If there’s one person who has to be annoyed at the timing of the Aaron Rodgers trade rumor, it has to be Tim Tebow who is looking to return to the NFL now that his baseball career has fizzled out. The twist this time? He’s trying to come back as a tight end. He apparently has been working out for the Jaguars, who just so happened to have Urban Meyer as a head coach (Tebow used to play under him back in his days with the University of Florida). It’s hard to know if this will lead anywhere but you have to admire his determination to stay vaguely relevant. There was already a lot of intrigue in this year’s draft but this morning there was an additional curveball: there are serious reports that Aaron Rodgers, the reigning MVP, has demanded a trade from the Green Bay Packers. So, all of those teams who have been looking for a starting quarterback might find themselves with an additional option: instead of drafting a young but unproven QB they could try to finagle a deal with an veteran QB who could immediately help them win now. They have all seen what Tom Brady did in his first year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after all. Now, the Packers aren’t obliged to trade their franchise quarterback but, well, he could always just quit to pursue his game show host dreams. Preamble Welcome to the 2021 NFL Draft where it feels like we know quite a bit and also maybe don’t know anything at all? It turns out that trying to put together the NFL Draft after a global pandemic has radically altered the college football season poses a bit of a challenge. Teams, after all, are working with far less data then they are accustomed to here. And yet, we seem to have a pretty solid idea of how this draft will begin, at least. The Jacksonville Jaguars are absolutely going to draft Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the number one pick. The next two picks are going to be quarterbacks as well, the San Francisco 49ers even traded up to make sure that they would get “their guy.” Florida tight end Kyle Pitts will probably be the first non-quarterback off the court. And then? And then all hell breaks loose. When asked about the future of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan said, “I can’t guarantee anybody in the world will be alive Sunday.” Okay, that’s a tad bit dramatic, but hey that’s a very memorable way of saying that this time around—even by draft standards—nobody knows anything. Some players only played a handful of games last season. Some players didn’t even have a “last season,” as 2020 wreaked havoc on college football schedules and some players, possibly wisely, decided they would sit out and focus on their possible professional futures. There’s always some projection when it comes to drafting but… there is going to be a ridiculous amount of projecting being done this time around. This is the Unknown Unknowns Draft and, honestly, that should end up being fun. So, follow along with me for the next few hours where the entire NFL world is fixated on organization representatives announcing names. It sounds like it shouldn’t be a dramatic, television event (or the inspiration for an ill-conceived featured film) but every year the Draft manages to give us memorable moments, genuine surprises and at least a handful of memes. If you want to join the conversation, send an email to hunter.felt.freelance@theguardian.com or tweet to @HunterFelt with your thoughts, questions, predictions or whatnot. We’re scheduled to start the ceremony at 8:00 pm EST, but we’ll be back before then. Hunter will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s how Graham Searles sees the top picks shaping up in his mock draft: 1) Jacksonville Jaguars Pick: Trevor Lawrence, quarterback, Clemson. The Jaguars cannot miss with Lawrence. He dominated from minute one as a freshman through to the end of his junior year and is seen as one of the most promising quarterbacks ever. He hits all three levels accurately, has a delicate touch and can keep a defense off balance with his running. Lawrence should be the face of Jacksonville’s franchise for a decade or more. 2) New York Jets Pick: Zach Wilson, quarterback, BYU. Another dead cert is Wilson receiving New York’s crown of thorns. Incredible in his final season for BYU, he delivered the highest grade from a college passer ever recorded by Pro Football Focus, beating marks set by Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. His improvisational talent (much like his namesake in Seattle) makes him a great fit for Jets head coach Robert Saleh as there will be teething problems. Wilson will need more help in protection and weapons than his predecessor to flourish, but GM Joe Douglas appears to (maybe) have figured that problem out after a promising free agency. 3) San Francisco 49ers (from Houston, via Miami) Pick: Mac Jones, quarterback, Alabama. GM John Lynch has put faith in head coach Kyle Shanahan to find the team’s next franchise quarterback after moving up to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo. They should go for Justin Fields but toasting Clemson with broken ribs in the college playoff semi-finals seems to have been overlooked because of (unfounded) questions about work ethic. Not the greatest of looks, but back to Jones. What he lacks in flashy big throws he makes up for with supreme decision-making and pinpoint accuracy. Sounds better than Jimmy G already. 4) Atlanta Falcons Pick: Trey Lance, quarterback, North Dakota State. The Falcons start planning for the post-Matt Ryan era. Ryan turns 36 in May and with Matt Schaub finally gone, Lance can immediately step in as his backup. The Falcons can nab the best running QB in the class – and he has a huge, if sometimes inaccurate, arm. 5) Cincinnati Bengals Pick: Penei Sewell, offensive tackle, Oregon. Cincinnati may consider upgrading their gossamer-thin o-line so that Joe Burrow doesn’t need to run for his life every time he drops back. Sewell should give his QB some room to work. He allowed only 15 pressures on 706 blocking attempts in college and, helpfully for the Bengals’ mediocre running game, he is a master at breaking open lanes too.