2021 NFL Mock Draft: Carolina Panthers trade up for Justin Fields

The first order of business for the Dallas Cowboys this off-season is to lock up Dak Prescott to a long-term deal, as he is the unquestioned leader of this Cowboys team. With Prescott under contract, the Cowboys can now turn their focus to protecting him, and they do so with the No. 10 overall pick.

With this selection, Dallas brings in Northwestern left tackle Rashawn Slater, who has the size and strength to start on the left side right away at the NFL level. Protecting Prescott has to be priority No. 1 for this franchise moving forward, as we saw this past year that they struggle without him under center.

The New York Giants hold the No. 11 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, and with the selection, they look to continue to add to what was an impressive defense this past year. While the defense did play tremendous football for most of the season, they did lack a pass rush coming off the edge, and they fix that issue here with Kwity Paye from Michigan.

Paye is widely regarded as the No. 1 or 2 edge rusher in this draft class, and he finds a soft landing spot in New York. Being selected by the Giants will enable him to start right away, and based on what we saw in terms of his pass-rushing skills in the Big Ten, the Giants are getting a great player.

The San Francisco 49ers are another team who could make a switch a quarterback this upcoming season, as there are still questions about whether Jimmy Garoppolo is the answer. However, based on where they are picking, sitting here at No. 12, we like the 49ers to instead add to their defensive backfield.

With this pick, the 49ers bring in Caleb Farley, a talented cornerback from Virginia Tech. Farley is one of the top two cornerbacks in the draft class, and with Richard Sherman moving on, he fills an immediate need by the Bay.