Winners and losers from Day 1 of the 2021 NFL Draft

theScore's football editors evaluate the biggest winners and losers after the first 32 picks of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Winners: QBs reuniting with weapons

Familiar faces reuniting was a recurring theme Thursday. Four young starting quarterbacks saw an ex-college teammate join their offensive arsenal in the pros. First, the Bengals opted to select Joe Burrow's former LSU teammate Ja'Marr Chase - rather than an offensive lineman - with the fifth overall pick. Burrow was thrilled by the decision to upgrade his receiving corps.

One pick later, the Dolphins reunited speedster Jaylen Waddle with his former quarterback at Alabama, Tua Tagovailoa. Another ex-Bama reunion occurred moments later, with the Eagles trading up to add Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith to Jalen Hurts' offense.

It wasn't just wideouts joining QBs. Trevor Lawrence shared Clemson’s backfield with Travis Etienne throughout his college career, and now he'll do the same to begin his pro career after Jaguars boss Urban Meyer used both of his first-round selections on the pair of former Tigers.

Some say familiarity breeds contempt, but NFL teams apparently feel otherwise.

Loser: Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers stole the show early Thursday, with the NFL world erupting into chaos after reports emerged that the star quarterback wanted to end his tenure with the Green Bay Packers. But by the end of the night, the reigning MVP was one of the clear losers of the event on multiple fronts.

Firstly and most obviously: the Packers didn't grant his wish during the first round. Rodgers is still stuck in Green Bay, and his options for an exit are far murkier. The 49ers, who reportedly attempted to trade for Rodgers before the draft, took Trey Lance with the third overall pick. The Broncos and Raiders were Rodgers' other two preferred destinations, but a deal will now be much harder to form with only future draft picks available to use. The Packers then likely angered Rodgers further by again passing on a wide receiver in the first round, instead opting to take cornerback Eric Stokes, who wasn't widely considered an opening-round talent.

Maybe the Packers and Rodgers can bring their relationship back from the brink. Perhaps a lucrative extension will appease him, at least for now. But if the future Hall of Famer is truly planning on never suiting up for the Packers again, he may need to be prepared to play some of the few remaining cards left at his disposal - the threat of retirement or a holdout - to make that happen.

Winner: 49ers & Lance

The 49ers kept us all entertained in the lead-up to the draft. The question of who San Francisco was going to take dominated discussion ever since the club traded up to No. 3 in late March. The final decision came down to either North Dakota State's Trey Lance or Alabama's Mac Jones, with the 49ers choosing the former and avoiding an avalanche of criticism in the process.

Lance is the type of quarterback we've been dying to see paired with offensive mastermind Kyle Shanahan. He's a big-armed passer with elite physical traits, in the mold of Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. San Francisco gave up three first-rounders for the right to select Lance, but that'll be a price no one will second guess if Shanahan can develop Lance into a game-changer who can elevate his already strong scheme into something unstoppable.

And Lance is as much a winner as the 49ers. He was taken in the top three despite only playing in one exhibition game last season due to his team's postponed schedule, and he lands in the perfect spot for a rookie quarterback. Shanahan's known for making his QB's life far easier, the 49ers have a loaded roster on both sides of the ball, and Lance might not have to start straight away if San Francisco is being truthful about wanting to keep Jimmy Garoppolo in 2021.

Losers: First-round RBs

There were two running backs selected in the first round and both selections were equally puzzling. While the Steelers and Jaguars are getting two talented rushers in Najee Harris and Travis Etienne, the timing and value of the picks bring more questions than answers.

With the addition of Harris, the Steelers have essentially begun adding commodities before building the foundation of their offense. With a questionable offensive line in place, it may not matter how good Harris' vision is if a swarm of defensive linemen are penetrating the backfield on a consistent basis.

Meanwhile, the Jaguars should know better than any team that first-round backs don't have value after watching James Robinson tally over 1,000 yards last season as an undrafted back. Further, Meyer also noted he views Etienne as a third-down back, which surely leaves many in Jacksonville wondering why their new head coach spent a first-round pick on someone who'll see limited snaps.

Winners: Bears & Fields

The Bears may have struck gold landing Fields at No. 11. After a turbulent draft cycle that saw the former Ohio State passer linked to numerous red flags, Fields found a team ready to embrace him with open arms. The quarterback-starved city of Chicago could be looking at a franchise savior after the Bears traded up to grab Fields.

Equipped with a rocket arm and incredible athleticism, Fields gives Chicago a much-needed breath of fresh air after several years of frustration with infamous first-round bust Mitch Trubisky. Not only could Fields become the first Bears quarterback to eclipse 4,000 passing yards in a season, but the talented passer could transform Chicago's offense into a legitimate juggernaut for years to come.

Losers: Denver Broncos

The Broncos addressed a long-term need by taking cornerback Patrick Surtain ninth overall, but Day 1 still has to feel like a massive missed opportunity for Denver fans.

When commissioner Roger Goodell kicked off the draft Thursday night, reports had surfaced that Aaron Rodgers wants to leave Green Bay - with Denver apparently on his list of preferred destinations. By the time the Broncos were on the clock, two of the top five quarterback prospects - Justin Fields and Mac Jones - were still available. The possibilities seemed endless, yet Denver played it safe. Surtain may very well develop into a quality player, but he won't change the trajectory of the Broncos franchise unless he becomes a superstar - and how many of those exist at his position?

Perhaps Denver offered a king's ransom for Rodgers, only to have the Packers hang up the phone in defiance. Maybe the Broncos couldn't bring themselves to take a leap of faith on Fields or Jones, given the consequences of being wrong about either passer's upside. But it's hard to sell a fan base on Teddy Bridgewater or another year of Drew Lock, and that's the direction in which Denver seems to be headed.

Winners: Patriots & Mac Jones

Of all the quarterback scenarios that seemed plausible in the first round, none included the Patriots landing a passer without trading up. But Bill Belichick - as he's known to do - played the field to a tee, getting Jones at No. 15 without sacrificing any assets.

Granted, Jones has his flaws and is far from guaranteed to pan out at the NFL level. But the Patriots needed a quarterback for the future and finally have one; New England scouted the quarterback class a year ago but was too far down the board to net a top prospect.

Jones' skill set isn't vastly different from the one Tom Brady used to build a dynasty. He navigates the pocket well for a quarterback who isn't overly athletic, and he's an accurate passer, particularly in the short and intermediate areas of the field. New England will integrate Jones into a scheme that emphasizes quick passes, leaning into his strengths while hiding his deficiencies. Jones and the Patriots seem perfect for one another, so the first round couldn't have gone much better for either party.

Winners: Cornerbacks

This year's draft showed the effort defenses are putting into stopping modern-day passing attacks. Without a dominant secondary, teams are hopeless to stop today's highly efficient passers, which is why it shouldn't be surprising that five cornerbacks went in the first round.

The Panthers got it started, grabbing Jaycee Horn at No. 8, while the Broncos followed with Patrick Surtain II at No. 9. It's not a coincidence that the two teams have to deal with either Tom Brady and Mahomes twice a year. The Titans, Browns, and Packers also added cornerbacks to conclude the first round. While an offense may live and die by its quarterback, a defense is only as good as its secondary, making cornerback a position teams can't afford to pass up anymore.

Losers: Edge rushers

While quarterbacks were flying off the board early, the players responsible for bringing passers to the ground had to wait to hear their names called. The first true pass-rusher wasn't selected until the Miami Dolphins took Jaelan Phillips 18th overall, signaling a lack of top-end talent.

The position showed signs of life when several teams selected edge rushers near the end of the first round, but there were no players who will make an immediate impact like in years past. There are a few interesting projects, but it's obvious teams weren't overly intrigued by this year's edge class.

Winner: Alabama

Alabama once again left its mark on the NFL draft. Coming off another championship season, the Crimson Tide produced six first-round selections in 2021, tying Miami in 2004 for most first-rounders produced in the common draft era.

Alabama's now had at least three stars taken in the first round in each of the last five drafts, and this year's historic opening round also gives Nick Saban 39 first-round picks since joining Alabama in 2007.

Saban's 2017 recruiting class in particular continues to make history, producing eight NFL first-round selections, three top-five Heisman Trophy finishers, and one Heisman winner. The class features quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones; offensive linemen Jedrick Wills and Alex Leatherwood; wide receivers Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, and DeVonta Smith; and running back Harris.

Alabama may not break LSU's record last year of 14 players selected in one draft, but there’s no debate which school currently dominates college football on and off the field.