2021 NFL Mock Draft: 1st-Round Projections and Latest Buzz on Top Prospects

There are a handful of top-tier quarterbacks in this year's NFL draft class, and it's possible that each could come off the board early in the opening round on Thursday night. However, there's always a chance for trades on draft night that could shake up how things happen and send mock drafts into disarray.

Nearly every mock has the 2021 NFL draft beginning in the same fashion: The Jacksonville Jaguars will take Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence at No. 1, followed by the New York Jets selecting BYU quarterback Zach Wilson at No. 2. Both teams need franchise quarterbacks, and Lawrence and Wilson are the top two in the class.

But where will the other top three quarterbacks (Alabama's Mac Jones, North Dakota State's Trey Lance and Ohio State's Justin Fields) end up? Could a team trade up in order to add one of these players, or will one of them fall down the board and get drafted later than expected?

Here's an updated first-round mock draft, followed by some of the latest buzz as the event gets closer.

1st-Round Mock Draft

Brett Carlsen/Associated Press

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

3. San Francisco 49ers: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

4. Atlanta Falcons: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

5. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

6. Miami Dolphins: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

7. Detroit Lions: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU

8. Carolina Panthers: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

9. Denver Broncos: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

10. Dallas Cowboys: Rashawn Slater, OL, Northwestern

11. New York Giants: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

12. Philadelphia Eagles: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

13. Los Angeles Chargers: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

14. Minnesota Vikings: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC

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

16. Arizona Cardinals: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

17. Las Vegas Raiders: Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU

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

19. Washington Football Team: Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

20. Chicago Bears: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

21. Indianapolis Colts: Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan

22. Tennessee Titans: Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern

23. New York Jets: Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame

26. Cleveland Browns: Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami

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

28. New Orleans Saints: Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss

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

30. Buffalo Bills: Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama

Jones Remains Favorite for 49ers at No. 3

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

When the 49ers made a trade with the Dolphins to move up from the No. 12 overall pick to No. 3, speculation began that San Francisco could soon be drafting a quarterback. That means Jimmy Garoppolo's time as the 49ers' starter could be getting close to an end.

During a recent appearance on Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin, ESPN's Chris Mortensen confirmed the rumors that San Francisco is likely to add a quarterback at No. 3. And one name is more likely than the others for the 49ers at that spot.

"What I'm hearing is it's Mac Jones and it's in the 90th percentile in terms of likely to be picked," Mortensen said on the show (h/t Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area).

Mortensen also stated that in the "10 percent margin" that San Francisco doesn't take Jones, it's "probably" North Dakota State's Trey Lance who has an edge over Ohio State's Justin Fields. But Jones is the clear favorite, which has been the popular prediction in mock drafts in recent weeks.

Jones had a tremendous junior year at Alabama in 2020, passing for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and four interceptions while leading the Crimson Tide to a 13-0 season and the national championship. If he can carry that success over to the NFL, then it should bode well for the 49ers in the years to come.

Falcons 'Fascinated' by Top Quarterbacks in Draft Class?

Andy Clayton-King/Associated Press

Many mock drafts have the Falcons trading down from the No. 4 pick. They don't necessarily need to use the selection on a quarterback, with 35-year-old Matt Ryan still leading the team's offense, and they could potentially get a strong return in a deal with a team looking to secure a top quarterback prospect.

Or Atlanta could go ahead and draft Ryan's future replacement. Peter King of NBC Sports recently reported that Falcons owner Arthur Blank is "fascinated by the quarterbacks atop the draft, thinking the franchise might not be in such an advantageous position to take one for years."

Maybe the Falcons stay put and draft one of the top non-quarterback prospects in the class, such as Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. But there's also a chance that Atlanta takes either Lance or Fields, then lets either of them sit behind Ryan for at least a year to learn from one of the most consistently strong quarterbacks in the NFL over the past decade.

The Falcons haven't selected a quarterback in the first round since taking Ryan with the No. 3 overall pick in 2008. Perhaps that will change on Thursday night, with either Lance or Fields becoming the franchise's quarterback of the future.

Will Panthers Trade Down from No. 8?

Brian Westerholt/Associated Press

When the offseason began, some mock drafts were predicting that the Panthers would take a quarterback with the No. 8 overall pick, or potentially even trade up to draft one. That's much more unlikely now after Carolina acquired Sam Darnold in a trade with the Jets earlier this month.

With Darnold and Teddy Bridgewater on their roster, the Panthers could now be heading the opposite direction on draft night. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Carolina has "had conversations with other teams about potentially trading back." The Panthers could then still draft a top prospect, while also potentially getting some extra picks.

There's likely to still be at least one top-tier quarterback prospect on the board at No. 8 (probably either Lance or Fields), and there are some teams outside the top 10 that could be interested in moving up to draft him. That list may include the New England Patriots (No. 15) or Chicago Bears (No. 20).

It's also possible the Panthers stay put and add a prospect at one of their top positions of need, such as offensive line, wide receiver or cornerback. So Carolina will have plenty of options to consider heading into the opening round.