Shaw Local draft central: Live updates from the 2021 NFL draft

After months of talk and speculation, the NFL draft is here. The three-day event kicked off with the first round Thursday night.

Shaw Local has provided tons of draft coverage over the past few months. Everything you need to know about the 2021 NFL draft is compiled here in one place. Stay right here for live updates as well.

The Bears made headlines Thursday by trading up to select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields with the 11th overall pick. Catch up on all the Bears coverage you missed here:

[ Bears trade up to No. 11 to select Ohio State QB Justin Fields ]

[ Hub Arkush: Bears move both boldly and wisely to get their QB ]

[ Hub Arkush: Justin Fields’ college coach says the QB is healthy and as special as they come ]

In the second round, the Bears moved up yet again, trading with Carolina for the 39th overall pick. They used that pick to select Oklahoma State offensive tackle Teven Jenkins.

[ Bears trade up again, select Oklahoma State offensive tackle Teven Jenkins ]

NFL draft live updates

Jets draft two players named Michael Carter

The New York Jets selected two players named Michael Carter on Saturday. They played for rival colleges.

One Michael Carter, a running back from North Carolina, went in the fourth round (107th overall). The other Michael Carter II, a safety from Duke, went in the fifth round (154th overall).

Things might get confusing for the Jets.

Bears draft Missouri OT Larry Borom

With the 151st overall pick in the fifth round, the Bears selected Missouri offensive tackle Larry Borom. Borom (6-foot-5, 322 pounds) started 19 games over the past two seasons, with 16 of those starts at right tackle. While he played tackle at Missouri, he might be better suited at guard in the NFL. His arms are only 33 1/8 inches long, which is small for an NFL tackle. Borom grew up in Detroit.

Day 3 is underway

The third and final day of the NFL draft is underway with the 106th overall pick. The Bears don’t currently hold another selection until the 151st overall pick in the fifth round, plus three sixth-round picks. In his media session late Friday, Bears general manager Ryan Pace sounded like a man still looking to wheel and deal.

“We’ve got this tradition of fifth-round picks we’re nailing,” Pace said. “We’ve got to keep it rolling. I’m excited about those [sixth-round picks], too, and maybe we’ll move around tomorrow and do some other damage.”

Day 2 wraps up

Four teams were given compensatory picks at the end of the third round because other teams hired away minority coaches or general managers from their organizations. Such compensatory picks were approved unanimously by league owners last year.

The third round wrapped up with Denver selecting Ohio State linebacker Baron Browning with the 105th overall pick.

The draft will resume at 11 a.m. Saturday with rounds four through seven. The Bears have four selections Saturday: one in the fifth round (the 151st pick) and three in the sixth (208th, 221st, 228th).

Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Quinn Meinerz goes to Denver

One of the most unique players in this year’s draft, Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Quinn Meinerz, went 98th overall to the Denver Broncos. Meinerz, an offensive lineman for the Division III Warhawks, had some of the most interesting tape – which included knocking down trees and curling water jugs.

Peoria native Kendrick Green goes 87th to the Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Illinois interior offensive lineman Kendrick Green with the 87th overall pick in the third round. Green helped Peoria High School win an IHSA Class 5A state championship in 2016.

[ Former Peoria star, Illini lineman Kendrick Green eyes NFL draft ]

Packers take Clemson WR Amari Rodgers

The Packers finally did something that quarterback Aaron Rodgers might like. Green Bay traded up to the 85th overall pick in the third round and selected Clemson wide receiver Amari Rodgers.

Amari Rodgers is a bulldozer of a slot receiver who even took reps at running back during his Pro Day. The Rodgers-to-Rodgers connection could be promising – if that other Rodgers returns next season.

Reports surfaced Thursday that Aaron Rodgers is unhappy in Green Bay and has told some people within the organization that he no longer wants to play for the Packers.

[ Report: Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has told some he wants out of Green Bay ]

Several QBs go late in second, early in third

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the future in mind. They selected Florida quarterback Kyle Trask with the 64th overall pick, the final pick of the second round. It gives Tom Brady a new backup and it gives the Bucs a direction at the position after Brady’s playing days are over.

Bears NFC North rival Minnesota found a potential quarterback of the future in Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond. The Vikings took Mond early in the third round with the 66th overall pick. Vikings starter Kirk Cousins is under contract for two more seasons.

With the very next pick, Houston selected Sanford QB Davis Mills. The future with Houston starter Deshaun Watson remains in doubt. Selecting Mills gives the Texans a backup plan.

Receivers moving off the board in round two

Several more receivers have been selected in the second round. Western Michigan’s D’Wayne Eskridge went went 56th overall to the Seattle Seahawks. Louisville’s Tutu Atwell went 57th overall to the Los Angeles Rams. LSU’s Terrace Marshall went 59th overall to Carolina.

Some considered Marshall a potential first-round pick.

Purdue WR Rondale Moore goes to Arizona at No. 49

One of the top receiver in the Big Ten, Purdue’s Rondale Moore, went to the Arizona Cardinals at No. 49 overall.

Three more offensive tackles have come off the board since the Bears selected Teven Jenkins with the 39th pick. Miami took Notre Dame’s Liam Eichenberg with the 42nd overall pick. Jacksonville took Stanford’s Walker Little at 45th overall. The Washington Football team selected Texas’ Samuel Cosmi with the 51st pick.

Additionally, Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah – who many had pegged as a first-round pick – dropped to the Cleveland Browns at No. 52 overall.

Bears trade up to No. 39 overall

The Bears have traded up with the Carolina Panthers for the 39th overall pick in Friday’s second round. They used the pick to select Oklahoma State offensive tackle Teven Jenkins.

The Bears gave up the 52nd overall pick (second round), the 83rd overall pick (third round) and the 204th overall pick (sixth round) in exchange for the Panthers’ 39th overall pick (second round) and 151st overall pick (fifth round). The trade means the Bears currently do not have another pick until Saturday’s fifth round.

Ole Miss WR Elijah Moore is off the board

A potential Bears target at wide receiver, Ole Miss’ Elijah Moore, went 34th overall to the New York Jets. The Denver Broncos traded up for the Atlanta Falcons’ spot at 35th overall and used the pick on North Carolina running back Javonte Williams.

Day two gets underway Friday

After a brief rest, the NFL draft continues Friday with the second and third rounds. The Bears hold the 52nd overall pick and the 83rd overall selection.

Tampa Bay wraps up Thursday’s first round

Tampa Bay closed out the first round of the 2021 NFL draft by selecting Washington edge rusher Joe Tryon.

31st overall: Baltimore took Penn State defensive end Jayson Oweh.

30th overall: Buffalo selected Miami defensive end Gregory Rousseau.

Packers select Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes

While reports surfaced Thursday that Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers is unhappy with the team, the Packers once again failed to get him some help on offense with their first-round draft pick.

The Packers selected Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes with the 29th overall pick.

Previous picks:

28th overall: New Orleans selected Houston defensive end Payton Turner.

27th overall: Baltimore took Minnesota receiver Rashod Bateman.

Northwestern’s Greg Newsome goes to Cleveland

Former Glenbard North cornerback Greg Newsome went to the Cleveland Browns at No. 26 overall. Newsome was the second Northwestern player selected in the first round. He brings elite speed to the cornerback position.

[ ‘We all saw it’: Greg Newsome’s journey from Glenbard North to the NFL draft ]

Previous picks included:

25th overall: Jacksonville picked Clemson running back Travis Ettiene.

24th overall: Pittsburgh took Alabama running back Najee Harris.

23rd overall: Minnesota selected Virginia Tech offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw.

22nd overall: Tennessee selected Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley.

21st overall: Indianapolis took Michigan defensive end Kwity Paye.

Giants use Bears’ 20th overall pick on Florida WR Kadarius Toney

The New York Giants made good use of what used to be the Bears’ 20th overall pick, selecting Florida receiver Kadarius Toney.

Previous picks included Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins to Arizona at No. 16, Alabama tackle Alex Leatherwood to Las Vegas at No. 17, Miami Hurricanes defensive end Jaelan Phillips to the Miami Dolphins at No. 18, and Kentucky linebacker Jamin Davis to the Washington Football Team at No. 19.

Mac Jones goes 15th to the Patriots

Bill Belichick found his quarterback. The Patriots sat tight at No. 15 overall and Alabama quarterback Mac Jones fell to them.

That came after Northwestern tackle Rashawn Slater went 13th to the Chargers and the New York Jets traded up to 14th to select offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker from USC.

Dallas takes LB Micah Parsons

After trading down from No. 10 to No. 12, the Cowboys took linebacker Micah Parsons from Penn State.

Bears trade up and select Justin Fields

The Bears traded four picks to the New York Giants to move up from No. 20 overall to No. 11 and select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. The Bears reportedly gave up their No. 20 pick, their 2021 fifth-round pick, as well as their 2022 first-round pick and a 2022 fourth-round pick.

Eagles move up in trade with Cowboys

The Philadelphia Eagles moved from No. 12 overall to No. 10 in a trade with the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles used the 10th overall pick to select Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith.

Broncos take Alabama CB Patrick Surtain

The Broncos selected Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain with the ninth overall pick in Thursday’s draft. After seven straight offensive players, cornerbacks go back-to-back at No. 8 and No. 9.

The move leaves two of the top five quarterbacks on the board.

At No. 8 overall, Carolina goes with CB Jaycee Horn

A day after trading quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to the Broncos, the Panthers elected to pass on a quarterback at eighth overall. They selected cornerback Jaycee Horn from South Carolina.

Detroit selects OT Penei Sewell

The Lions took the first offensive lineman of the night in tackle Penei Sewell of Oregon with the seventh overall pick. Sewell was widely considered the best tackle in the 2021 draft.

Miami adds WR Jaylen Waddle with sixth pick

The Dolphins gave quarterback Tua Tagovailoa a new weapon for the Miami offense with Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle. The two were teammates at Alabama.

At No. 5 overall, the Bengals select WR Ja’Marr Chase

The Bengals reunited quarterback Joe Burrow with his former LSU teammate, Ja’Marr Chase, with the fifth pick. Chase is the first wide receiver off the board.

Atlanta takes Florida TE Kyle Pitts

The first non-quarterback off the board was Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, going fourth overall to the Atlanta Falcons. It marked the highest a tight end has ever been selected in the draft.

San Francisco selects North Dakota State QB Trey Lance with third overall pick

Nobody knew what the 49ers were going to do with the third overall pick. They were expected to select a quarterback, the question was: Which one?

They went with North Dakota State QB Trey Lance. Lance played only 17 college games at the FCS level. He is one of the least-experienced quarterbacks in the draft, but many believe he has high potential.

Jets pick BYU QB Zach Wilson

The New York Jets drafted BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the second overall pick in Thursday’s first round. It marked the second time in four years that the Jets took a quarterback with their first-round pick.

Jaguars select Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence with first overall pick

The Jaguars surprised nobody and selected Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first pick. Lawrence was widely considered the best prospect in this year’s draft. He guided Clemson to a national championship following the 2018 regular season.

Pre-draft analysis

When is the draft and how can I watch it?

This year’s draft will be held in downtown Cleveland. All three days of the draft will be carried on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network.

Round 1: Thursday, 7 p.m.

Rounds 2-3: Friday, 6 p.m.

Rounds 4-7: Saturday, 11 a.m.

When do the Bears pick?

The Bears have eight draft picks this year. They will select in the first round for the first time since taking linebacker Roquan Smith eighth overall in 2018. The Bears traded their 2019 and 2020 first-round picks in exchange for outside linebacker Khalil Mack back in 2018.

They will select 20th overall in the first round. The Bears don’t have a fourth- or a seventh-round selection, but they do have four sixth-round picks. Here are the Bears’ picks:

First round: 20th overall

Second round: 52nd overall

Third round: 83rd overall

Fifth round: 164th overall

Sixth round: 204th overall

Sixth round: 208th overall (from Seattle via Miami)

Sixth round: 221st overall (compensatory pick)

Sixth round: 228th overall (compensatory pick)

Hub Arkush’s top 200 draft board

Shaw Local analyst Hub Arkush has been providing NFL draft coverage as long as anyone out there. This year he ranked his top 200 prospects.

No surprise here, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence comes in as Arkush’s No. 1 prospect in the draft.

[ Hub Arkush’s 2021 NFL draft preview: Top 200 draft board ]

Position-by-position breakdown

Arkush provided a position-by-position look at the draft, ranking his top 10 in each. He also provided some potential targets for the Bears in each position.

Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Offensive tackle | Interior offensive line | Defensive line | Edge rusher | Linebacker | Cornerback | Safety

Give me some mock drafts

You got it.

Arkush and Shaw Local Bears reporter Sean Hammond finished up their fourth and final mock drafts this week. They look similar at the top, but how the draft plays out differs widely.

Hub Arkush’s mock draft version 4.0

Sean Hammond’s mock draft version 4.0

What is the Bears plan?

It’s really anybody’s guess, but there certainly are clue to be drawn from the way the roster is currently constructed. The Bears probably want to bring in a rookie quarterback to learn from Andy Dalton and Nick Foles, but at No. 20 overall they’re not in a great position to do so in the first round. It’s possible the Bears could trade up for a quarterback, but it would come at a cost.

[ Take 2: Should the Bears trade up in the draft? Or should they trade down? ]

They need a starting right tackle after cutting Bobby Massie. They likely need another cornerback after cutting Pro Bowl corner Kyle Fuller. Matt Nagy’s offense could also use additional depth at receiver. There’s any number of ways they could go in the first round.

Arkush has plenty of thoughts on what the Bears could do. Here’s a few:

Did Ryan Pace spill the beans at Tuesday’s press conference?

Ryan Pace likes making draft day trades. Can he afford to this year?

Do the Bears really have a significant need at wide receiver?

Could the Bears still have 1 or 2 more quarterback moves up their sleeves?

If the Bears go for a lineman, who will be there?

Lots of media pundits think the Bears are likely to select an offensive lineman 20th overall. Offensive tackles Penei Sewell from Oregon and Rashawn Slater from Northwestern are widely considered the top two tackles in the draft. Both will likely be gone by the time the Bears are on the clock.

Three names to watch for include Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw, USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker and Oklahoma State’s Teven Jenkins.

[ Bears draft targets: What to know about Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw ]

[ Bears draft targets: What to know about USC’s Alijah Vera-Tucker ]

[ Bears draft targets: What to know about Oklahoma State’s Teven Jenkins ]