Kevin Hanson's 2021 NFL Mock Draft 6.0

BY KEVIN HANSON (@EDSFootball)
Updated: Thursday, April 1st

Continuing my 2021 NFL Mock Draft, here are picks 17-32:

17. Las Vegas Raiders - Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

The Raiders just extended left tackle Kolton Miller through the 2025 season, but they traded right tackle Trent Brown back to New England earlier this offseason. While Jenkins has experience at left tackle as well, he was primarily a right tackle as a three-year starter for Oklahoma State. An absolute bully in the run game, he would slide in as a Day 1 starter opposite Miller.

18. Miami Dolphins - Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan

Emmanuel Ogbah led the Dolphins with a career-high nine sacks, but they parted ways this offseason with Kyle Van Noy (six) and Shaq Lawson (four), whom they just added last offseason. In addition, Ogbah is entering a contract year.

Paye is a freakish athlete that topped Bruce Feldman's Freaks' List heading into last season. Given his rare physical traits for his size and his tenacity, Paye's best football is ahead of him and his upside is through the roof if he can put it all together.

19. Washington Football Team - Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame

As a linebacker-safety hybrid, Owusu-Koramoah is a defensive playmaker that would provide Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio with plenty of versatility. An explosive athlete with outstanding coverage range, Owusu-Koramoah had 24.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and an interception over the past two seasons.

20. Chicago Bears - Alijah Vera-Tucker, IOL, USC

Given a lack of length (32 1/8" arms), Vera-Tucker is better suited to play guard at the next level, but he boosted his stock by how well he played when replacing Austin Jackson at left tackle for the Trojans last year. Vera-Tucker's movement skills, balance and versatility put him inside the top 20 of our 2021 NFL Draft Big Board.

MORE: Our way-too-early 2022 NFL Mock Draft

21. Indianapolis Colts - Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami (FL)

With the top four offensive tackles -- five if you include Vera-Tucker -- off the board, the Colts address one of their other top needs here with Rousseau. Perhaps the Colts will bring back Justin Houston, who remains a free agent, but as productive as he's been (19 sacks over two seasons in Indy), he is also 32 years old.

Opting out of the 2020 season, Rousseau ranked second in college football in sacks in 2019. The majority of that production came while rushing from the interior, but Rousseau has unreal length and is a converted high school WR/S that is still learning the position.

22. Tennessee Titans - Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern

All five previous iterations of this mock slotted Georgia's Azeez Ojulari to the Titans as the redshirt sophomore led the SEC in sacks (9.5) in 2020. Perhaps signing Bud Dupree to a massive free-agent deal leads them to address another position with their first pick.

While the Titans signed Janoris Jenkins (and Kevin Johnson), they have also moved on from Adoree' Jackson, Malcolm Butler and Desmond King. Running a sub-4.4 forty at Northwestern's Pro Day, Newsome is a smooth and athletic corner that would be a Day 1 starter for the Titans.

23. New York Jets - Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

If it weren't for the back surgery (and full injury history), it's unlikely that Farley would have been available here. That said, the Jets (if comfortable with the medicals) get an elite corner that fits exactly what new head coach Robert Saleh would like to do on defense. Farley has an ideal combination of size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds), athleticism (sub-4.4 forty) and ball skills (six INTs in two seasons).

24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia

Previous iterations of my mock have seen the Steelers target offense here -- either OT (Mock 5.0) or RB (Mock 4.0), as examples. Letting Bud Dupree depart via free agency, however, it would be reasonable for the Steelers to add a replacement here.

While I don't think there's any chance that the Steelers let T.J. Watt hit free agency in 2022, he's currently scheduled to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal. Leading the SEC with 9.5 sacks in 10 games, the 20-year-old edge rusher had three sacks and two forced fumbles in Georgia's bowl game against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

MORE: Steelers have the most difficult 2021 NFL schedule

25. Jacksonville Jaguars - Christian Barmore, IDL, Alabama

My top-ranked interior defensive lineman, the redshirt sophomore had 9.5 tackles for loss including eight sacks and three forced fumbles in 2020 and played his best football down the stretch. Six of Barmore's sacks came in the final six games of the season and Georgia edge rusher Azeez Ojulari was the only SEC defender to record more sacks in 2020.

MORE: A 'Bama defender is the No. 1 pick in our way-too-early 2023 NFL Mock Draft

26. Cleveland Browns - Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa

The recipient of the Bronko Nagurski Award, the versatile Tulsa defender (6-4, 260) can rush the passer or drop in coverage. Collins had four sacks and four interceptions, two of which were returned for scores, in eight games this past season.

27. Baltimore Ravens - Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

When playing with a lead, the Ravens run-first offense is tough to stop, but their passing offense (171.2) ranked 32nd (of 32) in 2020. Even though the Ravens have signed Sammy Watkins to a one-year deal, Bateman gives them a longer-term complement to the small-but-explosive Marquise Brown. Timing faster than expected in the forty, Bateman is a polished and productive receiver that finished his sophomore (and last full season) with a 60/1,219/11 receiving line.

28. New Orleans Saints - Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia

Not only did the Saints release Janoris Jenkins, but Marshon Lattimore (and all of the team's corners) will be unrestricted free agents in 2022 except for Grant Haley (RFA) and Keith Washington (ERFA), per data from Spotrac. And even though the Saints salary-cap situation improves slightly in 2022, only five teams have less salary-cap space in 2022, per Over the Cap.

Former high school teammates with CB1 (Patrick Surtain II) of this mock, Campbell isn't the refined prospect his former high school teammate is, but the former five-star recruit's blend of speed (sub-4.4 forty), size/length (6-foot-1, 32-inch arms) and change-of-direction ability is as special as any cornerback prospect in this draft class.

29. Green Bay Packers - Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan

Replacing Bryan Bulaga with Ricky Wagner last offseason, the Packers released Wagner earlier this offseason and once again have a hole to fill at right tackle. Plugging the 20-year-old Mayfield in at right tackle would allow the Packers to move Billy Turner back to guard.

30. Buffalo Bills - Jayson Oweh, EDGE, Penn State

The Bills ranked middle of the league in team sacks (38, T-15th), but no player had more than five sacks in 2020. In addition, starting defensive ends Jerry Hughes and Mario Addison are both on the wrong side of 30. While the Bills drafted A.J. Epenesa in the second round last year, taking a swing on the immense upside of Oweh at the back of Round 1 makes sense.

Despite his lack of production (zero sacks in 2020 after posting five in 2019), Oweh has rare traits. As Bruce Feldman noted in his annual Freaks list, Oweh is "the most explosive one of the bunch" (of athletic freaks). The 257-pound defender ran a 4.36 forty with a 39.5-inch vertical at Penn State's Pro Day.

MORE: 2021 NFL Draft Big Board: Top 150 Prospects

31. Kansas City Chiefs - Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas

Before the Chiefs released starting (but injured) tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz, it would have been reasonable to slot a tackle here given how much pressure they allowed in the Super Bowl. With both tackles no longer on the roster, it's become even more of a pressing need for 2021 and beyond. While he lacks ideal length and strength, Cosmi was a three-year starter at Texas with experience at both right tackle (2018) and left tackle (2019, 2020) and possesses outstanding athleticism.

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

Toney was off the board before this in each of the past three iterations of my mock draft (and he may not last this long), but he would make sense for the Buccaneers if still available here. Given their offseason moves, the Bucs don't have any glaring needs entering the draft as they begin their quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions. That said, Antonio Brown remains a free agent and Chris Godwin was designated with the franchise tag.

A versatile playmaker that will create matchup problems for opposing defenses, Toney ran a sub-4.4 forty at Florida's Pro Day this week and exceeded the 100-yard mark in four of his five final collegiate games.

Continue to 2021 NFL Mock Draft 6.0: Round 2

Jump to 2021 NFL Mock Draft 6.0: Round 3

Back to 2021 NFL Mock Draft 6.0: Picks 1-16

Check out Brendan Donahue's 2021 NFL Mock Draft

Mock Draft Databases:

Also, check out more of our content:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) like us on Facebook and/or (3) subscribe to our newsletter.