NFL Draft News & Analysis

2021 NFL Draft: All of PFF's draft coverage in one place

We at PFF have pulled together all of our prospect rankings, mock drafts, player features, data studies and more, making this the one-stop shop for all of PFF's draft content.

Be sure to bookmark this page to keep up to date with all the latest PFF content as we head the draft, which will run from April 29 to May 1.

Click here to navigate to specific PFF draft content: 

Mock drafts | Three-round mock drafts for every division | Position rankings | Pros and cons for the top prospects | Draft class superlatives | Landing spots | building the best position groups | Game film takeaways | Scheme fits | Draft class features | Single player features | Using text analytics | PFF Data Studies | 2021 NFL Draft Comps | Draft Betting plays | NFL team features |Draft profiles

 MOCK DRAFTS

A home base for PFF’s 2021 NFL Mock Drafts, which include analysis of individual draft prospects entering the 2021 NFL Draft, trade scenarios and NFL team needs. Mock drafts will be listed in chronological order, starting with Mike Renner's very first 2021 mock draft.

April 30, 2020: Jaguars select Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence, Bengals get one of the best offensive tackle prospects of the PFF era — Mike Renner

August 19, 2020: Trevor Lawrence lands in Jacksonville at No. 1 overall in PFF's preseason mock, Justin Fields goes No. 2 to Washington Football Team — Mike Renner

October 1, 2020: Trevor Lawrence heads to the Jets at No. 1 overall, Justin Fields lands in Washington at Pick No. 3 — Mike Renner

November 4, 2020: Trevor Lawrence is still the Jets' pick at No. 1 overall, Justin Fields to the Giants at No. 2 — Mike Renner

December 23, 2020: Clemson's Trevor Lawrence goes No. 1 overall to the Jaguars, Jets take BYU's Zach Wilson at No. 2 — Mike Renner

December 29, 2020: Justin Fields to Atlanta, Jaylen Waddle to Philadelphia, first-round WR to Green Bay — Austin Gayle

January 4, 2021: Jets settle on Zach Wilson, 49ers move up for Justin Fields — Mike Renner

January 11, 2021: Dolphins select QB Justin Fields with Pick No. 3, 49ers send Pick No. 12 to Miami for QB Tua Tagovailoa — Anthony Treash

January 18, 2021: Miami picks WR Devonta Smith at No. 3, Ja'Marr Chase lands in Philadelphia at No. 6 — Seth Galina

January 25, 2021: New York Jets get QB Zach Wilson at No. 2, Cincinnati Bengals land WR Ja’Marr Chase — Steve Palazzolo

February 1, 2021: New York Jets acquire Deshaun Watson, Zach Wilson lands with the Houston Texans at No. 2 overall — Ben Linsey

February 8, 2021: Carolina Panthers trade up for Ohio State's Justin Fields, Denver Broncos move up to pick QB Trey Lance — Mike Renner

February 15, 2021: Eagles trade up for Justin Fields, Dolphins give Tua Tagovailoa Ja'Marr Chase — Austin Gayle

February 22, 2021: Atlanta Falcons trade up for QB Justin Fields, Denver Broncos acquire Deshaun Watson in PFF's first two-round mock draft — Anthony Treash

March 1, 2021: Panthers move up for BYU QB Zach Wilson, LSU WR Ja'Marr Chase heads to Atlanta — Eric eager and George Chahrouri

March 8, 2021: QB Justin Fields lands with the Jets at No. 2 overall, Falcons select Florida TE Kyle Pitts at No. 4 — Seth Galina

March 15, 2021: Falcons trade up for QB Trey Lance, WR Jaylen Waddle heads to Detroit to replace Kenny Golladay — Brad Spielberger

March 22, 2021: Zach Wilson goes to the Jets at No. 2, 49ers trade up for their QB of the future in PFF's three-round mock draft — Mike Renner

March 29, 2021: San Francisco picks Justin Fields, Kyle Pitts lands with Joe Burrow in Cincinnati — Austin Gayle

April 5, 2021: Denver Broncos trade up for QB Trey Lance, Florida TE Kyle Pitts lands with the Miami Dolphins at No. 6 — Ben Linsey

April 6, 2021: 49ers take Justin Fields, Atlanta nabs Kyle Pitts and New England moves up for a QB in PFF's betting market-implied mock draft — Eric Eager and Ben Brown

April 9, 2021: 49ers take QB Mac Jones, Dolphins land TE Kyle Pitts and Washington, New England move up for quarterbacks — Andrew Erickson

April 12, 2021: New England Patriots trade up for QB Mac Jones, Cincinnati Bengals take WR Ja'Marr Chase — Sam Monson

April 19, 2021: Denver Broncos select Alabama's Mac Jones at No. 9 overall, Trey Lance falls to the Patriots at No. 15 — Steve Palazzolo

April 26, 2021: 49ers lock in on Ohio State QB Justin Fields, Broncos trade up for NDSU QB Trey Lance — Eric Eager & George Chahrouri

April 27, 2021: PFF senior analysts mock all 7 rounds — PFF Analysis Team

April 27, 2021: Fantasy Football: The Most Fantasy-Friendly 2021 NFL Mock Draft Possible — Ian Hartitz

April 28, 2021: San Francisco 49ers select QB Trey Lance, Denver Broncos trade up for Justin Fields in Mike Renner's final mock draft — Mike Renner

April 28, 2021: San Francisco 49ers take Mac Jones, Carolina Panthers nab Justin Fields and the Denver Broncos find their QB — Ian Hartitz


Three-round mock drafts for every division in the NFL

In the lead-up to the 2021 NFL Draft, PFF will be utilizing its one-of-a-kind mock draft simulator to put together mock drafts for every division in the NFL.

AFC North
AFC South
AFC East
AFC West
NFC North
NFC South
NFC East 
NFC West


2021 NFL Draft Profiles: PFF's top 300 draft prospects

All of PFF's 2021 NFL Draft Profiles in one place! Check out any of PFF's draft profiles on the top 300 draft prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft class.

Clicking here to view 2021 NFL Draft profiles…


POSITION RANKINGS

PFF’s 2021 NFL Draft Big Board offers three-year player grades, combine measurables, position rankings and in-depth player analysis for all of the top draft prospects. In addition to viewing our top 300 players, you can also filter by position to see the very best of each position class.

Quarterback
Running back
Wide receiver
Tight end
Offensive tackle
Interior offensive line
Interior defensive line
Edge defender
Linebacker
Cornerback
Safety


Biggest pro and con for PFF’s top prospects

PFF's 2021 NFL Draft Guide includes over 300 player profiles and over 1,200 pages of in-depth analysis. The guide is available to all EDGE and ELITE subscribers, and to celebrate its release, we decided to share the biggest strength and weakness for every top prospect. Here is what the very best in this draft class has to offer.

Quarterback
Wide receiver
Tight end
Running back
Offensive line
Defensive line
Linebacker
Defensive back


NFL DRAFT CLASS SUPERLATIVES

Mike Renner dishes out superlatives for every position group in the 2021 NFL draft. Which quarterback has the strongest arm? Which wide receiver has the best hands? Which defensive back is the best tackler? Find out more below.

Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receiver
Offensive line
Defensive line
Linebacker
Defensive back


LANDING SPOTS FOR THE TOP PROSPECTS

Highlighting PFF's favorite landing spot for the top 10 players at each position. The lists below are not a projection but rather a realistic look at the best prospect-team pairings ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Landing spots for PFF’s top 10 WR prospects
Landing spots for PFF’s top 10 offensive line prospects
Landing spots for PFF’s top 12 defensive back prospects
Landing spots for PFF’s top 8 defensive line prospects


BUILDING THE BEST POSITION GROUPS

The 2021 NFL Draft class has no shortage of impact players, and each of PFF's top prospects holds his own unique calling card. PFF's Seth Galina looks through the position groups to build a perfect defensive line, offensive line and secondary made up of draft-eligible players.

Building the best defensive line from the 2021 draft class
Building the best offensive line from the 2021 draft class
Building the best secondary from the 2021 draft class


GAME FILM TAKEAWAYS

PFF's Sam Monson turns to the tape, laying out his thoughts as he watches the best receivers and cornerbacks in this class.

Alabama WR DeVonta Smith
LSU WR Ja'Marr Chase
Alabama WR Jaylen Waddle
Florida TE Kyle Pitts
Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman
Purdue WR Rondale Moore
Florida WR Kadarius Toney
Alabama CB Patrick Surtain II
South Carolina CB Jaycee Horn
Florida State CB Asante Samuel Jr.
UCF CB Tay Gowan
Ole Miss WR Elijah Moore


SCHEME FITS

Articles that look at scheme fits and how certain players fit into NFL offensives/defenses.

2021 NFL Draft quarterback rankings and scheme fits

Five perfect team-player scheme fits in the 2021 NFL Draft

Perfect draft fits for teams that did not spend big in free agency

Perfect player fits for teams that spent big in free agency

What is the Shanahan offense, and which 2021 NFL Draft QB prospect fits it?


DRAFT BETTING PLAYS

Here you can find 2021 NFL Draft bets from the PFF Forecast team of betting experts. Articles are listed from newest to oldest so you can see how the markets have developed.

2021 NFL Draft Betting Props: Examining the first defensive player drafted market

2021 NFL Draft Betting Props: Examining the first non-QB drafted market

2021 NFL Draft Betting: Why Justin Fields to go No. 3 overall at +175 is the best bet of the draft

Betting Market-Implied 2021 NFL Mock Draft: 49ers take Justin Fields, Atlanta nabs Kyle Pitts and New England moves up for a QB

2021 NFL Draft Betting: Best bet on the first cornerback selected

NFL Betting 2021: Exploring the Mac Jones 2021 NFL Draft props

NFL Betting 2021: First look at 2021 NFL Draft prop bets


DRAFT CLASS FEATURES

Articles that focus either on the entire draft class or dig deeper into a certain position group. Here, you’ll find articles like Mike Renner’s All PFF-Era Prospect Team, Ben Linsey's narrative busters and Sam Monson’s X-factors.

Biggest Fallers in the 2021 NFL Draft: Alabama's Dylan Moses, Miami's Gregory Rousseau and more

Identifying potential value and reaches using The Athletic's Consensus Big Board

2021 NFL Draft: Buying or selling the latest risers and fallers

Lessons learned from the 2020 NFL Draft

Draft stock risers and fallers

Linsey: ‘My guys' at each position in the 2021 NFL Draft

Treash: 10 undervalued 2021 NFL Draft prospects

Why a weak edge class could mean big contracts for the position over the next few years

The most underrated players in the draft according to the PFF draft board

Dream scenarios for all 32 first-round picks

The biggest decisions that will shape Day 1

One stat to know for each of PFF’s top 32 prospects

8 draft prospects who could be surprising first-round picks

10 boom-or-bust prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft

Treash: 10 things I want to see happen in the 2021 NFL Draft

2021 NFL Draft: Buying or selling the latest draft rumors

PFF's All-Era NFL Prospect Team

Top five 2021 NFL Draft prospects who faltered in 2020

Examining the late-round QB options in the 2021 NFL Draft

10 prospects PFF likes more than other scouts and media

10 prospects PFF likes less than other scouts and media

The PFF Era Draft Big Board: The top 50 NFL draft prospects since 2014

2021 NFL Draft All-Upside Team: Trey Lance starts at QB, Levi Onwuzurike and Joseph Ossai star on defense

Ranking the strongest position groups of the 2021 draft class

Ranking NFL WR prospects: How the 2020-2021 draft classes stack up, and why LSU's Ja'Marr Chase is WR1

Weakest team positional groups heading into the 2021 NFL Draft

Biggest winners, losers from Pro Days

Five more 2021 NFL Draft trades we want to see

Why NFL teams should think twice about drafting slot receivers in Round 1 of the 2021 NFL Draft

The biggest X-factors in the 2021 NFL Draft

Risers and fallers according to PFF's mock draft simulator

Five wide receiver prospects who had to overcome unfavorable college situations

Ranking the best YAC receivers in the 2021 NFL Draft

Debunking 2021 NFL Draft narratives: Why Trey Lance, Kyle Pitts and DeVonta Smith can thrive at the next level

PFF Critical Factors: The most important numbers for the 2021 NFL Draft class

Three NFL teams that should trade into the top 10 for a quarterback

Draft “needs” should focus on 2022 after the first two rounds

4 players who could be surprising first-round selections

Ranking the late-round quarterback options


SINGLE PLAYER FEATURES

Articles that focus on one draft prospect, listed by position group.

QB

   – Projecting Ohio State QB Justin Fields' impact as an NFL player
   – The Chicago Bears should trade into the top 5 for Justin Fields
   – Potential landing spots for Justin Fields

   – Mac Jones is just as good as Tua Tagovailoa was, if not better
   – Can Mac Jones break the trend and succeed in the NFL?

   – Why I vibe with North Dakota State QB Trey Lance
   – College-to-pro projections for North Dakota State QB Trey Lance
   – Trey Lance has some of the best tools in the draft

   – Trevor Lawrence continued to improve, and that's what separates him from the pack
    How the Jacksonville Jaguars can build their offense around QB Trevor Lawrence

   – College-to-pro projections for Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond

   – Why it might be a huge mistake for the New York Jets to draft BYU's Zach Wilson at No. 2 overall

WR/TE

   – Don't forget about Ja'Marr Chase — PFF's WR1

   – Kyle Pitts is the best receiving prospect in the draft, regardless of position

CB/S

 – Florida State CB Asante Samuel Jr. is a top-20 player in the draft class

   – Why South Carolina's Jaycee Horn isn't a first-round cornerback


NFL TEAM FEATURES

Articles that focus on one or more NFL teams and how they should attack the 2021 NFL Draft. Articles are alphabetically listed by team name.

Realistic trade predictions for 15 veterans who could be moved during the draft

The 5 NFL teams with the most riding on the 2021 NFL Draft

Ranking all 32 NFL rosters ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft

NFL GM Record: Tracking the historical draft picks of all 32 NFL teams

Exploring top options for the Atlanta Falcons at No. 4 overall

2021 NFL Draft: Exploring top options for the Carolina Panthers at No. 8 overall

The Chicago Bears should mortgage their future, trade into the top 5 for Ohio State QB Justin Fields

Cincinnati Bengals can make themselves the most improved team by not taking Penei Sewell

Exploring all the top options for the Detroit Lions at No. 7 overall

2021 NFL Draft: Exploring top options for the Denver Broncos at No. 9 overall

How the Green Bay Packers can take advantage of their Super Bowl window

The Jacksonville Jaguars have an opportunity for a quick 2021 turnaround in a weak AFC South

The Dolphins traded back up to No. 6 to draft Florida tight end Kyle Pitts
Could the Miami Dolphins end up with another top-five pick in 2023?

The Patriot Way: An examination of player performance in and out of New England

Giants' free-agent moves put pressure on Daniel Jones to perform in 2021
Exploring all the top options for the New York Giants at No. 11 overall

How each top 2021 NFL Draft QB prospect fits into Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers offense


USING TEXT ANALYTICS TO EVALUATE THE 2021 DRAFT CLASS

Thanks to math and feature engineering, we can use natural language processing to compare prospects to their contemporaries and those from the past before tying in previously built advanced descriptive stats to gauge how well a prospect that fits within a certain mold performed in the NFL.

Using text analytics to evaluate the 2021 quarterback class
Using text analytics to evaluate the 2021 running back class
Using text analytics to evaluate the 2021 wide receiver class

How text analytics correlate with draft position, and why it might be a clue for Justin Fields' fall down boards

 


PFF DATA STUDIES

PFF's research and development team dives deep into past data to discover trends and exclusive insights into the draft process.

The Fortune Teller’s Trade Chart

Breaking down every NFL team's draft capital

How text analytics correlate with draft position, and why it might be a clue for Justin Fields' fall down boards

Investigating the prospects who declined in their final college season, and what it means for the 2021 NFL Draft class

Can the Consensus Big Board really predict the 2021 NFL Draft?

Investigating the one-year wonders of past draft classes, and what it means for this year's prospects

Pro Day Data is Not the Same as Combine Data: A Comprehensive Analysis

Are big boards biased toward certain positions?

Why trading up doesn't work out for most NFL teams

Finding value in 2021 NFL Draft: How to utilize scouting, board value, positional value and more

Investigating past draft success, and what it means for the 2021 draft class

Measuring positional draft success for every NFL team

2021 NFL Draft: A new way to analyze draft trades


2021 NFL Draft Comps: Using advanced stats and measurables to evaluate 2021 draft prospects

The comps below were derived from a two-step process. First, we converted all the most statistically relevant stats and measurables to percentiles based on the thousands of prospects who have entered the NFL since 2006 at each position. Then, we filtered the total universe of past prospects by those who had draft positions, weight and 40 times within a 10th percentile in either direction of the player we were evaluating.

Click here to see the full list of players covered…

 


More of PFF's 2021 NFL Draft tools here: 
2021 NFL Draft Big Board | 2021 NFL Draft Guide | 2021 NFL Draft Stats Export | NFL Mock Drafts | NFL Mock Draft Simulator

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