Winners and losers from Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft
And just like that, we're almost halfway done with the 2021 NFL Draft.On Day 2 we saw the New England Patriots add to their defense with DT Christian Barmore and DE Ronnie Perkins. We also witnessed the Denver Broncos make a big trade up the draft board for a running back, some teams completely ignore their offensive line needs (we're looking at you, Seahawks), and other organizations make potentially franchise-altering selections.So which teams head into Day 3 as winners? Who were the losers? Let's take a look.
The New York Jets are having themself a really solid draft. After taking BYU QB Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick, they gave him a legit weapon in Ole Miss wide receiver Elijah Moore.
Moore should immediately step in to help the Jets offense as a speedy slot option for Wilson. The 5-foot-9, 185-pounder notched 1,193 yards and eight touchdowns in eight games last season for the Rebels. The question now is what does this mean for veteran wideout Jamison Crowder?
The Denver Broncos jumped up to the 35th pick to snag UNC running back Javonte Williams. Teams don't usually move up to grab a running back so early if they don't see that RB as the go-to-guy.
Gordon was ready to be the Broncos' lead back following the release of Phillip Lindsay, but it appears it'll be more of a 50/50 split with Williams out the gate. Eventually, it wouldn't be a surprise if Williams ran away with the starting job. Regardless, he's the future of Denver's backfield with Gordon only having one year left on his contract.
Yes, it may have been a reach. And yes, the Bengals probably should have gone with Penei Sewell over Ja'Marr Chase in Round 1. But the Bengals at least addressed the offensive line on Day 2.
Cincinatti helped out their franchise quarterback Joe Burrow by taking offensive tackle Jackson Carman out of Clemson. Will it solve all of their pass protection woes? No, but it's a step in the right direction. Hopefully.
OK, back to Javonte Williams. The running back out of UNC undoubtedly was on the RB-needy Dolphins' radar at No. 36 overall before the Broncos swooped in to take him at 35. That's a tough blow for a Miami team that currently has a backfield led by Myles Gaskin and Malcolm Brown.
Props to Ryan Pace. On paper, the Bears GM is having a great draft to this point.
With the 39th overall pick, Chicago got a steal in right tackle Teven Jenkins out of Oklahoma State. Jenkins was projected by many to go in the first round. Instead, he fell in the Bears' lap and fills a major void up front. Rookie QB Justin Fields and RB David Montgomery will appreciate this pick.
Russell Wilson made it clear he is not happy with the Seahawks' offensive line situation, and for good reason. So what did Seattle do? Not address the o-line, of course!
They added a wide receiver with some upside in D'Wayne Eskridge out of Western Michigan. He'll be interesting to watch alongside DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but that won't matter much if Wilson is stuck running for his life. We can't imagine Wilson is thrilled with his team's draft so far... because Eskridge is the only pick they've made.
GM Dave Gettleman has sneakily done a nice job through the first two days of the draft. After trading down in Round 1 and getting an absolute haul from the Bears, the Giants addressed a couple of big needs with nice value picks on Day 2.
New York selected edge rusher Azeez Ojulari out of Georgia with the 50th overall pick. Then, they added help in the secondary with cornerback Aaron Robinson out of UCF in the third round. These are major defensive additions for a team that desperately needs help in that area.
Now about that offensive line...
The Steelers passed on improving the offensive line in Round 1, instead opting for Alabama star running back Najee Harris.
Fair enough.
But to do it again on Day 2 and take a tight end? That doesn't make much sense. Pittsburgh chose Penn State's Pat Freiermuth with the 55th overall pick, assuring that Ben Roethlisberger won't have any time to throw again in 2021. What good is a skilled tight end if you can't get him the ball?
After taking the "QB of the future" Mac Jones in Round 1, it was all defense for New England on Day 2.
The Patriots selected Jones' Alabama teammate, Christian Barmore, with the 38th overall pick. Barmore was a disruptive d-tackle for the Crimson Tide and the team's defensive MVP in the national title game. He should step right in and help a Patriots defensive front that struggled, especially against the run, in 2020.
In the third round, Belichick added to the defensive line again with edge rusher Ronnie Perkins out of Oklahoma. Perkins had at least five sacks in all three of his seasons with the Sooners.
