9 predictions for the 2021 NFL Draft

theScore's football editors make nine predictions for the 2021 NFL Draft, which begins with Round 1 on Thursday and wraps up with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday.

QBs lock up top 5

In 2018, four NFL teams drafted quarterbacks in the top 10 for the first time in almost 70 years. The league will absolutely smash that mark this year when consensus top passers Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, and Mac Jones all go in the top five after more blockbuster trade action. It's a testament to both the historically high level of quarterback talent in the 2021 class and the value of a capable signal-caller on a rookie contract. - Jack Browne

Bears trade up to No. 4 Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

In an attempt to redeem himself for drafting Mitchell Trubisky in 2017, Bears general manager Ryan Pace will make a blockbuster trade for the Falcons' fourth overall pick. Chicago reportedly offered the Seahawks three first-rounders and two starters for Russell Wilson, and a similar package will be enough to sway an Atlanta front office that has reportedly put its top selection on the trade block. If reports prove accurate and Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Mac Jones become the first three picks of the draft, both Justin Fields and Trey Lance will be available at No. 4. Pace can't miss that. - Caio Miari

7 CBs off the board on Day 1

What's the only way to combat the NFL's young blood at wide receiver? Talented young cornerbacks. Arguably the most crucial defensive position, teams will covet top corner prospects early and often. Patrick Surtain II and Jaycee Horn are both locks for the first round, while one team is likely to receive a medical green light on Caleb Farley, who just underwent back surgery. The picks won't stop there, as Greg Newsome II, Asante Samuel Jr., Eric Stokes, and Tyson Campbell will all hear their names called in the first 32 slots. Stokes and Campbell will be surprising first-round selections, but the two Georgia products possess the ideal blend of size and speed to match up against the game's elite pass-catchers. - Michael Alessandrini

Cowboys land Kyle Pitts Sam Greenwood / Getty Images Sport / Getty

What Jerry Jones wants, he usually gets. With reports indicating the Cowboys owner is infatuated with Pitts, expect Dallas to pounce if the talented tight end slides out of the top five. Prospects like Pitts don't come around often, and a top tight end is the last piece for an already loaded Cowboys offense. This is too tempting an opportunity for Jones to pass up. - Daniel Valente

Patriots make move for QB

Bill Belichick clearly has no plans to let another season go to waste, as the Patriots were by far the NFL's busiest team in free agency after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008. That aggressive mindset will carry over to the draft, with New England seizing a rare opportunity to move up and land a long-term solution at quarterback. Trading up from No. 15 and securing a top-five or top-seven pick will be expensive. But any realistic collection of future picks will be worth sacrificing if it means kick-starting a new era with a top young talent at the game's most important position. - Dan Wilkins

Bengals load up on playmakers Andy Lyons / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Bengals should draft the best offensive lineman available. What the Bengals will do is take the top wide receiver - Ja'Marr Chase - after trading down from No. 5, then grab an interior lineman early on Day 2. They'll also deal a pick for tight end Zach Ertz, who's still waiting for the Eagles to move him. Cincinnati will head to training camp with one of the NFL's deepest skill casts, headlined by Chase, Ertz, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and Joe Mixon. But questions will linger over protection for Joe Burrow. - Alex Chippin

Steelers snag 1st running back at 24

The draft slot of the first running back off the board is always of particular interest to fantasy football die-hards. The back half of the first round has been the sweet spot in recent years, with Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Josh Jacobs hearing their names called late on Day 1. That trend will continue this year thanks to the Steelers. A stacked receiving arsenal and the most pass attempts in the league weren't enough to carry the Steelers' offense last season - especially not with Ben Roethlisberger's failing body steering the ship. If Big Ben is to have any chance of retiring in glory, Pittsburgh must find some semblance of a running game. - David P. Woods

Seahawks take QB despite lack of picks Abbie Parr / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Seahawks only own three picks in the 2021 draft, and an early run on quarterbacks is inevitable. But Seattle will still find it essential to pick Russell Wilson's successor. The relationship between franchise and franchise quarterback appears to be nearing an end, so it's in the Seahawks' best interest to prepare for life after Russ. With only a second-, fourth-, and seventh-round pick at their disposal, they'll have to find a diamond in the rough - just as they did when they selected Wilson in the third round in 2012. - Michael McClymont

DTs shut out in Round 1

There's not much excitement surrounding this year's defensive tackle class. Alabama's Christian Barmore is the highest-rated prospect along the defensive interior, but he's not considered a slam-dunk first-round talent. The Jaguars, Panthers, and Colts will all choose to ignore their needs at the position until later in the weekend, with talents such as Levi Onwuzurike, Daviyon Nixon, and Jay Tufele waiting until Day 2 to hear their names called. - Matt Washington

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