NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah on the 2021 NFL Draft

(Interview with Daniel Jeremiah took place before the Sam Darnold trade to the Panthers) 

The NFL Draft is right around the corner, so of course, we here at Sports360AZ called on the big guns to break it out all down for us. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, who also hosts the Move the Sticks podcast, sat down and broke down what he thinks ahead of the big day. 

It was a tough year for scouts and for the athletes trying to make it to the league. So increasing your stock in the draft wasn’t an easy feat, but there is one guy who did it at the Senior Bowl; according to Jeremiah, 

 “I think when you look at guys who really helped themselves is this guy Quinn Meinerz… He went from someone that was on the fringe of getting drafted to the point where I think he will probably go day two”. 

Meinerz a center out of Wisconsin-Whitewater a D-III in Whitewater, Wisconsin, just an hour from where Meinerz grew up in Hartford.. Now, Meinerz is on the map for the NFL draft after his Senior Bowl performance. 

The senior bowl helping those diamonds in the rough getting noticed, especially in a COVID-19 year where the pandemic took out so many opportunities for these young guys.

The draft really starts at the number two pick, “they hold the keys to the draft.. we assume number one Trevor Lawrence goes one to Jacksonville.. and then you get to the Jets. For me, it comes down to evaluating Sam Darnold, who you already have against who you could get with that second pick”.

The Jets however, already made their move with Sam Darnold who was recently traded to the Panthers for three draft picks. The Jets get a sixth-rounder in the 2021 draft and a second-rounder and fourth-rounder in 2022. 

So with the number one spot pretty set in stone, what’s next? 

The Lions got their quarterback in Jared Goff when they traded QB Matthew Stafford to the Rams. So what do the Lions do? 

“I don’t think they go with a QB in the top ten… I see them going with a defensive player like Micah Parsons or put a for sale sign on that pick”.

Parsons, a linebacker out of Penn State, in 13 games in 2019, had 109 tackles, 14 tackle for losses, and 5 sacks. 

In a year when the pandemic really made it hard to see the available talent, places like EXOS tried to help out with having private workouts that were taped and then sent out to teams. 

“Everyone is trying to get eyeballs on these guys… getting video into the hands of the teams… EXOS has tons of guys training there… Hold up your phone get that video. The scouts didn’t get to see them as much… General Managers were in the bubble, so didn’t get out to see these guys”. 

Now, to the local team. What will the Arizona Cardinals do? 

“They can go in a lot of directions… athletic and younger at the corner would be big. Can not go wrong with the offensive line”. 

The NFL Draft takes place from April 29th to May 1st.