Well, the NFL Combine is over, and free agency is due to kick off soon.
After that, we come to the draft. I’m no draft expert, and I don’t like doing mock drafts, because there are so many factors, and trying to guess what will happen in the first round is like trying to guess how a game of Plinko will play out — there’s logic there, but chaos always seems to win.
I’m going to give it a go, though. So, with that, he’s a potential look at the first round:
1: Tennessee Titans — Cam Ward, QB, Miami (Fl)
Zac Taylor disciple Brian Callahan benched Will Levis in favor of Mason Rudolph in December, and the results were very much what you would expect from a Rudolph-led offense. Needless to say, Callahan needs a quarterback, and they use the No. 1 overall pick on who they believe is the best quarterback in this year’s draft class.
2: Cleveland Browns — Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State
The Browns are in a pickle: they need a quarterback, but they owe the ghost of Deshaun Watson an insane amount of money. There isn’t going to be a market for Watson, and, unless the Browns are able to wiggle out of his fully-guaranteed contract, they’re stuck. Myles Garrett, a generational pass rusher, wants out of Cleveland, so they use the No. 2 overall pick on Carter.
3: New York Giants — Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
The rumors are the NFL has soured a little on Sanders after the Combine. I saw one report saying he could drop out of the top 5, and could even fall out of the top-10. For now, though, I have him going to the Big Apple to take over for Danny Dimes.
4: New England Patriots — Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
The Pats aren’t in position to grab a quarterback, but they can add help at offensive tackle. The Patriots’ offensive line was exposed with injury and a lack of talent. They’ll take Conerly here, who started 28 games for the Ducks at left tackle.
5: Jacksonville Jaguars — Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
Hunter might be the most versatile player in this year’s draft class, and he falls right into the Jaguars’ lap. Andre Cisco is heading to free agency, and Hunter, who played both corner and wide receiver for the Buffaloes, likely projects to be a better NFL corner than wide receiver. However, if they were so inclined, Hunter could make a good offensive weapon for Trevor Lawrence.
6; Las Vegas Raiders — Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
The Raiders took themselves out of the running for Ward or Sanders by winning a couple games late in the season. They do need a quarterback, but with none worth a top-10 pick, they’ll settle for Graham, who looks like he could be an absolute game wrecker in a division with Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Bo NIx, who had a solid rookie season.
7: New York Jets — Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
The Jets are stuck in a weird position. They don’t have a quarterback, and they can’t use a first-round pick on another passer from this draft class. They’ll have to trade for or sign Aaron Rodgers’ replacement in free agency. They do need help at cornerback and they get to pair Johnson with Sauce Gardner.
8: Carolina Panthers — Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia
The Panthers need an edge rusher badly. They tied the Titans with the third least sacks in the league in 2024. Williams is a talented pass rusher who can also set the edge in the run game. When Derrick Brown comes back from injury, pairing him with Williams will be scary.
9: New Orleans Saints — Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M
Cam Jordan is going to be 36 and Chase Young is headed for free agency (hopefully to Cincinnati?) The Saints take a chance on Stewart here, who didn’t have the level of production you’d expect from someone with his measurables, but clearly has the talent and body to excel at the next level.
10: Chicago Bears — Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
If the Bears want to give Caleb Williams a chance to be their first ever 4,000-yard passer (yeah, that’s a real stat), they have to give him time to throw. Josh Connerly is likely the best offensive tackle in this year’s draft class, but he’ll be the second taken off the board as he’s rehabbing from a knee injury. He says he’ll be good to go and might even be full go for his Pro Day.
11: San Francisco 49ers — James Pearce Jr., Edge, Tennessee
The Niners don’t have a lot of depth behind Nick Bosa, and Pearce is a talented pass rusher. He tied for the lead for sacks in the SEC with 9.5 in the 2023 season, and has shown he can be an every-down defensive end in the NFL.
12: Dallas Cowboys — Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
The Cowboys need a new running back. They release Ezekiel Elliot during the season, and Rico Dowdle is heading to free agency. Jeanty could step in and help revive a struggling Cowboys running game to get the passing game going.
13: Miami Dolphins — Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
Colais Campbell and Benito Jones are heading to free agency, and the Dolphins need help really at all three levels of the defense. Nolen isn’t the heaviest defensive tackle, but he’s quick off the ball and can cause problems for the offense, especially if he’s singled up on one blocker.
14: Indianapolis Colts — Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
The Colts need more weapons for Anthony Richardson, and they land the top tight end in this year’s draft class with their first-round pick. Warren is a big target (6-foot-6, 260 pounds), but he can run as well. He can stretch the field, find open spaces and could also develop into a decent blocker down the line.
15: Atlanta Falcons — Nic Scourton, Edge, Texas A&M
The Falcons could lose Matthew Judon and Lorenzo Carter in free agency, and they could use Scourton to pair with Arnold Ebiketie. Scourton is a physical edge rusher with a lot of tools in his bag, and he could develop into an every-down defensive end.
16: Arizona Cardinals — Jalon Walker, Edge, Georgia
Baron Browning, Dennis Gardeck and Julian Okwara are all pending free agents, and the Cardinals need someone who can get to the passer. Walker can rush from the edge position or off the ball, and he can make an impact on day one.
17: Cincinnati Bengals — Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
I struggled with this. The Bengals could realistically go several different ways. There are some wide receivers the Bengals could take, should they lose Tee Higgins, but I’m going with the assumption (for now) that the team is going to do what is necessary to retain their stars.
Green didn’t test at the Combine, other than bench press, where he put up an impressive 28 reps, showcasing some serious upper-body strength. He dominated at the Senior Bowl against some of this year’s draft classes best offensive linemen.
The Bengals need a consistent edge rusher to be on the other side of Hendrickson. If Green and Hendrickson work well together, and the Bengals get someone to help from the inside, it will have a positive ripple effect all the way through the secondary. You don’t have to cover someone forever if the quarterback doesn’t have time to throw.
Still, I hate it.
18: Seattle Seahawks — Kelvin Banks Jr., G/OT, Texas
The Seahawks need help on the interior of the offensive line, and Banks, who should start at guard on Day 1, will help keep Geno Smith upright in the final year of his contract with Seattle. If the injury bug bites the tackle position, Banks could move to the outside.
19: Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
The Bucs have one more year of Baker Mayfield together with Mike Evans, and if Chris Godwin leaves in free agency, the best true wide receiver in the draft falls all the way to No. 19. Evans opposite 6-foot-5, 210-pound McMillan would be scary.
20: Denver Broncos — Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
Here’s a little run on wide receivers. The Broncos have Courtland Sutton through the 2025 season, and adding Burden, who looks like a natural slot receiver, would be a nice duo for Nix and Sean Payton to work with. Get Burden the ball in space, and he’ll be dangerous.
21: Pittsburgh Steelers — Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
The Steelers could go with Russell Wilson, Justin Fields or another quarterback acquired via trade or free agency, but whoever that quarterback is, they’ll need someone to throw to other than George Pickens.
22: Los Angeles Chargers — Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
The Chargers could use an edge rusher to pair with Joey Bosa, who’s entering a contract year. They’re losing Khalil Mack, but with seven edge rushers taken already, the Chargers settle for one of the better defensive tackles in this year’s draft class. Williams is huge and deceptively quick, and he’ll be a solid add for wherever he lands.
23: Green Bay Packers — Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
With Eric Stokes possibly heading to free agency and Jaire Alexander struggling to stay healthy, the Packers should be looking for cornerback early. They land a former Al Golden corner who will excel in press coverage in a division where he’ll have to face Justin Jefferson twice a season.
24: Minnesota Vikings — Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
There are a lot of possibly free agents ready to leave the Vikings so it makes sense they add the best safety in this year’s draft class. Safeties don’t often get selected in the first round, but Starks is good enough to make them pull the trigger. Interestingly enough, Lewis Cine, another safety, was selected by the Vikings with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Georgia.
25: Houston Texans — Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Stefon Diggs and Robert Woods are both free agents, and Tank Dell’s knee injury forces Houston to look at wide receivers with their first-round pick. Golden always made big plays during big games at Texas, and he could turn into a great receiver for C.J. Stroud.
26: Los Angeles Rams — Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
The Rams could go several different directions with the No. 26 overall pick. They could use help on the offensive line and in the secondary, but Loveland is a big target for Matthew Stafford, and is capable of stretching the field down the seam. He’s also a capable blocker.
27: Baltimore Ravens — Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
Ronnie Stanley and Patrick Mekari are likely headed to free agency, and Membou can step in and start at offensive tackle right away. He’s not going to be the best pass-blocking tackle in this year’s draft class, but he might be the best run blocker.
28: Detroit Lions — Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
Again, I would have gone edge here if not for the massive amount already off the board. With four of the seven corners on the roster possibly leaving via free agency, defensive back makes sense. Hairston is slim, but he has six interceptions, including three for touchdowns, over the last 20 games.
29: Washington Commanders — Jared Ivey, Edge, Ole Miss
The Commanders could lose Dante Fowler Jr and Clelin Ferrell in free agency, and if they do they’ll need someone who can get to the passer. Ivey led the Rebels with 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in 2024 on his way to First-Team All SEC honors.
30: Buffalo Bills — Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
The Bills are likely losing Quinton Jefferson and Jordan Phillips in free agency, and Austin Johnson could go as well. Kenneth Grant is a big, run-stuffing interior defensive tackle that can take up a lot of room and can be the thunder to Ed Oliver’s lightning.
31: Kansas City Chiefs — Alfred Collins, DT, Texas
The only defensive tackle on the roster heading into the 2025 is All Pro Chris Jones. While a time is coming where the Chiefs are going to have to reload on offensive talent, a defensive tackle like Collins won’t be around by the time the Chiefs go back on the clock.
32: Philadelphia Eagles — Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
The Eagles have done a good job when it comes to keeping their own guys in Philly, but All Pro Zack Baun is likely gone. He signed a one-year deal with the Eagles after he struggled to get on the field in New Orleans, and he made the most of his opportunity. Campbell slots in as a starter on Day 1, and can play on or off the ball.
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Okay, let me have it.
Until next week!
Destination unknown
Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby, Soho
Destination unknown
Ruby Ruby Ruby Ruby, Soho
