2021 NFL Mock Draft: Full first round preview ahead of Super Bowl LV

1.) Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence - QB - Clemson
2.) New York Jets: Justin Fields - QB - Ohio State
3.) Miami Dolphins: Ja'Marr Chase - WR - LSU
4.) Atlanta Falcons: Zach Wilson - QB - BYU
5.) Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell - T - Oregon

You can essentially write it in stone - Urban Meyer and the Jaguars will take Trevor Lawrence with the top pick. At No. 2, Jets general manager Joe Douglas could go in a variety of directions. He could select former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, who tossed 67 touchdowns and ran for over 1,100 yards in three collegiate seasons. That said, after a breakout year, some believe that BYU quarterback Zach Wilson is the second-best quarterback prospect in this year's class. The possibility also exists that the Jets run things back with Sam Darnold for another season, hoping that in his fourth NFL season, he'll be able to stay healthy and improve away from Adam Gase. We're going to project that the Jets take Fields and trade Darnold, but the wild card of trading this pick for Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson - apparently a fan of new head coach Robert Saleh - makes this one of the most intriguing storylines in this year's draft.

6.) Philadelphia Eagles: Devonta Smith - WR - Alabama
7.) Detroit Lions: Trey Lance - QB - North Dakota State
8.) Carolina Panthers: Patrick Surtain II - CB - Alabama
9.) Denver Broncos: Caleb Farley - CB - Virginia Tech
10.) Dallas Cowboys: Rashawn Slater - T - Northwestern

It appears to be a matter of when, not if, the Lions trade former No. 1 overall pick Matthew Stafford this offseason. With Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. also set to hit free agency, the Lions appear destined for a few very lean years. That may mean signing a bridge quarterback and simply taking whoever they believe is the best player at this position, regardless of position. We're going to bet, though, that the trio of Chris Spielman, Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell will want to get the quarterback situation figured out. If Lance is still on the board at pick No. 7, he'd be an intriguing selection after tossing 28 touchdowns to zero interceptions in 2019, while rushing for 1,110 yards.

11.) New York Giants: Gregory Rousseau - EDGE - Miami
12.) San Francisco 49ers: Kwity Paye - EDGE - Michigan
13.) Los Angeles Chargers: Micah Parsons - LB - Penn State
14.) Minnesota Vikings: Christian Darrisaw - T - Virginia Tech
15.) New England Patriots: Jaylen Waddle - WR - Alabama

In a make-or-break year for Daniel Jones, it would be hard to fault Dave Gettleman and company for drafting Jaylen Waddle at pick No. 11. That said, the most pressing need on the roster is for an edge rusher. Rousseau opted out of the 2020 NCAA season because of COVID-19, but had 15.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss in 2019. The Miami product would be an excellent fit for Joe Judge's squad.

16.) Arizona Cardinals: Kyle Pitts - TE - Florida
17.) Las Vegas Raiders: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah - LB - Notre Dame
18.) Miami Dolphins: Travis Etienne - RB - Clemson
19.) Washington Football Team: Rashod Bateman - WR - Minnesota
20.) Chicago Bears: Jalen Mayfield - T - Michigan

Either the Los Angeles Chargers or the New England Patriots could be suitors for Florida product Kyle Pitts, but if he makes it to the 16th pick, it's very exciting to think about him in an offense that already includes Kyler Murray, DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk. In his junior season at Florida, Pitts averaged 17.9 yards per reception and hauled in 12 touchdown passes. At 6-foot-6, Pitts has a chance to be a star at the NFL level and push Arizona into the postseason in 2021.

21.) Indianapolis Colts: Mac Jones - QB - Alabama
22.) Tennessee Titans: Joseph Ossai - EDGE - Texas
23.) New York Jets: Terrace Marshall Jr. - WR - LSU
24.) Pittsburgh Steelers: Alijah Vera-Tucker - G - USC
25.) Jacksonville Jaguars: Alex Leatherwood - T - Alabama

Among other available veteran quarterbacks this offseason, we believe that Matthew Stafford would make a ton of sense for the Colts. If such a deal comes to pass, the Colts obviously won't take a quarterback here - heck, they may not even have the pick. For the time being, we're going to plug in Alabama's Mac Jones, who threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdown passes. After an underwhelming rookie year from Tua Tagovailoa, it is a little fair to be skeptical about the fact that Jones had Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III, Devonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle to throw to over the past two seasons. Trying to project what Alabama quarterbacks will be at the NFL level isn't an enviable task. But Jones is expected to be a first-round pick, and for the time being, the Colts have a need.