NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 13: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the LSU Tigers in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Mercedes Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)For 14 NFL teams, the next few days and weeks will be dedicated to preparing for the NFL playoffs. For the other 18 teams, they’re ready to prepare for the offseason and 2021 NFL Draft.
The Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets secured the first and second overall picks in the draft last week respectively. But we needed Week 17 to determine the rest of the draft’s first 18 picks.
Jacksonville is universally expected to take Clemson all-world quarterback Trevor Lawrence with that top pick. New York has a near-infinite number of options with that pick, with elite prospects like Justin Fields, Zack Wilson and Penei Sewell all there for the taking.
Several elite wide receivers are going to be available too with Ja’Varr Chase and Heisman Trophy finalist DeVonta Smith declaring. Either one of them could be the final piece to an NFL team’s offensive puzzle.
Here is the order for the first 18 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft:
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- New York Jets
- Miami Dolphins (via Houston Texans)
- Atlanta Falcons
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Detroit Lions
- Carolina Panthers
- Denver Broncos
- Dallas Cowboys
- New York Giants
- San Francisco 49ers
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Minnesota Vikings
- New England Patriots
- Arizona Cardinals
- Las Vegas Raiders
- Miami Dolphins
The final 14 picks will be determined based on the outcomes of the upcoming NFL playoffs. But the cream of the crop will be taken early, and we now know which teams will be in a position to get the top prospects.
Where is your favorite team picking in the 2021 NFL Draft?
