Michigan

Guys who weigh close to 340 pounds and move like Kenneth Grant don’t grow on trees. I could see him going higher than this, but if not, he’d make sense for a Bengals team that needs more help on the defensive line and has frequently raided the Michigan program in recent drafts.

North Dakota State

North Dakota State has become a FCS powerhouse in the last 10’or so years, and they’ve pumped out a number of NFL prospects in that timeframe. Offensive lineman Grey Zabel is the latest one. He played left tackle for the Bison, but will shift inside at the NFL level. The Seahawks can use the help all over the interior, so they’ll find Zabel a spot somewhere.

Michigan

Chargers get: Pick 19
Buccaneers get: Picks 22, 124 (R4) and a 2026 4th round pick

Almost too easy of a connection here. Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman love utilizing the tight end as another receiver, and Colston Loveland played for Harbaugh at Michigan.

Michigan

Packers get: Pick 20
Broncos get: Picks 23, 123 (R4) and a 2026 4th round pick

Slide finally ends for Will Johnson as the Packers move up to 20 to secure the services of the player some scouts consider to be the top cover corner in the draft. His pro day could send his stock back up, or it could keep it around in this range.

Oregon

Pittsburgh may want to think about their defensive line long-term. And it’d be hard to do much better than Derrick Harmon at 21. He’s not just a combine warrior as Harmon was a disruptive force against the run and the pass all season long for Oregon.

Boston College

Character concerns are pushing James Pearce and perhaps Mike Green down draft boards. That, an excellent college career and an awesome combine may push Donovan Ezeiruaku up draft boards some on draft night. Tampa Bay takes all of this into consideration and takes him at 22 after a small trade back.

North Carolina

Denver doesn’t have a lot of reliable options at running back, and Omarion Hampton may have run his way into the first round with his combine performance after a tremendous career at UNC. He’s a big back with very good speed for his size and is also a capable pass catcher.

Ohio State

Houston could be looking for receiver help with major injuries in season to Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell. It’s also possible Diggs isn’t back. If so, reuniting C.J. Stroud and Emeka Egbuka would be a savvy move. They already have built in chemistry from 2022, and Egbuka (in my mind anyway) represents a very safe bet in a draft full of a lot of unsure things.

Arizona

Patriots get: Picks 24 and 161 (R5)
Vikings get: Picks 38, 77 (R3), 145 (R5) and a 2026 6th round pick

My senses tell me the Patriots will look into a trade for Seahawks wideout DK Metcalf or maybe even Bengals wideout Tee Higgins (the latter seems less unlikely). I’m not going to project that in this mock, so I’ll instead have them trade up for Tetairoa McMillan here, aka ‘T-Mac.’ The Arizona wideout could have a Tee Higgins kind of impact, so he could make sense if the Pats can’t get one of Metcalf or Higgins.

Texas

LA has kept Matthew Stafford around after flirting a possible trade, but will seemingly be moving on from Cooper Kupp. Matthew Golden didn’t quite match or break the record 40 time of former teammate Xavier Worthy, but 4.29 speed is nothing to sneeze at. He could be a scary sight in a Sean McVay offense with the space he’ll get to operate.

Georgia

Secondary help is needed in Baltimore, and there could be a spot open for a guy like Malachi Starks. Some teams think he could play some corner in addition to the free safety spot. Do the Ravens believe that? I’m not sure, but Starks has tremendous ball skills, and would create one of the top safety tandems in the NFL with Kyle Hamilton.

Ohio State

Chiefs get: Pick 28
Lions get: Pick 31 and 132 (R4)

It’s no major secret that the Chiefs need help at the left tackle spot. Had it not been for a torn patellar tendon, he’d certainly be long gone by this point as the best pure sure fire left tackle in the draft. He’s reportedly way ahead of schedule in his recovery, so he could be an excellent option for the Chiefs.

Ole Miss

Jaguars get: Picks 29 and 79 (R3)
Commanders get: Picks 36 (R2), 70 (R3) and 125 (R4)

Many mock drafts have Jacksonville addressing the defensive tackle spot at the #5 pick. Another option could be moving up into the back of Round 1 for a guy like Walter Nolen. He’s a bit of a love/hate prospect, but few doubt he can get after the passer and has the star pedigree going back to high school as a former top 5 overall recruit.

Ohio State

Buffalo gets a big guy of their own in Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams, who boosted his draft stock with a great combine performance of his own. A bigger guy like him (330 pounds) would be a great fit next to Ed Oliver.

Toledo

Literally nobody outside of Toledo, Ohio knew of Darius Alexander prior to the Senior Bowl. But his great showing there, then at the combine and his disruptive ability against the run and pass have made him a likely top 40 selection. The Lions could use some depth at defensive tackle with Alim McNeill recovering from a torn ACL. Plus D.J. Reader is only signed through 2025 anyway.

Colorado

Browns get: Pick 32
Eagles get: Picks 33 (R2) and 202 (R6)

While I am not sure Shedeur Sanders falls this far on draft night (especially in a weaker QB class), he reportedly didn’t do himself any favors at the combine in interviews. The risk would be minimized at this point though, and the Browns get that fifth year option by moving up one spot. This also reunites Sanders with Travis Hunter.