By TOBIAS BASS

The 2021 NFL Draft is almost upon us. How many draft-day trades will there be? Will the San Francisco 49ers draft Mac Jones or Trey Lance. Many possibilities could happen on April 29, but here is my 32-team projection.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars- Trevor Lawrence QB (Clemson)

Lawrence is the best quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck. Every decade or so you find a generational talent, Lawrence is the star quarterback in the NFL. Lawrence alongside, new Head Coach Urban Meyer will bring juice to Jacksonville

2. New York Jets- Zach Wilson QB (BYU)

Wilson played in a Mike Lafleur offense in college. The Jets love Wilson’s off-script play-making ability. Wilson would be a fresh start for a struggling franchise. Aside from that, he fits their scheme perfectly.

3. San Francisco 49ers (from Miami Dolphins via Houston Texans)- Trey Lance QB (North Dakota State)

A few weeks ago, the 49ers asked Lance to train with John Beck (a former player of Kyle Shannahan and QB coach). They gave him a list of drills to do to see how he would fit in their system. Drafting Lance would also allow the 49ers to keep their timeline as Jimmy G to be their quarterback for this year before moving on to the heir apparent.

4. *Denver Broncos (From Atlanta Falcons)- Justin Fields QB (Ohio State)

The Broncos offense is built to score, but they need a QB that can deliver the ball accurately and consistently. They jump up from 9th overall to 4th and select Justin Fields. You cannot have the worse QB in your division and expect to win games, Justin Fields changes that narrative.

5. Cincinnati Bengals- Ja’Marr Chase WR (LSU)

Two years ago, Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Burrow were the best QB-WR tandem in the country, by connecting for 20 TDs. Burrow wants his guy, Zach Taylor is an offensive minded coach, they select Chase at five

6. Miami Dolphins (via Philadelphia Eagles)- Kyle Pitts TE (Florida)

Pitts is most for sure prospect in the draft. He will walk into the NFL as a 75 catch, 750 yards, and six touchdown guy from day one. The Dolphins have to figure out what to do with Tua, so they go all in and bring in arguably the most talented player in the draft in Kyle Pitts.

7. Detroit Lions- Jaylen Waddle WR (Alabama)

The Lions need a lot of help on both sides of the ball, and many NFL GM’s are higher on Jaylen Waddle as opposed to DeVonta Smith. Jared Goff needs someone to throw to, here comes Jaylen Waddle. Also, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Lions trade out of this pick, but if not they select a playmaker on offense.

8. Carolina Panthers- Penei Sewell OL (Oregon)

The Panthers offensive line still has holes despite bringing in Cam Erving and Pat Elflien. Sewell provides a better option at left tackle than Erving or Greg Little. Sewell has a lot of upside and could be one of the better lineman in this draft for the next decade.

9. *Atlanta Falcons (From Denver Broncos)- Patrick Surtain DB (Alabama)

The Falcons need a QB for the future but the cap hit on Matt Ryan is 26.9 Million for this year, so they are stuck with him for at least another season. With that being said they trade back and improve their secondary with Surtain.

10. *New England Patriots (From Dallas Cowboys)- Mac Jones QB (Alabama)

Rumors has it that the Patriots want Justin Fields, but the Broncos trade up and get him at 4. Now Bill Belichik has to regroup and bring in Mac Jones. Jones doesn’t have the strongest arm but he can fit the ball into tight windows consistently. His precision will translate at the next level very well.

11. New York Giants- Rashawn Slater OL (Northwestern)

Daniel Jones was sacked the 4th most in 2020 (45), drafting Rashawn Slater would dramatically improve their offensive line. Slater is also very versatile and can move up and down the offensive line. If the Giants can keep Jones upright, I like their chances to put themselves in a playoff scenario.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (from Miami Dolphins via San Francisco 49ers)- DeVonta Smith WR (Alabama)

The Eagles traded back a few months ago after not being able to move up to draft Zach Wilson. If Heisman winner DeVonta Smith is on the board at 12, he is a no-brainer. If they want to give Jalen Hurts a fair chance, give him weapons to throw to.

13. Los Angeles Chargers- Christian Darrisaw OL (Virginia Tech)

The Chargers position by position have one of the best rosters in the entire NFL. They feel as if they can get another offensive lineman or a cornerback, they can compete with anybody. At 13, they go with Christian Darrisaw out of Virginia Tech. Darrisaw in 2020 gave up zero sacks and quarterback hits.

14. Minnesota Vikings- Alijah Vera-Tucker OL (USC)

General manager Rick Spielman has tried everything he can to fix the Vikings offensive line in his tenure in Minnesota, but nothing has improved as Kirk Cousins was sacked the 6th most in the NFL (39). Brining in Vera-Tucker is a nice way to get things back on track.

15. *Dallas Cowboys (From New England Patriots)- Jaycee Horn CB (South Carolina)

The Falcons take Patrick Surtain at nine, so the Cowboys move back and select Jaycee Horn. Horn matches up well with bigger receivers and PFF awarded him with a 78.0 grade in coverage, which is a 15 point increase from the year prior.

16. Arizona Cardinals- Greg Newsome II CB (Northwestern)

With Caleb Farley having back surgery, the Cardinals go with Greg Newsome. In 2020 when quarterbacks targeted him they had a passer rating of 31.7 and only gave up 7.8 yards per reception.

17. Las Vegas Raiders- Micah Parsons LB (Penn State)

The Raiders had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last year at defending the pass, ranking 25th in opponent passing yards per game. A big reason for that was their linebackers could not cover, mainly Cory Littleton. Littleton gave up more yards than the next two linebackers in snaps played in Nicholas Morrow and Nick Kwiatkoski combined. Parsons will help fill that void.

18. Miami Dolphins- Najee Harris RB (Alabama)

Head coach Brians Flores said that co-offensive coordinators George Godsey and Eric Studesvill will develop a playbook that is more Tua friendly. That could include many RPO’s, bringing in a former teammate of Tua will help his confidence, and the Dolphins need a dynamic player out the backfield.

19. Washington Football Team- Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah LB (Notre Dame)

Owusu-Koramoah is exactly the kind of linebacker Ron Rivera wants. He can play in multiple spots on the field and took on a lot of responsibilities at Notre Dame which will prepare him well at the next level. After losing Kevin Pierre-Louis in free agency, Washington gets a younger and more skilled LB at 19.

20. Chicago Bear- Rashod Bateman WR (Minnesota)

The Bears made a bid Kenny Golladay this offseason and were blown out of the water by the Giants, however many scouts compare the 6-foot-3, 190-pound receiver with 4.39 speed Rashod Bateman to Golladay. Bateman makes a lot of sense, especially if the Bears don’t resign Allen Robinson this offseason.

21. Indianapolis Colts- Kwity Paye ED (Michigan)

The Colts are ready to compete now, they are elite in the middle but need pass rushers. So far they haven’t been able to draft a consistent disruptor on the outside, at 21 they get the explosive edge rusher from Michigan. Paye at 6-foot-4, 272 ran a 4.54 and will compliment the Colts stout defense.

22. Tennessee Titans- Elijah Moore WR (Ole Miss)

This offseason the Titans lost their former first-round pick, Corey Davis, to the Jets in free agency. In the late first-round, Tennessee adds a speedster at receiver in Elijah Moore. They follow former teammate and current star wideout A.J. Brown’s advice.

23. New York Jets (from Seattle Seahawks)- Caleb Farley CB (Virginia Tech)

If it weren’t for back surgery, Caleb Farley would be the first cornerback off the board. The Jets need good players on defense, and they get a highly talented CB from Virginia Tech. At 6-foot-2 he is the ideal size at the next level. In 2019 Farley led the ACC with 16 passes defended (4 INT, 12 PBU).

24. Pittsburgh Steelers- Walker Little OL (Stanford)

In 2020, the Steelers were dead last in rushing and made Ben Rothlisberger’s main priority to get rid of the ball as quick as possible. The offensive line has had a lot of moving pieces in the last few years. Shaun Sarrett is out at coach, Maurkice Pouncey retired; Alejandro Villanueva is unsigned, Matt Feiler is now in a Charger, and Zach Banner is recovering from an ACL injury. At 24, the Steelers beef up the front-line.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Los Angeles Rams)- Trevon Moehrig-Woodard S (TCU)

New head coach Urban Meyer and the staff addressed their defensive line needs in free agency by bringing in Malcom Brown and Roy Roberston-Harris. With their second pick in the first round, the Jaguars bring in the Jim Thorpe Award winner Trevon Moehrig. Moehrig has good instincts on the back-line, sure tackler in the box, and has enough speed to cover in the slot.

26. Cleveland Browns- Jayson Oweh ED (Penn State)

Outside of Myles Garrett, the Browns are lacking pass rushers. That’s where the 6-foot-5, 252-pound defensive end, comes in. Despite no sacks in 2020, Oweh is viewed as a prospect that could develop into a double-digit sack pass rusher.

27. Baltimore Ravens- Terrace Marshall Jr. WR (LSU)

Over the past few years, the Ravens have had one of the worst receiving cores in the league, and it’s about time to bring in another weapon for Lamar Jackson. Marshall Jr. scored 23 touchdowns in 19 games, and 10 of those came in 2020. The Ravens need a boundary receiver, and Marshall is exactly that. In 2019 73.9% percent of his snaps were on the outside, with his 40-inch vertical I expect more highlight plays in Baltimore.

28. New Orleans Saints- Asante Samuel Jr. CB (Florida State)

The Saints had a lot of guys leave in free agency, and one significant area of need is in the secondary. At pick 28, the Saints options are limited, so they select Samuel Jr. In three years he played over 1,000 snaps in the slot and never had a PFF grade lower than 73.3. His improvement from year to year is what stands out the most. In 2020 he played mostly outside and earned his best grade of 81.8 overall and 82.8 in coverage.

29. Green Bay Packers- Rondale Moore WR (Purdue)

The Green Bay Packers have 10 picks in this year’s draft, and they need to go all-in on Aaron Rodgers. Last year they didn’t draft anyone that made a significant impact on offense. They don’t make the same mistake again and draft a big-time playmaker from Purdue.

30. Buffalo Bills- Azeez Ojulari ED (Georgia)

Despite having one of the best defenses in the NFL year in and year out, the Bills pass rush is average. With no corner to tempt them, they select a disruptive edge rusher in Ojulari. Also, Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison are in contract years.

31. Baltimore Ravens (from Kansas City Chiefs)- Teven Jenkins OL (Oklahoma State)

The Ravens just traded away an All-Pro tackle in Orlando Brown due to contract disagreements. If Jenkins available, this would be a slam dunk pick at 31. Jenkins is known for his finishing his blocks and would fit well in Baltimore.

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Jaelan Phillips ED (Miami)

The Bucs have little depth behind Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett. Adding Phillips makes sense at 32. More than likely he won’t be around at 32, but if he is, the Buccaneers may have the steal of the draft.

*Trade Predictions