The pool of prospects available for teams later this month delivers an interesting challenge for anyone making a mock draft. This yr’s crop of players has been viewed as much more deep than it’s top-heavy, with only 15-20 players receiving first-round grades in most scouting departments. For this reason, we’re left with a fun uncertainty wherein any of several players with second- to third-round grades could hear their names called throughout the back half of the primary round.
Here, we’ll make an try and discover the perfect prospects for every team of their draft slot and with their position needs. Because we’re in a rare and fun scenario for the time being wherein every team holds its own first-round pick for the primary time in a protracted, very long time, we won’t be predicting any in-draft trades, but you possibly can read here about the chances for such trades happening on the tail-end of the primary round.
1) Tennessee Titans — QB Cam Ward, Miami (Fla.)
Let’s not overthink this one. The Titans have a necessity at quarterback, unless they’re fully willing to run through the 2025 NFL season with Will Levis as their leader under center. While top-ranked prospects like Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Penn State’s Abdul Carter are actually worthy picks here, it makes a bit an excessive amount of sense to simply address an important position in football.
Ward has run away with the distinction of being the perfect quarterback prospect on this yr’s class. Yr after yr, Ward has progressed from Incarnate Word to Washington State to Miami and has played higher and higher football at each step of his journey. The well-traveled passer has his shortcomings as a prospect, but there is no such thing as a reason to consider he won’t proceed to enhance and excel at the subsequent level.
Ward here would give the Hurricanes their first first-round pick on offense since David Njoku in 2017 and their first No. 1 overall pick because the Cowboys took defensive lineman Russell Maryland in 1991. He can be bringing the perfect arm within the draft to Tennessee to spread the ball out behind a slowly improving offensive line.
2) Cleveland Browns — WR Travis Hunter, Colorado
I used to be extremely tempted to go together with Hunter’s quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, at this pick. Star pass rusher Myles Garrett was a giant critic of the team’s possibilities to contend for a title, largely attributable to the Browns’ quarterback situation. It felt just like the only thing that might persuade him to make a tough U-turn on this pondering (besides money) can be if team brass had clued him in to a plan to handle the position. At this point, though, Sanders has begun to slip down a whole lot of boards and may very well be available via trade from the early second round back into the late first. We’ve also seen the Browns express interest in Alabama passer Jalen Milroe, who may very well be one other candidate so as to add a fifth-year option to his contract with a trade into the primary round.
As a substitute, we’re going with Hunter. It’s strange to think we could have two players going Nos. 1 and a pair of who began their collegiate careers on the FCS level, but here we’re. Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry reportedly views Hunter primarily as a large receiver, making him an exciting weapon to pair with Jerry Jeudy.
Strong ball skills combined with explosiveness and a capability to make tacklers miss make Hunter a scary edition to a bunch that already includes Jeudy and Njoku. While they need a quarterback to distribute the ball, that problem could also be addressed later within the round. There’s a likelihood the Browns attempt to utilize Hunter’s unicorn ability to play either side of the ball within the NFL, but we all know his offensive abilities are what Cleveland primarily values.
3) Latest York Giants — OLB Abdul Carter, Penn State
While ultimately a straightforward decision, it is probably going not one the Giants would favor. Ward, Hunter, and Carter are, by a large consensus, considered the surefire top three picks of this draft in some order. Though, it’s at all times possible one other quarterback sneaks his way in attributable to desperation from Cleveland or Latest York. The Giants would likely love so as to add Hunter as a shutdown, true No. 1 cornerback, but with the 2024 Heisman winner in Cleveland, Carter is much and away the perfect prospect left on the board at this point. Another pick here can be a reach. The one thing to observe out for here is the incontrovertible fact that general manager Joe Schoen was lucky to retain his job this offseason, and he may feel the necessity to do something daring to be able to keep his job like going after Sanders or Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.
There is just not an enormous need for Carter in Latest York. Despite the lack of Azeez Ojulari in free agency, the team still rosters Brian Burns and former top-five pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. The 2 only combined for 14 sacks in 2024 and only have two double-digit sack seasons between them. That said, the Giants have invested loads within the pass-rushing duo and certain intend to maintain utilizing the pair. Little depth exists behind them and adding Carter to function a 3rd edge rusher seems underwhelming for a No. 3 pick. The Giants do have a past of creating such moves, as Mathias Kiwanuka (2006) and Jason Pierre-Paul (2010) joined John Mara-run teams that had strong edge-rushing units already. It will be foolhardy for Latest York to pass up the last elite talent left on this draft.
4) Latest England Patriots — T Will Campbell, LSU
Here’s where the draft can develop into really interesting. Now that the highest prospects are off the board, we get somewhat more into speculation on team preference and fit. While Latest England was dead last in team sacks in 2024, it made strong additions in former Titan Harold Landry and ex-Eagle Milton Williams. Since the Patriots already invested loads within the defensive position through free agency, they use this draft slot to handle one other area of weakness: the offensive line.
FA pickup Morgan Moses is about to lock down his side of the road, slotting Michael Onwenu at right guard. Former Vikings center Garrett Bradbury should start, as well, allowing Cole Strange to return to his role as starting left guard with Layden Robinson providing depth on the inside. Vederian Lowe and Caedan Wallace could each receive opportunities to begin at left tackle, as each was a part of last season’s merry-go-round on the position. But recent head coach Mike Vrabel admitted that the draft may very well be a useful gizmo to enhance on the position.
Campbell began at left tackle for all three of his seasons in Baton Rouge. While analysts criticized Campbell’s lack of length as a detriment to his first-round status, scouts don’t consider it to be a problem that might prevent him from having a successful NFL profession at left tackle. He heads north to Latest England, where Lowe or Wallace can be in place as a stopgap if the seasoned SEC blocker needs any acclimation time. Considering 2025 will likely be a vital developmental yr for Drake Maye, it will stand to reason Campbell would step in immediately.
5) Jacksonville Jaguars — DT Mason Graham, Michigan
Jacksonville’s biggest holes are at tight end, linebacker, and possibly safety, but not one of the top prospects at those positions feel worthy of going fifth overall. One of the best player on the board at this point is Graham, and while defensive tackle will not be a gaping hole, it’s a spot at which the Jaguars could use an upgrade.
Graham was the top-ranked interior defender within the NCAA last yr, per Pro Football Focus, and this was not a breakout yr; he ranked fifth in 2023. Graham might be disruptive as an inside pass rusher, totaling nine sacks and 18 tackles for loss in three seasons, but he’s an elite run defender — the NCAA’s best, per PFF — and can be pivotal to a unit that finished twenty fifth in run defense in 2024. With Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker in place on the sting, Graham pairs with Arik Armstead to form the team’s most menacing defensive position since its 2017 “Sacksonville” crew.
6) Las Vegas Raiders — RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
There’s work to be done at a variety of positions in Las Vegas, but running back seems to have the largest need for improvement. The opposite position I considered here was defensive tackle, but Graham is off the board, and I believe Jeanty adds more to the running backs group here than Derrick Harmon or Walter Nolen would add to the defensive position. Plus, with an honest O-line and an absence of elite wide receivers in the category, the brand new brain trust of general manager John Spytek, head coach Pete Carroll, and minority owner Tom Brady will need to seek out some option to add a weapon for brand spanking new quarterback Geno Smith.
Lots will likely be expected of Jeanty in 2025 after he carried the Broncos to the College Football Playoff last yr. Hopes that some combination of Alexander Mattison and Zamir White would make for a passable run game proved misplaced because the Raiders finished dead last in rushing in 2024. Vegas added Raheem Mostert to enhance the room in free agency, and though he’s only a season faraway from a 1,000-yard rushing campaign wherein he led the league in rushing touchdowns with 18, the veteran speedster took a backseat last yr in Miami. He would accomplish that again here behind Jeanty, whose run at Barry Sanders‘ hallowed single-season Division I-FBS rushing record (2,628) fell just 27 yards short.
7) Latest York Jets — T Armand Membou, Missouri
It is amazingly tempting to go together with Jaxson Dart here. Post-Aaron Rodgers, the Jets are once more attempting to work out their future at quarterback. In the mean time, though, they appear decently positioned with Justin Fields set to begin and experienced backup Tyrod Taylor behind him. Latest York even rosters former Florida State star Jordan Travis as a possible underrated pick to develop. Ultimately, Dart would feel like a reach, especially if Fields continues to enhance as a starter. As a substitute, the team decides so as to add a bit to guard its recent starting passer.
Membou would enter a extremely good situation in Latest York. A mix of center Joe Tippmann, left guard John Simpson, and right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker anchored a formidable interior line in 2024. Olu Fashano, the team’s pick at No. 11 overall last yr, should step up at left tackle, where he began five games last yr. If Membou is prepared, he can step in because the starting right tackle instantly. If not, Chukwuma Okorafor is obtainable to fill in until Membou develops.
8) Carolina Panthers — LB Jalon Walker, Georgia
We all know that Carolina is prone to give attention to defense on this yr’s draft, and its biggest weaknesses currently reside within the linebacking corps, where the team has loads of bodies but lacks elite talent. Safety, wide receiver, and tight end appear to be other positions at which the team could add, but unless the Panthers want Tyler Warren out of Penn State, none of those positions feature prospects that fit at this point of the draft.
The team’s weakness within the linebacking corps applies to each the off-ball group and the edge-rushing stable. Josey Jewell, Christian Rozeboom, and Trevin Wallace man the within linebacker spots, while Jadeveon Clowney, Patrick Jones, D.J. Wonnum, and DJ Johnson comprise the surface linebacker corps. Except for Clowney, not one of the Panthers’ OLBs have proven to be entirely effective as starters. Walker is the proper addition. Playing 311 snaps as an off-ball linebacker and 249 as an edge rusher in 2024, the Bulldogs standout’s versatility across the defense is paying homage to Micah Parsons. The Panthers will get to find out at which spot Walker offers the best potential to assist.
9) Latest Orleans Saints — QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Sanders is trending heavily here, especially following the injury update to veteran starter Derek Carr, but hear me out. Dart makes so rather more sense here. To get it out of the best way: there are weaknesses on Latest Orleans’ offensive line (namely at guard), cornerback, and defensive tackle, but Carr’s situation makes quarterback a direr need. While initially the team was linked to Day 2 passers like Texas’ Quinn Ewers, the situation seems to necessitate a Day 1 move.
Now, back to the Dart-Sanders argument. This doesn’t boil entirely all the way down to the incontrovertible fact that the 2’s draft stocks have been moving drastically in opposite directions for weeks, but that’s noteworthy. Latest head coach Kellen Moore has worked with three quarterbacks previously three seasons: Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts. Moore’s experience is with big-bodied passers with deep-ball and rushing abilities, two facets Sanders has seen criticized about his game. Sanders carries only average arm strength and plays conservatively. He also didn’t inherit his father’s electric speed and finished at Colorado with negative rushing yards (sacks count against rushing yards in college). Dart is a rather more willing and accurate deep-ball thrower and has much more ability as a rusher.
If Carr is in a position to play in 2025, all the higher to take a seat and develop Dart responsibly. If not, Dart stands a a lot better likelihood at finding success with a comparatively weak offensive line and a bevy of offensive weapons than Sanders.
10) Chicago Bears — TE Tyler Warren, Penn State
Adding center Drew Dalman and guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson to a line bookended by a formidable pair in Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones solidifies a bunch that was suspect in 2024. Upgrades may very well be made along the defensive position, but Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett are serviceable on the inside while Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo each have more potential than they showed in 2024. It’s tempting to go together with Georgia’s Mykel Williams or Marshall’s Mike Green here so as to add more pass-rushing bodies, but the perfect safety blanket you possibly can provide a young, growing quarterback like Caleb Williams is a talented tight end, and Warren is just too good a prospect to fall outside of the highest 10.
Now, I do know Cole Kmet exists and earned a four-year, $50MM extension after a profession yr in 2023, but last season brought Kmet’s worst work since his rookie yr. His contract includes a possible out following the 2025 season that might allow them to chop him with only $3.2MM in dead cap. Drafting Warren here provides Williams with a top-tier weapon, one coming off a 1,233-yard receiving season, and offers the Bears a likelihood to find out whether or not they’re in a position to move on from Kmet should his down 2024 prove to not be an anomaly.
11) San Francisco 49ers — DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
San Francisco could go a pair different directions here. I could make arguments for defensive end, offensive tackle, and cornerback, but the inside D-line seems probably the most devoid of talent. While Colton McKivitz isn’t an attractive name to bookend with an aging Trent Williams, the 49ers’ right tackle was serviceable as a starter on the best side in 2024. Williams also played elite ball as usual before missing the ultimate seven games of the season with an ankle injury. The 49ers can survive one other season without drafting a tackle of the longer term, though they need to absolutely take some stabs in later rounds of the draft. Except for Nick Bosa, the DE and CB positions are each lacking in top-end talent, but they’re in a lot better positions than the D-tackles.
The 49ers aren’t any strangers to drafting Geese to the defensive position — see Armstead and DeForest Buckner in back-to-back first rounds in 2015-16. The team goes back to the well here, and Harmon immediately becomes an impact player for the group. Immediately, the room includes Jordan Elliott, Kevin Givens, Evan Anderson, and Kalia Davis. Injecting Harmon here gives San Francisco a likelihood to field a defensive position that isn’t solely depending on Bosa in 2025.
12) Dallas Cowboys — WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
There’s an argument to be made here for an offensive tackle. I believe the signing of Saahdiq Charles allows Tyler Smith to bump back out to left tackle, and Terence Steele is serviceable, though not ideal, at right tackle. If a Smith return to LT is just not within the cards, the Cowboys did use a first-round pick on a tackle (Tyler Guyton) last yr. Especially with Campbell and Membou off the board here, other top tackle options, like Ohio State’s Josh Simmons or Oregon’s Josh Conerly, feel like a reach.
Running back can be a thought if Jeanty were still around, but adding Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders to a position group housing Deuce Vaughn feels adequate for now. Addressing the secondary is another choice, however it seems like a much bigger need at receiver exists.
McMillan should slot in here as WR2 behind CeeDee Lamb, providing Dallas with a big-bodied, sure-handed pass catcher that may dominate in red zone and jump-ball scenarios. The team lost Brandin Cooks in free agency and has been trying to find a real No. 2 since trading Amari Cooper. McMillan would slot in well within the Cowboys receiving corps, giving the group a well-rounded nature and allowing the team to oscillate between Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin at WR3 depending on what the situation calls for.
13) Miami Dolphins — T Kelvin Banks, Texas
Fome questions loom within the Dolphins’ secondary, and the team is basically counting on former first-rounder Jaelan Phillips to return back from one other significant injury, but Terron Armstead‘s retirement places Miami in a troublesome position. As much as you’d like to solidify those positions on defense, keeping quarterback Tua Tagovailoa upright and healthy is paramount to a successful season.
Drafting Banks here provides potential improvement at two positions. The Longhorns’ starter at left tackle for the past three seasons, Banks projected as a straightforward first-round pick for much of the yr before experiencing a little bit of a pre-draft slide in his stock attributable to lack of ideal length and the likelihood that he’d should change positions at the subsequent level. Many teams project him as a guard long run. The immediate hope can be Banks staying at tackle and improving on either Austin Jackson or Patrick Paul, who’ve each did not impress as recent high draft picks. (To be fair to Paul, he was a rookie backup in 2024.) If not, the Dolphins don’t should be nervous that Banks may have to shift in at guard because then he may give you the chance to function an upgrade over Liam Eichenberg, one other disappointing (but recently re-signed) high draft pick.
14) Indianapolis Colts — TE Colston Loveland, Michigan
This pick seems like a layup. Besides an obvious query mark with Anthony Richardson‘s future because the leader of the offense, the Colts have weaknesses on the guard and linebacker spots, but the dearth of a transparent TE1 is glaring. The Colts have been vocal about adding on the position, as well.
With Warren off the board, Loveland is an obvious selection here. The Colts have decent blocking tight ends on staff in Andrew Ogletree and Mo Alie-Cox, but draft investments in pass-catching tight ends like Jelani Woods and Will Mallory haven’t exactly panned out. The Colts haven’t seen a good end eclipse 400 receiving yards in a season this decade. Loveland is a pure pass catcher that ought to provide Richardson (or Daniel Jones) with the big-bodied goal Indianapolis cannot appear to hit on.
15) Atlanta Falcons — DE Mykel Williams, Georgia
While some issues at linebacker and interior defensive position may very well be improved upon here, the Falcons’ biggest issue in 2024 was glaringly obvious: they may not get to the quarterback — a modern-era Atlanta refrain. The Falcons ranked thirty first within the NFL is sacks last season, ahead of only the Patriots, and Matt Judon has left the constructing in the intervening time as a free agent. Through the Bulldogs’ recent run as a school football powerhouse, the Falcons have mainly ignored them within the draft, reserving just a few sixth-rounders for the in-state institution within the last three years. Williams may very well be the Falcons’ first-ever Round 1 pick of the college in franchise history.
That being said, Williams would join Georgia alum Leonard Floyd within the position room in Atlanta with this pick. It’s good that the Falcons have already got Floyd and Arnold Ebiketie in place because, while they definitely need assistance, those two can hold things down as starters while Williams gets on top of things. Williams was expected to supply rather more in 2024 than he did, as an ankle injury limited his efforts. Williams has all of the tools, though, to achieve success and would boost a Falcons pass rush in dire need.
16) Arizona Cardinals — CB Will Johnson, Michigan
The Cardinals made big moves in free agency to handle weaknesses within the trenches on either side of the ball, opening them up to have a look at what the board is giving them and take the perfect player available — or at the very least the perfect value available. Good players can be found here, but I discovered myself stuck on two defenders who add probably the most value to this roster: Johnson and Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell. I do consider Campbell could prove an efficient Arizona pick, but free agent addition Akeem Davis-Gaither should join Mack Wilson to make a serviceable linebacking corps for the team in 2025.
Johnson, though, adds considerably more value to a cornerback contingent that actually only boasts Garrett Williams at nickelback. Sean Murphy-Bunting, Starling Thomas, and Max Melton all return to the fold in 2025, but not one of the three had strong performances in 2024. Johnson’s play last yr was a rollercoaster that ended up breaking down on the tracks attributable to injury, but he was so impressive throughout the Wolverines’ 2023 championship campaign that it will not be a surprise to see him are available in and lock down one side of the defense while Thomas and Melton function rotation pieces off the bench.
17) Cincinnati Bengals — DE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Man, it is a tough pick. The Bengals saw several position groups perform poorly last yr, most noticeably on defense, but just about all of those positions feature players who had performed well within the recent past. As an example, the team’s tackles ranked 66th and 67th last yr out of 81 graded players, per PFF, but we’ve seen Orlando Brown Jr. play at a Pro Bowl level and Amarius Mims was only a rookie (last yr’s first-rounder). Similarly, at safety, Geno Stone is only a yr faraway from nearly leading the NFL in interceptions while coming off the bench, the identical yr wherein Jordan Battle showed extreme promise as a rookie. There are needs everywhere in the defense (and maybe the inside offensive line), but one thing is needless to say: this defense faces a tall task if enduring trade candidate Trey Hendrickson is out of the image.
Enter Stewart. If Hendrickson stays, the Bengals will need one other effective pass rusher across from him. If Hendrickson leaves, they’re going to want an efficient pass rusher period. Stewart never turned in productive numbers during his three years in College Station, totaling just one.5 sacks in each season, but scouts still appear to be enamored along with his construct, balance, and bend. If he can learn to complete and develop some effective pass rush moves at the subsequent level, Stewart has a likelihood to make a significant impact and help out a secondary that was run ragged last yr. He would help a team that just lost Sam Hubbard to retirement and one which has not seen 2023 first-rounder Myles Murphy show much yet.
18) Seattle Seahawks — G Tyler Booker, Alabama
I used to be torn between two positions for Seattle: interior offensive line and linebacker. An argument exists for tight end augmentation, as well, but Noah Fant is capable, and it is much too early to be looking into LSU’s Mason Taylor or Miami’s Elijah Arroyo. I also considered sending Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell to Seattle, however the Seahawks are going to wish to put recent quarterback Sam Darnold in the perfect position to succeed. Thus, Campbell’s Crimson Tide teammate makes his way northwest.
Booker is a bulldozer and an almost guaranteed starter in Seattle off the bat. Laken Tomlinson is in Houston now, so the Seahawks currently only roster Anthony Bradford (ranked 72nd out of 77 guards in 2024, per PFF), Sataoa Laumea (77th out of 77), and Christian Haynes, a 2024 third-rounder who didn’t crack the starting lineup as a rookie. The team goes to should hope that certainly one of those three can man one guard spot effectively while they depend on Booker to secure the opposite.
19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers — LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
Back-to-back Alabama picks, as we do land on Campbell here. There may be some need for a guard, and you possibly can copy and paste what I said in regards to the Seahawks’ tight end situation here with Cade Otton. The team also saw a shaky yr from its starting safeties in 2024, but we all know Antoine Winfield Jr. is able to so rather more.
At linebacker, Tampa Bay is returning grizzled veteran Lavonte David and pairing him with free agent addition Anthony Walker. David, 35, remains to be putting up 100-plus-tackle seasons prefer it’s nothing, but 12 years faraway from a five-interception 2013 campaign, he has develop into a bit more of a liability in coverage. Walker made memorable contributions (when healthy) in Cleveland for 3 years, but last yr with the Dolphins saw PFF rank him 81st out of 84 off-ball LB regulars.
Campbell may have a little bit of time to grow right into a starting role, but he was superb in each run defense and coverage at Alabama and may very well be the longer term of the position for the Buccaneers, who’ve at all times loved to anchor their defense around premier linebackers.
20) Denver Broncos — RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
Finally, we get back to a fairly easy pick here. The team could use some assist in the receiving corps, however the glaring hole at running back is just too much to disregard. Quarterback and offensive line are set, and the Broncos signed Evan Engram to enhance their tight end situation. Add within the incontrovertible fact that last yr’s top-10 defense did not likely lose too many pieces (while adding Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga in free agency) and this pick lines up perfectly.
Hampton would step into Denver as a right away RB1 over Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime, Tyler Badie, and Blake Watson. Due to some reliable receiving ability, Hampton can prove to be an on a regular basis back for the Broncos, if needed. Sean Payton has repeatedly spoken of a necessity for a pass-catching back; in spite of everything, he achieved great success with the likes of Reggie Bush, Darren Sproles and Alvin Kamara in Latest Orleans. The fit here almost makes an excessive amount of sense.
21) Pittsburgh Steelers — QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
The primary-round slide finally halts for Sanders with Pittsburgh. The Steelers’ defense is predictably pretty set, though it could use some investment in the longer term via an injection of youth. The offense: messier. The acquisition of D.K. Metcalf should bolster what was a skinny receiving corps. The tight ends are fantastic, however the offensive line is suspect, and the quarterback and running back rooms appear to be stuffed with backups.
The team could really reach here for a running back like Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson or a large receiver, however the Steelers hang their hats on drafting under-the-radar wide receivers in middle and later rounds, and what does it matter in the event that they don’t have someone throwing to them? Even when Aaron Rodgers eventually signs with Pittsburgh, which is presumed to be the plan, I still think the Steelers take Sanders here and permit him to take a seat for a yr behind a legend like Rodgers.
That could be a luxury they didn’t afford Kenny Pickett, who proved unready fairly quickly to steer the team back to the QB well within the draft. Sanders and/or Rodgers might want to hope the team does a whole lot of work on the remainder of the offense before the season starts, though.
22) Los Angeles Chargers — CB Shavon Revel, East Carolina
An addition at wide receiver or tight end here can be reasonable, however the Chargers’ current weapons could also be sufficient with no first-round pick being crucial. In Greg Roman‘s offense, that’s all they should be. Also, except for the middle spot, Los Angeles’ offensive line is pretty good, so we’ll turn our attention to defense. There’s an argument to be made for adding across the defensive front, but with Teair Tart and Da’Shawn Hand on the inside and Khalil Mack, Bud Dupree, and Tuli Tuipulotu on the sting, they’ve some solid pieces in place. Where they really appear to lack talent is at cornerback.
Fifth-round rookie Tarheeb Still was a revelation for the team after Asante Samuel Jr. went down with injury, but losing Samuel (who remains to be unsigned) and Kristian Fulton to free agency hurts. Fellow fifth-round rookie Cam Hart didn’t fare nearly in addition to Still, and free agent addition Donte Jackson is just not coming off a powerful Pittsburgh season. Still, this group generally is a starting cadre, if crucial, which is sweet because Revel is coming off a torn ACL. His electric 2023 performance holds enough weight to solidify him as a first-round pick here for the Chargers, and he can really improve the group when he’s full-go.
23) Green Bay Packers — DE Mike Green, Marshall
We’re beginning to run out of teams with obvious holes to fill. Across the offense, the Packers are in fine condition, though some tackle depth may very well be a helpful add in a while within the draft. Safety is about, as well, and the inside line ought to be fantastic. At cornerback, Keisean Nixon didn’t deliver his best work, but we all know he can play at an All-Pro level. And the Packers, as they prepare for a possible future without Jaire Alexander, invested big to secure Nate Hobbs to enhance Nixon. The team could stand to provide Edgerrin Cooper some help at linebacker, and UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger would fit nicely here. Ultimately, adding a pass rusher felt more helpful.
Rashan Gary led the team with 7.5 sacks en path to a Pro Bowl berth last season, but across from him Kingsley Enagbare and Lukas Van Ness did not likely encourage much confidence. A primary-rounder two years ago, Van Ness has yet to earn a starting role on the Packers’ defense, and it could be time to begin pondering of recent options for the position. So, what do you give a team that hasn’t seen a player with a double-digit sack season since 2020? The FBS sack leader.
Green made an enormous jump in his second yr for the Thundering Herd, leading the nation with 17 sacks. He fell just in need of Carter (23.5) for the nation lead in tackles for loss but still got here through with 22.5. The Packers didn’t struggle to bring the quarterback down last yr, but adding Green should make it that much easier.
24) Minnesota Vikings — S Malaki Starks, Georgia
It is a tough one, because Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings do take a look at position need, but they have a tendency to value scheme fit over production and potential when drafting. With J.J. McCarthy the hopeful quarterback of the longer term, the Vikings are seemingly good there. Additionally they appear well positioned at running back, wide receiver, tight end, center, and tackle. On defense, the Vikings have a solid front seven, they usually spent loads in free agency on cornerbacks. Minnesota has two significant holes: guard and safety. Their options at guard here — Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea, Georgia’s Tate Ratledge, and possibly Purdue’s Marcus Mbow — are more suited to be Day 2 picks, so that they go safety here for higher value.
I even have South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori as the highest safety option on this class, but again, we’re taking a look at scheme fit. While the Vikings do are likely to play one safety as a roamer who plays within the box quite a bit, veteran Harrison Smith has that role within the bag. That’s why we’re going with Starks here.
Unlike Emmanwori, who played more within the box last yr for the Gamecocks than within the defensive backfield, Starks spent loads more time in a real safety role. He would step in here as a right away starter, replacing Camryn Bynum alongside Smith, allowing Theo Jackson and Jay Ward to stay in backup roles. Remember, the Vikings only have 4 draft picks this yr, so they are going to likely be trying harder than most to trade back for more picks.
25) Houston Texans — C Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
The Texans have been working diligently to scale back costs and separate from older cogs on the offensive line, trading away Laremy Tunsil and signing multiple free agents. Still, it’s been made pretty clear the team is prone to proceed addressing the offensive line within the draft. I did think that some interior D-line options available here — Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen or Michigan’s Kenneth Grant — may very well be helpful, and a few suggest that a starting wide receiver to pair with Nico Collins and Christian Kirk — after losing Stefon Diggs in free agency and potentially Tank Dell to injury — may very well be the move. Each positions, nevertheless, should feature some solid options on Day 2.
I actually like Zabel here for the Texans because they don’t appear to be picky about which position they need to handle on the road. A left tackle for the Bison in 2024, Zabel began college games in any respect 4 guard and tackle spots. Yet, due to his intelligence and flexibility, he’s being billed as the category’s top center prospect. That being said, Houston can align Zabel just about anywhere. If the Texans want him at center to unlock Jarrett Patterson to compete at guard with Juice Scruggs, Laken Tomlinson, and Ed Ingram, he can do it. In the event that they want him at guard so Scruggs can compete with Patterson for the middle job, he can do it. While the FCS standout projects best on the inside, if the Texans want him to compete with Cam Robinson, Trent Brown, and Tytus Howard at tackle or be the longer term of the position, his experience tells them he can probably do it.
26) Los Angeles Rams — CB Jahdae Barron, Texas
That is one other team I desired to link to Schwesinger, an area product for them who could potentially add to a linebacking corps that feels just above average for the time being. The Rams feel good all down the road of scrimmage on offense, though it’s actually time to get serious in regards to the way forward for the quarterback position post-Matthew Stafford. A superb defensive position is backed up by the above-mentioned linebacking corps and the Kamrens at safety. Cornerback seems like the position that might use help probably the most.
Enter Barron. The Rams do not likely have any glaring holes that need addressing, but Barron has potential to enhance the cornerback group in multiple ways. Los Angeles is about to enter the season with Ahkello Witherspoon, Darious Williams, Cobie Durant, Derion Kendrick, and Emmanuel Forbes at corner. Out of 116 players PFF graded on the position, Witherspoon (53) checked in highest, closely followed by Durant (56). Williams ranked at 82nd, while Kendrick missed the season due to an ACL tear, and Forbes, the previous first-round pick, didn’t register enough snaps to qualify. It is difficult to say if Barron is prepared to begin instantly for this group, but his versatile usage everywhere in the secondary in Austin ensures that he can try so as to add value wherever the Rams need him.
27) Baltimore Ravens — S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
That is where we actually throw out the notion of positions of need. Eric DeCosta and the Ravens famously follow a “best player available” approach to the draft. With the departure of versatile starter Patrick Mekari, Baltimore should want to herald one other competitor on the guard spot, but grabbing anyone at that position would mean passing up much higher value. Similarly, the retirement of Michael Pierce and pending free agency of Travis Jones make defensive tackle prospects like Nolen or Grant super attractive here, but they still will not be as helpful as the perfect player available on the board at this point.
That player can be Emmanwori. The prospect of lining up Emmanwori next to Kyle Hamilton within the defensive backfield feels redundant in a terrifying way. Now, the team is anticipated to retain free safety Ar’Darius Washington (a tendered restricted free agent) after he excelled within the role next to Hamilton last yr, but all three of those players harness incredible versatility that might grant Baltimore excessive freedom.
Washington has bounced forwards and backwards in Baltimore from nickelback to safety, while the team deployed Hamilton everywhere in the defense early last yr before he was needed to avoid wasting the day at safety following the disappointing campaigns of Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson. The Gamecocks used Emmanwori in a Hamilton-like capability throughout his collegiate profession. After the struggles in pass defense we saw from Baltimore early in 2024, the Ravens shore up their secondary here with a menacing trio.
28) Detroit Lions — G Tate Ratledge, Georgia
Overall, Detroit’s roster stacks up well at most positions. Three may very well be addressed here: EDGE, cornerback, and guard. The Lions’ outside pass rush was really only a problem last yr due to Aidan Hutchinson‘s season-ending injury. Hutchinson is probably the perfect pass rusher in the sport when healthy, and give attention to him should help unlock his teammates to make plays. Some decent pieces — in D.J. Reed, Amik Robertson, Avonte Maddox, and Terrion Arnold — are on the Lions’ roster at corner, and the team began last yr’s draft with back-to-back CB investments.
So, we turn to protect, where the departure of Kevin Zeitler in free agency causes some issues. Graham Glasgow is slotted in at left guard, and despite a 2024 step back, he has proven reliable previously. The opposite spot is up for competition between Kayode Awosika, Netane Muti, and Christian Mahogany, for the time being. Awosika began two games for the team last yr, and Muti has logged only 4 starts in a five-year profession; Mahogany flashed promising form in his one start and across limited backup time as a rookie last season. Still, the team could use a competitor with a better ceiling here. I used to be torn between Ratledge and Savaiinaea for this pick, however the Lions really prioritize character when drafting, and Ratledge is a bully and a mauler who describes himself as a “dirtbag.” That seems like just the best fit for Dan Campbell, like a man who’s going to bite a kneecap off.
29) Washington Commanders — DE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
Despite Washington’s trip to the NFC championship game last yr, the team could stand to enhance in several areas. The offensive skill positions are all pretty good, and the addition of Laremy Tunsil actually helps, however the offensive line as an entire is just OK. Similarly, the secondary is alright but not great and will use improvements at cornerback, like Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston or Ole Miss’ Trey Amos. On paper, the defensive position (from left to right, Clelin Ferrell–Daron Payne–Javon Kinlaw–Dorance Armstrong) seems like a strength, but these veterans have lacked consistency over the past few years.
So long as the Commanders, who’ve just five picks on this draft, don’t trade all the way down to collect more draft capital, Ezeiruaku seems like the player who can add probably the most value at this point within the draft. A consensus All-American, Ezeiruaku finished a half-sack behind Green for the nation lead last yr with 16.5. His 20.5 tackles for loss in 2024 were good for fourth within the country behind Carter (23.5), Green (22.5), and Ohio State’s JT Tuimoloau (21.5). With Dante Fowler and his 10.5 sacks headed back to Dallas, the team’s top returning sack artists at defensive end are Armstrong (five in 2024) and Ferrell (3.5). Ezeiruaku may not start immediately, but he should give you the chance to offer some much-needed production, even when he’s coming in off the bench.
30) Buffalo Bills — CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
The knee-jerk response here is to go after Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden to complement Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Josh Palmer, but going pass catcher along with your first-round pick three years in a row is just not look. And there are much larger issues to cope with on defense. The opposite knee-jerk response is to have a look at the entire contract years on the defensive position and add an EDGE or tackle, however the talent is in place for 2025, at the very least. Issues on the inside offensive line and linebacking corps also feel like priorities, however the league’s Twenty fourth-ranked pass defense in 2024 could probably use more assist in the secondary.
No safeties seem definitely worth the value at this juncture of the primary round, so Hairston makes his option to upstate Latest York here. Christian Benford excelled for Buffalo last yr, but players like Rasul Douglas and Kaiir Elam dragged the group down. Each are gone, and the team brought back Dane Jackson after an abysmal yr with the Panthers, so Buffalo would like to see some recent faces making an impact across from Benford. Hairston put himself on the NFL radar with five interceptions (three returned for touchdowns) in 2023 and solidified himself near the highest of the category with a position-best 4.28 40-yard dash on the NFL Scouting Mix. He has boom-or-bust potential on nearly every play, and the identical can probably be said of the potential for his profession.
31) Kansas City Chiefs — DT Walter Nolen, Ole Miss
Like a whole lot of teams within the late first round, the Chiefs are likely going to try and trade out of this pick, in the event that they can. After losing the Super Bowl largely attributable to losing the ditch battle, Kansas City is prone to be locked in on offensive or defensive position. Though, running back and safety could use some attention within the later rounds. Losing Joe Thuney leaves a hole at guard, but there’s hope 2024 second-rounder Kingsley Suamataia will help on the market. For higher or worse, Jawaan Taylor ought to be back at right tackle, and the team signed 49ers swing tackle Jaylon Moore out of San Francisco to man the left side.
George Karlaftis needs assistance on the sting, but Chris Jones is entering an age-31 season. He could use a high-end complement, and hitting on this player could provide an eventual alternative. The team also downgraded a bit in free agency next to Jones, swapping out Tershawn Wharton for Jerry Tillery.
Personally, I like Grant over Nolen, but Nolen, with the best mentorship, has the potential to be an ideal long-term alternative for Jones. Nolen is much more disruptive than Grant, outmatching him on profession sacks 11.5 to six.5 and on profession tackles for loss 25.0 to 11.5. Nolen will not be as pro-ready as Grant, but when he can mature, his potential upside could match Jones’. Within the meantime, he could provide some serious disruption and pressure off the bench behind Jones and Tillery.
32) Philadelphia Eagles — OLB James Pearce, Tennessee
The reigning Super Bowl champs lost loads of talent in free agency, which has been known to occur, but they were lucky in that the bleeding was mostly contained to the defensive side of the roster. Nearly your complete offense returns from 2024, and the one loss, right guard Mekhi Becton, was potentially filled within the trade that brought Kenyon Green over from Houston or the free agent signing that brought back Matt Pryor from Chicago. Philly’s linebackers and cornerbacks are set, and if Starks or Emmanwori were still available, it will be a straightforward selection for the Eagles as they fight to exchange C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The team lost Milton Williams to free agency, as well, but still rosters Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Moro Ojomo on the inside.
On the sting, the Eagles replaced Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat with lower-profile options in Azeez Ojulari and Josh Uche in free agency. If neither addition pans out, though, Pearce could provide a crucial boost. Pearce’s production didn’t increase with more playing time in Knoxville last yr as expected, but he had 17.5 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss in his two years of significant time with the Volunteers. If he shows up and takes care of business, Pearce could eventually take a starting role across from Nolan Smith. He’d enter camp competing with Ojulari, Uche, Bryce Huff, and Jalyx Hunt for the job. While that looks as if a whole lot of pass rushers on the roster, Philadelphia has been doing its research and reportedly has a whole lot of interest in Pearce. GM Howie Roseman can be obsessive about bolstering his lines.
Best remaining available: QB Jalen Milroe (Alabama), QB Tyler Shough (Louisville), RB Kaleb Johnson (Iowa), RB TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State), WR Matthew Golden (Texas), WR Luther Burden (Missouri), WR Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State), TE Mason Taylor (LSU), TE Elijah Arroyo (Miami), C Jared Wilson (Georgia), G Jonah Savaiinaea (Arizona), T Josh Simmons (Ohio State), T Josh Conerly Jr. (Oregon), T Aireontae Ersery (Minnesota), T Donovan Jackson (Ohio State), DT Kenneth Grant (Michigan), DT Tyleik Williams (Ohio State), Edge JT Tuimoloau (Ohio State), EDGE Landon Jackson (Arkansas), EDGE Nic Scourton (Texas A&M), LB Carson Schwesinger (UCLA), CB Trey Amos (Ole Miss), CB Azareye’h Thomas (Florida State), S Xavier Watts (Notre Dame)
