Re-ranking 2021 NFL Draft by position: Where do Trevor Lawrence, Micah Parsons fall?

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At the time, the 2021 NFL Draft was supposed to be a year of the quarterback. Today, it’s an example of why it can be so hard to actually find a quarterback.

Five quarterbacks were selected in the top 15 of the ’21 draft, but only one (Trevor Lawrence) has since been extended by the team that picked him. Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Mac Jones all ultimately lost starting jobs with their original teams and have moved on — Fields is the only player of that group expected to open 2025 as a starter. And Trey Lance? He’s literally never had a chance. San Francisco found Brock Purdy in 2022, and Lance has since been limited to just five starts in four years with two teams.

But what about the other position groups? Let’s take a look back at the 2021 draft class and re-rank the top five at every position:

Lawrence was the consensus QB1 throughout the entire 2021 draft cycle and nothing’s really changed. Same time, Lawrence — the only four-year starter in this group — has yet to follow up his excellent 2022 season with a true breakout campaign. Plenty of that has been a product of the constant change and lack of development around him, though. Before his injury last year, Lawrence was at a career high in yards/attempt and yards/completion.

Elsewhere, this has been a mess. Outside of Lawrence, Fields is the only QB left with a starting job and he’s already with his third team, in a prove-it situation. Wilson and Lance were two of the worst-performing high draft picks over the last five years, examples of how much the COVID-19 college season messed with people’s minds. Davis Mills is still in Houston as a quality backup for C.J. Stroud.

It’s no coincidence the Jets, 49ers, Bears and Patriots all either have started over or underperformed overall since this draft.

There were no elite running backs in this class, despite two of them (Najee Harris and Travis Etienne) being drafted in the first round. Harris, who averaged fewer than four yards per carry during four years in Pittsburgh, was not re-upped by the Steelers and is on a one-year deal with the Chargers. He hasn’t been bad in the NFL, hitting 1,000 yards every year so far, but he also hasn’t been spectacular.

Fourth-round picks Chuba Hubbard and Rhamondre Stevenson received four-year extensions from their respective teams (Hubbard at $33.2 million, Stevenson at $36 million). Though each has outperformed their draft slot, it’ll be interesting to see if they live up to those long-term deals.

This was not a great RB class, though it might prove to be slightly better than average over time if Etienne can stay healthy.

The 2021 WR class was expected to be elite and, despite some shuffling in the pecking order, it has been. Ja’Marr Chase has been one of the top offensive players in football since he entered the league, while Amon-Ra St. Brown — the 17th WR taken that year — stands as one of the NFL’s best picks of the last five years. The two receivers have a combined seven Pro Bowls and four All-Pro selections between them.

I went with DeVonta Smith over Jaylen Waddle in the re-rank, as I think Waddle’s production is more tied to the system he’s played in, but both players have been fantastic pros. Same goes for Nico Collins, the 14th WR off the board in ’21.

There were misses in this draft, though, notably Kadarius Toney (Giants, No. 21) and Dee Eskridge (Seahawks, No. 56).

The Kyle Pitts experience has been pretty complicated. After a spectacular rookie season (68 catches for 1,026 yards), Pitts — who has not been helped by poor QB play in Atlanta — has averaged just 42 catches for 542 yards in the three years since. He’s still just 24 years old, so if Michael Penix Jr. can turn into the player Atlanta believes he can be, that return will look much better. It still might be a struggle to justify Pitts as a No. 4 pick, though.

Pat Freiermuth got a four-year, $48.4 million extension from Pittsburgh last September and has more career receptions (220 to 196) than Pitts. Noah Gray, one of several terrific picks by Kansas City in recent years, has been very good opposite Travis Kelce. Bates is arguably the best blocking TE in football.

This will go in the books as a great tackle class, with at least three players performing like franchise cornerstones early.

Penei Sewell, at just 24, is arguably the best offensive tackle in football, and both Rashawn Slater and Christian Darrisaw have been in that same conversation when healthy. Sewell and Darrisaw already have inked nine-figure extensions; Slater likely will be on that list soon, even if the Chargers have dragged their feet a bit.

Spencer Brown has been one of the best value picks of the 2021 draft — he was taken after Alex Leatherwood, Teven Jenkins, Liam Eichenberg, Walker Little, Dillon Radunz, Jalen Mayfield and Brady Christensen. He looks like a long-term fixture in Buffalo.

Creed Humphrey has been the best center in football basically since his rookie season and has a case as the best pick by value in the 2021 draft. He hasn’t been the only awesome center, either — Landon Dickerson has been outstanding up front for the Eagles; Drew Dalman just got a $42 million deal from Chicago and has more than outperformed his draft slot.

Trey Smith, who made the Pro Bowl last season, was an immediate starter in Kansas City and is one of the best sixth-round picks in recent years. This group will look even better if Jets guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (No. 14 pick) can stay healthy.

(Editor’s note: A highlighted row indicates a player is no longer with the team that drafted him.)

Not only is it wild that 11 teams passed on Micah Parsons, it’s insane to think about how many of those teams worried about where to play him. Parsons has basically invented his own position as a hybrid front seven defender with unlimited potential. Cincinnati (Chase), Detroit (Sewell) and Denver (Pat Surtain II) might not regret their decisions, but everyone else — possibly including Jacksonville — probably should.

As far as the rest of the top five, only Greg Rousseau (4 years, $80 million) has received an extension so far, though Odafe Oweh, Kwity Paye and Jaelan Phillips all could earn one with bigger production in 2025. And Broncos seventh-round edge Jonathon Cooper (No. 240) has been an absolute steal.

The race for DT1 here between Osa Odighizua and Alim McNeill is really close. The former has 171 pressures with 13 1/2 sacks so far in Dallas; the latter has 118 pressures with 11 1/2 sacks, and I’d argue he’s been better against the run. Christian Barmore, who missed most of last season because of injury, has also shown terrific pass-rush flashes, although he leaves plenty to be desired in run defense.

Milton Williams was a big winner this offseason, as he signed a huge deal in New England and could form a dynamic duo with a healthy Barmore. Still, Williams must prove he can perform at the same level without Jalen Carter and the rest of Philadelphia’s D-line depth around him.

Roy Lopez was a sneaky good signing by the Lions this offseason. He has been a very sturdy interior presence versus the run and vastly outperformed his sixth-round slot.

The Chiefs recently placed Nick Bolton among the top five highest-paid inside linebackers, after Bolton put together four years as one of Kansas City’s most critical pieces inside. Ernest Jones IV forced himself into the lineup with the Rams before being traded and eventually signing a three-year deal with Seattle.

Beyond those two, it’s been pretty up and down for the off-ball linebacker class. A few players in this group (Zaven Collins, Baron Browning) have moved to the edge position full-time.

Jaycee Horn was the highest-drafted corner in this group, but things weren’t looking great prior to an outstanding 2024 campaign that saw him land in the Pro Bowl and subsequently sign a huge four-year, $100 million deal this spring. Horn’s deal is a tick higher than the one Surtain — a three-time Pro Bowler, 2024 defensive MVP and one of the best defenders in football — commanded last September. Horn’s potential is clear, but Carolina definitely rolled the dice there.

You could argue Paulson Abedo (and maybe even Deommodre Lenoir) did more on his rookie deal than Horn.

There have been a few busts here, too. Tennessee took a chance on talented but oft-injured Caleb Farley in the first round and got just eight games out of him over three years. Fellow first-rounder Eric Stokes is now on a one-year, prove-it deal in Las Vegas after Green Bay declined his option.

A bunch of talented faces in new places. Cam Bynum earned a four-year, $60 million extension from the Colts after a great rookie run in Minnesota, while Trevon Moehrig got $51 million over three years with Carolina.

My pick for the top player in this group, though, is Jevon Holland, who played all over the field for Miami and has proven to have the ability to make an impact anywhere.

Talanoa Hufanga, with an All-Pro season already under his belt, just needs to stay healthy.

(Top photos of Trevor Lawrence and Micah Parsons: Rich Storry, Timothy Nwachukwu / Getty Images)

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