The Official Keck Thoughts 2021 Mock NFL Draft

It's Draft Day. Let's get our Sonny Weaver, Jr. on. All week I've been doing mock draft exercises utilizing the mock draft simulators on The Draft Network, seeing what various scenarios we could potentially see if the Detroit Lions were to stay put at the 7th overall pick, if they were to trade down but not fall outside the Top 12, and if they traded down even further than that.

Today I focus solely on the the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft and predict what I think WILL happen. As we've already covered this is a fruitless endeavor because there are just SO many variables in reality, but this is for fun and games.

One more time: these are my predictions for where I think teams will pick players. I'm going to project trades that I think are likely/possible to happen. I don't like doing mock drafts that don't incorporate trades because trades do happen and happen with some frequency in reality.

Originally I had planned to do a little write-up for each pick giving my rationale but I've run out of time, so instead I'll briefly discuss why I have the Lions taking Justin Fields at #7.

Throughout the draft process there's been innumerable words typed and immeasurable digital ink spilled about the top 5 quarterbacks in this year's draft, none of them as maligned as Ohio State star QB Justin Fields. Frankly he should be going 2nd or 3rd overall, but this entire pre-draft process people have somehow been talking themselves into thinking he's NOT a great quarterback. As if he didn't have a fantastic career at Ohio State. As if his performance in the College Football Playoff Semifinal against Clemson didn't have people openly wondering if maybe he actually should go 1st overall instead of Trevor Lawrence.

Well I'm here to say that I think Fields is the 2nd-best QB prospect in this draft, and with the Detroit Lions in the nascent stages of a rebuild, one of the best things they could do is take advantage of other teams passing on a QB of Fields' ability. Yes the Lions have Jared Goff, but Goff is not the future of the Detroit Lions. Sorry, but he's just not. We've most likely seen the pinnacle of Goff's career when he was surrounded by a stellar offensive cast in Los Angeles, and it got him 3 points in a Super Bowl. It's been downhill ever since.

I get the arguments that Detroit should build the the team up first over the next couple seasons so that eventually all you need is to go get your QB. It's a fair argument. It's once reason Kansas City's been so good, it's one reason Tampa Bay one the Super Bowl last year, it makes a lot of sense. But my counter-argument is this: what if you build up that team over two or three seasons and then whiff on the QB once you finally decide to go for him? Look no further than the Chicago Bears for a perfect example of this.

Plus there's no guarantee that 2022 or 2023's QB prospects are going to be better than Justin Fields could be. I would rather take the guy available to me right now than hope for some hypothetical QB in a future draft.

All that said, I think not enough people have pegged Detroit as a landing spot for Fields. Fields can sit one or two seasons behind Jared Goff, get seasoned, grow as a professional QB, and then take over the reins once Detroit decides to move on from Goff. Lions General Manager Brad Holmes and Lions Special Assistant Chris Spielman attended Fields' first pro day, and the Lions sent another contingent to Fields' second pro day. They've done the leg work. I don't think they thought in their wildest dreams that Fields would ever actually be available to at 7, but I think he will be. And if he is, I think the take him and don't look back.

Now watch as Detroit actually trades down with New England or New Orleans and this is all a moot point.

Last year I correctly guessed 10 players to the team that drafted them. I was wrong about Miami and Detroit making a trade, but they did take the players I thought they would. Do with that what you will.

Let's get to it!

KECK THOUGHTS 2021 NFL MOCK DRAFT

#1.) Jacksonville Jaguars - Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

#2.) New York Jets - Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

#3.) San Francisco 49ers - Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

#4.) Atlanta Falcons - Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

#5.) Cincinnati Bengals - Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU

#6.) Miami Dolphins - Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

#7.) Detroit Lions - Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

#8.) Los Angeles Chargers (projected trade with CAR) - Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

#9.) Denver Broncos - Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

#10.) Dallas Cowboys - Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

#11.) New York Giants - Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

#12.) Philadelphia Eagles - DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

#13.) Carolina Panthers (projected trade with LAC) - Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern

#14.) Minnesota Vikings - Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC

#15.) New England Patriots - Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa

#16.) New Orleans Saints (projected trade with ARI) - Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

#17.) Las Vegas Raiders - Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

#18.) Miami Dolphins - Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan

#19.) Washington Football Team - Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame

#20.) Chicago Bears - Tevin Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

#21.) Indianapolis Colts - Jaelin Phillips, DE, Miami (FL)

#22.) Tennessee Titans - Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss

#23.) New York Jets - Landon Dickerson, OL, Alabama

#24.) Pittsburgh Steelers - Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

#25.) Jacksonville Jaguars - Pat Friermuth, TE, Penn State

#26.) Cleveland Browns - Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky

#27.) Baltimore Ravens - Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State

#28.) Arizona Cardinals (projected trade with NO) - Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern

#29.) Green Bay Packers - Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

#30.) Buffalo Bills - Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson

#31.) Baltimore Ravens - Alex Leatherwood, OL, Alabama

#32.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama