Round 1 of the 2021 NFL draft featured five quarterbacks in the top 15 picks, six Alabama prospects in the top 24 and some surprises throughout, including the Bears making a dramatic trade up for a signal-caller and the Patriots being decidedly less dramatic, standing pat and still getting a quarterback.
I said coming into Thursday night that this was a mysterious draft class, and that there would likely be many trades -- and some head-scratching picks. I was 50% correct, as we didn't see that many trades, but there were a few reaches based on how I ranked the board. Jon Gruden and the Raiders stunned me again, but that seems to happen every year now.
Below are the picks I liked and didn't like from the first round. I'm basing these on my rankings and how I have prospects graded, along with whether teams got value with their selections. Come back Saturday night for my post-draft grades for all 32 teams. And we'll be back for Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday (7 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC and the ESPN App).
More NFL draft coverage:
Kiper's top 300 rankings
Best available | Round 1
Winners from Round 1
The pick: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State (No. 11)
To move up nine spots, the Bears gave up some major capital -- picks Nos. 20 and 164 this year, plus a first- and fourth-round pick in 2022. But I love what they got in Fields, my second-ranked quarterback who would be in the discussion at No. 1 overall in any other year. His game was picked apart throughout the pre-draft process, but he's a special talent who just needs to be more consistent. He should not have been on the board past the top 10.
Now, Chicago gets its long-term starter, a quarterback the fan base has craved for years; a Bears QB has made the Pro Bowl once since the team won the Super Bowl in 1985. Fields will also have one of the league's most underrated stars to throw to in wide receiver Allen Robinson. I expect Fields to be the starter early, over Andy Dalton and Nick Foles. Give credit to general manager Ryan Pace, who was aggressive here, especially because the pressure is on to win now. If Fields plays the way I think he will, the trade will be worth it.
The pick: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern (No. 13)
The Chargers came into this draft with a huge hole at left tackle, so let's not let this pick go under the radar. This is a dream come true for them. There were a few teams that had Slater above Penei Sewell as the top lineman in this class, and the Chargers got him at No. 13. He can slot in to protect Justin Herbert's blind side from day one. General manager Tom Telesco stood his ground and got a great one.
The pick: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama (No. 15)
Here's what I wrote in March, when I slotted Jones to the Patriots at No. 15 in my post-free agency mock draft:
"I've gotten in trouble before for saying that a few quarterbacks are 'Tom Brady-like,' but I'm really talking about accurate, tall pocket passers. I'm not predicting that these guys are going to become Hall of Famers. When I watch Jones, I can see some of the traits that have made Brady so good for so long. Jones is a pinpoint thrower who can manipulate the pocket and find targets down the field."
And so I love this fit, and Bill Belichick & Co. didn't have to trade up to get Jones. Since the buzz the past few weeks has been around San Francisco's interest in Jones, I really didn't think he'd make it to the middle of Round 1. He's going to compete with Cam Newton and Jarrett Stidham (both of whom played at rival Auburn) for the QB1 job now, and I think he has a chance to play early. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will coach him hard. Now, can the Patriots upgrade at pass-catcher on Day 2? Their next pick is No. 46.
The picks: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson (No. 1); Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson (No. 25)
The team with the No. 1 overall pick should never have a head-scratching move, and the Jaguars didn't have much drama. What more needs to be said about Lawrence? Jacksonville has struggled at quarterback for years, but that will change soon. (Lawrence is the fourth Jacksonville quarterback drafted in Round 1, and the previous three didn't last more than five seasons with the team.) Lawrence could be historically great.
And what did new coach Urban Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke do next? They went and reunited Clemson teammates Lawrence and Etienne. I don't love taking first-round running backs, but I see the logic here, in that the Jaguars can build around two great playmakers and figure out the rest later. Etienne is a great pass-catcher, too, and he can be on the field at the same time as James Robinson. Plus, the Jaguars have three more picks in the top 65. I don't think they are done getting help on offense.
The pick: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida (No. 20)
How about Dave Gettleman trading down? It was his first trade back -- in any round -- in his nine drafts as a general manager. And the Giants got back the Bears' No. 20 pick, a fifth-round pick this year and their first- and fourth-rounders next year to move down nine spots. That's a big win for a team that is still ascending and building its roster.
With that No. 20 pick, Gettleman got a weapon for quarterback Daniel Jones in Toney, who should get 10-plus touches per game on offense and as a returner. He's dynamic with the ball in his hands out of the slot. New York's receivers were very poor last season, but now Jones has Toney and free-agent signing Kenny Golladay to take him to the next level. Either way, any team that adds a future first-round pick and still gets a great player is a winner on draft night.
The picks: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama (No. 6); Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami (No. 18)
With an extra first- and second-round pick from the 2019 trade that sent Laremy Tunsil to Houston, the Dolphins came into this draft in position to make major waves. (They also added a 2022 first-rounder in a shrewd trade that ended with them moving back three spots in Round 1.) And so they stood pat with their top two picks and added prospects who should make an instant impact.
I had Waddle behind his teammate DeVonta Smith, but he was my fifth-ranked prospect overall, and I can't quibble with Miami preferring Waddle. He is electric with the ball in his hands, and he'll really help Tua Tagovailoa improve his yards per attempt. Later, Miami picked up the draft's best pure pass-rusher in Phillips, who gets to stay in Miami and get after quarterbacks under Brian Flores. Phillips might have been a top-10 pick had he not had a history of injuries from his time at UCLA. It's another solid first round for Miami.
The picks: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota (No. 27); Jayson Oweh, OLB, Penn State
The Ravens struck out on receivers in free agency, but they might have found a steal late in Round 1. Bateman can play inside or outside, and he was super productive in 2019. Baltimore needed a bigger wideout, and it got one with its first pick.
With the No. 31 pick -- the pick the Ravens added in the trade with the Chiefs that sent Orlando Brown Jr. to Kansas City -- Baltimore went with upside in Oweh, an edge rusher with 4.39 40-yard dash speed, long arms and great physical attributes who didn't have a single sack last season. He needs to turn pressures into sacks, and he has the traits to do it in time. Consider these two needs filled by the Ravens.
Head-scratching moves from Round 1
The pick: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU (No. 2); Alijah Vera-Tucker, G, USC (No. 14)
We've known the Jets' pick at No. 2 for weeks, but that doesn't mean it is the right pick. Look, I like Wilson, and he has elite arm talent, but for the Jets to trade away Sam Darnold, they have to know for sure that Wilson is an upgrade. How can we say that for sure?
Darnold got very little help in his three seasons in New York, and he's still only 23. He hasn't come even close to reaching his ceiling yet. The Jets could have used this pick on a massive upgrade around Darnold -- most likely tight end Kyle Pitts -- but instead they're starting over with another young quarterback. In fact, the Jets have now taken seven first- or second-round signal-callers since 2000, two more than any other franchise in that span.
Wilson took a huge leap this past season, improving in every area after an inconsistent 2019. But he did it against a weak schedule, with really good players around him. This Jets draft is going to be defined by whether or not Wilson is a star, and I still have questions. General manager Joe Douglas has to improve the talent around Wilson, something the previous regime wasn't able to do for Darnold.
Douglas also traded up with the Vikings to No. 14 for Vera-Tucker, giving up picks Nos. 23, 66 and 86 (and adding No. 143) to get the clear best guard in this class. I don't have huge qualms with this deal since the Jets didn't have to give up the No. 34 pick, which is hugely valuable. Vera-Tucker will help Wilson in the passing game and pave lanes in the running game. It's a sensible pick.
The pick: Alex Leatherwood, OT/G, Alabama (No. 17)
The Raiders under Jon Gruden and general manager Mike Mayock are always good for a few surprises, huh? This pick shocked me. Leatherwood is my 10th-ranked offensive tackle. He's No. 62 overall on my board. He struggled last season.
The pick is defensible if the Raiders see him as a guard; it's not a great guard class past Alijah Vera-Tucker, who went to the Jets at No. 14. Leatherwood played both left tackle and guard for the Crimson Tide, and Kolton Miller has the left tackle job locked down in Las Vegas. But this is way too high for Leatherwood, particularly when Christian Darrisaw, Teven Jenkins and Dillon Radunz were all still available.
The pick: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State (No. 3)
Lance is one of the most fascinating prospects I've ever studied, but the 49ers just took my fifth-ranked quarterback at No. 3 overall. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Lance's 318 career passing attempts at North Dakota State are the fewest passes thrown by any first-round quarterback in the past 40 years. That's astonishing, and it points to the risk here.
I had heard for weeks that Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers were debating between Lance and Mac Jones, and I thought Jones had the edge. He fit the mold of Shanahan's previous successful quarterbacks, including Matt Ryan, as pocket passers who are extremely accurate throwers at every level of the field. Lance, though, is a tremendous passer too. He takes care of the football; he threw just a lone interception in 17 college starts. And he's only 20 years old. Clearly Lance's high ceiling gave him the edge over Jones.
Still, this pick has to work for the 49ers, who traded up nine spots and mortgaged their future capital to get to No. 3. Can Lance reach his ceiling under Shanahan's coaching? We'll find out soon.
The pick: Payton Turner, DE, Houston (No. 28)
Well, Adam Schefter warned us earlier on Thursday. Turner has been getting some first-round buzz over the past week, and he was stellar at the Senior Bowl in January. Still, he's my fifth-ranked defensive end, behind Gregory Rousseau and Ronnie Perkins, both of whom were still available. Turner is better as a run defender, and he has some injury issues. This is a little high for him.
I actually had written down in my notes that the 6-foot-5, 290-pound Turner looked like the type of edge rusher that Seattle likes to draft, but New Orleans must like his upside. What does this mean for Marcus Davenport, who has underwhelmed since the Saints traded up for him in the 2018 first round? His fifth-year option was picked up on Thursday.
The pick: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa (No. 16)
This is a slight reach by my rankings, as I had Collins as more of a late first-round pick. But the reason I'll put this pick on my list of head-scratchers is that the Cardinals had the chance to get one of the best slot receivers on the board and failed to do so. Elijah Moore and Kadarius Toney were both sitting there at No. 16, and general manager Steve Keim passed. I thought either of them would have been a major asset for Kyler Murray.
Collins is likely going to play more of a pass-rushing role for Arizona, and he has the physical traits to wreak havoc on offenses. This is all about value, however.
The pick: Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia (No. 29)
We don't have to talk much about the Aaron Rodgers situation, but that certainly overshadowed anything else the Packers did on Thursday. And this franchise could be on the head-scratchers list based on its decisions around him alone.
And so I thought wide receiver Rashod Bateman would have been in play for the Packers if he had been available, but Green Bay passed up a Round 1 wideout and instead targeted a cornerback. Stokes is No. 71 overall in my rankings, the lowest-ranked player to go in the first round. He has tremendous physical skills, but he was inconsistent in his career. Asante Samuel Jr. and Georgia teammate Tyson Campbell had higher grades on my board.
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