Cummings’ 3-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft

Round 3

65. Jacksonville Jaguars: Hunter Long, TE, Boston College

66. New York Jets: Landon Dickerson, OC, Alabama

67. Houston Texans: Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State

The Texans’ first pick of the draft is cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. Admittedly, this is the part of the draft where the cornerback talent starts to dip. But Samuel still has some appeal. His size is a mitigating factor, but Samuel is fast, fluid, and aggressive in every part of his game. His ball production at the college level speaks to playmaking ability that can transfer to the NFL, and Houston needs everything it can get in that department.

68. Atlanta Falcons: Jay Tufele, DT, USC

69. Cincinnati Bengals: Carlos Basham Jr., EDGE, Wake Forest

70. Philadelphia Eagles: Kyle Trask, QB, Florida

It’s anyone’s guess what the Eagles do at quarterback this offseason. While Carson Wentz will almost certainly be offloaded, it remains a mystery who winds up the starter in 2021. Jalen Hurts has the best odds, but his benching in the season finale caused confusion.

In Round 3, Kyle Trask is a Hurts-esque decision for the Eagles. While Trask is the exact opposite of Hurts when it comes to mobility, the pick is similar in the sense that Trask can serve as a solid backup and potential spot-starter if Hurts doesn’t last. It also doesn’t hurt to pair Trask with his favorite target, Kyle Pitts.

71. Denver Broncos: Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State

72. Detroit Lions: Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss

The boundary gets all the attention with Kenny Golladay entering free agency, but the Lions also need a slot receiver. Danny Amendola was not getting it done in 2020 — or 2019, for that matter. Now that the coach who signed him is gone, Amendola is likely to leave.

Elijah Moore can fill the void left by the veteran, and then some. Moore is an extremely underrated receiver in this class. While his size will relegate him to the slot, he has the speed, burst, route-running ability, and run-after-catch propensity to be a reliable safety blanket for the team’s new franchise quarterback.

73. Carolina Panthers: Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

74. Washington Football Team: Jamie Newman, QB, Wake Forest

I want to make clear that Jamie Newman is not the franchise quarterback for the Washington Football Team in this 3-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft. Newman is simply another dice roll at quarterback.

With Alex Smith aging and the rest of the position unsettled, it makes sense to add a young, high-upside passer, even if they don’t end up sticking around. Newman has the athleticism, toughness, arm talent, and leadership ability to be a wise investment. That said, if he doesn’t improve his decision making, Washington will be searching for a quarterback again soon enough.

75. Dallas Cowboys: Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama

76. New York Giants: Amari Rodgers, WR, Clemson

It’ll be interesting to see which receivers are valued highest in the middle rounds by NFL teams. If he tests with good speed and burst, Amari Rodgers might be a surprise riser. The Clemson product is a bit undersized. However, he’s a dense player, whose compact build mixes with his explosiveness and agility to form a dangerous run-after-catch combination. Additionally, Rodgers is a tireless worker who should mesh nicely with Joe Judge’s new culture.

77. Los Angeles Chargers: Ambry Thomas, CB, Michigan

78. Minnesota Vikings: Jaylen Twyman, DL, Pittsburgh

79. Arizona Cardinals: Joe Tryon, EDGE, Washington

80. Las Vegas Raiders: Trevon Grimes, WR, Florida

81. Miami Dolphins: Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina

I had a feeling Miami fans would be ready to throw up their hands after passing on Etienne, and I get that. But hey, the chosen one needed protection.

Now that that’s settled, we can move on to selecting the next best thing at running back — North Carolina’s Javonte Williams. Williams may not be as elusive or as dynamic as Etienne, but he’s just as enticing as a workhorse candidate. Williams is a good athlete with a purely intimidating running style. His elite contact balance allows him to stay upright amid even direct hits, and he also has solid receiving ability out of the backfield.

82. Washington Football Team: Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB/S, Syracuse

83. Chicago Bears: Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M

84. Indianapolis Colts: Josh Jobe, CB, Alabama

85. Tennessee Titans: Dayo Odeyingbo, EDGE, Vanderbilt

86. New York Jets: Elijah Molden, CB/S, Washington

The Jets get great value with this pick. Normally, I wouldn’t like players like Molden. He doesn’t have great size, and he’s a good but not great athlete. But Molden supplements his athletic traits with tantalizing instinctive quickness. He’s a fast processor on the back end, and he also has the versatility to line up at safety or in the slot. That versatility will serve the Jets well as they attempt to rebuild their roster.

87. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Memphis

88. Los Angeles Rams: Josh Myers, OC, Ohio State

89. Minnesota Vikings: Tommy Togiai, DL, Ohio State

90. Cleveland Browns: Charles Snowden, LB, Virginia

The Browns need more talent at linebacker, and at this point in the NFL draft, Charles Snowden provides a lot of intrigue. In case you haven’t looked him up yet, he’s 6-foot-7, 230, and he plays exactly how you’d expect. He’s a good athlete for his size, and his length allows him to disrupt passes while also maintaining leverage in run defense. He has to undergo some development, but he can be a playmaker with his rare natural traits.

91. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Zion Tupuola-Fetui, DL, Washington

92. Cleveland Browns: Osa Odighizuwa, DL, UCLA

93. Buffalo Bills: Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State

94. Green Bay Packers: Rodarius Williams, CB, Oklahoma State

95. Kansas City Chiefs: Anthony Schwartz, WR, Auburn

The final pick of this 3-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft goes to the Kansas City Chiefs, who take Auburn wide receiver Anthony Schwartz. Widely regarded as the fastest receiver in the draft, Schwartz helps recoup the potential losses of Sammy Watkins and Demarcus Robinson with a receiving corps that boasts Schwartz, Mecole Hardman, and Tyreek Hill. That’s an unfair amount of speed.