2021 NFL Mock Draft: 49ers, Washington Football Team, teams to watch
Here’s one last look at a 2021 NFL mock draft on draft day.
The 2021 NFL Draft is just hours away and soon, we’ll know exactly who each team will pick. But until the picks are actually in, there’s still time for some final speculation.
Who will the Washington Football Team take? Which quarterback will the 49ers take? Will anyone trade up for a quarterback? Those are the questions that must be answered tonight.
In this mock, there aren’t any trades, but there are still plenty of ways that things could go. So, without further ado, here’s my final 2021 NFL mock draft of the year.
Note: This mock will be updated throughout the day for any changes and the latest rumors.
Last updated: 6:55 p.m. ET
2021 NFL mock draft: Picks 1-4
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson. Lawrence has been penciled in as the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft for years. It was just a matter of which team would be the one to select him. Now, he’ll finally see his dream come to fruition.
All indications point to the Jaguars landing Lawrence, and that’s hardly a surprise. He’ll give the team a top-tier quarterback and a chance to compete in the AFC South… once they shore up their defense. Armed with four draft picks early in this one, the Jaguars have a real chance to turn around their franchise in short order.
2. New York Jets: QB Zach Wilson, BYU. Wilson is almost certainly going to be the pick here for the Jets as well. They were willing to move on from Sam Darnold to hit the reset button for new head coach Robert Saleh.
Wilson has a cannon of an arm and was electric during his final year at BYU. The Jets will need to add talent around him and there may be some growing pains, but Wilson’s upside is sky-high. That’s what the Jets are banking on by selecting him here.
3. San Francisco 49ers: QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State. Here’s where the draft starts to get interesting. All we know is that the 49ers are going to take a quarterback here. We don’t know which one. It will either be Jones or Trey Lance, but in truth, it’s anyone’s guess as to which one.
I’m torn on this one. I think the 49ers like Jones and view him as a safe pick, but would the team really move all the way up to three to get him when they probably just could’ve stayed put and had a shot at him? Maybe, but it seems more like a move you’d make to get Lance.
The front office/coaching staff may also be split with the front office liking Lance better and Shanahan preferring Jones. But Shanahan was keeping an “open mind” about Lance, so maybe they’ll end up going with the player that has more upside.
We’ll soon see what happens here, but for now, I’m penciling in Lance. We’ll see if that changes before the draft begins.
4. Atlanta Falcons: TE Kyle Pitts, Florida. The Falcons could take a quarterback to develop behind Matt Ryan, but it seems like they’re focused on adding Kyle Pitts to the fray. The Florida tight end in a matchup nightmare that could quickly emerge as one of the league’s best tight ends.
Pairing Pitts with Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, and Russell Gage would give Matt Ryan a potent offensive attack to utilize in the twilight of his career. That could help the Falcons to be a bit more competitive than they were in 2020.