Two days away. We are two freakin days away from the 2021 NFL Draft. Less than 48 hours from now, war rooms will be active, trade proposals will be flying and all cameras in the sports world will be focused in on Cleveland, Ohio. Now, most of the dust from the past weeks has settled and a lot of the picks are clearer. So, without further ado, here is Let's Talk Sports' NFL Mock Draft 3.0. Note: Any trades that have not been finalized as of April 27th, 2021 will not be included in this mock.
As per usual, the first round is stacked with players from the University of Alabama. They have six players slated to go in the first round, three of which land in the top 12. Wide receivers Jaylen Waddle (left) and Heisman Award winner Devonta Smith (right) headline the class, while cornerback Patrick Surtain II (center) is also a notable name selected early on.
1st Overall Pick- Jacksonville Jaguars select Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
2nd Overall Pick- New York Jets select Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
3rd Overall Pick- San Francisco 49ers select Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
4th Overall Pick- Atlanta Falcons select Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
5th Overall Pick- Cincinnati Bengals select Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
6th Overall Pick- Miami Dolphins select Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU
7th Overall Pick- Detroit Lions select Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
8th Overall Pick- Carolina Panthers select Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern
9th Overall Pick- Denver Broncos select Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
10th Overall Pick- Dallas Cowboys select Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
11th Overall Pick- New York Giants select Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan
12th Overall Pick- Philadelphia Eagles select Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama
13th Overall Pick- Los Angeles Chargers select Christian Darrisaw, OL, Virginia Tech
14th Overall Pick- Minnesota Vikings select Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami
15th Overall Pick- New England Patriots select Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
The second half of the draft features a lot of players with the potential for steals. Cornerbacks Jaycee Horn (left) and Caleb Farley (right) already have all the tools to start for a team on day one, and will be great pieces for whoever drafts them. Additionally, linebacker Micah Parsons (center) was once a top five prospect for a reason. He is a stud and can be a huge boost to any team's front seven and linebacker core.
16th Overall Pick- Arizona Cardinals select Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
17th Overall Pick- Las Vegas Raiders select Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
18th Overall Pick- Miami Dolphins select Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia
19th Overall Pick- Washington Football Team selects Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
20th Overall Pick- Chicago Bears select Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
21st Overall Pick- Indianapolis Colts select Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
22nd Overall Pick- Tennessee Titans select Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC
23rd Overall Pick- New York Jets select Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern
24th Overall Pick- Pittsburgh Steelers select Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas
25th Overall Pick- Jacksonville Jaguars select Christian Barmore, DL, Alabama
26th Overall Pick- Cleveland Browns select Carlos Basham Jr., EDGE, Wake Forest
27th Overall Pick- Baltimore Ravens select Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU
28th Overall Pick- New Orleans Saints select Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa
29th Overall Pick- Green Bay Packers select Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida
30th Overall Pick- Buffalo Bills select Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State
31st Overall Pick- Baltimore Ravens select Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
32nd Overall Pick- Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
Despite being a strong class of running backs, none are taken in the first round of the 2021 draft. However, it is of note that running backs like Najee Harris (left) and Travis Etienne (center) could be drafted in the first round. Additionally, former Memphis running back Kenneth Gainwell is likely to go on Day 2 of the draft, and will be a name to remember in the 2021-22 season.