NFL mock draft: Full round one after first wave of free agency

Picks 21 through 32 (a first round with no Seahawks trade up)

Pick 21 – Jaycee Horn – CB – South Carolina – Indianapolis

Having re-signed Xavier Rhodes, Jaycee Horn will be an upgrade at the other corner and add further quality to an already excellent defense.

Pick 22 – Kadarius Toney – WR – Florida – Tennessee

AJ Brown needs a new counterpart following the free agency departure of Corey Davis, Toney is just the right man for the job albeit he is more of a slot receiver than a wideout.

Pick 23 – Najee Harris – RB – Alabama – NY Jets

Harris is the other special talent I referred to earlier. This guy is going to be really really special, he has speed, agility, athleticism, is nimble and possibly most impressively finishes every run going forward. The Jets have got every last ounce of value out of Frank Gore, Harris could be a truly great RB for years to come.

Pick 24 – Alijah Vera-Tucker – OT – USC – Pittsburgh

It looks like the Steelers need to replace Alejandro Villanueva in order to protect the most immobile QB in the league. Vera-Tucker can also play Guard, and is an all-round O-linemen who excels on both pass and running plays. His ability to run block is much needed in Pittsburgh.

Pick 25 – Christian Darrisaw – OT – Virginia Tech – Jacksonville

You have Trevor Lawrence, now protect that valuable asset. The O-line was a below-average unit last season, but with one or two additions to some good players already in place could become a good unit pretty quickly. Darrisaw would be one of the additions they need.

Pick 26 – Christian Barmore – DL – Alabama – Cleveland

The Browns fans will be clamouring for a WR, but this is a poor spot to land one so they will get better value from Barmore as their new right tackle on the D-line. Defense cost the Browns last season, so they need to address this weakness.

Pick 27 – Trevon Moehrig – S – TCU – Baltimore

Moehrig is the first safety off the board, and this is a position the Ravens can certainly get better at with the addition of Moehrig. They have addressed the free agency issues on the D-line, so improving the secondary is the best move for them with this pick.

Pick 28 – Greg Newsome – CB – Northwestern – New Orleans

Newsome is the replacement for the departed Janoris Jenkins. Newsome is the type of CB that will be able to play from day one and with the Saints offense likely to be less productive in 2021, the defense needs to step up.

Pick 29 – Tyson Campbell – CB – Georgia – Green Bay

With free agent Kevin King not looking like being re-signed (and possibly a Seahawks free agent target), Campbell would be a good replacement. The Packers don’t have many weaknesses and adding Campbell will take one possible weakness away.

Pick 30 – Carlos Basham – DL – Wake Forest – Buffalo

I am surprised the Bills have not made free agency moves on their D-line, it was poor against the run and merely average against the pass in 2020. Basham can play tackle or defensive end and will provide a really useful addition to this D-line.

Pick 31 – Jalen Mayfield – OT – Michigan – Kansas City

The Chiefs have been re-vamping their O-line after the injuries and lack of performance in the Super Bowl cost them the Lombardi trophy. Mayfield is the left tackle they are looking for and can also play RT and guard.

Pick 32 – Rashad Weaver – DE – Pittsburgh – Tampa Bay

Weaver is the replacement for Ndamukong Suh at DE in the Bucs defensive scheme. He is an absolute tackling machine and has great awareness for somebody who has yet to join the NFL He should be an every-down DE from the get-go for the reigning champs.

That rounds out my mock of round 1 of the 2021 NFL draft. My next piece will cover rounds two and three of the upcoming draft and maybe we will finally find out who the Seahawks take first.