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Grades Analysis For Every First Round Pick In The 2021 Nfl Draft

Bonisiwe Shabane
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grades analysis for every first round pick in the 2021 nfl draft

Welcome to our pick-by-pick first-round grades of the 2021 NFL Draft. From Trevor Lawrence to Kyle Pitts to DeVonta Smith, we analyzed all 32 selections as the action unfolded Thursday night. For those of you who think we should wait a few years before grading the picks, we disagree. NFL teams have to make decisions under uncertainty. So we should evaluate them based on what we know at the time of the pick. The grades below will reflect not only the quality of the prospects but also the process — in other words, whether it's a wise use of resources given the state of the franchise.

Having said that, feel free to report me to Old Takes Exposed in a couple years when these look foolish. Now let's get to it. There’s no guarantee that Lawrence will be the best quarterback in this class. But he has every physical trait — size, arm, athleticism — that a team could ask for. The ceiling for Lawrence is a top-five quarterback who consistently has Jacksonville in the playoffs. The Jaguars, though, need to prove they have the organizational framework in place to help Lawrence succeed.

Having finished above .500 just once in the last 13 years, Jacksonville’s fortunes now rest on Urban Meyer finding a way to maximize Lawrence’s potential. Grade: A Reaction: Andy Staples' analysis The best version of Wilson is a quarterback who breaks the will of opposing defenses with his improvisational skills and ability to make plays outside of structure. He was not a top-50 prospect entering the fall but turned in an impressive 2020 campaign, completing 73.5 percent of his passes with 33 touchdowns and three interceptions. The upside is obvious, but the Jets are taking a gamble on someone who did not face any Power 5 competition last season. There are legitimate questions about whether Wilson’s playing style will translate against NFL athletes.

Jets GM Joe Douglas has been patient thus far. This pick will define his tenure in New York one way or another. Grade: B- Reaction: Connor Hughes' analysis He’s legitimately one of the most difficult quarterback evaluations of all-time. Lance (6-foot-4, 224) has the size and athleticism teams covet. During his one full season as a starter, he threw 28 touchdowns and no interceptions while also rushing for 1,100 yards and 14 scores as a 19-year-old.

But level of competition was obviously a factor, and Lance played just one game last year. If you’re a 49ers fan, you have to be excited about this pick after weeks of Mac Jones rumors. There are no guarantees. Only 42 percent of first-round quarterbacks over the past 10 years have made it to a second contract with the team that picked them. But Lance has smarts and athleticism and offers a huge upside. The 49ers’ goal now immediately becomes to maximize their chances of competing for a Super Bowl while Lance is on a rookie contract.

Grade: B+ Reaction: Matt Barrows' analysis Historically, NFL teams have not scouted the tight end position well. Among the 22 tight ends that have been selected in the first round over the last 20 years, only two have been All-Pro selections. Having said that, there’s reason to believe Pitts can be an exception. At 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, he ran a 4.4 40. Forget safeties and linebackers.

He was beating SEC corners one-on-one. Pitts has a high bar to clear to justify being picked so high, but his realistic best-case scenario is a blend of Darren Waller, Jimmy Graham and Travis Kelce. Given that he’s only 20 years old, it’s reasonable to think Pitts has plenty of room to grow. We’ll find out whether the Falcons had opportunities to trade back. If they did, that’s something they should have strongly considered. But if there weren’t attractive offers, taking Pitts is justifiable.

With Arthur Smith calling plays and Matt Ryan returning, the Falcons are positioned to field a top-five offense in 2020. Grade: B Reaction: Tori McElhaney's analysis The first round of the 2021 NFL Draft is in the books. As expected, quarterbacks were the dominant storyline with five going in the first 15 picks, including the first three selections, and then both the Bears and Patriots landing new passers. Offense was the theme of the round, with 18 players going in the top 27, including the first eight picks. FOX Sports NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang graded every pick in real time, breaking down how each prospect will fit with his new NFL team.

Here are Rang's grades for every first-round selection: Want to know what I think of every pick made Thursday in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft? You can find it all below. You can also follow along throughout the rest of the draft on Days 2 and 3 for more grades and more analysis. Be sure to refresh this page throughout the weekend to get the latest grades. If you want to do all that plus track the best available prospects and get access to every pick in the draft on one page, you can in our draft tracker.

Grades: Round 1 • Round 2 • Round 3 • Round 4 • Round 5 • Round 6 • Round 7 Lawrence will change the dynamic of this franchise for the next decade. They will win a Super Bowl. I like him as a player, but I would have taken Justin Fields in this spot. Fields will be a better quarterback. How well did your team fare in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft?

Sporting News has you covered in tracking all the picks and issuing grades beginning in real time Thursday night. Going on the clock in Cleveland, the spotlight again is on the quarterbacks, starting with the first three picks. But there's plenty of franchise-changing talent at other positions both in terms of immediate impact and long-term shine. MORE 2021 NFL DRAFT:Full results | Winners & losers | Team-by-team grades The key questions to ask right away: Did the team get the right player at a position of need? Did it pass on someone else who could have been a better fit?

Was the player it took worthy of that high of selection vs. the promise of similar prospects? Based on our evaluations, we're providing answers for what the picks mean now and later. From No. 1 through No. 32, this is your hub for in-depth live reaction in Round 1, grading every team and player fit.

.css-1yjtkls{margin:0;font:inherit;white-space:normal;word-break:break-word;}The future is now as the .css-wrcrjw{margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:1.92rem;color:var(--br--palette-foreground__link__secondary__default-mainChannel);font-size:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;white-space:normal;}.css-3nqh9c{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:rgba(var(--br--palette-primary-mainChannel) / 0.4);margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:1.92rem;color:var(--br--palette-foreground__link__secondary__default-mainChannel);font-size:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;white-space:normal;}.css-3nqh9c:hover{text-decoration-color:inherit;}.css-lu48cp{margin:0;font:inherit;color:var(--br--palette-primary-main);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:rgba(var(--br--palette-primary-mainChannel) / 0.4);margin:0;font-size:1.6rem;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:Proxima Nova,Proxima Nova Fallback Helvetica,Proxima Nova Fallback Arial;font-weight:700;font-style:normal;letter-spacing:0rem;line-height:1.92rem;color:var(--br--palette-foreground__link__secondary__default-mainChannel);font-size:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;white-space:normal;}.css-lu48cp:hover{text-decoration-color:inherit;}NFL holds its... Nothing hits quite like the promise of potential. The potential of selecting an elite talent or adding a capable veteran through trade or acquisition of future assets to build toward sustainability. This year is a little different than any other, even beyond the obvious restrictions brought on by COVID-19. The Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are counted among the league’s best and picking near the bottom of each round. Conversely, the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots are much higher in the order than normal.

Slotting helps dictate each team’s approach and the accompanying expectations. Follow along as Bleacher Report updates with analysis and grades for every selection. The first round of the 2021 NFL Draft lived up to the hype. We finally found out the San Francisco 49ers’ guy was Trey Lance, we witnessed multiple top 10 trades and a historic move by the Chicago Bears to go up and grab quarterback Justin Fields. Over at PFF's Live Draft Tracker that is also broadcasting our draft show (tune in a 6:00 p.m. EST tonight), we analyzed every single pick in real time and gave a grade for each selection.

Here is a quick recap of all those instant reaction thoughts for all 32 first-round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft: R1 (1) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: QB TREVOR LAWRENCE, CLEMSON The Jaguars kick things off with the no-brainer decision to take Trevor Lawrence with the first pick of the 2021 NFL Draft — a selection roughly five years in the making. The 21-year-old produced three 90.0-plus season grades at Clemson, starting with a breakout true freshman campaign in which he led the Tigers to a national championship. R1 (2) NEW YORK JETS: QB ZACH WILSON, BYU You are reading Danny Kelly’s draft grades.

Kelly dished out grades and analysis for every pick made in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. How did your team fare? The 2021 NFL draft is officially underway, and we've got you covered with instant grades and analysis for every first-round pick. Keep it locked here for our live breakdowns of every pick Thursday night: Lawrence has been destined for this pick for three years, and he's lived up to the hype all along the way. The Jaguars have a more talented roster than you might expect from a team picking No.

1 overall, and they have multiple premium picks this year to keep building around Lawrence. He's the best quarterback prospect we've seen in a while, and that makes him the no-brainer pick here. We knew this pick was going to be a quarterback, and if you watch a highlight reel of Wilson, it's easy to see why the Jets fell in love with his potential. Wilson can make some fantastic plays with his ability to create when the play breaks down, but consistency was an issue, even against inferior competition. Getting a franchise quarterback is important, but with Justin Fields still on the board, it's hard to feel like the Jets picked the wrong one. The first surprise of the draft, but it shouldn't be.

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Welcome To Our Pick-by-pick First-round Grades Of The 2021 NFL

Welcome to our pick-by-pick first-round grades of the 2021 NFL Draft. From Trevor Lawrence to Kyle Pitts to DeVonta Smith, we analyzed all 32 selections as the action unfolded Thursday night. For those of you who think we should wait a few years before grading the picks, we disagree. NFL teams have to make decisions under uncertainty. So we should evaluate them based on what we know at the time of...

Having Said That, Feel Free To Report Me To Old

Having said that, feel free to report me to Old Takes Exposed in a couple years when these look foolish. Now let's get to it. There’s no guarantee that Lawrence will be the best quarterback in this class. But he has every physical trait — size, arm, athleticism — that a team could ask for. The ceiling for Lawrence is a top-five quarterback who consistently has Jacksonville in the playoffs. The Jag...

Having Finished Above .500 Just Once In The Last 13

Having finished above .500 just once in the last 13 years, Jacksonville’s fortunes now rest on Urban Meyer finding a way to maximize Lawrence’s potential. Grade: A Reaction: Andy Staples' analysis The best version of Wilson is a quarterback who breaks the will of opposing defenses with his improvisational skills and ability to make plays outside of structure. He was not a top-50 prospect entering ...

Jets GM Joe Douglas Has Been Patient Thus Far. This

Jets GM Joe Douglas has been patient thus far. This pick will define his tenure in New York one way or another. Grade: B- Reaction: Connor Hughes' analysis He’s legitimately one of the most difficult quarterback evaluations of all-time. Lance (6-foot-4, 224) has the size and athleticism teams covet. During his one full season as a starter, he threw 28 touchdowns and no interceptions while also rus...

But Level Of Competition Was Obviously A Factor, And Lance

But level of competition was obviously a factor, and Lance played just one game last year. If you’re a 49ers fan, you have to be excited about this pick after weeks of Mac Jones rumors. There are no guarantees. Only 42 percent of first-round quarterbacks over the past 10 years have made it to a second contract with the team that picked them. But Lance has smarts and athleticism and offers a huge u...