Congrats, my football loving friends. We have finally hit the end of the football season. The churn of the 2024 NFL season, playoffs, Super Bowl, free agency and now NFL draft are over. After this weekend, we can take a collective break and catch up with friends and family, or much more likely, gamble on playoff basketball and baseball. AND, if you are as big of a degenerate as me, gamble on Korean ping pong at 3am.
For now though, all focus brings us to Green Bay, where the NFL will be taking place on Thursday (first round), Friday (second and third round), and Saturday (rounds 4-7).
This year’s draft class is considered one of the worst in recent memory, at least in terms of projections towards the future. The first few picks seem pretty well solidified, and there is not a generational quarterback in the draft that would get people excited, or teams willing to mortgage years worth of draft picks to get a transcendent star. What the draft lacks in star power though, it makes up for in sheer “someone is going to do something really stupid” excitement.
As we stand right now, this is the latest the draft has gone without a first round pick being traded. I’m predicting this doesn’t last. The Giants are trying to trade out of their pick so they can justify drafting a quarterback a little later. The Jaguars have always been a team that comes from left field with their picks. The Raiders always find a way to screw it up.
With all of that in mind, here is my second (and first serious) mock draft, including trades I believe will happen.
1: Tennessee Titans-Cam Ward, QB Miami
This pick has been obvious for a long time, and there really isn’t much to dig into. This is a bad draft for quarterbacks, especially after the 2024 draft and with the possibility of a Manning child being draft eligible in 2026. That said, it’s a quarterback driven league, and Cam Ward is, by far, the best quarterback in the draft class. Tennessee makes this pick hoping that head coach Brian Callahan can develop the Miami product. Ward is the kind of guy who could surprise people out of the gate, or he could get his coach fired at the end of the season.
2: Cleveland Browns-Travis Hunter, CB/WR Colorado
Another pick that feels like a lock going into draft day. The bigger question is whether the team decides they are going to start him at Wide Receiver or Cornerback, or do both, as the Heisman Trophy winner has vowed to do. The Browns have arguably a bigger need at wide receiver, with Jerry Jeudy the only established pass catcher on the roster. That said, they have nobody to throw to him, so it might serve them best to let him focus more on cornerback early on, possibly in the slot in nickel and dime packages, and ease him in on offense, knowing that whoever is throwing him the ball will probably get him killed by leading him too far with a pass across the middle the first time they play the Steelers.
3: San Francisco 49ers-Abdul Carter, DE Penn St.
San Francisco trades the 11th pick, 43rd pick in 2025 draft, and 1st round pick in 2026 draft to New York for 3rd pick in 2025, 2nd round pick in 2026
First big trade of the draft! Here is my thought process: The Giants want to draft Shaddeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart, but cannot justify making the move at number three. General Manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll know the only way to save their jobs is to get a quarterback that works out, but they also know that this team desperately needs help in a lot of spots. With most of the rumors in New Orleans that they prefer Dart over Sanders with the 9th pick, and no obvious quarterback needs between those two points, the Giants pick up an additional second round pick this year and a first round pick next year.
The 49ers know that they have had to gut their roster so they can pay quarterback Brock Purdy this offseason. They also know how important a game wrecking defensive end is for the success of their offense. Carter is an absolute game wrecker and could end up being the overall best player to come out of this draft. The 49ers are willing to move off a pick next year under the assumption that they will be good enough to make the playoffs with a little bit of health luck this year, pushing that pick into the 20’s.
4: New England Patriots-Will Campbell, OT LSU
New England spent the entire offseason upgrading on defense, pretending that there also weren’t massive issues with the offense last year. This team is still trying to get the Belichick stink off of them. They use their pick to invest in an offensive tackle who is getting pushed down some draft boards because of his arm length, while ignoring the fact that he is a three year starter at left tackle who gave up zero sacks in 2023 with Jayden Daniels at quarterback. Also worth noting he spent those three years in the SEC. There will be a lot of SEC defensive ends coming off the board as we go on here. His arms weren’t an issue in college. They won’t be an issue in the NFL.
5: Chicago Bears-Ashton Jeanty, RB Boise St
Chicago trades 10th and 41st pick in 2025 draft, and conditional second round pick in 2026 draft for 5th pick in 2025
Last season, the Bears nearly traded up from the ninth pick to get a chance to draft Rome Odunze. They waited and got him, anyway. That is much less likely to happen this year, as the Raiders are semi-openly coveting Jeanty, in spite of them “leaking” the information to reporters that they might go offensive line. Chicago decides not to risk it, and uses one of their two second round picks this year and a second (based on playing time) next year for a potentially generational running back. Also, watch out for the Bears to possibly make the exact same trade that I outlined for the 49ers to move up to three to draft Abdul Carter as well.
For the Jaguars, they have holes all over the place, and even though the 2025 draft lacks high end prospects, it has great depth. Getting a second early 2nd round draft pick gives the team more bites at the apple, even though there is a roughly 100 percent chance they use one of their second round picks on 4 ft. tall wide out Tez Johnson, causing Mel Kiper to have an actual stroke.
6: Las Vegas Raiders-Armand Membou, OT Missouri
The Raiders have been throwing up smoke screens about wanting an offensive tackle while they plan to draft Jeanty. With the Bears jumping them to secure the running back, the Raiders actually do draft an offensive lineman. Membou is a lot of scouts favorite offensive lineman in the draft, but he has exclusively played right tackle in college. He can start there his first season, and Las Vegas can work him up to left tackle.
7: New York Jets-Tyler Warren, TE Penn St.
This is still a potential landing spot for Shaddeur Sanders, but with Justin Fields set to start for the team in 2025, New York adds a weapon to the offense. Justin Fields had a lot of success in Chicago when he had a play making tight end running routes down the middle of the field to help cut down his need to run through a full route progression. Having a tight end running up the field also loosens up the middle of the defense for Fields to escape and run. If you go back and watch old Fields highlights, you will see his escapability is heightened by linebackers having their backs turned to him as they chased Cole Kmet downfield.
8: Carolina Panthers-Jalon Walker-DE Georgia
Walker has been attached to the Panthers in most mock drafts since the combine. It’s a matter of need being filled by arguably the second best defensive end in the draft. Carolina could also be a landing spot for Tyler Warren if he falls, or Colston Loveland if they feel some kind of special about him. Also, look out for them to potentially take a wide receiver here, as they are eventually going to have to fill the gap left by Adam Thielen.
9: Pittsburgh Steelers-Shaddeur Sanders, QB Colorado
Pittsburgh trades 21st pick in 2025 draft, 1st round pick in 2026 draft for 9th pick in 2025 draft
Sanders goes in the spot people expect him to, but with a different team! All word from New Orleans is that they are not interested in Sanders as much as they are Dart. The Steelers have done extensive work on Sanders, and head coach Mike Tomlin has spent time with the quarterback and had glowing remarks about him. The Steelers are not generally the type of team that is going to sell off a future first round pick, but they are also not the type of team that is going to sit around and wait for Aaron Rodgers to get around to deciding to play. They make the move here and Arthur Smith builds a very simple offense for Sanders to grow into in 2025.
10: Jacksonville Jaguars-Mason Graham-DT Michigan
Mason Graham has been projected in everyone’s mock draft everywhere to go to the Jaguars. He fills a major need for the team. Now at 10, the Jags still get the player they want, as well as a couple extra second round picks over the next two drafts to help them fill out their roster.
11: Indianapolis Colts-Colston Loveland-TE Michigan
Indianapolis trades 14th pick and 80th pick to New York for 11th pick
New York’s plans have been blown up for Sanders at this point. The trade back has backfired. Not being ready to pivot immediately, the Colts call and offer a third round pick to jump up. There are no teams with corresponding needs as them in between theirs and the Colts pick, so the Giants take the 80th pick.
The Colts miss out on Tyler Warren, as he has had serious helium for months, but get a pretty great “well, actually” pick in Loveland. Colston is a more complete traditional tight end than Warren, who is more of a slot receiver than actual blocker/pass catcher. The Colts have been attached to a tight end in many mock drafts for months. The nay sayers will point out that the Colts have a lot of weapons, but that’s not really true. They have a lot of guys who are supposed to be weapons. Jonathon Taylor had a good bounce back year in 2024, but Michael Pittman has a back injury, Alec Pierce is a downfield threat but not an integral part of the offense, and Adonai Mitchell did very little to distinguish himself last year.
12: Dallas Cowboys-Tet Mcmillan-WR Arizona
This feels like a slam dunk move for the Cowboys. They desperately need someone they can line up across from CeeDee Lamb and McMillan provides them something they don’t have an offense: a playmaker on a cheap contract. Dallas needs to focus on premium positions in this draft because they are staring into the abyss of salary cap issues with the need to give Micah Parsons a new contract.
13: Miami Dolphins-Will Johnson-CB Michigan
Miami is trying to trade Jalen Ramsey. That opens up a GLARING need for them in the secondary. Will Johnson was the best cornerback in college football in 2023 and might have been a top 10 pick last year. He didn’t run the 40 yard dash at his pro day, causing scouts to wonder if he is still injured or is hiding deficiencies. The Dolphins gamble on the talent that Johnson put on tape when he has been on the field.
14: New York Giants-Kelvin Banks-OT Texas
The Giants land at 14 with their first pick and draft a guy who is getting a serious push in late mock drafts towards the top. Banks is starting to show up in the top 10 in many mock drafts and the Giants are able to stabilize their offensive line with a guy who has the fewest questions in terms of his ability to be a day one starter at left tackle. The New York regime is working on other things with the extra picks they have acquired, though.
15: Atlanta Falcons-Shemar Stewart, DE Texas A&M
They will probably draft Matthew Golden here to be their third receiver in an offense with an incredibly shaky quarterback, because that’s what the Falcons do. That said, i’m still projecting they do some work in terms of helping their defense. Stewart becomes the first defensive player drafted in the first round by the Falcons since 2020, and first defensive lineman taken in the first round by them since 2017. Stewart is among a number of defensive ends that are projectable, with their intangibles outweighing their on field performance.
16: Arizona Cardinals-Derrick Harmon-DT Oregon
Derrick Harmon is a hype machine over the past month or so. Going from someone who was a mid second round pick to a near lock to be taken in the first round. Harmon can step in and be a day one starter for the Cardinals, who can really use help all across the defense. Budda Baker could be on the trade block, which could also push the Cardinals to draft one of the safeties that have been falling throughout the first round of this mock draft.
17: Cincinnati Bengals-Mike Green, DE Bowling Green
Let’s just call this pick Trey Hendrickson insurance. If Hendrickson plays out the final year of his deal, Green gets a really nice, soft landing spot in the starting lineup opened by the retirement of Sam Hubbard. If Hendrickson gets traded, then then Green becomes the face of the rebuild. It would be criminal at this point for the Bengals to draft anything but defensive players during this entire draft, seeing how the defense cost this team game after game last season.
18: Seattle Seahawks-Matthew Golden, WR Texas
Tyler Lockett is gone. DK Metcalf is gone. The Seahawks draft for need here and bring in Golden to help Sam Darnold on offense. There is genuine debate about draft knowers on whether Tet McMillan or Golden is the best receiver in the draft. This could also be a landing spot for Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka.
19: Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Jihaad Campbell, LB Alabama
Campbell has gotten rave reviews as being a sideline to sideline player who is very smart with reads and can step in and be a day one leader on the defense. At his absolute peak, Campbell can be Brian Urlacher with better ability to get to the quarterback. The Buccaneers can afford to draft a luxury pick like this with their offense in good shape. That said, if they want to reinforce their offensive line, watch out for someone like Josh Simmons or Gray Zabel here.
20: Denver Broncos-Omarion Hampton, RB North Carolina
Jaleel McLaughlin is the number one running back on the Broncos depth chart currently, and has never been able to prove he can stay healthy enough to be a workhorse running back. Hampton provides that ability to be a workhorse, with McLaughlin or Audric Estime in the offense to be a home run hitter. With the success of the Lions offense, everyone is keeping an eye on finding their own version of David Montgomery, and the North Carolina running back provides a faster, stronger version of that.
21: New Orleans Saints-Mykell Williams, DE Georgia
Swerve! The Saints trade back, but don’t take the opportunity to draft a quarterback. The Saints are planning to trade with Washington or Buffalo to get back into the first round to pick Dart, with no teams having glaring quarterback needs at the position in between them. This allows the Saints to take Mykell Williams, who has been projected to them at nine in some mocks. Williams suffers from the same problems as Will Johnson, with injuries causing limited productivity in 2024. Teams are willing to bet on his intangibles, though. If healthy, he provides an upgrade to the Saints defensive line, especially with Cam Jordan reaching the twilight of his career.
22: San Diego Forever! Chargers-Donovan Ezeiruaku, DE Boston College
Jim Harbaugh loves him some big beefy men on the lines. With Joey Bosa gone and Khalil Mack hitting his 12th season, the Chargers draft a guy who can develop in the defense without the pressure of being the number one guy on the line right in the beginning. If, somehow, one of top two tight ends fall, this would be a great landing spot.
23: Green Bay Packers-Jahdae Barron-DB Texas
Arguably the Packers biggest weakness towards the end of their season was the secondary. Jaire Alexander continues to be in team purgatory. Barron has been mocked as high as seven by some, so his fall to this spot is an obvious dream situation for the Packers. Some mock drafts have them going with wide receiver, but it seems more likely they go that way in the second round and gamble on the continued growth of the players they already have at the position.
24: New York Giants-Jaxson Dart-QB Ole Miss
New York trades 34th, 80th pick in 2025 draft, 5th round pick in 2026 draft to Minnesota for 24th pick
And there it is. The Giants use their second round pick as well as the third round pick they acquired from the Colts, as well as a pick next year to move up to get their future quarterback. For the Giants, they turned the 3rd pick into a quarterback, a left tackle, and a first round pick next year.
For the Vikings, they only have four picks in this season’s draft. They get the second pick of the second round, as well as a mid 3rd round pick to move back. With most of their positions solidified on their 14 win team from last season (their biggest question is quarterback, and they won’t be drafting one here), they chose to move back, gain an extra pick, and work around the edges to finish building their 2025 team.
25: Houston Texans-Walter Nolen, DT Ole Miss
The Texans should probably go offensive line here, and very well could, but putting a monster like Nolen into the defense with Will Anderson and Derrick Stingley makes them truly terrifying. The line can be addressed later in the draft. Keep an eye on them to go after Gray Zabel if he falls, or Georgia guard Tate Rutledge in the second round.
26: Los Angeles Rams-Tyler Shough, QB Louisville
Matthew Stafford signed a new contract with the Rams, but he is getting up there in years and there is a definite end point to his career/time with the team. Los Angeles chooses to start looking toward the future with Shough, who is already an older quarterback, turning 26 early in the season. The upside you get with Shough is a quarterback who has played in a number of different systems and might be the best quarterback in the class in terms of read progression. He’s not going to be the next Patrick Mahomes, but if he can step off the bench and be 2023 Geno Smith, that’s a big win for this pick.
27: Baltimore Ravens-Nick Scourton, DE Texas A&M
The sun rises. The sun sets. The Ravens take a defensive player who will fit their scheme, be good in rotations, and will grow and excel within the well coordinated Ravens system.
28: Detroit Lions-Kenneth Grant, DT Michigan
The Lions went on an unprecedented run of bad luck in terms of injuries last season. They were crushed on defense and by the time the playoffs rolled around, they were functionally a M*A*S*H* unit. Grabbing an interior presence of Grant’s caliber on the line is only going to make their lives easier and will create a logistical nightmare for teams trying to run against Detroit.
29: Washington Commanders-Nick Emmanwori, DB South Carolina
The Commanders could go tight end here if they are willing to reach for someone like Maason Taylor out of LSU or Eli Arroyo from Miami. In this mock draft, though, they roll with talented cornerback Emmanwori, who should help fill a definite need for the team. Washington had a good team in 2024, heavily on the strength of Jayden Daniels’ rapid ascent. Their defense held their own throughout the year, but it was built heavily on free agents on short term deals. Washington could go heavy on defense for the entire draft in an effort to start building reinforcements.
30: Buffalo Bills-Malaki Starks-DB Georgia
Buffalo could be a trade back candidate. If the quarterback situation falls differently than I see it, then Buffalo could be a target for a team like the Browns trying to trade back into the first round to get Shaddeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart. With quarterbacks off the board in my mock draft, the Bills go for Starks, who can step in and be a day one starter for the team.
31: Kansas City Chiefs-Tyler Booker, OG Georgia
Kansas City uses their first round pick to help build up their offensive line, which seems to be in a perpetual state of rebuild over the past few seasons. Booker could step in day one and be a starter for a team that is going to be looking for a long term replacement for Joe Thuney.
32: Philadelphia Eagles-Josh Simmons, OT Ohio St.
Howie Roseman is furious that the Chiefs drafted a Georgia player before they got a chance to draft him. Instead, they build depth in the trenches with an overlooked but potentially early starter if injuries happen for the defending champions.
Fancy Boys Club 