NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay pick the same player for Washington

We are officially 4 weeks away from the 2021 NFL Draft! A lot has changed since we looked at the latest mock drafts two weeks ago before free agency started. Washington signed QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, WR Curtis Samuel, and CB William Jackson III. The needs of most teams got shifted as players were gained and lost. The draft order was also rearranged in the 1st round with major trades involving the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, and the San Francisco 49ers.

Todd McShay released his latest mock draft today, and he has the Washington Football Team taking Virginia Tech Offensive Tackle Christian Darrisaw. This matches the projection from his counterpart at ESPN Mel Kiper Jr. who also gave Washington some OL help. McShay doesn’t give Fitzpatrick long to enjoy his new OT before predicting Kellen Mond will join the Burgundy and Gold. Mond also goes to Washington in another mock draft, but not until the 3rd round.

Darrisaw isn’t the only offensive lineman that gets linked to Washington. Oklahoma State tackle Teven Jenkins actually gets mocked to them more this week. Alijah Vera-Tucker and Sam Cosmi also get a vote each as the newest OL to join the team in the first round.

Terrace Marshall Jr. and Elijah Moore are the only wide receivers still getting mocked to Washington in this round up. Kadarius Toney has been a popular name here in the past, but the tides are shifting away from him.

And then there is the obligatory QB pick for Washington since they still haven’t found their long-term solution. Mac Jones is a polarizing QB in this year’s draft, and his range is wide. One mock draft has Ron Rivera trading up a few picks to get ahead of the Patriots to grab Jones and have him compete with Fitzpatrick.

Micah Parsons is another polarizing player this year that has a range that could see him fall to Washington. He lands on this week’s list after Washington trades back and ends his slide. Linebacker is a pretty big need after the team didn’t add a starter in free agency and lost Kevin Pierre-Louis. Ron Rivera was pretty blunt about the need for the team’s LB play to improve last year, so it seems like that will be a position they want to address early. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Zaven Collins are two more players that get mocked to Washington in the 1st round this week.

Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

E$PN+(McShay)

The signing of Curtis Samuel means Washington likely won’t take Florida receiver Kadarius Toney, who has a similar skill set, and there really isn’t another receiver in this range. And other big need areas don’t have any value here either, including quarterback, linebacker and tight end. I think it’s slightly early for Darrisaw — a smooth and powerful zone blocker — but he is certainly one of the top tackles, and Washington would be able to beat the OT rush that likely begins toward the end of Round 1.

Round 2: Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M

The next-best QB was out of range for Washington in Round 1, but selecting Mond — who could sit behind Ryan Fitzpatrick and Taylor Heinicke all season — here is smart. His accuracy and mechanics will have to develop, but Mond has arm strength and the ability to extend plays. He’s my sixth-ranked QB but comes in at No. 89 overall.

E$PN+(Kiper)

Washington is out of the range for the top quarterbacks in this class, so this pick is tough to predict. I do like what coach Ron Rivera and new general manager Martin Mayhew have done in free agency, adding a top cornerback in William Jackson III, an underutilized wideout in Curtis Samuel and a perfectly capable stopgap quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick. There’s still a gaping hole at left tackle, though, and Darrisaw could fill it. He had a tremendous 2020 season, and he is a stellar all-around blocker.

Yahoo Sports(Edholm)

Washington might still want to give Saahdiq Charles a shot at left tackle, but he remains a virtual unknown. And though Cornelius Lucas held his own there late last season, we think the team can upgrade.

Darrisaw is a light-on-his-feet blocker with flashes of a mean streak (we’d still like to see it more consistently), and his three years of starting experience make him feel like a very safe selection here for an offense that continues rebuilding.

Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

Pro Football Focus(Gayle)

Jenkins improved his PFF grade in each of his past three seasons at Oklahoma State, working all the way up to 92.0 in 2020. He is a road grader in the run game and a brick wall against bull-rush types in pass protection. Turn on his tape against Texas’ Joseph Ossai, and you’ll quickly understand the hype.

Round 2: Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame

Washington Post(Clayton)

Washington has addressed its offense in free agency, signing quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and wide receivers Curtis Samuel and Adam Humphries. It could bolster its line with Jenkins, who is an excellent run blocker.

NFL.com(Frelund)

Another trade target is Ron Rivera’s squad. Left tackle is the optimal selection, and the level of competition Jenkins faced in college helps drive his quick adoption of the NFL playbook (on either side of the line).

CBS Sports(Wilson)

Jenkins, who can play either right or left tackle, has a nasty streak. He’s also one of the best offensive tackles in this class.

Round 2: Terrace Marshall, WR, LSU

Round 3: Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M

Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame

Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC

The Ringer

Washington was one of my big winners in free agency, as it signed journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and added speedy receiver Curtis Samuel. It could continue its offseason offensive rebuild by grabbing Vera-Tucker, an athletic and versatile lineman who could start at either left guard or left tackle.

Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas

Pro Football Network(Valdovinos)

Washington has the luxury of mulling over several quality options here. They elect to lock down their left tackle position with Texas offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi. Cosmi is an elite athlete with easily projectable traits and is one of the most impressive athletes we’ve ever gotten testing numbers for. His athletic ability and hand usage should lead to early career success.

Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

The Draft Network(Harris)

TRADE:

Washington gets: No. 14 overall

Minnesota gets: No. 19 overall, No. 124 overall, 2022 3rd

Washington trades up from No. 19 with the Vikings to select their quarterback—to the dismay of the Patriots who are selecting next. Mac Jones gives them the type of makeup they desire for the position with the maturity to step in and lead their offense.

Round 2: Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky

Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU

CBS Sports(Edwards)

Washington was leapfrogged by Indianapolis for an offensive tackle so the team takes Terrace Marshall Jr. to pair with Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel. It is not where I would take him personally but there are a lot of teams high on Marshall.

Round 2: Jabril Cox, LB, LSU

Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss

CBS Sports(Trapasso)

Moore is a sudden chain-mover at the slot position but has serious downfield jets.

Round 2: Terrace Marshall, WR, LSU

Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

Pro Football Network(Farabaugh)

Trade! The Colts trade picks 21, 127, 207, and a 2022 third-round pick to Washington for the 19th pick and a 2022 sixth-round pick.

Finally, the fall for Micah Parsons ends. The buzz about his off-the-field issues causes him to drop to this point, but the value and need were too good to pass up for Washington. With Cole Holcomb and Jon Bostic penciled in as starters, Washington needs some speed and athleticism in their linebacking corps. Above all, Parsons can be that. He has only scratched the surface of his true potential in the NFL, and with better instincts, he could be special.

Round 2: Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State

Round 3: Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina

Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame

Round 4: Damar Hamlin, S, Pittsburgh

Daelin Hayes, EDGE, Notre Dame

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame

The Athletic(Walker)

Washington lost starting linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis in free agency. Looking around the market, the best and most cost-effective route to replacing him is drafting another linebacker. Owusu-Koramoah, the reigning Butkus Award winner as college football’s top linebacker and ACC Defensive Player of the Year, has an enticing blend of speed that allows him to keep up with his man in coverage or blitz the quarterback. At Notre Dame, he was asked to cover the slot and play nickel and performed well whether shadowing a receiver or tight end, and that’s where Washington’s linebacking corps often saw lapses last season. He offers the kind of versatility that coach Ron Rivera and his staff covet, and it doesn’t hurt that he’ll have a chance to get better by learning under a head coach and defensive coordinator (Jack Del Rio) who both excelled playing and coaching the linebacker position. — Rhiannon Walker

NFL.com(Zierlein)

Big-time talent who brings an explosive blend of speed, aggression and versatility. He’s still learning, but should become a high-end linebacker with rush and cover ability, as well.

Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa

NFL.com(Reuter)

Collins presents excellent physical attributes for stopping run plays between the tackles, blitzing off the edge and making plays in coverage. Washington has one of the top defensive lines in the NFL, which will keep Collins clean so he can maximize his talents early on.

Round 2: Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State

Round 3: Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami

Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina

Round 4: Keith Taylor, CB, Washington

USA Today(Davis)

The WFT finished with the league’s second-ranked defense in 2020 but could significantly improve behind its vaunted front. Off-ball linebackers who are 6-4 and 260 pounds are unicorns in the modern, pass-centric NFL. But Collins has the athleticism and coverage ability to pull it off – Exhibit A being the Bednarik Award winner’s game-winning, 96-yard pick-six to beat Tulane last season.