What You Expect's 2021 NFL Draft First Round Grades

Last night the NFL kicked off the first round of the draft. Here are our grades…

1ST (JAX)- QB TREVOR LAWRENCE (A+)

Jacksonville gets the best QB in the draft and a new face of the franchise.

2ND (NYJ)- QB ZACH WILSON (A-)

The Jets also reset at QB and select the intelligent, athletic playmaker out of BYU.

3RD (SF)- QB TREY LANCE (A)

San Francisco doesn’t pick Mac Jones but instead picks Trey Lance at 3. If Lance has a great rookie season, they return back to being Super Bowl contenders.

4TH (ATL)- TE KYLE PITTS (A-)

Kyle Pitts is a great player to nab but Atlanta doesn’t really improve too much. Should’ve considered a QB here.

5TH (CIN)- WR JAMARR CHASE (B+)

Chase reunited with college teammate Burrow but the offensive line will continue to be an issue. Cincinnati picked off WANT not NEED. 

6TH (MIA)- WR JAYLEN WADDLE (B)

Sewell was right there and you had TWO first-round picks. You could’ve traded down and still gotten Waddle. Missed opportunity.

7TH (DET)- T PENEI SEWELL (A+)

The best tackle in the draft fell this far and you didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. Great move.

8TH (CAR)- CB JAYCEE HORN (C+)

You did realize that Rashawn Slater was still on the board right? How does a corner help out Sam Darnold? Unnecessary pick.

9TH (DEN)- CB PATRICK SURTAIN II (C+)

Justin Fields was still on the board! A corner? Seriously? Didn’t address any serious issues.

10TH (PHI)- WR DEVONTA SMITH (A)

You do the smart thing and trade up to nab a great receiver. Smith is a dawg that will prove people wrong about his size. This should make up for the Justin Jefferson debacle last year.

11TH (CHI)(VIA NYG)- QB JUSTIN FIELDS (A+)

You grab one of the best QBs in the draft and at great value ending his slide. You moved up 10 spots and didn’t give up too much. This is a win.

12TH (DAL)- LB MICAH PARSONS (D+)

You needed a corner badly and you watched both of them go in the top 10. Why didn’t you trade up? Micah Parsons doesn’t fix the secondary, not to mention the character issue allegations he has. Come on Dallas. 

13TH (LAC)- T RASHAWN SLATER (A+)

You get Slater who’s somehow still here and give Justin Herbert some great protection upfront. Great move!

14TH (NYJ)- G ALIJAH VERA-TUCKER (B)

I see what you were going for but I wouldn’t have given up all those picks to get here and pick him. Not a terrible move, just a bit of a stretch.

15TH (NE)- QB MAC JONES (A)

Bill Belichick and the Pats get their guy at 15. Patience pays off and you get Mac Jones without even having to move. 

16TH (ARI)- LB ZAVEN COLLINS (C)

Collins? Why? Lots of options you could’ve selected instead. Why not trade down? Seems like an impulsive selection. Not too high on Collins. 

17TH (LV)- T ALEX LEATHERWOOD (C)

The good news? You grabbed an offensive tackle. The bad news? He had a second-round grade. Why not take Darrisaw who was still on the board? Another reach by Vegas.

18TH (MIA)- DE JAELAN PHILLIPS (B+)

You get one of the best edge rushers in the draft but his injury history concerns me. Nevertheless, you got him at great value at pick 18. 

19TH (WFT)- LB JAMIN DAVIS (B)

I like Davis. He’s underrated to me. But I wouldn’t have picked him this high. If you really wanted him, he would’ve been there in the second round. Should’ve focused on other needs.

20TH (NYG)(VIA CHI)- WR KADARIUS TONEY (D+)

Everything I said about Davis, applies to Toney as well. Another want versus need pick. Would’ve been available later on. New York had more pressing needs. Why not go Kwity Paye here?

21ST (IND)-DE KWITY PAYE (B+)

Indy finally ends his slide and this is amazing value for Paye. He was the best player available and love that Indy pulled the trigger. He and DeForest Buckner will be scary together. 

22ND (TEN)- CB CALEB FARLEY (B)

Seeing that Farley is still on the board, Tennessee pulls the trigger and takes a chance on his potential and upside. Tennessee needed secondary and addressed it. Farley sitting out coupled with his injury history concerns me but this late into the first round isn’t a bad get.

23RD (MINN)(VIA NYJ)- T CHRISTIAN DARRISAW (A+)

The player Minnesota wanted all along was still there and they netted more picks. Great move!

24th(PITT)- RB Najee Harris(B) 

Pittsburgh desperately needed a better run game. While Najee Harris doesn’t completely fix that, he’s multiple notches above James Conner and is a back that can do it all. I’m iffy on first-round running backs but I don’t hate this pick. 

25TH (JAX)- RB TRAVIS ETIENNE (D-)

What was the thought process behind this pick? You have James Robinson who did fantastic last year. Why not fix the defense? Why not trade down? Etienne would’ve been there in the second round. This doesn’t make any sense at all. A real head scratch. I understand him and Trevor were teammates but this isn’t a good move at all.

26TH (CLE)- CB GREG NEWSOME II (A)

Great player to select here. Very nice piece to help Denzel Ward in the secondary. 

27TH (BAL)- WR RASHOD BATEMAN (A)

Baltimore gets really good value here. They select one of the best route runners in the draft to help Lamar Jackson. Great pick!

28TH (NO)- DT PAYTON TURNER (C-)

Another pick that didn’t make too much sense. Why not go edge and pick Greg Rousseau? Why not address the secondary? You needed a corner in the worst way imaginable and you went DT. Wasted pick. 

29TH (GB)- CB ERIC STOKES (D-)

Everyone in that draft room needs to be drug tested. The Packers haven’t drafted a wide win the first round since 2002(Javon Walker). No wonder Aaron Rodgers wants to leave. They draft get him any help in the first round. Why not take Elijah Moore? Get him some receiving help. A corner really? Back to Back bad picks in consecutive years for Green Bay.

30TH (BUF)- DE GREGORY ROUSSEAU (B)

Not the biggest need in Buffalo but they’re going off potential. Rousseau was often looked at as the best edge rusher in college football before COVID-19. After sitting a year, his stock dipped a bit. One of the more underrated picks.

31ST (BAL)- OLB JAYSON OWEH (B+)

An athletic freak at linebacker. Baltimore gets great value here. Though he is a bit raw, his size and speed is good enough for Baltimore to take the risk of selecting him. Great value.

32ND (TB)- LB JOE TRYON (B-)

My biggest problem with this pick is I felt the Buccaneers had better options left on the board. Why not pick Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah or Azeez Olajuri? Why not trade down and acquire more assets? Tryon isn’t a bad player, just not who I would’ve selected with the talent left on the board.