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Nick Jacobs' 2021 NFL Draft first round mock draft predictions

Heisman Finalists Football
Posted at 5:56 PM, Apr 29, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-29 18:56:33-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The first round of the NFL draft is always one of the more unpredictable things to guess in sports outside of a March Madness bracket.

The 2021 draft appears to have about 15 players that are first round worthy and a handful that in a good draft would slide to the second or third round. All it takes is one trade to wreck a person's mock draft and this year will likely be no different with teams trying to jump up into the top 15 for an impact player.

Here are my predictions for the first round without trades involved.

1. Jaguars - QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
Lawrence makes the most sense for Urban Meyer to build his system from the ground up in the NFL.

2. Jets - QB Zach Wilson, BYU
Wilson gives offensive coordinator Matt Lafleur an athletic quarterback that can make the big arm throws in the scheme.

3. 49ers - QB Mac Jones, Alabama
Kyle Shanahan clearly has his eye on a specific quarterback. Jones gives him an accurate passer that already looks very comfortable on play-action passes.

4. Falcons - TE Kyle Pitts, Florida
Pitts is one of the more athletic tights ends to come into the draft in the past decade. The Falcons get a great building block for the long-term success of their offense.

5. Bengals - OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
Protecting Joe Burrow has to be priority one for the Bengals. Slater is arguably the best tackle prospect. He should have a lengthy and successful career in the league.

6. Dolphins - OT Penel Sewell, Oregon
The Dolphins need help along the offensive line. Sewell gives them a very athletic tackle that is dominant when he is engaged in the game. Miami could also go with a wide receiver here, but passing up on a potential franchise tackle isn't a smart play with how quickly it drops off in this class.

7. Lions - WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
Detroit needs to get explosive at wide receiver and Waddle provides them that. Quarterback Jared Goff needs a playmaker who can take pressure off of him. Ja'mar Chase and DeVonta Smith are on the board but Waddle brings the "juice." A dear friend of mine who loved the Lions would be really happy with this pick because there was a strong possibility he was going to make the all-juice team.

8. Panthers - CB Patrick Surtain, Alabama
Carolina has to add additional speed on defense. With the best two tackles off the board, this is the spot to take arguably one of the best defensive players on the board.

9. Broncos - QB Justin Fields, Ohio State
A day after the Broncos made a trade for Teddy Bridgewater, they get the next heir to the mile high throne with the Ohio State quarterback. The quarterback room gets a little too crowded for Drew Lock at this point.

10. Cowboys - CB Jaycee Horn, South Carolina
Dallas needs to come away with one of the top two corners from this draft. Horn falls to them at 10.

11. Giants - OG Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
New York needs help along their offensive line. The top two tackles are off the board so they take the top guard available.

12. Eagles - WR Ja'Mar Chase, LSU
The Eagles need an infusion of playmakers on offense. Chase falls to them at 12 to provide them a much needed addition, although cornerback will likely be another area they could target.

13. Chargers - DE Jaelan Phillips, Miami
The Chargers need to get additional pass rushing help on the opposite side of Joey Bosa. The loss of Ingram will need to be replaced.

14. Vikings - OT Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech
Minnesota needs to find a replacement for Riley Reiff. Darrisaw would provide them a tackle that can lock on to opponents.

15. Patriots - QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State
Bill Belichick begins his quest to reclaim his crown with a new quarterback at the helm long-term.

16. Cardinals - CB Greg Newsome, Northwestern
Arizona needs to replenish the cornerback position with a youthful jolt.

17. Raiders - LB Micah Parsons, Penn State
Head coach Jon Gruden took the strategy of trying to slow down the Chiefs last year. He and Mike Mayock get to add the best linebacker on the board to help slow down the Chiefs and the Chargers.

18. Dolphins - WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama
Smith's value is too good to pass up at this spot for the Dolphins. Miami could use help at linebacker and an edge rusher, but a dynamic receiver helps their young quarterback develop.

19. Washington LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
Head Coach Ron Rivera needs to continue to add athletic ability at the linebacker position. Owusu-Koramoah gives him a linebacker that is comfortable in coverage.

20. Bears - CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
Farley could drop further than this depending on what teams think of his medicals, but for Chicago this is too good to pass up because if fully healthy, Farley likely wouldn't be on the board at this point.

21. Colts - Kwity Paye, Michigan
General manager Chris Ballard likes players who have a distinct trait about them. For Paye, that is how polished he already is in run support. The Colts get a much-needed edge rusher that will shine in run support, especially twice-a-year against Derrick Henry.

22. Titans - WR Elijah Moore, Ole Miss
The Titans need to replace the loss of Corey Davis. Moore gives them a quick receiver they can pair with AJ Brown.

23. Jets - RB Travis Etienne, Clemson
The Jets could add help on the offensive line, but Etienne gives them a good zone runner for their scheme.

24. Steelers - OT Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State
The Steelers have to fix their run game in this draft. The offensive line fell apart and they need help at the running back position. Linemen will go quicker though, so an athletic Teven Jenkins is the pick.

25. Jaguars - DT Christian Barmore, Alabama
Jacksonville has to replenish their defensive line after the departures since their AFC Championship appearance. Barmore gives them the best defensive tackle on the board in a conference that runs more than most.

26. Browns - LB Zevan Collins, Tulsa
The Browns need additional help along their pass rush and an infusion of athletic ability at linebacker doesn't hurt either. Collins gives them a linebacker with great size and speed.

27. Ravens - S Trevon Moehrig, TCU
Baltimore needs a safety that can make plays over the middle. Moehrig gives them a safety that can track the ball well.

28. Saints - CB Tyson Campbell, Georgia
The Saints are going to need a stronger defense to slow opponents down with Drew Brees gone. Campbell gives them a corner that can help opposite of Marshon Lattimore

29. Packers - WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
Aaron Rodgers needs help at wide receiver. The Packers are doing him a disservice every draft they don't invest in reliable targets for him. Bateman would provide the quarterback a good possession receiver that can get the football.

30. Bills - DE Joe Tyron, Washington
The Bills need serious help with their pass rush if they want to topple the Chiefs for the AFC. Buffalo would be wise to load up on pass rushers and corners.

31. Ravens - OL Landon Dickerson, Alabama
Baltimore takes good value here for their offensive line long-term. Dickerson fits their scheme perfectly and provides them an option at multiple spots while he recovers from his injury.

32. Bucs - CB Asante Samuel Jr. , Florida State
Tampa Bay has the luxury of going any direction they want. My expectation is that pass rushers and corners are a great spot to continue and load up on.