Winners and losers from the 2021 NFL Draft
The 2021 NFL Draft is in the books, and an interesting draft it was.We were hit with some surprises right off the bat on Day 1. The Chicago Bears traded up to snag their QB in Justin Fields, and the New England Patriots sat back at No. 15 and got a QB of their own in Mac Jones.Day 2 was double the fun with some intriguing selections in Rounds 2 and 3, including the Patriots' picks of DT Christian Barmore and DE Ronnie Perkins. And the final day (Rounds 4-7) could be where some teams found their diamonds in the rough.So as Day 3 comes to an end, it's time to prematurely name the winners and losers of this year's NFL Draft. Let's take a look.
They paid a hefty price to do it, but the Bears made their presence felt right off the bat by trading up to get their QB of the future: Justin Fields. Will this be Mitchell Trubisky Pt. 2, or will Chicago finally have something to cheer about at the quarterback position?
Ryan Pace and Co. went on to get a steal in Round 2 with offensive tackle Teven Jenkins. They didn't pick again until Round 5, when they selected another tackle in Larry Borom to protect Fields.
They wrapped things up by taking RB Khalil Herbert, WR Dazz Newsome, CB Thomas Graham Jr. and DT Khyiris Tonga. Altogether, it was a draft that should bring rare optimism to Chicago.
Curran: Barmore, Perkins add much-needed help to Pats' front-seven
With Fields in the picture, Dalton may not be the Bears QB1 after all. It'll be interesting to see how Matt Nagy approaches the QB situation in Week 1.
We'll just have to wait and see whether all the Zach Wilson hype was warranted. For now at least, the Jets did a great job of setting their offense up for success.
After taking Wilson at No. 2 overall, the Jets helped their new franchise QB out by trading up for guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. Then, they started Day 2 by getting him speedy wide receiver Elijah Moore out of Ole Miss. They went with running back Michael Carter in Round 3, then focused on the defense from there.
The Jets already have given Wilson more help than they gave Sam Darnold. Let's see what the BYU product does with it.
Jon Gruden and the Raiders are no strangers to odd draft choices. It was more of the same this year as Las Vegas started out by reaching for Alabama tackle Alex Leatherwood at No. 17 overall.
The selection of safety Trevon Moehrig at the top of Round 2 was a great one, but the Raiders went reaching again with LB Malcolm Koonce and Divine Deablo on Day 3.
Not great. But sometimes Gruden's bizarre moves pay off, so all we can do for now is shrug.
After getting minimal help from his former team, Sam Darnold has to be happy with what the Panthers did for him in this draft.
On Day 2, Carolina drafted receiver Terrace Marshall, Jr., tackle Brady Christensen and tight end Tommy Tremble. With a healthy Christian McCaffrey in the mix, this suddenly looks like an offense that can make some noise if a change of scenery works in Darnold's favor.
What a rough three days for Houston.
The Texans didn't have any picks in Rounds 1 or 2. On Day 2, the Deshaun Watson situation forced their hand as they took Stanford QB Davis Mills with their first selection at No. 67 overall.
Houston also acquired QBs Tyrod Taylor and Ryan Finley earlier in the offseason, so that tells you all you need to know about the mindset in the front office.
Minnesota's draft started strong off the bat when it traded down from No. 14 to 23 and selected stud offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw. Day 2 got even better for the Vikings as they took Texas A&M's Kellen Mond to be their potential QB of the future.
Linebacker Chazz Surratt, guard Wyatt Davis and edge rusher Patrick Jones project to be great value picks as well. All in all, it was another successful draft for Rick Spielman.
The pick of Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond puts Kirk Cousins on the hot seat in Minnesota. Cousins has been the definition of average since signing his massive Vikings contract, so Mond could enter the picture quickly if he doesn't soon offer more upside.
Hot seat: Tom Brady.
Just kidding, but this is a pick that could work out well for Kyle Trask and the Buccaneers.
Trask is far from a sure thing, but learning under Brady undoubtedly will help his chances of succeeding at the NFL level. The Bucs needed an heir apparent for Brady, so this is a selection that could pay off in the long term.
The Colts' biggest need heading into the draft was a left tackle to protect their new quarterback, Carson Wentz. They didn't address it.
The top tackles were off the board before Indianapolis was on the clock at pick No. 54. From there, they avoided the position entirely until their final selection, Will Fries out of Penn State.
Wentz's blindside was a big loser on draft weekend.
Dave Gettleman's draft seems to be a polarizing one, but it's a winner in our book.
Despite trading down twice in the first two rounds (including getting a haul from Chicago for the No. 9 pick), the Giants still ended up with wideout Kadarius Toney in Round 1 and linebacker Azeez Ojulari in Round 2. Cornerback Aaron Robinson was a great value pick in the third round as well. The offensive line is still an issue, but we can't hate on what Gettleman accomplished this weekend.
The Steelers didn't address their dire offensive line situation until the third round, which could prove to be a mistake as Ben Roethlisberger needed all the help he could get entering the draft. Instead of taking a top lineman with its first two picks, Pittsburgh went with Alabama RB Najee Jarris and Penn State TE Pat Freiermuth. Those additions won't make much of a difference if the offensive line is still in shambles.
The city of Cleveland got to host the 2021 NFL Draft and watch the Browns win it in the process.
The Browns addressed a major need by getting stud cornerback cornerback Greg Newsome II with the 26th pick. They didn't stop there as linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was an absolute steal at No. 52. This roster is looking pretty scary heading into the 2021 season.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell brought the chair from his basement -- the one he sat in during the virtual 2020 draft -- to Cleveland for the 2021 event. For some reason, fans of each team sat in it throughout the draft. It was just bizarre, OK?
The Patriots addressed a couple of needs in Days 1 and 2 of the draft by taking Alabama QB Mac Jones at No. 15 overall, then 'Bama DT Christian Barmore and Oklahoma DE Ronnie Perkins in the next two rounds.
It would have been a huge disappointment if New England didn't address the quarterback situation, and Barmore was a steal at 38. He should step in right away and be a huge help for a Pats front-seven that struggled in 2020.
Defense was a big focus in this draft for the Patriots as they went on to select Michigan LB Cameron McGrone and Missouri safety Joshuah Bledsoe.
Perry: Barmore a sudden, disruptive presence for Pats' defensive line
Next to quarterback, the wide receiver position was considered one the Patriots would need to address in this draft. Bill Belichick scoffed at the idea by waiting until the final selection (Round 7, pick 242) to take Tre Nixon out of UCF.
As of Saturday, New England's WR depth chart consists of Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers, N'Keal Harry, and Gunner Olszewski. The tight end duo of Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith will help, but it's a bit of a disappointment that the receiver position continues to be overlooked.
