2021 NFL Draft: Las Vegas Raiders fill void on offense in full first-round mock
2021 NFL Draft: Las Vegas Raiders fill void on offense in full first-round mock
32. . RB. Arizona Cardinals. Travis Etienne. 16. player
The Arizona Cardinals are building a contender in the NFC West with their free-agent additions and they continue to put together a scary good offense with the addition of Travis Etienne from Clemson. Etienne was one of the best backs in college football and has plenty of versatility to his game.
The former Tiger had a 2,000 yard from scrimmage season in 2019 and followed that up with 1,500 in 2020 as he came back for an unexpected senior season and did little to hurt his draft stock. The Cardinals already have an elite WR in DeAndre Hopkins and adding Etienne as another weapon for Kyler Murray to target would help boost their offense to the next level.
28. . OT. Las Vegas Raiders. Teven Jenkins. 17. player
The Las Vegas Raiders are rebuilding their offensive line after some massive turnover in the position group and they continue to do so with the addition of Teven Jenkins from Oklahoma State. Jenkins was a three-year starter for the Cowboys and has played both left and right tackle during his career but has primarily been a RT as a starter.
Jenkins has great size at 6’6″, 320lbs, and is one of the standouts in a strong class of offensive tackles. He had a tremendous pro day which showed all of his excellent traits, including 36 reps on the bench press and a 4.96 40 time. The big man projects as a long-term starter for the Raiders and could form a great bookend with franchise LT Kolton Miller.
EDGE. Miami Dolphins. Jaelan Phillips. 18. player. 59.
The Miami Dolphins make their second pick of the first round with the selection of OLB/DE Jaelan Phillips from the University of Miami. Phillips also played for UCLA but became a top prospect in his final college season with the Hurricanes after sitting out the 2019 season due to transfer rules.
Phillips has prototypical size at 6’5, 266lbs and ran a 4.56 40 in his pro day to show off his elite athleticism as well. The California native was a terror in 2020 as he racked up 45 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks for Miami as he cemented his status as a future first-round pick. Miami’s defense was great in 2020 and will be even better in 2021 with the addition of players like Jaelan Phillips.
58. . LB. Washington Commanders. Micah Parsons. 19. player
The Washington Football Team gets one of the most intriguing prospects in the NFL Draft in LB Micah Parsons of Penn State with the 19th overall pick. Parsons is an elite-level pass rusher who also has the speed and athleticism to make plays in space though he is still learning how to be an effective pass defense.
Parsons opted out of the 2020 season but solidified his place as a top prospect with an incredible pro-day performance on top of two years of excellent play for the Nittany Lions. He measured in a 6’3″, 235lbs and posted a 4.39 40 time and a 34-inch vertical leap. Parsons is an athletic marvel with great instincts for the game and looks to be an impact player at the NFL level.
. CB. Chicago Bears. Greg Newsome II. 20. player. 57
The Chicago Bears add one of the more explosive players in the 2020 NFL Draft in Greg Newsome II out of Northwestern with the 20th overall pick. Newsome played in Chicago’s backyard at Northwestern and is a player they should be very familiar with as he grew up in Chicago and played at an elite level just down the road.
Newsome has good size at 6’1″,190lbs, and posted an impressive 4.38 40 at his pro day to show that he has the speed to match his impressive physicality. The Bears need a replacement for Kyle Fuller and they have a ready-made one in Greg Newsome at this spot in the first round.