Miami

Cam Ward is pretty much guaranteed to go No. 1 as he is the heavy betting favorite to be the first pick, and 96% of online mock drafts have him going off the board first. The Titans desperately need a franchise QB, and hopefully Ward can be that for them.

Colorado

Over the last few weeks, it has become clear that the Browns are zeroing in on Travis Hunter with this pick. Their front office has said they view him as a wide receiver, and he is probably the best receiver in the class. If Hunter isn’t the pick, I expect the Browns to go with Abdul Carter.

Penn State

For a long time, it was assumed that the Giants would look to secure a quarterback with the pick by taking Shedeur Sanders, but that is no longer the case. It is now widely believed that the Giants will take a “best player available” approach, and I think they’ll end up with a potential franchise edge rusher in Abdul Carter.

LSU

The Patriots have a severe lack of talent on offense, and they need to protect their potential star QB, Drake Maye. The Pats could take a number of different players, but the one name I’ve seen connected to them the most is Will Campbell. Campbell’s underwhelming arm length may lead to him transitioning to guard at some point, but he had a good college career and has a solid all-around skill set. A dark horse to be picked here is Jalon Walker, who the Patriots are reportedly very interested in.

It has been smokescreen season in Jacksonville recently.

For a long time, Mason Graham was paired with Jacksonville in literally every single mock draft on the internet. Things have shifted, though, and there are reports that the Jaguars are likely to take a skill position player at No. 5. Ashton Jeanty is now the betting favorite to be selected here, and he is the consensus pick among insiders. I personally wonder if the team is using Jeanty as bait to get a team to trade up so they can get Tetairoa McMillan on a cheaper rookie contract.
However, insiders know way more than I do, and they have made one thing clear: Ashton Jeanty is the best bet to be picked at No. 5. We’ll see if one of the best running back prospects in recent memory can transform the Jags’ run game and help boost their offensive output.

Boise State

It has been smokescreen season in Jacksonville recently.

For a long time, Mason Graham was paired with Jacksonville in literally every single mock draft on the internet. Things have shifted, though, and there are reports that the Jaguars are likely to take a skill position player at No. 5. Ashton Jeanty is now the betting favorite to be selected here, and he is the consensus pick among insiders. I personally wonder if the team is using Jeanty as bait to get a team to trade up so they can get Tetairoa McMillan on a cheaper rookie contract.
However, insiders know way more than I do, and they have made one thing clear: Ashton Jeanty is the best bet to be picked at No. 5. We’ll see if one of the best running back prospects in recent memory can transform the Jags’ run game and help boost their offensive output.

Texas

At this point, it appears the Raiders are almost certainly taking a tackle, with Kelvin Banks Jr. and Armand Membou being the top options. I thought Membou would be the pick here for a while, but it seems I was mistaken. Daniel Jeremiah, Todd McShay, and Matt Miller all have Banks mocked to the Raiders, and he is the betting favorite to be selected here. Banks is a great pass blocker, and he would be an excellent addition to the Raiders’ offensive line.

Missouri

Rumor has it that the top tackles in the class will likely go early, and I can see that happening. The Jets have been connected with several players, including Tyler Warren and Jalon Walker. However, I think they choose to beef up the trenches by taking Membou, an athletic tackle with a solid all-around profile coming off the best season of his college career. It doesn’t hurt that Membou is currently the betting favorite to go off the board here.

Georgia

The Panthers have been connected to Jalon Walker forever, and that hasn’t changed. Based on the consensus of insiders, it appears the Panthers are targeting a defensive lineman with this pick, with Mason Graham and Walter Nolen also being considered. I think they stick with the player they’ve always wanted, who provides positional flexibility and real juice as a pass rusher.

Georgia

I’ve heard so many different things regarding who the Saints will pick. At one point, they were connected to a few quarterbacks, then it was reported that they would likely be looking at taking either Ashton Jeanty or an offensive tackle. Those possibilities are off the table here, so I predict they go with one of the top-ranked edge rushers available in Mykel Williams, who I have had here for several days. Many insiders have made this connection, and Williams is now the betting favorite to be the pick. I think the Saints will also consider Mason Graham, but I’ll stick with this.

Penn State

I think Mason Graham is too talented to pass up here, but I’m not sure the NFL agrees. I’ve seen Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland mocked to the Bears more than any other players, and the team may want to add another strong pass catcher to make new head coach Ben Johnson’s life easier. Warren is the betting favorite to go off the board here, and I think he is most likely to go higher than Loveland.

Michigan

Mason Graham has had a very quiet pre-draft process, and the closer we get to the draft, the more likely it seems that Graham could fall farther than people expect. The 49ers have been connected to numerous defensive line prospects, and I think they would pounce on the opportunity to draft an elite talent like Graham. If Graham is off the board before this pick, I think the 49ers will look to draft Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen.

Arizona

Tetairoa McMillan seems like a lock to go in the top twelve, and the Cowboys have been connected to both him and Matthew Golden a lot during the pre-draft process. Many insiders have McMillan paired with the Cowboys, and he is more talented than Golden. This makes a lot of sense, and I can definitely see it happening if McMillan isn’t already off the board.

Texas

This is a tough outcome for the Dolphins because none of the top offensive tackles are on the board, and I think they would like to go in that direction. In this situation, I think they take one of the top cornerbacks on the board, Barron, who has a versatile profile and provides some security with Jalen Ramsey’s status with the team being uncertain.

Michigan

Tight end is one of the Colts’ biggest needs, and both Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland have been mocked to them religiously. Warren has already been taken, so the Colts get Loveland to help support their young quarterback, Anthony Richardson, who could use an athletic tight end who shines as a receiver. The Colts have historically loved elite athletes, though, so don’t be surprised if they go off the board and pick a combine warrior like Shemar Stewart.

Tennessee

The Falcons have been addicted to drafting offensive players over the years, but it appears that they are targeting defensive players in the first round of this year’s draft. Based on rumors and insider mock drafts, it seems likely that the team will target an edge rusher to bolster its pass rush. James Pearce Jr. has been connected to the team a lot, and he has a very enticing profile as a pass rusher.