The NFL Draft is less than a week away, and the 2021 draft promises to be one of the most memorable drafts in history. With a projected four quarterbacks to come off the board in the first 10 picks (if my mock picks are accurate, it will be even more historic), the NFL landscape could change in a very dramatic way.
The last five years has created a change in the conventional thinking, in which teams that draft first round quarterbacks, are no longer looking for their selections to develop over years, but to be an instant impact. With the likes of Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert and of course, Patrick Mahomes, a first round quarterback could equate to immediate success for a franchise.
So it is no wonder that with the surplus of quarterback talent in this year’s draft, teams will be racing to the podium to select their future signal caller. With the top of the board, almost a certainty, with the Jaguars projected to select Trevor Lawerence, the Jets projected to take Zach Wilson, and the 49ers, perhaps stunningly projected to take Mac Jones, there is a great deal of uncertainty when the Falcons select at number four. Rumors are swirling about teams trying to trade up to the Falcons spot to select what many believe is the second best quarterback in the draft, Justin Fields. Carolina, Chicago, Denver, and even the New England Patriots are rumored to trade up to that fourth spot to select the Ohio State prized product, but where will he go?
So it is no wonder that with the surplus of quarterback talent in this year’s draft, teams will be racing to the podium to select their future signal caller. With the top of the board, almost a certainty, with the Jaguars projected to select Trevor Lawerence, the Jets projected to take Zach Wilson, and the 49ers, perhaps stunningly projected to take Mac Jones, there is a great deal of uncertainty when the Falcons select at number four. Rumors are swirling about teams trying to trade up to the Falcons spot to select what many believe is the second best quarterback in the draft, Justin Fields. Carolina, Chicago, Denver, and even the New England Patriots are rumored to trade up to that fourth spot to select the Ohio State prized product, but where will he go?
As a Patriots fan (full disclosure), I cannot begin to tell you how inconceivable this notion is. As much as I have worshipped Bill Belichick for all he has given us, like a middle-aged person worships their peloton, the draft is usually an uneventful affair for Patriots fans. Every year at the draft a Patriot fan is typically let down by Bill’s classic trading back mentality, and we are left to wonder what could have been. But this year, the Patriots are in the thick of the rumor mill after the spending spree that saw the Patriots set a record for the most money spent on the first day of free agency. Coupled with the growing concern over Cam Newton’s starting capabilities, it would only make sense for the Patriots for the Pats to continue to be aggressive in the draft, and select one of the best quarterback prospects in the past five years.
But when do the Patriots ever do what we expect them to do? If the belief is that the Patriots continue to play chess, when everyone is playing checkers, it is hard to imagine Bill cashes in all of his chips for a rookie quarterback to start day 1, no matter what their stature is. The Pats continue to endorse Cam Newton as their starting quarterback, and with a full year of offseason training, and a year removed from testing positive of COVID-19, it’s not inconceivable the Pats will ride with Cam for one more year.
So what will happen? We have to wait until Thursday to find out, but for now we can sit back, project, and wonder. Here is my 2021 NFL Mock Draft:
