Miami

Will Levis is on the trade block, so TEN's QB depth chart is essentially Brandon Allen and Tim Boyle. Tumbleweeds.

Given the quality of TEN's coaching staff and roster, the Titans are plainly setting Cam Ward up for failure. Travis Hunter is a true athletic outlier with pristine intelligence and character who was a two-way superstar in H.S., a two-way superstar in college and will be a two-way superstar in the NFL. Four years from now, TEN's decision to opt for zero-star recruit/Incarnate Word QB Cam Ward over Hunter will be looked back on as THE cautionary tale of draft-day "QB positional value" run amok...but I get why they're doing it.

Colorado

Current starters like Joe Flacco, Jerome Ford and Shelby Harris obviously need to be upgraded, and current LT Dawand Jones is better suited for RT, but they're all functional with NFL starting experience. Projected starting outside WR Michael Woods II is a tumbleweed. Hunter steps in as a full-time WR. See how this works? It's uncomfortable, I know.

Michigan

The Giants have a surprisingly decent starting lineup, but this team's potential is obviously capped by the situation at QB. Still, Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston can get you through a game. Dexter Lawrence's current interior partner is some practice-squad guy called D.J. Davidson.

In real life, Graham would be a perfect 3T complement to Lawrence, but current Vegas odds have Graham at +7500 to be drafted 3rd overall because Abdul Carter is the better value, so this is where the exercise begins to veer away from how the actual draft will likely go down.

LSU

Patriots OTs were 31st in pass block win rate and last in run block win rate last season. NE spackled RT with vet Morgan Moses, but current projected starting LT Vederian Lowe was 71st in pressure rate allowed and gave up six sacks in 13 starts last season. Lowe is not a functional starter.

Missouri

Patrick Mekari is currently slated to play RG. Last season was Mekari's first as a full-time starter for BAL, and he finished 61st in pressure rate allowed amongst guards and committed 14 penalties (most at the position). Mekari shouldn't be a starter.

Membou may be best at guard for the NFL, and I have him as OG1 for the purpose of this exercise. If he can kick out and replace LT Walker Little down the line, all the more value.

Texas

The situations at RB, CB, LB, and non-Maxx Crosby EDGE are pretty grim for the Raiders, but the situation at WR beyond Jakobi Meyers is truly pathetic. We're talkin' Kristian Wilkerson, Tre Tucker and Ramel Keyton. Geno Smith is a gunslinger who needs options beyond over-the-middle stuff to Meyers and Brock Bowers.

Note: Slotting Golden at 1.06 is where this exercise is starting to become REALLY uncomfortable, especially when I suspect that the Raiders will be the team that will stupidly trade for Tyreek Hill.

Texas

Current listed starting RT Carter Warren is a 4th-rounder selected by the previous regime. During 141 snaps at RT last season, Warren allowed a horrible 11.3% pressure rate. Banks could play RT or LT (with Olu Fashanu switching to the right side).

South Carolina

I know...I'm surprised, too.

Like every other draftnick, I instinctively wanted to slot an EDGE here given that CAR finished dead last in pressure rate and had just 32 sacks (29th) last season, but strangely, the individual performance metrics of current EDGE starters Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum were not bad. (Newly-acquired EDGE Patrick Jones had 7 sacks in a breakout for MIN, too.) This points to injuries and lack of talent along the D-line and in the secondary having just as much to do with last season's total defensive breakdown as the EDGE group.

CAR addressed the D-line during FA with NT Bobby Brown II and RDE Tershawn Wharton. While both are certainly upgradable, they are at least functional in their respective roles as run-clogger and interior pass-rusher, and stud LDE Derrick Brown returns from season-long injury. The situation is similar at CB, where - beyond Pro Bowl boundary CB Jaycee Horn - Michael Jackson and slot Chau Smith-Wade are upgradable but functional. FA addition Tre'von Moehrig is a solid starter at one of the safety spots, but after Moehrig it's tumbleweeds like UFA Demani Richardson and journeyman Nick Scott.

Vegas odds currently have Emmanwori coming off the board before Malaki Starks, so although I like Starks more, Emmanwori is the pick.

Note: I realize that Abdul Carter is unrealistically sliding. Sorry. Just following the rules of the exercise.

Michigan

When the actual draft rolls around, the Saints may want to get out ahead of their impending divorce from Derek Carr and draft a QB here, but for the purpose of this exercise, Carr is under contract and probably gives me a better chance of winning tomorrow's game than any rookie QB from this class.

The glaring weakness on the Saints depth chart is currently boundary CB opposite Kool-Aid McInstry, where journeyman Isaac Yiadom is slated to start. Going into his 8th season, Yiadom has never been a full-time starter and has been picked on unmercifully when forced into action. This pick is one where the actual draft and this exercise could easily lead to the same result.

Boise State

The Bears have experienced, functional starters at every position, so my job here was to find the worst one. That honor goes to De'Andre Swift, who was the NFL's least efficient starting RB by nearly every metric last season. (45th out of 46 qualifying RBs in rate of rushing attempts per missed tackle, 46th out of 46 in rushing yards over expected per attempt, etc.)

Maybe the Bears really should trade up for Ashton Jeanty.

Oregon

I laid out the SF scenario in the intro. Derrick Harmon currently has the best odds among non-Mason Graham DTs to be drafted in the 1st RD, so while I prefer Kenneth Grant, Harmon gets the nod.

If you're wondering why I didn't opt for Abdul Carter to play opposite Nick Bosa here, it's because Yetur Gross-Metos is still under (a pretty healthy) contract. Gross-Matos graded decently vs. the run, had a 10.6% pressure rate and 4 sacks in limited action last season. Not great - but functional. Yes, that's how low I've set the bar for "functional starter" for this exercise.

Arizona

WR (Jonathan Mingo) and NCB (Israel Mukuamu) are tied for worst starting situations on the DAL depth chart. Tet McMillan gets the nod over Jahdae Barron due to positional value. Anyone that knows how I feel about McMillan and Barron will know that this one stings.

Ole Miss

Save for Zach Sieler and Chop Robinson, MIA's defensive depth chart is flat-out bad, especially when factoring in an impending Jalen Ramsey trade. The Ramsey-less Cam Smith/Storm Duck situation at boundary CB would be dire, but maybe a bit less dire than the "Matt Dickerson" situation going on opposite Sieler at 3-4 DE.

Colorado

Wanna know the two guys that have the lowest and 2nd-lowest ranked efficiency ratings among qualifying NFL QBs over the last two seasons? It's the two guys fighting it out for Indy's starting QB spot. It's a joke.

Anthony Richardson struggles to complete 50% of his passes. Always has and always will. That statistic would have been embarrassing in 1975 NFL, let alone 2025 NFL. For this exercise, it doesn't matter that Richardson has top-5 draftee pedigree; any NFL QB that can't complete 50% of his passes needs replaced toot sweet. For the sake of his job security, Chris Ballard must end the Richardson experiment and reset with Shedeur Sanders.

Penn State

A cursory glance at the ATL depth chart had me assuming that Malaki Starks would be the pick here to replace recently-signed vet Jordan Fuller. However, Fuller's grades while with the LAR under Raheem Morris - while never really good - weren't truly bad, either. Fuller makes the cut as a serviceable starter that Morris may be comfortable with.

Statistically, Kyle Pitts was ATL's worst starter last season and it wasn't even close. In Zac Robinson's new offense, Pitts lined up inline in 51% of his snaps - a healthy jump from the 20% to 35% inline clip from his first three seasons - and Pitts struggled miserably in every aspect of the new system. Among qualifying NFL TE's, Pitts finished last or near-last in almost every important metric, including a putrid 3.8 YAC. He ranked 75th in run-blocking grade. In ESPN's "open" score (quantifies player's ability to get open), Pitts ranked 41st out of 43 qualifying TEs. So basically, Pitts is a starting TE that can't block and can't get open who has only gotten worse with every passing season.

As with the Colts and Anthony Richardson, eating that top-5 investment in Pitts would be embarrassing for ATL, but the Falcons must move on. Pitts is a bust that doesn't fit the new system and should be traded while he still has a shred of value.

Georgia

ARI could use upgrades all along the depth chart, but the true tumbleweed action is happening at ILB.

Jonathan Gannon's defensive scheme shares Fangio DNA, meaning there's a role for multi-skilled, three-down ILBs that can bounce around the alignment and bring murder on the blitz. (The "Zack Baun" role.) The current ARI ILB depth chart features just journeyman STers Akeem Davis-Gaither, Mack Wilson and Mykal Walker. Jalon Walker's 'tweener profile makes him difficult to peg in the 1st RD, but Gannon's system is as good a fit as any.