2021 NFL Mock Draft: Trades throw first round into chaos

The Detroit Lions made the move this offseason to trade away Matthew Stafford, who had been an absolute warrior for the franchise since being selected way back in 2009. As the franchise’s quarterback, Stafford played behind some unimpressive offensive lines, and had a revolving door at the skill positions, something the franchise needs to fix in a hurry.

With Jared Goff under center in 2021, the Lions have to go out and get him some weapons, and they do so by adding Jaylen Waddle at pick No. 7. Waddle is going to be an explosive playmaker at the next level, and in Detroit, he slides into the WR1 spot left vacant by Kenny Golladay.

The Carolina Panthers have missed out on the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes most likely, and if they go into the draft needing a signal-caller, then Mac Jones could be the pick here. Jones wowed the scouts during his Pro Day, and due to the fact he played at Alabama, and not North Dakota State, he moves ahead of Trey Lance in this mock.

Of course, there is a lot of time before the first round kicks off, and Jones is one of those players who could go early in round one or fall to the middle of it. In Carolina, he would get the opportunity to sit behind Teddy Bridgewater for a year if he is not ready, and that is a good spot to be in.

The Denver Broncos could shock the world as they select a quarterback here, as the jury is still out on whether or not Drew Lock is the guy for them moving forward. Lock has shown flashes at times, but is wildly inconsistent, and needs to cut down on the turnovers in a big way as he continues on his NFL journey.

On the other side of the ball, the Broncos need help at linebacker, and they go in that direction at pick No. 9, selecting Penn State’s Micah Parsons. This is a guy who really was a three-down linebacker for the Nittany Lions, and based on his Pro Day, he has a tremendous amount of speed and athleticism.