Arizona Cardinals
Picks: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa (pick number 16); Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue (pick number 49)
The Cardinals had only one pick available during the second day of the draft, and they used it for Rondale Moore, one of the most explosive and athletic players of the draft, repeating — in part — what they did with Collins and guaranteeing themselves an excellent athlete who gives immediate dynamism to their department.
Kyler Murray to Rondale Moore gonna be adorable af
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) May 1, 2021
Atlanta Falcons
Picks: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida (pick #4); Richie Grant, S, UCF (pick #40); Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan (pick #68)
All three Atlanta's picks can be defined as very good choices, players who will contribute right away — even if Mayfield might be forced to “settle” for the guard role —, choices that do not seem to suggest rebuilding, even if this appeared quite clear the moment they selected Kyle Pitts with the fourth overall pick.
Related: 2025 NFL Mock Draft: All 32 Teams, Shedeur Sanders to Carolina?
Baltimore Ravens
Picks: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota (#27 pick); Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State (#31 pick); Ben Cleveland, G, Georgia (#94 pick); Brandon Stephens, CB, Southern Methodist (#104 pick)
Baltimore continues to fill the gaps on the roster with some brilliance, though frankly I was expecting something different from Stephens, especially in light of the fact that he'll need time before he can be thrown on the field: along with Oweh this is the second project taken by Baltimore and that leaves me a bit baffled as I don't sense the urgency to win now that they should have.
Related : How Does The NFL Draft Work
Buffalo Bills
The pick: Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami (pick number 30); Boogie Basham, DE, Wake Forest (pick number 61); Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa (pick number 93)
The Bills have rebuilt their pass rush — let's not forget Epenesa, selected last year — by getting their hands on quality players: Buffalo, like the great team it is, is putting together a masterful draft that will help increase the longevity of their dreams of glory.
You can tell from this draft that these guys are ready to compete for many, many years.
Carolina Panthers
Picks: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina (pick #8); Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU (pick #59); Brady Christensen, OT, BYU (pick #70); Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame (pick #83)
Finally, a couple of offensive picks!
Carolina used the second day of the draft to make Sam Darnold a little more comfortable by brilliantly enriching the arsenal at its disposal: Marshall, especially, should he disprove health concerns could be considered a steal as early as a couple of years from now.
Chicago Bears
Picks: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State (pick #11); Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State (pick #39)
Few picks, lots of trades, lots of quality: the Chicago front office is approaching this draft with a desperation and sense of urgency that fascinates me and I sort of respect.
This desperation has pushed them to draft two unquestionable talents that had no reason to be available at those points in the draft.
I wonder if Teven Jenkins is falling because he murdered Joseph Ossai on national television and teams are worried he might have warrants out
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) April 30, 2021
Cincinnati Bengals
Picks: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU (pick #5); Jackson Carman, G, Clemson (pick #46); Joseph Ossai, DE, Texas (pick #69)
I don't know, I don't understand what the Bengals' tactics are, why they accepted a trade down when they could have selected a player like Teven Jenkins: day two is officially history and the Bengals' offensive line hasn't improved all that much.
I don't understand them anymore, I don't understand what they're waiting for.
Cleveland Browns
Picks: Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern (pick #26); Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame (pick #52); Anthony Schwartz, WR, Auburn (pick #91)
I'll repeat what I said yesterday: their maturation is perhaps the most absurd phenomenon to happen in 2020.
Owusu-Koramoah at 52 is a crazy deal, in the last few months the Browns' front office — with the now classic shrewdness and intelligence — has shored up!
Dallas Cowboys
Picks: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State (pick #12); Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky (pick #44); Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA (pick #75); Chauncey Golston, DE, Iowa (pick #84); Nahshon Wright, CB, Oregon State (pick #99)
I like the conviction with which the Cowboys have decided to try and fix the ridiculous defensive department: five picks, five defenders covering all three levels of the defensive department.
Obviously, these attempts could prove futile and doom the Cowboys to another year of 30-somethings, but I can't help but respect their efforts.
Denver Broncos
Picks: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama (#9 pick); Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina (#35 pick); Quinn Meinerz, C, Wisconsin-Whitewater (#98 pick); Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State (#105 pick)
Thinking about Javonte Williams losing touches to that zombie Melvin Gordon makes me feel breakfast making its way down my esophagus.
NFL team source just now to me on @UNC RB Javonte Williams: "He's the best RB in the Draft. He has the ability to be a 1000y rusher & receiver like @CMC_22. He's as physical as @NickChubb21, as gifted as @A_kamara6 on 3rd down and as patient as @LeVeonBell. He is the MF truth."
— IG: JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) April 30, 2021
Detroit Lions
Picks: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon (pick number 7); Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington (pick number 41); Alim McNeill, DT, North Carolina State (pick number 72); Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse (pick number 101)
The Lions' focus on day two shifted to the defensive department whose core was strengthened by Onwuzurike and McNeill: as mentioned above, Detroit really needs everything, so insisting on defense is completely understandable, only I would have tried to devolve at least one more pick to Jared Goff's happiness.
Green Bay Packers
Picks: Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia (pick #29); Josh Myers, C, Ohio State (pick #62); Amari Rodgers, WR, Clemson (pick #85)
I really liked the Packers' moves during the second day of the draft as they addressed some pretty serious needs and, more importantly, because they finally added a receiver, a good one as well.
Obviously, with the Rodgers situation constantly evolving, focusing solely on these picks is difficult: how can you evaluate the impact in 2021 of a center and a receiver if you don't know for sure who will be there under the center?
Houston Texans
Picks: David Mills, QB, Stanford (pick #67); Nico Collins, WR, Michigan (pick #89)
The fact that they selected a quarterback can tell us a couple of things.
Indianapolis Colts
Picks: Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan (pick number 21); Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt (pick number 54)
I get the sense that Ballard wants to complete his work and turn the defensive unit into one of the best five units in the league.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Picks: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson (#1 pick); Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson (#25 pick); Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia (#33 pick); Walker Little, OT, Stanford (#45 pick); Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse (#65 pick)
A lot of important choices, a lot of meat on the fire: Jacksonville in my opinion is exploiting its assets pretty well by selecting starters with immense upside since I expect an immediate contribution from Campbell, Little and Cisco, players they needed and who were probably also the best players available on their board.
Kansas City Chiefs
Picks: Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri (pick #58); Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma (pick #63)
Reid really took it personally with the implosion of the offensive line in the Super Bowl.
Chiefs' offensive line in their last game: Remmers, Allegretti, Reiter, Wisniewski, Wylie.
— Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) May 1, 2021
Chiefs' offensive line in their next game: Brown, Thuney, Humphrey, LDT/Long, Niang.
I know I'm prone to hyperbole. But that might be the biggest game-to-game OL upgrade in NFL history.
Las Vegas Raiders
Picks: Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama (pick #17); Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU (pick #43); Malcom Koonce, DE, Buffalo (pick #79); Divine Deablo, S, Virginia Tech (pick #80)
I'm writing this line as a kneeling person: person up there make sure these guys don't find a way to ruin Moehrig as well, please let's end this senseless slaughter.
Pleas aside, in a couple of hours Las Vegas has fixed the last line of their defense.
Los Angeles Chargers
Picks: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern (#13 pick); Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State (#47 pick); Josh Palmer, WR, Tennessee (#77 pick); Tre' McKitty, TE, Georgia (#97 pick)
Just as in the case of Slater, Los Angeles' patience was rewarded by giving the front office the opportunity to select the player they wanted — and needed — without sacrificing any choice: I'm talking about Asante Samuel Jr., a prospect who I believe will turn into a screaming pro.
Now all that is needed is the luck needed to avoid about seventy injuries during the first week of training camp.
Related : Chargers 2022 NFL Draft plan is to build a champion
Los Angeles Rams
Picks: Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville (pick #57); Ernest Jones, LB, South Carolina (pick #103)
They selected players at positions where they needed them, I don't know if they're the right ones — I'm looking forward to watching what McVay will do with the minute Tutu Atwell, a player with the best name in the draft.
Miami Dolphins
Picks: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama (pick #6); Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami (pick #18); Jevon Holland, S, Oregon (pick #36); Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame (pick #42); Hunter Long, TE, Boston College (pick #81)
Miami is precisely and skillfully tweaking an increasingly complete and deep roster while continuing to infuse massive doses of talent at various positions: bravo.
Minnesota Vikings
Picks: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech (pick number 23); Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M (pick number 66); Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina (pick number 78); Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State (pick number 86); Patrick Jones II, DE, Pittsburgh (pick number 90)
Obviously your attention will be all on that Kellen Mond, quarterback by profession: some of you will see this pick as a rejection of Cousins, as a way to put some healthy pressure on him to perform at his best, but in my opinion it is not like that, it is simply the natural evolution of things.
QB Kirk Cousins has been with the Vikings for several years and, for one reason or another, they have not been able to achieve the results they expected when they covered him with gold and for this reason Minnesota has secured a plan B, a player that in the not too distant future could be the pivot of the new technical project.
All things come to an end, especially if you don't reach the expected results and Minnesota did well to protect itself.
The Vikings have drafted QB Kellen Mond to allow Kirk Cousins to take over as a full time WRs coach #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/T4X4R39EJE
— NOTSportsCenter (@NOTSportsCenter) May 1, 2021
New England Patriots
Picks: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama (#15 pick); Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama (#38 pick); Ronnie Perkins, DE, Oklahoma (#96 pick)
Barmore at the 38 is a half-steal: New England desperately needed some flab and competence in the middle of the defensive line and Belichick got his hands on the best D-tackle available at the draft, another player from Alabama who could revolutionize the Patriots' long-term plans: ah, the Belichick-Saban friendship.
New Orleans Saints
The pick: Payton Turner, DE, Houston (pick #28); Pete Werner, LB, Ohio State (pick #60); Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford (pick #76)
New Orleans is pushing hard on upgrading the defensive department and I think this is a great idea: perhaps, next year, the Saints could be seen as a defense first team, a first in Louisiana.
New York Giants
Picks: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida (pick number 20); Azeez Ojulari, DE, Georgia (pick number 50); Aaron Robinson, CB, UCF (pick number 71)
Ojulari at 50 is a half-steal, but are we sure not trying to improve the offensive line is a good idea?
New York Jets
Picks: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU (#2 pick); Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG/OT, USC (#14 pick); Elijah Moore, WR, Mississippi (#34 pick)
In two days of the draft, the Jets have practically rebuilt their offensive department: now only one running back is missing.
It is curious that despite the presence of Saleh — former defensive coordinator — New York has so far selected only offensive players.
Philadelphia Eagles
Picks: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama (pick #10); Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama (pick #37); Milton Williams, DT, Louisiana Tech (pick #73)
The Philadelphia Eagles offensive line is haunted by the Fantozzi cloud, and they have gone to replenish it with a player whose career has so far been punctuated by serious injuries: I wish all the health in the world to Landon Dickerson, he will need it in this hospital.
The @Eagles got an absolute leader with Landon Dickerson.
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 30, 2021
When he went down in the SEC Championship, the ENTIRE @AlabamaFTBL team came out to show their support. pic.twitter.com/EheuMIR0BN
Pittsburgh Steelers
Picks: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama (pick number 24); Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State (pick number 55); Kendrick Green, G, Illinois (pick number 87)
Very good picks by the Steelers that will give new life to an anemic and sad offensive department: now only one quarterback is missing...
Forget it, there is RoEtHlIsBeRgEr.
San Francisco 49ers
Picks: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State (pick number 3), Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame (pick number 48); Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State (pick number 88); Ambry Thomas, CB, Michigan (pick number 102)
My first reaction wasn't positive, but for reasons other than what you may think: I am a die-hard Kyle Shanahan fan and to show him the purity and seriousness of my love every year I devolve a major pick in the fantasy football draft to one of his running backs, only to be constantly trolled by the most unpredictable approach by committee there is.
Shanny added another running back to a backfield that already included Moster, Wilson and Gallman: thank you.
Seattle Seahawks
Picks: D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan (pick #56)
Ah, so the Seahawks are eligible for the draft as well?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Picks: Joe Tryon, DE, Washington (pick number 32); Kyle Trask, QB, Florida (pick number 64); Robert Hainsey, OT, Notre Dame (pick number 95)
I like their decision to select a quarterback even though I genuinely feel sorry for him: let's not kid ourselves, Tom Brady will play until he's 67, and I'm almost convinced Trask will retire before the GOAT.
Tennessee Titans
Picks: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech (pick #22); Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State (pick #53); Monty Rice, LB, Georgia (pick #92); Elijah Molden, CB, Washington (pick #100)
I'm enjoying the draft of the hated Titans — just kidding, come on — as they're getting their hands on quality players at positions of need: the problem is all in the fact that after such a lackluster free agency, there are so many needs.
Washington Football Team
Picks: Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky (#19 pick); Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas (#51 pick); Benjamin St-Juste, CB, Minnesota (#74 pick); Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina (#82 pick)
I'm a fan of Washington's moves, though one little problem continues to linger that I probably shouldn't dilute with a vein: they're missing a quarterback.
Safe sources say that being able to count on a top-tier quarterback in this league is very important.
That's All 32 Teams Picks & Reactions for the 2021 NFL Draft.