The highly anticipated NFL Draft took place on Thursday, April 29 to Sunday, May 1. There were many shocking but obvious picks in this draft, and many teams had great picks and steals in the draft.

The first pick in the NFL Draft was Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence. This was the pick that everyone saw coming, and it was a huge win for the Jaguars to get a franchise caliber Quarterback and generational talent like Lawrence. 

The next couple draft picks were quarterbacks as well. The Jets selected Brigham Young University QB Zach Wilson number 2 overall, which was also obvious as it has been projected he was going to be drafted by the Jets after they traded 1st round pick Sam Darnold. 

The 49ers choose QB Trey Lance at number 3 overall. This was the first pick that was not obvious. We all knew the 49ers were taking a quarterback but no one knew which quarterback. They no longer believed in Jimmy Garoppolo like they once did and decided to change course. 

The next couple of picks were generational talent like Falcons number 4 overall pick monster tight end Kyle Pitts, Bengals 5th overall pick star wide receiver Ja’marr Chase and Dolphins 6th pick wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. Picks 7 and up were up for grabs, so no one knew who would take what; it was a toss up. 

With the 7th pick the Detroit Lions selected the best offensive lineman in the draft, Penei Sewell. They desperately needed to protect their quarterback, so it was a win-win situation for the Lions. The next 4 picks were probably the most shocking, but most exciting picks of the draft. 

At number 8 overall, the Panthers shocked everyone by taking South Carolina star corner Jaycee Horn. He was projected to go high but no one thought the Panthers would take him, as everyone predicted that they would take QBs Justin Fields and Mac Jones. With the 9th overall pick, another shocker where people thought a QB would be chosen, the Denver Broncos selected another star corner, Patrick Suratin II. He was arguably one of the best players in the draft but no one expected him to go to Denver. 

No one could have predicted what happened next. The Eagles traded up with division rival Dallas Cowboys to the tenth overall pick and Cowboys went back to twelve. It seemed like the Eagles were going to jump the Giants for the player they wanted,  and they did. The Eagles selected Heisman Trophy winner wide receiver Devonta Smith. The Eagles got a hidden gem, a complete steal. No one thought Smith would drop that low, but he did because teams were concerned about his weight and how skinny he was. The Eagles, however, weren’t scared or worried at all.

The 2021 draft was definitely exciting. We’ll just have to wait to see how all of these picks play out on the field.