NFL Mock Draft: Patriots, WFT and Browns trade up

1. Jacksonville Jaguars - Trevor Lawrence: Quarterback, Clemson
2. New York Jets - Zach Wilson: Quarterback, BYU
3. San Francisco 49ers - Mac Jones: Quarterback, Alabama
4. Atlanta Falcons - Kyle Pitts: Tight End, Florida
5. Cincinnati Bengals - Penei Sewell: Offensive Tackle, Oregon

Late last month, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was "pushing" for Cincinnati to draft his former LSU teammate Ja'Marr Chase, Burrow's top receiving weapon during his 2019 Heisman campaign. At the same time, Burrow is recovering from a torn ACL suffered at least in part because he was playing behind a disastrous offensive line, one that Pro Football Focus ranked as the NFL's third-worst last season. Reuniting Burrow and Chase in Cincinnati would be a blast, but given how desperate the Bengals are (or should be) to protect their star quarterback, taking Oregon's Penei Sewell at No. 5 probably makes the most sense.

6. Miami Dolphins - Ja'Marr Chase: Wide Receiver, LSU
7. Detroit Lions - Jaylen Waddle: Wide Receiver, Alabama
8. New England Patriots (trade up with Carolina Panthers) - Justin Fields: Quarterback, Ohio State
9. Denver Broncos - Trey Lance: Quarterback, North Dakota State
10. Dallas Cowboys - Rashawn Slater: Offensive Tackle, Northwestern

Last week, NFL Media's Peter Schrager projected the Patriots to trade all the way up from No. 15 to No. 4, allowing them to draft their future franchise quarterback in Ohio State's Justin Fields. However, unless the Patriots believe the Lions are likely to take a quarterback at No. 7, they probably won't have to move up quite that high to draft Fields. In our mock, we have New England moving up seven spots for Fields, benefiting from Carolina's recent acquisition of Darnold. This scenario would have them leapfrogging the Denver Broncos, who may also be in the market for a quarterback after Drew Lock's underwhelming 2020.

11. New York Giants - Devonta Smith: Wide Receiver, Alabama
12. Philadelphia Eagles - Patrick Surtain II: Cornerback, Alabama
13. Los Angeles Chargers - Caleb Farley: Cornerback, Virginia Tech
14. Minnesota Vikings - Gregory Rousseau: Edge Rusher, Miami
15. Carolina Panthers (trade down with New England Patriots) - Jaycee Horn: Cornerback, South Carolina

While Philadelphia would obviously prefer to land one of the draft's top pass-catchers, long-time Eagles reporter Derrick Gunn suggested last week the team would also be open to using their first-round pick on a cornerback. With that in mind, the Eagles select Alabama's Patrick Surtain II with the No. 12 pick, starting a run of three cornerbacks taken in a span of four picks. Despite questions about how well his back may hold up in the long run, Virginia Tech's Caleb Farley is too talented for the Chargers to pass on him at 13. Finally, we have the Panthers, who traded down with New England, selecting South Carolina's Jaycee Horn, whom NFL Media's Lance Zierlein describes as "immediate starting help with a high upside."

16. Washington Football Team (trade up with Arizona Cardinals) - Christian Darrisaw: Offensive Tackle, Virginia Tech
17. Las Vegas Raiders - Micah Parsons: Linebacker, Penn State
18. Miami Dolphins - Kwity Pate: Edge Rusher, Michigan
19. Arizona Cardinals (trade down with Washington Football Team) - Alijah Vera-Tucker: Offensive Guard, USC
20. Chicago Bears - Kadarius Toney: Wide Receiver, Florida

It doesn't appear the Washington Football Team will find its long-term solution at quarterback this offseason, making their best course of action to follow the blueprint laid out by the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the Bucs underwhelmed throughout Jameis Winston's five seasons in Tampa, general manager Jason Licht built a stacked roster through the draft, complementing Winston with pieces like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Ali Marpet, Vita Vea and Ronald Jones II. When Tom Brady became a free agent, the Buccaneers presented an opportunity for him to win immediately, which is exactly what he did. It's not every year a generational quarterback becomes available, but if Washington continues to build a strong roster, they'll be in position to trade for an accomplished veteran (Russell Wilson?) or land one in free agency next offseason.

21. Indianapolis Colts - Rashod Bateman: Wide Receiver, Minnesota
22. Tennessee Titans - Jalen Mayfield: Offensive Tackle, Michigan
23. Cleveland Browns (trade up with New York Jets) - Jaelan Phillips: Edge Rusher, Miami
24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Teven Jenkins: Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma State
25. Jacksonville Jaguars - Travis Etienne: Running Back, Clemson

Any of the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets or Pittsburgh Steelers could be the first team to select a running back in this year's draft. However, there's also a scenario where none do, and the Jacksonville Jaguars, who already drafted Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick, look to reunite their new quarterback with his former Clemson teammate Travis Etienne. If available, that would be too sweet an opportunity to pass up, especially for a team playing in a state more enamored with college football than its NFL teams.