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2021 NFL Draft: First Round Final Results

Every pick and every trade in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft in Cleveland, Ohio will be updated live. Here are your first round results.

By Tim Lynch and Just_JoRo Updated
2021 NFL Draft Livestream! | The SB Nation NFL Show

TONIGHT! Our SB Nation NFL Show hosts will be taking your NFL Draft questions, breaking down picks in real time, and talking with special guests starting at 7:45pm ET.

Posted by SB Nation on Thursday, April 29, 2021

Welcome to the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft!

SB Nation will be live all night covering tonight’s NFL Draft. The Facebook live show above is what we’ll use here, but you can also watch them on Twitter.

The 2021 NFL Draft will likely feature quarterback selections with each of the first three picks, which would open things up for quite a bit of draft day trades as teams look to move up to get top tier players at other positions if there are some players who slide early. Denver is one of those teams that could move up or move down depending on how things go as well, so stay tuned as we cover all of the news and updates from tonight’s first round.

After going virtual last year, the NFL Draft is back to being an in-person event. The event will take place in Cleveland, Ohio with a full contingent of college prospects onsite and fans will also be in attendance to ensure NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell gets his proper boo to kick off draft night.

Here are the final results for the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft with some instant analysis from our own Joe Rowles.

First Round - 2021 NFL Draft

Pick Team Selection Position School Analysis
Pick Team Selection Position School Analysis
1 Jacksonville Jaguars Trevor Lawrence QB Clemson We knew he'd be the first overall pick in the 2021 draft before he beat Alabama as a freshman. Easy pick, but now Jacksonville has to make the most of it.
2 New York Jets Zach Wilson QB BYU Joe Douglas failed to support Sam Darnold, traded him to the Panthers, and replaced him with another young gunslinger. Will the Jets give this one enough help?
3 San Francisco 49ers Trey Lance QB North Dakota State After a silly tattoo led the NFL to endless speculation about the pocket bound Mac Jones, Kyle Shanahan picks the perfect scheme fit for his offense.
4 Atlanta Falcons Kyle Pitts TE Florida Great player for the Falcons and Pitts should be special in Arthur Smith's offense, but Atlanta chose a tight end at 4 instead of trading down or taking a QB. With a tight cap and holes across the roster, it's a questionable decision.
5 Cincinnati Bengals Ja'Marr Chase WR LSU The Bengals have receivers, but they clearly missed prime A.J. Green last year. Chase will quickly become Joe Burrow's favorite target and a true WR1.
6 Miami Dolphins Jaylen Waddle WR Alabama The Dolphins grab an elite separator who helps maximize Tua Tagovailoa's strengths in the short and intermediate game. Waddle's a threat to score from anywhere on the field.
7 Detroit Lions Penei Sewell OT Oregon The Lions have a good left tackle in Taylor Decker, which means Penei Sewell will probably fight his way to a starting job on the right side. Detroit's going to be so bad we may forget about him for a year or two, but his potential is sky high.
8 Carolina Panthers Jaycee Horn CB South Carolina While the Panthers went all defense in the 2020 draft, they were still abysmal last season. Horn gives them an alpha dog who excels in press coverage.
9 Denver Broncos Patrick Surtain II CB Alabama Barring some sort of information we don't have access to, I believe George Paton will live to regret passing on Justin Fields. With that said, Patrick Surtain II is the next best pick the Broncos could have made. Bryce Callahan and Ronald Darby have made it through a full season healthy once since 2015. Kyle Fuller, Bryce Callahan, and Kareem Jackson have contracts that expire after 2021. Vic Fangio played nickel / dime 75% of the time in 2020. Surtain is pro ready with the skillset to blossom into an elite eraser who can match up with any receiver on the Broncos' schedule.
10 Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith WR Alabama Ever since the Eagles traded off of 6 we knew they were going to give Jalen Hurts a chance at the starting job this year. Smith's size is a huge question mark, but he has the complete skillset to help Hurts make the most of it.
11 Chicago Bears Justin Fields QB Ohio State Ryan Pace just won the draft. Justin Fields combines arm talent and accuracy with 4.4 speed. I would have taken him at 2. Bears got him at 12.
12 Dallas Cowboys Micah Parsons LB Penn State Micah Parsons is a freaky athlete who should be a good pass rusher, but I suspect Jerry Jones wanted Surtain or Horn.
13 Los Angeles Chargers Rashawn Slater Jr. OT Northwestern The Chargers were counting on Trey Pipkins to protect Justin Herbert's blindside. Slater should quickly find his way into the starting lineup where his combination of mobility, reactive athleticism, and hands should make him a steady presence.
14 New York Jets Alijah Vera-Tucker OL USC The Jets traded up in the first round to get a guard. It's a horrible use of resources and their roster is not a guard away from relevance. AVT may be a good player, but this was a horrible decision.
15 New England Patriots Mac Jones QB Alabama Jones has been a bit of a punchline because of the 49ers trade, but he's a savvy player who throws with anticipation. The McDaniels offense is a fantastic landing spot to maximize his strengths.
16 Arizona Cardinals Zaven Collins LB Tulsa Collins is a supersized linebacker who can run and he should be able to contribute rushing the passer early. He'll pair with Isaiah Simmons to give Vance Joseph an extremely versatile pair of second level defenders. (edited)
17 Las Vegas Raiders Alex Leatherwood OL Alabama After Gruden gutted the Raiders' offensive line it became obvious Vegas would need to acquire a right tackle and a guard. Leatherwood's a mauling run blocker who has had issues in pass pro so he could land at either spot.
18 Miami Dolphins Jaelen Phillips Edge Miami A scary injury history including at least four concussions forced Phillips to medically retire from UCLA, but he's the closest thing in this class to a Bosa brother. If he can stay healthy, Miami got a stud.
19 Washington Football Team Jamin Davis LB Kentucky Washington's linebacker corps. was pretty shaky heading into the draft so Davis should find his way to the field quickly. He's a big, rangy backer who excels in zone coverage.
20 New York Giants Kadarius Toney WR Florida Toney is a speedy slot option with elite quickness and agility. New York must feel better about his hands and off field questions than I do.
21 Indianapolis Colts Kwity Paye DE Michigan Fantastic pick for an Eberflus defense that rushes four and plays coverage on the back end. Paye is a twitch 4-3 end who can win inside and become a devastating force player.
22 Tennessee Titans Caleb Farley CB Virginia Tech A swing for the fences. Farley's 2019 was as good as Patrick Surtain's, but he opted out of 2020 and brings a really scary medical history with him into NFL.
23 Minnesota Vikings Christian Darrisaw OT Virginia Tech The Vikings ran into a situation last year where their first round tackle looked best at guard, which makes the Darrisaw pick a perfect way to try and address the offensive line. He needs to play to his talents more consistently, but has the feet, hands, and raw power to dominate the league.
24 Pittsburgh Steelers Najee Harris RB Alabama Big Ben is on a retirement tour in 2021 and the Steelers tried to give him another LeVeon Bell to make the most of it.
25 Jacksonville Jaguars Travis Etienne RB Clemson Urban Meyer adds an explosive element to his offense who can contribute immediately who just so happens to be a college teammate of Lawrence's.
26 Cleveland Browns Greg Newsome II CB Northwestern I love this pick for the Browns. Newsome has some injury questions that hurt his stock, but he's a physical player who excels in coverage.
27 Baltimore Ravens Rashod Bateman WR Minnesota Lamar Jackson loves to work the middle of the field and needs targets that can compliment that. Bateman's inside/outside versatility, route running, and hands make him a perfect fit for the Raven's offense.
28 New Orleans Saints Payton Turner DE Houston I think Sean Payton acquired the eventual heir to Cam Jordan. Turner's got inside/outside versatility and surprising burst and quickness for a man his size.
29 Green Bay Packers Eric Stokes CB Georgia After last year's playoff loss, Green Bay hired new defensive coordinator who is moving them towards a Fangio scheme. Stokes brings elite long speed and fits as a boundary corner who can win along the line of scrimmage.
30 Buffalo Bills Greg Rousseau DE Miami The Bills are taking a swing on sacks and potential. Rousseau's production in 2019 isn't as good as the box score suggests, but he's a long edge who is still growing into his frame.
31 Baltimore Ravens Jayson Oweh Edge Penn State A few numbers stand out about Oweh: he had zero sacks in 2020 before he ran a 4.37 at his Pro Day. He's football young and still figuring it out, but the ceiling is as high as any edge in this class.
32 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Joe Tryon Edge Washington Bucs get a toolsy edge prospect who opted out of last year. He's a big edge with very good athletic ability, but he needs to improve his hands and block shedding.

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