As the regular season comes to a close, the New York Jets and New England Patriots are already looking towards the offseason following their elimination from playoff contention. Meanwhile the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins have their eyes set at making a run in January, but the Dolphins still have some work to do in Week 17. Even though there’s still football to be played, it’s never too early to look at draft positions for 2021, which is exactly what we’re here to do within this edition of the Roundup.
Jets fans have been depressed for the last couple weeks because they’ve seen their dreams of Trevor Lawrence slip away. By winning their last two games, the Jets actually gifted the number-one pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars after it looked like a forgone conclusion the Jets would finish 0-16. Now the team may have to take a risk by taking Justin Fields from Ohio State (QBs from OSU do not have a good history in the NFL) or someone like Zach Wilson from BYU. It looked like the team was going to get their franchise QB but now things seem unsure. The Jets will have another first-round pick from Seattle that will end up in the late 20s.
New England will have an early pick for the first time in a generation. They are currently projected to pick 15, which is often not the spot to be in when quarterback is a huge need. The Patriots could try to move up in the draft if they fall in love with one of the prospects or they may select the best wide receiver available to try and add a number-one target.
Miami’s going to be sitting pretty in the 2021 draft. If you remember, the Dolphins traded Laremy Tunsil to the Houston Texans for a first round pick. That pick is now predicted to be fourth and could even be as high as third. With a team loading up on talent as much as the Dolphins appear, this pick will only benefit them. Then, they also have their regularly scheduled first-round pick that could end up somewhere in the low 20s, as a lot of games on Sunday will impact where they end up.
Finally we have the AFC East Champion Buffalo Bills who are slated to pick somewhere within the late 20s range. This area of the draft has been rare for the Bills to pick in during the 21st century. They usually find themselves stuck in the middle of each round. It’s unsure what the direction the Bills will go as there are a couple of options. For sure, edge rusher is one of them, but it’s no secret Buffalo hopes to have the last pick in the first round. #SuperBowlChampions!