Kiper Mocks DeVonta Smith to Jets, Ja'Marr Chase to Dolphins Amid Deshaun Rumors

Two elite wide receiver prospects are among the top three picks in ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s first 2021 NFL mock draft.

After the obvious selection of Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 1 overall, Kiper mocked Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith to the New York Jets at No. 2 and LSU wideout Ja'Marr Chase to the Miami Dolphins at No. 3.

The Jets and Dolphins have some uncertainty at quarterback with Sam Darnold and Tua Tagovailoa penciled in as the respective starters, but go-to targets like Smith and Chase could go a long way toward making them successful if the teams decide to keep them as the starting signal-callers.

Both the Jets and Dolphins have been linked to Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson via trade, which would likely see them part with one of the aforementioned picks.

Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald reported last week that Watson is interested in getting traded to the AFC East, and while he likes both the Jets and Dolphins as a potential destination, he favors New York over Miami.

Assuming both the Jets and Dolphins retain their picks, however, nabbing the top two wide receivers in the draft makes sense for both teams.

The Jets have been short on offensive weapons for years, and that is likely a big reason why Darnold has not progressed as quickly as hoped after the Jets selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

Darnold is just 13-25 as a starter with 45 touchdown passes and 39 interceptions in 38 career starts. That includes nine touchdowns and 11 picks in 12 games last season.

Jamison Crowder was the Jets' leading receiver last season with 59 receptions for 699 yards and six touchdowns primarily out of the slot, while the top outside option was Breshad Perriman, who finished with just 30 grabs for 505 yards and three scores.

Smith would bring much-needed dynamism to the New York offense after turning in one of the best wide receiver seasons in college football history.

He led the Crimson Tide to a national title with 117 receptions for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns, and he also became the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy since Desmond Howard in 1991.

The Dolphins have a bit more weaponry to speak of on the offensive side of the ball, but No. 1 receiver DeVante Parker was banged up much of the 2020 season and finished with just 63 receptions for 793 yards and four touchdowns.

Aside from Parker, the only other wide receiver to crack 300 yards for the Dolphins was Jakeem Grant, who finished with 373.

As a rookie quarterback, Tagovailoa went 6-3 as a starter and threw for 1,814 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. The offense lacked explosiveness when he was in there, however, which led to head coach Brian Flores replacing him with veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick at times.

Perhaps a receiver like Chase could help Tagovailoa reach the next level, especially if he produces right away at a level similar to former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson, who was impressive as a rookie for the Minnesota Vikings this season.

Chase opted out of the 2020 college football season to focus on the 2021 draft amid uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, but he was dominant during LSU's national title-winning season of 2019 with 84 receptions for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Smith and Chase are both proven producers and winners at the highest level of college football, and they would undoubtedly provide the AFC East with a huge influx of talent at the wide receiver position.