Written by: Tyler Deakin
The 2021 NFL Draft is almost here! Hope springs eternal this time of year in the NFL; as every team is set to add young, exciting players to their rosters. Meanwhile, NFL analysts are busy predicting the unpredictable this time of year through Mock Drafts & the Hot Takes within them. I’m going to examine some relevant Hot Takes & give my opinion on whether I believe them or not. We can revisit this article later this month to laugh at how horribly wrong I was about everything. Without further ado, here is my Hot Take Analysis for the 2021 NFL Draft
1. Five quarterbacks will be selected in the top 10
I believe this one is…. TRUE! Look, we know that 3 QBs will be selected with back to back to back picks (Jaguars, Jets, 49ers) at the top of the draft after the 49ers made a huge trade up the draft board & the Jets traded away Sam Darnold. After that, the following teams have interest in acquiring a new QB: Falcons at No. 4, Lions at No. 7, Broncos at No. 9, Patriots at No. 15, WFT at No. 19, & Bears at No. 20. That’s six teams competing for the remaining top two QBs, which is a supply & demand issue for QB needy teams. I think two of those teams will take a calculated risk in securing their next franchise QB. Now here’s a take I’m not sold on…
2. The Atlanta Falcons will draft a QB at No. 4
I believe this one is… FALSE! Listen, the Falcons restructured Matt Ryan’s contract (again) in order to clear some cap room this year. This means that Ryan & the Falcons are stuck with each other for the next 2 years due to the dead money remaining on Ryan’s contract. With that being said, why would the Falcons select the 4th best remaining QB on the draft board when the guy wouldn’t even get to play for 2 more years? The Packers were in a similar situation when they drafted Jordan Love last year, and look how badly that’s turned out for them. That’s why I believe the Falcons will select a non QB at No. 4 or trade down in the draft this year.
3. The San Francisco 49ers will select Mac Jones at No. 3
I believe this one is… FALSE! I’m hedging my bets on the 49ers taking a QB at No. 3, but I don’t believe it will be Mac Jones. Personally, I like Mac Jones & think that in the right environment he could be a great franchise QB; however, there are athletic limitations to his game in a league where pocket passers are a dying breed. That’s why I believe the 49ers will select either Justin Fields or Trey Lance, who both offer superior athleticism at the position. Jones will still likely be selected in the top 10 though. That being said, let’s move on to the next Hot Take..
4. No defensive players will be selected in the top 10
I believe this one is…. TRUE! This is my own personal Hot Take for the draft. Most analysts predict one or two defensive players will be selected in the top 10; however, Patrick Surtain II is the only consensus top-10 defensive player amongst analysts. Meanwhile, the draft class is loaded with offensive star power including Trevor Lawrence, Kyle Pitts, & Ja’Marr Chase to name a few. This brings me to my final Hot Take, which is probably the hottest one…
5. The Dallas Cowboys will trade up to select TE Kyle Pitts
I believe this one is…. TRUE! Hear me out on this one, as this is kind of wild. ESPN recently wrote about Cowboys Owner & GM Jerry Jones being obsessed with TE Kyle Pitts, and his word is final in the Cowboys organization. They’re picking at No. 10 & have several potential trade partners in the Falcons (No. 4), Bengals (No. 5), Dolphins (No. 6), & Lions (No. 7) It will be tough to bypass the QB needy teams mentioned previously; however, Jerry Jones is one of the few people bold enough to make such a move. I look forward to seeing what happens later this month in the 2021 NFL Draft.