Philadelphia Eagles: Guesses, analysis on 2021 NFL Draft’s first 12 picks
By Smit Bajaj
The Philadelphia Eagles witness a trade and two more quarterbacks get drafted.
3. San Francisco 49ers (via Dolphins): QB Justin Fields, Ohio State
The 49ers sent shockwaves throughout the NFL when they traded their number 12 pick, two future firsts, and a third-round pick for the third overall pick in the draft. It’s clear that San Francisco is in the market for the quarterback.
While there is some chatter about Mac Jones landing with the 49ers, many executives aren’t buying into this. Justin Fields attended a QB camp that is run by Kyle Shanahan, and the 49ers head coach even ran a workout with Fields. There’s a clear connection here, and this workout may have prompted the 49ers to trade up in the first place.
4. TRADE: Denver Broncos (via Falcons): QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State
Okay, here’s the first bold prediction. There’s a trade at number four.
The Denver Broncos send the ninth overall pick, the 40th overall pick, a 2022 first-round pick, and a 2022 fourth-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for the fourth overall pick and a 2022 fifth-round pick.
The Drew Lock experiment has not gone to plan, and the Broncos choose to find his replacement in this mock draft. Matt Ryan’s contract restructuring makes it clear that the Falcons will likely avoid drafting a quarterback with the fourth overall selection, so Atlanta trades down five spots and receives some draft capital for the future.
4. Denver Broncos (via Falcons): QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State
This pick marks the fourth consecutive quarterback taken off the board in this mock draft. Lance has an extremely high ceiling and figures to battle Drew Lock for the starting job if selected to the Broncos. Denver only spent a second-round pick on Lock, so they should feel comfortable moving on from him after two lackluster seasons.
How might this trade affect the Philadelphia Eagles at pick 12?
If the Broncos remain put at pick number nine, a cornerback or linebacker is very much in play for them. Considering the Eagles are also presumably in the market for a cornerback, a Denver trade to the fourth overall pick actually helps the Birds. All eyes would then turn to the Falcons who have some holes across their defense.