The Buccaneers’ dominant Super Bowl victory ended the 2020 NFL season on Sunday and opened the door for an exciting and unusual off-season – which of course includes the 2021 NFL draft. The Tampa Bay defense has shown what a smart setup can do for a team, with recent picks, Devin White and Antoine Winfield Jr., each grabbing an interception. Which team will make cunning moves in this draft this year to take the next step? Let’s predict how all 32 first-round picks will play out on April 29th.
Despite the lack of a traditional combination this year, there is still plenty of time to move on to concept boards. Interviews, medicine, pro workouts and more to explore the game band are ahead. Likewise, a lot has changed in just one month since my last spot after an exciting College Football Playoff national title game and the annual Senior Bowl week. We’ve been out for more than two months and have a lot to learn about this talented class – including how the quarterbacks and playmakers put each other together.
But with the draft order coming after game no. 269 locked up in the season and a lot of talent in this year’s class to be excited about, here’s my post-Super Bowl projection of the first 32 NFL draft picks in 2021, starting with a no-brainer on no. 1. And surprise – we have two sham trades in this issue.
See more: Rankings
Jump to a trade: no. 3 | Number 12
Note: for more information, visit our SportsCenter Special at 17:00 ET on Wednesday (ESPN2) in which I will discuss the choices of each team.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
Another mockery, another Lawrence-to-Jacksonville projection. You will not see much of anything else, and for good reason. The 6-foot-6 big-arm quarterback has all the qualities you want in a franchise guy, and he will be the focal point of new coach Urban Meyer’s hopes to build. Only Washington has had a lower total QBR than the 41.6 of the Jaguars over the past three seasons, but Lawrence has finished in the top-10 among all FBS backs in the category in every season of his college career. He will throw for scouts on Friday before the operation on his non-shoulder this spring, but considers himself a lock for the best choice at this stage.