Lions Draft Penei Sewell At No. 7
With the No. 7 overall pick, the Lions selected Oregon tackle Penei Sewell. Sewell opted out of the 2020 season, but the 6’6″, 330-pound prospect was absolutely stellar in 2019. 
Sewell did not surrender a single sack in ’19 and gave up just seven quarterback pressures in total. There was little doubt that he’d be taken somewhere in the top ten, but he solidified his status earlier this month by announcing that he’d be willing to play on either side. Some took that as a sign that he’d be Miami bound. But, after the Dolphins went wide receiver at No. 6, the Lions pounced on Sewell instead.
His film impressed scouts and the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus backed it all up. One year ago, Sewell finished first in the nation with a run-blocking grade of 95.3 while placing third in pass-blocking (91.1).
Now, the Outland Trophy winner will head to the Lions, a team that sorely needed a premier tackle. On Friday, they can start addressing the rest of their needs, including help at wide receiver.
Bengals Draft LSU WR Ja’Marr Chase
With the No. 5 pick in the NFL Draft, the Bengals selected LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The pick reunites Chase with his old college pal Joe Burrow and gives the Bengals one of the brightest offensive talents in this year’s class.
In 2019, Chase set SEC single-season records in receiving yards (1,780) and receiving touchdowns (20). That same Burrow-led offense produced three skill position players that went in the first round of the 2020 draft, including Justin Jefferson. Jefferson, according to many scouts, is an even better prospect.
“I thought Chase was on a different level [than Jefferson],” one scout told The Athletic earlier this year. “Watching what Jefferson did this year (with the Vikings), that just makes me say, ‘Good Lord.’ Honestly, I thought (Chase) was the best receiver in the class last year.”
After capturing the Biletnikoff Award as a sophomore, Chase opted out of the 2020 season. The 6-foot, 208-pounder may have a little rust to shake, but evaluators aren’t too concerned. Based on talent alone, some had Chase slotted as the third-best player in this year’s class, behind only Trevor Lawrence and Kyle Pitts.
49ers Draft North Dakota State QB Trey Lance At No. 3
With the third pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the 49ers selected North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance. The Niners considered a number of QBs at No. 3 overall, but Lance had emerged as a potential frontrunner in recent days.
Alabama’s Mac Jones and Ohio State’s Justin Fields may be slightly disappointed. Both passers conducted additional pro days specifically geared for the 49ers, but they weren’t able to unseat the North Dakota State phenom.
Despite some (reported) consideration for Jones, the front office ultimately went for Lance, who many say has more upside. Lance did a second audition for the Niners a week and a half ago, using many of Kyle Shanahan‘s favorite drills. Apparently, that Pro Day re-do made an impression. Lance hardly played last year, but he flexed his talent in 2019 as he went off for 28 passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, and 1,100 yards on the ground.
While the first two picks of the draft were clear-cut, there were plenty of questions surrounding the third-overall pick. Even the 49ers seemed unsure about who they were going to take when they paired a pair of future first-round picks with No. 12 to trade up for No. 3 from the Dolphins. San Francisco never really showed their hand, although in recent days it sounded like the organization had settled on either Lance or Jones. This made the No. 3 pick the most interesting selection in the draft, and it will have an impact on the rest of the evening.
Despite being selected with the third-overall pick, Lance might not necessarily be under center come Week 1 considering the presence of Jimmy Garoppolo on the roster. Still, despite the front office declaring that they’re fine keeping a pair of high-profile quarterbacks, there’s a good chance the veteran is moved (either via trade or release) prior to the start of the season, providing a clear path to playing time for the rookie QB.
Jets Draft Zach Wilson No. 2 Overall
Trevor Lawrence was a virtual lock for the No. 1 pick, but Zach Wilson‘s odds of going to the Jets weren’t far behind. With the No. 2 overall pick, the Jets tapped the BYU passer to be their next quarterback of the future. 
Wilson didn’t earn as much fanfare as Lawrence, but he still offers tons of potential. The 6’2″ passer is fresh off of a breakout season with a 73.5% completion rate, good for No. 2 in the nation. Meanwhile, his 33 passing touchdowns placed him third, and he threw just three interceptions. Wilson’s mobility powered him to ten rushing touchdowns last year, further vaulting him up the Jets’ draft board. It also helped that he hit it off with Jets GM Joe Douglas in the interview process.
The knocks on Wilson are few and far between. Some say his decision making was questionable in 2019, a season cut short by a thumb surgery. But, last year, Wilson kept the turnovers to a minimum and consistently found the open man. Some also wonder if he’ll have durability issues as his ~210-pound frame adjusts to harder hits at the pro level.
Regardless, the Jets are supremely confident in Wilson and his upside, which is why they traded No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold to the Panthers.
Jaguars Draft Trevor Lawrence No. 1 Overall
No surprise here. With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Jaguars selected Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. 
Typically, teams like to manufacture some mystery with the top overall pick. That wasn’t the case here. New head coach Urban Meyer openly professed his love for Lawrence months ago, all but cementing his arrival in Jacksonville.
“I’d have to say that’s the direction we’re going. I’ll leave that up to the owner when we make that decision official. But I’m certainly not stepping out of line that that’s certainly the direction we’re headed,” Meyer said in March. “Trevor checks all the boxes, you know?”
“The number one common quality of every great player, not just quarterback, is competitive maniac. He’s 34-2. Won a national title as a true freshman. Is a winner. I’ve seen him up close and in person compete. And then character. I see him and I witness with my players, when the guys get drafted high, a lot of people get . . . They have influences in their live. Like, whether it be social media, whether it be other things that really don’t pertain to winning.”
Lawrence was predictably brilliant at his pro day, leaving no doubt for Meyer, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, passing-game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, and the rest of the Jaguars’ contingent.
In his final season at Clemson, Lawrence threw for 3,153 yards with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions. And, with 69.2% of his passes completed, he finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, despite losing time to injury.
Now, it’s on to the Jets, who fell just short in their #TankforTrevor pursuit.
Steelers To Extend Mason Rudolph
We heard earlier today that things were close, and now it’s official. The Steelers and quarterback Mason Rudolph have agreed to terms on an extension, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette tweets.
It’s a one-year extension that will keep Rudolph under contract through 2022. He had been previously set to enter the final year of his rookie deal. A third-round pick out of Oklahoma State in 2018, Rudolph has received plenty of chances to show he can be the guy who takes over for Ben Roethlisberger one day.
He got eight starts in 2019 due to Roethlisberger’s season-ending elbow injury, but was ineffective and benched a couple of times in favor of UDFA Devlin Hodges. He was better in his lone 2020 start in Week 17 when the Steelers rested starters against the Browns, but still hasn’t done much to indicate he can be a franchise quarterback.
Roethlisberger seemed on the verge of being shown the door earlier this offseason, and his future beyond 2021 is up in the air to say the least. Pittsburgh also recently signed Dwayne Haskins as a developmental option. The Steelers likely aren’t planning on Rudolph taking over under center long-term, but this move locks in a quarterback for beyond next season that is at least somewhat competent.
Saints Pick Up Marcus Davenport’s Fifth-Year Option
The draft is about to kickoff in a few hours, but as you can see with all the Aaron Rodgers drama, the rest of the league isn’t slowing down. The Saints are still taking care of other business, as they’ve exercised the fifth-year option on Marcus Davenport, a source told Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football (Twitter link).
With the changes in the new CBA, it means Davenport’s salary for 2022 is now fully guaranteed. Previously it would’ve been guaranteed for injury only. The UTSA product will now make around $9.55MM in 2022. New Orleans gave up a first-round pick to move up 13 spots in the 2018 draft in order to select Davenport.
He hasn’t lived up to those lofty expectations, but he has shown promise when on the field. He started 13 games in 2019 but was limited to only 11 contests this past year, and started just one of them. He had 4.5 sacks as a rookie, six as a sophomore, and then only 1.5 this past year.
Injuries are a concern, and he only played around 50 percent of the snaps when healthy in 2020. This one was far from a lock, and it’s a strong vote of confidence in a player who’s still only 24. He’s shown flashes of brilliance before, and the Saints are hoping he can fully deliver on that potential over the next two years.
Seahawks Sign DT Robert Nkemdiche
The Seahawks added some defensive tackle depth in advance of tonight’s draft. Robert Nkemdiche, a first-rounder five years ago, has agreed to join Seattle, per a club announcement. Exact terms of the deal are not yet known. 
Nkemdiche, 26, had lots of hype coming out of Mississippi in 2016. The Cardinals snagged him with the No. 29 overall pick, but he was hardly seen in his first two pro seasons. Then, in 2018, things started to look up for the imposing lineman as he registered 4.5 sacks, 36 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and eight quarterback hits in ten games (six starts). Unfortunately, that progress was halted by a knee injury, which led to his release in 2019.
The Dolphins picked Nkemdiche up and deployed him twice in ’19 before putting him back on the curb. After sitting out for the 2020 season, Nkemdiche will now look to revitalize his career with Pete Carroll & Co.
Panthers Pick Up D.J. Moore’s Option
The Panthers have picked up D.J. Moore‘s option (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The wide receiver is now under contract for the 2022 season at a guaranteed salary of $11.116MM.
This was the expected move, given Moore’s steady improvement across the last three years. In total, Moore has 208 catches, 3,156 receiving yards, and ten touchdowns across 46 career games. Last year, Moore managed 66 receptions for 1,193 yards (18.1 yards per catch) and four touchdowns in an otherwise turbulent year for Carolina.
Moore, the former No. 26 overall pick, now has fiscal security beyond the ’22 season. The same can’t be said for quarterback Sam Darnold — the No. 3 pick in the 2018 class. At least, not yet. The Panthers have until May 3rd to decide on the ex-Jet’s future, so they’ll likely hold off until after this weekend’s draft. Tonight, a first-round QB is very much in play for them at No. 8 overall.
Ohio State’s Justin Fields could be one option, but they could also target Alabama’s DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle to potentially supplant Robby Anderson in 2022.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/28/21
Today’s minor, er, move:
Detroit Lions
- Waived: TE Hunter Bryant
Bryant played three seasons at Washington, including a 2019 campaign where he earned First team All-Pac-12 honors. He went undrafted during last year’s draft, but he eventually overcome an ankle injury to make the Lions active roster. He ultimately appeared in five games for Detroit, hauling in a single 44-yard pass while appearing on 25 offensive snaps. Bryant also had a stint on the injured reserve with a concussion.
As Kyle Meinke of MLive.com points out, Bryant was a favorite of the former front office, with the tight end earning the most money among last year’s grouping of undrafted free agents. New general manager Brad Holmes doesn’t have that same connection to the Lions’ young players, leading to today’s move.
The Lions added a blocking tight end in Josh Hill earlier this offseason, pairing the veteran with starter T.J. Hockenson.