It's not hyperbole to call the 2021 NFL draft one of the most compelling in recent years. Consider:
The quarterback class featured five standouts, including the best prospect at the position since Andrew Luck in Trevor Lawrence. San Francisco tried to execute coach Kyle Shanahan's best misdirection play yet, nurturing monthlong intrigue about its QB target at No. 3.
Offensive skill players dominated the top 10. That quarterback Justin Fields fell out of it is still hard to explain.
The New York Jets hit their stride on a rebuild that might just work -- eventually.
Several teams in the No. 7-to-No. 12 range debated trading up or down the board in the final hours, a group that included new general managers in Detroit, Carolina and Denver.
And nearly half the league contemplated adding a passer either for developmental or starting purposes.
All those factors shook out as teams navigated a draft pool diluted by the effects of COVID-19. Player opt-outs and limited game film made teams uneasy about players outside of the top 100, fueling wild unpredictability on Day 3.
After letting the picks breathe for a week, let's sort through the aftermath. We made calls around the league for draft-related nuggets on each team -- intel from on-the-clock decisions, background on key picks, Day 1 strategy, stats and trends, sleepers, as well as league execs and scouts reacting to picks.
Each team's draft was certainly unique, for better or worse.
