2021 NFL Draft Rumors: Latest Updates Entering Draft Week
As NFL rumors pour in, our anticipation levels will reach new heights with the 2021 draft set to get underway Thursday.
Team executives and coaches will nail down the final pieces of their big boards and work through potential scenarios that could unfold between Thursday and Saturday. Meanwhile, we are left wondering how the picks pan out.
This year, five quarterbacks may go within the first 10 selections, and the San Francisco 49ers have a major decision at No. 3. Which signal-caller will they choose to lead the franchise?
Another club outside the top 10 may serve up a draft-day surprise if one of the top quarterbacks slides to the middle of the opening round.
One general manager could shake up the draft order with a trade that involves a notable veteran. Which player may be on the move Thursday?
We'll provide an update on the latest draft buzz and make sense of the chatter around the most intriguing situations around the league.
After Extensive Research on QB Prospects, 49ers Targeting Mac Jones at No. 3?
The Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets are expected to select Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and BYU's Zach Wilson with the first and second overall picks, respectively. This year's draft mystery starts with the San Francisco 49ers at No. 3.
According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler (h/t Bleacher Report's Tyler Conway), the 49ers have concluded their research on Alabama's Mac Jones, Ohio State's Justin Fields and North Dakota State's Trey Lance, but the team remains connected to one particular prospect:
"I'm told the work is done in Santa Clara. They have wrapped up their draft meetings officially. They're ready to make this pick, but it's in the hands of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. They're probably not telling anybody. Nobody in that building knows and doesn't expect to know until Thursday. But the coaches broke down Mac Jones, Justin Fields and Trey Lance this week together in a neutral process. I'm told they've kept an open mind with Justin Fields and Trey Lance winning them over. They had a good process, but there's still a decent amount of buzz league-wide about Mac Jones."
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the 49ers have narrowed down their focus to Jones and Lance.
Among the three signal-callers in consideration, Jones is the least athletic of the trio.
Fields and Lance each rushed for more than 1,100 yards on the collegiate level. Jones recorded 42 yards on the ground, but he can sidestep pass-rushers to buy himself time in the pocket.
In head coach Kyle Shanahan's scheme, Jones will need to roll out, move outside the pocket on bootleg designs and move the ball downfield with play action while under center.
ESPN's Nick Wagoner provided context on Jones' snap count, which suggests he has little experience under center with play-action design.
Despite the buzz that connects Jones to the 49ers, his play style at Alabama doesn't seem to match San Francisco's system. Based on Wagoner's numbers, Lance seems like the ideal fit at No. 3.
Raiders Set to Take QB If One Slides Outside the Top 10?
Since Jon Gruden took over the Las Vegas Raiders' head-coaching position in January 2018, quarterback Derek Carr's job security has been a regular offseason talking point.
Thus far, Carr has not only held on to his job but shown steady improvement under Gruden. This past season, the 30-year-old signal-caller recorded career highs in passing yards (4,103), quarterback rating (101.4) and QBR (71). He finished with 27 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Carr's progress didn't prevent the Raiders from taking a closer look at the top quarterback prospects in the draft, and the team could select one if available outside the top 10.
Carr only has two years left on his deal without any dead money owed to him after the 2021 campaign, per Over the Cap.
If Justin Fields, Trey Lance or Mac Jones falls to Vegas, Carr would have more pressure on him going into 2021 than in any of the previous seasons under Gruden. AJ McCarron, Mike Glennon, DeShone Kizer, Nathan Peterman and Marcus Mariota haven't come close to threatening the three-time Pro Bowler for his starting job.
Carr can further solidify his future in Vegas with another solid campaign before a contract year. He helped lead a top-10 scoring offense this past season, but a strong quarterback group would give the team flexibility. With a solid veteran and a high-potential rookie, Vegas could field calls for the best trade offer next offseason.
Then again, Fields, Lance and Jones will likely come off the draft board before the Raiders make their selection at No. 17. If not, the quarterback room in Vegas will become a must-watch situation next offseason.
Eagles Packaging TE Zach Ertz in Draft-Day Trade?
The Philadelphia Eagles dropped six spots in the draft order from No. 6 to No. 12 in a trade deal with the Miami Dolphins, and the team could move again Thursday.
Heading into draft week, general manager Howie Roseman worked the phones, and an Eagles player may have been involved in those discussions, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler (h/t Bleacher Report's Rob Goldberg):
"I'm told that [Zach Ertz]'s been waiting, bracing for a change, a trade, a release, for the better part of the last two months. It has not happened yet, but Philly sits at 12 overall. It's not an overly deep tight end class after Kyle Pitts. So if they move back, or down, or wherever they want to move in the three days of the draft, perhaps Zach Ertz could be a part of that deal. And Howie Roseman has been making a lot of calls. The GM of the Eagles has been active. A source told me that 'Philly's up to something with that 12 pick.' Maybe Ertz will be involved in that."
This offseason, the Eagles have made changes to their pass-catching group. They released wideouts DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery. Ertz's 2022 and 2023 contract years will automatically void after the 2021 campaign, per Over the Cap, so his tenure with the team will likely come to an end in the near future.
Philadelphia could bolster the available talent at tight end during the draft if Roseman dangles Ertz to other teams. This scenario seems likely to play out, but the transaction could become a blockbuster deal if the Eagles package him with the No. 12 overall pick to move up or down the order.
As a three-time Pro Bowler with a 1,163-yard season just three years ago, Ertz should draw interest from multiple clubs that want a reliable pass-catching tight end.