2021 NFL Draft: Top 50 Prospects Available on Day 2

1.Christian Barmore, defensive tackle (Alabama)

2.Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, inside/outside linebacker (Notre Dame)

3.Azeez Ojulari, edge rusher (Georgia)

4.Trevon Moehrig, safety (TCU)

5.Terrace Marshall Jr., wide receiver (LSU)

6.Elijah Moore, wide receiver (Ole Miss)

7.Rondale Moore, wide receiver (Purdue)

8.Nick Bolton, inside linebacker (Missouri)

9.Teven Jenkins, tackle (Oklahoma State)

10.Asante Samuel Jr., cornerback (Florida State)

11.Dyami Brown, wide receiver (North Carolina)

12.Richie Grant, safety (UCF)

13.Carlos Basham Jr., edge rusher (Wake Forest)

14.Dillon Radunz, tackle (North Dakota State)

15.Javonte Williams, running back (North Carolina)

16.Ronnie Perkins, edge rusher (Oklahoma)

17.Samuel Cosmi, tackle (Texas)

18.Creed Humphrey, center (Oklahoma)

19.Jamar Johnson, safety (Indiana)

20.Pat Friermuth, tight end (Penn State)

21.Jabril Cox, inside linebacker (LSU)

22.Quinn Meinerz, guard/center (Wisconsin-Whitewater)

23.Liam Eichenberg, tackle (Notre Dame)

24.Joseph Ossai, edge rusher (Texas)

25.Alim McNeill, defensive tackle (NC State)

26.Tylan Wallace, wide receiver (Oklahoma State)

27.Aaron Robinson, cornerback (UCF)

28.Jackson Carman, tackle (Clemson)

29.Elijah Molden, safety/cornerback (Washington)

30.Wyatt Davis, guard (Ohio State)

31.Brady Christensen, tackle (BYU)

32.Amon-Ra St. Brown, wide receiver (USC)

33.Kelvin Joseph, cornerback (Kentucky)

34.Michael Carter, running back (North Carolina)

35.Tyson Campbell, cornerback (Georgia)

36.Andre Cisco, safety (Syracuse)

37.Landon Dickerson, center (Alabama)

38.Josh Palmer, wide receiver (Tennessee)

39.Ar'darius Washington, safety (TCU)

40.Rashad Weaver, edge rusher (Pittsburgh)

41.Cade Johnson, wide receiver (South Dakota State)

42.Jaelon Darden, wide receiver (North Texas)

43.Ifeatu Melifonwu, cornerback (Syracuse)

44.Kendrick Green, guard (Illinois)

45.Jalen Mayfield, tackle (Michigan)

46.Tommy Togiai, defensive tackle (Ohio State)

47.Cam Sample, edge rusher (Tulane)

48.Kyle Trask, quarterback (Florida)

49.Divine Deablo, safety (Virginia Tech)

50.Tommy Tremble, tight end (Notre Dame)

2021 NFL Mock Draft 6.0 (Draft Day 4/29)

1.Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, quarterback (Clemson):

Lawrence has essentially been locked in as the #1 pick in the 2021 draft for 3 years now. While there are more question marks surrounding his game in the present day than there was when he lead Clemson to a national title as a freshman in 2018 thanks to his poor performances in back-to-back College Football Playoffs, he's still an elite prospect that's well positioned to end the long-standing woes that the Jags have had at quarterback.   

2.New York Jets: Zach Wilson, quarterback (BYU):

Trading Sam Darnold to the Panthers earlier this month has erased any of the mystery surrounding what direction the Jets are going in at #2. Wilson has ascended up draft boards following his unbelievable 2020 campaign (3,692 YDS, 33 TD, 3 INT, 73.5 CMP% in 12 games) and despite not facing the highest level of competition at BYU, his arm strength, ball placement and ability to extend plays with his legs is as good as anyone in this draft class-making him the ideal candidate to be the next cursed soul tasked with trying to turn around the Jets.

3.San Francisco 49ers: Mac Jones, quarterback (Alabama):

Reports out of the Bay Area over the last 72 hours have said that the 49ers are currently debating between Jones and Trey Lance here. If you look at the collection of QB's that Kyle Shanahan (Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan, Jimmy Garoppolo) has had success with over the years and ask yourself which of these prospects plays like them, you'll realize that this "debate" is one of the most unconvincing smokescreens in draft history.

4.Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, tight end (Florida):

Adding another offensive weapon is nowhere near the top of the Falcons list of needs, but putting the 6'6, 245 lb Pitts-who could prove to be one of the biggest matchup problems in the league if his route-running, contested catch ability and blistering speed (he a 4.41 40 at his pro day last month) translate to the NFL-next to Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley could give them the dynamic firepower to finish on the right side of more shootouts in 2021.

5.Cincinnati Bengals: Ja'Marr Chase, wide receiver (LSU):

If this was any team besides the Bengals, Penei Sewell would be the pick since he's a potential generational tackle prospect and Joe Burrow took an absolute beating in his rookie season which resulted in him sustaining a major knee injury last November (torn ACL and MCL, structural damage to PCL and meniscus). Since Mike Brown almost certainly considers signing Riley Reiff in free agency to be enough of an investment in the offensive line, reuniting Burrow with his college teammate-who to be fair is a do-it-all wideout that has good odds of blossoming into a hell of a pro-seems like it's the inevitable play. 

6.Miami Dolphins: Penei Sewell, tackle (Oregon):

The Bengals desire to fix their o-line issues by giving Burrow another receiving weapon is seemingly setting Chris Grier up for another slam dunk move. 2020 1st rounder Austin Jackson is not equipped to be a left tackle at the pro level and adding a tackle that's as clean as Sewell would give the Dolphins the blind side anchor they desperately need while also allowing Jackson the opportunity to develop his game on the right side of the line. 

7.Detroit Lions: DeVonta Smith, wide receiver (Alabama):

With Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. exiting in free agency, the Lions receiver room got a lot less talented basically overnight. Bringing in the reigning Heisman winner would help stop the bleeding by giving Jared Goff somebody he can feed at all levels of the field that boasts a track record of making game-breaking plays at critical moments.

8.Carolina Panthers: Rashawn Slater, tackle/guard (Northwestern):

Aside from being poisoned by the coaching of Adam Gase, offensive line play was the biggest problem that prevented Sam Darnold from reaching his potential. Adding someone with the fluidity, positional versatility and toughness of Slater could bring the Panthers one step closer to assuring those issues won't follow him to Charlotte.

9.Denver Broncos: Micah Parsons, inside linebacker (Penn State):

The character concerns surrounding Parsons have all seemingly evaporated in the weeks leading up to the draft, which has suddenly placed him among the leading contenders to be the first defensive player off the board. Parsons' explosive athleticism along with the precision and aggression in which he blitzes with should immediately make him a heavily featured piece in Vic Fangio's defense.

10.Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Surtain II, cornerback (Alabama):

An early run on quarterbacks allows Jerry Jones to make a tremendous value pick that also happens to address the Cowboys single greatest positional need. Surtain II is far and away the most disciplined, well-rounded corner in this class and the prospect of reuniting him with his college running mate Trevon Diggs-who was the 'Boys lone standout at corner last season-would undoubtedly delight the large contingent of Crimson Tide/Cowboys crossover fans.  

11.New York Giants: Jayson Oweh, edge rusher (Penn State):

Is #11 too high to select an edge player in a draft class that has an abundance of intriguing yet flawed prospects, but not a single "can't miss" guy? Probably. Will Dave Gettleman take this into account when deciding what to do with this pick? No chance. Oweh's ridiculous pro day performance where his elite measurables (4.36 40, 39.5 in vertical jump, 11 ft, 2 in broad jump) further solidified his status as a rare athlete and ability to make an impact as a run defender seems like a recipe to land him atop the Giants positional board.  

12.Philadelphia Eagles: Jaycee Horn, cornerback (South Carolina):

Considering the glut of defensive deficiencies the Eagles have, Howie Roseman will likely try to trade down to add more picks. If they do stick here, there are a variety of intriguing options to consider along the front 7, but Horn makes the most sense considering how badly they've gotten burned by repeatedly waiting until rounds 2-4 to draft corners (Sidney Jones, Rasul Douglas, Avonte Maddox) in recent years. With 3 years of starting experience in the SEC and the ability to line up outside or in the slot and play man or zone coverage, Horn is as battle-tested as a corner can possibly be coming out of college while also possessing the combination of physicality, length and fluid footwork downfield that NFL teams covet.  

13.Los Angeles Chargers: Jaylen Waddle, wide receiver (Alabama):

The receiver spot next to Keenan Allen was a revolving door of bodies (Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton, Tyron Johnson) for the Chargers last season that very rarely yielded positive results. A vertical threat with breakaway speed in Waddle would not only bolster the depth at the position, but give Justin Herbert a weapon that is perfectly tailored to his skill set.

14.Minnesota Vikings: Christian Darrisaw, tackle (Virginia Tech):

Drafting a proven pass-protector who plays with a palpable edge in Darrisaw should help lower the odds of Kirk Cousins-who was sacked a whopping 39 times in 2020 (5th most in the league)-from getting put into a body bag during his age 33 season. 

15.New England Patriots: Justin Fields, quarterback (Ohio State):

Bill Belichick just went out and spent a zillion dollars in free agency for the first time ever, so there's no better time to entertain the possibility of pigs flying on draft day too. As much as Belichick's approach to devising a succession plan for Tom Brady has proven how little stock he puts into quarterback as a position, he's also obsessed with making "value" roster moves and a guy that was projected to be a top 3 pick not too long ago that has an abundance of valuable traits (arm strength, accuracy, mobility, toughness, strong performances against high-end competition ) and is currently undergoing a freefall down the board that has been among the most baffling in recent memory certainly qualifies as "value". 

16.Arizona Cardinals: Greg Newsome II, cornerback (Northwestern):

In the wake of Patrick Peterson's departure and Byron Murphy's continued struggles in his inaugural 2 NFL seasons, signing Malcolm Butler-who is coming off his shakiest season as a pro in Tennessee-is not going to be enough to fix the blatant talent deficiency the Cardinals currently have in their locker room. While his injury history could give the Cards some pause, Newsome is a tough, physical outside corner who is just as game to come up to the box and help stop the run as he is to be on an island with the other team's best receiver that would bring some much-needed moxie to their DB room.  

17.Las Vegas Raiders: Alijah Vera-Tucker, guard/tackle (USC):

The Raiders traded away 3 of their 5 starters upfront this offseason (Rodney Hudson, Gabe Jackson, Trent Brown) and with his ability to play anywhere but center and reputation as a mauler with terrific athleticism that could help open up some much-needed space for Josh Jacobs to operate in the running game, Vera-Tucker could end up being the piece that really solidifies their overhauled o-line.

18.Miami Dolphins: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, inside/outside linebacker (Notre Dame)

Instinctive, athletic and versatile enough to handle any run game, coverage or blitzing assignment he's tasked with, Owusu-Koramoah should be able to step in and fill the pivotal swiss army knife linebacker role that Kyle Van Noy vacated this offseason right away.

19.Washington Football Team: Trey Lance, quarterback (North Dakota State)

I'm not going to lie-I had Lance going to the Broncos until the Teddy Bridgewater trade happened yesterday afternoon and had to slot him here since it didn't really make a whole lot of sense to put him anywhere else in the 10-18 range. In this scenario that will not get a chance to play out barring an aggressive move up the board, Washington gets a chance to swoop in and address their long-term QB needs by taking a dual threat option that hails from a pro-style system whose red flags are exclusively experience and level of competition-based (Lance only started for 1 full season at the D1-A level) without having to worry about rushing him onto the field this season. 

20.Chicago Bears: Teven Jenkins, tackle (Oklahoma State):

Even as the Bears o-line settled into a pretty good rhythm during the back half of 2020, they struggled to find a reliable right tackle. While not quite as polished as his peers going in the top half of the 1st round, Jenkins has a good chance of filling that void. The combination of high-end athleticism, strong hand use and a palpable mean streak makes Jenkins an ideal fit for the Bears run-first attack.

21.Indianapolis Colts: Kwity Paye, edge rusher (Michigan):

Chris Ballard has done a hell of a job building the Colts defense up in recent years, but their outside pass rush remains somewhat of a problem area-especially now that Justin Houston isn't likely to return in 2021. Among the logjam of 1st-2nd round edge rushers, Paye seems like the guy who's best suited to pop in Matt Eberflus' aggressive, hard-nosed scheme. While his college output won't turn many heads (11.5 sacks/23.5 TFL's in 28 total games and 19 starts), Paye has solid agility, a nasty power/hand quickness combo that allows him to shed blocks with ease and mostly importantly, steadily improved every year he was in Ann Arbor.

22.Tennessee Titans: Azeez Ojulari, edge rusher (Georgia):

After registering just 19 sacks last season (3rd worst in the league), the Titans are desperately in need of a jolt of athleticism on the edge. If he can expand his arsenal of pass-rushing moves, Ojulari has the tenacity, 1st step quickness and relentless motor to turn into a nightmarish speed rusher at the next level. 

23.New York Jets: Javonte Williams, running back (North Carolina):

New Jets head coach Robert Saleh prides himself on having physical football players on his team and there is no running back in this class that is more of a Saleh guy than Williams. He is a PUNISHING runner who set an NCAA record for most broken tackles by an RB in 2020 (76 on only 157 carries) that could provide the Jets with a true workhorse back to help ease Zach Wilson's transition to the pros.   

24.Pittsburgh Steelers: Caleb Farley, cornerback (Virginia Tech):

Running back is a popular choice here and it wouldn't be a shock if they did ultimately go in that direction considering how much they struggled on the ground last year, but I think it's much more feasible that they wait until later in the draft to fill that need. Their corner group was sneaky bad down the stretch and as an imposingly large (6'2, 197 lbs) speedster with outstanding ball skills who was previously projected to be a top 10 pick prior to revealing he had back surgery during the winter, Farley would fulfill all parts of the value/need/scheme fit combination that Kevin Colbert has emphasized throughout his tenure as GM.

25.Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevon Moehrig, safety (TCU):

An intelligent, fluid athlete in center field that boasts the ball skills of a cover corner and field awareness of an inside linebacker, Moehrig would slot in nicely next to rangey free agent pickup Rayshawn Jenkins and give the Jags safety group a legit chance bounce back after a miserable 2020.

26.Cleveland Browns: Christian Barmore, defensive tackle (Alabama):

Defensive tackle is easily the biggest need the Browns have to address in this draft and the depth is so uncharacteristically thin at this spot that they can't afford to pass on Barmore if he's available. He's a certified wrecking ball with a Wilfork-ian motor and gift for blowing up plays well behind the line of scrimmage when he's on his game that could end being up the disruptive interior force the Browns front 7 needs to elevate from pretty good to great. 

27.Baltimore Ravens: Elijah Moore, wide receiver (Ole Miss):

A bigger bodied outside receiver like Rashod Bateman or Kadarious Toney to complement pure speedster Marquise Brown could be in play here, but Moore's toughness, sure hands and route-running prowess from the slot makes him so-well suited for the Ravens predominantly short-to-intermediate passing attack that he's going to be hard for them to pass on.

28.New Orleans Saints: Rashod Bateman, wide receiver (Minnesota):

Transitioning out of the Drew Brees era means the Saints are going to have to start investing more in the receiver position. With his smooth route running and ideal size (6'2, 210) for an outside receiver, Bateman would be the perfect complement to Michael Thomas who could have crazy high upside if Jameis Winston wins the starting QB job.  

29.Green Bay Packers: Landon Dickerson, center (Alabama):

Offensive line play was the top reason the Packers 2nd half comeback bid against the Bucs in the NFC Championship Game fell short and losing stalwart starting center Corey Linsley in free agency has only further accelerated those crippling issues on the interior. While this pick isn't without considerable risk given Dickerson's extensive injury history (including an ACL tear in December's SEC Championship Game-which was the 2nd of his career), his balanced blocking skills and volume of reps against top-tier competition will make an attractive replacement for Linsley who could come in and start right away. 

30.Buffalo Bills: Asante Samuel Jr., cornerback (Florida State):

Corner depth is one of the only areas where the Bills really need to improve and with his prolific ball skills and crisp backpedal, Samuel Jr. has a pro-ready skill set that should allow him to at least contribute as a third corner as a rookie.

31.Baltimore Ravens: Samuel Cosmi, tackle (Texas):

Using the selection the Ravens acquired from the Chiefs in exchange for their rock solid right tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to find his replacement would be very poetic. Despite lacking the power to be able to consistently fight off top-tier edge rushers, Cosmi has the reliably strong technique and lateral agility to move downfield to throw blocks in the running game to be viewed as a viable long-term option at RT.   

32.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jaelan Phillips, edge rusher (Miami):

When you win the Super Bowl and are somehow able to re-sign every top contributor from that title winning team, you can afford to gamble with your 1st round pick. As murky as Phillips' injury history  (he's missed time with ankle and wrist ailments and skipped the 2019 season after suffering a severe concussion the prior year) and desire to play football long-term are, he was a highly productive player when he was on the field (23.5 TFL's and 12.5 sacks in only 20 career games split between UCLA and Miami) who has one of the best motors and track records as a run defender in this edge class.

2nd Round

33.Jacksonville Jaguars: Gregory Rousseau, edge rusher (Miami)

34.New York Jets: Eric Stokes, cornerback (Georgia)

35.Atlanta Falcons: Zaven Collins, inside/outside linebacker (Tulsa)

36.Miami Dolphins: Joe Tryon, edge rusher (Washington)

37.Philadelphia Eagles: Rondale Moore, wide receiver (Purdue)

38.Cincinnati Bengals: Dillon Radunz, tackle (North Dakota State)

39.Carolina Panthers: Jamin Davis, inside linebacker (Kentucky)

40.Denver Broncos: Carlos Basham Jr., edge rusher (Wake Forest)

41.Detroit Lions: Levi Onwuzurike, defensive tackle (Washington)

42.New York Giants: Pat Friermuth, tight end (Penn State)

43.San Francisco 49ers: Terrace Marshall Jr., wide receiver (LSU)

44.Dallas Cowboys: Alex Leatherwood, tackle (Alabama)

45.Jacksonville Jaguars: Quinn Meinerz, guard/center (Wisconsin-Whitewater)

46.New England Patriots: Nick Bolton, inside linebacker (Missouri)

47.Los Angeles Chargers: Jalen Mayfield, tackle (Michigan)

48.Las Vegas Raiders: Jamar Johnson, safety (Indiana)

49.Arizona Cardinals: Travis Etienne, running back (Clemson)

50.Miami Dolphins: Elijah Molden, safety/cornerback (Washington)

51.Washington Football Team: Jackson Carman, tackle (Clemson)

52.Chicago Bears: Ronnie Perkins, edge rusher (Oklahoma)

53.Tennessee Titans: Kadarious Toney, wide receiver (Florida)

54.Indianapolis Colts: Kellen Mond, quarterback (Texas A&M)

55.Pittsburgh Steelers: Najee Harris, running back (Alabama)

56.Seattle Seahawks: Liam Eichenberg, tackle (Norte Dame)

57.Los Angeles Rams: Jevon Holland, safety/cornerback (Oregon)

58.Kansas City Chiefs: Creed Humphrey, center (Oklahoma)

59.Cleveland Browns: Payton Turner, edge rusher (Houston)

60.New Orleans Saints: Kyle Trask, quarterback (Florida)

61.Buffalo Bills: Dyami Brown, wide receiver (North Carolina)

62.Green Bay Packers: Jabril Cox, inside linebacker (LSU) 

63.Kansas City Chiefs: Kelvin Joseph, cornerback (Kentucky)

64.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Walker Little, tackle (Stanford)

2021 NFL Draft: Top 50 Prospects, Top 5 By Position, Most Underrated and Overrated

Top 50 Prospects:

1.Trevor Lawrence, quarterback (Clemson)

2.Penei Sewell, tackle (Oregon)

3.Ja'Marr Chase, wide receiver (LSU)

4.Zach Wilson, quarterback (BYU)

5.Patrick Surtain II, cornerback (Alabama)

6.DeVonta Smith, wide receiver (Alabama)

7.Kyle Pitts, tight end (Florida)

8.Rashawn Slater, tackle/guard (Northwestern)

9.Christian Barmore, defensive tackle (Alabama)

10.Rashod Bateman, wide receiver (Minnesota)

11.Jaycee Horn, cornerback (South Carolina)

12.Trey Lance, quarterback (North Dakota State)

13.Christian Darrisaw, tackle (Virginia Tech)

14.Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, inside/outside linebacker (Notre Dame)

15.Justin Fields, quarterback (Ohio State)

16.Caleb Farley, cornerback (Virginia Tech)

17.Azeez Ojulari, edge rusher (Georgia)

18.Trevon Moehrig, safety (TCU)

19.Zaven Collins, inside/outside linebacker (Tulsa)

20.Alijah Vera-Tucker, guard/tackle (USC)

21.Kwity Paye, edge rusher (Michigan)

22.Terrace Marshall Jr., wide receiver (LSU)

23.Elijah Moore, wide receiver (Ole Miss)

24.Najee Harris, running back (Alabama)

25.Travis Etienne, running back (Clemson)

26.Jaylen Waddle, wide receiver (Alabama)

27.Rondale Moore, wide receiver (Purdue)

28.Gregory Rousseau, edge rusher (Miami)

29.Nick Bolton, inside linebacker (Missouri)

30.Teven Jenkins, tackle (Oklahoma State)

31.Mac Jones, quarterback (Alabama)

32.Asante Samuel Jr., cornerback (Florida State)

33.Dyami Brown, wide receiver (North Carolina)

34.Richie Grant, safety (UCF)

35.Carlos Basham Jr., edge rusher (Wake Forest)

36.Dillon Radunz, tackle (North Dakota State)

37.Jayson Oweh, edge rusher (Penn State)

38.Javonte Williams, running back (North Carolina)

39.Ronnie Perkins, edge rusher (Oklahoma)

40.Micah Parsons, inside linebacker (Penn State)

41.Greg Newsome II, cornerback (Northwestern)

42.Samuel Cosmi, tackle (Texas)

43.Jalean Phillips, edge rusher (Miami)

44.Kadarious Toney, wide receiver (Florida)

45.Creed Humphrey, center (Oklahoma)

46.Jamar Johnson, safety (Indiana)

47.Pat Friermuth, tight end (Penn State)

48.Jabril Cox, inside linebacker (LSU)

49.Quinn Meinerz, guard/center (Wisconsin-Whitewater)

50.Liam Eichenberg, tackle (Notre Dame)

Top 5 Prospects by Position

Quarterback:

1.Trevor Lawrence (Clemson)

2.Zach Wilson (BYU)

3.Trey Lance (North Dakota State)

4.Justin Fields (Ohio State)

5.Mac Jones (Alabama)

Running Back:

1.Najee Harris (Alabama)

2.Travis Etienne (Clemson)

3.Javonte Williams (North Carolina)

4.Michael Carter (North Carolina)

5.Trey Sermon (Ohio State)

Wide Receiver:

1.Ja'marr Chase (LSU)

2.DeVonta Smith (Alabama)

3.Rashod Bateman (Minnesota)

4.Terrace Marshall Jr. (LSU)

5.Elijah Moore (Ole Miss)

Tight End:

1.Kyle Pitts (Florida)

2.Pat Friermuth (Penn State)

3.Tommy Tremble (Notre Dame)

4.Hunter Long (Boston College)

5.Brevin Jordan (Miami)

Tackle:

1.Penei Sewell (Oregon)

2.Rashawn Slater (Northwestern)

3.Christian Darrisaw (Virginia Tech)

4.Teven Jenkins (Oklahoma State)

5.Dillon Radunz (North Dakota State)

Guard:

1.Alijah Vera-Tucker (USC)

2.Quinn Meinerz (Wisconsin-Whitewater)

3.Wyatt Davis (Ohio State)

4.Kendrick Green (Iillinois)

5.Ben Cleveland (Georgia)

Center:

1.Creed Humphrey (Oklahoma)

2.Landon Dickerson (Alabama)

3.Drew Dalman (Stanford)

4.Drake Jackson (Kentucky)

5.Josh Myers (Ohio State)

Edge Rusher:

1.Azeez Ojulari (Georgia)

2.Kwity Paye (Michigan)

3.Gregory Rousseau (Miami)

4.Carlos Basham Jr. (Wake Forest)

5.Jayson Oweh (Penn State)

Defensive Tackle:

1.Christian Barmore (Alabama)

2.Alim McNeill (NC State)

3.Tommy Togiai (Ohio State)

4.Milton Williams (Louisiana Tech)

5.Davyion Nixon (Iowa)

Inside Linebacker:

1.Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Notre Dame)

2.Zaven Collins (Tulsa)

3.Nick Bolton (Missouri)

4.Micah Parsons (Penn State)

5.Jabril Cox (LSU)

Cornerback:

1.Patrick Surtain II (Alabama)

2.Jaycee Horn (South Carolina)

3.Caleb Farley (Virginia Tech)

4.Asante Samuel Jr. (Florida State)

5.Greg Newsome II (Northwestern)

Safety:

1.Trevon Moehrig (TCU)

2.Richie Grant (UCF)

3.Jamar Johnson (Indiana)

4.Elijah Molden (Washington)

5.Andre Cisco (Syracuse)

Most Underrated Prospects:

1.Richie Grant, safety (UCF)

2.Ronnie Perkins, edge rusher (Oklahoma)

3.Jamar Johnson, safety (Indiana)

4.Jabril Cox, inside linebacker (LSU)

5.Quinn Meinerz, guard/center (Wisconsin-Whitewater)

6.Liam Eichenberg, tackle (Notre Dame)

7.Alim McNeill, defensive tackle (NC State)

8.Tylan Wallace, wide receiver (Oklahoma State)

9.Payton Turner, edge rusher (Houston)

10.Amon-Ra St. Brown, wide receiver (USC)

Most Overrated Prospects:

1.Jaylen Waddle, wide receiver (Alabama)

2.Micah Parsons, inside linebacker (Penn State)

3.Mac Jones, quarterback (Alabama)

4.Greg Newsome II, cornerback (Northwestern)

5.Joe Tryon, edge rusher (Washington)

6.Kellen Mond, quarterback (Texas A&M)

7.Davis Mills, quarterback (Stanford)

8.Eric Stokes, cornerback (Georgia)

9.Levi Onwuzurike, defensive tackle (Washington)

10.Jevon Holland, safety/cornerback (Oregon)

Movie Review: Mortal Kombat

Has there ever been a lower bar for a movie reboot to clear than the one Mortal Kombat was presented with? Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is widely considered to be an unwatchable embarrassment to the brand and despite developing somewhat of a semi-ironic cult following over the years, the OG 1995 movie is completely sanitized in the fighting department and too self-aware with its cheesiness for its own good. The 2021 Mortal Kombat was able to take advantage of the non-existent quality floor brought on by the sins of its predecessors and delivered a cinematic product that should feel familiar to anyone that's played even a little bit of MK over the course of its nearly 30-year existence.

Underneath all of the spin kicks and over-the-top viscera, the Mortal Kombat series is really just a tribute to classic martial arts movies. The respect and understanding of the underrecognized driving force behind the franchise is why this Mortal Kombat movie soars where the others faltered. This project recreates the shameless cheesiness of a Bruce Lee, Jet Li or Tony Jaa project to such a faithful degree that I'd dare to say it's kind of heartwarming. The story spins an utterly ridiculous web that is delivered in the most serious way imaginable, a comically excessive electronic score bursts into every training montage and lethal throwdown with the force of a wrecking ball through a glass window and the centerpiece fight scenes that the target audience came for are graceful enough to appreciate the intricacies of the choreography yet chaotic enough to remind the audience that its based on a game where calculated manic button smashing is crucial to achieving success. Martial arts movies have played such a crucial, underappreciated role in shaping the global action movie marketplace and it was cool to see that classic essence infused into a movie adaptation of the video game series that has unwittingly helped popularize the artform outside of Asia over the past few generations.

The other distinct advantage of this Mortal Kombat is having an R-rating to work with, which means we get to see the series' signature fatalities in their full gory glory for the first time ever. Clearly there are some limits present in the movie medium that prevents them from going as far as the game does in the violence/gore department (Sub-Zero's signature spine rip is omitted for this very reason), but what made it to the screen is pretty great. The filmmakers do a good job of spacing them out so every character gets their own epic spotlight moment and the terrific visual effects helped bring these iconic finishing moves to life in faithful, dazzlingly badass fashion (Jax's Head Smash, Kung Lao's Hat Slice and Liu Kang's Fire Dragon were the best of the bunch). Mortal Kombat fans have been waiting a very long time to see the fatalities portrayed in a live action film and thankfully the team behind this film recognized the importance of getting them right.

Even though this is a clear origin story with the massive titular tournament and signature characters like Johnny Cage and Smoke yet to arrive, it's hard to imagine a Mortal Kombat movie being much better than this. Everything from the look/feel down to the casting and obligatory moments of fan service worked and there's really no way for a video game movie that captures the spirit and entertainment value of the property that it's based on to make any significant improvements moving forward. Despite the limitations that can be applied to the franchise's future forecast, director Simon McQuoid and co-writers Dave Callaham and Greg Russo deserve a lot of props for finally bringing a faithful and satisfying Mortal Kombat movie into the world.          

Grade: B

Content Schedule for NFL Draft Week

The busiest week of the year in these parts has finally arrived! Here's what I have in store for you fine people over the next 7 days.

Tomorrow: Mortal Kombat review

Wednesday: Top 50 Prospects/Top 5 Players Available at Each Position and Biggest Sleepers and Potential Busts in the 2021 NFL Draft 

Thursday: Final 2 Round Mock Draft

Friday: Top 25 Players Available on Day 2 

Saturday: Top 25 Players Available on Day 3

Next Monday: Full Draft Recap with Winners, Losers and Grades for All 32 Teams

93rd Academy Award Predictions

The long road through this unusual awards season is finally coming to a close on Sunday in Los Angeles when the Oscars get handed out in the first largely in-person ceremony since the pandemic started. Here are the films and individuals I expect to walk away with the prestigious gold hardware. 

Best Picture:

The Father

Judas and the Black Messiah 

Mank

Minari 

Nomadland

Promising Young Woman 

Sound of Metal

The Trial of the Chicago 7

And the Winner Is: Nomadland

Don't buy into the manufactured narrative that's being perpetuated by the Hollywood trade publications and the gamblers that the The Trial of the Chicago 7 is primed to pull off an upset because of its SAG Best Ensemble Cast win. Nomadland has effectively been penciled in as the Best Picture winner since it took home the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival back in September and its 100% win rate at the award shows that its been nominated at has only further solidified its ground as the unquestioned frontrunner for this award.

Best Director:

Lee Isaac Chung (Minari)

Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman)

David Fincher (Mank)

Thomas Vinterburg (Another Round)

Chloe Zhao (Nomadland)

And the Winner Is: Chloe Zhao

Another lock for Nomadland. Zhao has built up such an impenetrable wall of buzz after clean sweeping the entire awards circuit that if she doesn't end up making history as the first woman of color (and only second woman ever) to win Best Director, it would qualify as one of the most unfathomable upsets in Oscars history. 

Best Actor:

Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal)

Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom)

Anthony Hopkins (The Father)

Gary Oldman (Mank)

Steven Yuen (Minari)

And the Winner Is: Chadwick Boseman

While Riz Ahmed's surprise Independent Spirit Award win and the reports that Anthony Hopkins is receiving a late surge in support after The Father's wide release in the US last month have made things interesting down the stretch, it doesn't seem likely that Boseman's peers are going to pass on the opportunity to honor his legacy with Oscar gold for what is arguably the greatest performance of his tragically short career.    

Best Actress:

Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom)

Andra Day (The United States vs Billie Holiday)

Vanessa Kirby (Pieces of a Woman)

Frances McDormand (Nomadland)

Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman)

And the Winner Is: Carey Mulligan

This is such a fascinating logjam of a category. Davis, Day, McDormand and Mulligan all secured victories at the first four industry centerpiece ceremonies (Golden Globes, Critic's Choice, SAG, BAFTA) and even with roughly 48 hours to go until showtime, there's still no consensus frontrunner here. However, with last night's Independent Spirit Award win over Davis and McDormand, Mulligan appears to have inched ahead of the pack in the most closely contested race this category has seen in recent memory.  

Best Supporting Actor:

Sacha Baron Cohen (The Trial of the Chicago 7)

Daniel Kaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah)

Leslie Odom Jr. (One Night in Miami...)

Paul Raci (Sound of Metal)

LaKeith Stanfield (Judas and the Black Messiah)

And the Winner Is: Daniel Kaluuya 

The late entry of Kaluuya's explosive turn as assassinated Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton into this category has completely disrupted what was previously perceived to be a pretty wide open race and unless Raci's Independent Spirit Award victory over a field that featured no one else that's nominated here proves to be a surprise harbinger for Sunday's results, his impressive run of award season dominance will end on the highest note possible.  

Best Supporting Actress:

Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm)

Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy)

Olivia Colman (The Father)

Amanda Seyfried (Mank)

Youn Yuh-jung (Minari)

And the Winner Is: Youn Yuh-Jung

Yuh-Jung has completely stolen the early momentum Bakalova had built up and considering how much the Oscars have historically shunned comedic performances, she likely won't be able to come back and put a stop to Yuh-Jung's recent hot streak.

Other Categories:

Best Original Screenplay: Promising Young Woman

Best Adapted Screenplay: Nomadland

Best Animated Feature: Soul

Best International Feature: Another Round

Best Documentary Feature: Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution 

Best Cinematography: Nomadland

Best Film Editing: Sound of Metal

Best Score: Soul

Best Original Song: "Speak", (One Night in Miami...)

Best Costume Design: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Best Production Design: Mank

Best Sound: Sound of Metal

Best Visual Effects: Tenet

Best Animated Short: If Anything Happens, I Love You

Best Documentary Short: A Love Song for Latasha 

Best Live Action Short: Two Distant Strangers 

What My Ballot Would Look Like If I Was a Voter:

Best Picture: Judas and the Black Messiah

Best Director: Emerald Fennell 

Best Actor: Chadwick Boseman

Best Actress: Andra Day

Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Kaluuya

Best Supporting Actress: Youn Yuh-Jung

Best Original Screenplay: Judas and the Black Messiah

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Father 

Best Animated Feature: Soul

Best Documentary Feature: Time

Best International Feature: Another Round

Best Cinematography: Judas and the Black Messiah

Best Film Editing: Promising Young Woman

Best Score: Minari

Best Original Song: "Speak Now", One Night in Miami...

Best Costume Design: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Best Production Design: Tenet

Best Sound: Sound of Metal

Best Visual Effects: Love and Monsters

Best Animated Short: N/A

Best Documentary Short: N/A

Best Live Action Short: N/A

Movie Review: Nobody

Is there an acting challenge that Bob Odenkirk isn't up for? The veteran Hollywood chameleon decided to take up the mantle of action star in Nobody and through a combination of his established charisma and a complete commitment to the genre's nuances, he aces the transition.

Odenkirk plays Hutch Mansell-a retired government assassin who operated under the alias of "Nobody" that has put his old life of killing behind him to live a simple domestic life in the suburbs with an undemanding office job and the stereotypical picturesque house on the cul-de-sac. After failing to protect his family (Connie Nielsen, Gage Munroe, Paisley Cadorath) during a home invasion, Hutch regrets his lack of action and decides to track down the robbers-which only further adds to his shame once he discovers what inspired to them break in. During his bus commute back from the confrontation with the robbers, fate intervenes as a group of rowdy male passengers start harassing a woman onboard. Hutch decides to confront the group and it eventually escalates to the point where people end up dead. Unfortunately for Hutch, one of the men he killed was the brother of a powerful Russian mob boss (Aleksei Serbraykov) and once the sadistic mobster identifies him and promptly plans to gun down everyone he loves, Hutch is forced to step back into the life he thought he had put behind him for good.

Nobody FINALLY scratches the itch for a full bore action slugfest that hasn't been paid attention to in nearly a year. It's the type of film that knows exactly what the most passionate fan of the genre want to see- a simple story, entertaining characters and frequent fight scenes where all of the action can be easily followed- then proceeds to deliver all of those things in an electrifying 90-minute package. 

Ilya Naishuller manages to match the chaotic maestro energy he showed on his feature directorial debut Hardcore Henry by giving this an adrenaline-fueled undercurrent that gives every scene a feeling of visceral urgency, Derek Kolstad (John Wick trilogy) crafts a tongue-in-cheek script full of amusing moments and an escalating intensity that culminates in an unbelievably satisfying finale that has to have one of the higher body counts in recent memory and Odenkirk follows in the footsteps of modern action stalwarts including Keanu Reeves, Charlize Theron and Jason Statham by working his ass off to meet the physical demand that this role required without losing sight of the importance of being a grizzled lightning rod that sets the tone for the entire movie on the acting side. After being bombarded with stuff in recent months (The Falcon and the Winter Solider, Wonder Woman 1984, Monster Hunter) where there's not nearly enough effort emphasis on how things are shot, edited and choreographed, it is so god damn refreshing to watch something where the crafting of action is taken so seriously at every level of the production. Nobody is the beautiful, high-octane action ride audiences deserve after a prolonged drought of true genre excellence and hopefully it will be just the first of many to come in 2021.        

Grade: A-

2000's Best Picture Winners Ranked

N/A: Chicago (2002):

There was no less than five times last summer when Chicago was available on HBO Max that I logged on with the intention of watching it so I could inch closer to completing the thankless self-imposed goal of seeing every Best Picture winner that had been released since 2000 (at the time, it was one of the two I'd yet to see). Ultimately, I just couldn't muster up the nerve to sit through a musical during a time that was already so devoid of joy, so that now final remaining box on the list is going to stay unchecked for the time being.

19.The King's Speech (2010):

Without question, the most boring, cheesy and shamelessly manipulative piece of garbage awards bait to take home Best Picture during this time period. The only thing shittier than the movie itself is the fact that it beat out several legit masterpieces (Black Swan, Inception, The Fighter, The Social Network) for the Oscar.

Grade: D

18.A Beautiful Mind (2001):

A Beautiful Mind walked, so The King's Speech could run. Even if the film didn't treat schizophrenia like it was some kind of cute personality quirk instead of a serious mental illness, it's comical distortion of the facts which most notably includes shaping the plot around John Nash's struggle with increasingly severe visual hallucinations-which he never dealt with and making his Salvadoran immigrant wife white, lackadaisical pacing and an onslaught of forced, corny melodrama would be more than enough to make it an insufferable disaster.    

Grade: D

17.The Artist (2011):

This ode to Hollywood's early years of black-and-white, silent movies went on a dominant awards run then quickly faded away from the collective consciousness shortly after it had completed collecting gold statues from around the globe. As someone who found The Artist to be an aggressively mediocre product that was aimed at a very niche wing of the cinephile crowd, I can't say that I'm particularly surprised that it went onto suffer this fate.   

Grade: C

16.Crash (2005): 

Crash deserves plenty of heat for how it uses a string of contrived, racism-fueled incidents as the connective tissue in its interwoven narrative, but the acting is collectively strong enough for it to preserve a degree of watchability underneath all of its haphazardly-assembled social commentary.   

Grade: C+

15.Slumdog Millionaire (2008):

An overly idealistic and melodramatic film about the overwhelming class prejudice present in India's caste system (this year's The White Tiger does a much better job of exploring similar themes) that Dev Patel singularly elevates out of mediocrity with the terrific lead performance that helped launch his career.

Grade: C+

14.The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003):

Never forget the start of the Peter Jackson overindulgence era. Jackson managed to significantly undercut the impact of the final chapter of his otherwise sweeping epic trilogy by tacking on an additional hour of useless dialogue scenes after the franchise-driving mission of destroying Sauron's ring in the fires of Mount Doom had been completed.   

Grade: B-

13.12 Years a Slave (2013):

A pretty poor final act that is far too reliant on Michael Fassbender's embarrassingly overdone performance as a vicious plantation owner to manufacture drama and introduces a comically on-the-nose, Christlike figure (Brad Pitt) who eventually helps orchestrate Solomon Northup's (Chiwetel Ejiofor) release prevents Steve McQueen's biopic from hitting the gut-wrenching, impeccably acted greatness it displays in its earlier stages.     

Grade: B

12.Moonlight (2016):

While I'm long overdue for a rewatch (I haven't seen it since its initial theatrical run), for now I'm still of the opinion that Moonlight is very overrated. Despite being a well-acted, sensitive film that has some very powerful scenes, I feel like Barry Jenkins storytelling approach was too subdued to really convey the raw emotions and humanity that drive Chiron's (Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes) journey of discovering, obscuring and then eventually accepting his sexuality.

Grade: B

11.Green Book (2018):

It's pretty odd that a low stakes crowdpleaser like this managed to secure the top prize in the world of movies-particularly when the frontrunner that year (Roma) had won the majority of the other big awards and received much better reviews. That being said, Green Book is a charming, compelling buddy dramedy with a pair of terrific performances from Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali and a nice message about two men overcoming their respective prejudices and misconceptions about one another to become friends. 

Grade: B+

10.The Shape of Water (2017):

Only a director with the skill and creative confidence of Guillermo del Toro could turn a movie about a mute woman (Sally Hawkins) who falls in love with a fish/man hybrid (Doug Jones) that's being held at the government facility where she works as a cleaner into a spellbindingly beautiful tale that warms the heart more than the overwhelming majority of the more conventional entries in the romance genre.     

Grade: B+

9.Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014):

Unapologetically indulgent and directed, shot and acted with an astonishing degree of technical precision, Birdman is the arthouse equivalent of a dazzling yet ultimately hollow piece of popcorn entertainment. 

Grade: B+

8.Argo (2012):

Ben Affleck's prior genre movie efforts made him the perfect director to handle such a wild true story. He nails the balance of thriller tension and goofy comedy that this CIA hostage rescue mission disguised as a movie production plot calls for and the actors (Alan Arkin, John Goodman, Tate Donovan, Bryan Cranston, Clea DuVall, Kyle Chandler, Chris Messina, Victor Garber, himself) couldn't have been better cast.   

Grade: B+

7.Million Dollar Baby (2004):

Lord knows I love a sappy, tragic sports drama and thanks to the grounded performances from the top billed actors (Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood) and Eastwood's steady direction, Million Dollar Baby ends up being a very special entry into that genre. 

Grade: A-

6.Spotlight (2015):

As both a horrifying expose of the lengths that the Catholic Church has gone to cover up the widespread sexual abuse perpetrated by their priests and a reminder of the power that top-notch investigative journalism can have on the world, Spotlight is an unforgettable triumph that deserves every accolade it received.  

Grade: A-

5.Parasite (2019):

The Academy couldn't have picked a much better film to be their first ever non-English language Best Picture honoree. Bong Joon-Ho expertly blends together a wide variety of genres (black comedy, drama thriller, crime, satire) to make an intelligent, insanely entertaining and consistently unpredictable exploration of class division that requires multiple viewings to fully unpack.  

Grade: A-

4.Gladiator (2000):

This is the teenager in me speaking since I haven't seen Gladiator in almost 15 years. Every memory I have of this absurdly over-the-top Ancient Rome soap opera is beautiful and I'm horribly afraid that this deep reverence will fade away with a rewatch as an adult, but alas here I am on the eve of my 29th birthday placing it above shit I've seen recently like Parasite and Spotlight that I'm completely confident are excellent movies. Nostalgia is a hell of a force people... 

Grade: A

3.The Hurt Locker (2009):

The Hurt Locker is the increasingly rare war film that is something other than pure USA propaganda (American Sniper, 13 Hours, 12 Strong) or a hollow technical exercise (Dunkirk, 1917, Fury) that's solely designed to show the visceral horrors of combat. The characters are fully-fleshed out individuals with different personalities, personal struggles and views on the conflict they're involved in, the combat scenes are harrowing without ever feeling like they've been purposefully exaggerated for the sake of dramatic intrigue and most importantly, every solider is treated as a person whose only goal is to complete their job without going home in a casket instead of just being a faceless, flag-waving heroic cog in the big military machine. Considering the increasingly polarizing cultural landscape, it's entirely possible that we'll never see a film that treats war in such a realistic and non-political way ever again.    

Grade: A

2.No Country for Old Men (2007):

The Coen Brothers set a new high watermark in their illustrious careers with this moody, unsettlingly tense modern western that is full of captivating outlaws, good old fashioned moral ambiguity and no positive outcomes for any of the parties involved.   

Grade: A

1.The Departed (2006):

The Departed epitomizes perfection in the world of gangster movies in the same way that The Godfather and Goodfellas did before it. It's an engrossing, gritty and exquisitely written/acted/directed film that remains a jaw-dropping powerhouse with each subsequent viewing.

(Bonus useless fun fact: This is the only time since I've been alive that my favorite movie of the year also won Best Picture.) 

Grade: A+

2021 NFL Mock Draft 5.0 (Updated 4/19)

1.Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, quarterback (Clemson)

2.New York Jets: Zach Wilson, quarterback (BYU)

3.San Francisco 49ers: Mac Jones, quarterback (Alabama)

4.Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, tight end (Florida)

5.Cincinnati Bengals: Ja'marr Chase, wide receiver (LSU)

6.Miami Dolphins: Penei Sewell, tackle (Oregon)

7.Detroit Lions: DeVonta Smith, wide receiver (Alabama)

8.Carolina Panthers: Rashawn Slater, tackle/guard (Northwestern)

9.Denver Broncos: Justin Fields, quarterback (Ohio State)

10.Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Surtain II, cornerback (Alabama)

11.New York Giants: Jayson Oweh, edge rusher (Penn State)

12.Philadelphia Eagles: Jaycee Horn, cornerback (South Carolina)

13.Los Angeles Chargers: Jaylen Waddle, wide receiver (Alabama)

14.Minnesota Vikings: Christian Darrisaw, tackle (Virginia Tech)

15.New England Patriots: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, inside/outside linebacker (Notre Dame)

16.Arizona Cardinals: Greg Newsome II, cornerback (Northwestern)

17.Las Vegas Raiders: Alijah Vera-Tucker, guard/tackle (USC)

18.Miami Dolphins: Micah Parsons, inside linebacker (Penn State)

19.Washington Football Team: Trey Lance, quarterback (North Dakota State)

20.Chicago Bears: Teven Jenkins, tackle (Oklahoma State)

21.Indianapolis Colts: Kwity Paye, edge rusher (Michigan)

22.Tennessee Titans: Gregory Rousseau, edge rusher (Miami)

23.New York Jets: Travis Etienne, running back (Clemson)

24.Pittsburgh Steelers: Caleb Farley, cornerback (Virginia Tech)

25.Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevon Moehrig, safety (TCU)

26.Cleveland Browns: Christian Barmore, defensive tackle (Alabama) 

27.Baltimore Ravens: Rashod Bateman, wide receiver (Minnesota)

28.New Orleans Saints: Azeez Ojulari, edge rusher (Georgia)

29.Green Bay Packers: Creed Humphrey, center (Oklahoma)

30.Buffalo Bills: Asante Samuel Jr., cornerback (Florida State)

31.Kansas City Chiefs: Samuel Cosmi, tackle (Texas)

32.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jaelan Phillips, edge rusher (Miami)

Video Game Movie Adaptations Ranked

Welcome to "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out related accolades . In honor of "Mortal Kombat"-which debuts in theaters and on HBO Max on April 23rd, this week's edition focuses on video game movie adaptations.

Video Game Movie Adaptations Ranked:

20.House of the Dead (D-)

19.Super Mario Bros. (D)

18.Mortal Kombat (1995) (D+)

17.Max Payne (D+)

16.Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (C-)

15.Monster Hunter (C)

14.Pokemon Detective Pikachu (C)

13.Hitman: Agent 47 (C+)

12.Resident Evil: Apocalypse (C+)

11.Resident Evil: Retribution (C+)

10.Hitman (B-)

9.Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (B-)

8.Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (B-)

7.Resident Evil (B-)

6.Resident Evil: Extinction (B-)

5.Doom (B)

4.Tomb Raider (B)

3.Rampage (B)

2.Need for Speed (B)

1.Sonic the Hedgehog (B)

Top Dog: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)

The lightning quick blue alien hedgehog's first trip to the big screen is a fun, colorful adventure comedy that has an infectious energy level, some surprisingly clever jokes and a welcome revival of Jim Carrey's nutso goofball routine.  

Lowlight: House of the Dead (2003)

My only exposure to the work of the infamous Uwe Boll certainly validated his reputation as an iconic hack. Thanks to a wretched cast that makes the average Syfy Channel Original Movie ensemble look like Julliard-trained thespians and his stunning lack of understanding of filmmaking basics (storytelling, what camera angles to use, when to cut, etc.), Boll managed to turn a mindlessly fun arcade game property into a disjointed, joyless action horror movie that's only saving grace is its occasional bursts of unintentional comedy gold. 

Most Underrated: Need for Speed (2014)

When Fast and Furious transitioned from the humble world of street racing to massive action blockbusters, somebody needed to step in and fill the void. Enter Need for Speed-a fittingly absurd, entertaining crime saga that features plenty of electric racing sequences, dumb jokes and a rock solid ensemble cast (Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots, Michael Keaton, Rami Malek, Kid Cudi, Dakota Johnson, Ramon Rodriguez) that would likely generate a lot of excitement in the industry if it was attached to a more prestigious film in the present day. 

Most Overrated: Pokemon Detective Pikachu (2019)

Ryan Reynolds' terrific voicework as the sleuth version of Pikachu and the loving odes to the noir genre are almost enough to power Detective Pikachu to a win. Unfortunately, the convoluted mystery at the center of its story sucks enough fun out of this genre mashup to downgrade it to the dreaded realm of mediocrity. 

Best Honorary Entry Into Warner Brothers Monsterverse: Rampage (2018)

The lighthearted tone, purposeful overacting and fun, surprisingly gruesome monster destruction makes Brad Peyton's Rampage the perfect spiritual companion to Monsterverse success stories Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla vs. Kong.

Biggest Waste of an Excellent Marketing Campaign: Max Payne (2008)

The trailer for Max Payne made it look like it was going to be this stylized noir action epic a la Sin City with crazy slo-mo shootouts and surreal detours into a demonic underworld. By the time I caught the film on home video in early 2009, I was extremely disappointed to discover that it was actually a dull, poorly-written revenge story with very little action and the shots of the demonic underworld were merely hallucinations brought on by an experimental drug. In hindsight, the failure of Max Payne did teach me that high quality marketing material doesn't always translate to a high quality product, so thanks to director John Moore for dropping the ball and the trailer editors for somehow making it look like he made something really cool for teaching me a valuable lesson about the movie industry at a pretty young age.      

Quick Movie Reviews: The Father, Concrete Cowboy, Thunder Force

The Father: Dementia is very difficult to portray on screen without heading into shamelessly melodramatic territory and despite the many opportunities to head down that tacky path, The Father never does. By choosing to tell its story from the perspective of the man (Anthony Hopkins in what could be his best performance since Silence of the Lambs) who is succumbing to the disease, writer/director Florian Zeller is able to convey the day-to-day experience of living with this awful disease in the most authentic way possible. The episodic narrative structure is an ideal vessel to explore the constant confusion, erratic behavior and occasional, almost surreal moments of heightened clarity that defines the existence of people who have completely succumbed to dementia while also detailing the varying responses this day-to-day emotional and cognitive roller coaster can illicit from loved ones (Olivia Coleman, Rufus Sewell, Imogen Poots). It's an exceptionally depressing watch-particularly for those who have seen the havoc dementia can wreak firsthand-that I personally have no desire to sit through again, but the honesty and compassion it shows for the struggle of both the individual who has to deal with the pain of losing the grasp of their own mind and their family members that have to watch the person they've known for their whole life slowly slip away makes The Father an important, impactful artistic accomplishment.  

Grade: B+

Concrete Cowboy: This coming-of-age drama about a Detroit teenager (Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin in his first lead film role) that's been expelled from multiple high schools in a short period of time who gets sent to live with his estranged father (Idris Elba) in Philadelphia and their subsequent involvement with The Fletcher Street Horse Stables is a much more compelling fictionalized examination of a real life subculture than Nomadland. Concrete Cowboy has such reverence for the bond that develops between the riders, the hard work it takes to break/ride/maintain horses and the all but erased extensive history of black cowboys operating in urban areas that it basically becomes this warm-hearted modern western where the good outshines the bad no matter how dire the circumstances of the story are. While the later development of a conventional yet competent subplot surrounding McLaughlin's character being tempted by the flashy, drug pushing-funded lifestyle of his childhood best friend (Jhareel Jerome) has fallen into takes away from some of the uniqueness that the Fletcher Street material boasts, it remains a poignant and very well-acted reflection on both the unsung power of belonging to a community of people who truly care about each other and how committing to honesty can repair the trust that was lost in even the most fraught relationships between parent and child.     

Grade: B+

Thunder Force: Maybe it's because I've watched so much depressing shit recently or the bar was so low from the previous Melissa McCarthy/Ben Falcone collaborations that the development of any positive feelings towards the material would result in a monumental net positive, but I found Thunder Force to be a perfectly respectable comedy. It felt good to watch a superhero story that was purposely silly after spending so much time being jerked around by the constant gimmicky cliffhangers, fan theory fodder and teasers for future movies that the Marvel Disney+ series have provided over the past few months. The charismatic cast (McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, Jason Bateman, Bobby Cannavale, Pom Klementiff) are clearly having a lot of fun with their roles on both sides of the hero/villain coin and their efforts mine enough laughs to keep things humming along at a strong enough clip to generate a respectful round of applause once it crosses the finish line in admirable enough fashion.     

Grade: B-

2021 NFL Mock Draft 4.0 (Updated 4/12)

1.Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, quarterback (Clemson)

2.New York Jets: Zach Wilson, quarterback (BYU)

3.San Francisco 49ers: Mac Jones, quarterback (Alabama)

4.Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, tight end (Florida)

5.Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, tackle (Oregon)

6.Miami Dolphins: Ja'marr Chase, wide receiver (LSU)

7.Detroit Lions: DeVonta Smith, wide receiver (Alabama)

8.Carolina Panthers: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, inside/outside linebacker (Notre Dame)

9.Denver Broncos: Justin Fields, quarterback (Ohio State)

10.Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Surtain II, cornerback (Alabama)

11.New York Giants: Rashawn Slater, tackle/guard (Northwestern)

12.Philadelphia Eagles: Jaycee Horn, cornerback (South Carolina)

13.Los Angeles Chargers: Jaylen Waddle, wide receiver (Alabama)

14.Minnesota Vikings: Christian Darrisaw, tackle (Virginia Tech)

15.New England Patriots: Zaven Collins, inside/outside linebacker (Tulsa)

16.Arizona Cardinals: Greg Newsome II, cornerback (Northwestern)

17.Las Vegas Raiders: Allijah Vera-Tucker, guard/tackle (USC)

18.Miami Dolphins: Jayson Oweh, edge rusher (Penn State)

19.Washington Football Team: Trey Lance, quarterback (North Dakota State)

20.Chicago Bears: Teven Jenkins, tackle (Oklahoma State)

21.Indianapolis Colts: Kwity Paye, edge rusher (Michigan)

22.Tennessee Titans: Gregory Rousseau, edge rusher (Miami)

23.New York Jets: Christian Barmore, defensive tackle (Alabama)

24.Pittsburgh Steelers: Caleb Farley, cornerback (Virginia Tech)

25.Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevon Moehrig, safety (TCU)

26.Cleveland Browns: Micah Parsons, inside linebacker (Penn State)

27.Baltimore Ravens: Rashod Bateman, wide receiver (Minnesota)

28.New Orleans Saints: Kadarious Toney, wide receiver (Florida)

29.Green Bay Packers: Creed Humphrey, center (Oklahoma)

30.Buffalo Bills: Azeez Ojulari, edge rusher (Georgia)

31.Kansas City Chiefs: Samuel Cosmi, tackle (Texas)

32.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jaelan Phillips, edge rusher (Miami)

Melissa McCarthy Ranked

Welcome to the latest edition of "Ranked"-where I rank a franchise or filmography from worst to best and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Melissa McCarthy-whose latest movie "Thunder Force" premieres on Netflix this Friday.

Melissa McCarthy's Filmography Ranked:

15.Identity Thief  (D)

14.The Kitchen (D+)

13.The Boss (C-)

12.Charlie's Angels (2000) (C)

11.Tammy (C+)

10.The Hangover Part III (B)

9.The Happytime Murders (B)

8.Ghostbusters (B)

7.Spy (B)

6.St. Vincent (B)

5.Can You Ever Forgive Me? (B)

4.This is 40 (B+)

3.Central Intelligence (B+)

2.The Heat (B+)

1.Bridesmaids (B+)

Top Dog: Bridesmaids (2011)

As it approaches its 10th anniversary, it's kind of wild to reflect on the impact Bridesmaids had on the careers of those involved with it and the comedy landscape on the whole. It raised the profiles of several under-the-radar veteran performers (Kristen Wiig, McCarthy, director Paul Feig), provided introductions to some of comedy's most reliable scene-stealers (Rebel Wilson, Chris O'Dowd) and gave dramatic actors a chance to show off another side of their craft (Rose Byrne, Jon Hamm) while also redefining what a female-driven comedy could look and feel like. Its staying power on both the laughs and heart front only adds to its enduring legacy.    

Lowlight: Identity Thief (2013)

I have no clue how Thunder Force is going to turn out, but McCarthy and Jason Bateman are going to have to put in a really shoddy effort to top the smoldering crap heap that was their first movie collaboration. Both of these reliably talented performers have never been less funny or more obnoxious on screen as they sail through a stupid, unpleasant comedy/crime mashup that only gets worse by the minute.    

Most Overrated: Spy (2015)

Spy is a pretty funny genre spoof driven by hilarious performances from Jason Statham in a comedic version of the hardass action hero he tends to play and Rose Byrne as a ruthless Russian arms dealer whose in possession of a stolen nuclear device and action scenes that are better than some real big budget globetrotting adventures. However since this is often considered to be McCarthy's best movie and I don't think its on the level of Bridesmaids or The Heat, it qualifies for inclusion here. 

Most Underrated: Central Intelligence (2015)

The birth of the impeccably-matched buddy duo of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart came in this fast-paced, frequently hilarious action comedy from Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball, We're the Millers) that is always a super fun watch.   

Most Needlessly Shit On: Ghostbusters (2016)

All of the toxic fandom bullshit that's been aimed at Disney's initial Star Wars trilogy, Captain Marvel, Birds of Prey, Ocean's 8 and Charlie's Angels over the past few years paired with its lukewarm box office performance has kind of buried the disgusting wave of sexist hate that the reboot of Ghostbusters received in the months leading up to and shortly after its release. What made that gender-driven fanboy backlash even sadder is that the movie turned out to be a faithful and generally solid reboot that balanced nostalgic fan service with its own goofy brand of humor to make a silly albeit not overly memorable sci-fi comedy.

Biggest Missed Opportunity: The Kitchen (2019)

Somewhere where within the unwieldy mess that is The Kitchen is a great crime saga. The directorial debut from veteran screenwriter Andrea Berloff (Straight Outta Compton, Blood Father) boasts some strong performances (particularly from McCarthy, Elisabeth Moss and Domnhall Glesson) and a gritty, stylish atmosphere present that's reminiscent of a classic gangster movie, but courtesy of some combination of bad directing/writing/editing and studio meddling, it becomes a sloppy, hollow misfire that speeds through its seemingly complex web of a story so quickly and coldly that it doesn't even feel like a finished film.    

Movie Review: Godzilla vs. Kong

 

The inexplicable fatal flaw that has sunk both of the recent solo Godzilla entries to varying degrees is its bizarre emphasis on human drama. This strategy would be completely fine if it added any sort of emotional depth or even further fleshed out the monster action to any meaningful degree, but it mostly just bogged down the pacing, created a deadly serious tone that was antithetical to the fun vibe that's associated with this genre and took valuable time away from the star of the show engaging in their signature destruction. Somebody at Warner Brothers must've been taking notes on why these films received lukewarm responses and decided to revert back to something that more closely resembled the lone prior winner from the current "Monsterverse" Kong: Skull Island because Adam Wingard's (You're Next, The Guest) Godzilla vs. Kong is an epic-scale triumph that delivers the smorgasbord of massive creature fights that audiences haven't gotten enough of in the past. 

Godzilla vs. Kong is the unapologetically massive, loud and visually astounding spectacle that every movie in this subgenre should strive to be. Watching two CGI beasts beat the shit out of each other in impeccably detailed green screen locations behind a pounding electronic score and neon-tinged lights while an overqualified ensemble cast (Alexander Skarsgard, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, roughly a half dozen other respectable actors) drop expositional dialogue and provide the required stunned/concerned reactions to the titular characters destroying whatever is surrounding them on the densely populated battlefield they've chosen to spar on is just the ultimate cinematic sugar rush. The fact that that the world has been deprived of this particular brand of beautifully over-the-top blockbuster in the past year make its extended monster throwdowns even more badass and jaw-dropping to take in. Is there still too much human drama going on here? Probably, but at least it almost exclusively functions as a dot-connecting tool to explain why these legends are duking it out and is presented in a much goofier, self-aware tone than its predecessors that never steps on the joy of the maximalist action that powers its proudly primal heart. 

As we hopefully start to head towards the end of the COVID era, Godzilla vs. Kong serves as powerful proof as to why Hollywood studios remain an unquestionably essential part of the entertainment ecosystem. Even with all their money and proven track record of landing high end acting/directing talent, there's no streaming service in the game right now that could create something with this much distinctly big screen magic behind it. Will streamers eventually be able to replicate this good old fashioned big budget razzle dazzle someday? Of course, but for now this is something that only the titans of the industry that have been backing extravagant event movies since the medium was invented know how to execute with this much precision and grace. If Godzilla vs. Kong ends up serving as an early indicator of the high quality thrills that will be in store as people slowly start returning to movie theaters and the slew of pandemic-delayed blockbusters start seeing the light of day, 2021 is going to be one hell of a year for escapist entertainment.          

Grade: A-

2021 NFL Mock Draft 3.0 (Updated 4/5)

1.Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, quarterback (Clemson)

2.New York Jets: Zach Wilson, quarterback (BYU)

3.San Francisco 49ers: Mac Jones, quarterback (Alabama)

4.Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, tight end (Florida)

5.Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, tackle (Oregon)

6.Miami Dolphins: Ja'Marr Chase, wide receiver (LSU)

7.Detroit Lions: DeVonta Smith, wide receiver (Alabama)

8.Carolina Panthers: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, inside linebacker (Notre Dame)

9.Denver Broncos: Justin Fields, quarterback (Ohio State)

10.Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Surtain II, cornerback (Alabama)

11.New York Giants: Rashawn Slater, tackle/guard (Northwestern)

12.Philadelphia Eagles: Jaycee Horn, cornerback (South Carolina)

13.Los Angeles Chargers: Jaylen Waddle, wide receiver (Alabama)

14.Minnesota Vikings: Christian Darrisaw, tackle (Virginia Tech)

15.New England Patriots: Trey Lance, quarterback (North Dakota State)

16.Arizona Cardinals: Caleb Farley, cornerback (Virginia Tech)

17.Las Vegas Raiders: Allijah Vera-Tucker, tackle/guard (USC)

18.Miami Dolphins: Gregory Rousseau, edge rusher (Miami)

19.Washington Football Team: Zaven Collins, inside linebacker (Tulsa)

20.Chicago Bears: Rashod Bateman, wide reciever (Minnesota)

21.Indianapolis Colts: Kwity Paye, edge rusher (Michigan)

22.Tennessee Titans: Jayson Oweh, edge rusher (Penn State)

23.New York Jets: Najee Harris, running back (Alabama)

24.Pittsburgh Steelers: Greg Newsome II, cornerback (Northwestern)

25.Jacksonville Jaguars: Christian Barmore, defensive tackle (Alabama) 

26.Cleveland Browns: Micah Parsons, inside linebacker (Penn State)

27.Baltimore Ravens: Rondale Moore, wide receiver (Purdue)

28.New Orleans Saints: Kadarious Toney, wide receiver (Florida)

29.Green Bay Packers: Creed Humphrey, center (Oklahoma)

30.Buffalo Bills: Azeez Ojulari, edge rusher (Georgia)

31.Kansas City Chiefs: Teven Jenkins, tackle (Oklahoma State)

32.Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jalean Phillips, edge rusher (Miami)

Idris Elba Ranked

Welcome to Ranked-where I rank a franchise or filmography and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Idris Elba-whose latest project "Concrete Cowboy" premieres on Netflix tomorrow.  

Idris Elba's Filmography Ranked:

24.Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (D)

23.Avengers: Age of Ultron (D+)

22.The Jungle Book (D+)

21.The Gunman (C-)

20.Zootopia (C)

19.The Dark Tower (C+)

18.Star Trek Beyond (C+)

17.The Take (B)

16.Cats (B)

15.Thor: The Dark World (B)

14.Prometheus (B)

13.The Losers (B)

12.Takers (B)

11.Finding Dory (B)

10.Thor (B+)

9.RocknRolla (B+)

8.Beasts of No Nation (B+)

7.American Gangster (A-)

6.Hobbs & Shaw (A-)

5.Pacific Rim (A-)

4.28 Weeks Later (A)

3.Avengers: Infinity War (A)

2.Molly's Game (A)

1.Thor: Ragnarok (A)

Top Dog: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

The magician otherwise known as Taika Waititi brought the Thor series out of its established place as a middling Marvel brand with this weird, vibrant and hilarious threequel that set a new creative bar for the MCU. 

Lowlight: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2012)

A Mark Neveldine/Brian Taylor-helmed Ghost Rider movie really should've been awesome. Applying their comically over-the-top style that they became known for with the Crank films and Gamer to a Nicolas Cage-led superhero movie about a demon biker that's literally fighting against Satan seems like a match in B-movie heaven. That awesome on-paper pitch failed to materialize simply because Neveldine/Taylor chose to play this inherently absurd material completely straight outside of the occasional Cage freakout and Elba's hilarious performance as a drunk blind priest who aids Ghost Rider, which turns Spirit of Vengeance into a painfully dumb bore that's very tough to sit through. 

Most Underrated: 28 Weeks Later (2007)

28 Weeks Later may be a more commercially-accessible product than its proudly desolate, DIY predecessor, but it's still a sneaky great film. By focusing more on zombie action and gore than the bleak hopelessness brought on by a world overrun by bloodthirsty monsters, it's able to clearly distinguish itself from 28 Days Later while still boasting a suffocating atmosphere that honors the spirit of Danny Boyle's masterful original. 

Most Overrated: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Now that the MCU is this full-fledged, untouchable juggernaut of a franchise, a revisionist history has been written that makes it seem like they've never stumbled at any point in their 13 year history. Exhibit A in my denouncing of this silly narrative comes with Avengers: Age of Ultron-which I firmly believe is near the top of the list of terrible superhero movies that have been released since X-Men planted the seeds for the modern genre explosion back in 2000. Noted class act Joss Whedon followed his pretty successful initial Avengers offering with this convoluted snoozefest that haphazardly attempts to stuff an entire trilogy worth of material into a little over two hours worth of actual movie runtime.     

Most Overlooked Prestige Drama: Beasts of No Nation (2015)

Before Netflix became a movie business juggernaut that releases more titles per year than any other distributor in the world and attracted the likes of Martin Scorsese, The Coen Brothers and Alfonso Cuaron to come work with them, they were just a rising streaming service with a few successful TV shows (Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Narcos) under their belt that were looking to break into the world of cinema. Their inaugural original film Beasts of No Nation offered up a preview of the prestige movie machine they would quickly evolve into. Cary Fukunaga's examination of a group of child soldiers in an unnamed African Country is a harrowing, deeply disturbing look at how a person whose life hasn't even really started yet is impacted by the atrocities of a war that they were forced to participate in. 

Shittiest Villain Turn: The Jungle Book (2016)

From his genuinely horrifying performance as a military commander in the aforementioned Beasts of No Nation to his cartoony, wisecrack-filled turn as an ex-M16 agent turned genetically-enhanced terrorist in Hobbs & Shaw, Elba has successfully covered a lot of ground in the world of on screen villainy. However, not all of his many bad guy roles are winners and the biggest of the few real stinkers he's turned in to date came in the "live action" reboot of The Jungle Book. While there's an argument to be made that the showy overacting he brought to the voice role of Shere Khan was kind of refreshing in a movie that is otherwise very dour and stagnant, he tries so hard to make the character menacing that it becomes unintentionally hilarious.