The NFL Draft is always a surprise, and no one truly knows who the “can’t miss” players are in each year’s draft. Analysts, teams, scouts and players themselves all have beliefs, but until players hit the field, no one knows. That is before even factoring in things like scheme, injury luck and player motivation.
A good rule of thumb is to wait about four years to give players a chance to grow, and for most players in the draft, play their first contract out to see who the top players from a respective draft were. With the 2025-26 season rapidly approaching, now is as good a time as any to look back at the 2021 NFL Draft.
Who were the top players selected four years ago? FOX Sports Research compiled a list of the top 10 players from the 2021 NFL Draft.
Top 10 players from the 2021 NFL Draft
The Eagles struck gold when they unearthed Dickerson in the top half of the second round. The former Alabama star has turned in three Pro Bowl seasons for the defending champs and finished last season as the eighth-best guard in the NFL, according to PFF. Moreover, his ability to pave the way for last year’s Offensive Player of the Year, Saquon Barkley, helped deliver that championship in 2025.
Selected at the end of the sixth round, Smith has lived up to his draft status multiple times over. He was so solid that the Chiefs placed the franchise tag on him to stop him from getting to free agency, guaranteeing him over $23M in the process. Not bad for a late sixth-round pick (insert Tom Brady reference here). Smith finished as the eighth-best guard in the AFC last season, and 14th in the entire NFL according to PFF. His best attribute? He excelled against the run, ranking in the top 10 among all guards in run-blocking, per PFF.
Lawrence was the top pick of the draft by the Jaguars back in 2021. He was hailed as the next franchise QB and one who could be one of the leaders of the NFL. That hasn’t exactly panned out, but he has still delivered on some serious value for Jacksonville. Before this injury-plagued season, Lawrence threw for 4,000 yards in back-to-back campaigns and even led the team to a playoff win over the Chargers during the 2022 season. That campaign was a special one for the gunslinger from Clemson, as he earned a Pro Bowl nod and finished seventh in the MVP vote.
Humphrey was the 63rd-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but ever since he got to Kansas City, he has played like a star. So far, he has one All-Pro team selection and three Pro Bowls to his name, as well as multiple Super Bowl appearances and victories. What more could you ask for out of a second-round pick protecting perhaps the greatest QB of all-time? Oh, he was also the top-graded center in the NFL according to PFF, finishing head and shoulders above every other center in the league.
Taken 13th overall in 2021, the Chargers have to be downright giddy about getting Slater that low. Slater has been to two Pro Bowls since entering the league, with last year being potentially his best in the NFL. He was the second-best tackle in football according to PFF, helping secure the blind side of franchise QB Justin Herbert. Slater was also ranked as the third-best pass protector, helping build off one of Herbert’s biggest strengths.
One of the biggest steals on this list, St. Brown slid to the fourth round, and the Lions pounced. All he has done since is be named to two All-Pro teams and three Pro Bowls, while playing for the league’s most explosive offenses. He has now accrued three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, and nearly did so in all four years, finishing with 912 in his rookie campaign. Overall, St. Brown is the key that makes the Lions’ passing game go.
If any NFL personnel had to choose one CB to build their defense around, Surtain would likely be the pick. Selected ninth overall, he has the rare blend of size and speed to cover any receiver and his play done nothing to dispel that notion. Surtain has been named to two All-Pro teams and three Pro Bowls thus far, and generated 11 interceptions despite seeing fewer and fewer targets his way. Last season, Surtain was ranked the second-best corner and had the best coverage grade of any CB, per PFF.
Maybe the best offensive tackle in the entire NFL, Sewell delivered for the Lions after they took him seventh overall in 2021. Since entering the league, the sturdy tackle has gone to three Pro Bowls and been selected to two All-Pro teams in his four seasons. On top of that, PFF rated him as the third tackle in the entire NFL last season while protecting the blind side of QB Jared Goff. Moreover, he was one of just two offensive tackles that PFF graded at a 90 or higher in run-blocking.
Chase was selected fifth overall by the Bengals to play with old friend Joe Burrow in 2021, and instantly gave the team one of, if not the best, QB-WR duos in the league. Although he has only made one All-Pro team, Chase has made the Pro Bowl every season with the Bengals and delivered 1,000-yard seasons every year in the NFL, including leading the NFL with 1,708 receiving yards last season. Chase also won the receiving triple crown last year, something that is likely to happen more than once if the QB-WR duo can stay healthy.
The best player – and likely the most impactful – is Micah Parsons. Parsons has earned two All-Pro nods and four Pro Bowl selections while playing for the most scrutinized team in the NFL. Since entering the NFL, he has garnered double-digit sack totals every season and earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2021. He also finished in the top three of Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2022 and 2023, before having a somewhat down year in 2024 due to injury.
Honorable mention
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