It’s NFL mock draft season! No matter where you go on the world wide web, it is highly likely that you will see several drills ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft. So instead of focusing on the norm, this first round mock draft will be based on the needs of the NFL alone. fantasy. That means there will be no defensive players (apologizes to IDP fans), but instead will include offensive skill positions and offensive linemen only.
Will all players in this mock draft be valued as first-round picks? No, but again, you never know for sure in the National Football League, right?
Here’s my first round of “fantasy football”.
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1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson: This is the biggest no-brainer of the 2021 NFL Draft. Lawrence is the best quarterback prospect to come out of college since Andrew Luck, and his presence in Jacksonville enhances the value of James Robinson, DJ Chark and the entire attack. offensive by the Jaguars.
2. New York Jets: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State: Whether it’s Fields or BYU’s Zach Wilson, the Jets need to make a change at quarterback. I’ll take the Ohio State product, which has a versatile skill set and could have an immediate impact. The Men in Green also have plenty of draft capital and cap room to build around them.
3. Miami Dolphins: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU.: The Dolphins need more weapons in the passing game for Tua Tagovailoa, and Chase’s presence would give him a dynamic threat. He could see a good turnout in Miami early on, and Chase would like to be the first rookie wide receiver chosen in most fantasy drafts.
4. Atlanta Falcons: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU: Wilson’s selection will not have an immediate fantasy impact, as the Falcons will continue with Matt Ryan as their starting quarterback. Ryan will be 36 years old heading into next season, however, it won’t be long before Wilson has a chance to make his mark on fantasy football.
5. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, OL, Oregon: The Bengals’ top priority this offseason is simple: protect Joe Burrow coming from a torn left anterior cruciate ligament and anterior cruciate ligament. Adding Sewel to the first round of 2019, Jonah Williams, is a good start for the Bengals to accomplish this feat. Better protection will mean good things for this offense.
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6. Philadelphia Eagles: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama: The Eagles will have a new look on offense after the Carson Wentz trade, and I’m guessing Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, and Zach Ertz will also be leaving in 2021. Adding Smith to an offense with Miles Sanders, Jalen Reagor, and Dallas Goedert it would be exciting.
7. Detroit Lions: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama: The Lions haven’t always had the best luck with first-round wide receivers, but Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr. and Danny Amendola are slated to be free agents. Even if Golladay is tagged or re-signed, Waddle would still be a good No. 2 wide receiver option for Jared Goff.
8. Carolina Panthers: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida: Pitts is considered a unique talent at tight end and has a chance to break the trend of first-year tight ends who have no impact. He would be a huge improvement over Ian Thomas and could become an absolute fantasy superstar during his professional soccer career.
9. Denver Broncos: Trey Lance, QB, State of North Dakota: The Broncos don’t need to be a running back, wide receiver or tight end, and actually, he’ll probably be a defensive pick. However, Drew Lock hasn’t exactly taken over the starting quarterback job and has raced with it. Lance might need time to develop, but his advantage is clear.
10. Dallas Cowboys: Rashawn Slater, OL, Northwestern: The Cowboys offense is loaded with talent, but the line needs work. Enter Slater, who is considered the best offensive tackle in the draft class of 2021. The consolidation of the offensive line will be good news for Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and all of Dallas’ guns.
11. New York Giants: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida: Daniel Jones needs more weapons in the passing game, and Toney is considered an explosive playmaker. He still needs to work as a road runner, but he could land a decent rookie role.
12. San Francisco 49ers: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC: The Niners are primarily in the best offensive skill positions, but the line had its share of problems last season. That would make Vera-Tucker a nice addition to an offense with upside fantasy.
13. Los Angeles Chargers: Christian Darrisaw, OL, Virginia Tech: The Chargers have one of the best young quarterbacks in the league in Justin Herbert, so protecting him is imperative. Darrisaw could become your blind side protector for years to come.
14. Minnesota Vikings: Wyatt Davis, OL, Ohio State: Protecting Kirk Cousins is imperative and adding Davis would fill a void on the offensive line. Better protection for Cousins means good things for Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Irv Smith Jr.
15. New England Patriots: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama: The Patriots are in dire need of a quarterback, and Jones will likely be the best available option at this point in the draft. New England is also in a good place on the salary cap to add some talent around it.
16. Arizona Cardinals: Trey Smith, OL, Tennessee: The Cardinals could go with a running back or even a wide receiver with this pick, but adding a piece to the offensive line to better protect Kyler Murray is also a positive fantasy play.
17. Las Vegas Raiders: Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville: The Raiders drafted Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards last season, but Tyrell Williams left, and Nelson Agholor is a free agent. Plus, Las Vegas loves fast, wide receivers like Atwell.
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18. Miami Dolphins: Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson: Without disrespecting Myles Gaskin in this scenario, but Etienne is a game changer and could be a featured runner as a rookie. It would bring potential starting value for RB2 / FLEX as a rookie in rework leagues.
19. Washington soccer team: Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSUWashington has questions at the quarterback position, but the eventual starter will need more weapons. Marshall would be a perfect fit with Antonio Gibson and Terry McLaurin.
20. Chicago Bears: Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss: The Bears may not get Allen Robinson back as he’s scheduled to become a free agent, and Anthony Miller took a step back last season. Moore was an All-SEC and All-American first team pick.
21. Indianapolis Colts: Teven Jenkins, OL, Oklahoma State: The Colts have a new quarterback in Wentz, and will seek help on the offensive line following the retirement of Anthony Costanzo. Jenkins can thrive on the pro pass and run blocking.
22. Tennessee Titans: Jalen Mayfield, OL, Michigan: The Titans might be looking for a wide receiver with Corey Davis scheduled to be a free agent, but Taylor Lewan, Rodger Saffold, Dennis Kelly and Ben Jones will be in their 30s next season.
23. New York Jets: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama: The Jets are in dire need of running back, and Harris would be a perfect fit. Harris, a potential three-shot running back at the NFL level, would bring RB2 / FLEX starting value in most rework leagues.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Landon Dickerson, OL, Alabama: The Steelers might be in the market for a running back with James Conner scheduled to become a free agent, but replacing retired Maurkice Pouncey will be a bigger need for 2021.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota: The Jaguars have a lot of cap room, so a big-name free agent is possible. However, Bateman would be worth a look if the Jags continue to build through the draft.
26. Cleveland Browns: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue: The Browns don’t have an obvious need on offense, but Rashard Higgins is a free agent and Odell Beckham Jr. is coming off an ACL repair. As a result, great depth could be on your roadmap.
27. Baltimore Ravens: Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma StateLike the Jaguars, the Ravens could sign a wide receiver in free agency to fill a void. If not, Wallace could compete with Devin Duvernay and Miles Boykin for goals behind Marquise Brown.
28. New Orleans Saints: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USC: Michael Thomas just came out of a bad season, Emmanuel Sanders will be 34 before next season, and Tre’Quan Smith hasn’t worked out so far. That could push the Saints to draft a wide receiver.
29. Green Bay Packers: Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State: The Packers have Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling behind Davante Adams, but it would be wise to add another young wide receiver to improve the passing attack and appease Aaron Rodgers.
31. Kansas City Chiefs: Creed Humphrey, OL, Oklahoma: If we learned anything from the Super Bowl result, it’s that the Chiefs might need help on their offensive line. Humphrey would be a good addition to help protect superstar Patrick Mahomes.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: James Hudson, OL, Cincinnati: Assuming the Bucs retain Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski, add depth on the O line to protect Tom (The GOAT), who will soon be 44 years old. Brady makes sense.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst at Sports Illustrated and a Hall of Fame member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA). You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Y Instagram for the latest breaking news on fantasy football and the best analysis in the industry.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.