Despite the Jets having a top-7 pick, my excitement for this draft is near all-time lows. Maybe it's the overall level of talent available. Maybe it's the underwhelming QBs. Or maybe I'm just old.
Anyway, here's my best guess at how Round 1 plays out:
1 Tennessee - QB Cam Ward, Miami - What a rise for this guy. Three short years ago, Ward was cutting his teeth at an - allegedly accredited - institution of higher learning called the University of the Incarnate Word. 71 TD passes in two years put him on the radar. He then lit up the Pac-12 for a couple years, then some NIL money blah blah blah and now he's the top pick. Also for anyone interested, UIW is located in San Antonio. The more you know.
2 Cleveland - DB/WR/All Travis Hunter, Colorado - Would love to see him get real burn on offense and defense. If he's not representing the US at the 2028 Olympics in Flag Football, something has gone terribly wrong.
3 NY Giants - Edge Abdul Carter, LBU - With Burns and Thibodeax still around I don't see DE as the biggest need here, but he seems to be the consensus BPA. I'm trading down if I'm the Gmen.
4 New England - OL Armand Membou, Missouri - Protect Drake Maye.
5 Jacksonville - OL Will Campbell, LSU - Protect Trevor Lawrence. And please do not spend a top-5 pick on a running back.
6 Las Vegas - DB Jahdae Barron, Texas - The first real surprise of the night has the Ray-daahhs filling a position of need with Barron.
7 NY Jets - DT Mason Graham, Michigan - It's not sexy taking defensive tackles, but pencil this guy into the lineup for the next decade and be happy you got him when you did.
8 Carolina DE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College - This could look like my most foolish prediction come draft night as DE DE might fall until much later, but I think he ends up being one of the 10 best players in this draft. Carolina will be drafting defensive help early and often.
9 New Orleans - OT Kelvin Banks Jr, Texas - Everyone looking for the Saints to go QB here. I don't see it.
10 Chicago - TE Tyler Warren, Penn State - Let's get Caleb Williams as many weapons as we can please.
11 San Francisco - WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona - Call me crazy but isn't WR a position of need in SF? If it's not yet, it will be once they deal Aiyuk.
12 Dallas - RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State - Match made in heaven here.
13 Miami - OL Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
14 Indianapolis - TE Colston Loveland, Michigan - One of the few rumors I do believe heading into the draft is the Indy/TE connection.
15 Atlanta - DE Jalon Walker, Georgia
16 Arizona - DB Will Johnson, Michigan - The Cards addressed the D-line with Josh Sweat and Dalvin Tomlinson. Now it's time to upgrade the secondary.
17 Cincinnati - DT Walter Nolan, Ole Miss
18 Seattle - OL Josh Simmons, Ohio State
19 Tampa Bay - Edge Mykel Williams, Georgia
20 Denver - WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
21 Pittsburgh - RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina - It's always a red flag to me when a team in the 20s is consistently linked with a player like the Steelers are with Shedeur Sanders. If they liked him so much wouln't they move up to grab him? I think they pass in favor of a RB.
22 LA Chargers - WR Matthew Golden, Texas
23 Green Bay - WR Luther Burden, Missouri
24 Minnesota - DL Derrick Harmon, Oregon
25 NY Giants (via Houston) - QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado - The Giants stop the freefall and nab Sanders before the Rams grab him.
26 LA Rams - DB Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
27 Baltimore - OL Tyler Booker, Alabama
28 Detroit - Edge Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
29 Washington - Edge Mike Green, Marshall
30 Buffalo - DB Malaki Starks, Georgia
31 Kansas City - Edge James Pearce, Tennessee
32 Philadelphia - LB Jihaad Campell, Alabama
Posts
