Miami

The Titans are in full rebuild mode after trading away their franchise cornerstone in Derrick Henry and watching him having immense success with the Baltimore Ravens. To add insult to injury, Malik Willis saw his way to Green Bay and the Will Levis experiment was a colossal failure. As with any team that needs a total overhaul, the start must be with the quarterback, and Cam Ward gets my selection ahead of Shedeur Sanders. I don't think either of them is even a top 10 talent in this draft, but the hype and the need will outweigh the ranking. Ward has good playmaking skills outside the pocket and excellent mobility, but he has the same down side as last year's number 1 overall pick, Caleb Williams. He's too much of a hero-ball enthusiast and tends to make poor decisions to try and make highlight reels. If he can refine that aspect of his game, he could be the starting Titans QB for years to come.

Colorado

Oh, Cleveland. Didn't we tell you that trading for Deshaun Watson was terrible idea? Now... we see the results of making foolish decisions. Yet another high draft pick for the Browns. There has been very little playmaking and excitement to find in Cleveland over the years and Travis Hunter is the player to give a spark. Hunter is entering this draft as a cornerback and has elite coverage skills. He needs to refine his skills slightly as he is slightly overaggressive in his press technique and add a little weight to reach his full potential. He also could be toyed with as an offensive weapon to start out, but either way he provides a boost in marketability and talent to a lackluster Browns squad.

Colorado

It's written in the shoes, right? In a similar predicament that the Titans are in, the Giants actually have a few gems on their squad. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Tyrone Tracy, Jr. and Malik Nabers have given a little hope to New York faithful, but the quarterback situation MUST be addressed. The Giants finally unpinned themselves from one of the worst financial decisions in franchise history by cutting Daniel Jones and now the spot is wide open. Shedeur Sanders is the next quarterback in my rankings and has himself expressed his interest in playing for the Giants. Sanders has the arm talent, character, and confidence to be a starting quarterback, but he needs to do things quicker. he has a tendency told hold the ball too long, especially if his primary read is not open. This will be a preliminary scenario he will also have to get used to if he gets drafted by the Giants because as of right now they have only Nabers as a viable target.

LSU

The Patriots are in year 2 of a rebuild and the only progress they showed last season was in the quarterback play of rookie Drake Maye. The defense still lacked size and physicality, the running game was atrocious, the passing game showed no downfield threats and the play calling was atrocious. To add the final cherry on top, Jerod Mayo coached his team out of the number one pick for no explainable reason whatsoever. The Patriots will have a ton of free agency money to work with, but the next step in a rebuild after finding the quarterback is to solidify the left tackle position. Will Campbell fits that bill. He started ever since his true freshman season and has been a stalwart against even the best SEC rushers. He will need to adjust his pass protection technique as he tends to get off balance and has slightly shorter arms than ideal for a left tackle, but he can be the pass protector of the new franchise cornerstone in New England.

Michigan

It is difficult trying to identify the needs of the Jaguars as mediocrity seems to be at every single position on the field and the coaching staff. Trevor Lawrence, meh. Travis Etienne, meh. Evan Engram, meh. Trayvon Walker, meh. Liam Coen as the new coach, meh. The Jaguars need to start hitting "can't miss prospects" and luckily one falls right into their lap at pick 5 with Mason Graham. Graham is tenacious in pass rushing and run defense and has incredible power at the point of attack. He also doesn't have a long injury history and is durable enough to be on the field for all three downs. Expect him to cause havoc for AFC South QB's for the foreseeable future.

Boise State

What a pick here for Las Vegas. Ashton Jeanty is my top player in this year's draft and it's no secret as to why. His frame, fluidity, explosive playmaking in the passing and rushing game all topped off with durability equals the cornerstone of any franchise who picks him. Vegas needs a face as the QB position has been awful and Josh Jacobs departed for much greener pastures in Green Bay. Jeanty can be the face of the franchise and hopefully will get more help surrounding him in the years to come.

Penn State

The Jets didn't think it could get any worse than when Zach Wilson was leading the charge. Wellllllll... it could. Aaron Rodgers' return was met with excitement, but that quickly changed to disappointment throughout the 2024 season. A sputtering offense led to the blame shifting towards Robert Salah and Nathaniel Hackett and the issues still presented themselves. To make matters worse, Salah was fired and the defense followed the collapsing trend. The Jets need a reset and they have already announced their separation from Aaron Rodgers. A QB will be necessary, but I could see them signing someone like Kirk Cousins or Derek Carr in free agency with the talent they still possess. The defense needs to get back on track and they have a DOG waiting for them in Abdul Carter. Carter was a home wrecker for Penn State's defense and looks the part of an elite pass rusher with an excellent combination of bend and power. He will need to be better against the run to be a complete edge-setter, but he can be yet another hit drafted by this New York Jets defense.

Arizona

McMillan just feels like a Panthers pick, doesn't he? Giant frame, excellent at the contested catch, but struggles with speed, quickness and separation. Ring any bells? The Panthers undeniably need a number one receiver and McMillan projects as first off the board this year, but he will need to really work on his separation and quickness to be a complimentary weapon to lasts year's first round pick, Xavier Leggete.

Tennessee

Something the Saints have been lacking for quite a while has been a consistent pass rush. Cameron Jordan is aging and not in the kind of way Drew Brees did. New head coach Kellen Moore may move up to try and grab a franchise QB if they decide to move on from Derek Carr, but the top need for this team is to get pressure from the edge. The defensive interior looked better with young talent in Bryan Bresee and Khalen Saunders, but Pearce brings tenacity and playmaking to the edge. He will most likely need to get slightly bigger (which he actually did well between 2023 and 2024) and improve his run defense but his primary job is what he does well... get to the quarterback.

Marshall

This Bears team has a bright future. The secondary is young and fun to watch, but they need to remain healthy to become elite. Caleb Williams showed flashes, but just as he was in college... he was way too inconsistent. He closed the year strong but will need to make a marked improvement in year 2. Another place the Bears will need to improve is the pass rush, where aside from trade acquisition Montez Sweat, they have no viable threat to rush the passer. Mike Green is a more balanced defensive end in comparison to the top prospects of this draft like Abdul Carter and James Pearce. Whereas they both are pure pass rushers, Green is steady as a run defender and doesn't sacrifice quickness or power, but will need a new level of nastiness to truly separate himself.

Texas

Did any team have a greater fall from grace than the 49ers last season? The injury bug hit hard, Brock Purdy's play declined, the defense didn't look anywhere near as dominant and "return to the Super Bowl" hopes were dashed really early in the season. A lot of what will repair the Niners will be getting healthy, but they also need to get young talent in some key positions. One notable need is that of their offensive line. Trent Williams is still an excellent player when healthy, but that's not always the case and Colton McKivitz's play severely declined this past season. Kelvin Banks is a force to be reckoned with and I could see him starting as a teams right tackle or at guard immediately. He has a nastiness and strength that makes him into a road grader, he just needs to work on not being overaggressive which has gotten him off-balance at times.

Ohio State

Speaking of teams that need better offensive line play, how about Dallas? Zack Martin is the only name left from what was one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and even he is starting to show his age. I could see Dallas trying to trade up for Ashton Jeanty, but if Dak Prescott wants to play well with this Cowboys squad, he will need a blind side protector. Simmons is a solid selection and stood his ground against pass rushers like Abdul Carter. He has the physical traits needed with an excellent blend of athleticism and power, he'll just need to refine his technique.

Georgia

Another team that fell from the rafters were the Miami Dolphins. An explosive and exciting offense turned into pure disappointment. Raheem Mostert disappeared after scoring 18 touchdowns the season before, Tyreek Hill was phased out of the offense almost entire in games and once again Tua Tagovailoa was mired in concussions. The offense needs to refocus and have a quarterback who can stay healthy, and I honestly could see them trading up for a tackle, but in this mock they miss on the top three. The Dolphins took a swing combining Jordan Poyer and Jevon Holland at safety but I don't think they will be able to retain both. Malaki Starks is an explosive safety and has an amazing football IQ. His main concern will be staying healthy and I think that combination of athleticism risk/reward will be something Miami won't ignore.