2021 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions for Every Team Ahead of Super Bowl

For 30 NFL teams, the 2020 season has already not gone according to plan.

Once the final buzzer sounds during Sunday's Super Bowl LV, the group will grow to 31.

Only the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain in the championship hunt, which underscores the need for roster reinforcements on all other clubs. Luckily, help is on the way by way of the 2021 NFL draft, which is slated to run from April 29 through May 1.

With most football franchises focused on the offseason, that's where we will shift our attention for a trade-free mock first round and a breakdown of three of the best defensive prospects in the class.

2021 NFL Mock Draft

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1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

2. New York Jets: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

3. Miami Dolphins (via HOU): Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU

4. Atlanta Falcons: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

5. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

6. Philadelphia Eagles: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

7. Detroit Lions: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

8. Carolina Panthers: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

9. Denver Broncos: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

10. Dallas Cowboys: Kwity Paye, Edge, Michigan

11. New York Giants: Gregory Rousseau, Edge, Miami

12. San Francisco 49ers: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

13. Los Angeles Chargers: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern

14. Minnesota Vikings: Christian Barmore, DE/DT, Alabama

15. New England Patriots: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

16. Arizona Cardinals: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

17. Las Vegas Raiders: Jaelan Phillips, Edge, Miami

18. Miami Dolphins: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame

19. Washington Football Team: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

20. Chicago Bears: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC

21. Indianapolis Colts: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

22. Tennessee Titans: Azeez Ojulari, Edge, Georgia

23. New York Jets (via SEA): Carlos Basham Jr., Edge, Wake Forest

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (via LAR): Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

26. Cleveland Browns: Joseph Ossai, LB, Texas

27. Baltimore Ravens: Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU

28. New Orleans Saints: Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU

29. Green Bay Packers: Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia

30. Buffalo Bills: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa

32. Kansas City Chiefs: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue

Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

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The importance of the passing game in the modern NFL has rarely been more evident. The Chiefs and Buccaneers finished first and second, respectively, in passing yards per game. The AFC runner-up Buffalo Bills were third. The NFC silver-medalist Green Bay Packers were ninth.

Job No. 1 for opposing defenses, then, is to limit pass production. And one of the simplest ways to do that is by adding a lockdown corner. Patrick Surtain II has all the tools to be that type of impact player, which is why he's the first defender off of our draft board.

He made 38 consecutive starts at Alabama and was a unanimous All-American first-teamer this past season, his junior year. He played 13 games in 2020 and allowed 25 receiving yards or fewer in 10 of them. Just 21 of the 48 targets thrown his way resulted in completions. He had four interceptions and four forced fumbles across his three-year career with the Crimson Tide.

His father, Patrick Surtain, made three Pro Bowls and earned one first-team All-Pro selection over an 11-year NFL career.

Kwity Paye, Edge, Michigan

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There isn't a better weapon to throw at opposing quarterbacks than a ferocious edge-rusher. Kwity Paye isn't quite at that level yet, but the draft is all about future projections, and his are among the brightest at his position.

Pro Football Focus' Anthony Treash labeled Paye "the top edge rusher in the class" and "an athletic freak." The 6'4", 270-pound edge has the strength to overpower offensive linemen and the burst to zip right by them. He could be a nightmare for NFL quarterbacks down the line.

His stats don't jump off the page (11.5 sacks across four seasons), but the flashes are drool-worthy. As Treash noted, Paye managed 22 pressures in just four games this past season and earned an 87.1 pass rush grade.

If a team can get his technical skills to catch up to his physical tools, his potential is limitless.

Gregory Rousseau, Edge, Miami

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While every prospect has a certain degree of eye-of-the-beholder difference in their draft projections, Gregory Rousseau's gap is wider than most.

He opted out of the 2020 season, which doesn't make him unique in this class. What stands out, though, is the limited sample size before that decision. His true freshman season in 2018 was derailed by an ankle injury after only two games. The 2019 campaign was his redshirt freshman season and just about all evaluators have to go by when it comes to collegiate game film.

The fact that he still snagged the 11th overall spot in this mock is a testament to how ridiculous that film is. He became intimately familiar with just about everyone on Miami's 2019 schedule, tallying 15.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. Incredibly, he only started seven of his 13 games that season.

"He can win in so many different ways," NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah wrote in June 2020. "He has an effective push-pull move, he uses a swipe-rip move and he can generate speed to power. He's also very comfortable and effective working inside against interior offensive lineman. He rarely gets bounced around and bullied by guys that outweigh him by 50-plus pounds."

If Rousseau's limited body of work doesn't scare off teams, they could be getting, in Jeremiah's words, a potential "perennial All-Pro player."