2021 NFL Mock Draft: Washington Football Team lands their franchise QB

A couple of weeks ago I would’ve had Ja’Marr Chase going in this spot, but now I think beefing up a depleted OL is a priority for the Eagles.

With Carson Wentz gone, it’s safe to assume second-year QB Jalen Hurts will be the guy going forward. Going from the 6-foot-5, 240-pound passer to Hurts costs you four inches and about 20 pounds. While Hurts gives you some more mobility and athleticism, his frame probably won’t be able to withstand the same level of abuse Wentz saw during his time in Philly.

With Jason Peters pretty much done in terms of being a viable starter, Slater gives Philly some protection for Hurts and fills in the long-term need at offensive tackle. This may be a bit early for Slater compared to other mocks, but Philly needs help along its line. And you can never go wrong with grabbing your potential franchise LT.

Chase sat out the 2020 season after a monster 2019 campaign. As a sophomore, Chase caught 84 passes for over 1,700 yards and 20 touchdowns. His dominance in 2019 included a National Title game in which he had nine receptions for 221 yards and two scores.

Without participating in the 2020 season, Chase has become somewhat of the forgotten man for this wide receiver class, and there are debates on where he stands in terms of top pass catchers in the draft.

Don’t overthink it. He’s a WR1 and for a Detroit team that could lose both Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. to free agency, Chase fills a massive hole on the offense and helps out new QB Jared Goff who was brought over in a blockbuster trade prior to Superbowl LIV.

Carolina reportedly is ready to bend over backward to land Deshaun Watson if Houston makes him available, so this pick might look foolish in a month or two. However, let’s just assume the Panthers miss out on Watson. They can make up for it by selecting Trey Lance.

Lance is the ideal style of QB for the modern NFL. He has a good arm that can push the ball downfield, possesses solid decision-making skills, and athleticism that will allow him to extend plays and create positive results off-script.

Lance has a chance to be special in the NFL. While he still has some room to grow as a passer, his physical profile will allow him to slot in early and find some success as he develops.

Denver is about as close to a rebuild as you can get without actually being a poverty team.

The defense that was once a dominant force has aged out of being a legit top 10 defense and could be taking a couple more hits with reports that Von Miller might be on his way out due to cap troubles. And star safety Justin Simmons is expected to get the franchise tag which may just delay his departure.

Parsons is the best defensive player in this draft and could go much higher than No. 9, but some character concerns and teams with greater needs on offense cause him to slip to the bottom of the top 10. Denver gets a steal and finds a replacement for the future Hall of Fame edge rusher Miller.

The biggest issue for Dallas will be preventing teams from keeping up with or even outscoring the team’s loaded offense. Dallas’ defense was bad in 2020. They allowed over 380 yards per game, 23rd in the league, and gave up 29.6 points per game, 28th in that category.

The bottom line is that for a team that year in and year out has Super Bowl aspirations, this defense play won’t cut it. Farley provides an instant upgrade to a secondary that could use a boost. Depending on how the team decides to go about trying to save money with Jaylon Smith and DeMarcus Lawrence, a player who could slot in and help the front-seven could be the choice here.