NFL Draft 2021: 5 best picks of first round
The NFL Draft 2021 continues over the next two days, but these five picks are the best we’ve seen from the first round.
5. Christian Darrisaw, OT, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings ended up moving back nine spots and picked up a few extra picks. Somehow, they still ended up landing Darrisaw, who many believed was a top-15 talent. Minnesota has been trying to figure out how to improve the offensive line for years, and Darrisaw is the first big swing the team has taken in this regard since taking Riley Reiff years ago. It’s a home run selection wit major upside.
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4. Greg Newsome, CB, Cleveland Browns
This was a good pick for the home fans to go home beaming about. The Browns have slowly built a quality team, but they needed to work the secondary into a better form this offseason. After general manager signed John Johnson at safety and Troy Hill on the perimeter, the Browns used there first-round pick on corner Greg Newsome to pair with Denzel Ward on the outside. It’s a nice tandem that should pay dividends when Cleveland sees the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs.
3. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
We don’t have to go in-depth here. The jaguars were always going to take Lawrence because along with John Elway, Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning, he’s one of the generational-type quarterbacks to enter the draft over the past 40 years. Lawrence immediately makes the Jaguars an interesting team and with some decent weapons around him, should be terrific right away for Jacksonville.
Read: Aaron Rodgers Reportedly Doesn’t Want To Return To Packers in 2021
2. Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears
This has to be the steal of the night. It could very easily be the top pick, and the only reason it’s not is because the Bears had to give up a good amount of capital to make it happen. Still, Chicago Landing Justin Fields hen it looked like Andy Dalton was going to start is an amazing outcome. The Bears are suddenly fun and intriguing with a future to boot. Fields completely changes their outlook.
1. Rashawn Slater, OT, Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers went into this draft desperately needing a left tackle to protect Justin Herbert. Without having to move up from No. 13, they somehow landed Northwestern’s star in Rashawn Slater. This is a massive get for a team that struggled to protect all year. Slater will immediately come in and provide the kind of boost we saw from Jedrick Wills in Cleveland and Tristan Wirfs in Tampa Bay last season.
