NFL Draft Tracker 2021: Live analysis & insight from Tony Pauline

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32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Joe Tryon, OLB, Washington

Pauline’s Ranking: #48 (OLB05) | Scouting Report

Pauline: And Tryon makes the fourth edge rusher who surprisingly ends up in Round 1. He offers terrific size and gets a lot of force going up the field, but comes with an unpolished game.

31. Baltimore Ravens: Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State

Pauline’s Ranking: #42 (DE06) | Scouting Report

Pauline: Like the pick before, the Ravens take a risk on an edge rusher with Jayson Oweh, a great athlete with tremendous upside but a lot of risk. Oweh flashed brilliance but turned in pedestrian production last season.

30. Buffalo Bills: Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami (FL)

Pauline’s Ranking: #32 (DE04) | Scouting Report

Pauline: Buffalo fills a need with a risky selection. Gregory Rousseau looked terrific in 2019 but opted out and did not look all that good during the Miami Pro Day. He has an upside but must physically mature and round out his game.

29. Green Bay Packers: Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia

Pauline’s Ranking: #47 (CB06) | Scouting Report

Pauline: Stokes was rated as an early-second-round pick on my board, but as we’ve seen in the past, corners often go earlier than expected. He’s a big, speedy defensive back that has shown consistent development in his game the past two seasons and Stokes comes with great upside.

28. New Orleans Saints: Payton Turner, DE, Houston

Pauline’s Ranking: #118 (DE10) | Scouting Report

Pauline: Last week, I mentioned Payton Turner was flying up draft boards faster than any other defender, though I am surprised he went in the first round. Turner is a terrific edge rusher with growth potential and he should only get better in time.

27. Baltimore Ravens: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

Pauline’s Ranking: #24 (WR04) | Scouting Report

Pauline: The Ravens’ eternal search for receiver continues as they take another WR in the first round. In Bateman, they may have found the answer, as he’s a nice-sized pass catcher with reliable hands and sneaky speed.

26. Cleveland Browns: Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern

Pauline’s Ranking: #30 (CB04) | Scouting Report

Pauline: The Browns go for the big corner in Greg Newsome and pass up Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Newsome is a terrific cover corner who must learn to play to his speed.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson

Pauline’s Ranking: #27 (RB02) | Scouting Report

Pauline: The Jaguars pull a surprise and select a running back despite the success of UDFA James Robinson a year ago. Though I like Etienne and his game, I thought Trevon Moehrig was the better choice here.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

Pauline’s Ranking: #21 (RB01) | Scouting Report

Pauline: I’ve reported on the Steelers’ love for Harris since Senior Bowl practices. He fits the identity of the team and fills a major need. The fact the Steelers took barely a minute to make their selection speaks volumes. Many claim you should not take a running back in Round 1 — I say the talent and skill Harris brings trumps any of that thinking.

23. Minnesota Vikings: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

Pauline’s Ranking: #12 (OT02) | Scouting Report

Pauline: The Vikings get the player at pick No. 23 they hoped they would get at No. 14. Darrisaw fell due to medicals and poor interviews, but he’s an incredibly talented blocker and projects to multiple positions on the offensive line.

22. Tennessee Titans: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

Pauline’s Ranking: #29 (CB03) | Scouting Report

Pauline:  They lost Adoree’ Jackson in free agency and replace him with a bigger, more physical corner in Farley. Farley’s history of back issues is a big question, but as we saw last year with Isaiah Wilson, the Titans often overlook red flags other teams will not.

21. Indianapolis Colts: Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan

Pauline’s Ranking: #15 (DE01) | Scouting Report

Pauline: And like a lion hiding in the weeds, Chris Ballard jumps on the chance to get his pass rusher. Paye is a terrific pass rusher and a high character prospect that will be a great fit and leader on the Colts defense.

20. New York Giants: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

Pauline’s Ranking: #33 (WR06) | Scouting Report

Pauline: The Giants pull a shocker. After moving down and having a choice of edge rushers staring them in the face, they reach for Kadarius Toney. While they needed speed at receiver, this was a massive surprise considering Kwity Paye was still available. 

19. Washington Football Team: Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky

Pauline’s Ranking: #26 (ILB02) | Scouting Report

Pauline: While I had Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah rated higher than Davis, the pick makes sense as it fills a need.   Davis is just hitting his stride and turned in a great senior season — then he had a tremendous pro day. His upside is incredible. 

18. Miami Dolphins: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami (FL)

Pauline’s Ranking: #22 (DE02) | Scouting Report

Pauline: The Dolphins don’t go far for their second pick in the first frame, selecting edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.  It’s a slight reach over Kwity Paye, but as we’ve reported the past two weeks, Miami wanted an edge rusher over Najee Harris.

17. Las Vegas Raiders: Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama

Pauline’s Ranking: #41 (OT04) | Scouting Report

Pauline: The Raiders do it again — take a second-round prospect in the first round. I like Leatherwood more than most, but the 17th pick was too early for his services. That said, the Raiders had a desperate need for an offensive lineman.

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