2021 NFL Mock Draft: Five Quarterbacks Off the Board in the First Round

Courtesy of CBS Sports

Written by Sam DeCoste

The most thrilling reality show of all has arrived for the latest edition. The NFL Draft is back, live from Cleveland this weekend. 

Roger Goodell takes the podium on Thursday night to open the NFL Draft, to announce the picks in front of a limited fan capacity in Cleveland. After the strangest college football season in eons, the draft has arrived. Dreams will come to life this weekend as the NFL's next generation will be welcomed to the pros, and playoff and championship hopes will begin to grow for all 32 fanbases. 

With just over 48 hours before opening night, I am unveiling my one and only mock draft for the first round. Last year, I accurately predicted 4 out of 32 first round selections, including the Bengals selecting Joe Burrow, the Raiders picking Henry Ruggs, the Ravens taking JK Dobbins, and the Titans drafting Isaiah Wilson. My accuracy ratio is certainly far off from my regular season Predix records. But as the fans and experts understand, the NFL Draft is an unpredictable roller coaster circus. Expect nothing less from the 2021 edition. 

Enjoy my mock draft for the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, which features trades!

Check out my annual mock drafts going back to 2017:

• 2020 First Round Mock Draft
  
• 2019 First Round Mock Draft
• 2018 First Round Mock Draft
• 2017 First Round Mock Draft

Teams without a first round pick: Chiefs, Rams, Seahawks, Texans
Teams with 2+ first round picks: Dolphins (2), Jaguars (2), Jets (2), Ravens (2)

Notable picks:

• The Jacksonville Jaguars select Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence 1st overall.
• Jacksonville's selection has been the worst kept secret in the NFL since December. A slip past the 1st overall pick for the widely regarded number one prospect in the 2021 draft class would be a catastrophic change of events. Trevor Lawrence will be a Jaguar. 
• The San Francisco 49ers select Ohio Sate QB Justin Fields 3rd overall.
• The 49ers are reportedly split on the quarterback of their dreams. Ever since the 49ers traded up to 3rd overall to expectedly select a quarterback, Mac Jones has been the favorite to head to San Francisco, combined with rumors of Trey Lance and Justin Fields. After a month of speculation, Fields will be San Francisco's man of the hour.
• The Atlanta Falcons select Florida TE Kyle Pitts 4th overall.
• No tight end has been selected in the top 4 in NFL Draft history, but mock draft experts widely expect Florida's Kyle Pitts to be the first. The 20 year old generational talent will be the first non-quarterback off the board, and feature as another weapon to Atlanta's buzzsaw offense.
• The Cincinnati Bengals select Oregon OL Penei Sewell 5th overall.
• The Bengals can go one of two ways: select one of the superstar receivers available to pair with their young quarterback, or beef up the offensive line to protect their young quarterback. After Joe Burrow's season-ending ACL injury last season, Penei Sewell is the smart pick for the Bengals to keep the quarterback healthy, at either guard or tackle.
• *The New England Patriots select Alabama QB Mac Jones 7th overall.
• Two of the top ranked quarterbacks will slip past the top 5, and teams will be calling to move up the board, including the Patriots. With Justin Fields off the board and Trey Lance available, the Patriots will strike a deal with the Lions to trade up to the 7th pick and take their bets on Alabama quarterback Mac Jones.
• The Philadelphia Eagles select Alabama WR Devonta Smith 12 overall.
• Selecting receivers in back to back first rounds is on the cards for the Eagles, and Devonta Smith would be a seamless fit into the Eagles system. The Heisman Trophy winner is one of the smoothest, toughest route runners in his draft class, and the Eagles will look to build around quarterback Jalen Hurts with a young, speedy receiver.
• *The Chicago Bears select North Dakota State QB Trey Lance 16th overall.
• Chicago's front office job security is on the line this season, and they have a glaring weakness at quarterback. At the 16th pick, the Bears will swap picks with the Cardinals to draft North Dakota State prospect Trey Lance to compete with Andy Dalton for the starting quarterback job.