2021 NFL Draft

2021+NFL+Draft

Adam Baer, Writer

Last Thursday through Saturday, the NFL Draft took place at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, as thousands of fans showed up to see their teams pick from a stacked 2021 class.

The draft kicked off with the Jacksonville Jaguars selecting Clemson’s star quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first pick. This was an obvious pick as Trevor Lawrence has a 34-2 record as a starter, and led Clemson to a National Championship as a 19-year-old freshman. The Jaguars were in desperate need of a QB and went 1-15 in 2020.

There were also some questionable picks throughout the draft that were not expected. The Cincinnati Bengals picked LSU receiver Jamarr Chase with the fifth pick despite having a huge hole to fill on the offensive line, as their QB Joe Burrow was sacked 32 times in 10 games last season which ended in him getting a massive season-ending knee injury. This pick was surprising because the Bengals already have a solid receiving core and a generational talent Penei Sewell was available when they made their pick.

Some schools were well represented in the draft, as Alabama had six players drafted in the first round alone. Those players were WR Jaylen Waddle, CB Patrick Surtain, WR Devonta Smith, QB Mac Jones, and RB Najee Harris. Florida had TE Kyle Pitts and WR Kadarius Toney drafted in the first, as well as Clemson having QB Trevor Lawrence and RB Travis Etienne drafted in the first round.

The draft also raised money for the “Draft-A-Thon” charity to support communities affected by the pandemic.