Thursday, April 25th: “The Chicago Bears are now on the clock.” Here we go…
NFL Draft Day is one of the biggest days in the sports world nowadays, and it is coming up real soon. There are 257 college athletes whose world will be changed during the NFL Draft. And this year’s 257 players are Good.
But what should you expect come April 25th? Here’s my best guess:
(1.1 = Round 1 Pick 1; 1.2 = Round 1 Pick 2… etc)
1.1 Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams.
The Chicago Bears have the 1st overall pick in this year’s draft and the clear pick is Caleb Williams. He has been the obvious pick since he took over the starting QB job for the Oklahoma Sooners his freshman year. He is a Mahomes-esque player with the way he can create from outside of the pocket, and make unworldly throws. He has elite arm strength, elite playmaking and improvisation skills out of the pocket, above-average athleticism and speed, with above-average pocket presence and accuracy. There are very few concerns about him, which are mostly due to his frame and his ability while inside the pocket, but I wouldn’t put too much weight on those faults. And in my opinion, Caleb Williams is the best QB prospect since Andrew Luck? Maybe Trevor Lawernce?
My prediction: 1.1 Chicago Bears – Caleb Williams (QB)
1.2 Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders are going to be going with a QB in round 1, but who they are deciding with is a little bit less clear. There is Heismen trophy winner Jayden Daniels out of LSU who is an elite QB when it comes to making plays on the ground but is also able to air it out when needed. Then there is Drake Maye out of UNC, who has been a highly sought-after prospect for the last two years, even being compared to Caleb Williams in that time.
Nobody knows who they will go with, and they have also given some other lower-tier QBs some attention like Michigan QB JJ McCarthy and Washington QB Michael Penix Jr, who happened to meet in the College Football Championship last year.
But to compare the two more likely options: Drake Maye is a more raw talent. He has amazing measurements–being 6’5, he has elite arm talent, he is a great playmaker, and he also is pretty good on the move. Jayden Daniels is much more explosive than he is on the ground, however, and he might be more NFL-ready saying that he has played five years in college.
In my personal opinion, I believe that Drake Maye should be the pick at two, as he has much more untapped potential. I can very easily see Drake Maye developing into a Josh Allen or Justin Herbert-level QB, while I can’t imagine Jayden Daniels reaching that level of play.
My prediction: 1.2 Washington Commanders – Drake Maye (QB)
1.3 New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are in desperate need of a QB and they are in the right place to grab the third of the top three tier-one QBs, and that is what they most likely go for. So we should expect the Patriots to go with either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye.
Another option for the Patriots would be to trade down a couple of picks with the Giants, or to 11 with the Vikings, given that those two teams are also in the QB market. There is also a world that they pick WR Marvin Harrison Jr, WR from Ohio State University, who is probably one of the best WR prospects we have seen in the last decade. He is an amazing talent and would be a huge asset for their future, but given their position they really should not be passing on a potential franchise QB like Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye.
My prediction: 1.3 New England Patriots – Jayden Daniels (QB)
1.4 Arizona Cardinals
This pick has Marvin Harrison Jr. written all over it. As stated before, he is probably the most enticing WR prospect in a long, long time. He is somebody who measures well, somebody who runs routes perfectly and explosively, somebody who is elite at tracking the ball and can make some unfathomable catches, somebody who is consistent at high volumes, and somebody who had exceptional stats in college.
Although the consensus is that the Cardinals stay put and draft Marvin Harrison Jr., they could also trade back, presumably with the Vikings, who would be trading up for Michigan QB JJ McCarthy. The buzz around the league right now is that the Vikings are trying their hardest to trade up into the top five to get a QB. They have two first-round picks after they traded up for pick 23 with the Texans, so they have enough resources to trade up into the top five, but I doubt that the Cardinals would be willing to lose out on Marvin Harrison Jr. for two high first-round picks, especially because they already have picked 27 from a draft day trade with the Texans last year.
My prediction: 1.4 Arizona Cardinals – Marvin Harrison Jr (WR)
1.5 Los Angeles Chargers (traded to the Minnesota Vikings)
Los Angeles is currently the one holding the fifth pick, but with as many holes as they have in the roster, and the potential payday they can get if they were to trade down to a team (like the Vikings) that seriously needs a QB, it’s too much for them to pass on. Also saying that QB is their brightest spot on the roster, they don’t shouldn’t decide to stay put.
As stated earlier the Vikings are in desperate need of a good QB and have expressed the desire to trade up. They also have the draft capital to trade up into the top five, so they are the most suitable buyers for this trade. And when they do trade up I believe that the pick would be JJ McCarthy. I think JJ McCarthy is a lower-tier QB prospect, compared to the top three QBs, but I also think that he is somebody that can turn out to be a suitable QB who can lead a team pretty far if he has the right weapons. He did win the College Football National Championship last year and was pretty decent on the way to it. He isn’t somebody who has incredible measurements or athleticism, but he is somebody who can get it done where it matters. There are some valid concerns, concerns that drop him a tier as a prospect in my opinion, but the Vikings need a QB, and a QB is the most valuable position, so they have to do what they have to do.
My prediction: 1.5 Minnesota Vikings – JJ McCarthy (QB) (potential trade no. 11 and no. 23 picks)
1.6 New York Giants
The New York Giants are in a pretty weird position. They have some positions loaded with talent, for example, their defensive line is one of the best in all of football, but they also have holes all over their roster, and they are severely lacking any sort of weapons on offense, especially after the departure of Saquan Barkley to their rival Eagles. Even though there is an argument to be made that they should try and trade up for a QB, the chances that year seven Daniel Jones is going to finally move the needle is slim.
Since they need a real weapon on offense, I think that the pick will be a WR. Both Rome Odunze out of Washington and Malik Nabers. Malik Nabers is more of an explosive, shifty, big-play-maker, compared to Rome Odunze who is a very polished and effective receiver. Both WRs will come into the league and produce at a very high level and it is more up to preference on who each team would prefer, but in the Giants situation, Malik Nabers makes more sense. He is someone who will bring a lot more diversity into their, deflated, WR core. His presence will go a long way toward helping their younger less talented receivers get open.
My prediction: 1.6 New York Giants – Malik Nabers (WR)
1.7 Tennessee Titans
The common assumption by most fans and analysts is that the Titans go with Joe Alt, an offensive tackle from Notre Dame, and I don’t think I have to try and be different here. Joe Alt is a talented tackle, who would do an important good job of bringing stability to the Titans blindside, for years to come. Although the Titans aren’t too full of talent, I think that sticking with what they have and taking the best player left on the board with Joe Alt is a good idea.
I think that there is a world where they trade down with a team that is looking to grab Odunze, but I don’t think that they’ll pull the trigger when there are talented players like Alt on the board.
My Prediction: 1.7 Tennessee Titans – Joe Alt (OT)
1.8 Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons were recently in QB talks before they traded for Kirk Cousins who fills that need for the foreseeable future. So they shift focus, where do they look now? The truth is that their offense looks pretty good, so this is where I see the first defensive player coming off of the board. I think that Atlanta will be narrowing in on the defensive line, and will go with a DE. They can go with guys like Dallas Turner out of Alabama, who most people see as the best DE in the draft, but I think they might just spice it up and go with a guy like Laiatu Latu out of UCLA. He is a big yet smooth pass rusher, with many different moves that help him get past defenders. Further than that, he is also extremely good when it comes to stopping the run. I think that this is somebody that the Falcons would like and I can see him as the primary DE on their defensive line.
My prediction: 1.8 Atlanta Falcons – Laiatu Latu (DE)
1.9 Chicago Bears (again)
Outside of their first overall pick, they also are sitting at the 9th overall pick. What they will do with this pick is much more interesting than their first overall pick. I can see them going a couple of different routes, but what I think is most likely is for them to go WR or DE. Some WRs that I see them going with, in order, are Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers, and maybe even Brain Thomas Jr out of LSU who is projected to go later in the first round. Some DEs they might go with, in order, are Dallas Turner, Laiatu Latu (if he is still there), or Jared Verse from FSU.
Because they are going to be going with Caleb Williams at 1.1, a lot of people are expecting to see them get a rookie WR to pair with their rookie QB, I think they will evaluate their roster, and see that they have DJ Moore and Kennan Allen, and decide to go to the defensive side of the ball, and try and pair Montez Sweat with another monster of a DE on the other side and go with a DE. If the Falcons do go with Laiatu Latu, I would expect them to go with Dallas Turner over Jared Verse or any other DE on the board.
My prediction: 1.9 Chicago Bears – Dallas Turner (DE)
1.10 New York Jets
The New York Jets will pick somebody to help Aaron Rodgers on the offensive side of the ball, whether that be on the OL, a WR, or Brock Bowers–the monstrous TE prospect–they will try and get him some sort of help and keep him happy. I think in this situation where Rome Odunze falls into their laps, I think that would have to be the pick. He is a very good WR prospect who, in most drafts, would probably be drafted in the top five.
I do think in an alternative universe where somebody like the Bears or the Giants decide to pick Odunze, I think that they would likely go with Brock Bowers because he is somebody who will go into the league and instantly help whatever team he is on. He is a TE who can be the focal point of an offense and would be a lot of help for Aaron Rodgers, but I think that the positional value would probably draw them to Rome Odunze above Bowers.
My prediction: 1.10 New York Jets – Rome Odunze (WR)
1.11 Minnesota Vikings (traded to the Los Angeles Chargers)
The Los Angeles Chargers, as I said before, have a bunch of holes in their roster, which puts them in an interesting position because they have many directions that they can go with this position. They can try and get some weapons for Justin Herbert, especially after they traded away Kennan Allen, and are left with a pretty dim group of receivers. They can try and buff up their defensive line, which has been horrible in the run game for the last couple of years now, they can try and get some secondary help which they pretty badly need.
I think they should pick Brock Bowers, however, and I’m almost kicking myself for saying that because when a team has so many needs, it is rarely worth it to pick a position that is traditionally less valuable, like TE, but in this situation, I feel like getting a young and dominant tight end that can play out the rest of his career next to Justin Herbert would be amazing for the Chargers.
My prediction: 1.11 Los Angeles Chargers – Brock Bowers (TE)
1.12 Denver Broncos (Traded to the New Orleans Saints)
The Broncos are currently in a position where they can spare a couple of spots in the first round to gather up some more assets. They are lacking in the talent department, and have plenty of holes to fill, so I have them trading back two spots with the New Orleans Saints. I think this fits the Broncos’ best interests because it only drops their first-round pick two spots, but could also net them another valuable pick later in the draft.
Why the Saints would want to trade up because they need some help on their defensive line, and they need it badly. Right now the defensive tackle besides second-year player [and Urbana legend] Bryan Bresee is Nathan Shepard, who has not been very good historically. So helping Bryan Bresee out and picking somebody like Byron Murphy II out of Texas to beef up their line would be their best option. The reason I predict that they might trade up for Byron Murphy II is because the Raiders at the 13th pick could easily go with Murphy as they also need tons of help on their defensive line, and also because Byron Murphy II is a beast, he is a matchup nightmare. I could easily see him drawing all types of double teams, which would help free up the rest of their DL.
My prediction: 1.12 New Orleans Saints – Byron Murphy II (DI) (projected trade no. 14 and no. 45 for no. 12 and no. 76 picks)
1.13 Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are a team that has a lot of talent and is then surrounded by a lot of holes. That is why I believe that they should be going with somebody on the offensive life–fill some holes, and give the talent some protection to get to work. And their Quarterback for this season, if they don’t decide to draft one in the second round or later in the first round, will be Gardner Minshew, so they need to get some protection around him to let him get the ball to his playmakers, like Devante Adams. This is why I predict that they will go with the most versatile linemen in the draft Troy Fautanu. He is somebody who can play both the guard spot and the tackle spot, and he is extremely quick in the run game and has a good feel for the passing game. From what I have seen from him, he has an extremely high football IQ and is somebody who makes plays.
My prediction: 1.13 Las Vegas Raiders – Troy Fautanu (OT/OG)
1.14 New Orleans Saints (Traded to Denver Broncos)
In this situation, I would have the Broncos, who traded back with the Saints, starting to fill their holes, with some help to the defensive line. I think that they would take Jared Verse, who is an absolute animal. He runs a 4.5 40-yard dash, his bench press is in the 92nd percentile of all defensive ends while only being 254 pounds. He is somebody who can not only beat the tackle off the jump of a play, but he can bulldoze through him as well. He is somebody who is going to be extremely disruptive at this level of the game. I would like to see him get some better footwork, which I always think is doable with some good coaching, and to really polish up on his fundamental side of the game. I am a little bit scared that against better competition he will have a hard time stopping the run, either that be because of him losing his footing and getting pushed back, or because of missed tackles. I think with a little bit of polishing, however, he can be an amazing DE in the league.
My prediction: 1.14 Denver Broncos – Jared Verse (DE)
1.15 Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are a team to be excited for I promise you. Second-year QB Anthony Richardson, a QB I was extremely high on in last year’s cycle, and in the limited time that we had to see him last year looked really good, a good offensive line, a good run game, some pretty decent weapons, and a good defense, I think this team could surprise some people.
This draft cycle will be more about improving the roster than it will be fixing the roster like most teams we have talked about. I think that right here they get a really good moment to improve the roster, with no DBs off of the board. Having their choice of DBs would be a dream come true for the Colts.
There is a couple of a bunch of good DBs to choose from like CB Quinyon Mitchell, CB Cooper Dejean, CB Nate Wiggins, CB Terrion Arnold, and even some DBs projected to go in the second round who are still good like S Tyler Nubin, CB Kool-Aid McKinstry or even CB Kamari Lassiter.
I do think that the DB that fits them the best is Cooper Dejean, and that is who I think they would be going with, although I do think that Quinyon Mitchell and Nate Wiggins are probably more talented than him. I think that Cooper Dejean is just a nice playmaker who can stretch the field, and I think that type of presence would be greatly appreciated on Colt’s secondary.
My prediction: 1.15 Indianapolis Colts – Cooper Dejean (CB)
1.16 Seattle Seahawks (Traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers)
I have the Seattle Seahawks who have done a really good job rebuilding their roster, trading down to the Steelers who I think are definitely in the market to trade up because they pretty badly need to improve their offense.
I have the Steelers trading up and going with OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu to buff up their offensive line and give their new QB Russell Wilson some time in the pocket. Olumuyiwa Fashanu is an absolute unit and one of the few true tackle prospects. He is extremely strong and has good stats in both the running and passing games.
He is extremely strong and athletic and has every single one of the tools needed to be a good offensive lineman in the league, but he does need to polish up his game before he gets into the league. But in my opinion, he has the build and the instincts of a good offensive lineman, and everything else will come with time.
My prediction: 1.16 Pittsburgh Steelers – Olumuyiwa Fashanu (OT) (potential trade no. 20 and no. 51 for no. 16 no. 102)
1.17 Jacksonville Jaguars (Traded to Washington Commanders)
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a team that severely underperformed last year, a team that was in a weak division with a weak schedule, and was only able to muster up a 9-8 season. And while they do have holes on their rosters that do need to be looked at, I also think that they are in a position to get really good value for the pick. I think that it would not be crazy to see them trade later into the second round, or what I projected, have them trade for two very early second-round picks so that they can get more players that might even help more directly fill the holes on their roster.
I think that the Washington Commanders would be the perfect team to trade back up in the first round, especially if this is how the first round turns out. The Washington Commanders direly need an offensive tackle to help protect their rookie QB. I think that if the draft does end up turning out this way they would be on the phone making some calls, trying to get back into this first round to find the offensive tackle that they very desperately need.
In this situation, I think that JC Latham could be the pick for Washington. He is one of the true tackle prospects, he would bring a big improvement in both the run and the pass game, and I think it would be a dream match for the two.
My prediction: 1.17 Washington Commanders – JC Latham (OT) (projected trade no. 36 no.40 no.152)
1.18 Cincinnati Bengals
Out of the four seasons that Joe Burrow has played for the Bengals he has been taken due to injuries in half of them. I think it is finally time that they do something about their very inconsistent pass blocking (even though none of the injuries actually happened due to a pass rush, it’s still a problem sooo). So if they stay at 18 and Taliese Fuaga falls to them I can’t see them passing on him. He is a dominant offensive tackle who has a ton of potential in the rushing game and is already darn good in the passing game. I could also see them going with Amarius Mims if he is there, but I think that Taliese Fuaga would be ahead of him, as he is just more athletic and polished at this moment, even though Amarius Mims has the perfect body type to play Offensive tackle.
My prediction: 1.18 Cincinnati Bengals – Taliese Fuaga (OT)
1.19 Los Angeles Rams (Traded to the Buffalo Bills)
The Rams are in a funny predicament because they have a really good offensive scheme, some really good talent on the offense, and a defense that feels like it is missing some talent, but still has pretty good production. So should they go out and try and buff up the defense, give it some more talent, or should they add some more weapons and try to make the offensive scheme unstoppable? Who knows what they will do, but I think that they might just trade it away. And a team that would 100% be trying to swoop into this spot would be the Bills, who are desperately looking for a WR to replace Stefon Diggs.
If the Buffalo Bills can get up to this spot I think that they will make this choice easy on themselves and go with the best WR available, Brain Thomas Jr. He has all of the measurables, he has the speed, he has the instincts, and he shows flashes of everything else as well. I think that he is a high floor high ceiling type of guy, where he can come in on day one and already be one of the best receivers on the roster, but can also smoothen up his game and become one of the better receivers in the league.
My prediction: 1.19 Buffalo Bills – Brain Thomas Jr. (WR) (potential trade no. 28 no. 60 and 3rd round 2025 pick)
1.20 Pittsburgh Steelers (traded to Seattle Seahawks)
The Seattle Seahawks trading back with the Steelers would put them in a really good position to take one of the more versatile offensive linemen, to help edge out their current line. This would be incredibly important if they ever plan on playing Sam Howell because if you watched any Washington Commander’s games last year, you would have seen that he doesn’t have the greatest pocket presence ever. But I can see the Commanders going with Graham Barton out of Duke, who is somebody who has played all five (!!!) positions on the offensive line throughout his time at Duke, and if he can fill in the guard spots that would be pretty nice for a Seattle team that is lacking at that position heading into the year. He is 6’5 which is a pretty good height for either an offensive tackle or guard, but his arms are pretty short which probably caused a lot of teams to look at him as a guard rather than a tackle. He is fast and can move well, he is already a high-end run blocker and has shown promise in the run game as well.
My prediction: 1.20 Seattle Seahawks – Graham Barton (OT/OG)
1.21 Miami Dolphins
I’m sure that every single Miami Dolphins fan, and honestly every single Miami Dolphins player wants them to pick an offensive tackle in the first round. It feels like they have avoided the issue for far too long and right here is the perfect time to address it. Especially with Amarius Mims falling as far as he has. As I said before, Amarius Mims is like the prototype of an offensive lineman when it comes to his measurements. He is a 6’8’’ 340 lbs monster that can still run a 5.07 40-yard dash. If I was an NFL coach I would be looking to put this guy in my backfield. With all of that being said, he has only started eight games in college, and he does have a lot of problems with his footwork and his timing. So he is a project. But it’s a project the Miami Dolphins should be excited to jump on.
My prediction: 1.21 Miami Dolphins – Amarius Mims (OT)
1.22 Philadelphia Eagles
I’ll put it to you straight, the Philadelphia Eagles are loaded with talent, they are. All across their team they are loaded with talent, but they do have one massive hole. Their CBs suck. What happened to Darius Slay and James Bradberry last year needs to be studied in the labs of Harvard University. They allowed the 3rd most passing yards per game last year. So the direction of this pick is pretty obvious to me, it is going to be a CB. Which CB, that’s going to be more of a question. Luckily for the Eagles, they have all types of choices to choose from.
In this situation, there would be tons of different CBs available, Quinyon Mitchell, Nate Wiggins, Terrion Arnold, and Kool-Aid McKinstry, are all at the top of the list.
I do think in this situation they would go with Quinyon Mitchell, I think that he fits their scheme well, he has really good athleticism, he is aggressive, and he tested well. I think there are a lot of things that would point them in the direction of Mitchell over the rest.
I could also see a world where they go with Terrion Arnold, who I also think would fit pretty well. Terrion Arnold went to Alabama, a high-major school, while Quinyon Mitchell went to Toledo, a low-major school which might give Arnold the edge, especially because I feel like Nick Siranni and crew have always favored those from the SEC.
My prediction: 1.22 Philadelphia Eagles – Quinyon Mitchell (CB)
1.23 Minnesota Vikings (Traded to Los Angeles Chargers then traded to Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Okay, so this might be a little bit far-fetched. But unexpected things happen in the NFL Draft, so sometimes you have to get ahead of the curb on it. This would technically be a triple trade because the Vikings traded for this from the Texans over a month before the day of the draft, so they could use two draft picks to try and trade up for a QB. Then I projected that they would have traded it to the Chargers for the fifth overall pick in addition to the eleventh pick. Then I now predict that the Buccaneers would try and trade down with the Chargers from pick 26.
The reason they would be trading down from pick 26 is for Jackson Powers-Johnson, a center out of Oregon. It might seem far-fetched for a team to trade up for a center in the first round, but when you realize that it is a very legitimate need for the Bucs and you look at how good Jackson Powers-Johnson is you would start to understand it.
If a center was a more valuable position Jackson Powers-Johnson would be projected to go in the top twelve easily. He is an incredible blocker, in both the pass and run game, but the run game is where he excels. I think that getting Powers-Johnson here would allow them to have a good anchor at the center position for the next decade. I see the value here even though it might seem pretty wild.
My prediction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jackson Powers-Johnson (C) (potential trade No. 26 and No. 57 for No. 23 and No. 105)
1.24 Dallas Cowboys
It looks like the Cowboys are more than likely going to be looking for another offensive lineman in this year’s draft, this time to fill the void left with the departure of Tyron Smith to the Jets. There isn’t much excitement with this pick, it has a pretty clear direction, it’s just all about who will be selected.
I think that the direction that they are going to be going in is Tyler Guyton because, in my personal opinion, there is a bit of a drop-off between Guyton and the rest of the offensive linemen who are projected to go in the first or second round. Tyler Guyton is another guy that got a lot of the tools to be successful as an offensive lineman. He is 6’8 322 lbs with great athleticism. He can get out in space and block down the field. He could be really good in screen scenarios or a successful run game. I think that he does need to have some work, I don’t think that he is a linemen who can go out there in week one and play a perfect game. But I think that Dallas is a perfect landing spot for somebody like him. They have a long tracklist of turning their offensive linemen into stars.
My prediction: Dallas Cowboys – Tyler Guyton (OT)
1.25 Green Bay Packers
The Packers are trying to build something over there, after a great first year of starting, Jordan Love is going to have to face expectations this year. Their roster is at a good point to start building up. They do have some needs on the offensive line, especially with David Bakhtiari in free agency–who knows where he will end up. But even if that was who they were planning on drafting I feel like they just missed out on the upper tiers of offensive linemen, so I think that they should focus their attention elsewhere.
I think that they honestly should look for the best available players on the board and try to stack their roster with talent.
That is why I have them ending up with Nate Wiggins from Clemson, who is a lanky cornerback with a lot of really promising traits. He is somebody who is very smart in the secondary and is always aware of what the receiver and QB are doing. He is somebody that can see plays develop and make plays on the ball. He is also extremely fast, running a 4.28 40-yard dash, which can be extremely helpful when guarding deep threats. I think that if he has years to develop he can become a lockdown CB1 on a team, and I think that playing aside Jaire Alexander could be a very scary duo.
1.25 Green Bay Packers – Nate Wiggins (CB)
1.26 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Traded with Los Angeles Chargers)
The Los Angeles Chargers, after being huge sellers in this year’s draft so far, would finally be in a position to make their second pick, and with their first pick being used to help elevate their offense I think this is when they would turn their focus to the defense.
Their secondary was really bad last year allowing the 4th most passing yards in the entire league last year. I think that if they were in this situation, and a CB that they like is still available they would have to make the call and take him.
In this situation, Terrion Arnold has fallen right into their laps, and I don’t think that they would pass up the chance to get a defender as good as Arnold on their team. Arnold is a hyper-aggressive CB, who can be lock-down at moments. He would bring a new level of aggressiveness and passion to the Chargers secondary which would instantly help the Chargers on defense. He is prone to mistakes however, in my opinion, more than most of the CBs taken before him; because of his aggressive play style it is quite common to see him bite on a fake or to read a play wrong, but hopefully, with time he can sort that out in the NFL.
My prediction: 1.26 Los Angeles Chargers – Terrion Arnold (CB)
1.27 Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are still a team that needs to fix a lot of holes, especially on defense. It was a bit of a meme at points last year how nobody on the Cardinal’s defense was recognizable to a casual fan, which brings out a good point about just how much their defense lacks any star power. So I think that this pick has to be on the defensive end of the ball, and I think it would be served best if it was on the defensive line. There are players like Jer’Zhan Newton, Chop Robinson, Darius Robinson, and Adisa Isaac that they could go with here, but as I was talking about star power I think they need to go with a potential star, and Chop Robinson is just that.
Chop Robinson is Explosive, he runs a 4.4 40 yard-dash and it is almost like he looks faster in the game. He has very similar traits to some of the other top-edge rushers in the league like Josh Allen and Micah Parsons. He is an elite disruptor, especially in the run game, and he puts immense pressure on an offensive line. I do see a lot of red flags with him as well, like how much he relied on his speed in college, and how he didn’t have the best stats while playing in college, especially because you would expect somebody as physically dominant as he is to toy around with the college competition. It will be very interesting to see how he ends up in the NFL because I do see a lot of star potential, but I also do see a lot of bust potential.
My prediction: 1.27 Arizona Cardinals – Chop Robinson (DE)
1.28 The Buffalo Bills (Traded with the Los Angeles Rams)
The Los Angeles Rams after trading down are in a perfect position to pick Aaron Donald’s replacement and go DT. Two defensive tackles are available in this position that are worth taking in the first round, Jer’Zhan Newton out of Illinois and Kris Jenkins out of Michigan. Kris Jenkins is a smaller guy who has some elite speed at the defensive tackle position but has good enough speed and finesse to keep him in first-round projections. But I do think that Jer’Zhan Newton would be a much better fit for the Rams. He is a little bit bigger than Kris Jenkins and like Jenkins, he has some elite speed, but I think that his presence in the run game is more tuned than Jenkins, and he shows more pass-rushing potential as well. He is a very fluid as a defensive tackle, he moves like he is a five-year NFL veteran. His athleticism isn’t at the level of their past defensive tackle Aaron Donald but I think that he is ready to get plugged into an NFL defense and cause some havoc.
My prediction: 1.28 Los Angeles Rams – Jer’Zhan Newton (DT)
1.29 Detroit Lions
Cornerback has to be the play for the Lions. The 2nd worst pass defense in the league last year, and when you plan on being a contender, that just will not suffice. In this situation, they would be looking at a board with Kool-Aid McKinstry, Kamari Lassiter, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., and Mike Sainristil. I think that Kool-Aid McKinstry would be the pick because he is somebody who can anchor a side of Detroit’s defense. He can fit in any type of defensive scheme and he is probably the smartest cornerback in the entire class. His athleticism isn’t really there, but he has a safe and smart playstyle that makes you forget his lack of athleticism. Picking Kool-Aid McKinstry would instantly help the Lions secondary and I would be scared of this team next year.
My prediction: 1.29 Detroit Lions – Kool-Aid Mckinstry (CB)
1.30 Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens are in a situation to improve, which is never a bad thing. I think what they would want to improve in the first round would be a WR to pair with Zay Flowers. Another weapon to help make Lamar Jackson’s life easier could instantly boost this offense to another level.
There are a couple of good WR prospects left on this board, with players like Ladd McConkey, Xavier Legette, Ja’lynn Polk, Troy Franklin, Adonai Mitchell, and Xavier Worthy.
I think that the Ravens would love Xavier Legette. He is extremely athletic and talented, but he does need a little bit of tuning. Legette can get up and attack the ball with the best of them, having somebody like this in Lamar’s offense could allow him to unleash down the field. Legette is also a great character who had to go through many hardships, but when he got his chance to shine in his fifth year he broke through. So many things to love about Xavier Legette.
My prediction: 1.30 Baltimore Ravens – Xavier Legette (WR)
1.31 San Francisco
San Francisco doesn’t have many needs and I think they are another team looking to just boost themselves a little bit higher. As of right now, the only position I would be interested in upgrading would be my right tackle. With Colton McKivitz being the number one RT on the depth chart I can see them dial in on a tackle in the first round.
If they are going with a tackle, and the board is set like this, they would probably be dialing in on either Kingsley Suamataia out of BYU, Jordan Morgan out of Arizona, or maybe even Patrick Paul out of Houston. I think that Kingsley Suamataia is the most dominant tackle out of the group. When watching the Kingsley Suamataia tape, you will see that he does rely on his strength and technique to win his reps, which can be both a good and bad thing when evaluating a prospect. In this case, I see a little bit of both. I like his instincts and I feel like he knows when he can win with his strength, and when to use technique. He is somebody who has the athleticism, strength, and size to be good in the league, but I am worried about his lack of moves and his inconsistent hand placement, which could be taken advantage of by more premier defensive ends.
My prediction: 1.31 San Francisco 49ers- Kingsley Suamataia (OT)
1.32 Kansas City Chiefs
Looking to get three in a row, the Kansas City Chiefs will probably need to cover some holes. They still need a premiere receiver, especially if Travis Kelce is going to start regressing like he did in the regular season last year. They could also use some help on the offensive line which has been pretty mediocre for the past couple of years.
They could also use this pick to help buff up the defensive line, but I think that the Chiefs will have to finally give Patrick Mahomes some help and go to the offensive side of the ball. If the board falls like this I would see the Chiefs going with a WR, because there isn’t a OL prospect worth reaching on right here.
With the WR group that is left on the board, I think the Chiefs would go with Xavier Worthy. He is everything that the Chiefs love. He runs a 4.21 40-yard dash, the combine record. The Chiefs know that speed kills and I think that they will try and pair Patrick Mahomes with another Tyreek Hill-esque player. I have some doubts about Xavier Worthy’s game, I feel like he doesn’t have the best hands and is very prone to drops, which has already been a big problem for the Chiefs. But somebody as fast as Worthy should make a good deep target for Mahomes, and will take a lot of attention from the defense. He is the exact player that Andy Reid loves.
My prediction: 1.32 Kansas City Chiefs – Xavier Worthy (WR)
