2021 NFL Mock Draft (Second Round) I wrote the 2.0 version so many times I decided to just keep going.
33. Jacksonville: Najee Harris RB Alabama
The Jaguars can pretend they are fine with James Robinson and Carlos Hyde at RB but passing on Harris if he falls here would be a mistake. The best friend a rookie QB can have is a great running back. Harris has the all-around game to be a legit starter.
34. New York Jets: Greg Newsome II CB Northwestern
The Jets defense is pretty poor and even with Carl Lawson and Jaelen Phillips bringing the pass rush the need someone to cover. They have Bryce Hall and that’s about it. Newsome has good size and speed and he would be an excellent addition.
35. Atlanta: Davis Mills QB Stanford
The Falcons may have passed on a QB in round one but that doesn’t mean they won’t look for one here. Mills has plenty of potential but not a ton of experience. The Falcons have Matt Ryan and Matt Schaub, two very, very veteran QBs. Mills is a solid investment in the future.
36. Miami: Travis Etienne RB Clemson
The Dolphins signed Malcolm Brown to add to their depth behind starter Myles Gaskin but neither of those guys is a game breaker. Etienne is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. More offensive firepower around Tua is a good idea.
37. Philadelphia: Terrence Marshall Jr. WR LSU
The Eagles passed on a WR in round one and here they find a guy who could have gone in round one. Marshall was overshadowed playing with Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson at LSU and LSU wasn’t good this year even though Marshall was excellent. A big WR at 6’3, he’s a nice complement to Jalen Reagor.
38. Cincinnati: Landon Dickerson C/G Alabama
The Bengals passed on an offensive lineman in round one but here they get Dickerson who is an immediate starter inside. They need plenty of help inside and Dickerson could supplant Trey Hopkins at center or play next to him at guard but either way, he starts day one.
39. Carolina: Eric Stokes CB Georgia
The Panthers need help at CB and one thing they could really use is a guy with some size. Stokes is 6’1 and that would separate him from Carolina’s other CBs who aren’t over 5’10. Stokes has good height and excellent speed to go with his cover skills.
40. Denver: Joseph Ossai OLB Texas
The Broncos retained Von Miller even though he’s expensive, that doesn’t make him a long-term solution. Ossai is a talented pass rusher and would be a nice partner for Bradley Chubb moving forward.
41. Detroit: Nick Bolton LB Missouri
The Lions are undertaking a massive rebuild, or really just a build, you can’t rebuild something you never were. Taking the most talented player available is a smart idea. Bolton is an excellent MLB prospect and he could quarterback their defense for the next decade.
42. New York Giants: Wyatt Davis OG Ohio St.
The Giants spent plenty of money in free agency to get Daniel Jones some playmakers but they didn’t get help on the o-line. Davis isn’t flashy but he’s an excellent guard who can slide in on the right side and stabilize the protection up front.
43. San Francisco: Asante Samuel Jr. CB Florida St.
The 49ers lost Richard Sherman and Ahkello Witherspoon to free agency leaving them with plenty of questions at CB. Samuel isn’t the biggest guy, or the fastest guy but he knows how to cover. They need more of those guys.
44. Dallas: Jamin Davis LB Kentucky
Davis is not one of the more well-known names coming into the draft but teams certainly know him. He is long and rangy and the Cowboys need help at LB. Davis should have the speed coordinator Dan Quinn likes and the team needs to protect themselves against Leighton Vander Esch’s constant injuries.
45. Jacksonville: Samuel Cosmi OT Texas
Jacksonville franchise tagged Cam Robinson but that only means he’s on a one-year deal and he has never been a consistent presence at LT. Cosmi doesn’t blow you away but he’s started over 30 games at LT for the Longhorns and he has the experience to step in right away if needed.
46. New England: Rondale Moore WR Purdue
I don’t think the Patriots will have to give up this pick to move up in round one, probably a 1st next year and their 3rd this year. Moore would go higher but he’s a serious health risk. He basically missed the last two seasons with an injury and an opt out and that scares teams. The Patriots are going to need a new slot receiver because Julian Edelman is done and while Jakobi Myers had a good year, Moore is a more dynamic playmaker.
47. LA Chargers: Pat Freiermuth TE Penn St.
The Chargers let Hunter Henry walk in free agency and while they signed Jared Cook, he is short-term solution at best. Cook is 34 and Freiermuth is the clearly the second-best TE prospect in this draft and he can fill Henry’s shoes quite admirably. He isn’t the athlete Kyle Pitts is, but he’s a pretty good TE.
48. Las Vegas: Jevon Holland S Oregon
The Raiders have Jonathan Abram at one safety spot but he needs a running mate. Abrams is best playing close to the line which would leave Holland to play free safety and man the deep middle, a position he can excel at.
49. Arizona: Javonte Williams RB North Carolina
In the last two years the Cardinals have traded David Johnson and lost Kenyan Drake in free agency. No matter how much they like Chase Edmonds they need help at RB. Williams is a beast who breaks tackles like a madman and he would be excellent value this deep in the draft, he’s a starting RB.
50. Miami: Jayson Oweh DE Penn St.
The Dolphins defense needs help getting pressure and while Azeez Ojulari will bring the heat from the edge they need more help. Oweh is just too good to pass up here. Emmanuel Ogbah is a starting DE and he’s just okay. Oweh could line up in many positions and give Brian Flores and his defense some more versatility up front.
51. Denver (from Washington): Daviyon Nixon DT Iowa
I do have this pick going from Washington to Denver in the trade up in my round one mock draft. Nixon only has eight games as a starter under his belt but he made the most of them. He was as disruptive in the middle against both the run and the pass and the Broncos could use some push up the middle. Shelby Harris, Dre’Mont Jones and Shemar Stephen are solid players but they don’t collapse the pocket the way Nixon can.
52. Chicago: Kellen Mond QB Texas A&M
After signing Andy Dalton and naming him QB1 I’m not sure drafting a developmental QB like Mond is what Bears’ fans are hoping for but that’s what they get here. Mond has a lot of physical tools and plenty of potential. Although, I’m not sure I would want to trust QB development to Matt Nagy and company after watching the last few years.
53. Tennessee: Dillon Radunz OT North Dakota St.
The Titans struck out badly with last year’s first-round OT Isaiah Wilson who is already out of the league after having more off-the-field issues than snaps played last year (only four snaps if you’re counting). Radunz is making the move from North Dakota St. to the NFL so there’s an adjustment period but he’s a talented prospect who could slide in and compete at RT.
54. Indianapolis: Baron Browning LB Ohio St.
The Colts lost Anthony Walker at LB and that’s a lot of production to replace. They need an edge rusher too but Browning is a better prospect than the DEs available here and he can blitz so Matt Eberflus should be able to find creative ways to use him.
55. Pittsburgh: Joe Tryon OLB Washington
Unless one of the top three RBs (Harris, Etienne, Javonte Williams) falls here there is no reason to draft a RB. The rest all bunch together and this would be over drafting any of them. The team lost Bud Dupree and they really shouldn’t just count on Alex Highsmith taking pressure off TJ Watt. Tryon is a good pass rushing prospect and fits the defensive system quite well.
56. Seattle: Ifeatu Melifonwu CB Syracuse
Seattle should probably take an offensive lineman to placate Russell Wilson but that isn’t their style. Melifonwu is a 6’2 CB with the size the Seahawks prefer and after losing Shaquill Griffin in free agency, they need a CB. He is also a far better value than any offensive linemen left on the board. This is Seattle’s first pick in this draft after trading their first-round pick for Jamal Adams last year. They really didn’t do much in free agency other than picking up CB Ahkello Witherspoon, he’s nice depth but he’s not great. They did trade for OG Gabe Jackson from the Raiders and that should make Russell Wilson at least slightly happier.
57. LA Rams: Alex Leatherwood OL Alabama
This is the Rams first pick after trading their first rounder to the Jaguars in the Jalen Ramsey trade. Their big move this off season was the massive trade for Matt Stafford. With guys like Stafford, Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey and others taking up so much cap space they just don’t have a lot of room to maneuver. They have Andrew Whitworth at LT and he will turn 40 at the end of this season but he’s still capable. The problem is they don’t have much depth on the line and they are patching it together at times. Leatherwood might not be the long-term answer at LT as there are many who believe he should play inside, however, he can play there if need be. The team needs depth and Leatherwood could take one of the OG spots and be the backup for Whitworth at LT. One thing this team must do is protect their investment in Stafford and give him the time to use their group of WRs.
58. Baltimore: Jamar Johnson S Indiana
The Ravens rarely go against their board and at this point Johnson is far too valuable to pass up. He has starting safety written all over him and his versatility would work nicely in their defense. They need an edge rusher but none of the ones still on the board rate as highly as Jamar Johnson does at safety.
59. Cleveland: Tommy Togiai DT Ohio St.
Cleveland takes the best defensive player they can here and even though it doesn’t look like a huge need, Sheldon Richardson and Malik Jackson are both over 30 and Andrew Billings opted out last season. They may need some depth inside this year.
60. New Orleans: Cameron McGrone LB Michigan
The Saints need help on defense and while CB may have a bigger need the value is at LB. McGrone is a young guy who needs some seasoning but the team has Demario Davis to teach him. They might go with LSU’s Jabril Cox and I wouldn’t argue with that choice either.
61. Buffalo: Elijah Moore WR Ole Miss
When you just won your division, you’re picking late in the round and you have the best QB in your division you take the best player you can get. Adding Moore to a group that has Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders, Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis is frightening. Moore is a devastating slot receiver and Beasley is on the wrong side of 30 and has taken a beating in his career. Josh Allen would love Elijah Moore.
62. Green Bay: Amon-Ra St. Brown WR USC
Okay, finally. The depth at WR in this draft means at this point there are just too many good WRs left that are by far the best prospects on the board. St. Brown can play in the slot or outside and he would be an excellent weapon to take pressure off Devante Adams. He would also be quite deadly with Aaron Rodgers throwing to him.
63. Kansas City: Janarius Robinson DE Florida St.
The Chiefs don’t have much opposite Frank Clark at DE and while Robinson isn’t an amazing pass rusher, he is a solid base end. With Clark and DT Chris Jones being great pass rushers, the Chiefs can afford a guy on the end who sets the edge and just plays his position soundly, sounds like Robinson.
64. Tampa Bay: Kyle Trask QB Florida
Technically, at the moment, the Bucs don’t have a backup QB to Tom Brady. As ageless as he seems. he is going to be 44 this season while he has fought father time better than anyone, father time is undefeated. I’m not a huge Trask fan but he does profile as a similar skill set to Tom Brady. Also, if there was ever a QB built to backup Brady, a guy who doesn’t seem to want someone he feels is his eventual successor sitting behind him, it’s Trask. Trask wasn’t the starting QB in high school, he backed up Miami starting QB D’Eriq King his last three years. Then he went to Florida and watched as they tried to find a competent starter and waited for his chance. He’s a patient guy, he can wait on Brady to retire.
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