The NFL season has concluded and Philadelphia is the Super Bowl champions. While they’ll be celebrating tonight and the Chiefs are mourning their loss in the big game, thirty other teams have been preparing for the NFL Draft. Due to that, it’s never too early to give my first mock draft of the offseason.
1. Tennessee Titans: Colorado QB Shedur Sanders
The NFL is a fickle league. Will Levis came into the NFL two years ago and in 21 games, he’s thrown for 3,899 yards, 21 touchdowns and 16 interceptions while also rushing for 240 yards and a score. Not bad play, but with how fast the league moves, it feels like Tennessee is going to move on from the CT native and taking Shedur Sanders is the right step. It’s no secret that I’ve been a Colorado hater all year, but I can’t ignore that Shedur and Hunter have been great. This past season Shedur Sanders threw for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also ran for 4 scores. There’s a lot of work to be done in Nashville, but the right QB is the proper step to taking if you’re looking to make a change.
2. Cleveland Browns: Miami QB Cam Ward
The 21st century QB saga of the Cleveland Browns has always been fun to follow. From first overall picks to UDFA’s, the Browns have never had the guy. That could change if they draft Miami QB Cam Ward second overall. This past season with the Hurricanes, he passed for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns and 7 interceptions while also rushing for 4 touchdowns. When healthy, the Browns have a dynamic offensive unit with Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford in the backfield and Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore out wide. Having Ward’s calm demeanor at the helm of that offense would feed families in the city of Cleveland.
3. New York Giants: Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter
A big market team like the Giants are in a pickle. They have so many holes on their roster and the fan base is getting restless. A way to both please the fan base and fill two roster spots is by drafting Heisman trophy winner Travis Hunter. Hunter will potentially play both sides of the ball and New York is a great fit for him because he’d be the WR2 behind Nabers and would probably be CB1 opposite of Deonte Banks. He’s a game changer on both sides of the ball and one that’ll sell jerseys and put asses in seats.
4. New England Patriots: LSU OT Will Campbell
New England is a team in disarray. They have minimal weapons and little protection for Drake Maye and need to address both needs in the offseason. My think is that there will be better receiving options in free agency and drafting a generational talent at left tackle is a better way to use the fourth overall pick. Will Campbell, who has allowed only 4 sacks in three seasons, is 6’6, 323 pounds of physical run blocking and technical pass blocking that if you don’t take him, you’re dooming your franchise for the next five seasons. It’s not the flashy pick, but it’s the one that’ll keep Maye healthy and upright.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Texas OT Kelvin Banks Jr.
A lot like New England, Jacksonville is a team with minimal weapons and subpar pass blocking. Their offensive line allowed 32 sacks this season and left tackle Walker Little was below average over the whole season. Kelvin Banks Jr., who has only allowed 2 sacks over two seasons, is a bulky behemoth standing at 6’4, 320 pounds. Due to his stature, he could be a swing player for the Jags filling in at left tackle or either guard position. Despite the pick not being sexy, it’d be a reach to take a pass rusher and last season they drafted Brian Thomas Jr. who caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns.
6. Las Vegas Raiders: Michigan CB Will Johnson
I don’t think that the Raiders will be picking at number six, but again, I’m not going to throw out a bogus trade, so here at pick number six, I have the Raiders drafting Michigan cornerback Will Johnson. Johnson, who I’d argue is the best corner in college football, played in only five games this past season where he picked off 2 passes, both of which went for six. In his three years at Michigan, he totaled 9 interceptions, 10 pass breakups and 68 tackles. Las Vegas has a decent young secondary of Jack Jones and Tre’Von Moehrig would benefit by bringing Johnson in to round out their defensive back end.
7. New York Jets: Michigan DT Mason Graham
There’s nothing more fun than watching Mason Graham punish opposing offensive linemen. Adding him to a Jets front seven that has elite players like Quinnen Williams, Will McDonald V and Haason Reddick would be a great step for the Jets. I realize they have a lot of issues on the offensive side of the ball, but at this position of the draft, I think it’s smartest to draft the best available player and that’s Mason Graham.
8. Carolina Panthers: Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan
Carolina’s number one receiving option this season was Adam Thielen. He only had 615 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Panthers realize that Bryce Young is the quarterback of the future in Charlotte and getting weapons for him is important. If they draft Tetairoa McMillan, they find their immediate WR1 to grow with Young. This past season at Arizona, McMillan caught 84 passes for 1,319 yards and 8 scores. His 6’5 frame makes him a matchup nightmare for any defensive back and it’s scarier when you see his route running ability.
9. New Orleans Saints: Penn State OLB Abdul Carter
The best edge rusher in the draft is Penn State’s Abdul Carter and that was made clear in the Nittany Lions loss to Notre Dame. This year, he’s tallied 12 sacks, 68 tackles and 4 pass breakups which led to him being named BIG 10 Defensive Player of the Year. Adding him to the Saints youthful defensive front consisting of Chase Young and Bryan Bresee (13 sacks between the two) would make this unit extremely dynamic when it comes to getting after QBs like Bryce Young and Michael Penix Jr. in division.
10. Chicago Bears: Minnesota OT Aireontae Ersery
With the addition of offensive minded Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams developing with weapons like D’Andre Swift, Rome Odunze, and DJ Moore around him, the Bears have an offensive that’s ready to pop. The only issue is that they can’t protect Williams. Williams was sacked 68 times in 2024 and while I think Chicago should target offensive line talent in free agency, I also think they should draft Aireontae Ersery. Ersery’s a 6’6″, 330 pound pass blocker who moves really nice in both the run and pass game. He’s got massive upside and could take over at left tackle almost immediately.
11. San Francisco 49ers: Texas A&M OLB Nic Scourton
San Francisco battled a plethora of injuries on both sides of the ball in 2024 which led to their poor performance. With a dominant (and healthy) front seven returning in 2025 consisting of Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Maliek Collins, they’ll be up to the task in a difficult division. Adding Nic Scourton, a violent and tactful edge rusher, to the mix will only make them scarier. Scourton was the life blood of Texas A&M’s defense last season as he made 37 tackles and 5 sacks. He’ll make an immediate impact in Saleh’s tricky defensive scheme.
12. Dallas Cowboys: Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
This pick just feels natural. Jerry Jones and company took Ezekiel Elliot fourth overall in 2016 and it paid off. Since his steady decline and Tony Pollard’s departure, they haven’t had a back who is the guy. Jeanty will be the guy. Behind a young, efficient offensive line of Cooper Beebe, Tyler Smith and Terence Steele, Jeanty will be able to play like he did at Boise State where he runs with a full head of steam and is used on all three downs.
13. Miami Dolphins: Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison
The college football world didn’t get to see much of Benjamin Morrison this season due to a hip injury, but had he played, he would’ve been in the conversation of Travis Hunter and Will Johnson. Morrison is physical in press coverage and is a true ballhawk notching 9 interceptions in 29 career games. Miami was solid vs the pass in 2024 allowing 210.7 yards per game, but Jalen Ramsey will turn 31 this season. Pairing Morrison with Ramsey for a season and then letting him and Storm Duck takeover as a young duo would be ideal.
14. Indianapolis Colts: Georgia S Malaki Starks
One of the more gifted players in this years class is Georgia safety Malaki Starks. He’s fantastic in run support when he’s dropped down in the box as he’s made 77 tackles and is stout vs the pass as well. Indianapolis needs A LOT of help: receiver, tackle, linebacker, defensive back. This is a “best available” pick, but one that’ll seriously help the Colts decrepit defense.
15. Atlanta Falcons: Michigan DT Kenneth Grant
While Mason Graham is the belle of the ball from the Michigan defensive line, Kenneth Grant is an immovable force. With 32 tackles and 3 sacks in 2024, Grant was a huge reason why Michigan was so solid vs the run. Atlanta is a team that’s already solid vs the run, but adding Grant to eventually replace 31 year old Grady Jarrett.
16. Arizona Cardinals: Georgia LB Jalon Walker
The versatility of a player like Jalon Walker makes him the perfect fit for the Cardinals. Walker can play inside, come off the edge which he proved when he made 6.5 sacks, and drop into man-to-man coverage. Arizona doesn’t have any linebackers who go above and beyond in their play and Walker could be that guy to add some life to a linebacking core consisting of Mack Wilson and Kyzir White.
17. Cincinnati Bengals: Missouri WR Luther Burden III
Cincinnati has tried to address their offensive line woes in the draft over the past few years, but nothing seems to work. They could try again, but I think going for another weapon to compliment Chase would be ideal. Luther Burden III was one of the best pass catchers in college over the past two seasons making 147 catches, 1,888 yards, and 15 touchdowns. Burrow has an MVP level season in 2024. Now think about him with another elite deep threat on the outside. It’s terrifying.
18. Seattle Seahawks: Ohio State OT Josh Simmons
Seattle was extremely close to making the playoffs this year and thats due to their roster being well rounded. Their biggest weakness is at right tackle. Mike Jerrell had a 2024 PFF grade of 46.4% and allowed 3 sacks. Other options at that position for Seattle is Stone Forsythe, who had a 2024 PFF grade of 43.1% and Abraham Lucas, who battled injuries and had a 2024 PFF grade of 61.9% and allowed 4 sacks. They need to protect Geno Smith to find his big play guys down field and Josh Simmons, the 6’5 pass protector is the man for the job.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tennessee OLB James Pearce Jr.
One of my favorite prospects in this draft class is pass rusher James Pearce Jr. out of Tennessee. With 38 tackles and 7.5 sacks, Pearce Jr. is a force off the edge and will be a huge addition to the Buccaneers front seven that didn’t have an edge rusher over 6 sacks. Tampa’s most efficient pass rushers came from the interior with Kancey and Vea; now it’s time to get someone legit off the edge to terrorize the Panthers, Saints, and Falcons tackles.
20. Denver Broncos: Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka
In their first season with Bo Nix at QB, the Broncos exceeded expectations. Nix passed for over 3,700 yards and did so with his number two option barely getting over 500 yards. Pairing Cortland Sutton with Emeka Egbuka would only elevate this offense further as they’d both be true deep threat options. Egbuka, who was Ohio States number two this season, caught 81 passes for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns and has proven that he’s pro ready.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Texas CB Jahdae Barron
Jahdae Barron at 21 would be a solid value pick for Pittsburgh due to his experience and versatility in the secondary. His ability to diagnose plays quickly and contribute against both the pass and run makes him an ideal fit for a Steelers team looking to bolster its secondary with a smart, hard-nosed defender. Putting him opposite of Joey Porter Jr. would be a good pairing for the Steelers future.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: Penn State TE Tyler Warren
Mackey Award winner Tyler Warren is a jack-of-all-trades, master of some and will be an immediate top weapon for Justin Herbert. If you watched Warren play at all this past season, you know that’s the truth. The game it stood out the most was vs Notre Dame in the playoffs when he matched up vs a talented secondary and still found ways to be a dominant pass catcher and a monster blocker. Whether you want him to catch passes, make blocks, or play QB in the wildcat, Warren can do it. If tight ends were valued more in this league, he’d be a top ten pick.
23. Green Bay Packers: Texas WR Matthew Golden
Everyone knows that if Green Bay wants to succeed down the line, they need a WR1. Even guys on their team, Josh Jacobs, is saying this. While Golden isn’t a big bodied pass catcher, he’s a shifty route runner with good hands who reeled in 58 catches for 987 yards and 9 touchdowns for Texas this season. Maybe Golden won’t be a pure WR1, but he’ll add to a solid group of Reed, Doubs, and Watson.
24. Minnesota Vikings: North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton
The talk of the draft class when it comes to running backs is Ashton Jeanty. However, outside of Jeanty is the extremely versatile Omarion Hampton. Minnesota doesn’t lack fire power on the outside and it seems like they’ll be ushering in the J.J. McCarthy era in 2025, but they don’t have a solidified RB1. Aaron Jones is aging and struggled with ball security and Cam Akers is hit-or-miss. Hampton would slide into the RB1 role immediately as both a runner and pass catcher as he rushed for 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns while also catching 38 passes for 373 yards and 2 touchdowns.
25. Houston Texans: Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen
Houston was one of the best pass rushing teams in the league last season ranking fourth with 49 and they were extremely stout vs the run. Even though they were one of the best defenses, I think grabbing Walter Nolen out of Ole Miss, a defensive tackle who made 48 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 2024, would only make them a more terrifying defensive unit and one that’d put them in position to win the AFC.
26. Los Angeles Rams: Michigan TE Colston Loveland
Had Tyler Warren not existed this year, a lot of people would be talking more about Colston Loveland. He’s a 6’5″, extremely athletic route runner who reeled in 56 passes for 582 yards and 5 scores this past season and would be the ideal replacement for the aging, banged up Tyler Higbee. Higbee, who missed the majority of the year with an injury, still has the juice, but it won’t last much longer, so getting his replacement that can make plays and block efficiently in this draft would put them ahead for the future.
27. Baltimore Ravens: Marshall DE Mike Green
Marshall pass rusher Mike Green raised his stock immensely at the Senior Bowl with his one-on-one reps and will step into the Ravens pass rushing rotation in week one. He totaled 17 sacks and 81 tackles in 2024 while having five games with two or more sacks. Baltimore has a solid pass rushing duo of Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh, who combined for 22.5 sacks in 2024, but Van Noy is 33, so bringing Green in would give him a year or two to get his footing behind him and then step into be an elite pass rusher.
28. Detroit Lions: Georgia OLB Mykel Williams
Detroits season ended on a sour note. Their grand regular season efforts were spoiled in the playoffs and part of the reason was due to injuries. The biggest missing piece on their defense was Aidan Hutchinson, who only played in five games, but made 7.5 sacks. With Hutchinson coming back, putting a talented, young pass rusher opposite of him would make Detroit even scarier than they were in 2024. Mykel Williams was a big reason why Georgia was successful this season as he made 21 tackles and 5 sacks. His large, 6’5″, 265 pound frame would fit nicely in the Lions 3-4 scheme.
29. Washington Commanders: Missouri OT Armand Membou
It’s amazing that Washington got as far as they did with a ragtag offensive line unit. On top of that, if they want Jayden Daniels to not get injured and continue to be their franchise QB, they need to keep him protected. Andrew Wylie and Brandon Coleman struggled this season with Wylie having a PFF grade of 59.3% and Coleman allowing 9 sacks. Armand Membou is a smaller tackle standing at 6’3″, 314 pounds, but he’s extremely quick and packs a nasty punch.
30. Buffalo Bills: South Carolina OLB Demetrius Knight Jr.
Even though Buffalo made a solid run in the playoffs, there are areas that need improvement. The biggest being at pass rusher as Buffalo ranked eighteenth in the league in sacks. Demetrius Knight Jr. out of South Carolina would be a great add for the Bills as he’s an aggressive run stopper and an above average pass rusher. In 2024 for the Gamecocks he tallied 82 tackles, 2 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles.
31. Kansas City Chiefs: Notre Dame S Xavier Watts
The rich get richer. Kansas City doesn’t need anymore help on offense and the same could be said about their defense. Nevertheless, they’re going to get one of the best players in the draft due to the lack of value on safeties in the league. Despite having Justin Reid and Bryan Cook, who are both under 30 years old, they land Xavier Watts, a guy who can play the middle of the field, man-to-man, in the box, and is stout vs the run.
32. Philadelphia Eagles: Ohio State DE Jack Sawyer
I hate Jack Sawyer. Everything about his character irks me, but I can’t deny that he’s a good player. Sawyer is a persistent pass rushing pest that has a great motor which led to him tallying 59 tackles, 9 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles in 2024. Sawyer’s ability to transition moves a pass rusher is what sticks out most and makes him a unique player and one that would step into the Eagles front seven making an impact in week one.
