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2021 NFL Draft preview: Top prospects, draft order, team needs

The NFL stars of tomorrow will learn where they'll begin their careers during the 2021 NFL Draft in downtown Cleveland.

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CLEVELAND — The 2021 NFL Draft will take place in Cleveland, Ohio, from April 29-May 1.

RELATED: More NFL Draft coverage from WKYC

With that in mind, let's take a look at the first-round order, top prospects and team needs in this year's draft.

How to watch, event information

Date: Thursday, April 29, 2021

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET

Location: Cleveland, Ohio

TV channel: ABC, ESPN, NFL Network

Live Stream:  ESPN+, NFL.com/Watch

First-round draft order

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars
  2. New York Jets
  3. San Francisco 49ers (via Miami Dolphins via Houston Texans)
  4. Atlanta Falcons
  5. Cincinnati Bengals
  6. Miami Dolphins (via Philadelphia Eagles)
  7. Detroit Lions
  8. Carolina Panthers
  9. Denver Broncos
  10. Dallas Cowboys
  11. New York Giants
  12. Philadelphia Eagles (via Miami Dolphins via San Francisco 49ers)
  13. Los Angeles Chargers
  14. Minnesota Vikings
  15. New England Patriots
  16. Arizona Cardinals
  17. Las Vegas Raiders
  18. Miami Dolphins
  19. Washington Football Team
  20. Chicago Bears
  21. Indianapolis Colts
  22. Tennessee Titans
  23. New York Jets (via Seattle Seahawks)
  24. Pittsburgh Steelers
  25. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Los Angeles Rams)
  26. Cleveland Browns
  27. Baltimore Ravens
  28. New Orleans Saints
  29. Green Bay Packers
  30. Buffalo Bills
  31. Baltimore Ravens (via Kansas City Chiefs)
  32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Credit: AP
Workers prepare the NFL Draft Theatre, Tuesday, April 27, 2021, in Cleveland. The 2021 NFL Draft will be held April 29-May 1. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)

Top prospects

Quarterbacks

  1. Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
  2. Zach Wilson, BYU
  3. Justin Fields, Ohio State
  4. Trey Lance, North Dakota State
  5. Mac Jones, Alabama
  6. Kellen Mond, Texas A&M
  7. Davis Mills, Stanford
  8. Kyle Trask, Florida
  9. Jamie Newman, Georgia
  10. Ian Book, Notre Dame

Running back

  1. Najee Harris, Alabama
  2. Travis Etienne, Clemson
  3. Javonte Williams, North Carolina
  4. Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis
  5. Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State
  6. Trey Sermon, Ohio State
  7. Michael Carter, North Carolina
  8. Dayo Odeyingbo, Vanderbilt
  9. Khalil Herbert, Virginia Tech
  10. Kylin Hill, Mississippi State

Wide receiver

  1. Ja'Marr Chase, LSU
  2. Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
  3. DeVonta Smith, Alabama
  4. Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
  5. Terrace Marshall Jr., LSU
  6. Rondale Moore, Purdue
  7. Kardarius Toney, Florida
  8. Elijah Moore, Ole Miss
  9. Dyami Brown, North Carolina
  10. Tutu Atwell, Louisville
Credit: AP
LSU wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) carries the ball during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019. No. 1 LSU won 58-37. (AP Photo/Thomas Graning)

Tight ends

  1. Kyle Pitts, Florida
  2. Pat Freiermuth, Penn State
  3. Brevin Jordan, Miami (Fla.)
  4. Tommy Tremble, Notre Dame
  5. Tre' McKitty, Georgia
  6. Hunter Long, Boston College
  7. Kenny Yeboah, Ole Miss
  8. Kylen Granson, SMU
  9. Matt Bushman, BYU
  10. Noah Gray, Duke

Offensive tackles

  1. Penei Sewell, Oregon
  2. Rashawn Slater, Northwestern
  3. Christian Darrisaw, Virginia Tech
  4. Teven Jenkins, Oklahoma State
  5. Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame
  6. Samuel Cosmi, Texas
  7. Alex Leatherwood, Alabama
  8. Dillon Radunz, North Dakota State
  9. Jackson Carman
  10. Jalen Mayfield, Michigan

Offensive guard

  1. Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
  2. Wyatt Davis, Ohio State
  3. Trey Smith, Tennessee
  4. Ben Cleveland, Georgia
  5. Aaron Banks, Notre Dame
  6. Deonte Brown, Alabama
  7. Kendrick Green, Illinois
  8. Sadarius Hutcherson, South Carolina
  9. Jack Anderson, Texas Tech
  10. David Moore, Grambling State

Center

  1. Landon Dickerson, Alabama
  2. Creed Humphrey, Oklahoma
  3. Josh Myers, Ohio State
  4. Quinn Meinerz, Wisconsin-Whitewater
  5. Drake Jackson, Kentucky
  6. Trey Hill, Georgia
  7. Michal Menet, Penn State
  8. Drew Dalman, Stanford
  9. Jimmy Morrissey, Pittsburgh
  10. Jordan Reid, Michigan State

Edge defender

  1. Kwity Paye, Michigan
  2. Jaelan Phillips, Miami (Fla.)
  3. Azeez Ojulari, Georgia
  4. Jayson Oweh, Penn State
  5. Gregory Rousseau, Miami (Fla.)
  6. Joe Tryon, Washington
  7. Joseph Ossai, Texas
  8. Ronnie Perkins, Oklahoma
  9. Payton Turner, Houston
  10. Rashad Weaver, Pittsburgh
Credit: AP
FILE - In this Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020 file photo, Michigan defensive lineman Kwity Paye (19) reaches in on Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford (14) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich. With Oregon's Penei Sewell likely to be long gone, two other heralded tackles could be available to the Vikings at No. 14: Northwestern's Rashawn Slater and Virginia Tech's Christian Darrisaw. Slater has a random connection to Minnesota: His father, Reggie Slater, played in the NBA for the Timberwolves in parts of two seasons.(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)

Defensive line

  1. Christian Barmore, Alabama
  2. Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest
  3. Daviyon Nixon, Iowa
  4. Levi Onwuzurike, Washington
  5. Alim McNeil, North Carolina State
  6. Jay Tufele, USC
  7. Tommy Togiai, Ohio State
  8. Marvin Wilson II, Florida State
  9. Tyler Shelvin, LSU
  10. Milton Williams, Louisiana Tech

Linebacker

  1. Micah Parsons, Penn State
  2. Zaven Collins, Tulsa
  3. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Notre Dame
  4. Nick Bolton, Missouri
  5. Jamin Davis, Kentucky
  6. Jabril Cox, LSU
  7. Baron Browning, Ohio State
  8. Chazz Surratt, North Carolina
  9. Pete Werner, Ohio State
  10. Dylan Moses, Alabama

Cornerback

  1. Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
  2. Jaycee Horn, South Carolina
  3. Caleb Farley, Virginia Tech
  4. Greg Newsome II, Northwestern
  5. Asante Samuel Jr., Florida State
  6. Tyson Campbell, Georgia
  7. Eric Stokes, Georgia
  8. Elijah Molden, Washington
  9. Ifeatu Melifonwu, Syracuse
  10. Aaron Robinson, Central Florida
Credit: AP
FILE - In this Jan. 1, 2021, file photo, Alabama defensive back Patrick Surtain II (2) defends against Notre Dame during the Rose Bowl NCAA college football game in Arlington, Texas. The Arizona Cardinals pick at No. 16 in the upcoming NFL draft and seem likely to target a defensive player, particularly a cornerback. There could be several opportunities to add one depending on how the picks shake out: Alabama's Surtain, South Carolina's Jaycee Horn and Virginia Tech's Caleb Farley. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth, File)

Safety

  1. Trevon Moehrig, TCU
  2. Jevon Holland, Oregon
  3. Richie Grant, Central Florida
  4. Hamsah Nasirildeen, Florida State
  5. Andre Cisco, Syracuse
  6. Caden Sterns, Texas
  7. Jamar Johnson, Indiana
  8. Talanoa Hufanga, USC
  9. Ar'Darius Washington, TCU
  10. Divine Deablo, Virginia Tech

Kickers

  1. Riley Patterson, Memphis
  2. Evan McPherson, Florida
  3. Jose Borregales, Miami (Fla.)
  4. Quinn Nordin, Michigan
  5. Brandon Ruiz, Mississippi State

Punters

  1. Tommy Townsend, Florida
  2. Braden Mann, Texas A&M
  3. Derek Adams, Kent State
  4. Joseph Charlton, South Carolina
  5. Blake Gillikin, Penn State

Team needs

Jacksonville Jaguars

  1. Quarterback
  2. Edge
  3. Offensive tackle

New York Jets

  1. Quarterback
  2. Cornerback
  3. Edge

San Francisco 49ers

  1. Quarterback
  2. Cornerback
  3. Running back

Atlanta Falcons

  1. Cornerback
  2. Edge
  3. Running back

Cincinnati Bengals

  1. Offensive tackle
  2. Wide receiver
  3. Offensive guard

Miami Dolphins

  1. Wide receiver
  2. Edge
  3. Offensive guard

Detroit Lions

  1. Wide receiver
  2. Edge
  3. Linebacker

Carolina Panthers

  1. Cornerback
  2. Offensive tackle
  3. Tight end

Denver Broncos

  1. Nose tackle
  2. Quarterback
  3. Running back

Dallas Cowboys

  1. Cornerback
  2. Defensive line
  3. Edge

New York Giants

  1. Edge
  2. Offensive guard
  3. Linebacker

Philadelphia Eagles

  1. Wide receiver
  2. Cornerback
  3. Quarterback

Los Angeles Chargers

  1. Offensive tackle
  2. Cornerback
  3. Defensive line

Minnesota Vikings

  1. Edge
  2. Defensive tackle
  3. Wide receiver

New England Patriots

  1. Quarterback
  2. Wide receiver
  3. Defensive line

Arizona Cardinals

  1. Cornerback
  2. Defensive line
  3. Tight end

Las Vegas Raiders

  1. Cornerback
  2. Offensive tackle
  3. Defensive tackle

Washington Football Team

  1. Quarterback
  2. Wide receiver
  3. Linebacker

Chicago Bears

  1. Quarterback
  2. Cornerback
  3. Offensive tackle

Indianapolis Colts

  1. Offensive tackle
  2. Edge
  3. Wide receiver

Tennessee Titans

  1. Cornerback
  2. Wide receiver
  3. Offensive tackle

Pittsburgh Steelers

  1. Offensive line
  2. Running back
  3. Cornerback

Cleveland Browns

  1. Cornerback
  2. Wide receiver
  3. Edge

Baltimore Ravens

  1. Wide receiver
  2. Edge
  3. Offensive line

New Orleans Saints

  1. Quarterback
  2. Cornerback
  3. Wide receiver

Green Bay Packers

  1. Wide receiver
  2. Linebacker
  3. Cornerback

Buffalo Bills

  1. Running back
  2. Wide receiver
  3. Edge

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  1. Running back
  2. Edge
  3. Defensive line

Seattle Seahawks

  1. Edge
  2. Tight end
  3. Safety

Los Angeles Rams

  1. Edge
  2. Linebacker
  3. Tight end

Kansas City Chiefs

  1. Edge
  2. Safety
  3. Wide receiver

Houston Texans

  1. Wide receiver
  2. Edge
  3. Defensive line

More NFL Draft coverage:

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