Top 10 Oddest Picks of the First Round of the 2021 NFL Draft
This Draft... is off to a weird start and some picks you can't say were just odd, but also terrible. Some picks just made no sense since there were better players available. This was a collaboration with _Ghostly_.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are an American professional football franchise based in Jacksonville, Florida. I get you need more than one running back in today's game, but to take one with your second selection? This is almost as mind-boggling as another team that picked higher with the same philosophy.
Etienne has the ability to be something special, but the problem is James Robinson is the stud bell cow for them. Need I mention Carlos Hyde was going to be their backup? Offensive line was way more important at that point in time.
Just...why? Were you guys not happy with James Robinson's performance from last season? Well, I was impressed. Robinson had a great season as an undrafted rookie, but it looks like Duval wasn't and wasted this pick on an RB instead of getting some more defensive help.
The New York Giants are a professional American football team located in the New York metropolitan area. Let's give Danny Dimes another weapon. Toney went way higher than many would have expected. Going above Bateman to many's surprise.
A big what-if duo that could have been. No disrespect to Toney, but he is going to have to earn being that #2 wideout on a receiving corps that's either going to be hit or miss.
I like Toney as a WR, but this pick was way too early, especially with players like Bateman, Marshall, and even Moore still on the board.
I'm going to be honest, I don't even think the Giants need a WR. They recently added Golladay to their team and have Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton. I would have gotten an edge rusher like Rousseau or Paye.
The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football franchise based in Las Vegas. The Raiders began playing in 1960 as a member club of the American Football League; they have been a member club of the National Football League since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger... read more It was a good move to draft an OT since you traded away your two best offensive linemen. But why Leatherwood? Darrisaw was still available, and some people thought Leatherwood wouldn't even get drafted in the first round. This was a pretty big overreach.
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league's National Football Conference North division.
The Packers have won 4 Super Bowls and 13 NFL championships. So Green Bay's management appears to have angered Rodgers again. What could they do with their 29th pick? They take an extra corner.
Personally, you can wait for the next round to address this Kevin King dilemma. Not sure what Packers fans truly think about this with all the buzz surrounding their guy. Why not try to please him with a weapon?
If this is a sign of how the draft goes, this is going to be a brutal four months for Packers fans, having no idea if Rodgers will ever be the starter and could just leave Jordan Love high and dry.
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, that competes in the National Football League. First of all, why would you get Jaycee Horn when Patrick Surtain II is still available? Second of all, you guys need an OT more than a CB. Slater was still available, which would be a great addition, but instead, you guys get the second-best CB in the draft even when the best CB is still available! This pick gave me a headache.
The Denver Broncos are an American football team based in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league's American Football Conference West division. How many CBs do you need, Denver? This was a huge missed opportunity to get linebacker Micah Parsons, and you need a linebacker. But you totally ignored him and got another CB even though you're fine at cornerback. This caused the Cowboys to steal Parsons from you guys.
Love the player, hate the team that took him. Vic Fangio's job is on the line. Giving him more DBs to load up on, why?
They have Kyle Fuller and Ronald Darby. The secondary of Denver was built to be good. What set them back was injury. Seeing them take another one at that position is odd.
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints currently compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league's National Football Conference South division. The biggest overreach of Day 1. He was mocked as a late second-rounder to an early third-rounder. He has the size of what you want up front.
Not quite the guy in mind when Barmore and Ojulari are still there for the taking, who can help alongside Cameron Jordan as well. Maybe it works out, but then again, maybe not.
Who is this even? Getting this guy over players like Christian Barmore or Rousseau? And Asante Samuel Jr. was still on the board, which I think would be a great fit on your team. They could have gotten this guy in the second round, in my opinion.
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football franchise based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals currently compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league's American Football Conference North division. Chase is good, but this is just a bad move by the Bengals. Did you forget how awful your offensive line was, Cincinnati? It's cool to have Burrow's former teammate on the same NFL team, but he sometimes won't even get a chance to throw to him because the rushers would already get to him. I would have tried to trade up to steal Darrisaw if you were going to make this pick.
About that comment you made, ht, the Bengals made it into the Super Bowl with this guy. It REALLY aged well when you said they'd be the last place team.
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.In 2020, Washington after 87 years got rid of the Redskins trademark due to it being labeled racist to native culture. It was named the Washington Football Team until February... read more
Jamin Davis from Tulsa... Picking this guy over Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah? That stunned me. Don't get me wrong, I like Jamin Davis, but Jeremiah is better. Seeing him not getting picked in the first round is weird, just like how Barmore is still there.
If you listen to Keim's press conference after the pick, it is abundantly clear that he made this choice with zero regard to positional need. This is another example of Keim falling in love with a player and disregarding all else - he even called the man an 'alpha.'
I don't hate the player, but take a look at the Cardinals' depth chart. They could sign Steven Nelson tomorrow and still have the weakest, thinnest cornerback group in the NFL. I'm sure Zaven (not Zavien) will be a fine ILB for years to come, but he simply doesn't fit a need for a team that's supposed to make the leap into contention this year.
The Newcomers
Why not DeVonta Smith? I mean, I get Smith is 6'0 and 170 pounds, but he won the Heisman. So, like, what's going on with that?
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston region.
New England Patriots are one of the few teams to have 5+ wins in the Super Bowl. If the 49ers were the ones to select Mac Jones, this pick would certainly be at the top of this list.
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team located in the San Francisco Bay Area. I like Lance, but I just thought this was a weird pick. I think Trey Lance is more backup material, and Jimmy G should be traded soon. I thought the best fit would be Jones or Fields.
Lance only played once in the 2020-21 college football season. I understand he was really good before that year, but I still think Fields or Jones would have been better.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers currently compete in the National Football League as a member team of the National Football Conference South division. Tampa Bay is loaded with defensive studs. So seeing them actually take one with their last pick was a common theme of all the bizarro moves made.
He is never going to take the field, and if he does, it would be for a cup of coffee. The definition of a throwaway pick.
Tryon is going to spend a lot of time on the bench. A wasted pick, and they could have stolen Barmore. If you're going to get an LB, then get Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
I understand why they would pick him, so they have a replacement for JPP when he ages into retirement.
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears compete in the National Football League as a member club of the league's National Football Conference North division. It's hard to really hate where four of the QBs went, knowing all their situations actually fit in my view.
Trevor Lawrence will be the Jags' focus. Zach Wilson seems to be getting help from the interior. Trey Lance could learn the ropes quickly with the mobility he brings to the Bay Area. Mac Jones fits into the pocket-passing scheme of Josh McDaniels.
Justin Fields might be the easiest one to look at as the prime bust of these five. Ohio State has never had a quality NFL-caliber quarterback in history. This feels like the Josh Rosen treatment when they traded up to get him. He could be doomed to fail from the start by the incompetents who drafted him.
Keep in mind this team also has Andy Dalton (QB1) and Nick Foles. I almost feel bad for Bears fans because the guy running the team is so out of his mind it's insane.
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League as a member club of the American Football Conference North division.
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League as a member club of the American Football Conference South division. The player has great ability, but the red flags are why he dropped so far down. Titans needed corner help, and I'm not against them going risky. Just hope this isn't another Isaiah Wilson problem. If it is, it's a shame, seeing there were other corners more green-lit.