The 2021 NFL Draft has come and gone, and as always, it was an exciting weekend that will change the entire landscape of the NFL going forward. Some teams really improved by addressing some major needs, and did the results of this draft present a new challenger to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC for 2021?
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys had a historically bad defense in 2020, and they wasted no time addressing that in this year’s draft. They came into the draft with 10 draft picks but managed to add arguably the best linebacker in this year’s draft an additional draft pick by trading back in the first round with division rival Philadelphia.
Landing Penn State standout linebacker Micah Parsons with the 12th overall pick could pay off in spades for a linebacking crew that was one of the league’s worst in 2020.
Overall they drafted 11 players, with eight of those coming on the defensive side of the football. They threw in a couple of offensive line picks and a wide receiver for what was a very solid draft for a team with high hopes in 2021.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns are good. They were really good in 2020, and they’re going to be even better after this year’s draft. They might have had the best draft of anyone this weekend.
Taking Greg Newsome II in the first round was a slam dunk, but what really set the Browns apart in this draft was their ability to get linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah in the second round.
The Browns already a lot of weapons on offense and a decent defense, but they went for the jugular here and loaded up on defensive talent to try and stop the two-time reigning AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs.
The AFC North is no longer the goal for the Browns, they’re going for it all, and they might have the best shot of anyone in the AFC to do just that after this draft haul.
Chicago Bears
Bears’ GM Ryan Pace had the best draft of his shaky tenure in Chicago this year. He traded up to get a potential franchise quarterback in Justin Fields while also addressing the issues on the offensive line.
He did end up trading away next year’s first-round pick to move up and get Fields, but if Fields can be successful at the spot for the Bears over the next decade, no one will remember losing their 2022 first-rounder.
The Biggest Loser
The Green Bay Packers have to be the biggest loser of the 2021 NFL Draft. Not only are they at odds with their franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but they did nothing until the third round to try and appease him.
The Packers’ front office is playing a silly game of chicken with Rodgers right now and called his bluff by not only not trading him at his request but also not taking an offensive player until the third round in Clemson’s Amari Rodgers.
It will be interesting to see if Rodgers holds true to his word and does not return to the Packers when camp starts in July.
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