Jordan Smith is first UAB player selected in NFL draft since 2015
Updated May 01, 2021;
For the first time since the program was reinstated six years, and making its re-debut four seasons ago, the UAB football program has a player selected in the NFL Draft.
Former UAB outside linebacker Jordan Smith was taken in the fourth round by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 121st overall pick.
Smith is the 15th player from UAB to be drafted and becomes the first selected since wide receiver J.J. Nelson and tight end Kennard Backman were taken in the fifth and sixth rounds of the 2015 draft.
The 2021 NFL draft was held April 29 through May 1, and every Jacksonville Jaguars draft pick has been analyzed here.
After last season s virtual draft, Cleveland played host to the festivities this year with a handful of potential draft picks present and socially distanced because of COVID-19.
Here s a pick-by-pick look at how each player Jacksonville has selected will fit.
Round 1, No. 1 overall: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson
My take: This was a no-brainer for the Jaguars, who have been searching for a franchise quarterback since Mark Brunell led the team to four consecutive playoff appearances (including two AFC title games) from 1996 to 99. Lawrence is the best QB prospect since Andrew Luck, and he has lost just four games as a starting QB since he began high school. Lawrence steps into a situation with a 1,000-yard rusher (James Robinson), a veteran receiver (Marvin Jones Jr.) and an offensive line that returns all five starters. He s also got an experienced offensive coordi
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Ted S. Warren/Associated Press
Unless some trades are on the horizon, the Seattle Seahawks won t be too active during the 2021 NFL draft.
The Seahawks don t have a first-round pick after it was traded to the New York Jets in exchange for safety Jamal Adams last July, as was their third-round selection for this year s draft. So Seattle only has one pick on Day 2 the No. 56 overall selection in the second round.
On Day 3, the Seahawks have a fourth-round pick (No. 129 overall) and a seventh-round selection (No. 250 overall). They traded their fifth-rounder to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for guard Gabe Jackson last month. And their sixth-round selection went to the Miami Dolphins during last year s draft in exchange for a 2020 seventh-round pick.
Apr 22, 2021
The Jacksonville Jaguars spent much of the past calendar year setting the foundation and shoring up the corner unit. Arguably no unit has seen more change in that time. After losing Jalen Ramsey and AJ Bouye, corner was the first position the previous regime addressed in the 2020 NFL Draft, taking Florida corner CJ Henderson at No. 9 overall in the first round. In fact, with the franchise record 12 picks in last year s draft, four were corners: Henderson, Luq Barcoo, Josiah Scott, and Chris Claybrooks. Furthermore, due to injuries, all four saw significant playing time with Henderson, Claybrooks, and Barcoo all starting at various times.
Ravens 2021 NFL Draft Profile: EDGE Jordan Smith
An under the radar edge rusher that could be a middle round gem
Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Baltimore Ravens perimeter pass rush is an area that the front office needs to address with the departure of Matthew Judon, Yannick Ngakoue, and Jihad Ward in free agency. While reinforcements could come in the form of a veteran signing, that likely won’t come until after it would no longer impact the compensatory pick formula.
This year’s class of incoming edge rushers lacks a clear alpha but is filled with a plethora of betas with alpha or at least steady difference-making potential. The Ravens have been linked to several edge defenders with their first and second-round picks but they could still find talent at the position later on day two or early on day three.