Eagles land a top defensive player in latest mock draft
In his final NFL mock draft of 2021, Dave Zangaro has the Eagles landing a top corner.
I feel very confident I will have at least one pick correct in this mock draft. Lawrence is the guy for Jacksonville and they haven’t even played the game or tried to hide it.
OK, I feel very confident I will have at least two picks correct in this mock draft. Joe Douglas is going to take Wilson and make him the franchise quarterback just a few seasons after the Jets drafted Sam Darnold. Wilson has a ton of talent, so we’ll see if he’s the guy to turn around that franchise.
OK, here’s where things start to get tricky. We know the 49ers moved up from 12 to 3 to take a quarterback and for a few weeks the most popular pick at this spot is Mac Jones from Alabama. But Lance has a higher ceiling and could even sit for a year behind Jimmy Garoppolo if the Niners want to play it that way. The 49ers basically ran Lance’s second pro day, which tells you they’re interested. Ultimately, I don’t think they can pass on Lance, who has every tool to be a special player.
We know the draft is going QB 1-2-3 and there’s a chance a QB could come off the board here too. Even if the Falcons don’t want to take one, they haven’t been shy about being open to trading down and maybe another team bites. But trading down also means passing up on a guy who might be the best player in this draft. And the next two teams on the board have sturdy QB situations, so it’s not like a team needs to jump the Bengals or Dolphins. It could go either way, but I’m gonna keep the Falcons here to take a dynamic tight end.
Sure, Joe Burrow would like to reunite with Ja’Marr Chase and that would be a fine pick. But the Bengals really need to protect Burrow and Sewell is the top tackle in this class, although I think it’s closer between him and Rashawn Slater than most. Take the tackle, protect the quarterback. Because it doesn’t matter if the QB-WR dynamic is great if the QB is on the ground.
This is the Eagles’ old draft spot, which means it’ll hurt when the Dolphins take the best receiver in this class. But it’s a pretty easy decision for them. Either take Sewell or Chase … whichever one is left.
I know the Lions traded for Jared Goff and apparently they actually really like him. But I wouldn’t let that stop me from taking Fields, who has as much upside as any of these quarterbacks. The value it too good at 7.
The Patriots give up No. 15, No. 46 and a 2022 second-rounder to the Panthers to get their QB. A few years ago, the Cardinals traded from 15 to 10 and it took additional third- and fifth-round selections. This is pricier, but the Patriots need their QB and Jones is one of the best in this class.
The Broncos have several needs here and maybe they take a corner. But Slater is the best player on the board and they have a chance to solidify their OL going forward. Ja’Wuan James returns at right tackle this year but Slater is a plug and play guy with a very high ceiling.
Speaking of high ceilings, here comes the explosive pass rusher from Miami. There are serious concerns about the concussions Phillips has had pile up on him but he’s arguably the best pass rushing prospect in this class and pass rushers tend to go earlier than we expect.
The Giants don’t really have a ton of really pressing needs. I could see them going with Micah Parsons here but the explosion of a guy like Waddle is tough to pass up. He’s not even 5-10 but he can just break games.
This would be an ideal way for the board to go for the Eagles. They have their choice of the top corners and DeVonta Smith. In this case, the clear choice to me would be Surtain. He’s the top cornerback in this class and has a high floor and high ceiling. I’m convinced he’s going to be a good pro. He’s technically sound, athletic and has a huge football IQ. I know there’s a debate about the value of corners in Jon Gannon’s defense but don’t overthink this. Value lines up with need here.
The Chargers could go with an offensive lineman here but with the top tackles off the board, they can take another huge need and go with Horn. The talented corner out of South Carolina doesn’t lack confidence. He thinks he’s the best corner in this class and maybe the Chargers agree.
I thought about giving the Vikings an edge player to play opposite of Danielle Hunter but ultimately gave them some help on their OL. They need it. This might come down to Darrisaw or Alijah Vera-Tucker. I’d probably go with Vera-Tucker but I wonder if the Vikings wouldn’t prioritize getting a guy they feel better about at tackle.
After moving back seven spots, the Panthers still land a guy who might just be the best defensive player in the entire draft class. He’ll fill a void that’s been in Carolina since Luke Kuechly left.
This is a minor trade up … just one spot … but with DeVonta Smith beginning to slide, the Raiders move up to get one of the biggest names in this year’s class.
The Cardinals get an extra pick out of the deal, move back and still end up with one of the best pass rushers in the class. Ojulari has all the ability to be a premier pass rusher at the next level.
And now the pass rushers start to go. Paye slides a little later than some expected but the Dolphins lock up a receiver with the No. 6 pick and come back to get some defensive help later in the round.
Yes, Washington needs a quarterback but they weren’t able to trade up to get one, so instead they’ll go with a defensive player. They still have Jon Bostic but he’s getting older and Collins is a player they can start from Day 1. He’s the bigger-bodied options of the guys still available. If they want to go much smaller, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is intriguing here.
Another team that doesn’t end up with its quarterback. Instead, the Bears pounce on a corner who might be the most talented in the group but comes with significant question marks because of a back injury that required surgery. If Farley stays healthy, this could end up being a steal.
The Colts traded for Carson Wentz this offseason so now it’s time to protect him. We all saw how bad things got for Wentz when his protection broke down in 2020. Jenkins is one of a few options out there but he’s a good guess to be the next guy.
We talk so much about the top three corners but probably not enough about Newsome, who is the next best. He’d be a nice value fit at 22 for the Titans, who need to get younger at the position.
This would be a huge win for the Jets if they can get their QB at 2 and then get someone to protect him at 23. This is probably a tad low for Vera-Tucker but I’m not sure how NFL teams view him. If it’s guard-only then he might slide a little bit.
There’s been a lot of talk about the Steelers taking a running back and maybe that’s in play — Najee Harris is still available — but you know what would help Big Ben even more? A center. Maybe it’s Dickerson, maybe it’s Creed Humphrey. But neither are stretched to replace Maurkice Pouncey.
This isn’t a very good or deep class of interior defensive linemen but Barmore is the best of the best. He has a thin college resume but has major potential. The value fits here and the free agent signings the Jaguars made shouldn’t prevent them from taking Barmore.
One of the most fun players in this draft, Owusu-Koramoah is a hybrid type player. Some might view him as a safety and some as a linebacker but he’s definitely a playmaker and would be a nice addition for a Browns teams that should have big aspirations in 2021.
The Ravens have two picks within a five-pick span so maybe they try to package them and move up. But getting two good players here isn’t a bad idea. And with that added pick, why not take a guy who has a ton of upside? There’s a certain boom-bust factor with Oweh but he’s a physical freak and with the right coaching could turn into a headache for offenses at the NFL level.
There’s just something fun about putting a dynamic player like Toney on that fast track at the Superdome. This doesn’t help the Saints figure out their long-term quarterback situation but it will give their quarterback in 2021 a much-needed weapon.
Like the Steelers, the Packers have to replace their long-time center and Humphrey would be a good pick here. Don’t overthink it.
The Bills have what I would consider more pressing needs than running back but the value of getting this class’s top back is too much to pass up. He’d be a star in Buffalo.
The Ravens are looking to add a veteran after trading away Orlando Brown. But the Ravens can replenish and find their long-term solution at tackle with Eichenberg, who is a Day 1 prospect from a school that has churned out plenty of top-notch offensive linemen.
The Bucs are a team that really has everything with all 22 Super Bowl starters returning. It’s remarkable. So they are in a perfect situation to do whatever the heck they want. Why not take a super explosive and dynamic receiving prospect?
