The Buffalo Bills selected University of Miami edge rusher Greg Rousseau with the 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. Rousseau was second in the nation in sacks in 2019 behind Chase Young, but he opted out of football in 2020 due to COVID-19. He needs to get a quicker takeoff and needs to work on his

The Green Bay Packers selected Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes with the No. 29 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. Stokes was seen as more of a track star than a football player at one point. He has extraordinary speed in the secondary and tested off the charts with his speed and size, so he should be able

The New Orleans Saints selected Houston defensive end Payton Turner with the No. 28 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. Turner had an excellent Senior Bowl week by getting after the quarterback, but there are durability concerns. He has plenty of length and ability off the edge while rushing the quarterback, though. Turner has plenty of effort

The Baltimore Ravens selected Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. Bateman can play all over the field with inside and outside versatility and is a masterful route-runner with great ball skills, and he can also make things happen after the catch. Baltimore certainly needed another wideout with some playmaking

The Cleveland Browns selected Northwestern cornerback Gregory Newsome II with the No. 26 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. He’s the second Northwestern player to go in the first round this year. Newsome wasn’t attacked much in coverage in college and must prove that he can stay healthy at the next level. He has great length, athleticism

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Clemson running back Travis Etienne with the 25th overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. The Jags took Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, as expected, with the No. 1 overall pick to kick off the first round. Lawrence and Etienne will join forces once again in the NFL. Pretty cool. Etienne checks every box and

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Alabama running back Najee Harris with the No. 24 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. Harris was a superstar running back in the college ranks last season. He’s an excellent tackle-breaker and plays with a good attitude as a team player. Harris also has some underrated burst and can block when needed. His

The Minnesota Vikings selected Virginia Tech offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw at No. 23 overall in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. That’s back-to-back Virginia Tech products to come off the board late in the first round. Darrisaw profiles as a left tackle, so he’ll help protect quarterback Kirk Cousins‘ blind side. He has great lateral movement and plays with a

The Tennessee Titans selected Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley with the No. 22 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. Farley opted out of 2020 due to COVID-19, and health has been a major question mark for him. He’s had two different back surgeries this year and has struggled with tackling in the past. But Farley is one

The Indianapolis Colts selected Michigan edge rusher Kwity Paye with the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. Paye is a terrific athlete and a physical specimen, but he needs to be coached up to develop secondary moves as an edge rusher. He’s not consistent, but he’s rarely moved off the ball in run defense. Paye has

The New York Giants selected Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney with the No. 20 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. Toney scored 11 touchdowns for the Gators in his final collegiate season. He’s a flat-out playmaker that should help quarterback Daniel Jones tremendously as a home run hitter down the field. Couple that with free-agent acquisition Kenny

The Washington Football Team selected Kentucky linebacker Jamin Davis with the No. 19 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 draft on Thursday night. One huge season in college secured his spot in the first round this year. He’s consistent, tough, smart and has plenty of leadership qualities. Davis has really long arms, and that’s translated to plenty of tackles. He has the

The Miami Dolphins selected University of Miami edge rusher Jaelan Phillips with the No. 18 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. If Phillips can just avoid injuries, this could be a home run pick for the Dolphins defense. The pass-rusher won’t overwhelm offensive linemen with his pure overall strength, but he has the swim moves and hands

The Las Vegas Raiders select Alabama offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood with the No. 17 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. Many analysts were shocked by this pick. He may be more of a guard on the inside at the next level. The Raiders already have Kolton Miller to play left tackle, so Leatherwood is unlikely to play

The Arizona Cardinals selected Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins with the No. 16 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. Collins is a chess piece on defense with size, so the Cardinals will have plenty of options between him and linebacker Isaiah Simmons, who was taken in the first round last year. His skill set definitely fits in the

The Jets selected USC guard Alijah Vera-Tucker with the 14th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. With New York taking Zach Wilson out of BYU with the No. 2 overall pick, the team added some adequate protection to upgrade one of the worst offensive lines in the league. Arguably the best guard available, Vera-Tucker’s presence in the Big Apple could make a difference in

The New England Patriots selected Alabama quarterback Mac Jones with the No. 15 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. It couldn’t have gone any better for head coach Bill Belichick in the first round on Thursday, as they didn’t even have to trade up into the top 10 to get their quarterback of the future. The Pats

With the 13th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Chargers have drafted Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater. Widely regarded as the second-best offensive tackle in this year’s draft after Penei Sewell, not too many expected Slater to fall to the 13th pick. Slater didn’t allow a sack last season and allowed just two quarterback pressures. Slater will look to add pass protection

With the No. 11 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears have traded up with the New York Giants and selected Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. Fields has been one of the top two quarterbacks in this class since high school, but dropped in the lead up to the draft, eventually winding up as the fourth quarterback taken. Considering Fields ended his college

The Philadelphia Eagles selected Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith with the 10th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. The 22-year-old was one of the top collegiate wideouts, finishing the 2020 campaign with nearly 1,900 yards to go along with 23 touchdowns off of 117 receptions. Although the ankle injury to Jaylen Waddle inflated Smith’s statistical output, he still has a chance to shine and