Nason’s 2021 Mock Draft 5.0: Draft Day Edition

The day is finally here. Tonight is the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. With the deep quarterback class, elite pass catching weapons and a strong offensive tackle class, after the Jaguars and Jets make their first picks, it’s truly hard to say what will happen. Will there be a ton of draft day trades? Will more teams stay put with the uncertainty that COVID-19 has brought to the player evaluation process this year? There is so much uncertainty surrounding the quarterbacks landing spots, player’s medicals, and much more. Here is my last, best guess at what will happen tonight, along with my final top 5 positional rankings. Don’t worry, I have some new names in there, and for you Patriots fans out there, I have a quarterback for you who isn’t Cam Newton.

Happy draft day everyone. If you need me, I’ll be drinking and screaming at my television.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
2. New York Jets: QB Zach Wilson, BYU
3. San Francisco 49ers: QB Mac Jones, Alabama
4. Atlanta Falcons: TE Kyle Pitts, Florida
5. Cincinnati Bengals: WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU
6. Miami Dolphins: OT Penei Sewell, Oregon
7. Detroit Lions: LB Micah Parsons, Penn State
8. New England Patriots: QB Justin Fields, Ohio State*
9. Denver Broncos: QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State
10. Dallas Cowboys: CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
11. New York Giants: WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
12. Philadelphia Eagles: WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama
13. Los Angeles Chargers: CB Jaycee Horn, South Carolina
14. Minnesota Vikings: OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
15. Carolina Panthers: OL Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC*
16. Arizona Cardinals: CB Greg Newsome II, Northwestern
17. Las Vegas Raiders: LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
18. Miami Dolphins: Edge Azeez Ojulari, Georgia
19. Washington Football Team: OT Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech
20. Chicago Bears: OT Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State
21. Indianapolis Colts: Edge Jaelan Phillips, Miami
22. Tennessee Titans: WR Elijah Moore, Ole Miss
23. New York Jets: Edge Kwity Paye, Michigan
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: RB Najee Harris, Alabama
25. Jacksonville Jaguars: TE Pat Freiermuth, Penn State
26. Cleveland Browns: DL Christian Barmore, Alabama
27. Baltimore Ravens: WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
28. New Orleans Saints: WR Terrace Marshall Jr, LSU
29. Green Bay Packers: CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
30. Buffalo Bills: CB Tyson Campbell, Georgia
31. Baltimore Ravens: Edge Gregory Rousseau, Miami
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Edge Jayson Oweh, Penn State

Draft Day Trade*: Patriots send pick 15, CB Stephon Gilmore, and a 2022 1st round pick to Carolina for pick 8

Teams Most Likely to Trade Up

1. New England Patriots
2. Denver Broncos
3. Washington Football Team
4. Chicago Bears
5. Baltimore Ravens

Teams Most Likely to Trade Down

1. Detroit Lions
2. Carolina Panthers
3. Dallas Cowboys
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. New England Patriots

Final Positional Rankings

Quarterbacks

1. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
2. Justin Fields, Ohio State
3. Zach Wilson, BYU
4. Trey Lance, North Dakota State
5. Mac Jones, Alabama

Running Backs

1. Najee Harris, Alabama
2. Javonte Williams, UNC
3. Travis Etienne, Clemson
4. Michael Carter, UNC
5. Trey Sermon, Ohio State

Wide Receivers

1. Ja’Marr Chase, LSU
2. Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
3. DeVonta Smith, Alabama
4. Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
5. Elijah Moore, Ole Miss

Tight Ends

1. Kyle Pitts, Florida
2. Pat Freiermuth, Penn State
3. Hunter Long, Boston College
4. Tommy Tremble, Notre Dame
5. Brevin Jordan, Miami

Offensive Tackles

1. Penei Sewell, Oregon
2. Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
3. Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech
4. Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State
5. Dillon Radunz, North Dakota State

Interior Offensive Linemen

1. Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
2. Landon Dickerson, Alabama
3. Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma
4. Wyatt Davis, Ohio State
5. Quinn Meinerz, Wisconsin-Whitewater

Edge Rushers

1. Jaelen Phillips, Miami
2. Kwity Paye, Michigan
3. Azeez Ojulari, Georgia
4. Gregory Rousseau, Miami
5. Joseph Ossai, Texas

Defensive Linemen

1. Christian Barmore, Alabama
2. Levi Onwuzurike, Washington
3. Daviyon Nixon, Iowa
4. Milton Williams, Louisiana Tech
5. Tommy Togiai, Ohio State

Linebackers

1. Micah Parsons, Penn State
2. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
3. Zaven Collins, Tulsa
4. Jamin Davis, Kentucky
5. Jabril Cox, LSU

Cornerbacks

1. Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
2. Jaycee Horn, South Carolina
3. Greg Newsome II, Northwestern
4. Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
5. Tyson Campbell, Georgia

Safeties

1. Trevon Moehrig, TCU
2. Jamar Johnson, Indiana
3. Jevon Holland, Oregon
4. Richie Grant, UCF
5. Divine Deablo, Virginia Tech

Image: (Jamie Schwaberow – Getty Images)