The no.1 overall pick for the Tennessee Titans was QB Cam Ward, a 22-year-old quarterback who played at the University of Miami last year. He was fourth in Heisman voting and was the ACC player of the year. He finished number one in the combine rankings for QBs.
Strengths: He is great at escaping pressure, has great arm strength, and has a quick release. His weaknesses could be not playing hero ball, being inconsistent with his feet and eyes tying together. He also completed only 39% in the red zone when in college. This is the right pick and will be the future for the Titans.
For the no. 2 pick, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up with the Browns. The Jaguars sent over the No.5 pick this year, No.36 this year, No. 126 this year, and the biggest leverage: next year’s 1st round pick. The Cleveland Browns traded the No.2 pick, No. 104 this year, and No.200 this year.
The Jaguars took the opportunity to draft Travis Hunter WR/CB at number 2. Hunter won the Heisman for college football and the Biletnikoff Award (best WR in college). Hunter plays both sides of the ball like a top 10 pick this year for Colorado, and he is telling every team that he will NOT play football if he doesn’t play both sides of the ball.
Strengths: He improved so much at cornerback over one year, his press coverage is through the roof, and his catching is also unreal. His weaknesses could be getting tired from playing so much; WRs could make him look much smaller with him only weighing 188 lbs, and he needs to make sure he stays balanced while playing cornerback.
The no. 3 pick for the New York Giants was Abdul Carter, an edge. Carter won the Big 10 defensive player of the year at Penn State. He was seen as a top pick this year in the draft, but not top 5 until the end of this year, proving his dominance.
Strengths: Strikes hard and doesn’t let up when attacking, false steps when he is rushing, and his inside spin move can make Pro Bowl tackles look confused. Weaknesses: His “coming-in-hot” could be a fault, making it easier for tackles to read where he goes. Also, his size difference could be a problem too, as 6 ‘7 300-pounders could stop him easier than people think.
The no.4 pick for the New England Patriots was Will Campbell, an OT. Campbell has been dominant these past two years for LSU. Campbell won first team All-American as a lineman and has proven to be NFL-ready when facing big guys.
Strengths: Already has shown he is dominant against edges. He keeps moving his feet no matter what, finishes blocks, and doesn’t give up. Weaknesses: sometimes messes up where he places his hands and could create leverage for edges. He has small arms, and his speed-to-power ratio could put him in the backfield.
The no.5 pick for the Cleveland Browns was Mason Graham, a DT. Graham becomes the first surprise draft pick with the Browns, going to number 5. He won First Team Big Ten and virtually did everything perfectly for the Wolverines: rushing the pass game and stopping the run game.
Strengths: Plays non-stop, does not give up, gets to the blockers fast so they can’t set up right, and has a crazy burst of speed rushing the QB. Weaknesses: His frame is a little odd with stubby arms. He also lacks bull rushing, so the QB does not feel pressure from him pushing back his O-lineman.
The no.6 pick for the Las Vegas Raiders was Ashton Jeanty, RB. Jeanty is thought to be the best RB to come out of college since Saquan Barkley. He is a five-tool type of running back from Boise State that does everything at an elite level. Jeanty came in 2nd in Heisman voting, with a lot of people thinking he should’ve won. He ran for 2,601 yards in ONE season.
Strengths: When he gets into the open field, he rarely gets tackled, trusts the play design no matter the call, has amazing stamina, and keeps playing at a highly intense level. Weaknesses: Maybe needs to slow it down a hair to stay behind blocks, fumble-prone at times, (like in the Penn State playoff game).
The no.7 Pick for the New York Giants was Armand Membou OT. Armand is a tackle that came from Missouri, where he was 2nd team all-SEC. He can work the tackle position and the guard. He has a really good range when blocking a fast and outside-moving edge rusher.
Strengths: His acceleration is stellar, pushing off the ground well with unreal body control. He knows where he is at all times. Weaknesses: His height for being an OT is below the usual NFL standards, and he has to prove he can balance out seeing speed and power rushers.
The no. 8 pick for the Carolina Panthers was Tetairoa Mcmillan, WR. He’s the best true WR in this class and is coming from Arizona. He has a big build, moves fast, creates space, and does not give up on plays. He was First team All Big 12.
Strengths: Knows where the QB is, which means he will adjust to where the QB is scrambling. His size is a huge advantage, and he is going to get a lot of jump balls from Bryce Young. Weaknesses: Doesn’t create a huge threat in the beginning part of his route and could be easy to tackle in the run after catch phase.
The no. 9 pick for the Saints was OL. Kelvin Banks Jr. Banks won 2 of the best trophies for OL: the Lombardi Award (Nation’s top OL) and the Outland Trophy ( Top OL/DL). He is a true grit guy who played his heart out for the Texas Longhorns and will do so in years to come.
Strengths: Plays quickly, did not get beat on the interior in college, and always keeps his feet moving, so he knows where he is at. Weaknesses: Needs to expand his depth so pass rushers don’t get by him wide, and his placement can be sloppy, which can lead to chop blocks, and the rushers get by him.
The No. ten pick for the Chicago Bears was Colston Loveland TE. The Bears made the most surprising draft pick of the night, taking in some people’s eyes, the 2nd best tight end behind Tyler Warren, but that still doesn’t mean Loveland isn’t good. Loveland, (when he had J.J. McCarthy), was first team Big 10 in 2024 and plays the slot super well, mismatching and LBs while still blocking super well when he gets lined up in the TE package.
cStrengths: Can run a route at all three levels, can read the defender’s feet well, and has speed and athleticism that is unmatched at 6’6 248. His blocking could go a long way, as well. Weaknesses: Missed time with an injury, and if he gets an NFL Edge on him, he could get dismantled. Lastly, his jump balls are questionable even with his height.
The No.11 pick for the San Francisco 49ers was Mykel Williams, an EDGE. Williams showed true promise with his last year being a Georgia Bulldog. He was second-team All-SEC. Williams has huge upside with his frame and could be a huge problem.
Strengths: He explodes out of his stance, covers ground well when an RB finds a hole, and has a great change of direction if a QB is moving in the pocket. Weaknesses: Needs to improve his upper body power, rush can become too consistent, and NFL OT’s will pick up on that quickly. If someone has strong hands and gets to him, he does not show that he can get out of that pressure.
The no.12 pick for the Dallas Cowboys was Tyler Booker, OL. Booker is coming off of a dominant season for Alabama. This year, he was first team All-SEC and second team All-SEC in his Junior season. He is a winner for sure.
Strengths: Upper Body strength is through the roof, has a fantastic build, massive hands, and has elite length. Weaknesses: Attacks rushers with his outside hands, could end up as a problem, and average feet speed and bulldog rushers could screw him over.
The no.13 pick for the Miami Dolphins was Kenneth Grant, DT. The 3rd player to come out of Michigan for the top 15, Kenneth was a 2nd team All-Big Ten DT and puts in effort no matter the situation he is in.
Strengths: Frame is immaculate with a broad chest, long arms, and thick lower legs. He can get out of a double team very quickly, can be all around the line, and is very flexible. Weaknesses: Lacks explosiveness, has a poor first step at times, and sometimes has a lower and narrower base that guards can exploit.
The No.14 pick for the Indianapolis Colts was Tyler Warren, TE. Warren was all the experts’ No.1 TE, and it showed in college, could do anything and everything, won the best TE award, as well as grabbing first team All-Big 10. He’s been dominant for Penn State and will be for the Colts as well when they need a TE badly.
Strengths: Tough, athletic, and can’t get tackled because of how big he is. A whole bunch of teams will game plan to stop him. He can do everything on the field and doesn’t need much space to make the hero catch. Weaknesses: Sometimes has the same running pattern, easily read by a good safety, needs work as a blocking TE, and sometimes going for the big vertical catch will be difficult for him.
The no.15 pick for the Atlanta Falcons is Jalon Walker, LB. From where he was drafted, draft analysts had Walker at a 0.03% chance of being at 15, and the Falcons picked up an absolute stud. Walker won the Butkus Award, which is the Nation’s top LB.
Strengths: Great length to get past an OT, has many different moves to change up his pattern, and his rush attack is very athletic and doesn’t need to change things around. Weaknesses: Below average height for a full-time edge rusher, needs to improve his off-ball movement, and needs to make sure his play-side shoulder doesn’t get mauled.
The no.16 pick for the Arizona Cardinals was Walter Nolen, DT. Nolen is a nose tackle who came out of Mississippi. Nolen came out of high school as the number one recruit in 2022 and won first team All-SEC in 2024.
Strengths: His playmaking is impressive, as he knows his body well and controls it over time. He has very active hands over the timing rush. Weaknesses: Below average extension for the NFL, needs to stay engaged in blocks during run plays, and needs to play with his hands on the inside at a consistent pace.
The no.17 pick for the Cincinnati Bengals was Shemar Stewart, EDGE. Stewart went to Texas A&M, had a really good combine grade, and impressed everyone with his freak athleticism and an explosive 4.5940-yard dash.
Strengths: His length and explosiveness are super rare. His speed and power can mix up super well and make tackles confused. He doesn’t give up on a play and will hustle no matter what. Weaknesses: His college stats don’t compare to where he was drafted, allows blockers into his frame, and his hands can get behind his athleticism with his body.
The no.18 pick for the Seattle Seahawks was Grey Zabel, OL. Zabel comes from North Dakota State. Zabel had the number one combine grade for G and has been dominant in the past couple of years, winning the first team Missouri Valley Conference.
Strengths: Very versatile, playing four out of the five positions at OL, quick to realize the incoming traffic, and always works up on the target during combo blocks. Weaknesses: Needs work stabilizing base width in pass sets, grabs more than punches, and short arms could create problems facing lengthy pass rushers.
The no.19 pick for Tampa Bay Buccaneers was Emeka Egbuka, WR. The first WR off the board, comes from Ohio State and was third team All-Big 10, missed three games with an ankle injury, and still had a (quiet) 1000-yard season. Strengths: Former Baseball outfielder and track runner: two of the perfect mixes to track down balls and get to them quickly. He has tight turns to throw off his corners. Weaknesses: Speed is a little slow during the drive phase, and he can lose physical battles against CBs.
The no. 20 pick for the Denver Broncos was Jahdae Barron, CB. He’s the first true CB to come off the board in this year’s draft. Many people thought it would be someone else, (AKA Will Johnson), but he had a knee injury that teams did not know about until later weeks into the draft. But Barron is still amazing, coming off a fresh year at Texas. He won the Jim Thorpe award (Nation’s best DB) and was the Peach Bowl’s defensive MVP.
Strengths: Above average size and strength as a Nickel Corner, Able to redirect WR’s routes within five yards, and swarms the WR after they catch the ball. Weaknesses: Limited exposure in man coverage, could need help on the deep balls, and needs to wrap up on his tackles more.
The no.21 pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers was Derrick Harmon DT. Harmon is a true grit and grind nose tackle that is coming out of Oregon. A lot of people thought this was where the Steelers got their guy at QB with Shedeur Sanders, but people thought wrong. Instead, they get Harmon to fill in a hole in a stacked defensive line.
Strengths: Great blend of size, has a great mix of strength and length to make him tough to block, and he uses a great different mix of moves to fill in the gap. Weaknesses: carries unnecessary weight in the top frame, could cause injury, and footwork becomes static, preventing a good secondary rush.
The no.22 pick for the Los Angeles Chargers was Omarion Hampton, RB. Omarion is an RB that comes out of North Carolina, who is a true grind and grit player. He earned first-team All-ACC this year and totaled 2,033 all-purpose yards.
Strengths: Big frame, but super fast, leads problems getting tackled, has a great burst into open field play as well. Weaknesses: His vision is on the slower side, tough for him to change direction quickly and below average speed to win the wide and turn the corner against edge rushers.
The no. 23 pick for the Green Bay Packers was Matthew Golden WR. The Packers finally did it, as they drafted a WR with their first-round pick. Golden ran the fastest 40-yard dash time this year, running a 4.29 in the combine. He was dominant for Texas this year and will be for the Packers as well.
Strengths: Plays hero ball well, making the big catch during the big game, agile feet, leading for corners to 2nd guess on his routes, and has good alteration during his route, making it super smooth. Weaknesses: With having smooth routes, he can become lazy at times, needs to play stronger during the end of his route, and sometimes has poor hand timing, leading to a drop in the underneath.
The no. 24 pick for the Minnesota Vikings was Donovan Jackson, OL. Jackson, coming out of Ohio State, can play anywhere on the offensive line. He was awarded First Team All-American and is a three-time First Team All-Big Ten.
Strengths: Has really good strength in both the attack and defense stages, excels at pulling rushers, and gets to the second level well. Weaknesses: Hand placements get wild, he can struggle with his big body to move in the passing game, and has a predictable hand placement, which can get worse throughout the game.
The no.25 was the Houston Texans’ pick, but it got traded to the Giants!
The Giant’s took the 25th pick to select Jaxson Dart, QB.The biggest question was who was going to go first: Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart, and the Giants got their guy in Dart. Dart is a winner, having 28 total wins and setting a school record at Ole Miss.
Strengths: Always aggressive no matter the situation, doesn’t let the past bad throw get to him, and has great arm strength. Weaknesses: Accuracy can be questionable, decision making could be risky, making unnecessary mistakes, and he can be too full of himself, always trying to make the deeper throw later in the game.
The no. 26 was the Los Angeles Rams pick, but got traded to the Atlanta Falcons.
Atlanta ended up taking James Pearce Jr, EDGE.
His combine grade was through the roof, and he had one of the best combines for an EDGE. However, his off-field stuff made him drop. Pearce Jr. is coming off back-to-back First Team All-SEC.
Strengths: Unreal explosiveness off the edge, and his counter moves are visible and were good throughout all of college. Lastly, his power is no joke either, balancing it super well with his speed. Weaknesses: His weight can be an issue against big and girthy OT’s, he doesn’t finish well when he disengages from the block, and his frame could be a problem. He also likes to attack high and can be stopped easily.
The No.27 pick for the Baltimore Ravens was Malaki Starks, Safety. Starks was a star for the Georgia Bulldogs, and he looks like he is NFL-ready by the way he looks. He was awarded First Team All-American back-to-back years.
Strengths: Big and thick frame that makes him look NFL-ready, and he wraps up well when making big open-field tackles. Weaknesses: His change of direction can be weak, and at times, he can be heavy-footed when over the top in coverage.
The 28th pick for the Detroit Lions wasTyleik Williams, DL. Williams is a huge body who has produced for Ohio State these past couple of years. He was awarded all Big-10 awards (2nd team in 2023, 3rd team in 2024).
Strengths: Heavy hands to create weird angles for OL, holds his ground super well during attack, and has a lot more upside in run defense. Weaknesses: He needs to upgrade his pass rushing, higher pad level in pass rush, and has a limited vertical and length to get to those passing lanes.
The no.29 pick for the Washington Commanders was Josh Conerly Jr., OT. Conerly, coming out of Oregon, had a dominant season, being awarded First team All-America,and has only allowed two sacks in 1,866 snaps in the past two seasons.
Strengths: His film is amazing, showing he can do everything. He has nice feet, a quickness going into pass blocking, and is very balanced in everything he does. Weaknesses: good but not the best when people are bulldozing, his kickslide can be twitchy in a bad way, and he doesn’t always move people during the run game.
The no.30 pick for the Buffalo Bills was Maxwell Harrington:,CB. Harrington is the second CB to get taken off the board, and he is a true grind and tough player from Kentucky, running the fastest DB 40 in 4.28 seconds. He is also a two-time second-team All-SEC.
Strengths: Great ball skills and knows how to jump on them quickly. He has good exposure to man and zone coverage. Weaknesses: his frame could hurt him in strength off the line, and he also has a 27.3 missed tackle rate in 2024.
The No. 31 pick for the Philadelphia Eagles was Jihaad Campbell, LB Campbell is a big build and tough player from Alabama. In 2024, he was awarded first-team All-SEC and had a 4.52 40-yard dash for an LB, which is special.
Strengths: Outstanding speed/range to get to the ball, and makes the big tackle when needed. Weaknesses: Has to work off the blockers more than he does, and has to trust himself in making the right move in play-action plays.
The no.32 pick for the Kansas City Chiefs was Josh Simmons, OT. The Chiefs did it once again, getting one of the biggest steals in the draft, in my opinion. When he is healthy, I view him as one of the best tackles in the draft. He was so good in six games, and he got awarded third-team All-Big 10.
Strengths: Excellent athleticism and the ability to recover quickly if slightly beaten, exceptional upper body strength with the ability to move and torque defenders. He has experience at the blind side and the feet to get to the spot with ease. Weaknesses: His feet can get him in trouble with not having the best slide step, and the worst part: he is coming off a major knee injury.
Here were the big names going into round 2/3, and where they went:
QB Shedeur Sanders: ???
QB Jalen Milroe: Seattle Seahawks
QB Tyler Shough: New Orleans Saints
WR Luther Burden III: Chicago Bears
WR Jayden Higgins: Houston Texans
WR Kyle Williams: New England Patriots
WR Jaylin Noel: Houston Texans
TE Mason Taylor: New York Jets
TE Elijah Arroyo: Seattle Seahawks
RB TreVeyon Henderson: New England Patriots
RB Quinshon Judkins: Cleveland Browns
DE Mike Green: Baltimore Ravens
DE Donovan Ezeiruaku: Dallas Cowboys
LB Carson Schwesinger: Cleveland Browns
CB Will Johnson: Arizona Cardinals
CB Shavon Revel Jr: Dallas Cowboys
CB Trey Amos: Washington Commanders
S Nick Emmanwori: Seattle Seahawks
Here are the big offensive names going into day 3:
QB Shedeur Sanders
QB Quinn Ewers
QB Will Howard
QB Kyle McCord
QB Riley Leonard
QB Kurtis Rourke
RB Cam Skattebo
RB Trevor Etienne
RB Dylan Sampson
WR Elic Ayomanor
WR Isaiah Bond
WR Tez Johnson
Here are the big defensive names going into day 3:
Edge Jack Sawyer
Edge Bradyn Swinson
Edge Barryn Sorrell
DT Joshua Farmer
DT Deone Walker
LB Danny Stutsman
CB Quincy Riley
S Billy Bowman Jr.
S Dante Trader
