2021 NFL Mock Draft: Lawrence, Fields Lead First Look at Next Year’s Class

It's very encouraging that Ron Rivera will bring competence to an organization that's been the picture of instability over the past 20 years. It's also scary to think about what he'll be able to do with a defensive line that now includes No. 2 overall pick Chase Young and 2019 first-round pick Montez Sweat, who had seven sacks in his rookie season.

Still, the Redskins are years away from being able to compete offensively. Terry McLaurin had a tremendous rookie year, but there's not much in the way outside of him in terms of wide receiver depth. (The Redskins did use two of their top four picks in the 2020 NFL Draft on wideouts, so we'll see how that plays out.) Vernon Davis retired and Jordan Reed was released, so the team is thin at tight end. Derrius Guice has flashed elite potential at running back when he's been on the field, but he's played in just five games in two seasons. Adrian Peterson will be back for a third season in D.C., but he'll also play it at age 35.

Dwayne Haskins isn't set up to succeed in 2020, and there were so many moving parts in his rookie season that we don't know if he'd be able to succeed even with a better arsenal.

Since leading Clemson to the College Football Playoff National Championship in his true freshman season, Trevor Lawrence has been the presumed No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. If all goes as expected, he'll be the most coveted quarterback prospect since Andrew Luck to enter the NFL Draft, and could help to finally bring stability to the nation's capital.

Before the NFL Draft, we probably would have had the Jaguars ranked as the worst team in the sport heading into 2021. However, it's hard to ignore how well they did in the 2020 NFL Draft, securing cornerback C.J. Henderson, edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson and wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. in the first 42 picks.

Still, the team has already traded away former All-Pro defensive end Calais Campbell and former Pro Bowl cornerback A.J. Bouye this offseason. They continue to shop running back Leonard Fournette, who publicly campaigned for the team to sign former NFL MVP Cam Newton, despite it being apparent that the plan was to move forward with Gardner Minshew II. And things are so bitter with defensive end Yannick Ngakoue - who has 37.5 sacks in four seasons with the team - that it appears he could actually sit out the 2020 season rather than playing on the franchise tag.

There's a lot that leads you to think that the Jaguars will have high pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. While there's little doubt here that Minshew is capable of winning games in the NFL, there's quite a bit of doubt that he's capable of leading a team to a Super Bowl. If the Jaguars are picking in the top two of the 2021 NFL Draft, that will likely answer that question.

So, in this mock, the Jaguars make a former Ohio State star the No. 2 overall pick for the third consecutive season, taking quarterback Justin Fields. In his sophomore season with the Buckeyes, Fields tossed 41 touchdowns, racked up 3,273 passing yards and even ran for nearly 500 yards en route to being a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

The Panthers did just ink Teddy Bridgewater to a lucrative three-year deal, but they can get out of the deal after 2021 and only have to take on $5 million in dead cap money. If they own one of the top two picks - or a third quarterback emerges that could be taken with this pick - there's little doubt what direction the team should go with their selection.

However, while we're projecting the Panthers to have a rough first season under Matt Rhule, it may fall just short of getting them in position to take Cam Newton's long-term successor.

In that event, it would behoove the Panthers to take the best overall player, and it appears that may be Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell, a unanimous First-Team All-American in 2019. Pro Football Focus referred to Sewell as "a rare breed at left tackle," adding that the 20-year-old possesses "strength, hand speed, elite sense of balance, bend, quickness and athleticism."

Having just acquired Russell Okung from the Los Angeles Chargers, left tackle perhaps isn't the team's most pressing need. That said, Okung is 32 and not under contract past 2020. Even if Okung is ultimately retained in some form, it would be foolish to pass on a potential franchise left tackle in this position.

After winning the College Football Playoff National Championship earlier this year, the LSU Tigers had 14 players selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. They'll be hard pressed to top that next season, but a key piece from the 2019 team will become eligible for the draft next year and likely be the first skill-position player off the board.

Like just about every offensive player at LSU in 2020, Ja'Marr Chase exploded, catching 84 passes for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns. Even in one of the deepest wide receiving classes ever, Chase may very well have been a top-15 pick if he had been eligible to come out for the 2020 NFL Draft Class.

With Joe Burrow selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 1 overall pick and passing game coordinator Joe Brady having left to become the Carolina Panthers' offensive coordinator, Chase may struggle to top his 2020 season from a statistical standpoint. With that said, he averaged over 21 yards a reception this past season - if he comes anywhere near that type of production this fall (assuming there is a season), he's going to be the top wide receiver selected in 2021.

Rather than taking one of Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb with the No. 11 overall pick, the Jets chose to protect Sam Darnold by drafting Mekhi Becton. That may prove to be the wise pick in the long run, but the Jets were already thin at wide receiver and lost Robby Anderson in free agency. They appear to have gotten good value with former Baylor wide receiver Denzel Mims in the second round, but their receiving corps around Sam Darnold is far from complete.

Despite owning the No. 16 pick, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported that the Falcons attempted to trade up to the No. 2 pick with the Washington Redskins to draft defensive end Chase Young. They were rebuffed, but it's something to file away.

It is possible that even if he has another very good individual season, the Falcons consider drafting Matt Ryan's successor if they have a top-10 pick next season. Ryan will turn 35 in May. If there's a slip in his individual play - especially if it's significant enough for the Falcons to obtain a top two pick - it may be time to consider the team's next era at the position.

If not a quarterback, edge rusher remains a position that the Falcons aren't strong at. Miami's Gregory Rousseau had 15.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for a loss in his first full season in 2019, and whether Dan Quinn is still the head coach or not, he would be a welcome addition to the team's defense.

For as drastically as the Dolphins have improved their roster this offseason, they will still have a very young team in 2020. There's also a very real chance that No. 5 overall pick Tua Tagovailoa learns behind veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick for at least the first stretch of the season. Under Chris Grier and Brian Flores, the Dolphins are absolutely headed in the right direction. That may not lead to a huge increase over the five wins that the team had in 2019, though.

If we assume that a year from now the Dolphins still believe that Tagovailoa will be their franchise quarterback, it will become that much more imperative to continue building the offensive line.

The Dolphins spent one of their three first-round picks on former USC offensive tackle Austin Jackson, with some belief that he can eventually be a franchise left tackle. However, with a left-handed quarterback - especially one with a lengthy college injury history - taking care of the right tackle position will be especially important. Drafting Little, a 2018 First-Team All-Pac 12 selection, would theoretically allow the Dolphins to not have to worry about either tackle position for close to a decade.

In an 11-year career that he split with the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Surtain was a three-time Pro Bowler and a 2002 All-Pro. Now, there's evidence that his son may have that type of ceiling in the NFL.

Surtain II has 79 total tackles, three interceptions and four forced fumbles in two seasons playing for Nick Saban at Alabama. Bill Riccette of Pro Football Network cites Surtain II's elite size for the position - he's 6'2, 203 pounds - along with his ability to play both on the outside and in the slot as reasons why he's the most intriguing prospect at the position expected to be in next year's class.

The Bengals could go in a variety of directions with this pick - including wide receiver if A.J. Green is traded during the 2020 season or leaves in free agency after the campaign concludes. For now, though, we have them taking Surtain II, who is probably the best player still on the board.

During the 2016 NFL Draft, current Las Vegas Raiders' general manager Mike Mayock was working for the NFL Network. At that time, he ranked North Dakota State prospect Carson Wentz as his top quarterback prospect, over the eventual No. 1 pick Jared Goff. He even went as far as comparing Wentz to Andrew Luck, which carried a different meaning than it does now.

We say that to say this: Mayock isn't afraid of 1-AA players. A great prospect to him is a great prospect. That feels especially relevant in this context, when there isn't a clear-cut No. 3 quarterback yet in the 2021 NFL Draft class. Maybe Georgia's Jamie Newman or Texas A&M's Kellen Mond will seize that spot. However, Pete Fiutak of College Football News makes a compelling case that North Dakota State's Trey Lance - who threw for 28 touchdowns and rushed for 1,100 yards in 2019 - could seize that spot. Lance also led the Bison to the FCS Championsip in 2019.

There's some though that Jon Gruden isn't a fan of going through the growing pains that come with developing a young quarterback. Perhaps that's true, but while playing in the same division as the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs and a greatly improved Denver Broncos team, that may leave the Raiders with a ceiling, one that doesn't involve the postseason. If one of Derek Carr or Marcus Mariota isn't able to convince Gruden or Mayock that they can lead the Raiders to a championship, the team may be forced to use a high draft pick on a quarterback in 2021.

Dave Gettleman needed the Giants to have a strong draft class in 2020, and by all accounts, he hit a home run. The team used their first and third-round selections on Andrew Thomas and Matt Peart, two potential offensive line stalwarts. They also landed safety Xavier McKinney in the second round, a player that many thought was a lock to be selected somewhere in the draft's first round.

A strong draft class acknowledged, the Giants didn't use a single one of their 10 draft picks on a wide receiver. While Darius Slayton had an impressive rookie season, Golden Tate will play next season at 32 and Sterling Shephard has dealt with concussion issues, which makes it hard to plan for a future with him in it. What's more, there's a good chance that running back Saquon Barkley will look for a long-term contract if he has a strong third season - which is exactly what Ezekiel Elliott and Christian McCaffrey did - which makes it that much more important to add cheap production to the position, as opposed to an expensive veteran.

Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross displayed game-breaking ability in his freshman season of 2018, as he averaged 21.7 yards per reception, racking up 1,000 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. His sophomore season wasn't quite as impressive, as he regressed to 13.1 yards per reception and 865 receiving yards. If he has a bounce-back junior season, Ross will likely be the second wide receiver off the board. If not, Alabama teammates Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith could compete for that honor.

There's a very real chance that the Bears are just good enough in 2020 that they aren't able to get in position to take a quarterback, while being ready to admit that neither Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles is their long-term answer.

If that proves to be the case, the Bears could choose to address needs on the offensive line with Alex Leatherwood, who elected to return to Alabama for his senior season rather than entering a 2020 class that was deep in offensive line talent. Leatherwood was a First-Team All-SEC selection this past season.

Who Leatherwood would be blocking for at the quarterback position in his first year in Chicago and beyond is anyone's guess.