The 2021 NFL Draft produced a ton of superstars but also cost some coaches their jobs. With a class headlined by top quarterback prospects, this draft class represented a big chance for teams to hit reset.
In this re-draft exercise, the new choices were based on how each player’s first two seasons in the league have gone, as well as how they would have impacted the team at that very moment. Any first-round trades were un-done, so all draft picks were returned to their original owners.
All picks that were originally made are listed in italics underneath each team, with all new selections listed in bold next to each team.
2021 NFL Draft Re-Drafted
1. Jacksonville Jaguars – Trevor Lawrence (QB)
Trevor Lawrence
No changes at the top for the Jacksonville Jaguars, as Trevor Lawrence is still the clear-cut top quarterback prospect two years down the road. Lawrence has been absolutely everything that the Jaguars have wanted and more from the former Clemson Tiger, and he led them to their first postseason appearance since the Blake Bortles-led 2017 team.
2. New York Jets – Justin Fields (QB)
Zach Wilson
It is a shame that the New York Jets fumbled the bag yet again when trying to find a franchise QB, and Zach Wilson has flamed out so badly that he fell out of the entire first round in this re-draft exercise (spoiler). Grabbing the true QB2 of the class in Justin Fields would have immediately provided the Jets with a formula to succeed, while also keeping them out of harm’s way in the Aaron Rodgers saga.
3. San Francisco 49ers – Micah Parsons (LB)
Trey Lance
While the jury is still out on what kind of NFL QB Trey Lance will be, going the safe route and taking Micah Parsons is exactly the kind of mindset that keeps the San Francisco 49ers in contention every season.
Parsons has enjoyed a ton of success with the Dallas Cowboys (26.5 sacks, 33/34 games started), and the already-tough Niners defense would be even nastier if they added a physical specimen like Parsons to the mix.
4. Atlanta Falcons – Ja’Marr Chase (WR)
Kyle Pitts
While Kyle Pitts entered the 2021 NFL Draft with the highest expectations since Tony Gonzalez, his two years with the Atlanta Falcons have left quite a lot left to be desired – regardless of how much is Atlanta’s fault. Which is why the Falcons go another direction.
Picture Ja’Marr Chase in the black and red ATL uniforms, catching passes and doing unspeakable things to opposing defenses down in the dome – now THAT is something Atlanta would probably sign up for if given a second chance.
5. Cincinnati Bengals – Rashawn Slater (OT)
Ja’Marr Chase
Offensive line has been and will continue to be a sore spot for the Cincinnati Bengals, and you’d think they would invest more talent into that position with Joe Burrow at QB. In this re-draft exercise, the Bengals finally give Burrow some protection and draft Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater, the best OL in the entire draft.
While adding Pitts or even Jaylen Waddle is tempting, Slater gives this team the best shot at winning while keeping their franchise QB healthy, achieving two goals at once.
6. Miami Dolphins – Kyle Pitts (TE)
Jaylen Waddle
Jaylen Waddle is available, but a tight end is one of the final things missing from the Miami Dolphins’ offense, so Pitts is where they decide to go. Giving Tua Tagovailoa that much-needed security blanket is very important to the success of the offense, and Pitts is exactly the vertical option that can help bail his QB out when the pressure gets to be too much.
7. Detroit Lions – Jaylen Waddle (WR)
Penei Sewell
Gladly picking from what is left of the offensive skill players, the Detroit Lions grab Waddle instead and find their future WR1. While a case can be made that they should have grabbed Amon-Ra St. Brown a few rounds earlier than when they originally drafted him, Waddle is the superior talent and has proved that so far in Miami.
8. Carolina Panthers – Patrick Surtain (CB)
Jaycee Horn
The second defender comes off the board at pick eight, where the Carolina Panthers take the best cornerback in the class in Patrick Surtain. Having originally grabbed Jaycee Horn (more on him later), the Panthers find a young stud CB who will anchor their defense for years to come.
9. Denver Broncos – Talanoa Hufanga (S)
Patrick Surtain
With their original selection off the board, the Denver Broncos grab a player that originally was drafted 180th overall to the 49ers in safety Talanoa Hufanga. Having earned a first-team All-Pro nod in only his second season, Hufanga is a fantastic safety in coverage who lays the boom stick heading downhill, and would bring a physical presence to Denver.
10. Dallas Cowboys – Christian Darrisaw
DeVonta Smith (Philadelphia Eagles)
With all trades considered null in this exercise, it is the Dallas Cowboys who are on the clock at 10th overall, and they grab one of the best tackles produced by this draft class in Christian Darrisaw. Having originally been drafted by Minnesota, Darrisaw would help shore up the tackle spot in Dallas, keeping Dak Prescott upright and potentially even being that missing piece for the Cowboys to return to postseason glory.
11. New York Giants – DeVonta Smith (WR)
Justin Fields (Chicago Bears)
Having originally moved down with the Chicago Bears in the Justin Fields trade, the New York Giants hold onto their pick at 11 and select their new WR1 in DeVonta Smith. Keeping him away from Philly helps, and this addition would have helped Daniel Jones reach his peak sooner.
12. Philadelphia Eagles – Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR)
DeVonta Smith
Without Smith on the board, the Philadelphia Eagles pick up the Sun God, Amon-Ra St. Brown instead, as their new top receiver. With St. Brown now off the board, this marks the end of the run on wide receivers, a group that dominated this draft from top to bottom.
13. Los Angeles Chargers – Jaelan Phillips (EDGE)
Rashawn Slater
This could be a slight reach, but the Los Angeles Chargers would be smart to add a defensive edge rushing talent like Jaelan Phillips in this re-do. With Slater long gone at this point, the Chargers should go best player available defensively at this point, a role that Phillips certainly is in the conversation for.
14. Minnesota Vikings – Creed Humphrey (C)
Alijah Vera-Tucker (New York Jets)
Having traded with the New York Jets originally here, the Vikings are on the clock, and they grab the best center prospect in the draft in Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey. Offensive line has been a big issue for Minnesota for a while now, and adding a player like Humphrey would be a great step in the right direction to make that position group better.
15. New England Patriots – Jaycee Horn (CB)
Mac Jones
Mac Jones certainly is not worthy of a top-15 draft pick, and we all know how much Bill Belichick loves his cornerbacks, so grabbing South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn here makes a ton of sense. While he didn’t live up to his top-10 draft status so far, he certainly has enough talent to justify being a top-15 pick, and the Patriots’ depth at CB could use a guy like Horn.
16. Arizona Cardinals – Jevon Holland (S)
Zaven Collins
A 100-tackle, 1-INT sophomore season for Zaven Collins is the lone bright spot in his young career, which certainly has some promise to it. But adding the second-best safety in this year’s draft in Oregon’s Jevon Holland is not something the Cardinals should pass up.
Holland is not the biggest guy but he certainly has displayed a ton of ball skills so far in the NFL with Miami, and the Cardinals have quite a few holes in their secondary.
17. Las Vegas Raiders – Tyson Campbell (CB)
Alex Leatherwood
Alex Leatherwood never was set up to succeed with the Raiders, especially with the brain trust of Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden leading the way. Leatherwood was released after his rookie season, eventually being picked up by the Bears.
Instead, the Raiders should grab one of the best young CBs in the draft in Georgia’s Tyson Campbell, who would have immediately been the best first-round pick the Raiders made in the past three-plus seasons.
18. Miami Dolphins – Asante Samuel Jr. (CB)
Jaelen Phillips
After grabbing Kyle Pitts earlier, the Dolphins add talent on defense in Asante Samuel Jr. The cornerback has done quite well with the Chargers in his first two seasons, and would help solidify the back-end of their defense in Miami.
19. Washington Commanders – Trey Lance
Jamin Davis
The fall ends here for Trey Lance, as Washington (at the time of the original draft, they were known as the Washington Football Team) stop his fall. Needing to find a franchise QB (sorry Alex Smith & Taylor Heinicke), Lance finds himself in a position to succeed.
20. Chicago Bears – Christian Barmore (DT)
Kadarius Toney (New York Giants)
Without the Justin Fields trade, the Chicago Bears are picking at #20, where they grab the first defensive tackle. Having originally been drafted by the Patriots, Christian Barmore has put together a pretty solid start to his young career, and with the rapport that the Bears have with drafting defenders for their front seven group, Barmore would have been a solid fit.
21. Indianapolis Colts – Kwity Paye (EDGE)
Kwity Paye
Another draft pick going back to where he was originally drafted, the Indianapolis Colts and Kwity Paye are a pretty solid pairing this deep into the first round. The former Michigan Wolverine has enjoyed a moderate amount of success so far, and the Colts always seem to need help with getting after the QB, something Paye is pretty good at doing.
22. Tennessee Titans – Landon Dickerson (G)
Caleb Farley
Caleb Farley has disappeared from the first round here, and Tennessee would love to replace him with Landon Dickerson. Having originally gone to the Eagles, Dickerson is a solid interior lineman who can suit up at either guard position or even center, a commodity all teams would love to have.
23. New York Jets – Alijah Vera-Tucker (G)
Christian Darrisaw (Minnesota Vikings)
Having originally selected Alijah Vera-Tucker earlier, the Jets get their same guy around 10 picks later. Vera-Tucker has been pretty solid (even with injuries) so far, and the Jets need some OL help to protect Fields.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers – Penei Sewell (OT)
Najee Harris
Najee Harris has been fine as the bell-cow running back for Pittsburgh, but drafting a RB this early is frowned upon. By pivoting to Penei Sewell, Pittsburgh shores up their OL, which has a few options that on their last legs.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars – Travis Etienne (RB)
Travis Etienne
The final player that goes back to the original team that drafted him is actually the only running back that should have been drafted in the first round, Travis Etienne. For the Jaguars, keeping Etienne is key to helping Lawrence succeed, seeing as how they also needed plenty of other offensive help at the time.
26. Cleveland Browns – Nick Bolton (LB)
Greg Newsome II
The best non-pass rushing linebacker in this draft was Nick Bolton, originally drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs. For Cleveland, their original selection of Greg Newsome II was fine, but Bolton is a much better option here.
27. Baltimore Ravens – Gregory Rousseau (EDGE)
Rashod Bateman
Injuries have held Rashod Bateman back so far in the NFL, but Gregory Rousseau has made a name for himself as a member of the Buffalo Bills. For the Ravens to take him at 27th overall, it is just another dangerous piece added to their strong defense.
28. New Orleans Saints – Mac Jones (QB)
Payton Turner
Payton Turner hasn't done much for the Saints, and since Jameis Winston wasn't the solution, adding Mac Jones is smart. Securing a fifth-round option for Jones is key here too, and while he may not be a ‘sexy’ pick, he could turn into a safe investment late in the first round.
29. Green Bay Packers – Pat Freiermuth (TE)
Eric Stokes
Finding TE depth has been a futile effort for the Green Bay Packers, but adding Pat Freiermuth here is nice. Providing Aaron Rodgers with a much-needed first-round target would absolutely have finally shored up a position of need.
30. Buffalo Bills – Greg Newsome II (CB)
Gregory Rousseau
With Rousseau drafted, the Bills pivot to upgrading their secondary with Newsome, a CB who would pair with Tre’Davious White. Buffalo had a pretty good secondary already with White and Micah Hyde, but Newsome would provide some depth that would be able to step up and handle any sort of AFC receivers.
31. Baltimore Ravens – Kadarius Toney (WR)
Odafe Oweh
Kadarius Toney has shown that he has a decent ceiling, and he just barely earns the nod over Rashod Bateman for the final receiver selected in this re-draft. While the Ravens were known as a run-first offense, having someone like Toney would have helped provide Lamar Jackson with some sort of target outside of Mark Andrews, and Toney has enough athleticism to become a real threat in this offense.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Eric Stokes (CB)
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
The final pick of this re-draft goes to Tampa Bay, who really had no real questions entering the off-season. Going after Washington DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka was a fair choice here, but adding a defensive back like Eric Stokes would've been better.
Their defensive backfield was good, but with an expensive, aging defense already costing a ton and their corners heading for big paydays, adding Stokes would be smart. While he has struggled a bit in Green Bay, Stokes has flashed, something the Bucs could build around.
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