Look at virtually any 2021 NFL mock draft on the internet right now, and there’s a trend at the top: Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence going No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and BYU quarterback Zach Wilson heading to the New York Jets at No. 2.
While Lawrence being the top pick has long been a wide-held belief, Wilson going to New York really gained steam in recent weeks, particularly after BYU’s pro day at the end of last month.
Of course, until draft night — the 2021 NFL draft is April 29-May 1 — the uncertainty is there, no matter how concrete a pick may seem. On Monday, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora raised the possibility of not having Wilson as a lock at No. 2 just yet.
“Are we all sure that Wilson is going second?” one longtime AFC executive told La Canfora. “Is that written in stone somewhere? Seriously, have they come out and said it?”
Lawrence and Wilson are part of a group of five quarterbacks expected to be taken in this year’s draft, along with Ohio State’s Justin Fields, Alabama’s Mac Jones and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.
“Maybe Wilson is the pick, but you can’t tell me he is absolutely a better prospect than Fields,” the AFC executive told La Canfora. “We would take Fields there at 2. What if they do take Fields? Then San Francisco takes Wilson. Then New England comes up to 4 and gets Jones. There’s no way that could happen?”
The draft’s first round will take place April 29 beginning at 6 p.m. MST and will be televised on NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes. That night, the NFL world will have its answer.