Miami

It certainly feels at this point that the first overall pick is all but confirmed, with the Titans gearing up to make Cam Ward their next attempt at finding a franchise quarterback. While it certainly appears that most aren’t particularly high on this quarterback class, there’s enough to like about Ward to where I can understand the Titans making this decision. The clear #1 QB in this draft, he has a plus arm and demonstrated the confidence/willingness at Miami to take shots anywhere on the field. The most impressive trait that he’s continued to demonstrate is his pocket awareness and mobility, showing composure and ability to step up and make a play under pressure. His side-arm throwing motion has raised a few concerns from NFL scouts on his mechanics, which has resulted in some inconsistencies in ball placement. Despite this, he has the makings to develop into an NFL-caliber starting quarterback, something the Titans currently aren’t even close to having on their roster.

Colorado

If I had to bet on one player from this draft class one day wearing a gold jacket, it would be this year’s Heisman winner. Hunter is the first prospect since I’ve been following the NFL to ever generate real conversation about his ability to play on both sides of the ball. He has some of the best ball-tracking skills that I have ever seen, and his athleticism gives him some serious range. Hunter is both the top-ranked Cornerback and Wide receiver in this class, and no matter what direction he takes with the team that drafts him, I’m confident in his ability to produce at an elite level in year one. I certainly hope the Browns are open to at least trying to have him play both ways.

Penn State

There are two prospects that I believe have separated themselves in the top tier in this class: Hunter and Carter. There’s been buzz linking the Giants and Shedeur Sanders even since the draft order was determined due to the Giants' obvious need at the position, but as the draft draws closer, it seems increasingly likely that they’ll hold off on QB here (a decision I’d agree with). With Hunter coming off the board a pick earlier, that leaves the Giants with Abdul Carter and an opportunity to continue adding talent to the defensive side of the ball. He’s as good of a pure pass rusher as it gets in this class, extremely explosive off the jump, and possesses the elusive “bend” that coaches and scouts fawn over. He will likely need to add some weight to exert his full potential as a run-defender, but would fit in nicely as an OLB in the Giants' 3-4 front as a rookie. If there’s a prospect to break double-digit sacks next season, it’s Carter.

LSU

After securing their franchise Quarterback a year ago in Drake Maye, the Patriots are in a position where they would like to simply take the best player available with the 4th pick. However, with Hunter and Carter off the board here that answer seems a lot more tricky. Outside of Ahston Jeanty (would the Patriots consider a running back this high?), no one in the next tier of players in this class has separated themselves from the rest of the group. The Patriots would ideally love to trade down out of this spot because of this but I’m not sure there will be a team willing to meet their asking price to draft Shedeur Sanders. Because of this, I have the Patriots taking a shot at solving the problem on their roster, the left tackle position. Many scouting reports have cooled on Campbell to an extent due to his arm measurements, however, it seems that this doesn’t appear to be as much of a concern to many NFL teams and their confidence in his ability to continue playing the Tackle position. New head coach Mike Vrabel is one of these sources on record, claiming that his experience against many NFL prospect pass rushers throughout his SEC career and his impressive technique proves that he can get the job done. Worst-case scenario, Campbell figures to have the potential to become an elite guard if a switch is necessary, which raises his floor quite a bit as an NFL player. While in that situation Patriots fans wouldn’t be ecstatic about drafting a guard this high, the reality is that they need major help there as well.

Michigan

While his size and athleticism may not jump off the board, Graham has been an extremely productive player throughout his collegiate career and figures to continue as an effective player up front, both as a run defender and pass rusher. PFF has graded him above the 95th percentile in both. Jacksonville did not roll a great defense last season and has, to this point, failed to make any improvements through free agency. There are a few other defensive prospects that could be an option for the Jags, such as Jalon Walker, but Graham to me seems the safest selection of the bunch. Similar to Campbell but to a lesser degree due to the position, despite the sound technique and explosiveness, there are some concerns about Graham’s arm length.

Boise State

This is about as high as I could realistically see Jeanty being selected, and to me still feels low for a player of his caliber. Jeanty, in my opinion, is a top-2 player in this class, regardless of his stock taking a hit due to positional value. Jeanty runs extremely hard and has some of the best vision we’ve seen from a running back prospect in recent memory. He might not have clocked the fastest 10 or 40-yard splits out of the class, but he possesses “long-speed”, evidenced by his plethora of 40-50 yard runs last season. The Raiders need to add a high-caliber weapon to their offense to cap off an already impressive off-season that could see the Raiders having the biggest single-season turnaround out of the basement teams picking this high. Also, the top running back in this class is going to a team coached by Pete Carroll that currently doesn’t have any real options there gives good vibes.

Missouri

This is the point in the mock where I’m going to start pivoting to “what I would do” if I held these selections, and I’m going to have the Jets replace Morgan Moses with a rookie right tackle who should start on day one. Membou shot up draft boards after weighing well and demonstrating impressive athleticism at the combine, despite a slightly smaller stature. He was excellent in a zone-heavy scheme at Missouri and showed effectiveness in vertical pass sets. There were some concerns about how he fared against some of the longer Edges, but there’s hope that coaching in hand technique can elevate his performance there.

Georgia

After watching the atrocity of the 2024 Panthers’ defense, I find it nearly impossible to suggest that they go any direction other than adding some sort of talent to a lacking unit. Jalon Walker is next up in a recent run of raw but athletic Georgia linebackers who can play all over the field. He spent time as an edge and off-ball middle linebacker, yet was most effective as a standing OLB in a 3-4 front, which coincidentally is what the Panthers have been running under DC Evero. He may not be big enough to play the Edge full-time, but he should be able to carve out an effective role as an early-down backer brought down in pass-rush situations.

Georgia

Back-to-back Georgia defensive players go here in the top 10, leaving the Saints with the more “raw” of the two prospects. Williams is an athletic lineman with a strong frame that figures to be filled out towards the ideal size for a 4-3 defensive end. His pass-rush production wasn’t anything crazy last season, but the tools are there, and he was excellent defending the run. For a Saints team that is in a bad situation heading into the 2025 season, I think playing the upside here makes sense, especially with a top-ranked prospect at a position of major need. I’m just hoping they don’t actually think that throwing Sanders or Dart out there will solve any problems.

Penn State

With how the board has fallen, Tyler Warren, my Tight End #1, figures to be the most attractive name available. I wanted to put Omarion Hampton here, and I don’t think it would be the most shocking thing if it happened, but Warren would also project to play a major role in Ben Johnson’s offense. They could go tackle here as well, but the prospect of giving Caleb Williams another high-profile playmaker might be hard to pass up. Similar to Laporta, Warren is very much a “do-it-all” type of player. He’s capable as a blocker, runs good-looking routes, excels in contested situations, and has the “try-hard” type of motor that makes be stand out whenever he’s on the field. He can be used as a utility guy as well, capable of lining up all over the field.

Ole Miss

The 49ers are here in a situation they haven’t been in a while - having multiple major needs on the roster. One of the most hyped recruits of the 2022 cycle, Nolen has the physical traits of an elite interior lineman. At 6’4 290lbs, he has surprising speed to pair with ridiculous strength, which allowed him to line up everywhere on Ole Miss’ defensive line. His tape from last year was a tad inconsistent, but his ability to disrupt plays from the interior is extremely evident. San Francisco has recently been a great spot for defensive linemen to develop, and they’ll be hoping they can continue their success with Nolen after losing some bodies up front.

Arizona

While I’m not as high on him as most, he’s fallen a bit too far, and this feels like a no-brainer for a Dallas team that has been forced to play Jonathan Mingo at WR. Tet McMillan falls into the Mike Evans mold of WR possessing elite size, coordination, and ball skills. He has a very wide catch radius and wins at the catch point with instinctive adjustments and strong ball-tracking skills. While not a burner-type receiver, his route running and ability to dominate in contested situations down the sideline make him a top-10 talent with mismatch value as a Z or big-slot receiver.

Texas

Kelvin Banks is a three-year starter at left tackle for Texas and has been battle-tested in the SEC. He fits best in zone-based run schemes and has shown effectiveness pulling and hitting the second level, which is why some view him as a better guard prospect than Tackle. Banks will at least get the benefit of starting his career at Tackle though, and mirrors well in pass protection against speed rushers, sealing well, and showing patience in his drop-backs. However, Banks has the same problem as Campbell; his arm length is below average for an NFL tackle. His hand placement is also inconsistent, impacting his ability to sustain blocks at times. I was a bit underwhelmed by his 2024 campaign and like Josh Simmons a bit more as a prospect, but his injury has pushed Banks here for the tackle-needy Dolphins.

Michigan

This feels like the easiest position to mock to a team in this draft, as the Colts have desperately needed even average-level tight-end play for years now. They have consistently seen the lowest production from this room in the league, and once again failed to address the position in free agency. Maybe I’m completely wrong, and this front office simply doesn’t value the position, but sitting here in a class with two first-round viable options, it feels destined that they’ll walk away with Warren or Loveland. I actually find Loveland to be a better pass-catcher than his counterpart, running a full-route tree as essentially a big “X” receiver. I think his presence could be beneficial if Anthony Richardson is ever going to figure things out.

Texas

Wow, the Falcons not drafting offense again? What am I thinking? Jahdae Barron is one of the most versatile defensive backs in this class, with starting-caliber tape at safety, nickel, and outside cornerback. Barron is an excel tool to utilize in quarters and Cover 3 schemes, and would contribute majorly for the Falcons as soon as he arrives in Atlanta. He does a great job at reading QBs’ eyes and jumped quite a few breaking routes at Texas. While Barron lacks long speed and elite man coverage traits, strong tackling gives him value as a “big nickel”. He’ll need to clean up some inconsistent play in man-coverage, but should see the field early and could develop as a very strong player in zone-heavy schemes. Too bad Atlanta will probably draft Matthew Golden or something else insane.

Michigan

Sliding a bit in this mock, Will Johnson is a long, fluid cornerback with elite foot quickness, sharp instincts, and a knack for jumping routes in off-zone coverage, evidenced by his knack for forcing turnovers at Michigan (9 career interceptions). He’s physical and sticky in press coverage, however, his speed is of some concern in man-heavy defenses, making Johnson more of a zone fit. He’s a starting-caliber NFL corner, and with the Cardinals having a major need in the secondary, this makes a ton of sense.