Put your game face on: The NFL draft is taking the stage
Mary Margaret Ellison, Sports Editor
The 2021 NFL Draft is coming to Cleveland, Ohio on April 29 – May 1.
Benjamin London, former NGU student and Falcons fan, said, “The exciting piece in this draft is that the players will get to hear their names called and walk on the stage to get their jersey to their new team. The in-person draft didn’t happen last year because of COVID.”
Huddle up and take a look at who will potentially be the first five picks in the upcoming Draft.
Quarterbacks on quarterbacks are what the first three picks will be for the draft.
Projected first 5 picks:
This is subject to change once the draft begins since no one knows where some of the players will end up.
Round 1, Pick 1: Trevor Lawrence, QB — Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence has been the 2021 top pick since he was a freshman at Clemson University. Lawrence led his team to the National Championship his freshman year. He left Clemson with the title ‘GOAT.’
Round 1, Pick 2: Zach Wilson, QB — New York Jets
Zach Wilson, coming from BYU as the No. 2 pick, should give the Jets the franchise quarterback they have been searching to find. Wilson’s skill set is the puzzle piece for new offensive coordinator Mike Lafleur’s system.
Round 1, Pick 3: Justin Fields, QB — San Francisco 49ers
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has two quarterbacks that could be at the forefront of his mind at the moment. Justin Fields from Ohio State and Mac Jones from Alabama are battling for the No. 3 pick. Shanahan has the chance to hand-pick this one, and it will more than likely be Fields.
Round 1, Pick 4: Kyle Pitts, TE — Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons could potentially trade down in the upcoming draft, but no one knows for sure. Right now, the Falcons are in the prime spot to get the best non-quarterback in the draft. If head coach Arthur Smith decides to stay at the No. 4 pick, the tight end from Florida is the best way to go for the Falcons.
“Let’s give Matt Ryan another weapon in Kyle Pitts because he is the best tight end in the draft,” London said. “Their three biggest needs are offensive line, a backfield in the defense, and a running back because the offensive line was horrible last year.”
If the Falcons decide to trade down, the Denver Broncos will take the No. 4 pick. The No. 4 pick will likely end up being another quarterback, Trey Lance from North Dakota State.
Round 1, Pick 5: Penei Sewell, OL or Ja’Marr Chase, WR — Cincinnati Bengals
Some believe that Cincinnati should take LSU star Ja’Marr Chase and reunite him with his former college quarterback Joe Burrow. Others think that Penei Sewell is a no-brainer because the offensive line struggled this year.
Grace Dufresne, junior NGU student and Bengals fan, said, “Starting to build a younger team is a good idea, but we should not keep adding wide receivers to our team.”
The one question the Bengals need to answer is this: Who do we need most to protect our quarterback Joe Burrow?
Dufresne strongly believes that the offensive tackle game is the only way to go for the Bengals, and Penei Sewell is the coverage Joe Burrow needs.
The 2021 NFL draft will be a night full of wild cards.
Mock drafts are being made every day leading up to the real NFL draft.
To make your mock draft click here.
You can watch exclusive coverage of all seven rounds of the draft on the NFL Network.
