1. Tennessee Titans – Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
With a new GM and a second-year head coach, I’m not convinced they will start their tenures with a career-defining choice. Instead, prolong that decision by drafting the best overall player and utilizing the veteran QB market.
2. Cleveland Browns – Cam Ward, QB, Miami
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said the one thing he’s most confident in come draft day is that the Browns will select a quarterback as they continue to navigate the Deshaun Watson albatross. I will not claim that I know more than the league’s leading insider, so here’s where the first quarterback comes off the board.
3. New York Giants – Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
It’s now been two weeks where the Giants have been reportedly interested in first Matthew Stafford, and are now doing their diligence on Aaron Rodgers. There’s just too much smoke around the veteran QB market with the Giants that post-Combine, I am heavily leaning towards a best player available mentality for Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll, who undoubtedly have a short leash and need to win football games immediately.
WE HAVE A TRADE!!!
-New England Patriots trade #4 to the New York Jets for #7, #109, and a 2026 2nd-round pick.
Normally, this would seem like slightly too much compensation, according to the Jimmy Johnson trade value chart that many across the league still utilize. However, when it comes to acquiring quarterbacks in the NFL, the prices are always inflated. In terms of finding what you believe will be your franchise quarterback, it isn’t a crazy overpay by the Jets, and the Patriots can be very comfortable with receiving more than market value.
4. New York Jets – Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
HUGE intradivision trade here between the Jets and Patriots. The Jets have not been quiet about sniffing around the No. 1 overall pick to trade up for a quarterback, and Mike Vrabel seems self-confident enough to me to send his division rival their new quarterback for an inflated price. I believe Sanders has the tools to become a solid NFL starter, but the Jets seem cursed at quarterback, so if I’m the Patriots, I’m not scared.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars – Mason Graham, DL, Michigan
The Jaguars need to add as much talent to their roster as they can, especially on defense. Graham adds a lethal presence to the interior of the line that could create opportunities for edge players to really get after the quarterback. What Graham lacks in length, he makes up for with fluid movement and a relentless motor.
6. Las Vegas Raiders – Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
Knowing he may miss out on the best two quarterbacks in the draft, I expect minority owner Tom Brady to be aggressive in the veteran quarterback market so as to be prepared for this exact scenario. After quarterback, one of the biggest needs for the Raiders is secondary, and Barron had such an explosive combine that I believe he could supplant Will Johnson as CB1 and shock a lot of people.
7. New England Patriots – Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
After a big trade down with the Jets, the Patriots find themselves in the same situation as they had been at 4. Do they go offensive tackle or wide receiver? Reports coming out of the combine seem to indicate that the team will be very aggressive in free agency at securing the trenches on both sides of the ball. With that plan hopefully coming to fruition, they add the top receiver in the draft and a reliable young target for Drake Maye.
8. Carolina Panthers – Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
It feels like a certainty that the Panthers go defense here, and they get their pick of the litter from the edge players available. Williams possesses the measurements and explosiveness the Panthers should covet as they look to improve across the defensive line.
9. New Orleans Saints – Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
Total bummer not to see Mike Green participate at the combine, but watching his tape you can see the explosion and violence he plays with on a down to down basis. He lacks some of the length you’d typically want at edge, but it doesn’t feel like so much of an issue that it will hinder him at the next level.
10. Chicago Bears – Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
Membou had been gaining some steam heading into the combine and after displaying the athleticism in person, there is going to be a ton of chatter for him to be OT1 in this draft. He’s helped in large part by the measurement of Will Campbell’s arms, but don’t let that take away from how good of a tackle Armand Membou is.
11. San Francisco 49ers – Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
With Charvarius Ward likely to depart in free agency, the 49ers will need to fill that slot with a talented young corner. It just so happens that Will Johnson has fallen into their laps. Many believe Johnson to be CB1 in the draft, so to find him here at 11 feels like a steal for a team only a season removed from being in the Super Bowl.
12. Dallas Cowboys – Will Campbell, OL, LSU
It felt almost too easy to just give Jerry Jones the amazing running back, so instead, with the Zack Martin retirement news and the way the draft board fell, Will Campbell seems like a slam dunk pick. Having the flexibility to put Campbell at guard or tackle makes his arm length somewhat irrelevant and allows the Cowboys to get back to their roots and establish a dominant offensive line.
13. Miami Dolphins – Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
Protecting Tua Tagovailoa is paramount for the Dolphins and adding Kelvin Banks to this line will help with that goal. The defense came together well in the second half of the season allowing them to ignore some deficiencies on that side of the ball and build to their strength.
14. Indianapolis Colts – Tyler Booker, IOL, Alabama
The Colts need to focus on running the football. With Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor leading the way, that seems like a very easy thing to want to invest in. Tyler Warren would be the “fun” pick here, but build toward the strength of your quarterback, and that is running the ball.
15. Atlanta Falcons – Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
Stewart was as athletic as advertised at the NFL Combine. Recording a 4.58 40-yard dash, a 40-inch vert, and a 10-foot-11 broad jump, I believe he locked himself in as a top-20 pick. Mix that together with a team in dire need of a pass rush and you have the perfect match.
16. Arizona Cardinals – Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
The Cardinals are yet another team that wants to take advantage of this deep edge rush class and they strike rich with Jalon Walker, a player many believe could go in the top 10. He may not have participated at the combine, but Walker fell a bit due to a run on offensive linemen, not on talent.
17. Cincinnati Bengals – Derrick Harmon, DL, Oregon
One of the guys who has been quickly rising up my draft board is Derrick Harmon. Seeing him run a sub-5 40 at the combine was a nice plus, but overall I see him as just a great player. He may not be the type of interior player that will dominate in terms of sack numbers, but playing alongside the league’s leader in that category this past season in Trey Hendrickson will help Harmon acclimate and thrive at the NFL level.
18. Seattle Seahawks – Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
The Seahawks’ offensive line was downright horrendous at times last season and they need to add as much talent to that group as they can.
WE HAVE ANOTHER TRADE!!!!
-The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trading #19 and #120 to the Los Angeles Chargers for #22 and #86.
The Chargers know they need to help Justin Herbert by drafting a wide receiver and they couldn’t allow division rival Denver or the Steelers to grab the top guy on their board.
19. Los Angeles Chargers – Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
Luther Burden’s 2024 tape wasn’t ideal, but in 2023 he was downright awesome. It felt like we were seeing the real Luther Burden in 2023, and he made an appearance at the combine as well. Running a clean 4.41 in the 40 was great, but the smoothness and fluidity with which he ran the gauntlet was what really stood out.
20. Denver Broncos – Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
With the Chargers leapfrogging them to take the weapon Sean Payton would have loved, the Broncos pivot toward the guy that’s basically going to be a better version of Taysom Hill. Tyler Warren is a do-it-all guy with great hands and an ability to catch through contact. He even took snaps in the wildcat while at Penn State allowing Sean Payton to have that “joker” chess piece he loves to use.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers – Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Ashton Jeanty had one of the greatest seasons we’ve ever seen at running back and is available at 21. People will tell you the valuation of running back has changed after they watched Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry this year, but always remember that actions speak louder than words.
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
Probably the guy they would have taken at 19 anyways, the Bucs are able to add a pass rusher who performed well at the combine.
23. Green Bay Packers – Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
Hairston had been gaining momentum for me leading into the combine and then he goes out and has a banger of a performance: 4.28 40, 39.5-inch vert, and 10-foot-9 broad jump displayed his athleticism that I’m sure will translate to the NFL level. And with the rumors around Jaire Alexander getting dealt, corner seems a likely option for the Pack.
24. Minnesota Vikings – Kenneth Grant, DL, Michigan
The Viking defense was one of the biggest surprises of last season and I believe coach Kevin O’Connell will insist on supplying coordinator Brian Flores with the tools to continue having success. We’ve seen KOC make lemonade out of Sam Darnold, so it makes sense for him to bolster the other side of the ball.
25. Houston Texans – Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota
Last season, the Texans offensive line struggled mightily to protect young phenom CJ Stroud. As tempting as it is to add Matthew Golden to this offense, protecting your most valuable asset is and always will be the number one priority. Ersery helped himself at the combine by showing off his athleticism and I believe that will help him get into the back end of the first round.
26. Los Angeles Rams – Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Following the contract restructure and extension of Matthew Stafford and the eventual departure of Cooper Kupp, the Rams offense finds itself searching for another young talent to pair with Puka Nacua. Matthew Golden is the explosive, exciting young prospect Sean McVay will love. Golden blew people away with a 4.29 40 at the combine and on tape, his hands are remarkably good everywhere on the field. The Matthew to Matthew connection is going to go so hard in 2025.
27. Baltimore Ravens – Josh Conerly, OT, Oregon
There’s a strong chance Ronnie Stanley gets away in free agency, and the Ravens need to make sure the line in front of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry is secure in order to replicate the offensive success they had in 2024.
28. Detroit Lions – Donovan Jackson, IOL, Ohio State
The Lions pride themselves on being better than you and nastier than you at the point of attack, and Jackson adds that nastiness that GM Brad Holmes and HC Dan Campbell love.
29. Washington Commanders – Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
The Commanders had an unexpected run to the NFC title game and need to improve on the defensive end if they hope to continue competing with the Philadelphia Eagles.
30. Buffalo Bills – Malaki Starks, Safety, Georgia
An absolute steal for the Buffalo Bills. Starks is a top-15 talent that they are getting in the final three picks of the first round because of the lack of value teams put on safeties early in the draft.
31. Kansas City Chiefs – Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss
The Chiefs want to prioritize offensive tackle, but with the top-tier tackles off the board, they are forced to “settle” and draft a huge piece for the defensive line who could dominate alongside Chris Jones.
32. Philadelphia Eagles – Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
The Eagles are generally focused on two things: stocking up on offensive linemen and finding great edge players to rush the passer. Ezeiruaku fits perfectly into the latter and will be a great young piece to add to the already lethal defense the Eagles have assembled.