2021 NFL draft first round winners and losers and surprises

The Seahawks didn’t have a first round pick in the 2021 NFL draft so they weren’t among the winner and losers on the first day. Let’s hope by the end of rounds two and three that the Seahawks have made one or five of the best moves of the drafts.

Round one, as always, came with early predictable choices and then those where it may have left a fanbase asking, “Why?” But that’s part of the fun of the draft and even those players who might be question marks could become All-Pro players in the future.

At least one thing was for sure. Seahawks fans didn’t have to wait up all first round only to see Seattle trade back into the second round. It was a much more relaxing evening than normal for 12s.

Winners and losers from a Seahawks-less 2021 NFL draft first round

Winner – New England Patriots taking quarterback Mac Jones at 15

I don’t care what the national pundits say about Mac Jones for the most part. Maybe he isn’t fleet of foot, but he is a winner and extremely accurate, understands how an offense should work, finds the best receiver early in his progressions and remains calm. In other words, he’s a perfect fit for the Patriots offense.

Loser – Las Vegas Raiders taking offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood at 17

Our friends at Just Blog Baby like this pick but I don’t. Leatherwood seems like a new version of D.J. Fluker. Fluker appears to be a cool dude and isn’t a bad offensive lineman but he also wasn’t worth taking in the first round like he was in 2013. Fluker doesn’t have much athletic ability and I don’t think Leatherwood is much better.

Winner – Tampa Bay Buccaneers taking edge rusher Joe Tryon at 32

I am not saying this simply as a Seattle-homer but I do think Joe Tryon to the Bucs is a great move for Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers don’t need a player who will instantly transform their pass rush but just need a rotational player in 2021 and one who can become a starter in a couple of years. This is Tryon. He’s going to be a good pro.

Loser – Aaron Rodgers

Reports on Thursday, whether real or enflamed because it was draft day, said that Aaron Rodgers was unhappy in Green Bay and wanted out. Many teams might have said, “We need to help our quarterback now!” Green Bay does actually need another good receiver. Instead, Green Bay went with a cornerback. That can’t make Rodgers happy.

Surprises

Receiver Ja’Marr Chase went to the Cincinnati Bengals at 5. Chase is re-joining his college quarterback Joe Burrow and the two will probably form a good combination. That is if Burrow has time to throw because his offensive line is terrible. The Bengals should have drafted a lineman first instead of a shiny new toy for Burrow.

Running back Travis Etienne went to the Jacksonville Jaguars at 25. The Jags choosing Trevor Lawrence was a no-brainer at number one but Jacksonville needs defensive help quite a bit. It could be that Urban Meyer thinks he is smarter than he is and overthought this pick. Time will tell.