2021 NFL mock draft: Jets replace Sam Darnold with Trevor Lawrence
The 2020 NFL season is off to a rough start for a handful of teams, but few have looked as rough as the New York Jets over the first two weeks.
They have much bigger problems that just their quarterback, but if the Jets end up with the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft, could they hit the rest button at the game’s most important position?
That’s what happens in the latest 2021 NFL mock draft from CBS Sports, which has the Jets spending the top pick on Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson explains the thought process for New York ending the Sam Darnold era:
The Jets couldn’t even compete with a 49ers team that traveled across the country and was decimated by injury. And this isn’t Sam Darnold’s fault, he’s just a victim of circumstance, but if the Jets end up with the No. 1 pick (and they certainly look like the league’s worst team through two games, they’re taking Lawrence, who has been lights out in two games for Clemson.
As Wilson notes, the Jets have way bigger problems than Darnold’s play, but if they land that top pick, it would be hard to imagine them passing up on one of the best quarterback prospects we’ve seen in years.
This mock has a more intriguing pick at No. 2 overall, with the Carolina Panthers passing on Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell and LSU Ja’Marr Chase in favor of Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.
Fields lands with the Detroit Lions at No. 8 overall as Matthew Stafford’s eventual successor, while Sewell and Chase land with the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II rounds out the top five, going to the Cincinnati Bengals.
North Dakota’s Trey Lance is the only other quarterback in this first-round projection, heading to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 12 overall.
To check out the full first-round mock at CBS Sports, click here.
