What time, how to watch:
EPSN’s and ABC’s team of veteran hosts, analysts and insiders kicked off coverage of the 2021 NFL Draft Thursday and will continue to Saturday.
NFL Draft Schedule
- Thursday, April 29 (8:00-11:30 p.m. EDT): NFL Draft, Round 1 – ABC, ABC App, ESPN, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network
- Friday, April 30 (7:00-11:30 p.m.): NFL Draft, Rounds 2 and 3 – ABC, ABC App, ESPN/ESPN2, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network
- Saturday, May 1 (12:00-7:00 p.m.): NFL Draft, Rounds 4-7 – ABC (ESPN simulcast), ABC App, ESPN App, ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network
For the third consecutive year, ESPN and ABC will provide distinct prime-time presentations on days 1 and 2. ESPN will again offer the traditional draft telecast — a combination of X’s and O’s analysis, player highlights and storytelling– while ABC, featuring the eleven-time Sports Emmy Award-winning “College GameDay Built by The Home Depot” crew, will cover the event with an emphasis on the individual journeys of NFL Draft prospects.
Click here for the full list of hosts and insiders.
Best, most notable players still available in 2021 NFL Draft:
The defensive players of the year in both the Big Ten and Pac-12 are still on the board heading into Saturday’s fourth through seventh rounds.
Looking for a quarterback? There are multiyear starters from which to choose.
And several decorated offensive playmakers are still left to fill the remaining 154 picks.
Some of the best and most notable players still available in the NFL Draft.
Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa
Nixon was a junior college transfer who played two seasons at Iowa and emerged as the Big Ten’s defensive player of the year in 2020. The 313-pound Dixon had 13.5 tackles for loss, including 5.5 sacks, in eight games for the Hawkeyes last year. He is disruptive, not always consistent and stout against the run, but there is potentially good fourth-round value in Nixon.
Talanoa Hufanga, S, Southern California
The Pac-12 defensive player of the year plays with great effort and fills up the stat sheet. In just six games last year, Hufanga had three sacks, four interceptions, and five passes defended. At 6-foot and barely 200 pounds, he lacks the speed to play deep safety and the size to play close to the line, but his instincts and intensity could make him a contributor on defense and special teams.
Deonte Brown, G, Alabama
The Crimson Tide had eight of the first 38 players drafted, an unprecedented haul. Brown, a massive people-mover at 344 pounds, is likely the next Alabama player to be picked. Or is it linebacker Dylan Moses, who was solid as a senior in 2020 after coming back from an injury the year before?
Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State
Wallace was an All-American as a sophomore in 2018, catching 86 passes for 1,491 yards and 12 touchdowns. Injuries limited him to nine games in 2019 and last year he was solid – though not quite spectacular – in another abbreviated season.
Wallace is among a solid group of receivers still left that includes Amon-Ra St. Brown from Southern California, Simi Fehoko of Stanford, Marquez Stevenson of Houston and Seth Williams from Auburn.
Ian Book, QB, Notre Dame
Book was a three-year starter who led the Irish to the College Football Playoff twice and guided Notre Dame to more victories than any quarterback in program history. His accuracy down the field and decision-making improved in 2020. Combine that with mobility and creativity, and he seems to have the tools to at least be a long-term backup.
If Book is not the next quarterback drafted, maybe it will be Sam Ehlinger, a four-year starter at Texas; Shane Buechele, who started 42 games at Texas and SMU; or Jamie Newman, the former Wake Forest starter who transferred to Georgia but opted out of last season.
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Memphis
Gainwell was an All-American in 2019 as a redshirt freshman when he had 2,069 yards from scrimmage and 16 touchdowns. An undersized runner, Gainwell looks like a player capable of being a third-down back and maybe more.
Only four running backs were drafted in the first three rounds. There could be double that number on Day 3: Michael Carter of North Carolina, Rhamondre Stevenson of Oklahoma, Khalil Herbert of Virginia Tech, Jemar Jefferson of Oregon State and Chuba Hubbard of Oklahoma all the most likely to be selected.
— Ralph D. Russo, AP College Football Writer
SEE ALSO: Football star who overcame homelessness picked in 1st round of NFL Draft
Night 2 recap:
Not much changed on the second night of the NFL draft. Do the letters SEC and QB seem familiar?
The SEC remained the conference of choice with 29 players selected overall, including 17 on Friday night.
Quarterbacks went in clusters, too. Not like 1-2-3 as happened in the opening round with Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence to Jacksonville, BYU’s Zach Wilson to the New York Jets, and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance to San Francisco.
Still, the second round concluded with Florida’s Kyle Trask going to Tampa Bay perhaps as the heir to Tom Brady in a decade or so. Then Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond was chosen in the second spot of the third round by Minnesota and Stanford’s Davis Mills went in the next slot to Houston.
“I’m definitely looking forward to it,” Trask said of Brady. “He’s definitely one of my favorite quarterbacks growing up. So to have that opportunity to learn from one of the greats is a great opportunity for me. I can’t wait to get this ball rolling for sure.”
Naturally, Alabama was a major destination within the Southeastern Conference. The national champions had a record-equaling six players taken in the opening round. Two more went among the first six picks of Round 2: offensive lineman Landon Dickerson and defensive tackle Christian Barmore, the MVP of the national title game in January on that side of the ball.
Georgia cornerback Tyson Campbell to Jacksonville and Mississippi wide receiver Elijah Moore to the Jets were the top two selections Friday night. Guess what conference they played in.
Campbell, a three-year starter, saw Bulldogs teammate Eric Stokes chosen in the first round by Green Bay. Campbell led Georgia with five pass breakups in 10 starts last season. He also had 29 tackles, including 2 for loss, and an interception.
He has no qualms about switching to safety if asked.
“I’m versatile and I could learn a new position,” Campbell said. “I trust my feet, trust my hips. I feel like I can run with anybody.”
Moore’s breakout season lifted him to All-America status – and now to a potential regular target for Wilson. The explosive Moore set a school record with 86 catches for 1,193 yards in 2020.
“Oh, man … he’s got a great arm,” he said of Wilson. “Get ready to catch a lot of touchdowns.”
Not everyone went to SEC schools at the outset of the second round. North Carolina running back Javonte Williams is headed to Denver after the Broncos traded up to the third spot with Atlanta.
Miami went for safety Jevon Holland of Oregon. Then it was back to the SEC – and the Tide.
Dickerson can go at guard or center for Philadelphia, which desperately needs to revamp its O-line. He was injured for the national championship game, yet went onto the field for the final snap of Alabama’s romp over Ohio State.
“You can call it leadership or however you want,” he said. “I care for every single guy I play with. I love being a part of a team, especially a football team. Everybody at this level has a mindset that not only do they want to be the best athlete, player they can be, but we also want to create the best team, a winning team.”
Barmore was the first player at his position taken this year, by the Patriots, who traded up with Cincinnati. Barmore, of course, played with New England’s first-rounder, quarterback Mac Jones, at Tuscaloosa.
“It was my favorite team growing up,” said Barmore. “They’re winners. I love winners.”
The Bears, who made waves Thursday night when they traded up to get Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields, also moved up to seventh in the second round to get a protector: Oklahoma State tackle Teven Jenkins. That was the first player drafted from the Big 12, at 39th overall.
Another Big 12 guy, Trevon Moehrig of TCU, went 43rd overall to Las Vegas and was the first safety taken.
Such powerhouses as Auburn, Texas A&M, which finished fourth in the final AP poll, and Wisconsin did not have anyone selected through 64 picks. But A&M quarterback Kellen Mond went second in the third round to Minnesota.
“I think one of the biggest things I learned, whether you’re a starter or a backup or anybody, is to treat everything like a national championship or a Super Bowl rep,” Mond said. “So that’s the type of mindset that I have, whether it’s workouts or going into practice. Just wanting to do everything to the best of my ability and just be prefect, and just pretty much wanting to grasp all types of information …”
Three teams made their initial picks in the second round – and they went consecutively. Seattle took wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge of Western Michigan, the Rams grabbed Louisville wideout Tutu Atwell, and the Chiefs got Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton.
Houston was the final franchise to join the action, taking Mills 67th overall amid all the turmoil surrounding Deshaun Watson.
— Barry Wilner, AP Pro Football Writer
What was the picking order?
There are 259 picks in this year’s draft, and the Jaguars had the first pick. The Eagles have the most picks in the entire draft with 11, while the Seahawks have by far the fewest with just three.
Top 10:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. San Francisco 49ers (from MIA/HOU)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Miami Dolphins (from PHI)
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
ESPN and Associated Press contributed to this report.
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