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Rack's 2021 Mock Draft - 2nd and 3rd round mock now posted


rackcs

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Season predictions here

2021 Mock Draft - Edition 1

1. Carolina Panthers: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
This is a no brainer here if the Panthers are picking first overall. They loaded up on defense last draft and have some nice weapons so this team could be in for a decent turnaround if Lawrence ends up being the real deal.

2. Washington Football Team: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
There's really a number of ways Washington can go here. If they're picking second it's possible they've seen enough of Haskins and are ready to move on. However, the talent surrounding him is abysmal. I think unless he looks completely horrible they roll with him for one more year and strengthen the talent around him or his successor. They're likely tempted by Ja'Marr Chase but WR is deep again this draft and Sewell looks like a genuinely special prospect. They take him to replace...*checks notes*...Geron Christian at LT, where he can probably hold it down for the next decade or more.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
I'm a big Minshew fan but I'm not sure he's got the upside to be a long term option at QB. I see him as a high end backup/low end starter type at best. With that in mind I think Jacksonville looks to upgrade here to a guy with huge upside. Fields has a couple of things he needs to do more consistently but he looked really good last year as both a passer and a runner in that Ohio State offense.

4. New York Jets: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU
Like with Washington, I think New York will try to ride out their first round QB for another year even if they finish this poorly. They're going to also choose to upgrade their offense around Darnold. With no OL worth taking here, they go with another of the special talents in this draft. Ja'Marr Chase looked incredible last year in that explosive LSU offense. I was curious to see how he'd handle a different QB but he opted out. Still, the talent was clear to see.

5. New York Giants: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
I really considered going QB here for the Giants but I think the defense is going to be more of a problem. I think the offense could end up looking pretty solid this season. Instead they take the last of what I consider to be the special prospects in this draft. Parsons is a beast, excelling in both coverage and run defense. The Giants have never valued LB highly and have subsequently always had LB problems. I'm not sure they'd take one here but Parsons is the BPA so I think that could sway them towards finally addressing the position.

6. Chicago Bears: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
The Bears finally move on from Trubisky and take Lance here. There are serious questions about him coming from a DII school, even one as heralded as North Dakota State. The talent is obviously there though and his performances are still impressive despite the lackluster competition. The main thing for him that I would've wanted to see if they hadn't cancelled most of their season is better progression through reads. The ND State offense seemed pretty simple and often his guys were just open and he didn't have to progress. Big question marks but big upside with Lance.

7. Arizona Cardinals: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
Hot take: Farley is far and away the best CB in this class as of right now. As for the Cardinals, I don't think Patrick Peterson will be with the team much longer and they don't have much in the way of young talent at the position. Here they get a player who can cover well at all areas of the field and has some ball skills to boot.

8. Los Angeles Chargers: Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami
I struggled with this pick a little bit. I considered going OT but felt it would've been reaching to take anyone at that position. Ultimately I went with the BPA. Rousseau is extremely raw but has great potential, particularly as a pass rusher. Melvin Ingram is in the final year of his contract and while he's a decent player, the Chargers might be unwilling to pay him what he wants. If Rousseau lives up to his potential, he and Bosa would form a deadly pass rushing duo.

9. Cleveland Browns: Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama
Despite their Brownsiness, the Browns do have a fair bit of talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball. There are a lot of good WRs on the board but Cleveland has their two starters locked in for a while. I also considered an INT guy but felt none of them were especially worthy of this spot. Ultimately I think this is a little bit early from Moses as well until we see how he has recovered from his injury but this seems to be the consensus range for him. Cleveland's LB corps needs a lot of help and if Moses is the same player he was, he'll be a solid addition.

10. Miami Dolphins: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
The Dolphins have a couple of good young WRs but nobody I think good enough to pass up on some of these WRs here. Especially when you've got a guy your QB of the future has good chemistry with. DeVonta Smith got hugely underrated last year since he was playing third wheel to Jeudy and Ruggs but he's legitimately in that same tier and likely would've been a first round pick last year had he come out early. 

11. Jacksonville Jaguars (via LA Rams): Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas
Some might find this a bit early for Cosmi but I think he'll rise to around this level. Jacksonville just took yet another QB of the future and they've gotta protect this one. They can't keep running Cam Robinson back at LT. Cosmi's got the tools and technique to be a good replacement.

12. Cincinnati Bengals: Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State
Cincinnati just brought in Trae Waynes but have a number of other expiring contracts in the next year and will need to find more starters. Wade is another guy who many thought would come out and be a first round pick in this last draft but he decided to go back to school. He has the chance to strengthen his value as he'll be taking on harder assignments than last year.

13. Atlanta Falcons: Carlos Basham Jr., EDGE, Wake Forest
This is probably early for Basham but the Falcons just cannot seem to fix their pass rushing woes. They've seemed to like athletic, boom-bust prospects lately that haven't worked out. Here they take a guy who maybe doesn't have the biggest upside but has a good, high floor with his good technique and all-around ability.

14. Dallas Cowboys: Marvin Wilson, INT, Florida State
Trysten Hill hasn't proven himself to be anything and Dontari Poe isn't a long term solution either. The Cowboys took Neville Gallimore last year but they need more help. Marvin Wilson will provide a solid, consistent presence in the middle of the defense.

15. Las Vegas Raiders: Jevon Holland, S, Oregon
The Raiders just cut Damarious Randall, leaving either Jeff Heath or Erik Harris to start at safety next to Johnathan Abram. Here they grab a guy who I think will become a more mainstream name as the draft process goes on. Holland is great in coverage and has the versatility to play a slot CB type role as well.

16. New England Patriots: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Waddle should absolutely go higher than this but in most mock drafts someone usually slips due to circumstance and this time it's Waddle. N'Keal Harry hasn't shown much and they could use another young WR anyways. Waddle is incredibly explosive and looks to feast now that he's not fourth in the pecking order at Alabama.

17. Green Bay Packers: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
Another WR comes off the board here. The Packers inexplicably didn't take a WR at all in this last draft and I think they'll regret that decision. Here they take an explosive playmaker to pair with the dependable Davante Adams. Moore is really risky though as he hasn't played extensively outside of his freshman season due to injuries and now his opting out.

18. Miami Dolphins (via Houston): Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma
Humphrey is the easy BPA here and fills a need for Miami. Ted Karras is solid but his contract expires at the end of the season. Miami invested heavily in their OL last draft and could end up with three potential long term starters in Austin Jackson, Robert Hunt, and Solomon Kindley. Giving Tua Tagovailoa a good, young OL and some young weapons to throw to will only make his development easier.

19. Detroit Lions: Jaylen Twyman, INT, Pittsburgh
A lot of people have Twyman higher than this but I think this is a good spot for him. Detroit doesn't have enough talent in the middle of their defensive line. Twyman can be disruptive in the interior but needs to work on being more consistent if he wants to be a starter at the next level.

20. Indianapolis Colts: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
I think Surtain is pretty overrated but he certainly has the natural talent to finally put it together and have a big year. If he does I think the Colts would absolutely look at him here. Rock Ya-Sin wasn't great last year and they signed Xavier Rhodes but he looks a little bit washed. Surtain could fit in nicely if he lives up to the hype.

21. Buffalo Bills: Wyatt Davis, OG, Ohio State
The Bills have a number of interior linemen with expiring contracts and could stand to upgrade the spot anyways. Davis could easily go earlier than this based on talent. It's just circumstance and positional value that allow him to drop to this spot.

22. Denver Broncos: Tyler Shelvin, INT, LSU
I just watched some of Shelvin's tape after he announced he was opting out and declaring and I was extremely impressed. He is outstanding against the run and I feel like he gets more push while pass rushing than he's given credit for. I think he could be a very good player and the Broncos should love to add him to their defense.

23. Philadelphia Eagles: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
I suspect that many Eagles fans may not like this pick and I get it. They just drafted a bunch of WRs. However, all of the guys they added were speed guys. I feel like Bateman would be a nice complement to the group and give Wentz a big body target with excellent route running ability.

24. New York Jets (via Seattle): Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State
The Jets are giving Darnold one more shot. They gave him a great WR earlier in this round and give him another weapon who could contribute early here with Freiermuth. Hopefully they also ditch Gase so Darnold actually has a chance.

25. Pittsburgh Steelers: Trey Smith, OG, Tennessee
Pittsburgh is going to have a variety of needs next offseason, especially if the cap goes down. We're already unlikely to resign Bud Dupree but we're also going to have Cam Heyward, Alejandro Villanueva, Matt Feiler, and Juju as FAs. There's a number of ways they could go but I do think one point of emphasis will be the OL so they take Trey Smith here.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Quincy Roche, EDGE, Miami
I wanted to give Tampa another OL here even after taking Tristan Wirfs last draft. None really fit here I thought so I went to the defensive side instead. JPP isn't getting any younger and it remains to be seen if Shaq Barrett will repeat last season. Adding another young guy to the mix to develop would be smart.

27. San Francisco 49ers: Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia
Almost all of San Francisco's CBs are going to be free agents this upcoming offseason so I expect them to likely spend at least one pick on the position. Campbell is one of multiple Georgia CBs who could be legit draft prospects next season and the best of the bunch. Some have him higher than this but I'd like to see a little more first.

28. Tennessee Titans: Hamsah Nasirildeen, S, Florida State
This was another pick that I struggled with a bit and I'm not super happy with this pick. My thinking though is that Kenny Vaccaro is not a long term option so Nasirildeen could be his replacement going forward. Nasirildeen fits that box/hybrid safety kind of role that is becoming popular.

29. Minnesota Vikings: Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford
Even after taking two CBs early last draft the Vikings could still use more help here. I thought about going elsewhere, namely looking at the interior defensive line, but I liked Paulson Adebo last year before he returned to school and think he's a solid get here.

30. Kansas City Chiefs: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG, USC
One of the Chiefs' few weaknesses is the interior OL. And while the return of Duvernay-Tardif will certainly help here, adding a young guy would be good as well.

31. New Orleans Saints: Christian Barmore, INT, Alabama
Barmore still has stuff to prove this upcoming season but he certainly has the tools to put it all together and go this high. The Saints have a bunch of solid INT guys but could really use a potential standout player at the position.

32. Baltimore Ravens: Patrick Jones II, EDGE, Pittsburgh
There are a lot of EDGE guys who could potentially fit into the second round-ish range. I went back and forth on which one to throw in here for Baltimore and ultimately felt like Jones would be the best fit. The Ravens have a number of expiring contracts at the EDGE position, including both of their starters.

Edited by rackcs
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While finishing 3rd would suck seeing as both sewell and Lawrence off the board.

If caldwell is brought back(lord knows why we haven't replaced him yet) i can see him taking lance because the size and dual-threat ability(i bet caldwell sees what bortles could had been). 

As for cosmi no thanks especially since u have 0 ots going after him(we would be 100% okay getting a guy like radunz, leatherwood, carman, faalele, little, or even a guy like Slater or Mayfield. 

Ideally i think we go with Lance and probably go Humphrey or twyman.  

Humphrey solidifies the interior oline likely moving linder to guard thus strengthening 2 spots.   Twyman cuz hez an athletic penetrator and if u look at the jags idl its either unproven or just a guy and i think adding a guy like twyman whos shown the sack abilities would help allen and chaisson ramp up the sacks

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2 hours ago, LinderFournette said:

While finishing 3rd would suck seeing as both sewell and Lawrence off the board.

If caldwell is brought back(lord knows why we haven't replaced him yet) i can see him taking lance because the size and dual-threat ability(i bet caldwell sees what bortles could had been). 

As for cosmi no thanks especially since u have 0 ots going after him(we would be 100% okay getting a guy like radunz, leatherwood, carman, faalele, little, or even a guy like Slater or Mayfield. 

Ideally i think we go with Lance and probably go Humphrey or twyman.  

Humphrey solidifies the interior oline likely moving linder to guard thus strengthening 2 spots.   Twyman cuz hez an athletic penetrator and if u look at the jags idl its either unproven or just a guy and i think adding a guy like twyman whos shown the sack abilities would help allen and chaisson ramp up the sacks

Fields and Lance are the same size and Fields I think has better dual-threat ability. All of that plus being much more proven playing for a top team like Ohio State. I'm not sure I see Lance passing either Lawrence or Fields unless one of them completely bombs the season.

I was under the impression that Linder was a good C which is why I didn't really think to go Humphrey there but I'll keep that in mind for next time. And I have Cosmi ranked pretty highly as I'm not really impressed by any of the guys you listed there. My thinking was taking Cosmi could let Cam Robinson shift inside to guard.

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1 hour ago, rackcs said:

Fields and Lance are the same size and Fields I think has better dual-threat ability. All of that plus being much more proven playing for a top team like Ohio State. I'm not sure I see Lance passing either Lawrence or Fields unless one of them completely bombs the season.

I was under the impression that Linder was a good C which is why I didn't really think to go Humphrey there but I'll keep that in mind for next time. And I have Cosmi ranked pretty highly as I'm not really impressed by any of the guys you listed there. My thinking was taking Cosmi could let Cam Robinson shift inside to guard.

Lance has a lil more size on him and didn't play at ohio state(whos the last good starting qb came from their). 

Linder was previously a great rg and we moved him to center.   He gives us flexibility with that.  As for cam robinson 1) hes a fa at the end of the year. 

2) his body type is of a tackle not guard. 

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9 hours ago, LinderFournette said:

Lance has a lil more size on him and didn't play at ohio state(whos the last good starting qb came from their). 

Linder was previously a great rg and we moved him to center.   He gives us flexibility with that.  As for cam robinson 1) hes a fa at the end of the year. 

2) his body type is of a tackle not guard. 

Lance and Fields are the same size, according to their team websites Lance has 1 inch on Fields which is nothing. And scouting helmits is absolutely the wackest ****. It's lazy and means absolutely nothing.

7 hours ago, Tetsujin said:

I like Waddle/Moore better than Smith, especially if they're gonna exclusively be slot WRs and KR/PR for awhile.

Creed Humphrey is an OK pick if we won't extend Karras. Hopefully Karras plays well and can get that extension if it's not too rich.

I personally rate Smith higher than those other two, he's much more proven than both with I think equal or at least very slightly less playmaking ability. I think he's gonna ball out this year as the number 1 option. I certainly understand that that's not the consensus right now so I get why you'd prefer the other two. Humphrey was as much a value pick there as it was a fit thing but definitely if Karras plays well and they resign him they'd look elsewhere. It sounds like their 2020 OL draft picks have all looked good so far.

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31 minutes ago, rackcs said:

I personally rate Smith higher than those other two, he's much more proven than both with I think equal or at least very slightly less playmaking ability. I think he's gonna ball out this year as the number 1 option. I certainly understand that that's not the consensus right now so I get why you'd prefer the other two. 

In my opinion, Waddle and Moore are on a different level as playmakers than Smith. Waddle, especially, the sky's the limit.

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10 minutes ago, Tetsujin said:

In my opinion, Waddle and Moore are on a different level as playmakers than Smith. Waddle, especially, the sky's the limit.

To me, Smith has the same playmaking ability as those Waddle, slightly less than Moore but has shown to be able to do it consistently with high usage. Waddle was the 4th option behind Smith and Moore hasn't been able to stay healthy. This is me calling my shot here that he's going to absolutely feast this season as the number 1 guy in that Alabama offense. He's got plenty of speed, plays big, is great at adjusting to get to the ball. I like him a lot.

Edit for hot take: The gap between Smith and Chase is smaller than the gap between Smith and Waddle/Moore.

2nd edit for selective stats that help my argument: Derek Stingley gave up only 624 yards last year and 211 of those were from DeVonta Smith.

Edited by rackcs
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6 minutes ago, rackcs said:

To me, Smith has the same playmaking ability as those Waddle, slightly less than Moore but has shown to be able to do it consistently with high usage. Waddle was the 4th option behind Smith and Moore hasn't been able to stay healthy. This is me calling my shot here that he's going to absolutely feast this season as the number 1 guy in that Alabama offense. He's got plenty of speed, plays big, is great at adjusting to get to the ball. I like him a lot.

Edit for hot take: The gap between Smith and Chase is smaller than the gap between Smith and Waddle/Moore.

Smith was ahead of Waddle because Waddle was more raw. Waddle and Moore are probably the 2 most explosive guys in the NCAA.

And Smith is kinda slight. He might get pushed around a bit in the NFL on the outside.

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Solid choice for the bengals.  The pick will come down to CB, OT and possibly DL (with Atkins and Dunlap both past 30).  I say possibly because the team just doesn't take DL in the first or second rounds much.  Dunlap was a second rounder, and they took Margus Hunt and Devin Still at the end of the second.  But that's about it. They start grabbing them (and LBs) in the third and fourth.  

 

Given the board, it will be Wade vs, the best RT prospect.  I'm happy with Wade, since it seems good starting RTs can be found outside of the first round, and in this draft, only one OT is off the board.

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On 9/4/2020 at 10:39 PM, rackcs said:

30. Kansas City Chiefs: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG, USC
One of the Chiefs' few weaknesses is the interior OL. And while the return of Duvernay-Tardif will certainly help here, adding a young guy would be good as well.

I haven't done any scouting so I won't comment on any specific players.

Positional wise, I like it. My top 3 needs going into 2021 include: CB, IOL, LB.  Any pick that's BPA out of these would be ideal as it currently stands.

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I feel like going 6-10 and finishing last in the division Is the absolute worst case scenario for the Browns. 
 

If the Browns did end up picking top 10, I doubt they would take a LB that early unless he projects to be a Luke Kuechly/Bobby Wagner caliber player. Edge, DT, and DB would all be more likely positions the Browns would look to adress IMO

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23 hours ago, kingseanjohn said:

I haven't done any scouting so I won't comment on any specific players.

Positional wise, I like it. My top 3 needs going into 2021 include: CB, IOL, LB.  Any pick that's BPA out of these would be ideal as it currently stands.

At this point for the most part individual players aren't as important. Boards will change a ton between now and draft time. Good to know about the Chiefs other needs.

6 minutes ago, BrownsDog23 said:

I feel like going 6-10 and finishing last in the division Is the absolute worst case scenario for the Browns. 
 

If the Browns did end up picking top 10, I doubt they would take a LB that early unless he projects to be a Luke Kuechly/Bobby Wagner caliber player. Edge, DT, and DB would all be more likely positions the Browns would look to adress IMO

Browns are definitely a team that I think could be pretty boom or bust this season. A lot depends on Baker. I considered DT but thought it was a little early for any of the guys at that position. I'll keep the other needs in mind. When you say DB, which would you say is a bigger need: CB or S?

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