By Matt Stuart | Published | No Comments
| PICK | OVERVIEW |
|---|---|
| 1 | CHICAGO BEARS (via. Carolina) Marvin Harrison Jr. | WR | Ohio State The Bears have a difficult decision to make as to whether they start over with a new quarterback or build around Fields. If the Bears are not fully sold on Fields, then I like Caleb Williams here. But if Fields finishes the season strong, adding the best receiver in the draft class, to me at least, is a no brainer. |
| 2 | NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS Caleb Williams | QB | USC This pick seems fairy straight forward to me. The Patriots need to replace their starting quarterback, and while far from a perfect prospect, I believe that Caleb Williams is the best QB prospect in this draft |
| 3 | ARIZONA CARDINALS Malik Nabers | WR | LSU Arizona says they are fully committed to Kyler Murray, and I believe them. Considering that this team has watched a parade of skill position players leave town over the last several years, it’s time to restock with one of the most dynamic receivers in college. |
| 4 | WASHINGTON COMMANDERS Joe Alt | OT | Notre Dame Washington needs a ton of help up front, just ask their quarterback Sam Howell, who has taken a league leading 58 sacks through week 14. Joe Alt is graded out as the top tackle in this year’s draft class and is a perfect fit as he slots in well as both a high end pass blocker and run blocker. |
| 5 | NEW YORK GIANTS Olumuyiwa Fashanu | OT | Penn State The Giants are another team in desperate help for some much needed pass protection up front. Fashanu did a good job of keeping Penn State quarterback Drew Allan clean and he should slide in well for a depleted Giants offensive line. |
| 6 | TENNESSEE TITANS J.C. Latham | OT | Alabama The Titans should continue to add pieces to their offensive line that can both help protect QB Will Levis and also help open up the run game. Latham checks both of those boxes aplenty. |
| 7 | CHICAGO BEARS Dallas Turner | LB | Alabama The Bears get arguably the best receiver at the number one pick, and then they cleanup with arguably the best defensive player in this years draft. That kills two birds with one stone. (If the Bears elect to replace Fields with a QB with their first pick, I still like this pick here.) |
| 8 | LAS VEGAS RAIDERS Drake Maye | QB | North Carolina Maye is higher on some other boards than mine. I love the talent and upside here and I think there is a chance that New England goes with Maye instead of Williams. I think that Williams is a little more pro ready and set to step in right away. With Maye he could sit a year behind O’Connell and get some much needed development before being thrown in as the starter in 2025. |
| 9 | NEW YORK JETS Amarius Mims | OT | Georgia There are some balance and footwork issues that show up on some of Mims tape, but the upside here is just off the page. Mims moves pass rushers out of the way like he is Moses parting the Red Sea and his bulking frame and height makes him a huge asset in clearing running lanes. Mims started this season as my highest ranked tackle, this would be a steal for the Jets at this selection. |
| 10 | LOS ANGELES CHARGERS Nate Wiggins | CB | Clemson Wiggins was selected first team all ACC this season, and the Chargers would get a pro ready corner that should provide immediate help to what is the NFL’s worst secondary this year. Wiggins has great closing speed in the secondary and also does a great job rushing the passer. |
| 11 | ATLANTA FALCONS Jayden Daniels | QB | LSU The Falcons may not be ready to give up on second year quarterback Desmond Ridder, but could they really pass up Daniels here if he is still on the board. The Falcons would get a true dual threat option at QB, which fits well into what Atlanta likes to do. Daniels huge arm would do wonders for getting the ball down the field and into the hands of pass catchers Drake London and Kyle Pitts, and his top end speed at the quarterback position would make Atlanta a potent offensive unit hard to stop in a very winnable division. |
| 12 | NEW ORLEANS SAINTS Rome Odunze | WR | Washington The Saints could go with a tackle here, but if they look to add another weapon at wide receiver, it’s hard to pass up Rome Odunze at this spot. Odunze led the PAC12 in receiving yards this season and was second in TD’s with 13. He has great hands and top end speed. |
| 13 | SEATTLE SEAHAWKS Brock Bowers | TE | Georgia This isn’t a huge need for Seattle, but Bowers represents great value if he is still on the board here at this spot. Bowers has explosive athleticism at the tight end position and has great speed in open space. He does a great job with contested catches and has above average size at this position. Had he not missed several games for the Bulldogs due to injury, he almost certainly would have cleared 1,000 yards receiving and would have amassed double digit touchdowns. |
| 14 | LOS ANGELES RAMS Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | Alabama McKinstry’s stats don’t jump off the page as some of the other corners in this draft class, but he has elite athleticism and his instincts are off the page. He plays the ball exceptionally well and his elite speed makes him ideal for challenging some of the AFC’s top receivers. I would not hesitate to pull the trigger if I am the Raiders and McKinstry is still on the board. |
| 15 | ARIZONA CARDINALS Laiatu Latu | LB-EDGE | UCLA Latu is by far my favorite player in this years draft. This is a guy you root for, even if you are playing against him. You want to know what real adversity and perseverance looks like, it looks like Laiatu Latu. After suffering a horrific neck injury in 2020, that most “experts” said would end his chances of ever playing again, Latu took a medical retirement for two seasons. When he came back in 2022 he led the Bruins in double digit sacks and followed that up this past season with back-to-back double digit sacks. On top of all that, the young man is just immensely likable. He plays the game like every snap could be his last. Latu has good size and is quick off the snap. He is an old school type of pass rusher who reads the quarterbacks mannerism and eyes and adjusts accordingly. He has off the charts instincts and might be one of the smartest players in the entire draft. He just knows football and more times than not knows what the quarterback is going to do before the QB does. |
| 16 | DENVER BRONCOS Jared Verse | LB-EDGE | Florida State I like how Verse reacts to the snap. While some edge rushers have a tendency to go up the field a bit too much, and then try to crossover with a spin move, Verse cuts in quick and establishes with his hands out in front of his body, right at the point of attack. That means there is no wasted motion or timing. He takes the fewest steps to the QB and that allows him to get a hand in the face, even if he is not able to get the sack. Doesn’t have top end speed, so he has to win at the point of attack a little more than some of the other edge rushers, but the value here is tremendous. |
| 17 | BUFFALO BILLS Chris Braswell | LB-EDGE | Alabama If you value top end speed in your edge rusher over everything else, then Chris Braswell is your man. Braswell simply lives in the opposing team’s backfield. While he doesn’t overpower blockers, his athleticism allows him to quickly shed blockers by making quick sidesteps and getting leverage on interior guards. Braswell could use a bit more polish when it comes to stopping speedier running backs getting to the edge, but he has tremendous upside as a pass rusher. |
| 18 | CINCINNATI BENGALS Jer’Zhan Newton | DL | Illinois Newton is one of those defensive lineman that running backs hate because he clogs the running lanes with exceptional bend and quick hands. Almost never finds himself out of position in stopping the run, and has good pursuit to go after the quarterback, when many other lineman would have given up on the play. While Newtown is a bit undersized compared to the typical NFL defensive lineman, his quickness more than makes up for that. |
| 19 | TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS J.J. McCarthy | QB | Michigan McCarthy got the label as a game manager because his stats don’t pop off the chart like some of the other quarterbacks in this draft class, but he may be the most all around polished and pro ready QB in the field. He finished tied for second in completion percentage, has plus arm strength and goes through his progressions quickly and decisively. McCarthy wasn’t asked to do much, in the Wolverines run heavy offense, but don’t be fooled, he will be able to step right in day one for the Bucs. |
| 20 | GREEN BAY PACKERS Troy Fautanu | OT | Washington Fautanu’s quickness in adjusting to speedier linebackers looking to over power him with a quick first move is very impressive. Fautanu never seems to get raddled or knocked off his spot. Has excellent arm length and the ability to reverse pulls on targets that try and come right at him from the front. Has excellent footwork and is extremely agile. There’s not too much to nitpick here, other than he can struggle a bit with faster more agile defensive ends that like to hit the gaps, but again that is nitpicking. |
| 21 | INDIANAPOLIS COLTS Terrion Arnold | CB | Alabama Arnold is the definition of a ball hawk. If a quarterback misses on his placement, even a minor amount, there is a good chance Arnold will wind up with the ball. Arnold led the SEC in interceptions with five and was second in the SEC in deflected passes. Arnold is just a tad and I mean a tad on the smaller side for a corner, as he is barely 6′ feet tall and closer to 180 lbs. But when you look at corners in this draft who have a knack for tracking balls, particularly readjusting to balls once they are in the air, look no further. Arnold represents great value here for the Colts. |
| 22 | MINNESOTA VIKINGS J.T. Tuimoloau | LB-EDGE | Ohio State Tuimoloau has great range and athleticism. His quick speed and release and ability to use his feet to get offensive linemen out of position means he can play back in coverage a little longer and still get to the quarterback if the play starts to breakdown. His sack rates are not off the charts and more than likely Tuimoloau is not going to give you double digit sacks each year, but he is an old school linebacker, that can do almost everything well, play coverage, stop the run, and tackle running backs before they can get to the outside. There just aren’t many things Tuimoloau doesn’t do well. |
| 23 | PITTSBURGH STEELERS Emeka Egbuka | WR | Ohio State Egbuka falls a little down this list due mostly to missing about a month of the season this year due to a lower body injury. Nonetheless the Steelers would be crazy to pass on the value that they would be getting here. Egbuka is just a natural route runner, with terrific hands and plus speed and athleticism. Egbuka reminds me a lot of Devonta Smith with the Eagles. He just effortlessly catches the ball and makes big plays. |
| 24 | HOUSTON TEXANS (via. Cle) Kamari Lassiter | CB | Georgia Excels both as a pass defender in the secondary and out on the edge to stop the run. The closing speed he possesses is off the charts and Lassister is another star corner with tremendous athleticism and fits the mold of where the NFL is headed in terms of the prototypical pass defender. Lassiter just plays the ball about as well as you can. While he is not necessarily a corner that you can put on an island, he will need some safety help in the pros, he nonetheless has the talent to be a very versatile player at the next level. |
| 25 | KANSAS CITY CHIEFS Brian Thomas Jr. | WR | LSU While Malik Nabers got most of the attention down on the Bayou and rightly so, Thomas was no slouch. He was one of only four pass catchers to finish with more than 1,000 yards on the season in the SEC and he was one of only two pass catchers to record double digit touchdowns, the other of course being his teammate Nabers. In fact Thomas shares many of the same traits as his slightly more polished route runner teammate, but adds a bit more size to the equation. He does exceptionally well on timing routes across the middle of the field, very similar to a former WR that played for the Chiefs in Tyreek Hill. Thomas doesn’t quite have Hill’s speed, but he knows how to run routs and once he gets the ball, his plus size makes him tough to tackle. |
| 26 | JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS Adonai Mitchell | WR | Texas Mitchell led the Longhorns in touchdowns this past season and has the rare combination of size at 6’4″ and 196 lbs. but is also incredibly agile – with excellent hands. Mitchell does a great job going up high for the ball, and he can make corners and safeties miss especially over the middle of the field. Good after the catch runner and has a good long reach with his arms, that makes him adept at going up for contested balls. Mitchell could fill in nicely for the Jags, especially if Jacksonville decides not to resign Calvin Ridley. |
| 27 | DETROIT LIONS Taliese Fuaga | OT | Oregon Sate Fuaga was a massive presence up front this season for Oregon State. He is terrific as a blocker in the run game and is above average in pass protection. The Lions could use some help on defense here, and could go with an EDGE rusher with a little more value, but either way I like this pick. |
| 28 | PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Kinglsey Suamataia | OT | BYU Another big body up front who can move crowds out of the way. Yep sounds like the kind of player that Philly likes to have on their offensive line. Kingsley also has good hands, and his footwork is excellent. If he is still on the board at this juncture, it’s a no brainer as far as I am concerned. |
| 29 | MIAMI DOLPHINS Graham Barton | OT | Duke Miami will probably be looking for line help to better protect Tua, especially with injuries up front to guys like Terron Armstead and Robert Hunt, both of whom have missed significant time this season. I like Barton because he does a great job of setting the edge, plus he can move inside as well. He has good instincts and is quick off his blocks. That should make him an attractive pick here for McDaniels. |
| 30 | DALLAS COWBOYS Kamren Kinchens | S | Miami The Cowboys could go with a defensive tackle here, but if Kinchens is still on the board he might be impossible for the Cowboys to pass up here. This is an excellent value pick for Dallas, as Kinchens has great speed and pursuit and is an excellent tackler in space. The Cowboys don’t need a ton of help on the defensive side, but this is an area where they could add some nice depth. |
| 31 | SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS Jordan Morgan | OT | Arizona I have Morgan with a first round grade mostly on the strengths of his ability to provide good coverage as a pass blocker. Morgan has good range and balance and makes good use of his hands to ward off stunts and double teams. Morgan does ok as a zone run blocker, more assignment dependent than a few other higher graded offensive linemen in the draft, but he is a bit uneven in those interior assignments and has the tendency to sometimes get pushed backwards into the path of the QB. Still though I think he develops well in the right system and Kyle Shanahan’s system is about as perfect as a fit as you will find at the next level. |
| 32 | BALTIMORE RAVENS Kalem King | CB | Penn State Excellent tracking ability once the ball is in the air and has top end athleticism and closes well on the pass catcher. Has a tendency to get beat a bit over the top, so he will need safety help if assigned to a receiver outside of the slot position, but he grades well overall. His instincts normally put him in a good position to be there when the ball is arriving. |
