The last one before the real thing and you're stuck with my pick after Scott Smith and I have been alternating all draft season. Well, maybe not all season. We got kind of a late start because of one very important Lombardi Trophy the Bucs were busy winning.
Because of that trophy, the Bucs will also be picking late and after returning all 22 Super Bowl starters, the team has very limited needs. It's a great position to be in all the way around thanks in no small part to General Manager Jason Licht, Director of Football Administration Mike Greenberg and Director of Football Research Jackie Davidson. The Bucs can actually take the best player available, which is what made this exercise in predicting the Tampa Bay's pick perhaps even more futile than it usually is.
After simulating the entire first round, I did my best to pick who provided the best value at No. 32 and it brought me back to an original pick of both Scott and I.
See below for the final prediction before we find out the real thing this coming weekend during the 2021 NFL Draft.
Mock Draft 1.0 (Smith) | Mock Draft 2.0 (Vitali) | Mock Draft 3.0 (Smith) | Mock Draft 4.0 (Vitali) | Mock Draft 5.0 (Smith) | Mock Draft 6.0 (Vitali) | Mock Draft 7.0 (Smith) | Mock Draft 8.0 (Vitali) | Mock Draft 9.0 (Smith)
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
Jacksonville fans got Lawrence a $300 toaster off his wedding registry and in turn, he and his wife donated $20,000 to the city. Talk about a return on investment. The Jaguars are hoping that's what Lawrence ends up being.
2. New York Jets: QB Zach Wilson, BYU
How will the prospect from Utah's BYU fare in the big city? There's only one way to find out…
3. San Francisco 49ers (via Miami): QB Justin Fields, Ohio State
I've bought into the Mac-Jones-to-San-Francisco hype in prior mocks but I do think Fields is the better prospect so in this one, San Francisco doesn't overthink things.
4. Atlanta Falcons: TE Kyle Pitts, Florida
In my last mock I gave Pitts to the Panthers. I don't know why I keep doing this.
5. Cincinnati Bengals: OT Penei Sewell, Oregon
With Pitts gone, I have to think the Bengals go offensive tackle.
6. Miami Dolphins: WR Ja'Marr Chase, LSU
The Dolphins add an offensive weapon, and perhaps the best receiver in this draft class, that will make an immediate impact in Miami.
7. TRADE ALERT New England Patriots (via Detroit): QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State
This was a big one. I think New England hopes it's never within reach of trading up to No. 7 again in the near future so they take advantage of their mid-round position and trade up to get their quarterback of the future. It costs them a third and fourth rounder this year and a second-round pick in 2022.
8. Carolina Panthers: OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
With Pitts gone this time, the Panthers go with some protection for their Sam Darnold investment.
9. Denver Broncos: QB Mac Jones, Alabama
The Broncos get some quarterback competition for Drew Lock and see if John Elway can finally figure out his quarterback situation in Denver.
10. Dallas Cowboys: CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
I've seen a lot of mocks with this pick for Dallas and it makes sense given their cornerback need and with injury questions for Caleb Farley, Surtain seems to own the number one corner spot in this draft.
11. New York Giants: WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
The Giants need more weapons for Daniel Jones and I think they're slowly building a pretty solid offense.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (via Miami): WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama
Should the Eagles take a receiver? Yes. Will the Eagles take a receiver? Who knows? But I have them doing the right thing here.
13. Los Angeles Chargers: OT Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech
The Chargers nab a top tackle prospect while they still can.
14. Minnesota Vikings: OT Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State
The Vikings' O-line was in flux all year, fielding five different offensive line combinations throughout the 2020 season and are most in need of a left tackle. Jenkins played mostly right at Oklahoma State but started one game at left tackle before earning First-Team All-Conference despite opting out for the final part of the 2020 season.
15. Detroit Lions (via New England): CB Jaycee Horn, South Carolina
This is a big win for the Lions, who picked up a draft haul from the Patriots on top of now getting one of the top corners in the draft.
16. Arizona Cardinals: LB Micah Parsons, Penn State
Parsons is an athletic freak that can instantly make the Cardinals' defense better. The Penn State product is super effective in coverage as an off-ball linebacker and Arizona Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph should know just what to do with him.
17. Las Vegas Raiders: OL Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
The Raiders have needs all along the offensive line but Vera-Tucker is the best value here.
18. Miami Dolphins: LB Zaven Collins, Tulsa
After addressing the offensive side of the ball by getting Chase as Tua's latest weapon, the Dolphins go defense and it will be interesting to see what defensive-minded Head Coach Brian Flores can do with the versatile Collins.
19. Washington Football Team: LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
As a junior, 'JOK' as he's known won the Butkus Award for the nation's best linebacker after recording 62 total tackles, 11 for loss, three forced fumbles, 1.5 sacks, one interception and three pass breakups. He pretty much does it all and Washington could use the help on the second level of the defense.
20. Chicago Bears: CB Greg Newsome II, Northwestern
The Bears have way too many needs for a team picking at No. 20 but cornerback is one and they get a prospect from just down the road. Newsome grew up in the Chicago suburbs but attended high school here in Florida at IMG before returning to Chicago to go to Northwestern.
21. TRADE ALERT Cleveland Browns (via Indy): EDGE Jaelan Phillips, Miami
The latest trade we've had this draft season but Cleveland really wants an EDGE and they have some picks to spare, whereas Indy really needs more capital. They pick up a third-rounder this year and the Browns get their pick of the litter when it comes to pass rushers.
22. Tennessee Titans: S Trevon Moehrig, TCU
The Titans don't actually have a ton of needs but safety is a big one. If they can shore up the defense, they're going to be a team to contend with in 2021.
23. New York Jets (via Seattle): EDGE Kwity Paye, Michigan
The Jets got a top quarterback at the top of the first round and now they get a top edge-rushing prospect in Paye, who was named a team captain at Michigan in 2020.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: RB Najee Harris, Alabama
After Pittsburgh let James Conner walk, they now have a glaring need at running back and at 24, they're in a position to take one. Both top running back prospects are on the board and Harris is a physical runner that can fit right in with the Steelers.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars: RB Travis Etienne, Clemson
I really just wanted to make the Clemson reunion happen and Jacksonville needs running back help. Why not go with their new quarterback's former running back, right?
26. Indianapolis Colts (via Cleveland): DL Christian Barmore, Alabama
The Colts moved down and still got one of the top defensive line prospects, while picking up a third-round pick this year. Barmore can help set the tone up front and continue the Colts' success against the run into 2021.
27. Baltimore Ravens: EDGE Azeez Ojulari, Georgia
The Ravens now have two picks in the later part of this first round and with their first, they take an edge rusher to help out a pass rush that ranked in the middle of the pack in 2020 – which isn't where Baltimore is used to being defensively.
28. New Orleans Saints: WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
The Saints need a lot of help after having to shed quite a few players due to cap concerns. Emmanuel Sanders was one of those to leave the Big Easy and they need to work on getting more reinforcements for whoever their quarterback ends up being.
29. Green Bay Packers: OT Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame
After taking five sacks in the NFC Championship, Aaron Rodgers needs some more protection for 2021 (wink wink).
30. Buffalo Bills: Jayson Oweh, Penn State
The Bills don't have a ton of needs but they do need something to help them over the edge and into the Super Bowl. Maybe reinforcing their pass rush will do the trick.
31. Baltimore Ravens (via Kansas City): WR Rondale Moore, Purdue
The trade that again came in late on a Friday after I had already finished this mock draft. I have to think the Ravens will split their first-round picks between offense and defense and after getting a pass rusher at 27, they get the speedy little Big 10 receiver in Moore.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DL Levi Onwuzurike, Washington
That leaves the Bucs who have 'wants' rather than 'needs' this year and best value here I think is defense with how many offensive players have gone in this first round. It brings me back to one of Scott and I's original picks in Onwuzurike, who was also a former teammate of Vita Vea's at Washington. Onwuzurike could help fortify a solid rotation up front that would allow for the line to stay fresh and continue their dominance against the run while also taking another step forward in garnering interior pressure.
