Daniel Jeremiah 2021 NFL Mock Draft 2.0: Justin Fields to Falcons; Wilson to NYJ

With the Jacksonville Jaguars widely expected to take Clemson star Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the New York Jets remain the center of intrigue near the top of draft boards.

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah weighed in on the matter with his newest mock draft Tuesday, projecting the Jets to select BYU quarterback Zach Wilson. That mirrors Jeremiah's first 2021 mock in January.

He also had Ohio State star Justin Fields off the board at No. 4 to the Atlanta Falcons, having put North Dakota State's Trey Lance in that spot last month.

"I have Trey Lance ranked ahead of Fields in my top 50, but Fields' athleticism could lead Atlanta to pursue a homecoming for the Georgia native," Jeremiah wrote.

The circumstances don't match one another, but the Falcons and Jets are in a similar position in that they already have a starting quarterback on the roster.

Atlanta seems to be starting over after hiring a new head coach (Arthur Smith) and general manager (Terry Fontenot). Matt Ryan turns 36 in May, so identifying his successor now would make sense.

Fontenot made it clear on the Huddle and Flow podcast (via NFL.com's Kevin Patra) adding another quarterback is a possibility this offseason:

"You look at (former Packers GM) Ron Wolf. You always bring in quarterbacks. You need to bring in quarterbacks, whether it's in the draft, whether it's in free agency, or signing guys off the street. It's so important, bring in quarterbacks a lot, build strengths. (Former Ravens GM) Ozzie Newsome, bring in the best players available. These are men that have had all that success, and it's about having the right 53, but we have to add competition at every position. So we're not going to be afraid to add to strengths. But both (Ryan and Julio Jones) are really good and I'm excited to be here with those players."

While the Jets still have Sam Darnold, both sides may benefit from a fresh start. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Feb. 7 that multiple teams had spoken to New York about acquiring the 23-year-old signal-caller.

With Lawrence almost certainly unattainable, the trio of Wilson, Fields and Lance represent the best of the rest at the quarterback position.

Wilson's draft stock skyrocketed in 2020 as he threw for 3,692 yards, 33 touchdowns and three interceptions. He ran for another 254 yards and 10 scores.

Fields had a somewhat more uneven campaign but reminded everybody of his skills by finishing 22-of-28 for 385 yards and six touchdowns in Ohio State's 49-28 Sugar Bowl win over Clemson.

When it comes to Lance, meanwhile, evaluators will have to base their judgments largely on 2019 after the Football Championship Subdivision postponed its season. His numbers from two years ago make it clear why he's valued so highly, though. He finished with 2,786 passing yards and 28 touchdowns to zero interceptions while carrying the ball 169 times for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns.

It's hard to see any of Wilson, Fields or Lance jumping head and shoulders above the others between now and the start of the draft April 29.