2021 NFL Draft - Pro Football Rumors

Panthers Select South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn At No. 9

April 29th, 2021 at 8:19pm CST by Ben Levine

The 2021 NFL Draft offers a handful of top-tier cornerback prospects, and the first one is finally off the board. With the ninth-overall pick, the Panthers selected South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn.

It always seemed like a foregone conclusion that Horn would be selected in the first round of the draft; it was just a matter of if he’d be the first cornerback off the board. He ultimately earned that distinction, beating out the likes of Patrick Surtain and Caleb Farley.

The son of former Pro Bowl wideout Joe Horn, the defensive back prospect has more than family pedigree on his side. Standing at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Horn possesses the rare combination of speed and physicality. The prospect undoubtedly has the talent to become one of the top players at his position, and the Panthers are clearly bullish on his potential.

Horn was on the draft radar for several years following solid campaigns in 2018 and 2019. He seemed to elevate his play in 2020, collecting a pair of interceptions, six passes defended, and 10 tackles in only seven games. However, following the dismissal of head coach Will Muschamp, Horn sat out the final stretch of the 2020 campaign.

Considering the draft capital that the Panthers gave up for Sam Darnold, it’s a bit of a surprise that the front office didn’t look to provide their new quarterback with offensive line help. Still, it’s hard to be critical of the Horn selection. Carolina’s current depth chart consists of Donte Jackson and Troy Pride, so the rookie will probably be a starter from Day 1.

Bengals Draft LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase

April 29th, 2021 at 8:04pm CST by Zachary Links

With the No. 5 pick in the NFL Draft, the Bengals selected LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The pick reunites Chase with his old college pal Joe Burrow and gives the Bengals one of the brightest offensive talents in this year’s class.

In 2019, Chase set SEC single-season records in receiving yards (1,780) and receiving touchdowns (20). That same Burrow-led offense produced three skill position players that went in the first round of the 2020 draft, including Justin Jefferson. Jefferson, according to many scouts, is an even better prospect.

“I thought Chase was on a different level [than Jefferson],” one scout told The Athletic earlier this year. “Watching what Jefferson did this year (with the Vikings), that just makes me say, ‘Good Lord.’ Honestly, I thought (Chase) was the best receiver in the class last year.”

After capturing the Biletnikoff Award as a sophomore, Chase opted out of the 2020 season. The 6-foot, 208-pounder may have a little rust to shake, but evaluators aren’t too concerned. Based on talent alone, some had Chase slotted as the third-best player in this year’s class, behind only Trevor Lawrence and Kyle Pitts.

Falcons Select Florida TE Kyle Pitts At No. 4

April 29th, 2021 at 7:52pm CST by Ben Levine

The first non-quarterback is off the board. As expected, the Falcons have selected talented Florida tight end Kyle Pitts with the fourth-overall pick.

Many pundits had Pitts ranked as their top prospect in the entire draft (or, at least, even with QB Trevor Lawrence), but he wasn’t expected to go in the top-three considering the Jaguars, Jets, and 49ers were all eyeing quarterbacks. Atlanta seemed like a natural landing spot for the tight end, although there were some wondering if the Falcons front office would consider an eventual successor to veteran Matt Ryan. Instead, the team has provided the former MVP with another talented weapon.

The 6-foot-6 tight end put himself on the NFL radar with 54 catches for 649 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore. Then, last year, he took his game to a whole ‘nother level. In 13 games, he reeled in 43 receptions for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. That was good for a 17.9 yards per catch average — a major leap from his previous 12.0 ypc. Pitts even placed as a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff award, which goes to the top wide receiver in football.

The Florida product profiles as a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. Pitts is too fast for most linebackers and he’ll likely outstretch most cornerbacks on deep routes. His aforementioned 40-yard-dash time only boosted his stock further — most evaluators expected him to land somewhere in the high 4.5 range, which still would have been impressive for a player of his size. Playing alongside Calvin Ridley and (potentially) Julio Jones, Pitts should have plenty of opportunities to showcase those skills. Pitts will form an impressive 1-2 TE combo with Hayden Hurst.

It’s been decades since a TE went in the top five. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Vernon Davis came close, but they were taken No. 6 overall in 2004 and 2006, respectively.

49ers Draft North Dakota State QB Trey Lance At No. 3

April 29th, 2021 at 7:43pm CST by Zachary Links

With the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the 49ers selected North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance. The Niners considered a number of QBs at No. 3 overall, but Lance had emerged as a potential frontrunner in recent days.

Alabama’s Mac Jones and Ohio State’s Justin Fields may be slightly disappointed. Both passers conducted additional pro days specifically geared for the 49ers, but they weren’t able to unseat the North Dakota State phenom.

Despite some (reported) consideration for Jones, the front office ultimately went for Lance, who many say has more upside. Lance did a second audition for the Niners a week and a half ago, using many of Kyle Shanahan‘s favorite drills. Apparently, that Pro Day re-do made an impression. Lance hardly played last year, but he flexed his talent in 2019 as he went off for 28 passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, and 1,100 yards on the ground.

While the first two picks of the draft were clear-cut, there were plenty of questions surrounding the third-overall pick. Even the 49ers seemed unsure about who they were going to take when they paired a pair of future first-round picks with No. 12 to trade up for No. 3 from the Dolphins. San Francisco never really showed their hand, although in recent days it sounded like the organization had settled on either Lance or Jones. This made the No. 3 pick the most interesting selection in the draft, and it will have an impact on the rest of the evening.

Despite being selected with the third-overall pick, Lance might not necessarily be under center come Week 1 considering the presence of Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster. Still, despite the front office declaring that they’re fine keeping a pair of high-profile quarterbacks, there’s a good chance the veteran is moved (either via trade or release) prior to the start of the season, providing a clear path to playing time for the rookie QB.

Jets Draft Zach Wilson No. 2 Overall

April 29th, 2021 at 7:33pm CST by Zachary Links

Trevor Lawrence was a virtual lock for the No. 1 pick, but Zach Wilson‘s odds of going to the Jets weren’t far behind. With the No. 2 overall pick, the Jets tapped the BYU passer to be their next quarterback of the future.

Wilson didn’t earn as much fanfare as Lawrence, but he still offers tons of potential. The 6’2″ passer is fresh off of a breakout season with a 73.5% completion rate, good for No. 2 in the nation. Meanwhile, his 33 passing touchdowns placed him third, and he threw just three interceptions. Wilson’s mobility powered him to ten rushing touchdowns last year, further vaulting him up the Jets’ draft board. It also helped that he hit it off with Jets GM Joe Douglas in the interview process.

The knocks on Wilson are few and far between. Some say his decision making was questionable in 2019, a season cut short by a thumb surgery. But, last year, Wilson kept the turnovers to a minimum and consistently found the open man. Some also wonder if he’ll have durability issues as his ~210-pound frame adjusts to harder hits at the pro level.

Regardless, the Jets are supremely confident in Wilson and his upside, which is why they traded No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold to the Panthers.

Jaguars Draft Trevor Lawrence No. 1 Overall

April 29th, 2021 at 7:27pm CST by Zachary Links

No surprise here. With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jaguars selected Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Typically, teams like to manufacture some mystery with the top overall pick. That wasn’t the case here. New head coach Urban Meyer openly professed his love for Lawrence months ago, all but cementing his arrival in Jacksonville.

“I’d have to say that’s the direction we’re going. I’ll leave that up to the owner when we make that decision official. But I’m certainly not stepping out of line that that’s certainly the direction we’re headed,” Meyer said in March. “Trevor checks all the boxes, you know?”

“The number one common quality of every great player, not just quarterback, is competitive maniac. He’s 34-2. Won a national title as a true freshman. Is a winner. I’ve seen him up close and in person compete. And then character. I see him and I witness with my players, when the guys get drafted high, a lot of people get . . . They have influences in their live. Like, whether it be social media, whether it be other things that really don’t pertain to winning.”

Lawrence was predictably brilliant at his pro day, leaving no doubt for Meyer, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, passing-game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, and the rest of the Jaguars’ contingent.

In his final season at Clemson, Lawrence threw for 3,153 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions. And, with 69.2% of his passes completed, he finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, despite losing time to injury.

Now, it’s on to the Jets, who fell just short in their #TankforTrevor pursuit.

Patriots Discussing Trade-Up Move

April 29th, 2021 at 4:22pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Patriots continue to be an intriguing wild card ahead of tonight’s first-round. While they re-signed Cam Newton this offseason they didn’t give him very much money, and there’s been a lot of speculation they might move up for a passer.

While there have been a lot of hypotheticals about splashy trades up into the top ten for Justin Fields or Trey Lance, they could be in reality planning something more modest. Accordingly, one GM told Albert Breer of SI.com “that New England might be looking more seriously at a move up outside the top 10, rather than into it.”

The Pats are currently slated to pick 15th, so that would mean moving up only a few spots at most. Meanwhile, Breer reports that New England has spoken with the “Falcons, Lions, Panthers and almost every other team in front of them (with the exception of their division rivals),” about moving up, so they’re doing their due diligence.

Another exec told Breer he believed the team was “trying to play its interest cool for now.” They’ve clearly got a good idea by now about what it’ll take to move up to pretty much every spot in the draft, and Bill Belichick could strike at any time.

At the very least they’re staying active on the phones, and can be considered one of the likeliest teams to make a move this evening. Perhaps if one of Fields or Lance start to slip and get to 11 or so, then Belichick would pull the trigger. We’ll find out shortly…

Latest On Falcons’ Draft Plans

April 29th, 2021 at 12:51pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Falcons are set to pick at number four, and may set the table for the rest of the draft. They could either draft Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, draft a successor to Matt Ryan, or trade down with a team looking to move up for a quarterback.

They’ve emphasized they’re open to all options, and owner Arthur Blank is reportedly “fascinated” by the top quarterbacks in this draft. Right now though, it seems like things may be leaning toward them staying put and drafting Pitts. The Falcons “have taken calls from just about everyone” but “there hasn’t been an offer good enough to trade back,” Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets.

She does add that they are willing to keep listening, so it’s possible this is just a ploy to drive offers up in the final hours. “As of right now,” however, Pitts “would be a selection the Falcons would be THRILLED to have,” she writes.

It’s possible the offers are underwhelming because other teams know the Falcons will draft Pitts and aren’t going to take a quarterback themselves. It still won’t be at all surprising if the Falcons do end up moving down.

Saints Have One QB They Want In Top 10

April 29th, 2021 at 12:41pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We heard earlier this morning that the Saints were working the phones to try to move into the top 10 of the draft. New Orleans has been widely rumored to be targeting a cornerback, but they could make a big splash under center if something falls into their lap.

While the move up would be for another position, “there is 1 QB” who “would change their minds if he was still available,” Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets. That’s not going to be welcome news to Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill, both of whom are hoping to be the Saints’ new quarterback of the future.

Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are guaranteed to be off the board before the Saints can pick, so it’d have to be one of Mac Jones, Justin Fields, or Trey Lance that they’re interested in. Assuming the 49ers take Jones, it’d have to be either Fields or Lance.

As for potential trade partners, the Lions would make a lot of sense at seven. As a rebuilding team, they fit the profile of a club that would be willing to stockpile future valuable picks. No matter what, it sounds like the Saints aren’t dead-set on taking a corner after all.

Saints Pushing For Top 10 Pick

April 29th, 2021 at 11:10am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are working the phone lines to try and trade up to the top 10, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter) hears. Currently, the Saints are heading into tonight with the No. 28 overall pick.

Earlier this week, we heard that the Saints are looking at Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley. Agent Drew Rosenhaus says his client is on track to be gone by the No. 20 pick, but it’s hard to imagine teams in the top 10 reaching for him. The Virginia Tech product is talented, but he’s undergone multiple surgeries and hasn’t played since 2019.

Instead, if the Saints are thinking cornerback in the early order, they may be eyeing the likes of Patrick Surtain II or Jaycee Horn. Saints GM Mickey Loomis could also consider top-tier quarterbacks in the wake of Drew Brees’ retirement. Other (and perhaps less pressing needs) include linebacker, wide receiver, defensive line and tight end.

2021 NFL Draft News & Rumors