The NFL Draft's most surprising, confusing, and best moves so far
Snap reactions to day 1 of the draft and lots of love for Justin Fields
The first day of the NFL Draft is in the books. Trevor Lawrence earned the chance to be the greatest player in Jaguars history. The Patriots got their first opening round quarterback since Drew Bledsoe. The Raiders got a player considered a Day 2 talent.
29 of the league’s 32 teams drafted the cornerstones of their 2021 rookie classes over the course of more than four slowly developing hours in Cleveland. The NFL preened its way through a relative return to draft normalcy — masked fans were in attendance, with some even presented the ...honor? of sitting on the easy chair in which Roger Goodell was pronounced clinically dead for five picks last year. And the neediest teams reloaded their rosters with the low-cost contributors who could be the difference between a spot in the playoffs and another early offseason.
It’s too soon to tell who got the players needed to inexorably alter the fate of their franchise, but we can at least parse out which teams got proper value for their picks and which addressed key needs. The 2021 NFL Draft ultimately failed to match the bizarre energy of the Aaron Rodgers trade rumors that preceded it, but it still gave us plenty to talk about.
Let’s dig in.
Snap decisions are typically wrong and ultimately pointless, but which team won the first round?
Christian D’Andrea: The Bears got arguably the second-best quarterback prospect in the draft with the 11th overall pick. Justin Fields’ slide throughout the pre-draft process was mostly inexplicable, but he wound up with a franchise that will appreciate the hell out of him after decades of wandering through a desolate wasteland of useless passers. Fields was one of the most prolific QBs in Ohio State history despite only spending two years as a starter, and his five-star makeup suggests he has all the tools of a franchise cornerstone.
Bears fans were, in a word, excited:
The only problem now is the lack of talent around him. Chicago was pressed up against the salary cap this offseason and unable to fix up an offensive line PFF ranked 20th-best in the NFL. The receiving corps has Allen Robinson and a couple of nice developmental pieces in Darnell Mooney and tight end Cole Kmet, but nowhere near the upside the Jaguars or 49ers can provide their rookie gunslingers. 2021 may be a trying experience as Fields learns the ropes behind Andy Dalton and then takes over an offense whose aerial attack is essentially:
Find Allen Robinson
Is he covered?
Doesn’t matter, throw it anyway.
The baseline for 2021 is outplaying the ghost of Mitchell Trubisky. Fields, even if he struggles, can do that. Go celebrate, Chicago.
Sarah Hardy: I don’t know if any pick was more celebrated Thursday night than Fields going to the Bears, and rightfully so. I’m happy for Bears fans, Allen Robinson, and Eddie Jackson, who are finally getting a real quarterback; for Fields, who didn’t have to suffer the indignity of getting drafted after Mac Jones; and for Matt Nagy, who could’ve just saved his job.
The only issue I have with it is that the Bears had to trade up to make it happen, just four years after doing the same for Trubisky. But for all the crap they’ve (deservedly) taken lately about their quarterback situation, I have to applaud them for trying to right a past wrong.
I also want to highlight the Ravens, who landed two impact players without having to move up. First, they showed the Packers how you should treat your franchise quarterback by taking a potential No. 1 wide receiver with their first first-round pick. Rashod Bateman arguably shouldn’t have lasted until pick No. 27, but luckily for Lamar Jackson, the Ravens didn’t let him fall any further. Then they got edge defender Odafe “Jayson” Oweh at No. 31. Oweh is more of a project, but he has the athleticism to be a disruptive force on the Baltimore defense when it’s all said and down.
Ryan Van Bibber: I liked what the Vikings did. Nothing sexy, but smart. They could have stayed at 14, picked Christian Darrisaw, and been just fine with the Virginia Tech offensive tackle on board. Instead, they moved down and got a pair of third-round picks and still got their guy at No. 23. Like it or not, they’re stuck with Kirk Cousins for two more seasons (and $76 million in cap hits.) He struggled last year under pressure, and it really showed up in the turnovers. Darrisaw offers a much-needed upgrade in that department.
Now, they better get some defensive help with the rest of the picks, because that side of the ball is where this team really struggled last year.
Which team had the most confusing first round?
CD: The Packers couldn’t get my favorite second-tier wideout after Rashod Bateman was drafted two slots ahead of their pick at No. 29, but there were still plenty of available options to give Aaron Rodgers a true WR2 behind Davante Adams. Elijah Moore, who spent 2020 roasting SEC defenses, was there to provide a truly dynamic slot option. Terrace Marshall Jr. and Tutu Atwell were as well.
Instead, Green Bay decided to defer on adding receiving talent and focused on their defense. But they didn’t target a sliding Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah or Nick Bolton to punch up a depleted run defense at linebacker or plug a hole up front with Alabama defensive tackle Christian Barrimore. No, they made Georgia’s Eric Stokes the fifth cornerback selected in the first round — a position of moderate need, sure, but also one the Pack had kinda/sorta addressed by re-signing Kevin King (last seen getting absolutely burned in the NFC title game) to a one-year, $5 million deal.
If corner was the plan — and since it wasn’t like Stokes, pegged as a second-rounder, was unexpectedly available late Thursday, that seems likely — why spend that kind of money on King in the midst of a salary cap crunch? How does Stokes fix a concerning rush defense? Is Stokes a better fit than more highly rated corners like Asante Samuel Jr. or Tyson Campbell? And is this just gonna antagonize Rodgers even more? I dunno, man.
SH: The Packers’ pick was a head-scratcher, but to be honest, I’ve come to expect that from them at this point. It’s like they’re engaged in a constant and public passive-aggressive battle with Aaron Rodgers.
For variety’s sake, I’ll go with the Saints. Earlier in the day, they were rumored to be trying to trade into the top 10, but they stayed at No. 28 and then didn’t address one of their biggest needs (CB, WR). While edge defender Payton Turner has the physical tools to be a good addition to the Saints’ DL, he also didn’t put up huge numbers in college, despite not facing the toughest competition at Houston. Turner still could’ve been available when the Saints picked in the second round, which would’ve been a more reasonable spot to grab him. Kinda feels like Sean Payton reached on him simply because of his name.
RVB: I don’t understand why the Panthers passed on Justin Fields, or Mac Jones for that matter. Sam Darnold is most assuredly NOT the answer; I don’t know that he’s even much of a bridge guy. There’s more talent around him in Carolina than there was in New York, but still, the talent around him isn’t the real talent problem there. The Panthers blew the chance to get a franchise quarterback, a chance that doesn’t come around very often.
I guess you could say the same thing about the Broncos, though I think they’re better off in the short term with Teddy Bridgewater, the guy Carolina got rid of for Darnold.
This reminds me of the Bears drafting Mitch Trubisky instead of Patrick Mahomes. At least the Panthers didn’t throw away a bunch of picks to make a mistake like that, but they’ve pretty much guaranteed that they’ll have to come back and address the position again in the very near future.
Did the 49ers botch their first-round selection?
CD: Yes, but not as badly as they could have! Trey Lance has a higher ceiling than Mac Jones, who would have been an instantly maligned selection for Kyle Shanahan. Instead, Shanahan and GM John Lynch opted for North Dakota State passer Trey Lance, who has some Josh Allen traits in his football DNA. Like Allen, he’s got an ideal QB build, cannon arm, and above-average athleticism when it comes to escaping the pocket. And like Allen, he’s relatively untested after entering the NFL from an overlooked Division I program (Wyoming for Allen, North Dakota State for Lance).
The issue I have is that these 49ers are built to win now, but Lance is the least pro ready of the top five quarterbacks in this year’s draft. Selecting the Bison standout likely means keeping Jimmy Garoppolo around or adding a different veteran QB to hold the reins while Lance gets his sea legs underneath him. It took Allen two years to get to the postseason and three to look like a truly above-average QB. A similar wait could burn more precious years from San Francisco’s championship window.
SH: No. I like the pick, and not just because it wasn’t Mac Jones. Despite his rawness, I’m high on Lance’s potential. And with Garoppolo still around, he can sit and learn without being thrown into the fire. I think that’s the best-case scenario for Lance and his chances of succeeding in the NFL.
This pick also shows that Kyle Shanahan isn’t set in his ways and is willing to embrace a more modern quarterback (big arm, good on the move, and creative). Although he tried to dispute the notion that Kirk Cousins was his ideal type of quarterback, many media members and fans alike were still convinced he had traded up for Jones. On Thursday night, Shanahan said that was never the case:
Taking Lance, and the decision to trade three first-round picks, isn’t without risk. But it could also pay off for years to come.
RVB: I agree with Sarah. I felt like it was a good move. I hate to put too much blind faith in a coach, but if anyone can get the most out of an incredibly talented kid like Trey Lance, it’s probably Kyle Shanahan. It will make for an awkward situation in the QB room. The media loves to talk about the “mentor” relationship, but that’s just not it works with most of the veterans who are keeping a seat warm for their replacement (hi Aaron Rodgers!) Still, that doesn’t really matter here. Like Sarah said, they can lean on Garoppolo until Lance is ready. Plus, it’s a chance to Garoppolo to reestablish himself and play his way into another starting job somewhere … I hear Carolina may be looking for yet another bridge quarterback soon.
What was the biggest surprise of Day 1?
CD: The Giants traded down! And it made sense! After Philadelphia jumped the line to draft DeVonta Smith, New York had little reason to stand pat at No. 11. So, Dave Gettleman traded back in the first round for the first time in his nine years as an NFL general manager.
Gettleman moved from 11th to 20th and picked up a 2022 first-rounder, and a pair of useful Day 3 selections (a fifth this year and a fourth the next). That’s tremendous value; per Bill Belichick’s draft value chart and assuming the Bears pick 20th again next spring, the Giants earned the equivalent of an extra early second-rounder out of the move backward. New York needs talent pretty much everywhere. An extra first-rounder next season to pair with 2021 first Kadarius Toney is a good start. Toney’s an uber-productive wideout who can excel across from Kenny Golladay in northern New Jersey … even if Giants fans aren’t super excited about him.
SH: The Big 12 had the No. 1 overall pick in 2018 and 2019. In 2021, they had zero first-round picks, the first time that’s happened to a major conference in 15 years:
TCU safety Trevon Moehrig seemed like the Big 12 player most likely to hear his name called on Day 1, followed by OT Teven Jenkins (Oklahoma State) and DE Ronnie Perkins (OKlahoma). But all of them were on the fringe and are still available heading into Day 2. Several surprise selections in Round 1— including Alex Leatherwood, Jamin Davis, Payton Turner, Eric Stokes, and Joe Tryon — certainly didn’t help their chances.
While the Big 12 went home empty-handed Thursday night, the Alabama machine led the way with six first-rounders and even Northwestern had two first-round picks in the same draft for the first time ever (Rashawn Slater to the Chargers and Greg Newsome II to the Browns, two excellent picks).
The Big 12 shouldn’t sweat it too much, though. Not only is “conference pride” the weird and mostly fake kind of bragging rights, but next year it’ll be time for yet another Oklahoma QB (Spencer Rattler) to get drafted early.
RVB: I guess “surprise” isn’t the right word for the Raiders drafting a player a round earlier than they need to, not since they’ve done it three years in a row now. I don’t dislike the Leatherwood pick, though. Only seven more years of Jon Gruden, Raiders fans!
I was surprised to see the Jaguars running back Travis Etienne with the 25th pick. Sucks to be James Robinson, who proved to be a pretty capable guy last season. Maybe they can trade him. But more than that, this team had plenty of needs elsewhere, especially on defense. (Last year’s group was the worst defense in franchise history.) I guess the Clemson connection with Trevor Lawrence was just too much to overlook.
Will Mac Jones be the Patriots’ next franchise quarterback?
CD: No.
SH: No.
RVB: No.