Fans return for this year’s historic event, held in Cleveland
The NFL season never really ends. Even during the offseason, pro football always takes center stage on cable TV and sports talk radio stations.
And the 2021 NFL Draft, the most important event since the Super Bowl, took place recently and again led sports television ratings in primetime over its first two nights.
Beginning in primetime on Thursday, April 30, the draft was broadcast on three television networks: ABC, ESPN and The NFL Network. The second night of the draft also aired in primetime, and Saturday’s later-round picks were an all-day event.
The 2021 edition was special on several counts. For starters, it was re-opened to fans after last year’s draft was conducted virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It was held in Cleveland, the home of the Browns, an up-and-coming team, which appears poised to break out and be truly competitive after spending the majority of the last two decades as a cellar-dwelling laughingstock.
All 32 teams were represented by fans who were decked out in their favorite franchises’ colors, and still others could’ve auditioned to be the next incarnations of NFL mascots, all of which made for some compelling television.
Now, on to the actual business of the draft:
To the surprise of no one, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence was selected first overall by coach Urban Meyer and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The next two picks were also quarterbacks, as the Jets took BYU’s Zach Wilson and San Francisco picked North Dakota State’s Trey Lance when it chose third.
The Atlanta Falcons got arguably the best athlete available when they picked Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, a versatile offensive weapon who terrorized SEC defenses (including Tennessee’s) in 2020.
The first seven selections were offensive players, setting an NFL record.
Alabama players Jaylen Waddle (wide receiver, Dolphins), Patrick Surtain II (defensive back, Broncos) and Devonta Smith (Heisman Trophy-winning wide receiver, Eagles) all were selected within the first 10 picks. Smith be reunited with former teammate Jaylen Hurts in Philadelphia, where the pair will look to form a formidable offensive threat.
Other notable former SEC stars drafted in the first round included: wideout Ja’Marr Chase, who traded one set of tiger stripes (LSU) for another (Cincinnati); South Carolina corner Jaycee Horn; Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, who went to New England; Alabama offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood, who was selected by Las Vegas; and Kentucky’s Jamin Davis, a linebacker, who went to Washington with the No. 19 pick.
The Volunteers had two players selected in the 2021 draft. Wide receiver Josh Palmer was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the third round with the No. 77 overall pick, and offensive lineman Trey Smith will also play in the AFC West after becoming a sixth-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs.
In L.A., Palmer will get the chance to play with 2020 Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert, and he will be reunited with former Tennessee assistant coach Derrick Ansley, as well. Although he never reached his full potential for the Vols since their quarterback play was so disappointing during his time on Rocky Top, look for Palmer to show his stuff with Herbert under center. And while Smith’s draft stock reportedly fell due to his health problems at Tennessee, he could fill a need for the Chiefs and make an immediate impact if he makes the roster,
Another pick that generated local interest was Clemson wide receiver Amari Rodgers, the son of former UT quarterback and assistant coach Tee Martin. Rodgers, who played at Knoxville Catholic High School before heading to the Plains, went to the Green Bay Packers in the third round (No. 85 overall). He should perform well as a pro, but the question of who will be throwing him the ball may loom large early in his career since another Rodgers – 2020 NFL MVP Aaron – is feuding with the organization, demanding a trade and threatening to sit out the 2021 season if his demands aren’t met.
Houston linebacker Grant Stuard was taken with the final pick of the draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, earning him the distinction of being “Mr. Irrelevant” in 2021. But that doesn’t doom him to failure in the league; onetime Titans kicker Ryan Succop was the last pick in 2009, and the former Gamecock has had a successful career and now plies his trade for the defending Super Bowl champion Buccaneers.
