2021 NFL mock draft: Jacksonville Jaguars land Trevor Lawrence

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ARLINGTON, TX – DECEMBER 28: Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Micah Parsons (11) celebrates after a sack during the Cotton Bowl Classic college football game against the Memphis Tigers on December 28, 2019 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

7. player. 31. . Linebacker. New York Giants. Micah Parsons

The New York Giants have spent the last three drafts bolstering the offensive side of the ball with their top-10 picks. Picking inside the top-10 again in 2021 based on Super Bowl odds, the Giants decide to turn their focus to the defensive side of the ball, bringing in the premier linebacker in this draft class.

Micah Parsons is a guy who is going to turn a lot of heads during the combine next season, and at Penn State, he has been the leader of their defense. New York gave Blake Martinez a nice deal this offseason, but in Parsons, they get a guy who can lead their defense for the next ten seasons, something they desperately need.

player. 30. . Edge. New York Jets. Xavier Thomas. 8

The New York Jets spent their first two picks on the offense during the 2020 NFL Draft, adding a quality offensive tackle in Mekhi Becton in the first round, before landing a playmaking wideout for Sam Darnold in the second round. Those players are going to help the offense out immediately in 2020, and in 2021, they should add a dynamic edge rusher to the mix.

Sure, the Jets added Jabari Zuniga with one of their third round picks, but Xavier Thomas from Clemson will be too hard to pass up here at No. 8 overall. General manager Joe Douglas is doing a nice job revamping this Jets roster, and in Thomas, they get the second-best edge rusher this class has to offer.

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