Tennessee

The Bengals are probably going to address their pass rush. Pearce is a polarizing prospect. He has demonstrated excellent pass rush instincts and speed, both during his time at Tennessee.

Two major factors have caused Pearce's draft stock to fall. First, are some off-the-field issues. Second, is that he is undersized and there are questions about his ability to play run support. See my write up on Carolina and Jalon Walker for the second point. For the first point, while I know this Cincinnati organization is different than years past, the Bengals have shown that off-the-field issues might not deter them from picking a player.

Pearce will most probably help Cincinnati's pass rush immediately.

Alabama

I've gone back-and-forth on this pick and I can admit that I have no idea what Seattle is going to. They have serious needs on the offensive line. Grey Zabel (OT, North Dakota State) would help address one of the tackle spots, or either of the guard spots. They could also stock up on edge rushing talent as well.

Still, I think Jihaad Campbell projects to be a very good pro player, and it does fit a position of need in the middle of the defense. Seattle will also have an opportunity to address the other positions in later rounds.

Also of note: there are reports that Seattle likes Nick Emmanwori. I don't see it given that they can't keep drafting DBs every year. But perhaps they'll surprise me.

Michigan

Tampa Bay is the other team that reportedly loves Jihaad Campbell. I'd been mocking him to Tampa for some time. With Campbell of the board, the Bucs will look to other positions. They addressed their pass rush and defensive line in free agency. They have a notable need at cornerback, and would probably be happy that Will Johnson slid all the way to them at 19.

Johnson has some injury concerns, which led to very limited tape on him last season at Michigan. However, he's a big corner that will likely succeed in man coverage. He was an absolute difference maker on a title defense, and in limited play last season.

Ohio State

Emeka Egbuka was my fill-in for Denver's pick for months. His stock has fallen a bit, and Denver doesn't seem as interested in addressing that position this early in the draft.

The reports are that Denver will be looking to add one of the great running backs this class has to offer. Omarion Hampton might be the pick. But I think Henderson is the more complete back. He's a burner, and can run well inside and out. He's also an excellent receiver out of the backfield, which will help immensely with Bo Nix's continued development.

Kentucky

As Pittsburgh continues to weather the Aaron Rodgers saga, not knowing what their QB situation will look like next season, it would be easy to assume that Pittsburgh would take a long look at Shedeur Sanders at this spot. It's seeming more likely, though, that Rodgers will sign with Pittsburgh at some point, and many teams aren't high on Sanders. Plus, drafting a QB here would likely hurt them in their negotiations with Rodgers.

The Steelers could address their secondary with this pick. Joey Porter Jr. has played okay, but he hasn't shown that he will be the future of the position. They did sign Darius Slay in free agency, but I can say (as an Eagles fan) that although I love Slay, his production has dipped over the past two season. He's also well into his 30s.

I think Maxwell Hairston, another combine breakout prospect, would be a decent pick. He's incredibly fast and has a good frame, if he's not a little undersized. He could start at nickel and then move to the outside once Slay retires or moves on.

Marshall

The Chargers are another weird team to try to figure out. The word was that they need a TE, but they signed Tyler Conklin in free agency and the top two prospects are off the board now. Plus, there are other good options in later rounds.

I think Los Angeles will address the pass rush with Joey Bosa's departure, and Khalil Mack's age. The question, again, is which player they prefer.

There was real hype around Mike Green during the senior bowl, and he had some good workouts at the combine. His stock has leveled out as some scouts believe he is undersized and won't be able to help in the run game (that seems to be a common theme here).

Still, at pick 22, I think he can give good value and at least be a solid rotation player in the pass rush.

Texas

I suspect the Packers will pick a corner here. They need help across from Jaire Alexander, or to fill in if he has more injury issues this season.

Barron is a fast corner (sub 4.4 speed) but he has small frame at 5'11. He projects to play at nickel corner, but in today's NFL, that position is more valuable than ever. This pick could be a risk given that Barron showed some issues playing in man coverage, but the pool of DBs here all kind of run together. Shavon Revel or Trey Amos are also options for the Packers here.

South Carolina

The Vikings don't have too many holes on their depth chart. But their weakness continues to be the secondary. They did well to re-sign Byron Murphy, and Harrison Smith hasn't shown signs of slowing down. But the other safety spot could be addressed here.

Scouts are split on Emmanwori's value in the first round. On the one hand, he's an athletic freak with tons of potential. But his game tape shows some bad habits in coverage that would need to be tweaked.

I think this is something of a luxury pick for Minnesota, so maybe they bank on Emmanwori's potential.

Alabama

The obvious need for Houston is the offensive line. Their line graded out as one of the worst last season (if not the worst) and they offloaded some starters. They did sign Cam Robinson from Minnesota-- a good start-- but I think they need to address the interior of the line.

Tyler Booker projects to be a very good NFL guard. He will be an immediate improvement over the beleaguered Kenyon Green, who is now in Philadelphia. The are reports that Indianapolis is interested in Booker at #14. The Texans will get better value out of this pick at #25.

Los Angeles is another team that could address the defensive secondary late in the first round. The options at this spot (in terms of value) aren't great, but then again the Rams don't have obvious needs in other spots to warrant picking elsewhere.

This could be a spot where a team trades back in to select one of the remaining QBs, but I'm not confident about this. Although, LA could stand to amass more draft capital

Shavon Revel is an intriguing prospect. At one point, he was considered one of the two or three best players at his position, but his stock has fallen as of late. He's a bigger corner at 6'2 and will have a chance to be a solid starter with some development.

East Carolina

Los Angeles is another team that could address the defensive secondary late in the first round. The options at this spot (in terms of value) aren't great, but then again the Rams don't have obvious needs in other spots to warrant picking elsewhere.

This could be a spot where a team trades back in to select one of the remaining QBs, but I'm not confident about this. Although, LA could stand to amass more draft capital

Shavon Revel is an intriguing prospect. At one point, he was considered one of the two or three best players at his position, but his stock has fallen as of late. He's a bigger corner at 6'2 and will have a chance to be a solid starter with some development.

Oregon

Early last season, the questions mark around Baltimore's roster was around the offensive line. Those worries seemed well-founded in the first few weeks. However, the unit started to gel later into the season and helped the Ravens finish with one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL.

Therefore, I believe the Ravens will forgo addressing that side of the line. Instead, I think they will target a DL with this pick. I think Derrick Harmon would be a good fit. He had a great senior bowl and nice combine. He's an experienced player and well-rounded at the position.

Ole Miss

Detroit is a juggernaut, and should be better if the defense can stay healthy. They lost a couple pieces there, and the defensive line has been one of their week points the past few seasons.

Walter Nolen is a risky prospect. He shows great potential and is an excellent athlete. He play either interior or edge on the line. There are some character concerns here, but Dan Campbell has created an excellent culture in Detroit, and I think the coaching staff could mitigate many of these concerns.

Texas

Washington could go in a few directions here. For one, the offensive line was exposed during the NFC championship. They addressed one of the tackle spots by signing Laremy Tunsil. But the right tackle spot could be addressed. They already have one of the best interior OLs in the game, so they could fill out the line.

They could also address the secondary, but none of the remaining prospects jump out at you here.

Finally, I think they could go and get Jayden Daniels another weapon here. They just traded for Deebo Samuel. But Samuel has had some injury issues and is wishy-washy on how he wants to be used in the offense. I think giving Daniels a vertical threat like Matthew Golden here could do wonders for the offense.

Boston College

This is another prime location for a team to trade back into the first round for a QB. The Bills don't have huge needs at any position. They could address the secondary, the pass rush, or give Josh Allen another weapon.

Teams in spots like this often try to bring in depth, and I think Ezeiruaku could fit nicely here. He's an experienced player with good size and flew a little under the radar last season. I think he would be a solid rotational player for the Bills.

North Dakota State

I think the Chiefs have quite a few positions to address. First is the obvious fact that Mahomes needs some more weapons on offense. Andy Reid has done well to morph the offense to suit the personal he has, without much noticeable drop off.

But Andy Reid is famous for targeting the offense line (and doing so even if the pick is primarily about depth). I think Grey Zabel is a textbook Andy Reid pick. The Chiefs' offense line was completely dominated by the Eagles in the Super Bowl, and they lost Joe Thuney to Chicago.

Grey Zabel is a very large person who can play multiple positions on the line. There might be some concerns about his level of competition in college, but I don't think that would deter the Chiefs here.

I'd also expect either of the Ohio State OL prospects to get serious consideration here. I'd honestly be surprised if both of them fall out of the first round, so Josh Simmons might be the pick instead.

Ole Miss

TRADE WITH PHILADELPHIA

Just like the last time the Eagles won the Super Bowl, Howie Roseman trades the 32nd pick to amass more draft resources. Reports are that the Saints really like Dart, but there's a chance he wouldn't make it past Cleveland at the top of the second round.

With Derek Carr's recent injury news, their QB need has become more urgent. I think this would be a pretty good value for New Orleans, depending on what they give up to get here. I assume Roseman will come away richer, but the Saints get their guy nonetheless.

Dart was highly productive at Ole Miss, and was probably the best QB in the SEC last season. He's experienced and has a great frame for the position in the NFL. He has a good arm and decent mobility.