NFL Draft 2021: NBC Sports’ Peter King’s mock draft predicts 5 QBs in top 10 | Panthers

Draft week is upon us, which means it’s time for NBC Sports NFL insider Peter King to drop his first-round mock for the 2021 NFL Draft.

As you would expect, King established a couple of parameters:

• Trades near the top of the draft could be limited this year.
• A record number of teams want to go down.

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As with most mock drafts this year, King predicts quarterbacks will be the top three picks:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars – Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

2. New York Jets – Zach Wilson, BYU

3. San Francisco 49ers – Mac Jones, Alabama

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That’s where things get interesting, with King predicting the Carolina Panthers snatch Ohio State’s Justin Fields at No. 8, despite already trading for Sam Darnold and having Teddy Bridgewater under contract.

Interesting that the Panthers have yet to say (though many in the media have, including me) that Sam Darnold will have his fifth-year option—his 2022 contract—exercised and guaranteed by Carolina. They won’t do it, either, till at least after the draft. Count the Panthers as another team that would love to take a passel of picks from New England or Washington to move down. … Fields falling to them makes sense—even if it would crush the new incumbent QB.

King believes the Denver Broncos follow at No. 9 by selecting North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.

Very nearly had a trade here—Denver dealing its first and second-round picks (9 and 40) to Detroit for the seventh pick, to take Lance. Denver GM George Paton still may do it, but I’m dubious the Lions will get anyone between 10 and 15 leapfrogging the two QB spots—Carolina and Denver—to take one of the quarterbacks.

Two additional quarterback notes/predictions from King:

• It won’t surprise me if the Niners make Jimmy Garoppolo more available than he’s been.
• It won’t surprise me, if the Broncos do not draft a quarterback, to see Denver make a mid-round deal for Teddy Bridgewater with Carolina.

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