As quickly as it came, draft weekend has come to a close. In one of the most exciting times of the year for football fans, fanbases came together for the draft and celebrated welcoming their new rookies to the team. Every team on paper upgraded and got better, but obviously not all prospects pan out to their full potential. A team that looks like they got the biggest steal now could be regretting drafting that player five years down the line. It is a shot out of a cannon. Looking at it with a lense focused on the present, here are the three teams that look like the biggest winners of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Chicago Bears
What a draft for my Chicago Bears! The Bears were able to capitalize on Justin Fields’ draft day slide and traded up nine spots to select him with the 11th pick without mortgaging too much of their future. They swapped firsts with the Giants and also gave a fourth rounder this year, along with next year’s first and fifth round picks.
The Bears didn’t settle for just Fields though, they decided to trade up again in the second and select offensive tackle Teven Jenkins. This was a huge steal, as they selected him at 39th overall when some mock drafts had the Bears originally selecting him at the 20th pick, and he was also graded as a first round talent by most draft scouts.
They gave up their third to select Teven Jenkins so they did not draft again until the fifth round, and day three is where Ryan Pace has historically shined. Pace drafted another tackle Larry Borom, running back Khalil Herbert, wide receiver Dazz Newsome, cornerback Thomas Graham III, and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga.
For offensive skill players, Dazz Newsome will replace Javon Wims as a much more electric option, and Khalil Herbert at running back isn’t a huge need but he has the potential to make an impact at special teams. Thomas Graham is a big sleeper, as he opted out of last season due to Covid and was an early round talent. He could make a huge impact and replace Fuller. Boron and Tonga also help bolster their respective lines and Borom in particular could make an immediate impact.
New York Jets
The Jets are a team that gave their offense a full makeover in the draft. They used the second overall pick in the draft on exciting QB prospect Zach Wilson, who they hope can turn the franchise around with his sky high potential.
They surrounded him with an arsenal of weapons, drafting receiver Elijah Moore in the second and running back Michael Carter (one of the two Michael Carters selected by the Jets). Both players should be able to carve out starting roles right away in a Jets offense depleted of talent.
They also made a bold move in the middle of the first by trading up with the Vikings to select top guard prospect Alijah Vera-Tucker with the 16th pick. While they had to give up two third rounders to move up to the 16th pick, the Jets had enough late rounders to make up for it. They selected five defensive backs in the late rounds to improve their less than stellar secondary, headlined by safeties Hamsah Nasirildeen and the other Michael Carter.
The Jets now have a decent offense around Zach Wilson and hope that the franchise can finally begin a successful rebuild with this incoming draft class.
Detroit Lions
The Lions are another team in the beginning of a rebuild, and it appears that they may be building something special this time around. Potential franchise cornerstone Penei Sewell slid a few spots lower than expected to Detroit at number seven, and Detroit did not hesitate to capitalize. He is an elite talent that has the potential to be an all pro tackle for many years. Bolstering the line allows them to see if they have anything in Jared Goff, and also allows them to move on in 2022 and draft a QB without a high level of risk.
They spent their second and third rounders remaking the defensive line, spending picks on Levi Onwuzurike in the second and Alim McNeill in the third. Both should have the opportunity to make an immediate impact on the defense that ranked 30th in rushing yards allowed. McNeill was slotted as the second ranked nose tackle behind Christian Barmore and is a stellar athlete for 320 pounds. Levi opted out due to Covid last season but flashed some exciting flashes of talent last season.
The Lions went to fill their team on day three with offense and defensive talent. Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is the guy that stands out the most out of the crop, as he will likely be a day one starter in Detroit’s depleted receiving core.
Who do you think won the draft that I didn’t mention? Let me know in the comments.
Nice article