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Mail Keeper Jr.
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Football analyst- Mel Kipper has served as NFL Draft Analyst for ESPN since 1984. He is a regular contributor to Sports Center and ESPN Radio and writes weekly for ESPN Insider.
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Todd McShey
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ESPN Senior Writer- ESPN Football League and NFL Draft Analyst
- Joined ESPN in 2006
- Played quarterback in high school and was a backup QB for Richmond University.
As the 2021 NFL Draft approaches – we’re 142 days away from the start of Round 1 on April 29th – it’s officially the mock draft season.
Winless Jets remains the favorite to pick up the number request, and all hints draft a new quarterback. But what happens next? How do Bengalis help Bur Bur? What does the Cowboys have to do with a potential top-five pick? Will the Eagles return to the wide receiver? Is it time for the Panthers to think of crime? And can the Lions really draft a quarterback?
As we move into April, NFL draft analysts Mail Keeper Jr. and TD Mahi will answer those questions with their first mini-mock draft, discussing possible selections for the top 10 drafting teams before reaching a consensus on each question. They start with jets.
Note: We have used ESPN’s Football Power Index for the draft order. This guess is from the games played on Monday, December 7th.
Go to a pick:
NYJ | Jax | CIN | LAC | DAL
ATL | PHI | Cars | DET | Dan
Keeper: This should be Trevor Lawrence, right, Todd? I know the Jets have Sam Darnold, but can they really pass Lawrence? He is the clear No. 1 quarterback in this category, a pay generation genius.
Maxshay: Well, let’s take a step back. It really comes down to whether the Jets believe Darnold is still their guy. Can he take them to the Super Bowl with the right supporting cast? Are they mentally there to trust them? If they still have confidence as their future quarterback, they can trade back and build a roster around it. Lawrence is extremely talented, but Darnold is still only 23 years old. This is not an easy call.
Keeper: It’s important to note that general manager Joe Douglas and coach Adam Gass – who is in the hot seat – have no relationship with Darnold. They didn’t draft it. They can reboot the franchise with a new quarterback. And I’ll do it for Lawrence. you are?
Maxshay: Lawrence is the best quarterback prospect I’ve seen in years – he has my highest QB grade since Andrew Luck in 2012 – and a good prospect in this category from a good class. So, yes, if the Jets don’t really think Darnold is that guy, they’ll have to take Lawrence. What do you think they can get in the Darnold trade, Mel?
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