Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft is out, who the locals are taking

The 2021 NFL draft takes place April 29-May 1 in Cleveland. Locally, the New York Jets pick second overall, the Philadelphia Eagles 6th and the New York Giants 11th. The Jets then pick again at 23. Between now and then you're going to be seeing lots of mock drafts.

Here's the latest from ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and how it affects the local teams.

Right after the Jacksonville Jaguars pick quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first pick, the Jets use the second pick in the draft to select another quarterback, Zack Wilson from BYU. Here's Kiper's rationale:

"I’m down to 50-50 here on the Jets keeping quarterback Sam Darnold. Free agency didn’t tip off general manager Joe Douglas’ plan; he went out and got much needed receiving help with Corey Davis and Keelan Cole Sr., but this team needed weapons regardless of who is playing quarterback. We still have a ways to go until Round 1 begins, but this is the scenario in which Douglas gets a second-round pick for Darnold -- maybe from the 49ers, Broncos or Panthers, if my upcoming mock trade doesn’t happen -- and the Jets move forward with a new face of their future. Wilson has a superstar ceiling."

So much for current Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. With the 23rd pick, Kiper has the Jets selecting Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, explaining that:

"I like what general manager Joe Douglas has done in free agency, but the Jets have to address their defense with this pick. I’d keep an eye on every position outside of defensive tackle -- Quinnen Williams is a future superstar -- and draft the best defender on the board. For me, that’s Owusu-Koramoah, a sideline-to-sideline tackling machine. Yes, New York gets back C.J. Mosley, and it added Jarrad Davis in free agency, but coach Robert Saleh & Co. can find ways to get all three of them on the field. Owusu-Koramoah has some coverage traits that could make him valuable on third down. If one of the top corners drops to No. 23, the Jets should pounce."

Next up is the Philadelphia Eagles, whom some believe may take a quarterback to give Jalen Hurts some competition. With the 6th pick, Kiper has Philadelphia taking LSU wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase.

"Home run. Absolutely home run. They got the next Larry Fitzgerald in this draft. Ja’Marr Chase is stinking awesome! Greeny, the last time we saw Ja’Marr Chase play, he was 19 years old. He averaged 20 yards a catch. And he abused Clemson in the national championship game. ... He’s remarkable. His body control. His ability to track the football. His physicality is absolutely fantastic. I would take that it might take a little bit of the smear or a little bit of the sting from (taking) Week 17 off, with the purposeful losing last year. And the last thing I’ll say is this: If Philadelphia decides to take a quarterback at No. 6, if the only quarterback left is Mac Jones, and they take Mac Jones, the NFL should go to a 31-team league, because that should not be their pick. Take Ja’Marr Chase."

This brings us to the New York Giants, who have been on a major free agent spending spree adding, among others, cornerback Adoree Jackson and wide receiver Kenny Golladay. They resigned Leonard Williams, and now with the 11th pick in the 2021 draft Kiper has them going defense with Michigan defensive end Kwity Paye. Here's what Kiper has to say about the selection.

"The question I asked when I did my mock draft 2.0 was: Can the Giants get Daniel Jones a No. 1 wide receiver? Well, they’re certainly paying free-agent acquisition Kenny Golladay like one. That means general manager Dave Gettleman could try to address another position with this pick, likely on defense. Though I don’t have an edge rusher rated this high, Paye isn’t far off, and teams always reach for pass-rushers with intriguing physical prowess. I’ve heard that Paye is going to impress scouts at his pro day on March 26 and put up incredible testing numbers across the board. The production wasn’t there at Michigan -- 11.5 sacks in four seasons -- but I would bet on his upside, and you can see his tremendous first-step ability if you turn on the tape"

There you have it, but as they say in the world of mock drafts between now and April 29, "more to come."

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise. Any opinions expressed are Steve's own. Steve Trevelise is on New Jersey 101.5 Monday-Thursday from 7pm-11pm. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.