NFL Draft 2021: Updated Selection Order After AFC, NFC Championships

One Lombardi Trophy and two spots in the 2021 NFL draft.

That is all that is left to hand out during the current season after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl with victories in Sunday's championship games.

While the losses surely sting for the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills, they can at least turn their attention toward the upcoming offseason.

As always, the draft will be a central piece of that offseason.

With that in mind, here is a look at the updated selection order following Sunday's championship matchups.

1st-Round Order of Picks

John Bazemore/Associated Press

1. Jacksonville Jaguars

2. New York Jets

3. Miami Dolphins (via Houston Texans)

4. Atlanta Falcons

5. Cincinnati Bengals

6. Philadelphia Eagles

7. Detroit Lions

8. Carolina Panthers

9. Denver Broncos

10. Dallas Cowboys

11. New York Giants

12. San Francisco 49ers

13. Los Angeles Chargers

14. Minnesota Vikings

15. New England Patriots

16. Arizona Cardinals

17. Las Vegas Raiders

18. Miami Dolphins

19. Washington Football Team

20. Chicago Bears

21. Indianapolis Colts

22. Tennessee Titans

23. New York Jets (via Seattle Seahawks)

24. Pittsburgh Steelers

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Los Angeles Rams)

26. Cleveland Browns

27. Baltimore Ravens

28. New Orleans Saints

29. Green Bay Packers

30. Buffalo Bills

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

32. Kansas City Chiefs

Order is via Tankathon

The Future in Jacksonville

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

There probably won't be much drama when it comes to the No. 1 overall pick.

After all, it has been largely assumed that Clemson's Trevor Lawrence will be the top pick since before the 2020 college football season even started. He did nothing to change those notions by leading the Tigers to an ACC title and the College Football Playoff as a Heisman Trophy finalist.

However, the pairing of Lawrence and new Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer will be among the most intriguing storylines of the entire 2021 NFL campaign.

Meyer is a three-time national champion and one of the best coaches in college football history, but it remains to be seen whether that will translate into success at the next level. While some like Pete Carroll have found success in that transition, others such as Nick Saban did not.

Meyer's success will be directly tied to Lawrence and whether the Clemson product lives up to expectations as the franchise savior.

The Jaguars have struggled to find a franchise quarterback and missed with the No. 3 overall pick of the 2014 draft when they selected Blake Bortles. That mistake cost them a Super Bowl window when they also had a dominant defense, and they are now in full rebuilding mode.

Quarterback and head coach are the two biggest pieces in that rebuild, and Jacksonville will quickly become an AFC contender if it gets those picks right.

Which SEC WR Will Go First?

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

If one only watched the 2020 college football season, it would seem stunning for any team to draft a wide receiver before Alabama's DeVonta Smith.

After all, he won the Heisman Trophy and scored a combined six touchdowns in College Football Playoff games against Notre Dame and Ohio State while helping lead the Crimson Tide to a national championship.

He was unstoppable and became a household name in the process.

However, he might not even be the first wide receiver from his own conference taken in the 2021 draft.

Ja'Marr Chase sat out the 2020 season but was the national championship-winning wide receiver in 2019 who was seemingly unstoppable. He torched Clemson in the title game with 221 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and he could reunite with quarterback Joe Burrow if the Cincinnati Bengals elect to go wide receiver with the No. 5 overall pick.

Smith might not even be the first Alabama wide receiver taken either, as Jaylen Waddle brings explosiveness and speed even though he missed much of the season with an injury.

The wide receiver spot is arguably the most intriguing storyline outside of quarterback for this entire draft, as there could be as many as seven or eight to garner serious first-round consideration.

The first three could very well be from the SEC.

Who Will Be the First Defender Picked?

Ron Jenkins/Associated Press

Defensive players aren't going to like it, but the first round of this draft could well be dominated by offensive playmakers.

With quarterbacks such as Lawrence, Justin Fields, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance; wide receivers like Chase, Smith and Waddle; and even offensive linemen Penei Sewell and Rashawn Slater all available, the top 10 picks will likely be almost all offensive players.

The biggest question may be: Will a single defender even go in the top 10, and, if so, which one will go first?

It's always a good idea to look toward Alabama when evaluating prospects, and cornerback Patrick Surtain II is someone who can play press coverage on outside receivers and stick with them downfield.

Much like Smith may be competing with his teammate in Waddle on the offensive side, Surtain may be competing with Alabama defensive lineman Christian Barmore to be the first defender off the board.

Elsewhere, Michigan defensive lineman Kwity Paye and Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons could hear their names called early as well.