Maize n Brew’s 2021 NFL mock draft 2.0

We are another month into the offseason with the NFL Draft process continuing to roll along and free agency set to start soon. That will make it a lot easier to project who needs what, especially with the ongoing quarterback derby.

Here is another full first-round mock from your friends at Maize n Brew. Trades are once again included to add some spice to the projection.

Let us know how we ruined your favorite team!

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

There is very little drama here and the Jaguars will let the clock on draft night run down to zero. Lawrence will be the pick and is positioned as one of the most promising young passers to come out in recent history.

2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

This is less about who is the best quarterback on the board and more what people in league circles seem to be saying. The Jets have been slow-playing the Sam Darnold situation, but will likely take advantage of the seller’s market for quarterbacks.

3. Trade! Carolina Panthers: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

Miami Dolphins receive No. 8 and 39 picks in 2021, 2022 first-rounder

There’s not much of a reason to be patient if you’re the Panthers. Teddy Bridgewater is an average-at-best quarterback and always has been the bridge guy. Tampa Bay looms large as the defending Super Bowl champs, but the NFC South seems to be there for the taking with aging quarterbacks on the way out the door. Go get your guy now and prosper.

4. Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

There’s a part of me that thinks the Falcons believe they still have a window to win now and will go with the best player on the board. There’s no reason to force things with the top three quarterbacks gone, so we’ll give Matt Ryan another weapon instead. Mocking a tight end this high is actually hilarious, but Pitts is a unicorn and it does not seem completely out of the realm of possibility.

5. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

The Bengals should sprint to the podium if Sewell is still on the board. Joe Burrow’s ACLs will be eternally grateful for it.

6. Trade! San Francisco 49ers: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

Philadelphia Eagles receive No. 12 and 102 picks in 2021, 2022 first-rounder

The 49ers’ biggest weakness on the roster is at quarterback, so to move up to get one is certainly in play. They can afford to be patient and see what falls to them with Jimmy Garoppolo still under contract, but this could be the perfect situation for Lance in having time to learn.

7. Detroit Lions: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU

The Lions are letting Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones walk in free agency as they completely tear the house down and rebuild from scratch. They will either be open for business via a trade down or be in a position to take the best player on the board. Chase is that and more and could easily come off the board far earlier than this.

8. Miami Dolphins (from Panthers): Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

The Dolphins continue to win in the draft over the last few seasons, accumulating more capital to put a competitive team on the field. Waddle would reunite with Tua Tagavailoa and add an element of explosion to the passing game.

9. Denver Broncos: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

There might not be a better fit for a player and a team than what Farley brings to the table. He may be in play a few picks before this for teams like the Eagles or Lions if they decide to stand pat.

10. Dallas Cowboys: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern

There seems to be a lot of debate over what position Slater ultimately factors in at. He has tested extremely well so far this offseason and might make a push inside the top ten for OL-needy teams.

11. New York Giants: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

It seems like a steal that a production machine and Heisman Trophy-winning wide receiver is still on the board here, but that’s the way it shakes out. The Giants have to surround Daniel Jones with talent as they attempt to figure out if he is the long-term answer. This is about as good as it gets.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (from 49ers): Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

Nobody in Philadelphia should be viewing the current shape of the roster as ready to win. They won their Super Bowl and the window to do more damage closed. That puts them in a position to accrue more draft picks and add talent wherever they can on the roster. Surtain is another NFL legacy product and stands toe-to-toe with Farley as the best corner in the class.

13. Los Angeles Chargers: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

Darrisaw is another in a strong line of tackles at the top of the board in this cycle. Now that the Chargers know they have a star at quarterback in Justin Herbert, they take the same route as the Bengals and invest in his protection.

14. Trade! Washington Football Team: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

Minnesota Vikings receive No. 19 and 74 picks in 2021

Washington was a playoff team last year without a quarterback, admittedly in a historically bad division. The best way to judge what a team plans to do in the draft is by what it is not doing leading into the offseason. Washington has not come up much in talks about veteran quarterbacks on the market, so they are seemingly in play to move up in the draft to secure him.

15. New England Patriots: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

The Patriots are another team without a clear path to grab a signal-caller, which leaves them in a spot to take the best player available here with five of them off the board already. Parsons opted out of the 2020 season but has the traits of a star that can do several things.

16. Arizona Cardinals: Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern

Newsome has been another Northwestern product that has been the beneficiary of the strong offseason and he should be considered in the first round. The Cardinals look like they have a ready-made offense, but could be a few pieces away on defense from being a legitimate contender in the NFC.

17. Las Vegas Raiders: Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan

Paye has the raw tools to be far more of a force in the NFL than his stats at Michigan suggest. This would be a great fit for him. I also like the Vikings as a team that could make sense for what he brings to the table.

18. Miami Dolphins: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

The Dolphins’ biggest priority this offseason is giving Tua the weapons he needs to be successful, assuming they hold onto him and don’t make a play for Deshaun Watson. It seems like an easy link to match him with another Alabama player, but Harris is a bruising, punishing runner that could have a Derrick Henry-like effect on an offense.

19. Minnesota Vikings (from Washington): Alijah Vera-Tucker, IOL, USC

The Vikings will always need offensive linemen, especially if they continue to double and triple down on Kirk Cousins as their franchise quarterback.

20. Chicago Bears: Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

The Bears are, you guessed it, another team with an unclear future at quarterback. They may try to make a run at Russell Wilson, which would strip them of this pick. Assuming they find a “solution” elsewhere, they could use help on the offensive line.

21. Indianapolis Colts: Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan

The Colts took on the Carson Wentz reclamation project, meaning they need to not only fix him but also improve the supporting cast. Mayfield is a steady tackle prospect that could be a plug-and-play starter from day one.

22. Tennessee Titans: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami

The Titans were a playoff team last season despite having a historically bad pass rush. They should leave no stone unturned this year and improving themselves in that area.

23. New York Jets (from Seahawks): Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

There is not as much of a gap between Bateman and the wideouts at the top of the board as some of these mocks might suggest. Robert Saleh is going to want to build the defense in New York, but they need an infusion of offensive talent in the worst way. Bateman gives their new quarterback a ready-made WR1 the second he hits the field.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas

The Steelers are seemingly married to Ben Roethlisberger until the end of days, meaning they have to insulate him with talent on the offensive side of the ball. A running back should be in play here, but that is not typically how the Steelers operate. Instead, they opt for offensive line help.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame

The Jaguars came into the offseason with some good pieces offensively and will have their franchise quarterback in hand. Eichenberg comes in to protect him in what continues to be a recurring theme in this mock.

26. Cleveland Browns: Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia

Some believe that Ojulari is the best pure pass rusher in the draft, which could make him a steal for the Browns. Putting another talented end on the opposite side of Myles Garrett could help round out the defense for a team on the rise.

27. Trade! Miami Dolphins (from Ravens): Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame

Baltimore Ravens receive No. 36 pick in 2021, 2022 third-rounder

The Dolphins can’t keep hoarding all of that draft capital, can they? With Owusu-Koramoah still on the board, they pounce on a defender who fits the bill of the positionless hybrid players that are the new hotness.

28. New Orleans Saints: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

The Saints are closer to a rebuild than they would like to admit and their salary cap situation Is reflective of that. The son of former Saints wideout Joe Horn would be a good fit here as a young corner to be groomed opposite Marshon Lattimore.

29. Green Bay Packers: Christian Barmore, IDL, Alabama

The logical move would be to add a legitimate wide receiver opposite Davante Adams, but Green Bay is another organization that typically does not use high picks on luxury positions. Barmore

30. Buffalo Bills: Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson

The Bills have many directions they could go, but another offensive star for Josh Allen does not seem like the worst idea in the world. Etienne is explosive and is also a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield. That skillset could add another dimension to an offense that exploded onto the scene this past season.

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama

You watched Patrick Mahomes scramble for almost 500 yards in the Super Bowl, too. Any offensive lineman here is going to be a welcome addition for that offense.

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jayson Oweh, EDGE, Penn State

Oweh is raw and the production has not quite been there, but the Super Bowl champs can afford to gamble on a player with freakish traits. There are reports out there that he runs somewhere in the 4.3 range in the 40-yard dash. That is insane for an edge rusher. His best football could be ahead of him with the right coaching.