NFL Draft 2021: Known Order and Top Prospects Before Week 17

When the 2020 NFL regular season concludes Sunday night, it will mark the end for 18 of the league's 32 teams. While 14 teams will advance to the playoffs, the others will shift their focus to the offseason and start building toward the 2021 campaign.

That also means these teams will be locked into their spots for the 2021 NFL draft, which is scheduled to take place from April 29-May 1 in Cleveland. Some teams already know where they will be picking—it's guaranteed that the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets will have the first two selections in the draft, respectively.

The college football season is also nearing its conclusion, with the College Football Playoff National Championship between Alabama and Ohio State set to take place Jan. 11. For many top draft prospects, though, they have already had their last chances to impress NFL teams with their college gameplay.

Here's a look at the projected NFL draft order heading into Week 17, followed by a breakdown of some of the top prospects in this year's class.

Current Projected NFL Draft Order

Steve Luciano/Associated Press

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-14)

2. New York Jets (2-13)

3. Miami Dolphins via Houston Texans (4-11)

4. Atlanta Falcons (4-11)

5. Cincinnati Bengals (4-10-1)

6. Philadelphia Eagles (4-10-1)

7. Detroit Lions (5-10)

8. New York Giants (5-10)

9. Carolina Panthers (5-10)

10. Denver Broncos (5-10)

11. Dallas Cowboys (6-9)

12. Los Angeles Chargers (6-9)

13. Minnesota Vikings (6-9)

14. New England Patriots (6-9)

15. San Francisco 49ers (6-9)

16. Las Vegas Raiders (7-8)

17. Arizona Cardinals (8-7)

18. Indianapolis Colts (10-5)

19. Washington Football Team (6-9)

20. Chicago Bears (8-7)

21. Jacksonville Jaguars via Los Angeles Rams (9-6)

22. Cleveland Browns (10-5)

23. Miami Dolphins (10-5)

24. Baltimore Ravens (10-5)

25. Tennessee Titans (10-5)

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-5)

27. New York Jets via Seattle Seahawks (11-4)

28. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-3)

29. New Orleans Saints (11-4)

30. Buffalo Bills (12-3)

31. Green Bay Packers (12-3)

32. Kansas City Chiefs (14-1)

Via Tankathon.

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

Brian Blanco/Associated Press

After three impressive years at Clemson, Trevor Lawrence's college career likely ended with the Tigers' loss to Ohio State in Friday's Sugar Bowl. Although the junior quarterback hasn't declared for the 2021 NFL draft, it's widely expected to happen.

"I'm sure there will be some information coming out here soon," Lawrence told reporters. "I just wanted to sit back for a minute and take everything in."

As long as Lawrence doesn't make the surprising decision to return to school, he's likely going to be drafted by the Jaguars with the No. 1 overall pick. Jacksonville could benefit from having a franchise quarterback in place, and Lawrence has the potential to be just that at the NFL level.

Lawrence went 38-2 as Clemson's starting quarterback, which included leading the Tigers to the national championship as a true freshman in the 2018 season. This season, he passed for 3,153 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions while leading the Tigers to the ACC championship and College Football Playoff, and he was also named as one of the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy.

Expect to hear Lawrence's name called first in the 2021 NFL draft, as he could go on and become a leader for the Jaguars for years to come.

Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

Ron Jenkins/Associated Press

Penei Sewell didn't play for Oregon this season, as he opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft. But over the previous two seasons, he showed why he's the top offensive lineman and one of the top players in this class.

Listed at 6'6" and 325 pounds, Sewell was a unanimous All-American during the 2019 season. He earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors and won both the Morris Trophy (given to the best offensive lineman in the Pac-12) and the Outland Trophy (given to the top interior lineman in the country).

The New York Jets, who own the No. 2 pick in the draft, could take a quarterback (perhaps either Ohio State's Justin Fields or BYU's Zach Wilson). However, should they decide to stick with Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback, they might consider selecting Sewell and pairing him with Mekhi Becton as their starting tackles for the future.

Wherever Sewell ends up, he will likely be the cornerstone of a team's offensive line for years to come. He's one of the most exciting prospects in the draft class.

Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Ja'Marr Chase's final college game ended up being LSU's win in the CFP National Championship at the end of the 2019 season. Like Sewell, the talented wide receiver opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft.

Although Chase's most recent appearance for the Tigers was nearly a full year ago, it was an impressive showing. He had nine receptions for 221 yards and two touchdowns to help LSU beat Clemson and cap its undefeated season with a national title. He finished the 2019 campaign with 84 catches for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Chase was a unanimous All-American, a first-team All-SEC selection and the winner of the Biletnikoff Award (given to the top receiver in the country) in 2019. If he had decided to play in 2020, LSU could have had more success, as the Tigers went 5-5 without their top receiving option.

There are several teams with early picks that could consider drafting Chase, but one intriguing possibility would be if he went to the Cincinnati Bengals, who took former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick last year. If Burrow and Chase reunited in Cincinnati, it could lead to positive results for the Bengals.