We're still a few weeks away from the start of free agency, but that doesn't mean teams interested in resetting their current quarterback positions aren't furiously working behind the scenes to make that happen. Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford will swap teams in 2021 -- and those are just the first two dominos to fall in the game of QB musical chairs.
And what happens in the coming days, weeks and months will decide when and where the crop of young quarterbacks end up during Round 1 of the 2021 NFL Draft. It starts at the top with Trevor Lawrence but after that it's wide open. This week, the Falcons, Eagles and Panthers go after quarterbacks -- that means four are off the board after eight picks -- and by the time it's all said and done, five could go in the top 10.
Keep reading to see how the rest of the first round unfolds.
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
There are few certainties in life, but we feel pretty confident that the Jags are taking Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 overall pick. Now the question becomes if Urban Meyer can turn things around in the next few years.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
The Jets could decide to grab a QB here but it makes more sense that they'll stick with Sam Darnold (for now, anyway) and try to trade down where they could still land a QB. And if they stay put, bolstering the offensive line with a player of Penei Sewell's stature would be the safest pick.
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From
Houston Texans
Round 1 - Pick 3
Slater is one of our favorite players in this class and it won't surprise us if he slides into the top five; he was dominant at times for Northwestern in 2019 (he opted out in 2020) and he can also play guard and even center.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
As it stands, Wilson is our QB2 in terms of upside (though we think Mac Jones is behind only Trevor Lawrence in terms of being NFL-ready in 2021) and the new coach Arthur Smith may want to start preparing for life after Matt Ryan, who will be the starter in '21.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
The Bengals would love to get Sewell or Slater but with them both already off the board they'll "settle" for the best WR in college football. There are questions about Smith's size -- some NFL teams care, other don't -- but he plays like the biggest dude on the field. He can take over games with his route running and playmaking ability.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Fields has a chance to be special, he just needs time to grow into the job. And with it sounding like Carson Wentz is going to be traded, new coach Nick Sirianni could be intrigued by Fields' skill set, even with Jalen Hurts entering Year 2.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola are all headed to free agency, and while the Lions will almost certainly try to keep Golladay -- who was injured for much of the 2020 season -- adding Chase makes too much sense not to happen. And perhaps now more than ever with the team trading for QB Jared Goff.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Same as last week in part because the Panthers need a quarterback, and in part because what better option than the one who was a star during Senior Bowl week with Carolina's coaching staff watching closely? Jones continued to impress, even though an ankle injury kept him out of the Senior Bowl game, and there's every reason to believe he's destined to hear his name called in Round 1.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Bryce Callahan was a bright spot in the secondary in 2020 but he, along with four other CBs, will have his contract expire next spring. Farley, who opted out for 2020, is our CB1.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Micah Parsons is one of the best pure athletes in this draft class, and the Cowboys have plenty of needs on defense -- though edge rusher or cornerback could also be a consideration here.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
The Giants need pass rush help but bolstering the offensive line may take priority. Andrew Thomas got better as the year progressed, but Vera-Tucker proved in 2020 that he can play either guard or tackle and excelled while doing it.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Wide receivers usually get pushed down as we get closer to the draft but my goodness, imagine Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and Jaylen Waddle on the field together with Kyle Shanahan dialing up the plays.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Ojulari is one of the best players in this class and he's still flying under the radar. That will change in the coming weeks. For the Chargers, Melvin Ingram is 31 years old and will be a free agent in a few weeks barring a new deal -- Ojulari would be a good choice to replace him.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
The Vikings need help along the defensive line and in the secondary as well, but with two edge rushers already off the board, addressing the interior with Barmore, our DT1, makes sense in the middle of Round 1. Barmore flashed throughout the '20 season but got red hot over Alabama's final four games.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
The Patriots need a QB but instead, they recommit to the tight end position and take Pitts, who plays a lot like Darren Waller.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Chandler Jones will be a free agent after the 2021 season, and the Cardinals could use an explosive young pass rusher. Paye is just scratching the surface on what he can do -- once experience catches up with athleticism, he could be dominant.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
There was a report last week that the Raiders might be willing to move on from Derek Carr, presumably with the plan of landing Deshaun Watson. But even if that doesn't happen, Vegas and Jon Gruden might be in the market for a young QB. Lance has all the physical tools to compete at a high level, he just needs experience -- and experience against top-flight talent after playing at FCS program North Dakota State.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
That's right, Najee Harris is a running back ... going in the top 20 ... in 2021. He's been that good and it's one more weapon (from Alabama, incidentally) for Tua, who enters Year 2 needing to show improvement from an up-and-down rookie campaign.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Football Team is in the market for a QB but five are already off the board. Instead, Washington settles for one of the biggest draft risers of the 2020 season. Collins is a 260-lb linebacker -- a throwback in terms of measurables -- who moves like Roquan Smith or Devin White. He also has a nose for the ball, with two pick-sixes during the '20 campaign.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
The Bears made the playoffs, effectively putting themselves of the running for one of the top QBs in this class, which is why, by the time you read this, Carson Wentz has probably been traded to Chicago. Whomever ends up under center needs weapons and Toney is coming off an explosive campaign for the Gators.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
This is LOW for Surtain, who is a top-15 player, but with a run on QBs, WRs and offensive linemen, Surtain gets pushed down. This is great news for the Colts; Xavier Rhodes was on a one-year deal and there's a need in the secondary.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
The Titans had 19 sacks this season. By comparison, Rousseau racked up 15.5 sacks last season but opted out in 2020. He's new to the position and the question is whether he can come close to replicating that type of production at the next level.
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From
Seattle Seahawks
Round 1 - Pick 23
Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams led the Jets with seven sacks, and Tarell Basham was next with three. Put another way: New York needs to get better at getting after the QB, and Phillips is a high-energy tone-setter off the edge. There are injury questions (he retired from the game in 2018) but if he's healthy, he's a terror.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Joe Haden and Steven Nelson are both entering the final year of their current deals and 2019 third-rounder Justin Layne hasn't yet made the jump to substantial playing time. Horn, son of Joe Horn, is a physical corner who had a successful 2020 season against some of the best wideouts in the country.
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From
Los Angeles Rams
Round 1 - Pick 25
Darrisaw has both the strength and the athleticism to be a standout left tackle, and he'll be a nice bookend to 2019 second-round right tackle Jawaan Taylor.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Nixon is an explosive interior defensive lineman who has a knack for finding his way into the backfield and being disruptive vs. both the pass and the run.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
Yannick Ngakoue and Matt Judon will be free agents in a few weeks and even if one (or both) returns, the Ravens need to get better off the edge. Basham looks the part and is coming off an impressive career at Wake Forest.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Bolton is a hard-hitting middle-of-the-field spark plug with sideline-to-sideline speed who would provide some much needed depth at the position in New Orleans.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
The Packers have neglected the position for long enough. And while Aaron Rodgers almost convinced us that all he needs is Davante Adams, the NFC Championship Game reinforced that Green Bay needs a legit No. 2 WR and Moore offers that and then some.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Tre White is one of the best CBs in the NFL but there's not much depth behind him. Taron Johnson is coming off a good season but has just one year left on his current deal. Campbell would add a long, physical playmaker to a secondary that improved over the course of the 2020 season.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
The Chiefs barely use linebackers, which makes Owusu-Koramoah even more enticing because his best position in the NFL is probably as a hybrid-safety-type player. He has off-the-charts athleticism with the ability to make plays at all three levels.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
Onwuzurike opted out in 2020, but flashed consistently during his one day of practice at the Senior Bowl last week. He needs to play with more consistency but he has the type of potential that could translate to a difference-maker in the middle of the defense. And while he won't replace Ndamukong Suh, adding depth for the soon-to-be free agent makes sense here.
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