Complete NFL Draft Rankings:
You are currently viewing the best overall players in the 2021 NFL Draft. Our top overall prospects are selected after thousands of hours carefully scouting the best players in college football. Even though only 256 will get selected in the draft, hundreds more are signed as free agents, and many more receive a training camp invite. Find who is a first round talent, and who is likely nothing more than a training camp body. Find draft sleepers, draft stars, who will be a bust, and who is being undervalued. While we usually include over 2000 players in our public evaluations, we’re limiting that number this year due to eligibility questions.
BNB Football is the best place for in-depth analysis of 2021 NFL Draft prospects at all levels of college football. To view other positions, follow the links below.
(Last Updated: April 29, 2021)
1. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
Trevor Lawrence is a true generational quarterback with no fair player comparison. He is a winner, exceptional leader, has next-level arm strength, great accuracy, solid decision making, speed, and is advanced at reading defenses. There’s really no glaring weakness for Lawrence, who has been tearing up Power 5 defenses since his true freshman season. He’s never let the spotlight and expectations get to his head, and is well respected by his teammates and coaching staff. He is having surgery on his non-throwing shoulder this offseason, but moved his Pro Day up to February so he could throw before getting surgery. He should be ready to go for the Jaguars, who pick first, by training camp.
2020 Stats
10 games: 3153 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 69.2% completions, 9.4 yards per attempt
2. Zach Wilson, QB, BYU
I’ve been high on Wilson for a very long time, and while I think he’s the second best QB in the draft, the New York Jets curse could definitely hit him if he gets drafted #2 overall. Unlike Lawrence, Wilson actually has a couple of concerns. He wasn’t a captain at BYU which is unusual for a 3 year starting QB, and he has looked rattled in the past when he doesn’t have much time to throw. But everything else about him is next level. Wilson has something in common with the best QBs in the league: Rodgers and Mahomes. He has an insanely fast throwing motion, can throw from any angle with accuracy, and can throw off-platform as well as he can on-platform. These intangibles give him truly elite potential when mixed with his strong arm, pinpoint accuracy, and solid decision making. Wilson is also very mobile, not afraid to take a hit, and an absolute film junkie.
2020 Stats
12 games: 3692 passing yards, 33 passing touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 73.5% completions, 11.0 yards per attempt
3. Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon
Penei Sewell has been talked up for a long time, and hasn’t been hurt at all by sitting out in 2020. At 6’6" and 330 pounds, Sewell has the size to play anywhere on the line, with elite athleticism for his size. As the left tackle for Justin Herbert, he had two historically efficient seasons before he turned 21. Sewell gets out of his stance fast, plays with the ideal base and knee bend, and has an eye opening blend of speed and power. He simply knows how to play the position, and is a perfect fit for a blind side protector.
2020 Stats
0 games played, 2 years as starter at LT
4. JaMarr Chase, WR, LSU
The way DeVonta Smith stole the show in 2020, Chase did in 2019. Ja’Marr Chase sat out this past season following an unbelievable sophomore campaign where he was the #1 receiver over Justin Jefferson, who was an NFL All Pro as a rookie. Chase doesn’t have next level speed, but his quickness and route running ability give him incredible separation on mid and deep route. His body control, hands, and timing are next level, and he has a powerful 210 pound build to help him break tackles and fight back toward the ball. Chase is a true outside threat who can be used as a deep threat or on intermediate routes, and will be ready to dominate the league from day 1.
2019 Stats
14 games: 1780 receiving yards, 20 receiving touchdowns, 21.2 yards per catch
Did not play in 2020.
5. Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Kyle Pitts is an elite athlete at the tight end position, with receiver-like route running ability and exceptional positional versatility. At 6’6" and 240 pounds, Pitts still has a slight frame for a traditional tight end, but has put on quite a bit of muscle already without hurting his speed. His production this past year was outstanding for just 8 games, and there wasn’t a player in college football who was able to stop him. Pitts uses his body well and attacks back at the ball, and is way too quick to be defended by a linebacker or even safety. His blocking is a work in progress, but is better than most other speed tight ends. Most tight ends don’t see much playing time as a rookie, but Pitts will be an exception thanks to his receiving versatility.
2020 Stats
8 games: 770 receiving yards, 12 receiving touchdowns, 17.9 yards per catch
6. Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State
Justin Fields had his ups and downs this past year at Ohio State, but the positives looked good enough to warrant a top-5 pick. He’s obviously a special athlete, but his arm strength is also among the top of the quarterback class. Add in solid accuracy and above average ability to read the defense, and he could play well right away in the right system. Like the rest of the QBs at the top of the draft, he played with a lot of talent in college whether it be at Georgia or Ohio State. But in games like the Clemson matchup, he showed that he could take the game into his own hands and win no matter the teammates or opponent.
2020 Stats
8 games: 2100 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 70.2% completions, 9.3 yards per attempt
7. Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
Micah Parsons is an insane athlete who can do a little bit of everything. He can line up anywhere at linebacker, with the strength to play outside and the diagnostic abilities and leadership to move inside. Parsons rarely ever misses an assignment, filling gaps in a heartbeat and shedding tackles to get in the backfield and blow up plays. After being a Freshman All-American in 2018, he improved to being an actual All-American in 2019, before sitting out 2020. The growth from year 1 to 2 was outstanding, and he looks like a man amongst boys compared to some of these other inside linebackers. While he never grabbed an interception, he also broke up a lot of passes due to his reactive athleticism and ability to read offenses.
2019 Stats
13 games: 109 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, 5 passes defended, 0 interceptions
Did not play in 2020.
8. DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama
The 2020 Heisman Award winner looked unstoppable this past year, racking up almost 150 yards and 2 touchdowns per game. His first step is scary fast, and his quickness in his routes is nearly impossible to match. Smith faced a number of good corners throughout the year, who tried and failed to stop him in just about every way possible. His 170 pound frame is the biggest concern for him, but trying to fight him at the line of scrimmage did not work at all in college. Assuming he can stay healthy, he is not too far behind Ja’Marr Chase for the distinction of top WR prospect since 2011 (AJ Green).
2020 Stats
13 games: 1859 receiving yards, 23 receiving touchdowns, 15.9 yards per catch
9. Rashawn Slater, G/T, Northwestern
Other than Penei Sewell, Rashawn Slater has probably the most impressive mixture of strength and power in the class. His quick feet and advanced mechanics help him routinely square up his man and maintain prolonged blocks in the passing game, while having the power to open up big holes in the run game. His athletic profile gives him the potential to stay at tackle, where he played at Northwestern, but his strength would make him an ideal fit at guard. At only 6’4" there’s a notable chance he’ll kick inside to guard, but he has the speed and strength combination to play anywhere on the line. Regardless of where he ends up, his powerful playstyle and football IQ will help him maintain a long NFL career.
2020 Stats
0 games, 3 years as starter at LT/RT
10. Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
Surtain is the surest thing at corner in this year’s class. He’s big, powerful, extremely fluid, and well coached. You can trust him to hold his own alone in coverage, and he’s excellent in the press. Surtain is one of the better tacklers in the class, and has all the physical attributes you could want at the position. In 40 games of experience at Alabama his stat line isn’t eye popping, but most quarterbacks have avoiding throwing to him from day 1. The son of a phenomenal NFL player, he’s been coached at the position from day 1 and has advanced technique which shows on film. He isn’t quite as sticky as Farley, but has no glaring weakness.
2020 Stats
12 games: 37 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 10 passes defended, 1 interception
Complete draft rankings for 2021
Overall Opinion of the 2021 NFL Draft
Scouting this year has been harder than ever before. Many prospects didn’t play this season, there was no in-person Combine, and Pro Days are operating differently. On top of that, determining eligibility is really difficult when you don’t have an inside with the teams or a list of names being sent to you. With all the seniors who decided to return to school, the depth among undrafted free agents is expected to be very light. Surprisingly this doesn’t seem to have affected the late rounds of the draft much, which still seem as strong as usual. The top of the draft is particularly exciting for most fans, as there are 6 quarterbacks with starting potential, and a couple of superstar wide receivers in the class. Throw in a superstar tight end, decent running backs, and an insanely deep group of offensive tackles. The defensive side of things sees much less depth, but there are plenty of future starters here, and a phenomenal group of corners. While scouting for the 2021 NFL Draft may be extra difficult for scouts who aren’t team-affiliated, it’ll still be very exciting to see how prospects handle the adversity and where they land in April.