EJ Smith’s NFL mock draft: Eagles land Alabama’s DeVonta Smith to be a true No. 1 receiver

Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

Lawrence has a remarkably high floor and has all the tools to become an elite quarterback. Jacksonville just needs to build the infrastructure around him to help him reach his potential.

Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

Jets general manager Joe Douglas is betting that Wilson’s arm talent and improvisational ability will help him pan out, even if he played against subpar competition with an elite offensive line making things easier for him in college.

Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

Apparently the Niners are between Lance and Alabama quarterback Mac Jones. I simply don’t see it with Jones, so they’ll take the big swing on Lance, who has incredible tools but a scarily low number of college snaps under his belt.

Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

Atlanta, or a team that trades into this spot, snags Justin Fields. Maybe Fields’ personality is rubbing NFL evaluators the wrong way, but his film, physical tools, and college production would suggest he could become the steal of the draft here.

Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

Cincinnati is tempted by the top pass catchers but ultimately does the right thing by shoring up Joe Burrow’s protection with the best offensive tackle in the class.

Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

Miami could take a receiver here but ultimately goes with Pitts, a freakish athlete who will create mismatches every week. You could argue Pitts is the best player in the draft, so Miami is getting great value here.

Ja’Marr Chase, WR, LSU

Detroit goes with the best player available and will be quite pleased to do so. The last time we saw Chase, he was the best receiver in a room with Justin Jefferson in it.

Rashawn Slater, OL, Northwestern

Carolina gets to bolster its offensive line with Slater, who could start his career at tackle and, if he struggles, become one of the league’s best guards.

Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

Broncos coach Vic Fangio gets his field general in Parsons, a big, physical, and explosive linebacker who can play and dominate on all three downs.

» READ MORE: NFL mock draft: Eagles take Penn State LB Micah Parsons in 1st round, WR in 2nd, QB in 3rd | Marcus Hayes

Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama

Jerry Jones could always make things go sideways, but Surtain would give the Cowboys the best cornerback in the draft and shore up their secondary.

Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

The Giants probably should be in on a quarterback here, but instead they give Daniel Jones another weapon in what will probably be a “prove it” year.

» READ MORE: Even after trading back in the first round, the Eagles are in a rare spot — if they stay there

DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

The Eagles could be wary of going with a first-round receiver in consecutive years, but shouldn’t overthink it here. Smith is one of the best prospects in the draft. The Heisman Trophy winner could become a true No. 1 receiver. Jaycee Horn is in play here as well, but there are plenty of opportunities in later rounds to add a CB2, which isn’t likely as high a priority for a defense transitioning to more Cover 2 looks.

Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

Will Horn make the Eagles regret their decision? The Chargers should be tempted to bolster their offensive line, but Chargers coach Brandon Staley won’t be able to pass on the opportunity to turn Horn into the next Jalen Ramsey.

Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, Southern Cal

The Vikings have their pick of edge rushers here but instead take Vera-Tucker to give them more flexibility and talent on the offensive line.

Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

Sorry to any Jones fans, but I’m not convinced he’s actually a top-10 talent. This is a trade-free mock, so the Patriots stay put and take Jones, betting on his accuracy and pass timing translating to the next level.

» READ MORE: The Eagles picked a bad year to have a lot of late-round draft picks. They’re hoping to trade a lot of them away.

Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky

Arizona could go a number of ways here — and this is a little high for Davis — but the Cards address their need at linebacker in the first round for the second year in a row.

Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami

Phillips might be the most talented edge rusher in the draft, but medical concerns will keep him from going as high as his talent would normally suggest. Las Vegas takes the chance here.

» READ MORE: Lessons learned from the Eagles’ drafting of Shareef Miller vs. Josh Sweat

Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan

Paye could go a little higher than this, but defensive ends are suffering a bit in this mock draft because of an abundance of options toward the back half of the first round. Miami gets the athletic Michigan pass rusher.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB/S, Notre Dame

There are a handful of solid offensive-tackle options still on the board, but Ron Rivera chooses instead to add Owusu-Koramoah, a new-age linebacker/safety hybrid who can fill several roles.

Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

Chicago will be another team that would seemingly pursue a trade up but instead takes Jenkins, who should step in Day 1 at right tackle and impose his will on smaller edge rushers.

Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

Indianapolis will thank its lucky stars that Darrisaw, who has experience playing left tackle, made it to them instead of Jenkins. Corner is also a need for Indy, but Darrisaw is the better value at this point in the draft.

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Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

Tennessee just lost Corey Davis in free agency and gets his replacement with its first chance in the draft. Bateman is a physical receiver who is also a talented route runner, making him a bit of a commodity.

Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

Farley would have likely been a top-10 pick if not for a back injury that raised red flags. His durability is the only major concern regarding his future in the pros. If he stays healthy, he has the size, speed, and technique to become a truly elite corner.

Greg Newsome II, CB, Northwestern

Pittsburgh could go running back, but it would be hard to pass up Newsome, who has steadily climbed draft boards because of impressive athletic testing to go along with clean film. He should be a Day 1 starter on the outside.

Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss

Urban Meyer has to get Lawrence some toys, right? Moore is one of the most electric players in the draft. I’d imagine Meyer would consider the other Moore (Purdue receiver Rondale Moore) here, but Elijah’s durability gives him the edge.

» READ MORE: Jeffrey Lurie loves to involve himself in the Eagles’ draft process. Good luck stopping him. | Mike Sielski

Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama

Christian Barmore could go much higher than this, especially considering it’s a bad year for interior linemen. Andrew Berry has valued the trenches as much as anyone in Cleveland, so he takes the former Neumann Goretti star.

Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU

Baltimore needs a safety and Moehrig is the best in the draft. Maybe they could have waited until the 31st pick to get him, but why risk the Saints or Packers taking him?

Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia

Some have Ojulari as the top edge rusher in the class because of his explosiveness and array of pass-rush moves. If he slides to New Orleans, this would be a great value.

» READ MORE: Will Howie Roseman listen to Andy Weidl and his scouts, rather than Jeffrey Lurie and others, when the Eagles draft this year?

Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama

Dickerson might not play an impact position and he’s recovering from a torn ACL, but it’s hard to argue there are 32 players better than him in this class. Once healthy, he figures to be a dominant interior lineman with a nasty streak in short order.

Joe Tryon, EDGE, Washington

The Bills are another team getting in on the late run on edge rushers. They take Tryon over Jason Oweh because of Tryon’s ability to hold up against the run while also having some pass-rush ability.

Jason Oweh, EDGE, Penn State

Oweh might still be smarting from Buffalo’s passing on him, but it won’t last. Baltimore takes the athletic and raw edge rusher out of Penn State, betting on his speed and ignoring his complete lack of sack production at Happy Valley.

Terrace Marshall, WR, LSU

Gotta keep Tom Brady happy, right? Marshall ekes into the first round as a wideout with the rare combination of size and speed.