John Teixeira's Top Three Selections in the First Round of the 2021 Draft

Day one of the 2021 NFL Draft has come and gone, and with it came 32 selections that bring on 32 completely different futures for each team. I will be taking my top three selections and diving deep into them and giving out a preliminary grade on the pick. My full Round One grades will be up shortly, but these are three picks where I felt that the selections deserved to be broken down some more.

R1 (7) Detroit Lions: OT Penei Sewell, Oregon

Grade: A+

Sewell being my second overall player in this draft class, I did not think he should have been there at seven, however, the Bengals seem to value flashiness over a healthy quarterback so here we are, with Sewell falling into the lap of Detroit. For a team with legitimate needs at all 22 positions, I love to see the attention to BPA (best player available) and not instinctively going towards a position of higher “need”: quarterback, corner, and wide receiver to name a few. Sewell slots in as a day one starter for the Lions, providing versatile tackle play on either side with the ability to slot in at guard if need be. It is always easy to buy into the hype with a perennial tackle talent, but I am 100% serious when I say that I will be genuinely surprised if Sewell is not an All-Pro in his career. In his 491 pass-protecting snaps Sewell allowed only seven pressures with ZERO SACKS. I do not care his competition level allowing zero sack over that many pressures is unheard of, and there are more things than raw physical talent that go into that number. Sewell is one of the smartest tackles I have ever studied. Football IQ is a criminally under rated aspect pf grading offensive lineman and is, in my opinion, one of the most tell-tale signs of if an offensive lineman will be able to carry over his game to the next level. Sewell knows it to, when asked about his greatest strength Sewell said, “The knowledge of the game, to be honest.” Lions, you have yourselves an All-Pro talent on your roster. Take good care of him.

R1 (11) Chicago Bears: QB Justin Fields, Ohio State

Grade: A+

Watching the Justin Fields slide was definitely depressing for someone who had him ranked as QB2. Fields had to fall all the way to the Giants at pick 11 for a team to finally come up and snag him, the Chicago Bears. Putting the last time, the Bears traded up for a QB aside (oh hey Mitchell) this is an A+ maneuver for the city of Chicago. Without a big time QB name in what seems like forever, the Bears proved that they were all in on Justin, trading up nine spots with the Giants to secure the Buckeye. What makes Fields so great to me is his versatility and arm strength, both things I do not think you can teach into a prospect. Having a dual-threat quarterback seems to be the norm in today’s NFL as we have recently seen the likes of Josh Allen, Kyler Murray, and Patrick Mahomes explode by way of craftiness and being able to make plays out of nothing. Justin Fields, although not a lock day one starter, has a pretty good supporting cast of Allen Robinson, David Montgomery, and Tarik Cohen. Not to mention the Bears’ stellar defensive, this team has serious potential to make a run in a weak NFC North.

R1 (13) Los Angeles Chargers: OT Rashawn Slater, Northwestern

Grade: A+

The Chargers made the most out of this board, and in the best way possible. Rashawn Slater is an animal, a monster on the offensive line, and my eighth rated player overall in this draft class. Rebuilding this offensive line has obviously been a priority of the Chargers since the offseason and a priority that every Chargers fan should be absolutely loving. Herbert last season showed that he can be an absolute stud and the future of this Chargers franchise, but in order to make the most out of his exceptional talent the Chargers needed to beef up their offensive line. Earlier this offseason they signed center Corey Linsley making him the highest paid center in the NFL along with securing Matt Fieler who can realistically play anywhere on the line. There is not too much more to be said about this pick, best player available, at a position of need, and without having to trade up to secure a tackle prospect. I am excited to see how the rest of this draft pans out for the Chargers because as of how they are hitting it out of the park.