Final Ebony Bird 2021 NFL Draft mock: Ravens get instant impact guys
5. Cincinnati Bengals: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU
This pick should be an offensive tackle, but Joe Burrow may convince his team to instead give him his BFF from his college days. Chase is a stud receiver and a former winner of the Biletnikoff Award, a title given to college football’s best wide receiver. A trio of Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd is nightmare fuel for opposing defenses.
6. Miami Dolphins: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Just like what the Bengals just did, the Dolphins reunite its quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, with his former college teammate in Waddle. Waddle is one of the fastest wide receiver prospects we’ve ever seen and his ability to create after the catch is elite. He’ll be a great asset to an improving Miami offense.
7. Detroit Lions: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
I doubt Fields falls out of the top-five picks after some potential trade ups, but the Lions will happily stop his fall with the seventh pick. Jared Goff is not even close to being the future of Detroit’s offense, but Fields’s gamer-mentality will change this offense’s outlook in a hurry.
8. Carolina Panthers: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
The Panthers are all in on Sam Darnold after trading Teddy Bridgewater to the Broncos, so now they’ll need to beef up his protection. Sewell is the best offensive lineman in the 2021 NFL Draft and shores up a very mediocre offensive line.