NFL second-round mock draft: Buccaneers find possible Tom Brady successor at QB
The first round of the 2021 NFL draft is now etched in stone, Thursday night’s 32 picks providing some rubber stamps, a few fairly expected decisions and just enough shockers.
But there are six rounds yet to play out — and plenty of projected first-round talents still available heading into Friday night. Don’t be surprised if there are more early trades in Round 2 as teams jockey for position some of the prime leftovers … and NFL history has clearly shown that being a first-rounder doesn’t mean you’ll be a star and being picked after Round 1 doesn’t mean you won’t make the Hall of Fame.
Here’s our first (and only) second-round mock draft of 2021:
33. Jacksonville Jaguars – DT Christian Barmore, Alabama: Jags coach Urban Meyer saw this man wreck Ohio State in the CFP national championship game. Barmore would give a lift to a 31st-ranked defense, hastening the rebuild as a three-down interior disruptor who could open things up for edge rushers Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson.
Trey Lance for the Bison.
39. Carolina Panthers – TE Pat Freiermuth, Penn State: They need a left tackle, too, but the next-best way to help new QB Sam Darnold might be by giving him a sturdy tight end who will block for him and provide an option on third down and in the red zone.
40. Denver Broncos – LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame: He’s not the biggest guy, but a 221-pounder who can defend in space and cover large sectors of the field could certainly find a welcoming home in Vic Fangio’s defense.
41. Detroit Lions – WR Elijah Moore, Mississippi: Even if the passing game won’t be the focal point of this offense, Detroit needs to reload at the position after losing Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones in free agency. Moore can do a lot of damage from the slot and also on jet sweeps.
42. New York Giants – C/G Landon Dickerson, Alabama: How long can GM Dave Gettleman resist a hog molly, particularly one who can safeguard Daniel Jones for the next decade? Assuming, of course, the quarterback pans out behind his new supporting cast.
43. San Francisco 49ers – WR Tutu Atwell, Louisville: He may only be 5-9 while hovering near 150 pounds, but his speed could bring another dimension to an offense the Niners clearly hope to expand with Lance. An all-ACC selection in 2019 when he led the conference with 1,272 receiving yards, Atwell could certainly open things up for the running game, TE George Kittle and WRs Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk.
new QB Trevor Lawrence with the pick acquired in last year’s Yannick Ngakoue deal.
46. New England Patriots – DE Ronnie Perkins, Oklahoma: In a division suddenly full of uber-athletic quarterbacks, Bill Belichick needs to get more pass rushers.
47. Los Angeles Chargers – CB Tyson Campbell, Georgia: Another speedy Bulldogs corner for a defense that needs one in the pass-crazy AFC West.
48. Las Vegas Raiders – DT Levi Onwuzurike, Washington: GM Mike Mayock’s D-line is in nearly as much flux as the offensive front five. Onwuzurike can defend the run and penetrate on passing downs for a defense that let this team down too many times in 2020.
49. Arizona Cardinals – CB Elijah Molden, Washington: The premier slot corner in this draft would be quite a weapon for a team that regularly has to defend the likes of Cooper Kupp and Tyler Lockett.
50. Dolphins – C/G Quinn Meinerz, Wisconsin-Whitewater: The Division III legend brings his Paul Bunyan-esque exploits to South Beach to better protect QB Tua Tagovailoa.
51. Washington Football Team – S Richie Grant, Central Florida: After adding LB Jamin Davis in the first round, the WFT gets a center fielder for the back end of a defense poised to dominate in 2021.
QB Justin Fields, sensible to continue resourcing an offense that must improve if this team is going to do more than exist on the playoff periphery.
53. Tennessee Titans – OT Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame: Maybe he can solidify right tackle for a team that should have re-signed Jack Conklin last year and should not have drafted Isaiah Wilson.
54. Indianapolis Colts – S Jevon Holland, Oregon: This team doesn’t have many holes, but the back line might be one. Holland had nine INTs over the 2018 and ’19 seasons before opting out last year.
55. Pittsburgh Steelers – C Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma: They took RB Najee Harris in Round 1 but must now get some blocking in front of him. Humphrey would take over for retired pivot Maurkice Pouncey.
56. Seattle Seahawks – DE Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest: With their first scheduled selection of this draft, they get a high-effort D-lineman who can help get this rotation back where it needs to be.
57. Los Angeles Rams – LB Nick Bolton, Missouri: The two-time all-SEC performer would shore up a weak spot of last season’s top-ranked defense.
58. Kansas City Chiefs (from Baltimore Ravens) – LB Jabril Cox, LSU: A rangy linebacker who also played at North Dakota State, Cox compares himself to Darius Leonard … certainly an element the K.C. D could use.
59. Cleveland Browns – DT Alim McNeill, North Carolina State: A highly mobile interior havoc wreaker who could fill a spot vacated by the release of Sheldon Richardson and thrive between DEs Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney.
QB Aaron Rodgers (assuming he remains on the roster Friday night) and a dynamo who can ease some of the load on All-Pro Davante Adams. Moore blazed an unofficial 4.29 40 at his pro day while posting 42½-inch vertical jump. He posted 114 catches and 14 TDs as a freshman in 2018 … but injuries have kept him off the field quite a bit since.
63. Chiefs – WR Terrace Marshall Jr., LSU: If Kansas City’s doctors are comfortable with him, pretty sweet value for a 6-3, 205-pounder who provides QB Patrick Mahomes with another supplementary downfield option. Of Marshall’s 94 grabs over the past two seasons, 23 went for TDs.
64. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – QB Davis Mills, Stanford: Why not? He was highly recruited out of high school, but knee injuries limited him to 11 starts. Mills ran a sub-4.6 40 at his pro day and is the kind of compelling prospect you’d love to develop under the tutelage of Tom Brady while hoping he’s ready to blossom once TB12 decides to hang it up.
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.