NFL beat writers mock draft: Will it be a historic year for QBs?
Are we heading for a historic NFL draft?
Quad QBs?
That’s what is prognosticated in the 2021 version of the Los Angeles Times’ annual beat writer mock draft, in which writers who cover teams on a day-to-day basis make the picks. This scenario projects the first four teams selecting quarterbacks, which would be a first in the Super Bowl era.
Quarterbacks went 1-2-3 in 1971 and ’99, but four in a row is mind-boggling. But we’ll find out when the first round kicks off Thursday night in Cleveland.
Here's how beat reporters from across the country see the first round of the 2021 NFL draft unfolding:
1. Jacksonville | QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
He’s the best on the board and this is a club that hasn’t had a franchise QB since Mark Brunell. This is the reason why Urban Meyer came out of retirement. When you’re a franchise that has had 10 losing seasons in 11 years, you have to go with the sure thing. He’s the surest of sure. — John Reid, Florida Times-Union
2. New York Jets | QB Zach Wilson, BYU
This has been the Jets’ obvious choice for weeks. After trading Sam Darnold, the team starts over at quarterback with Wilson, who put up huge numbers against weak competition in 2020. Can the Jets finally get it right at QB? — Brian Costello, New York Post
3. San Francisco | QB Mac Jones, Alabama
Kyle Shanahan feels that all that’s missing from a Super Bowl offense is someone who can run his system. The way Jones parachuted in and took Alabama to a national championship in Year2 is a lot like what the 49ers will expect from their next quarterback. — Matt Barrows, The Athletic
4. Atlanta Falcons | QB Justin Fields, Ohio State
With Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Mac Jones going 1-2-3, the best player left on the board arguably is Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, but because teams overvalue the quarterback position, the Falcons select their quarterback of the future and have the team set up for success over the next decade. — D. Orlando Ledbetter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
5. Cincinnati Bengals | WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU
The Bengals need to upgrade their below-average offensive line, but the opportunity to get Chase is something the team doesn’t want to pass up. Chase and Joe Burrow were an explosive 1-2 punch at LSU during the Tigers’ 2019 national championship run. The Bengals want to ignite that same fire power in Cincinnati and bolster their receiving corps. — Tyler Dragon, Cincinnati Enquirer
6. Miami Dolphins | TE Kyle Pitts, Florida
Pitts is the type of dynamic weapon that creates matchup nightmares for any defense. Paired with Mike Gesicki, the Dolphins have two dynamic weapons in the seams that can’t be defended by linebackers. And Pitts has the versatility to line up at receiver, which means he becomes the ultimate chess piece for Tua Tagovailoa. — Omar Kelly, South Florida Sun Sentinel
7. Detroit Lions | OT Penei Sewell, Oregon
This pick probably comes down to a receiver or offensive lineman. This is a deep receiver class. Sewell would start immediately at right tackle, and along with Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow would provide solid protection for Jared Goff. — Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press
8. Carolina Panthers | CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
The Panthers’ first preference here would be to see if they could get a team to trade up for Trey Lance, giving Scott Fitterer and Matt Rhule more picks to work with as they continue their rebuild. Failing that, they take the most polished corner in the draft in Surtain. — Joe Person, The Athletic
9. Denver Broncos | QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State
If Fields and Surtain are off the board, the expectation is new general manager George Paton trades down. But the Broncos were one of only a few teams that attended both of Lance’s pro days. — Ryan O'Halloran, Denver Post
10. Dallas Cowboys | CB Jaycee Horn, South Carolina
With Surtain gone, this creates a possible trade-back scenario for the Cowboys. But the need at cornerback is clear. Northwestern tackle Rashawn Slater is also a possibility here. — Clarence Hill, Fort Worth Star Telegram
11. New York Giants | WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama
The additions of Kenny Golladay and Kyle Rudolph and even John Ross in the free-agency spending spree means the Giants do not have to grab an offensive playmaker early in this draft. But it doesn’t preclude them from doing so either. Smith gives them even more options and diversity for Daniel Jones to use. He’s a polished route runner and electric with the ball in his hands. As for his lack of weight, well, there are plenty of great restaurants in the New York area to help with that. — Tom Rock, Newsday
12. Philadelphia Eagles | WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
Cornerback and wide receiver are the Eagles’ most obvious needs, and with Surtain and Horn gone, I predict they would turn to Waddle and look for a corner in the second round. — Les Bowen, Philadelphia Inquirer
13. Los Angeles Chargers | OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
The Chargers are rebuilding their offensive line in front of Justin Herbert and will have four new starters there in 2021. Slater slots in as the team’s immediate and — they certainly hope — future at left tackle. — Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times
14. Minnesota Vikings | OT Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech
The Vikings need a left tackle to replace Riley Reiff, and they’ve been intrigued by Darrisaw, who’d give them a capable pass protector for Kirk Cousins’ blind side. — Ben Goessling, Minneapolis Star Tribune
15. New England Patriots | LB Zaven Collins, Tulsa
I do think the Patriots will be in play for one of the quarterbacks, and I do think one or two of them may fall down the draft a bit. But the Patriots need depth on defense, and Collins looks like a great fit. — Ben Volin, Boston Globe
16. Arizona Cardinals | CB Greg Newsome II, Northwestern
The Cardinals address what’s been a weakness for a few years. Newsome has the size and skill to play the press, man-style that defensive coordinator Vance Joseph prefers. — Kent Somers, Arizona Republic
17. Las Vegas Raiders | LB Micah Parsons, Penn State
Parsons comes with some red flags thanks to some maturity issues that have surfaced during the evaluation process. But the Raiders desperately need a defensive playmaker and game-changer and Parsons is the one player in this draft that provides that possibility. Furthermore, they feel comfortable their infrastructure is sound enough to smooth over any potential rough edges. — Vincent Bonsignore, Las Vegas Review Journal
18. Miami Dolphins | RB Najee Harris, Alabama
Harris is the second coming of Le’Veon Bell, a big back who runs with vision and has phenomenal hands. He’ll be the perfect complement to Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins’ RPO-based offense, helping the Dolphins usher in a new era. — Omar Kelly, South Florida Sun Sentinel
19. Washington | LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
It’s tempting to add another receiver, like Kadarius Toney, to Washington’s remade offense. But linebacker is on its few glaring needs on defense, and Owusu-Koramoah’s range — along with his explosiveness, ability to tackle in space and instincts — gives the WFT plenty of options. — Nicki Jhabvala, Washington Post
20. Chicago Bears | OT Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State
The Bears are as desperate for a quarterback as any team in this draft. But this first-round chessboard did not unfold in their favor. The good news is they have other major needs on offense, including one at tackle where Jenkins can come in and compete for a starting role from Day 1. — Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune
21. Indianapolis Colts | Edge Jaelan Phillips, Miami
The Colts would have happily grabbed one of the top offensive tackles, but with Sewell, Slater, Darrisaw and Jenkins all gone, they go with a high-risk, high-reward pick in Phillips. His upside is tantalizing and he feels like a player ready to contribute on Day 1. The medical concerns (concussions) might be a deal breaker, but if the Colts clear him, he would add more disruption on a defensive line featuring DeForest Buckner. — Stephen Holder, The Athletic
22. Tennessee Titans | DT Christian Barmore, Alabama
There are so many options for the Titans here that match up nicely with their needs at receiver, corner and edge that a trade back would work nicely. I see six players I could see them taking and corner Caleb Farley would probably be the best selection. But with injury concerns about his back, can a team be sure enough? That brings me to the penetrating Barmore. — Paul Kuharsky, PaulKuharsky.com
23. New York Jets | G Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
Every NFL team loves versatility and Vera-Tucker is a perfect-plug-and-play prospect. He played both guard and tackle at USC and, according to scouts, is NFL-ready. The Jets need to do for their new QB Zach Wilson what they failed to do for Sam Darnold, which is build around him with strong, young talent. Vera-Tucker, a favorite among almost every draft analyst, is a player who can do nothing but help the development of Wilson, the Jets’ latest franchise QB hopeful. He projects likely as a guard in the NFL based on his skill set and his 6-4, 308-pound frame. — Mark Cannizzaro, New York Post
24. Pittsburgh Steelers | RB Travis Etienne, Clemson
The Steelers were the worst running team in the league last year and have been near the bottom for the past three. Ben Roethlisberger is 39 and is no longer going to carry the team. The Steelers need balance, and a great running back is a more pressing concern than an offensive lineman. — Ed Bouchette, The Athletic
25. Jacksonville Jaguars| Edge Azeez Ojulari, Georgia
Many have the Jaguars taking TCU safety Trevon Moehrig at this spot, but Ojulari was the most productive pass rusher in the SEC. — Gene Frenette, Florida Times-Union
26. Cleveland Browns | CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
Farley likely slipped because of back surgery on March23. But he’s due back for training camp, and if the Browns are comfortable with the medicals, he’d be an excellent addition to outside corners Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams, who missed all of 2020 with nerve damage in his shoulder. — Mary Kay Cabot, Cleveland Plain Dealer
27. Baltimore Ravens | Edge Kwity Paye, Michigan
The Ravens lost their top two edge rushers, Matthew Judon and Yannick Ngakoue, in free agency and they’ve targeted this draft as a good place to get much-needed help on the edge. Paye is a dynamic athlete who brings pass-rushing juice and holds his own against the run. John Harbaugh knows somebody at Michigan who could give him a good scouting report too. — Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic
28. New Orleans Saints | Edge Joe Tryon, Washington
The Saints are in need of either a cornerback, a linebacker or an edge rusher here, and Tryon would fit the need. His playing style been compared to current Saints DE Marcus Davenport, meaning Tryon hasn’t quite reached his ceiling yet. — Amie Just, Times-Picayune
29. Green Bay Packers | ILB Jamin Davis, Kentucky
The Packers could go in a lot directions — tackle, cornerback, interior defensive line and receiver are among their biggest needs. But they haven’t had a dynamic player in the middle of their defense since forever, and Davis would provide badly needed explosiveness. — Pete Dougherty, Green Bay Press-Gazette
30. Buffalo Bills | Edge Jayson Oweh, Penn State
Oweh did not have any sacks during the 2020 season, but a closer look reveals he applied plenty of pressure. The Bills can bring him along slowly behind Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison, banking on his physical skills and NFL coaching turning him into a better pro than college player. — Jay Skurski, Buffalo News
31. Baltimore Ravens | OT/G Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
Ideally, the Ravens could trade back here until early in the second round and pick up another Day2 pick in the process. However, they can’t take any chances in losing out on a potential Day1 starting tackle after trading Orlando Brown Jr. Some believe Leatherwood might be better off at guard than tackle and that’s fine too, because the Ravens have a need there as well. Either way, he should be a Day1 starter. — Jeff Zrebiec, The Athletic
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | DL Gregory Rousseau, Miami
The Bucs have 22 returning starters, so they can take a chance on a developmental player here who can provide depth in two areas of need. Rousseau can play inside in a rotation with Ndamukong Suh and William Gholston, both of whom are in the final year of a contract. He also can be used to rush off the edge as a stand-up outside linebacker in Todd Bowles’ defense. — Rick Stroud, Tampa Bay Times
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
