Piece by: Lou Pastor
Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott - I expect Dak and the Cowboys to reach a long-term deal before the 2021 NFL season begins.
Washington Football Team: Kyle Allen, Kyle Trask, Taylor Heinicke - Unfortunately for Washington, they do not have a high enough draft pick to seriously entertain the rookie QB class. I have the Football Team patching their quarterback room together with three guys.
Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts - With Carson Wentz gone, it is now Jalen Hurts’ team. I do not expect Philadelphia to take a QB with their high 1st round pick.
New York Giants: Daniel Jones - I would move off of Jones, but the Giants will likely stick with him.
Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers - Maybe someday Aaron Rodgers will finish out his career playing out in San Francisco for Kyle Shanahan, but I expect Rodgers to be a Packer in 2021.
Chicago Bears: Mac Jones, Nick Foles - The Bears are desperate to take a big swing on a QB, but the market is drying up quickly, aside from the elite, ultra-expensive options. I have the Bears taking a swing on Mac Jones with their 1st round pick. Jones should work well with Matt Nagy, as Nagy likes calling quick passing plays that require timing and accuracy.
Minnesota Vikings: Kirk Cousins - Cousins’ contract and high enough level of play make him tough to move off of for Minnesota.
Detroit Lions: Jared Goff, Justin Fields - Despite acquiring Jared Goff, I have the Lions trading up for rookie QB Justin Fields. Fields has become undervalued in the face of prominent Zach Wilson-buzz.
New Orleans Saints: Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill - The Saints are underwater cap-wise, but I think that Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill will both agree to return to New Orleans on short, cheap contracts to play for a smart head coach and decent roster.
Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan - It sounds like Atlanta is willing to run it back with Matt Ryan - who’s still a decent quarterback - and new head coach Arthur Smith.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tom Brady - Brady and Arians will defend their title together in 2021.
Carolina Panthers: Deshaun Watson - I have Carolina’s determined new owner shelling out a massive trade package to bring Deshaun Watson back to the place he played college ball at. The package includes three 1st round picks, a 2nd round pick, a future 3rd round pick, QB Teddy Bridgewater, and DE Brian Burns all for Deshaun Watson, and multiple day-three draft selections. Ultimately, I think that Carolina will be more willing to negotiate than Miami or the Jets, and Houston will favor teams in the NFC to avoid Watson-revenge-games.
Seattle Seahawks: Russell Wilson - There’s a fair amount of Wilson trade buzz, but I’d be stunned if Pete Carroll was dumb enough to trade away the player who’s been carrying the Seahawks’ franchise for the past four years. I expect this drama to go the other way and for Seattle to be a stealthy Super Bowl contender if Wilson isn’t dealt.
San Francisco 49ers: Jimmy Garoppolo - There are a lot of mixed reports coming out of San Francisco regarding Jimmy Garoppolo’s status as the 49ers’ QB. San Francisco is probably tired of Garoppolo’s injuries, but the reality is that there probably aren’t any better options in the open market. The bottom line is that Kyle Shanahan’s record as an NFL head coach is 24-9 with Garoppolo and 7-27 without him. It’d be a huge mistake for San Francisco to hinder their Super Bowl window with options like Sam Darnold or Teddy Bridgewater, both of whom are substantially worse quarterbacks than Jimmy Garoppolo.
Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray - Kyler and Kliff run it back in 2021 after a promising 2020 season.
Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford - I thought that the Rams overpaid for him, but Stafford is their guy.
Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen - I’m interested to see if Allen can continue to improve as a player in 2021.
Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa, Ryan Fitzpatrick - It’s possible that Miami could land Deshaun Watson or draft a rookie QB 3rd overall, but the Dolphins’ front office strikes me as a bit too conservative to pull off either move. Tua Tagovailoa’s rookie season was underwhelming but reasonable, making him a tad underrated going into 2021. Tua’s long-term injuries are concerning, though, which would make me inclined to entertain Houston with Watson trade offers if I were running Miami.
New York Jets: Zach Wilson - Zach Wilson is a fun and dynamic prospect to watch, and the Jets have already been linked to Wilson through their General Manager.
New England Patriots: Cam Newton, Trey Lance - The Patriots are tough to predict, but Trey Lance would be an excellent fit for New England’s current offense. The Patriots have a powerful offensive line, which would help unlock Trey Lance’s running back-like abilities when carrying the ball. Trey Lance is a bit Cam Newton-like in many ways.
Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson - We’ll see if Lamar can improve his passing accuracy and field-scanning efficiency in 2021.
Cleveland Browns: Baker Mayfield - Mayfield and Stefanski will try to replicate their 2020 success in 2021.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger - I don’t agree with the Steelers’ decision to bring back Roethlisberger for 2021 with only Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins as developmental options stashed on the bench. The Ben Roethlisberger-era may end badly for Pittsburgh.
Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow - If Joe Burrow is fully recovered from his severe knee injuries by week 1, then he’ll start for Cincinnati. I don’t expect the Bengals to consider taking a QB with their 5th overall pick in this year’s draft.
Indianapolis Colts: Carson Wentz, Jacoby Brissett - I’m not a fan of Wentz, but Frank Reich is an excellent coach, so I’ll be interested to see how things fall for Indianapolis in 2021. Ultimately, though, the arrival of Carson Wentz likely signifies a lost Super Bowl opportunity for Frank Reich in the near future.
Houston Texans: Teddy Bridgewater, Gardner Minshew - I have the Texans eventually succumbing to Deshaun Watson’s trade demands by accepting an enormous trade package from Carolina. In my mock trade, Houston receives three 1st round picks, a 2nd round pick, a future 3rd round pick, QB Teddy Bridgewater, and DE Brian Burns all for Deshaun Watson and a couple of day-three draft selections. I also have Houston sending their 4th round pick in 2021 over to division-rival Jacksonville for promising young quarterback Gardner Minshew. The Texans can rebuild after blowing their opportunity with a young superstar QB.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence - I’d be surprised if Lawrence didn’t go 1st overall even though betting markets have recently implied more uncertainty about who will go first. Trevor Lawrence is a mechanically-sound passer with all of the physical tools scouts like.
Tennessee Titans: Ryan Tannehill - No reason for Tennessee to not keep rolling with a resurgent Ryan Tannehill.
Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes - Mahomes and Andy Reid will attempt to make the Super Bowl three straight years together.
Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert - After a surprisingly great rookie season full of dazzling downfield throws, Justin Herbert will be an exciting player to observe in 2021.
Denver Broncos: Sam Darnold, Drew Lock - I think that Denver is the most logical Sam Darnold-trade team because the Broncos have very few other outs and Darnold’s prototypical size and arm strength fits John Elway’s type.
Las Vegas Raiders: Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota - Marcus Mariota could get traded before the 2021 season begins, but reports have surfaced that the Raiders were not taking calls on QB Derek Carr. If I were running the Raiders, though, I would entertain the idea of selling high on Derek Carr.
Predicted Draft Selections & Trades
Jacksonville Jaguars select QB Trevor Lawrence Clemson 1st overall, 2021
New York Jets select QB Zach Wilson BYU 2nd overall, 2021
Detroit Lions select QB Justin Fields Ohio State 3rd overall, 2021 (Trade via MIA)
New England Patriots select QB Trey Lance North Dakota St. 7th overall, 2021 (Trade via MIA via DET)
Chicago Bears select QB Mac Jones Alabama 20th overall, 2021
Washington Football Team selects QB Kyle Trask Florida 51st overall, 2021
Carolina trades away 8th overall pick ‘21, 39th overall pick ‘21, 1st round pick ‘22, 3rd round pick ‘22, 1st round pick ‘24, DE Brian Burns, QB Teddy Bridgewater in exchange for Houston Texans’ star quarterback Deshaun Watson, 164th overall pick ‘21, and Houston’s 4th round pick ‘22,
Denver trades the 40th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft to the Jets for QB Sam Darnold
Houston sends the 100th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft to Jacksonville for QB G.Minshew
Despite rumors, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Green Bay, and Las Vegas all keep their current QBs.
Citations
Full 2021 NFL draft order. (n.d.). Retrieved March 06, 2021, from http://www.tankathon.com/nfl/full_draft
Comments