NFL 2021 Mock Draft 1.0

#17 NFL 2021 Draft: Las Vegas Raiders – Christian Barmore, IDL, Alabama

Christian Barmore

From the information that is out there and what I’ve learned about the NFL over the years, I believe Christian Barmore could go earlier than most people expect him to.

The Raiders love big-brand players, and they just released Maurice Hurst out of nowhere after he was arguably their best defensive lineman last season; they have already let Maliek Collins walk away in free agency.

Barmore is a destructive player who can blow through interior offensive linemen and pursue the ball. His issue is lack of consistency in motor and pad-level. But putting Barmore as a penetrating three-technique could make him a problem to deal with,as they try to get into the faces of the quarterbacks in their division.

#18 NFL 2021 Draft: Miami Dolphins – Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

The buck stops here. Micah Parsons could reportedly be waiting longer than expected due to some of the stories about hazing teammates and character concerns. But what I can say is that Parsons would be a great fit for the Dolphins defense because he is a big New England-style linebacker, who can play a hybrid role.

He is heavily involved in blitz-packages and can rush from different spots and angles, so he would fit well in Miami’s zero-blitz happy approach. While I could see the Dolphins trade back from this spot, the Penn State LB would be a direct, more athletic replacement for the recently-cut Kyle Van Noy at a much lower cost.

#19 NFL 2021 Draft: Washington Football Team – Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

Washington may miss out on the quarterbacks because they seemingly want to break the bank to move into the top ten.

I don’t see them wanting to go with Mac Jones because they just drafted a pocket passer with limited mobility in the first round two years ago. They might not get an upgrade right now from Ryan Fitzpatrick that way.

Their defense is already loaded with young talent. Therefore, it could come down to another outside weapon or addressing their offensive line. They could try Teven Jenkins at left tackle and give themselves somebody with a mean-streak at that spot.

They could also easily move him back to the right side the next season when there would be no dead cap left on the Morgan Moses deal.

#20 NFL 2021 Draft: Minnesota Vikings (via CHI) – Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan

This move might backfire a bit on the Vikings because they already have two good offensive linemen coming off the board after moving back with the Bears.

Mike Zimmer and company usually like bringing in mid-round projects at the defensive end. But with the uncertainty about Danielle Hunter’s back and his willingness to stay in Minnesota, to go with their sack-leader from a year ago who is stuck at 3.5 might be a wise way to address that problem early on.

Kwity Paye may not be the most instant-impact pass-rusher, but he has freakish athletic traits the Vikings covet. He is an excellent edge-setter in the run game. He did not allow zone-run oriented offenses in the NFC North to widen the B-gap, so the Vikings could move him inside on some passing downs.