NFL MOCK DRAFT 2.0: Who Will Be Every Team’s Starting Quarterback
Predicting Who's Lining Up Under in Week 1 For Every Team Next Season
Welcome back for another edition of Mock Draft Monday! Today, in addition to doing our weekly mock draft, we are going to predict who will be the starting quarterback of every team next year.
Pre-Draft Trades
Trade 1:
49ers Receive: 2021 2nd round pick (52), 2021 5th round pick (165), 2022 2nd round pick, 2022 4th round pick
Bears Receive: Jimmy Garoppolo, 2021 4th round pick (117)
It may not be the NFC West quarterback Bears fans are dreaming about, but it is the quarterback that’s most attainable. Jimmy Garoppolo has been in trade rumors the past two off-season’s, and San Francisco appears ready to move on. The Bears would have to restructure Garoppolo’s deal or include a veteran like Kyle Fuller to make the numbers work, but Bears general manager Ryan Pace has already indicated nothing is off the table in terms of upgrading at quarterback.
Trade 2:
Jets Receive: 2021 3rd round pick (82), 2022 conditional second round pick, 2022 6th round pick.
Redskins Receive: Sam Darnold
This is essentially the Carson Wentz trade, with one additional pick. From Washington’s point of view, they get one cheap year of Darnold to see if getting him out of New York-and away from Adam Gase- turns him into the elite quarterback so many draft prognosticators thought he would become. For the Jets, it gives them an opportunity to start over with a new quarterback and potentially gives them three first round picks next season to surround whomever they select with the second pick.
Trade 3:
Texans Receive: 2021 1st round pick (3), 2021 1st round pick (18), 2021 2nd round pick (50), 2022 1st round pick, Tua Tagovailoa, Byron Jones
Dolphins Receive: Deshaun Watson
The Texans need to ask themselves what the endgame is with regards to their standoff with Watson. They aren’t a good team with him, they have no resources to get better and they have done everything possible to antagonize him. At this point, the best scenario for both sides is to move on. No team can top Miami’s offer and acquiring Watson makes the Dolphins an immediate Super Bowl contender.
ROUND 1
1. Jacksonville Jaguars-Trevor Lawrence; QB Clemson
2021 Starting Quarterback: Trevor Lawrence.
Despite some opinions to the contrary, Trevor Lawrence is the top quarterback in the draft and will be the first name called this April. The bigger question in Jacksonville will be how they choose to build around him.
2. New York Jets- Zach Wilson; QB BYU
2021 Starting Quarterback: Zach Wilson
With Lawrence off the board and Darnold in Washington, New York now must decide who they want executing Mike LaFleur’s offense. Unless something changes between now and April, it appears that person is going to be Wilson.
3. **TRADE** San Francisco 49ers-Justin Fields; QB Ohio State
Houston Receives (via MIA): 2021 first round pick (12), 2021 second round pick (44), 2022 first round pick, 2022 second round pick (via CHI), 2022 fourth round pick (via CHI)
San Francisco receives: 2021 first round pick (3)
2021 Starting Quarterback: Justin Fields
San Francisco takes the draft capital they acquired in the Garoppolo trade to move up and select Fields. There is risk turning over their Super Bowl-ready roster to a rookie quarterback, but that shouldn’t stop the 49ers from taking Fields. He has plenty of big game experience and the Fields/Shanahan quarterback/coach combination extends the 49ers’ competitive window for another decade.
4. Atlanta Falcons-Trey Lance; QB North Dakota State
2021 Starting Quarterback: Matt Ryan.
Matt Ryan will be the starting quarterback in Atlanta for at least one more season, but Lance is too talented to pass up. The Falcons can give the Ryan/Julio core one last shot at making a playoff run before turning things over to Lance next season.
5. Cincinnati Bengals-Penei Sewell; OT Oregon
2021 Starting Quarterback: Joe Burrow.
The only question regarding quarterback for Cincinnati is whether Burrow will be healthy by week 1. Selecting Sewell with the 5th pick decreases the likelihood that Burrow gets injured again in the future.
6. Philadelphia Eagles-Ja’Marr Chase
2021 Starting Quarterback: Jalen Hurts.
Philadelphia will aggressively try to trade up, and they will also be monitoring the veteran quarterback market. Hurts didn’t exactly light the world on fire during his extended tryout last season, but he showed enough to at least be given the first crack at the starting gig. Whoever ends up being the quarterback, Chase will make their life easier.
7. Detroit Lions-Caleb Farley; CB Virginia Tech
2021 Starting Quarterback: Jared Goff.
The Lions will be one of the worst teams in the NFL next season. Jared Goff’s job next year entails being competent enough at quarterback to disguise the fact that the Lions are tanking, a role that we’ve seen Ryan Fitzpatrick and Teddy Bridgewater play over the past couple of seasons. With the seventh pick, Detroit takes the best cornerback prospect for the second consecutive year, giving the Lions the most promising young secondary in the league.
8. Carolina Panthers-Kyle Pitts; TE Florida
2021 Starting Quarterback: TBD
Carolina misses out on the chance to take one of the top four quarterbacks in the draft, so they turn their attention to the best playmaker available. Grabbing Pitts and placing him alongside other talents such as Christian McCaffrey and the perennially underrated DJ Moore gives Carolina an intriguing set of weapons for Joe Brady and their mystery quarterback(??) to play with.
9. Denver Broncos-Patrick Surtain II; CB Alabama
Starting Quarterback: Drew Lock.
Denver is not as “all in” on Lock as they were last year, but with no obvious choice as an upgrade, they are going to give him one more chance to prove himself. With Farley off the board, Denver takes the next best cornerback available.
10. Dallas Cowboys-Rashawn Slater; OT Northwestern
Starting Quarterback: Dak Prescott.
Despite a gruesome leg injury and another round of “contract chicken”, there is almost a zero percent chance anyone but Prescott is starting for Dallas next season. The combination of a healthy Dak, a healthier offensive line bolstered by the addition of Slater and their other offensive weapons gives Dallas enough firepower to become the favorites in the NFC East.
11. New York Giants-Devonta Smith; WR Alabama
Starting Quarterback: Daniel Jones.
It’s a make-or-break year for both Jones and the Giants’ front office, so they need to load up on playmakers. Adding the reigning Heisman trophy winner gives New York a huge boost at wide receiver and eliminates any excuses for Jones’ lack of development.
12. Houston Texans-Jalen Waddle; WR Alabama
2021 Starting Quarterback: Tua Tagovailoa.
After trades with both Miami and San Francisco, Houston goes from having no first or second round picks to two first round picks this year, two second round picks this year, three first round picks next year, a star at cornerback and a young promising quarterback in Tagovailoa. Not bad. Reuniting Waddle and Tua gives Houston an exciting combination that will help Texans fans almost forget the fact that their ownership and front office have been actively trying to ruin their franchise the last two years.
13. Los Angeles Chargers-Christian Darrisaw; OT Virginia Tech
2021 Starting Quarterback: Justin Herbert.
The Chargers nailed their first round pick last year when they selected Herbert. Now they must get him some help. Darrisaw is a good first piece to start that process.
14. Minnesota Vikings-Alijah Vera-Tucker; IOL USC
2021 Starting Quarterback: Kirk Cousins.
Minnesota finished eighth in offensive DVOA, after finishing 10th the year before. Cousins may not be flashy, but he can operate a high-powered offense. Minnesota’s path back to contention will depend on whether the offensive and defensive lines can improve next season.
15. **Trade** Carolina Panthers-Mac Jones; QB Alabama
Patriots receive: 2021 3rd round pick (72); 2022 first round pick
Panthers receive: 2021 first round pick (15)
Starting Quarterback: Teddy Bridgewater
There was a reason Carolina had TBD at quarterback at pick 8. Matt Rhule and his staff got to work with Jones during this year’s Senior Bowl, and they will be aggressive in moving up to grab him this year. Bridgewater will start the season for a few weeks before Carolina feels comfortable turning things over to Jones. Meanwhile, New England gets to add another first round pick year when they are a little bit closer to contention.
16. Arizona Cardinals-Jaycee Horn; CB South Carolina
Starting Quarterback: Kyler Murray
The Cardinals already made a big splash this offseason by adding future Hall-of-famer JJ Watt to their defensive line. Once they add Horn to their secondary, their defense becomes surprisingly loaded. If Kyler can take the leap this year, Arizona may be the favorite in an absolutely loaded NFC West.
17. Las Vegas Raiders-Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah; LB Notre Dame
Starting Quarterback: Derek Carr
Jon Gruden is always in the market for a new quarterback, but everything coming out of Vegas suggests the Raiders are happy with Carr. The Raiders has had mixed results with their draft picks during the Gruden-Mayock era, so they need to nail their draft this year.
18. Houston Texans-Micah Parsons; LB Penn State
19. Washington Football Team-Rashod Bateman; WR Minnesota
Starting Quarterback: Sam Darnold
After trading picks to grab Darnold, Washington needs to give him some help. Pairing Bateman with Terry McLaurin gives Darnold the two best wide receivers he has ever played with in the NFL.
20. Chicago Bears-Tevin Jenkins; OT Oklahoma State.
Starting Quarterback: Jimmy Garoppolo
Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy’s job depend on the offense taking a major leap next season. Acquiring Garoppolo is the first step, but they are going to need a lot more than that. Jenkins helps shore up an offensive line that is surprisingly deep on the interior but dangerously thin at tackle.
21. Indianapolis Colts: Liam Eichenberg; OT Notre Dame
Starting Quarterback: Carson Wentz
Let’s see if Frank Reich can restore Wentz’ career. The Colts should aggressively pursue Trent Williams this offseason or trade for Orlando Brown. If both those options fail, then plan “C” is taking the big offensive tackle from Notre Dame, and pair him with fellow Golden-Domer Quenton Nelson.
22. Tennessee Titans-Kwity Page; Edge Rusher Michigan
Starting Quarterback: Ryan Tannehill
We’ll see how much of Tannehill’s success was dependent on Arthur Smith’s offense, now that Smith has moved on to Atlanta. Even if Tannehill continues to play at a top 10 level, Tennessee needs to get more from their pass rush if they want to remain contenders in the AFC.
23. New York Jets-Gregory Rousseau; Edge Rusher Miami
24. Pittsburgh Steelers-Jalen Mayfield; OT Michigan
Starting Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger
The Steelers are running it back with Big Ben one more last time. If Jones or Lance somehow fall this far, Pittsburgh should grab them. If not, they should find some offensive line help to keep Roethlisberger upright.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars-Trevon Moehrig; Safety TCU
26. Cleveland Browns-Jaelan Phillips; Edge Miami
Starting Quarterback: Baker Mayfield
After a disastrous second season, Mayfield rebounded nicely under the tutelage of new coach Kevin Stefanski. Now, Cleveland must decide whether Mayfield deserves a big extension or if Stefanski can get similar production out of a more affordable quarterback. Cleveland is on the verge of entering the AFC elite, and Phillips can help them continue to their climb.
27. **Trade** Jacksonville Jaguars-Kadarius Toney; WR Florida
Baltimore receives: 2021 2nd round pick (33), 2021 4th round pick (130)
Jacksonville receives: 2021 1st round pick (27)
28. New Orleans Saints-Azeez Ojulari; Edge Rusher Georgia
Starting Quarterback: Tayson Hill/Jameis Winston
Everyone is still waiting for Drew Brees to make it official, but it appears that the Brees era is over in New Orleans. New Orleans cannot go into next year with Hill as their only quarterback option, so expect head coach Sean Payton to play around with the Hill/Winston combination, while adding Ojulari to their defense.
29. Green Bay Packers-Christian Barmore; IDL Alabama
Starting Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers.
A Rodgers-Packers divorce seems likely soon, but not today. Green Bay owes it to Rodgers and themselves to do everything they can to make one last push for another Super Bowl. Barmore helps shore up a run defense that has been gashed in the last two NFC Championship games.
30. Buffalo Bills-Zaven Collins; LB Tulsa
Starting Quarterback: Josh Allen.
Buffalo does not have too many holes on their roster, and Collins will be a fun toy for head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to play with. More importantly for Buffalo, they do not have any anxiety over their quarterback for the first time in nearly 30 years. Expect a lot of broken tables next Fall in Buffalo.
31. Kansas City Chiefs-Landon Dickerson; Center Alabama.
Starting Quarterback: Pat Mahomes
Mahomes may not be able to do it all by himself, but there is no team Kansas City would trade places with. If the Chiefs can rebuild their offensive line-they’re the Super Bowl favorites next season.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Najee Harris; RB Alabama
Starting Quarterback: Tom Brady
Death, taxes, and Tom Brady starting at quarterback for someone. The only three guarantees in the world.
ROUND 2
33. Baltimore Ravens-Jayson Oweh; Edge Rusher Penn State
Starting Quarterback: Lamar Jackson
There is no question the Ravens are going to give Jackson a massive extension this Summer. How Baltimore continues to build a championship roster around him will be fascinating. Oweh has some doubters, but Baltimore has a history of getting the most of talents like him.
36. Miami Dolphis-Wyatt Davis; IOL Ohio State
Starting Quarterback: Deshaun Watson
The Dolphins are all in after acquiring Watson and make no mistake: they will be Super Bowl contenders if they can acquire him. Making sure Watson stays healthy will be their next priority, and Davis is the best offensive lineman available at this point in the draft.
46. New England Patriots-Levi Onwuzurike; IDL Washington
Starting Quarterback: Cam Newton
Patriots fans won’t be thrilled to run it back another year with Newton, but he is the best available option. Before coming down with Covid last year, Newton was playing his best football since his MVP season of 2015. There is no quarterback available (outside of Watson and Wilson) that can match that level of play. New England should take another flyer on Newton and accumulate more draft capital before potentially moving on next season.
56. Seattle Seahawks-Walker Little; OT Stanford
Starting Quarterback: Russell Wilson
There’s enough smoke around this story that suggests Wilson’s time in Seattle may be coming to an end soon. However, unless their relationship with their star quarterback is beyond repair, it makes zero sense for Seattle to trade Wilson this year. Seattle does not have their first round pick next year and it would be embarrassing if that pick ends up in the top 10. Additionally, at 69 years old, Pete Carroll is not going to want to go through a rebuild, so any Wilson trade is going to require a reliable starting quarterback coming back in return. The Seahawks should work towards surrounding Wilson with more talent, not trading away arguably the greatest player that’s ever played for their franchise.
57. Los Angeles Rams-Chazz Surratt; LB North Carolina
Starting Quarterback: Matt Stafford
The Rams were the first to strike for a quarterback when they traded for Matt Stafford before the Super Bowl. Los Angeles has executed one of the most fascinating roster building experiments in any sport, and it will be exciting to see if it ends up with a Super Bowl trophy.