Pick 1: Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, Quarterback | Miami - Will Levis was a walking meme during his sole season as a starter. Unless the Titans are ready to tank for Arch Manning, they need to upgrade at the quarterback position.
Pick 2: Cleveland Browns: Abdul Carter, Edge Rusher | Penn State - The Browns have been linked to numerous “bridge” options at quarterback - such as Kirk Cousins - and after extending Myles Garrett they appear to be in “win now” mode. Teams in win now mode do not reach on a subpar prospect such as Shedur Sanders.
Pick 3: New York Giants: Travis Hunter, Corner/Wide Receiver | Colorado - Despite the glaring need for a quarterback, there are none worth taking this high in the draft. Expect the Giants to take the reigning Heisman winner who will dazzle the New York media with his exceptional ball skills.
Pick 4: New England Patriots: Will Campbell, Offensive Line | LSU - The Patriots found their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye during last year's draft. Now I expect the Patriots to build around Maye. With Mike Vrable leading the charge, expect that to start in the trenches. Campbell - who has taken some flack for his arm length - might have to shift from tackle to guard but is the top offensive lineman in this class regardless. Mason Graham (DT, Michigan) should also firmly be in play here.
Pick 5: Jacksonville Jaguars: Mason Graham, Defensive Tackle | Michigan - New General Manager James Gladstone has already been active as he has made several cuts in an effort to clear cap space while shaping the roster in his image. This is a roster with a lot of holes and Graham is arguably the top player available at this stage in the draft.
Pick 6: Las Vegas Raiders: Ashton Jeanty, Running Back | Boise State - Despite all the talk about Tom Brady “running the show”, Pete Carroll wasn't hired at the age of 73 to not have any input. A few days ago, the Raiders traded for Geno Smith - giving Carroll a veteran Quarterback that he is comfortable with - now I expect the Raiders to get a “generational” back who has shades of Beast Mode in his game.
Pick 7: New York Jets: Mykel Williams, Edge Rusher | Georgie - This still feels too early for a 2nd quarterback. I expect the Jets to (temporarily) fill that need in free agency. Justin Fields is a name to watch as his presence would almost certainly keep Garrett Wilson happy. Mykel Williams is the next stud out of the Kirby Smart defensive line factory. I expect Aaron Glenn to use his first draft pick as head coach to solidify the front-7.
Pick 8: Carolina Panthers: Tetairoa McMillan, Wide Receiver | Arizona - The first pure wide receiver comes off the board at 8. Carolina appears committed to Bryce Young after last year’s mid-season benching for Andy Dalton. I expect them to put their money where their mouth is and provide him with a top tier 6’4 weapon.
Pick 9: New Orleans Saints: Shemar Stewart, Edge Rusher | Texas A&M - Stewart was this year's “freak” of the combine. His athletic testing blew teams away and significantly boosted his stock. With Chase Young being a free agent along with Derek Carr, Alvin Kamara, and Chris Olave all expected to be healthy this season, I expect New Orleans to go defensive line here as they attempt to compete in a very winnable division.
Pick 10: Chicago Bears: Armand Membou, Offensive Tackle | Missouri - The Bears already added All-Pro Guard Joe Thuney via a trade with the Chiefs. I expect fortifying the protection for Caleb Williams to be a recurring theme in Chi-Town this offseason. Membou is the top tackle on the board here and has the potential to protect Caleb Willamas for years to come.
Pick 11: San Francisco 49ers: Jihaad Campbell, Linebacker | Alabama - With Brock Purdys impending extension looming large over the 49ers, I think they will let several of their key free agents walk. Campbell can fill the void that a probable Dre Greenlaw departure will create for the once vaunted 49ers defense.
Pick 12: Dallas Cowboys: Will Johnson, Cornerback | Michigan - Trevon Diggs is coming off of a torn ACL and even though Daron Bland is still a stud, the Cowboys need to improve their secondary. They compete in a division that includes AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, and Malik Nabers. Look for Dallas to add a lockdown corner on a rookie scale contract while trying to maximize the primes of CeeDee Lamb and Michah Parsons.
Pick 13: Miami Dolphins: Walter Nolen, Defensive Tackle | Ole Miss - The 38 year old Calais Campbell is headed towards free agency. I expect the Dolphins to attempt to replace him with a much younger DT who has a knack for getting to the quarterback.
Pick 14: Indianapolis Colts: Colston Loveland, Tight End | Michigan - Former VCU Basketball standout Mo Alie-Cox is a free agent and 2022 3rd round pick Jelani Woods has struggled to stay healthy. Tight end is a clear area of need for the Colts if they truly are committed to trying to make life easier for Anthony Richardson. In 2024, Loveland did not put up the same gaudy numbers as players such as Tyler Warren and Harold Fannin Jr. but that can be attributed to the fact that Michigan lacked a reliable option under center.
Pick 15: Atlanta Falcons: Jalon Walker, Edge Rusher | Georgia - The Falcons are another team with a gaping hole at edge. Drafting a defensive lineman from Georgia has slowly turned into the NBA equivalent of drafting a guard from Kentucky. Walker is extremely quick for his size and his presence would certainly be felt for an Atlanta front-7 that struggled to generate pressure last season.
Pick 16: Arizona Cardinals: Tyler Booker, Offensive Guard | Alabama - Last year the Cardinals spent their first-round pick on a weapon for Kyler Murray. Assuming that the team is still 100% committed to building around the former Oklahoma standout, I expect them to attempt to fortify their offensive line this time around. Booker is a stud.
Pick 17: Cincinnati Bengals: Jahdae Barron, Defensive Back | Texas - The Bengals appear committed to trying to win games by way of outscoring everybody they play. But they still need to field a defense. Barron has experience lining up all over the secondary and could get a lot of snaps all over the field in Cincinnati.
Pick 18: Seattle Seahawks: Shedeur Sanders, Quarterback | Colorado - After trading away Geno Smith, the most experienced QB on the Seattle roster is Sam Howell. Howells one year of starting resulted in the Commanders picking high enough to draft his replacement in Jayden Daniels. Unless Seattle wants to fully rebuild - which GM John Schneider has seemed very reluctant to do - Sanders needs to be the choice here. Offensive line has been an issue in Seattle which makes Sanders the perfect fit due to his ability to continually get up after absorbing hits while playing behind a subpar offensive line in college.
Pick 19: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Emeka Egbuka, Wide Receiver | Ohio State - A National Champ finally comes off the board at 19th overall. Tampa Bay is expected to lose longtime slot receiver Chris Godwin in free agency so they replace him with the best slot in the draft. I expect Egbuka to be a perfect fit in a wide receiver room that already includes future Hall of Famer Mike Evans and rookie standout Jalen McMillan.
Pick 20: Denver Broncos: Tyler Warren, Tight End | Penn State - Bo Nix needs more weapons and Sean Payton loves former quarterbacks turned tight ends (see Hill, Taysom). Warren - who played QB in high school and originally committed to Virginia Tech to play the position - lined up all over the field for Penn State en route to winning the Mackey Award. If Sean Payton were to build a tight end in a lab, he would probably play exactly like Warren who can run, throw, catch, and even snap the ball.
Pick 21: Pittsburgh Steelers: Omarion Hampton, Running Back | North Carolina - The last time the Steelers took a running back in the first round was 2021 when they selected Najee Harris at 24th overall. Harris is a free agent and after the blockbuster trade - and subsequent contract extension of DK Metcalf, I expect the Steelers to use this selection to balance out the offense.
Pick 22: Los Angeles Chargers: Nic Scourton, Edge Rusher | Texas A&M - The Chargers just cut Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack is a free agent. Known “football guy” Jim Harbaugh has an affinity for the trenches and Scourton is the top edge on my board at this stage of the first round.
Pick 23: Green Bay Packers: Luther Burden III, Wide Receiver | Missouri - Josh Jacobs publicly called out the Packers for their lack of a true number one wide receiver and the team just missed out on Davante Adams and DK Metcalf. Of all the pass catches left on the board, Burden III has the best chance to develop into the star that Jacobs - along with many fans - have been clamoring for.
Pick 24: Minnesota Vikings: Benjamin Morrison, Cornerback | Notre Dame - The Minnesota secondary is full of impending free agents and they share a division with a litany of talented quarterbacks and wide receivers. If the Vikings hope to remain competitive in the JJ McCarthy era then they need to load up on talented corners. This is a great landing spot for Morrison.
Pick 25: Houston Texans: Matthew Golden, Wide Receiver | Texas - Even after trading for Christian Kirk, receiver is still a position of need for the Texans as they look to maximize the last two seasons of CJ Stroud's rookie contract. Stefon Diggs is a free agent and Tank Dell can not be relied upon to be healthy. Golden is a legit deep threat capable of stretching the field and taking the top off of any defense.
Pick 26: Los Angeles Rams: Jaxon Dart, Quarterback | Ole Miss - Despite agreeing to a restricted contract with Matthew Stafford, the 37 year old veteran only has two more years remaining on his deal. This is not a roster with many holes so I would not at all be shocked to see Les Snead and Sean McVay decide to hand pick an heir apparent to Stafford. This would give Dart two seasons to learn under the tutelage of Stafford and McVay before taking over as the full time starter in 2027.
Pick 27: Baltimore Ravens: Josh Simmons, Offensive Tackle | Ohio State - Despite resigning Ronnie Stanley, I expect the Ravens to target an offensive lineman here. Simmons is coming off of a season ending leg injury - suffered in October against Oregon - but is expected to make a full recovery. I believe that Simmons can hold his own at guard while excelling at tackle if called upon. This selection will allow Baltimore to continue to embrace its identity as a physical, run-first offense for years to come.
Pick 28: Detroit Lions: Derrick Harmon, Defensive Tackle | Oregon - Injuries to the defensive line were a major talking point of the Lions season. I expect Detroit to fortify the interior of their defense with this selection.
Pick 29: Washington Commanders: TreVeyon Henderson, Running Back | Ohio State - Austin Ekeler will be 30 when training camp kicks off and Brian Robinson Jr. appears to have lost a step. While some might see this selection as a reach, the Commanders desperately need to add a home run threat to their backfield. During his time at Ohio State, Henderson had a knack for making explosive runs while also excelling in pass protection. I think that this is a home run selection for the Commanders.
Pick 30: Buffalo Bills: T.J. Sanders, Defensive Tackle | South Carolina - Ed Oliver and DeWayne Carter are the only defensive tackles that are currently under contract in Buffalo. I expect the Bills to fortify the interior of their defense with this selection and Sanders is a terrific run stuffer who would be a perfect fit next to Oliver.
Pick 31: Kansas City Chiefs: Josh Connerly Jr., Offensive Tackle | Oregon - The quest for a 3-peat came to an ugly end because the Chiefs were unable to protect Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. I expect them to explore every possible avenue with regard to improving their offensive line. Connerly Jr. is the top available offensive lineman remaining at this late stage of the first round.
Pick 32: Philadelphia Eagles: Mike Green, Edge | Marshall - Without many significant needs on either side of the ball, the Eagles go best player available here and take a chance on a sack artist with some off the field concerns.
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