2021 NFL Draft: KC Kingdom First-Round Mock Draft
The 2021 NFL Draft kicks off on April 29 and KC Kingdom has continued its tradition of putting together a staff mock draft.
The 2021 NFL Draft should be quite a memorable one. While the first two picks seem pretty set in stone, there are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on. Which quarterback will go at No. 3? Will someone trade with the Falcons in the No. 4 spot to grab whichever marquee quarterback is left? Will we see four straight quarterbacks go off the board?
For the fifth straight year, KC Kingdom has conducted a first-round mock draft amongst the staff. For the third straight year, it’s the same crew drafting too, as I was joined by contributors Kole Berrey, Cullen Jekel, and John McCarty.
We were each assigned eight teams to pick for (though the Jaguars had two different GMs since 29 teams had first-round picks and therefore, the numbers weren’t even) and simply made a selection based on who they felt was right for the team. Each GM explains their reasoning and we had a different GM react to each pick.
So, without further ado, let’s get to the first-round shenanigans! The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the clock.
With the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select…
52. . Quarterback. Jacksonville Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence. 1. player
Jaguars GM (for this pick only): Leigh
There’s no suspense with the No. 1 pick this year. We’ve all known that Trevor Lawrence would be the No. 1 pick ever since he led Clemson to a National Championship title as a freshman, and now the moment has arrived for him to hear his name called first in the draft.
Lawrence joins a Jaguars team who is desperate to make a splash. They hired Urban Meyer as their head coach, who definitely makes the team more interesting. Lawrence will be the starter on Day 1 in Jacksonville and the Jaguars would be stupid to draft any other player with this pick.
Staff Reaction: I mean, what’s there to say? This wasn’t only the right decision, it was the only decision. Add another young gun to the AFC’s arms race. – Cullen
With the second pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the New York Jets select…
player. 30. . Quarterback. New York Jets. Zach Wilson. 2
Jets GM: John
The Jets get the signal-caller they believe can be a playmaking, impact player for them that Sam Darnold never developed into. Athletic and with a good arm, the Jets added Corey Davis to pair with Denzel Mims. Jets likely look to add to their defensive backfield or fortify O-Line with a later pick.
Staff Reaction: After trading Sam Darnold to the Panthers, this really does seem to be the only pick the Jets can make here at No. 2. Hopefully, the Zach Wilson era of Jets football goes better than the Sam Darnold era. – Kole