The 2021 NFL draft is now just nine days away, and while there hasn’t been any major news for the past week or so, there have been a few small things worth noting. We will do so here.
Eagles players collectively choose not to attend the voluntary part of the low season training
Players posted the announcement through the NFL Players Association:
More than half of the NFL teams had already made similar announcements, and it looks like all teams will end up doing the same thing, so that wasn’t very innovative for the Eagles players.
Obviously, the Eagles have a new coaching staff, and it also happens to be a very young staff, so these practices would probably have been beneficial for them to get their feet wet. But otherwise, these workouts don’t seem to be very beneficial to the players.
In case you’re wondering what the training schedule would have been like if the Eagles had planned to attend, here it is:
The NFL has announced its low-season plans in a note to the teams, with four weeks of virtual work, one week of fieldwork from May 17, then four weeks of OTA and minicamp, with only obligation of the mini-fields: pic.twitter.com/S8da4aCK7k
– Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 14, 2021
They will you must attend a mandatory minicamp in June.
How will the 1-11 picks go in the 2021 NFL draft?
I will be posting my only full draft of the first round on Thursday next week, but this is where I am currently in the top 11 picks before the Eagles pick the 12th.
1) Jaguars: Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence: Door lock.
2) Jets: BYU QB Zach Wilson: Door lock.
3) 49ers: North Dakota State QB Trey LanceThe 49ers gave up the 12th overall selection, a first round in 2022, a first round in 2023 and a third round in 2022 to move up to that spot. I just can’t believe any team is crazy enough to do that for a player like Mac Jones, who offers very few impressive physical traits. If they already had choice number 3 and said, “Well, we like the best of quarterbacks,” then they agreed. But to change this package of selections? I just can’t see it. The bet here is that they went through Lance or Justin Fields.
4) Falcons: Florida TE Kyle Pitts: The Falcons basically put this up for auction, but if they get hooked, they’ll probably ride with Matt Ryan for a while longer and grab the best player available, which unfortunately for them is a TE.
5) Bengals: LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase: I was originally in “Team Protect Joe Burrow,” but I’ve changed. In my opinion, Chase will have a bigger impact than any offensive line offensive in this draft, so just grab it and build the O line with the following selections.
6) Dolphins: Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle: Take any pre-draft report with a grain of salt, but there’s so much smoke around Waddle to the Dolphins that we’ll just go with it.
7) Lions: Oregon OT Penei Sewell: The Lions feel like a strong compensation candidate, as the quarterbacks should still be available here. They have needs everywhere, especially with a wide receiver, but that is felt too soon by DeVonta Smith. If the Lions only chose, Sewell’s addition would give them a very strong line, though they would have to figure out who would play RT, between Sewell or Taylor Decker. This is an imperfect fit, but for a team that is expected to pick again in the top ten next year, just get the most valuable player. In my opinion, this is Sewell.
8) Panthers: Northwestern OT / OG Rashawn Slater: Carolina has holes all over the line, especially on the left side. Slater has a chance to play LT instead of immediately moving on guard at the start of his career.
9) Broncos: Justin Fields, Ohio State QB: The Broncos could also switch to a quarterback, but if Fields is still sitting there at 9, that feels like a distrust.
10) Cowboys: Alabama CB Patrick Surtain: The offense of the cowboys can be exceptional. Their defense is usually rubbish and they have an open hole in the corner.
11) Giants: USC OT / OG Alijah Vera-Tucker: I like Dave Gettleman’s chances of building along the trenches, either with the first runner off the board or along the OL. Vera-Tucker is a better prospect than any advantage runner in this draft.
If played as above (spoiler: it won’t), the Eagles could choose between DeVonta Smith, Jaycee Horn, look for a defensive liner, or switch with some team that likes Mac Jones.
According to reports, eagles are engaged in bargaining, bargaining or maintenance
It has recently been reported that the Eagles are considering all of these options. Thanks guys.
I’m looking forward to the draft already happening.
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