the Cardinals go with the safest pick at Corner. Arizona needs to replace Patrick Peterson and Horn slots in as his successor. Horn is a big, physical defender who can read routes and cut off the receiver before they get to their intended reception point.

He is a leader on the field and called an ‘Alpha’ by his teammates. But his aggressive, physical style could be problematic at the NFL level, as he is sometimes caught grabbing defenders. He also needs to improve his tackling, but that will come in time with good coaching. Even so, the Cardinals get a CB1 to give JJ Watt and Chandler Jones time to sack opposing QBs.

17. Raiders – Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT/G, USC

Even the Raiders can’t mess this up. They need offensive line help, and Vera-Tucker is the best Guard in the class. He can also play Tackle, but most projections have him slide inside.

The Raiders got rid of three offensive linemen in the offseason, maybe seeing a strong Tackle class and the option to grab Vera-Tucker.

Vera-Tucker is patient in blocking, he diagnoses plays quickly to figure out delayed rushes quickly, and he has active hands. He can also force movement in the run game. He plays at a small size for the NFL, but he has qualities to be a starting Guard for a long time.

18. Dolphins – Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

The Dolphins can’t believe their luck, as they get maybe the best offensive player in Ja’Marr Chase, and now the best defensive player in Parsons. The Nittany Lion is a perfect replacement for Kyle Van Noy, who was released this offseason. He was arguably the best Linebacker in run defending, blitzing, and tackling last season.

Parsons is an athlete with remarkable speed, size and strength, and plays with energy that teammates feed off. If he can tighten up his coverage and improve anticipation, he will be Brian Flores’ defensive general for the next decade.

19. Washington Football Team – Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

Washington were one of the best defensive teams in the NFL last season, with a truly elite defensive line led by rookie phenom Edge Chase Young. Here, the Football Team start levelling up on offence with a weapon for new Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Bateman gives Washington another target in the passing game, taking away the ability to double team Terry McLaurin. Bateman has a well-developed route tree and uses moves during his routes to get defenders to bite on fakes. There are sceptics of his ability to win contested catches at the NFL level, but he can worry teams enough and will be a solid no.2 outside threat for Washington.

It’s the Bears and Colts up next – hit page three below for the rest of the first round in our NFL Mock Draft 2021… 

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