Big shoes to fill: Meet the replacements for every 2021 NFL Draft first round pick

13. Replacing Rashawn Slater at Northwestern: Peter Skoronski

Once again, we’ve already gotten a look at Slater’s replacement and, though Northwestern has traditionally been known for maximizing talent rather than having ready-made stand-ins for top-15 picks. However, Peter Skoronski came in as a touted freshman last season and performed incredibly well for a young player stepping into a tough situation. He’s already proven his value right now and has the potential to become one of the best tackles in the country.

14. Replacing Alijah Vera-Tucker at USC: Courtland Ford

Replacing a player of Alijah Vera-Tucker’s caliber would be hard for most programs but it’s a uniquely tough task with USC considering that their offensive line struggled even with the first-round pick manning the left tackle spot. That means there’s plenty of work to be done.

All told, projecting Courtland Ford is a bit of an educated guess. He filled in at Vera-Tucker’s spot in spring practice and that could be a sign of where he stands. That said, his position as the starting left tackle come late August is anything but set in stone as it’s a list of unproven entities.

15. Replacing Mac Jones at Alabama: Bryce Young

Over the past two years, Alabama has had a quarterback taken No. 5 overall and then No. 15 overall. And somehow, the most talented player they’ve had at the position over that span is now about to take the starting job: Bryce Young.

The former 5-star recruit is a bit diminutive in size but his combination of athleticism, playmaking IQ and arm talent makes him a dynamic weapon for the Alabama offense. He flashed his potential in the spring game and the Crimson Tide attack is still in overly capable hands.

16. Replacing Zaven Collins at Tulsa: Robert Revels

Robert Revels came in as a fifth-year player with the Golden Hurricane last season and filled Collins’ role in the bowl game. With that and in other limited work last year, the veteran played pretty well.

The truth of the matter is that Tulsa doesn’t often have players with the physical ability of Collins in the program and, with how much they moved him around in the front seven, there isn’t going to be someone who can replicate everything he did. Revels, however, will do his best to step into the linebacker spot and produce.