A team s own NFL draft board isn t the only one that matters to them on draft night. A key ingredient to draft success is also understanding the other 31 competitors, and accurately determining the likely ranges where prospects should be selected based off of that.
Why? First, a failure to recognize a prospect s likely range means a team could draft that player far earlier than it needs to take him. The Raiders taking cornerback Damon Arnette at 19th overall and the Seahawks selecting Jordyn Brooks at 27th last year are perfect examples. Second, it can inform trade decisions. How far do we need to trade up to land this linebacker? Can we afford to drop back eight spots and still have a good chance to nab that corner? It all plays in. We might not have a war room ourselves, but we still want to answer those questions.
Kiper and McShay Fill 3 Major Holes in Latest 3-Round Mock Dec 18, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker (75) during the Pac-12 Championship against the Oregon Ducks at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Oregon defeated USC 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Akansh GuptaApr 21, 2021
0 3 minutes read
Round one of the 2021 NFL draft is near, in fact, eight days near. Most mocks continue to remain repetitive and even bland at this point very few suggesting anything but the Vikings solidifying the trenches.
Sure, some might throw in the occasional CB, or once in a blue moon, a QB might even be the selection. But otherwise, draft experts appear to be in consensus with the Vikings: they will select a lineman. Whether it’s offensive or defensive remains a coin flip.
Volume target with hands and physical tools
Red-zone target with a big catch radius
Tackle who excels in pass protection
Interior lineman who excels in pass protection
Tackle who excels in run blocking
Interior lineman who excels in run blocking
Your Suggested Draft Pick
Ohio State
Fields is accurate and throws with plenty of velocity . the ball just jumps out of his hand. His six-TD performance against Clemson in January showed just how good he can be when he s on. But while he shows touch on his vertical throws and keeps his eyes downfield when under pressure, Fields still needs to improve his anticipation.
That s the most likely outcome when NFL commissioner Roger Goodell walks to the podium next Thursday night according to ESPN s NFL Draft Day Predictor, which forecasts the range of draft outcomes for NFL prospects based on mock drafts, team needs and Scouts Inc. grades. The model has the chances of Philadelphia taking Horn at 14%.
It s a tight race, however, with three players tied at 12%, including Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who holds a slight edge over his competitors by a fraction of a percentage point.
The current snapshot also gives Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields an 11% chance to be selected with the No. 12 pick. However, that is based on mock drafts from a week ago, which almost unanimously had Fields as the fifth quarterback selected in this year s draft. Since then, the QB picture seems to have shifted substantially, hence his omission here.