The New York Jets drafted quarterback Zach Wilson with the second overall pick Thursday night. The Jets were not able to secure the first pick after pulling off an upset victory in their Week 16 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, allowing the Jacksonville Jaguars to secure the first pick as a result.

While New York was not able to draft Trevor Lawrence, they were able to get Wilson instead. Wilson is excited to play for New York and to become the team’s newest franchise quarterback.

“I can’t wait to represent the city,” Wilson said. The former BYU quarterback is absolutely ready to give it all for the team. “I’m going to give it everything I have, ” the 21-year-old quarterback told the NFL Network after being drafted. “There’s not another team I’d want to play for besides the Jets. I’m going to give it everything I have and we’re gonna be a special team, baby. We’re going for the Super Bowl.”

It will be a breath of fresh air for Jets fans, who have not had a great quarterback or seen the playoffs since 2010. It is especially exhilarating for fans to have a young quarterback who is excited to play for them. General manager Joe Douglas talked about his reasoning for selecting the quarterback. “Decision-making, anticipation, accuracy, playmaking ability, the ability to make plays off-schedule,” Douglas said, stating the qualities the quarterback had that convinced him to pull the trigger on Wilson. Furthermore, the general manager loved the confidence that radiated from Wilson. “Love the confidence, love the energy, love the passion,” Douglas added.

New York further cemented their commitment to the quarterback by moving up in the draft again. The Jets sent their 23rd, 66th and 86th pick to the Minnesota Vikings for the 14th pick and the 143rd pick. Using the 14th pick, New York drafted USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker. Vera-Tucker’s arrival will add protection for the quarterback in the upcoming season. He was touted as the best guard in the draft, and that was one of the reasons the Jets wanted him. “To go up and get a guy like Alijah Vera-Tucker, a player that has started at tackle, has started at guard and has been highly productive at both,” Douglas said. “That versatility and that production is something we really value.”

Vera-Tucker is excited to play for the Jets and protect Wilson. “He’s [Zach Wilson] a guy who’s going to be a game-changer right away,” he said. “Who doesn’t want to block for someone like that? That’s going to be really exciting.”

“I love it,” Tucker explained. “Not every year is going to be the greatest year. I’m going to come in, I know what the Jets fan base is like, I know they’re pretty intense. I love that type of atmosphere. I’m going to come in and embrace it.”

The Carolina Panthers sent veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a sixth-round pick.

“Acquiring Teddy Bridgewater adds competition, experience and a strong veteran presence to our quarterback room,” Broncos general manager George Paton said in a statement.

The Panthers will pay the 28-year-old quarterback $7 million in 2021 while the Broncos will pay him $3 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“Panthers are trading QB Teddy Bridgewater to the Broncos for a sixth-round pick, as Tom Pelissero reported. Panthers paying Bridgewater $7 million, Broncos paying him $3 million, per source. Trade does not take Denver out of QB market Thursday night, per source,” read Schefter’s tweet.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Carolina reportedly gave Bridgewater the “okay” to facilitate a trade after the team acquired Sam Darnold from the Jets at the beginning of April. The Panthers sent a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, plus a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick in 2022 for Darnold.

Prior to the 2020 season, the Panthers signed Bridgewater to a three-year contract worth $63 million. Bridgewater was reportedly guaranteed $40 million over the first two seasons of the deal. However, Wednesday’s trade eliminates the final year and $21 million of his contract in 2022, according to 9News Denver’s Mike Klis.

In 2020, Bridgewater started 15 games for the Panthers. He finished the season with 3,733 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Panthers went 4-11 in games that he started.

The San Francisco 49ers made a deal with the Miami Dolphins back in March in order to acquire the No. 3 pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. While it is clear that the Niners are going to select a quarterback, the team is still not set on whether they want Mac Jones out of Alabama, Trey Lance out of North Dakota State or Ohio State’s Justin Fields. Unfortunately for San Francisco, they only have one more day left to figure it out. The first round of the 2021 NFL Draft begins Thursday, April 29.

Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are widely expected to be off the board. The Jags are expected to select Lawrence with the No. 1 pick and the Jets will almost certainly take the signal caller out of BYU with the second pick of the draft.

“As much as the 49ers love Mac Jones, and they do, I believe that the gap between Mac Jones and the other QBs like Trey Lance has been narrowed considerably,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Wednesday. “I can tell you over the weekend they did not know who they were going to take.”

Check out our 2021 NFL Mock Draft to see who we think the Niners will select with the third pick of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Miami Dolphins might have just clued everyone in on their intentions during the first round of the NFL draft, with the trade of Left Guard Ereck Flowers to the Washington Football Team, as well as a swap of late-round draft picks. Flowers started 14 games for the Dolphins last year and allowed five sacks, tied for sixth highest in the league. To make matters worse, Pro Football Focus gave him a mediocre grade of 65.9, pointing to a fall off from his quality 2019 season. Looking at Miami’s ground attack doesn’t improve the evaluation of Flowers either, as they were 22nd in total rushing yards and 29th in yards per carry.

His return to Washington couldn’t have been timed better, and he acknowledged that when he spoke with ESPN’s Jossina Anderson: “I’m very excited. I love Washington,” Flowers said. “I already talked to all the guys this morning. It was a great experience. I had a lot of fun there. I already have a relationship with [offensive line coach John] Matsko. I’m very excited.”

Flowers started all 16 games and developed the versatility required to play both guard and tackle, as well as allowing only two sacks while playing in the nation’s capital, so this is an excellent buy-low move by the Football team. This move also grants them an insurance policy for starting guard Brandon Scheriff. The talented guard is injury prone and hasn’t appeared in all 16 games since 2016. He’s also playing under the franchise tag for the second consecutive year, meaning he could leave in free agency following this season.

From Miami’s perspective, they can replace Flowers via free agency or with the number six overall pick on Thursday, a replacement with game readiness and high upside can be had. According to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, offensive tackle Penei Sewell is a “possibility.” Beasley also reported Miami tackle Robert Hunt will move from right tackle to right guard, seemingly clearing up a spot for Sewell. Other tackles the Dolphins could target include Northwestern’s Rashawn Slater and Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw, both in PFF’s top 15 prospects.

The NFL Draft kicks off in just a few days. After a free agency full of moves and a few trades within the first round, let’s take a look at how the first round could play out.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

This selection is quite obvious. The Jaguars have a dire need at the quarterback position and Lawrence might be the best quarterback prospect to enter the draft since the likes of Peyton Manning. That is very high praise for a guy who has never played a professional game, but this kid has done nothing but win at every level. Jacksonville will improve dramatically on offense.

2. New York Jets: QB Zach Wilson, BYU

The Jets very well could have had the No. 1 pick in the draft, but after winning a couple games that they had no business even trying to win, they have the second pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. With this selection, all signs point to Wilson. Now that the team has traded away Sam Darnold, the Jets need a new signal caller. Although there are arguments to be made for other quarterbacks, Wilson is clearly the second-best player at his position entering the draft. The Jets will enter a new era with Wilson at the helm. He should start next season.

3. San Francisco 49ers (Trade from Miami): QB Justin Fields, Ohio State

The Niners made a surprising move to trade up to the third spot in the draft. The only reason they would do this is to snag a quarterback to take Jimmy Garopollo’s place. While I could see them taking Trey Lance, I think Fields is the better fit in Kyle Shannahan’s system. The Niners will absolutely take the third consecutive quarterback to start off the draft.

4. Atlanta Falcons: TE Kyle Pitts, Florida

While Atlanta could also use a quarterback as we get into the waning years of the Matt Ryan era, Ryan still has enough in the tank to lead Atlanta to the postseason if surrounded by the right weapons. Pitts is probably the top prospect in this year’s draft class. The Falcons will be extremely happy to get the talented tight end out of Florida. Pitts can immediately make an impact on the offensive side of the ball.

5. Cincinnati Bengals: OT Penei Sewell, Oregon

The Bengals need to make a decision about whether they want to add another playmaker for quarterback Joe Burrow, or whether it makes more sense to add a strong prospect who can protect the star quarterback from getting beaten and bruised. I think Cincinnati invests in Sewell, who will be the left tackle for many years for this franchise. 

6. Miami Dolphins: WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU

The Dolphins are in a dream scenario after moving up and down the draft board. They moved back from the No. 3 spot because they believe they can get their guy with the sixth pick. The Dolphins are in desperate need of a top wideout, and Chase is the best in this year’s draft class. He will surely help Tua Tagovailoa develop in his second year.

7. Denver Broncos (*Mock trade from Detroit): QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State

I am predicting a draft-night trade with the seventh pick. Expect the Lions to move down as the Broncos take the No. 7 pick and select Lance as the new quarterback of the future. Although Denver already has Drew Lock on the roster, Lock has not shown that he can be a better than average signal caller in the NFL. Expect a quarterback competition in Denver after the Broncos select the skillful Lance out of North Dakota State.

8. Carolina Panthers: OG Rashawn Slater, Northwestern

After trading for Darnold, the Panthers will simply select the best player to compliment their new quarterback. With Christian McCaffrey already in the backfield, and talented wideouts D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson on the roster, Carolina will address the offensive line by selecting Slater.

9. Detroit Lions (*Mock trade from Denver): WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

The Lions have no problem moving back a few picks because they still get their man in the standout wide receiver from Alabama. The Lions lost Kenny Golladay this offseason so Waddle is the perfect replacement. It will be interesting to see how the rookie works with veteran quarterback Jared Goff in his first season in a Lions’ uniform.

10. Dallas Cowboys: CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama

This seems like a no-brainer decision to me Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. They are desperate for help in the secondary and Surtain is the safest bet at his position in this draft class. Two players from the Crimson Tide go back-to-back in the 2021 NFL Draft to close out the top ten picks.

11. New York Giants: LB Micah Parsons, Penn State

The Giants almost never select a linebacker in the first round, but the talent is too much to pass up with the eleventh pick of the draft. Parsons is a tackling machine and will help this defense improve to the next level. He should start right off the bat. Although some think the Giants need another skill player, the addition of Golladay filled that need. I think general manager Dave Gettleman goes with the best available player on the board.

12. Philadelphia Eagles (Trade from Miami): WR Devonta Smith, Alabama

The Eagles tried to move up in the draft but the price was just a bit too high. Instead, they moved back and will still be able to address their biggest need, which is wide receiver. The Eagles will add Smith, who should help quarterback Jalen Hurts improve in his second year as the Eagles’ starting quarterback.

13. Los Angeles Chargers: OT Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech

The Chargers have all the right pieces at the skill positions on offense, however, the offensive line is severely lacking. Drafting the talented tackle out of Virginia Tech will allow quarterback Justin Herbert more time to hit his targets. 

14. Minnesota Vikings: EDGE Kwity Paye, Michigan

The Vikings should definitely address the defense with their first pick; the question is whether they should select a pass rusher or a cornerback. In a very tough position, I expect the Vikings to go with Paye, the pass rusher out of Michigan. 

15. New England Patriots: QB Mac Jones, Alabama

The Patriots have had a hectic free agency and have made plenty of moves. However, there are still many questions surrounding quarterback Cam Newton. Mac Jones would be an excellent choice here. The Pats can let Newton mentor Jones until he is ready to start himself. This would be a dream scenario for Bill Belichick and New England. 

16. Arizona Cardinals: CB Jaycee Horn, South Carolina

After losing Patrick Peterson to the Vikings, the Cardinals are in desperate need of some help in the secondary. Horn is the perfect guy to take the Pro Bowler’s place.

17. Las Vegas Raiders: OG Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC

The Raiders have a lot of needs to fill, but I expect head coach Jon Gruden to make sure his team gets a solid offensive lineman. Vera-Tucker can basically play anywhere on the offensive line, making him the perfect fit in this offense. 

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

The Dolphins are still looking for more defenders who can help bring head coach Brian Flores’ defensive vision to life. Phillips is a solid hybrid defender who offers imposing size and is effective when rushing the passer.

19. Washington Football Team: LB Jamin Davis, Kentucky

Washington needs help on the offensive line, the wide receiver position and in their linebacker corps. In an extremely tough decision, Washington selects the strong linebacker out of Kentucky. 

20. Chicago Bears: CB Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech

The Bears are absolutely looking to trade up in order to grab a talented quarterback. However, if no deal can be made, they will surely be happy if Farley falls this far. After cutting Kyle Fuller for salary cap reasons, Farley would be the perfect replacement at the cornerback position. He is arguably the best defensive back in his class, though there are plenty of question marks surrounding him due to previous injuries.

21. Indianapolis Colts: EDGE Azeez Ojulari, Georgia

Ojulari has the explosiveness and length that should intrigue the Colts. Not to mention, his character fits exactly the type of culture that Chris Ballard has built over the years. Edge rusher is absolutely the biggest need for the Colts, and although this team does not always draft solely off of need, Ojulari is too talented to pass at this point in the draft.

22. Tennessee Titans: EDGE Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest

Due to the insane depth at cornerback and wide receiver in this draft class, the Titans can wait on what they need most in order to select the best available player in Basham Jr. out of Wake Forest.

23. New York Jets (Trade from Seattle): CB Greg Newsome II, Northwestern

The Jets gave some of their young corners the opportunity to showcase their skills in New York’s secondary last season, but none proved capable or dependable as a starter. Still, Joe Douglas didn’t sign a single cornerback in free agency. That is why Newsome is an obvious choice if he lasts this long. He should have a significant shot at starting Week 1 and should help improve New York’s inexperienced secondary.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: RB Najee Harris, Alabama

Now that James Conner has signed with the Cardinals, the Steelers need a running back who can play plenty of snaps. Benny Snell is not going to get the job done. However, selecting Harris out of Alabama could turn out to be a home run pick. Running backs out of Alabama have always fared well in the NFL. And with Big Ben only able to play for a couple more seasons, the Steelers have no choice but to go all in. 

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (Trade from Rams): S Trevon Moehrig, TCU

While it is very possible that the Jags could take a wideout to help out their new quarterback, Moehrig also makes a lot of sense here. Jacksonville addressed the safety position by signing Rayshawn Jenkins in free agency, however, he may be better suited to play linebacker or at least closer to the line of scrimmage. Moehrig is the best safety in this year’s draft class and would give the Jaguars a solid option in coverage. 

26. Cleveland Browns: DT Christian Barmore, Alabama

Adding Barmore to play alongside Myles Garrett creates one of the strongest defensive lines in the NFL. That is just too tough to pass up, even if there are more glaring needs in Cleveland.

27. Baltimore Ravens: WR Kadarius Toney, Florida

The Ravens need a wide receiver or three if they are going to help Lamar Jackson and the offense get to the Super Bowl. While Mark Andrews and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown are fine players, Baltimore absolutely needs another playmaker to help spread the field for Jackson and the running game. Toney is the perfect fit for the Ravens.

28. New Orleans Saints: LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame

The Saints have one of the best offenses in the league so they should absolutely address the defensive side of the ball with their first selection. While they would love to snag an interior lineman here, there aren’t any who are quite valuable enough, so instead they will be happy with the playmaking linebacker out of Notre Dame.

29. Green Bay Packers: WR Elijah Moore, Ole Miss

The Packers absolutely need a wide receiver to help Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams on offense. Moore will compliment the offense nicely and give Rodgers another top-tier player to target on passing downs.

30. Buffalo Bills: EDGE Jayson Oweh, Penn State

The Bills don’t have any glaring needs, but if there was one part of the team that isn’t very deep, it would be the pass rushing. It’s unlikely that Oweh could enter the lineup on day one in 2021, however, he presents as a really solid project. If Oweh is given some Tim to fill into his 6-foot-5 frame and get used to the professional level, he could turn into a very special sack specialist. 

31. Baltimore Ravens (Trade from Kansas City): OT Jalen Mayfield, Michigan

The Ravens just traded Orlando Brown to the Chiefs for this pick, so it should be no surprise to see them take the talented offensive tackle out of Michigan with the penultimate pick of the first round. Mayfield is solid enough to eventually be a franchise player on this offensive line. And Lamar Jackson absolutely needs the protection.

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: RB Travis Etienne, Clemson

Yes, the Buccaneers already have Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette. They also signed Gio Bernard and drafted Ke’Shawn Vaughn in the third round just last year. All that being said, Vaughn is the only one of those running backs under contract past the 2021 season. Adding Etienne, one of the premier running backs in this draft class, will make the Bucs’ running attack formidable for years to come. Plus, you know Tom Brady won’t be complaining about another skill player who can contribute in this offense. 

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The undisputed number one pick of the 2021 NFL Draft and former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence thanked the Jacksonville Jaguars’ fans for their donations.

On April 9, a Jaguars fan jokingly asked fellow fans to raise money to buy Lawrence and his then-fiancé Marissa Mowry a toaster from their wedding registry gift list. Soon after posting about raising money to buy the couple a toaster, the donations started to pile up and eventually exceeded $5,000 within nine hours. After nine days, the donations reached $31,203, and the fan decided to donate the money instead as a wedding gift for the couple.

Lawrence took note of the generous donations made on his behalf by Jacksonville fans. “Thank you Jaguars fans,” Lawrence wrote. “We really appreciate the wedding gifts and donations for charities of our choice! In addition to the donations, Marissa and I will also be donating $20K to charities in Jacksonville,” the quarterback continued.”Thanks again, we hope to be a part of your community soon.”

In the tweet, the quarterback alluded to joining the Jaguars’ community soon. The Jaguars hold the first pick of the draft, and the team is widely expected to draft the best quarterback in this year’s draft class, which happens to be Lawrence. The draft will be held on April 29.

Lawrence and Mowry married in a wedding ceremony on April 10 in South Carolina.

On Monday, the New York Jets traded quarterback Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers just three years after hailing him as a franchise player. This trade ended months of speculations about their quarterback plans, with the 2021 NFL Draft looming in the distance.

In return for Darnold, the Jets received three picks: a sixth-rounder in the 2021 draft and a second-rounder along with a fourth-rounder in 2022. Since the Jets are left without a proven quarterback on their roster, they are expected to look toward’s this year’s April 29 draft set to take place in Cleveland.

The Jets’ leading candidate to replace Darnold is BYU’s Zach Wilson, who has met virtually with the Jets multiple times. According to ESPN Stats and Information research, if the Jets do select a quarterback No. 2 overall, they would become the first team since 1967, to select two quarterbacks within the top three overall picks in a four-year span.

Sources told ESPN that the Jets were conflicted by the decision to part ways with Darnold, and they even considered the idea of keeping him and pairing him with a rookie. However, they ultimately liked the idea of a fresh start and felt that any potential quarterback controversy might become too distracting.

Another factor that went into this decision was that resetting with a rookie contract will bring a fixed cost of a projected $35 million over four years. Keeping quarterback Darnold would have created financial uncertainty beyond 2021 if the Jets did not exercise his fifth-year option for 2022.

Darnold has one year remaining on his rookie contract, with guaranteed salary and bonuses totaling $4.6 million. The Panthers must decide on Darnlold’s fifth-year option for 2022 by May 3 and the predetermined amount is $18.8 million. The Carolina Panthers plan to discuss this with Darnold’s agent soon.

On Monday, the NFL announced its plans for the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. The 2021 NFL Draft will be held in Cleveland from April 29 to May 1.

“We are thrilled to be heading to Cleveland for the NFL Draft, which has become one of the most highly anticipated events in sports,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president of club business and league events. O’Reilly expressed excitement in hosting the draft in Cleveland. “Just months after executing a safe and successful Super Bowl LV, we look forward to bringing the excitement of our Draft traditions to fans in collaboration with the Browns, Destination Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, the City of Cleveland, and all of our local Cleveland partners.”

The league has announced that select numbers of fans, media, and prospects will be allowed in attendance. Teams will be allowed to designate a handful of draft ambassadors and fans who will be seated in the front row. All of the people must be vaccinated and wear masks.

Similar to last year’s draft structure, other prospects will participate virtually in the draft from their homes. Club personnel who are part of the selection process are allowed to gather in the draft room at a location of their choosing. The location could be either their facility or elsewhere, as long as they follow appropriate protocol.

Earlier this month, the league notified the 32 teams that they are allowed to return to their draft rooms for the upcoming draft. Teams must follow COVID-19 protocols and guidelines, including no drinking or eating in draft-room headquarters and mask-wearing at all times. Cameras for the draft will only show the location of the general manager and head coach.

The league will also look to use this year’s draft as a platform to provide relief to communities affected by COVID-19. The league will also use the platform to promote the vaccine.