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May 25, 2021
It feels like we only just saw NFL veteran Tom Brady lift his seventh career Super Bowl, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw off the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9. But the new season is just around the corner, and after a turbulent season in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, teams will be looking to welcome fans returning to stadiums as games open back up for 2021.
The question on everybody’s lips though is who will go the distance this season. Who are the top NFL Picks for 2021? Could the Buccaneers win back-to-back titles? Will another franchise claim the most coveted prize in American Football? Only time will tell.
One thing is for certain, with this year’s draft picks and freelance signings, there will be some big changes at many of the teams across the NFL. And although it’s a team that wins you titles, having strong individual performers such as that of Tom Brady, can really help lift a team. So let us have a quick look at some of the top talents drafted in for the upcoming season.
The NFL Draft is one of the most exciting parts of the pre-season. Top talents from across America are drafted from College level to join the best franchises in the NFL. The big name on everyone’s lips for 2021 was 5-star Clemson Quarterback Trevor Lawrence who was snapped up as first pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team looking to rebuild their squad.
Lawrence was rightly ranked as the number one pick, having won two state championships at junior level before leading the Clemson Tigers to a national championship as a freshman in 2018. His stats have been incredible, managing to pass for 10,098 yards, scoring 90 touchdowns and 17 interceptions and tacked on 18 rushing scores.
Now unlike many drafted players, Lawrence will be going in as the team’s first choice QB under the Jaguars’ new head coach Urban Meyer. With the 2021 season’s schedule drawn up, Trevor Lawrence will get his first taste of NFL action away to the Houston Texans. An excellent first game for an offensive player such as Lawrence considering the Texans have the shakiest defense on paper.
Will he be able to take the Jaguars to their first Super Bowl? He certainly has the talent, but it may take another season of rebuilding before they can really challenge. Still, look how Brady transformed the Buccaneers. It goes to show how much a single player can have an impact on a team. Could Lawrence be cut from the same cloth?
Source: https://www.nfl.com/news/trevor-lawrence-surgery-non-throwing-shoulder-great-ready-camp
There of course were other top players picked through all the rounds of the NFL draft too. But only one other 5-star player was picked within the first 10 picks of the first round, as the Denver Broncos snapped up Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Son of former NFL player Patrick Surtain, he has a lot to live up to but his career so far is promising.
As a freshman at Alabama, he started just 12 games, but still managed to record 37 tackles as well as an interception. He stepped up further the following season as a sophomore, proving his initial season was no fluke, racking up 42 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 8 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, a fumble recovery and 1 quarterback pressure. 2020 was an interrupted campaign due to covid so he never quite hit the same stats, but did manage to claim the title of defensive MVP in the 2021 Rose Bowl.
The NFL isn’t just about individuals though, so which are the teams to look out for?
It’s no surprise to see both finalists of this year’s Super Bowl to be amongst the favorites to go the distance this season. With Patrick Mahomes II at Quarterback for the Chiefs, they are always in with a chance as he has the playmaking ability to take over games and really lift the team. He can find passes that will split open defences and allow them to challenge once again for a Super Bowl title.
As for the Buccaneers, they have the same lineup from last year. With Tom Brady at the helm, he’ll be leading the attack and looking to add another Super Bowl ring to his collection. And with their young defense being more experienced, they’re only going to be even more difficult to get passed.
Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/buccaneers-tom-brady-win-super-bowl-11612753593
One team that wasn’t there last season though who many pundits are tipping to go the distance in 2021 is the Los Angeles Rams. They have made some bold moves this year, trading Jared Godd and some draft picks to the Lions for Quarterback Matthew Stafford. It’s an upgrade to the Rams that will hopefully boost their offensive line. The Rams also see Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey return, only further strengthening the team.
Some pundits out there also believe that the Green Bay Packers could finally make it all the way this year, having been on the cusps for the last two seasons. They’ve had back-to-back 13-win seasons, and with the team only getting better each year, 2021 could certainly be theirs. If they can keep players fit, and capitalise on past mistakes that saw them fail to make the Super Bowl, they’re in with a really good chance.
One of the final favorites to make it to the Super Bowl this year is the Buffalo Bills. Probably the outside chance of all the teams mentioned so far, the Bills have a good starting lineup, and have seen improvement in both performances and standings in recent years. And they’ll be desperate to claim the first Super Bowl title in their history.
It’s going to be close, it may even go down to the wire for some teams who want to make the Play-Offs. But based on their performances last year, and the fact that they will only be better this year with the experience they gained throughout last season, our pick for the 2021 NFL season is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Whilst the Jaguars may have bagged themselves the top prospect in the draft, there is still a lot of work to go on there, and it may take time for Lawrence to settle in. But who knows, maybe we will see the current generation’s and the next generation’s best Quarterbacks facing off against each other on the biggest stage in American Football.
