2021 NFL Draft- Offensive Prospect - Team Pairings
One of my favorite aspects of the NFL Draft is the lead up to the draft itself, the period when fans of all 32 teams speculate and guess what their team is going to do on draft night. During this time one exercise that I do on an annual basis is compare some of my favorite prospects and pair them with a franchise that I believe would be a great fit for both sides and this year is no different. Obviously, Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence will be selected 1st overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars which is why he is not part of this exercise.
While there are over 200 prospects who will eventually be selected to become the next classes of NFL rookies, this breakdown will cover some of top prospects in the country who will look to make big impacts on the league in 2021. Here is the first group of my favorite pairings the 2021 NFL Draft:
ZACH WILSON | QB | BYU - SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Zach Wilson took the college football community by storm this year leading BYU as one of the game’s best QBs and a must watch game every single week. Now imagine pairing him with one of the best young minds in Kyle Shanahan, not to mention a dynamic run game with a good defense. While is scenario is not likely to happen since Wilson is projected to be drafted in the top 5, the thought of this pairing just sounds like magic and something that put San Francisco in conversion for one of the more explosive offenses in the league.
NAJEE HARRIS | RB | ALABAMA - MIAMI DOLPHINS
Since committing to Alabama back in 2015, Najee Harris has continued the tradition of excellent running backs and this season he showed his potential as a three down RB. Not only does Harris posses great athleticism for his size (6-2, 220) but he also uses his hands as an effective pass catcher and truly becoming a multi-purpose back rather than the old school power backs of the past. Enter the Miami Dolphins, a team on the cusp of the making playoffs with a dynamic defense and a second year QB and former teammate of Harris, Tua Tagovailoa. While Miami did get a good year from shifty RB Myles Gaskin but what they lack is a true starting RB who can take a majority of the important reps and one who can make an impact early. I’m sure Tagovailoa would happily co-sign this pick too!
JA’MARR CHASE | WR | LSU - CINCINNATI BENGALS
While we are on the topic of pairing together former teammates, there may be no better pairing then Ja’Marr Chase with his former LSU teammate & current Bengal’s QB, Joe Burrow. Chase was one of the top WRs in all of college football but decided to opt out this year due to the pandemic. While we were not able to see Chase on the fields this past season, his talent and potential is still top notch and no better spot for him than in Cincinnati. This move would not only give Burrow a familiar target, but it would also allow the team to move on from long time star WR, AJ Green. This pairing just makes sense.
KYLE PITTS | TE | FLORIDA - ARIZONA CARDINALS
There was no TE more entertaining this college football season than Florida’s Kyle Pitts. The 6-6 playmaker was a dynamic target in the Gator offense and was quite simply a nightmare to defend week in and week out no matter the opponent. The best outcome for Pitts would be to pair him with a high outpowered offense led by Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury and QB Kyler Murray. Star veteran WR Larry Fitzgerald hasn’t officially made a decision about his future but if he does finally retire, adding Pitts would surely help. Arizona would have one of the more entertaining and explosive offenses in the league for the foreseeable future with Murray, Pitts, WR Christian Kirk and star WR DeAndre Hopkins.