Happy NFL Draft week, everyone!
Each year, this highly-anticipated event brings fresh faces into the league, new storylines to follow, and (hopefully) some draft-night drama as teams deal their way up and down the draft order in search of their prized top prospect.
This year also brings another new look to the three-day event. Held in Cleveland after last year's fully remote production, the 2021 Draft will still combine a lot of remote elements as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to alter the way we live and work, but will also bring back some of the in-person components that make draft day so special.
As we anticipate storylines (are we in for an offensive rush of picks? How good are these QBs, really?), we start draft week with an FAQ of things you need to know ahead of Thursday's Round 1.
When is the 2021 NFL Draft?
The three-day event runs from April 29 to May 1, with Round 1 beginning Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. Rounds 2 and 3 will take place Friday beginning at 7 p.m. ET, and Rounds 4 through 7 will be held Saturday starting at noon ET.
Last year was a remote production. Will this year be in-person again?
Yes! After COVID-19 forced last year's draft to go virtual, the NFL is once again taking the show on the road as the league descends upon host city Cleveland. The home of the Browns will be all decked out, with various draft-related events around the city leading up to the main event. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will be back on the draft stage rather than presenting picks from a makeshift studio in his basement. And yes, you can now rest easy knowing that draft-night hugs are officially within the rulebook.
READ MORE | NFL takes 'blended' draft back on road one year after virtual draft
Select media are permitted to report from the draft, and team staff – most of whom typically aren't on-site in a normal year anyway – have been given the go-ahead to set up their "war rooms" at team facilities or elsewhere as long as they're still following mask and distancing protocols.
While that means we probably won't be getting 32-plus glimpses into the homes and office setups of NFL team brass -- remember Kliff Kingsbury's War Room 2.0? -- we will still see some creative setups. Take the L.A. Rams, for example, who will convert a Malibu mansion into their draft headquarters.
And while we can all hope for another Nike Belichick cameo... we should probably be prepared to savour this memorable moment of 2020. So, let us honour this all-time draft pic:
Maybe Nike's up to something...?
While things will look a little more normal than they did in 2020, it still won't be a complete return to pre-pandemic days.
Will fans be allowed to attend?
Yes, but not as many as usual. From NFL.com:
"Chosen by each of the 32 clubs to serve as their Draft ambassadors, fans selected to the "Inner Circle" will have a front row seat to the NFL Draft Main Stage to cheer on their team's picks.
"To further the NFL's efforts in promoting the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccine when available, and consistent with guidance from the CDC, fans selected to sit in the "Inner Circle" must be fully vaccinated."
Fans have also been invited to attend a variety of other draft-related events spread out across the city, but must reserve timeslots to allow for lesser capacity and proper distancing protocols.
Which players will be in attendance?
The majority of prospects, including some of the top-rated players, will participate remotely. This follows in the footsteps of last year's event, which saw all prospects have cameras set up in their homes for live look-ins throughout the night and instant reaction upon getting selected. (While it's become tradition to have top draft prospects attend the draft in-person, there's been a growing trend over the past several years, pre-COVID, for players to host draft parties at home rather than attend.)
The NFL announced that 13 of the top prospects will be in attendance in Cleveland, including three of the top quarterbacks, three wide receivers, the top tight end, and six of the top defensive prospects of the class of 2020.
These 13 prospects will attend the 2021 @NFLDraft in Cleveland!
: 2021 #NFLDraft - 4/29 to 5/1 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/5EeZohLkLK— NFL (@NFL) April 23, 2021
Who are the top offensive prospects available?
The story at the top of this draft is quarterbacks. While that feels obvious -- QBs are so often the most coveted and intriguing prospects, considering the importance of the position -- the class of 2021 comes with especially grand expectations.
We know Jacksonville and the Jets will take a QB first and second overall -- there's exactly zero intrigue at No. 1, with Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence the consensus top pick. The 49ers essentially declared their intent to do the same when they traded up to the third-overall pick.
That puts extra pressure on other QB-needy top-15 teams (Detroit! Denver! New England!) to get their guys, too. Drafting is all about having an eye to the future, and early assessments of next year's draft class show we might be a little light on quality QB prospects, which ups the urgency even more at the position.
DRAFT QUARTERBACKS https://t.co/Kq2t4RQpyR
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) April 23, 2021
Quarterback names to know: Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, Mac Jones.
The other big story on offence is how many elite receivers there are in this class of 2021, including a can't-miss tight end in Kyle Pitts, who could very well be the first non-QB off the board.
Receiving names to know: TE Kyle Pitts; WRs Ja'Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Kadarius Toney, Rashod Bateman, Elijah Moore.
READ MORE | Breaking down top offensive players available
Who are the top defensive prospects available?
Every year, we assess, admire and compare the elite pass rushers slated to go in the top 10. Not this year. Considering the depth of offensive talent in this year's class and the relative lack of "elite" talent at edge, we could have a pretty historic first round in how few defensive players are selected – particularly in the top 10.
That's not to say there aren't future superstars in this class. It's just different from years past, where we've had multiple edge rushers coming off the board just as quickly as the QBs they'll soon be chasing down. If we do, in fact, see a defensive player selected in the top 10, many experts point to cornerback Patrick Surtain II as the guy to go first.
Defensive names to know: DEs Kwity Paye, Azeez Ojulari, Jayson Oweh, Gregory Rousseau, Joe Tryon; DL Christian Barmore; LBs Micah Parsons, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah; CBs Patrick Surtain II, Jaycee Horn; S Trevon Moehrig.
READ MORE | Breaking down top defensive players available
What’s the first-round draft order?
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. San Francisco 49ers (via trade with Miami Dolphins; pick originally owned by Houston Texans)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Miami Dolphins (via trade with Philadelphia Eagles)
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. Philadelphia Eagles (via trade with Miami Dolphins; pick originally owned by San Francisco 49ers)
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Chicago Bears
21. Indianapolis Colts
22. Tennessee Titans
23. New York Jets (via trade with Seattle Seahawks)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (via trade with Los Angeles Rams)
26. Cleveland Browns
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. New Orleans Saints
29. Green Bay Packers
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Baltimore Ravens (via trade with Kansas City Chiefs)
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Which team has the most picks?
The Philadelphia Eagles have the most picks, with 11. Six team have 10 picks each: Dallas, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Minnesota, New England and the Jets.
Four teams have multiple first-round picks – the Jaguars (1, 25), Jets (2, 23), Dolphins (6, 18) and Ravens (27, 31) will be the busiest teams Thursday night.
Which team has the fewest picks?
The Seattle Seahawks have just three draft picks in 2021 – rounds 2, 4, 7 – having been busy on the trade market over the past few years and spending draft capital.
Four teams (Seattle, Houston, Kansas City, L.A. Rams) will be sidelined from Thursday's Round 1 action, without a first-round pick. Of all the teams, the Texans will have to wait the longest to make their first pick of the draft – their top pick of 2021 isn't until the third round, when they select 67th overall.
What’s the deal with compensatory picks?
Every year, the NFL issues compensatory picks based on a formula that factors in teams' free agency departures, among other criteria including departing players' salary and on-field accomplishments, at the league's discretion. These picks are awarded in rounds 3 through 7. Third-round compensatory picks are also awarded to teams as part of the NFL's recently implemented rule promoting diversity hires. (Four such picks were issued this year.)
This year, a total of 37 compensatory picks were issued among 17 teams, including a league-high four to Dallas.
How has COVID affected teams' draft strategies?
That's still to be determined, and truthfully we probably won't fully grasp that for a while yet. But with shortened and altered college football schedules, some players sitting out, and the absence of a conventional draft combine, this year's scouting season has been tough to navigate -- particularly, as insider Adam Schefter points out, for teams being able to assess players' physical health.
The result could make for some really tough, last-minute decisions which sets the stage for potential steals later on.
