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2025 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Giants Receiving Trade Calls; Team Expected To Stay At No. 3

April 16th, 2025 at 12:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll may well need a solid start to the 2025 season to retain their jobs, after John Mara alluded to losing patience after a 3-14 season. The Giants need a long-term quarterback answer, after Daniel Jones failed on a long runway, but their decision to pass on three first-round QBs last year looms large now.

The Giants are not expected to draft a QB at No. 3, and teams may have New York’s QB situation in mind when making trade calls. Schoen confirmed (via Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano) he has received calls about No. 3 overall. Pointing to the Giants staying at 3, Schoen said the team likes who will be there by that point in the draft.

[RELATED: Tension Growing Between Schoen, Daboll?]

Expected to have either Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter on the board at that spot, the Giants are almost certain to take whichever player the Browns do not. This scenario involves the Titans making their long-rumored Cam Ward pick at No. 1. The Giants would need to be creative if they added Carter, as the team already rosters Brian Burns‘ upper-market contract and former No. 5 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. While the Giants have a history of adding edge players when the area was already deep (via the Mathias Kiwanuka and Jason Pierre-Paul picks), neither player was chosen near the juncture Carter would be; Kiwanuka went 32nd in 2006, JPP 15th in ’10.

This situation has likely come up in trade calls, too, as the Giants could auction the pick for teams eyeing Carter — if the Browns take Hunter. Schoen would not hesitate on Carter, despite the presences of lofty EDGE investments, and he would not stand in the way of Hunter playing both ways.

The Giants have straddled the line on Hunter’s best position, initially viewing him as a better cornerback before also being open to the Heisman winner at receiver. Schoen said (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) the team would let Hunter play both ways, as he has “proven he can do it.” This would be an extraordinary step in the modern game. Schoen would presumably want Hunter to concentrate on one position while mixing in elsewhere, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan adds, noting CB would likely be the team’s first choice. Schoen added the team “likes” its secondary already.

One of these players heading to the Big Apple would ramp up the pressure for the team to tab a long-term QB soon after, though Schoen at least paid lip service to the Giants’ Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston signings not mandating (via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan) the team draft another option. Tommy DeVito remains on the team as well.

That said, the Giants have again done extensive QB work. The effort will conclude this week with Shedeur Sanders, Jalen Milroe and Tyler Shough workouts. These will all come after the team conducted “30” visits with these passers. Jaxson Dart would also loom as a potential option in a scenario featuring a trade back into Round 1. Dart is not expected to be on the board when the Giants’ second-round pick (No. 34) goes on the clock. Both Dart and Sanders bring murky draft statuses, though, complicating a path that will begin with Hunter or Carter going at No. 3.

“If the value matches up with what we have on a player. (But) I’m not going to force it if it’s not the right value,” Schoen said (via Vacchiano). “If the board lines up when we’re on the clock, we’ll go with it. I’m not going to be backed into a corner on that.”

While it would surprise if the Giants left this draft without a quarterback, the team could technically field a Wilson-Winston-DeVito depth chart. That would not qualify as one of the NFL’s better QB trios, but it is an option if Schoen and Co. want to load up on position players to strengthen the roster around Wilson.

The team does want to come out of this draft with a quarterback, Vacchiano adds, but it does not love the class enough to mandate such a move. Although the Giants hold Ward in high regard, their late-season upset over the Colts scuttled that route.

Mara will not travel to Boulder, Schoen added, for Sanders’ workout. We heard recently that an owner becoming involved may be a way for Sanders to come off the board in Round 1. With Schoen not assured of being back in 2026, Mara’s voice may be important early in this draft. The Giants made a rather notable trade-up for a quarterback 21 years ago, agreeing to the post-selection swap for Eli Manning. Any move in this draft would not approach that decision’s stature, but the Giants would face franchise-defining questions at the position if they left this draft without a post-2025 plan at the position.

AFC East Notes: Campbell, Milton, Jets, Bills

April 16th, 2025 at 11:31am CST by Sam Robinson

Likely holding the right of first refusal with this draft’s tackle class, the Patriots continue to be tied to LSU’s Will Campbell. Pats-Campbell connections have persisted for an extended stretch, as the team’s free agency activity brought in many high-profile options but did not produce a left tackle addition. While Morgan Moses is coming into play right tackle, a rookie is likely to join him. As of now, Campbell appears the frontrunner. The Patriots are believed to prefer Campbell at No. 4, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline notes. Although Pauline adds considerable in-house support for Missouri’s Armand Membou exists, he may need to wait a bit longer to hear his name called. The Pats have been high on Campbell for a while, as arm-length concerns appear to have been overblown, and Mike Vrabel pointed to the draft as a good way the team can address its LT issue. Vrabel added (via the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed) he believes LT starters are in this draft.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • The Pats unloaded popular reserve QB Joe Milton in a trade, dealing him to the Cowboys for a fifth-round pick. This represented a net gain for New England, which drafted Milton in last year’s sixth round. Vrabel pointed to a lack of reps being available behind Drake Maye and UFA pickup Josh Dobbs as the main reason for Milton’s early exit. “Well, we felt like that his reps were going to be decreased as we worked through the offseason,” Vrabel said (via Kyed). “And we felt like just like every other decision, we’re going to try to do what’s best for the team, and that’s the decision that we ultimately made. And so, excited to move forward with Drake and Josh.” Three years remain on Milton’s rookie contract.
  • The Jets signed Josh Reynolds and worked out a pay-cut agreement with Allen Lazard. This makes the team unlikely to also add one of the 30-something wide receivers still in free agency, per ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. Amari Cooper, Keenan Allen and Tyler Lockett remain unsigned. The trio may need to wait until the post-draft deadline pertaining to the 2026 compensatory formula to find homes, as the draft will also provide clarity regarding teams’ receiver needs.
  • Staying with the Jets, Cimini noted in a previous piece Rick Spielman‘s presence in the team’s GM hiring process, one that ended with Darren Mougey landing the job, did not sit well with some of the candidates who interviewed. Although Mougey had not previously worked with Spielman, Mougey’s former boss — Broncos GM George Paton — was Spielman’s assistant GM in Minnesota. Paton gave Mougey a strong endorsement to ex-boss, according to Cimini, and some who lost out on the job connected the dots. Familiarity often leads to hirings at the executive or coaching level, though it is interesting Spielman — who had been out of the NFL until the Jets added him to lead the HC/GM hiring process — is staying on to help Mougey in a full-time role. It is worth wondering if all the candidates interviewed would have kept Spielman on.
  • Holding 10 picks, the Bills profile as a team who could move up in the draft. One scout informed ESPN.com’s Matt Miller a Buffalo move up for an impact first-round defender is a scenario to monitor. Cornerback represents a spot to follow regarding the Bills’ first-round pick, ESPN.com’s Field Yates adds. Buffalo has not re-signed Rasul Douglas, and Dane Jackson does not profile as a surefire starter opposite the recently extended Christian Benford.
  • The Bills used a “30” visit on Texas A&M defensive end Nic Scourton, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. Our Ely Allen profiled Scourton recently, and a few teams have met with the ex-Aggies regular. The Bills added Michael Hoecht and Joey Bosa in free agency and still roster A.J. Epenesa; Bosa and Epenesa, however, are on expiring contracts.

Tyler Shough Gaining Steam; Latest On Giants, Saints’ QB Plans

April 16th, 2025 at 10:51am CST by Sam Robinson

APRIL 16: After their Thursday Sanders workout, Giants brass will head to Tuscaloosa and Louisville this weekend. The team will conduct its Milroe workout Friday, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, and go through its Shough session Saturday. Forming a potential path that includes a Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter selection at No. 3 before circling back to a quarterback, the team will meet with each prospect at dinner prior to the meetings.

APRIL 15: While likely the recipient of a few Tommy Boy references regarding his college duration, Tyler Shough has managed to become an intriguing prospect despite his three-school college odyssey spanning seven years. Shough’s stock may now be rising to the point where a first-round pick is not out of the question.

Not entering the pre-draft process on this level, Shough certainly appears to have gained steam as the journey nears its conclusion. Meeting with a few teams, Shough has seen multiple clubs label him this draft’s top QB prospect, according to NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini also indicated (via her Scoop City podcast) one coach told her Shough is this draft’s best quarterback.

Mentioning first-round buzz in connection with Shough, Russini adds Shough’s name is coming up in NFL circles far more than he was a few weeks ago. The former Oregon, Texas Tech and Louisville arm will be one of this draft’s most interesting players, and he enters the NFL as part of a draft crop that features a muddled QB race behind likely No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. It would still surprise if Shough heard his name called before Shedeur Sanders, but he may be making inroads toward the Sanders-Jaxson Dart tier.

At 25, Shough would be an atypical first-round pick. Although Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix and Bo Nix all played age-24 seasons as rookies, Shough bridges the gap between this trio and the unusual Brandon Weeden/Chris Weinke NFL entrances. A 2012 Browns first-rounder, Weeden was 28 as a rookie due to a minor league baseball past. A Florida State national championship game starter, Weinke turned 29 before his rookie season. The age issue helped drop the ex-Seminoles standout to the fourth round. Shough’s profile veers closer to Weeden’s; Shough will turn 26 in September, undoubtedly creating an issue for teams eyeing a long-term quarterback solution.

This draft does not feature the depth and upside last year’s crop brought, and teams will need to weigh an investment now against waiting until 2026. Shough has met with the Browns, Saints and Seahawks, and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds the Giants will work out the 2024 Louisville starter this week.

New York, which already used one of its “30” visits on Shough, is already preparing to work out Sanders this week as well. While the Giants are now viewed as unlikely to draft a quarterback at No. 3 overall, the prospect of the team trading back up for one should be considered in play — especially with Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll on hot seats. Schoen attended Shough’s pro day last month.

The Giants hold the No. 34 overall pick as well, and NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill notes the Saints may not see Shough on the board by the time their No. 40 overall pick arrives. Shough stands to be one of the players teams consider moving up for, and a move into the first round would give a team a fifth-year option on him. Shough’s age would make that prospect a bit more interesting, as he would be 30 for said fifth-year option season. QBs rarely reach their option year, though, and a second contract would cover Shough’s early 30s. A team may not have Shough for quite as long, but were he a true starter-caliber option, it would check a rather important box for many years.

The Saints have been tied to both Dart and Texas’ Quinn Ewers, as links to potential second- or third-round passers persist, and Russini adds the team is “on a mission” to leave this draft with a quarterback. Considering Derek Carr‘s now-uncertain status — due to a potential shoulder surgery stemming from a 2023 injury — there will be pressure on the Saints to have another answer.

Shough accompanies Ward as the most pro-ready options in this draft, longtime NFL QB2-turned-Russini cohost Chase Daniel offers. At No. 9 overall, New Orleans may well have all this year’s QB prospects except Ward on the board. That juncture appears early for Shough, but a trade-up may from No. 40 may be necessary to acquire the well-traveled passer. Though, other options figure to be available at 40, should Mickey Loomis and Co. stay put and hope to address this need there.

New Orleans will send a sizable contingent to Athens, Ga., for the Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams workout Thursday, Duncan adds. Both Georgia defenders would be options for the Saints at No. 9.

The Giants will be in the same boat as the Saints if they go elsewhere in Round 1, but New York does hold an extra third-round pick if a QB-motivated trade-up is to be strongly considered. The team’s previously reported Jalen Milroe workout will happen this week (per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport), and Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano adds Syracuse’s Kyle McCord — an Ohio State transfer — visited the Giants today. McCord would be a Day 2 option at best for the Giants, who have placeholders Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston as midlevel insurance.

Broncos, Steelers Schedule TreVeyon Henderson Visits; Latest On Omarion Hampton

April 16th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Sam Robinson

As “30” visit season wraps Wednesday, the topic of where the draft’s top running backs will go resurfaces. Ashton Jeanty is viewed as this class’ top option, and a top-10 landing spot remains squarely in play for the 2024 Heisman runner-up. But the 2025 RB crop includes a host of options who could become early-season starters.

Ohio State rostered two of them, in 1,000-1,000 duo Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, while Iowa (Kaleb Johnson) and North Carolina (Omarion Hampton) are sending two more to the draft. Hampton is viewed by most as the draft’s second-best RB option, but Henderson is a player that has gained steam since a 1,000-yard bounce-back effort after he decided to stay in school for his senior season. His combination of pass-game ability and pass protection has attracted teams, creating some late-first-round buzz.

A few teams already brought in the four-year Buckeyes contributor, but the Broncos and Steelers will beat the buzzer with meetings as well. Henderson met with the Steelers on Tuesday and is in Denver today, 9News’ Mike Klis tweets. The Steelers lost Najee Harris in free agency, while the Broncos did not bring back four-year regular Javonte Williams.

Denver is all but certain to draft a running back, while Pittsburgh has a recent history (Harris) of using a first-rounder on the position. While the Broncos have not taken a back in Round 1 since Knowshon Moreno in 2009, Sean Payton did so twice (Reggie Bush, Mark Ingram) with the Saints. Denver’s Jaleel McLaughlin–Audric Estime combo points to at worst a mid-round draft choice being en route; many mocks have the Broncos diving in earlier. The Steelers signed Kenneth Gainwell to pair with Jaylen Warren, the recipient of a second-round RFA tender. A quarterback at No. 21 may be the Steelers’ play, but they also would make sense as a team in the early-round RB mix.

Two others have emerged in connection to Hampton, who is expected to go off the board before Henderson. The Broncos are coming up around the league as a team that could draft Hampton, per Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline, who adds the Chargers and Texans are viewed as candidates to add the latest Tar Heels RB standout. Hampton is considered a first-round lock, per Pauline. The two-time college 1,000-yard rusher’s 4.46-second 40-yard time at the Combine may have solidified this status.

The Steelers also met with Hampton, joining the Cowboys, Giants and Bears. The latter trio holds picks in front of the Steelers, who sit at No. 21. So do the Broncos (No. 20), who also outflank the Chargers (22) and Texans (25). Hampton ripped off 1,504- and 1,660-yard rushing seasons in 2023 and ’24. He added 373 receiving yards (9.8 per catch) last season, upping his draft stock.

The Broncos turned to Chapel Hill to fill an RB need in the 2021 second round, taking Williams in GM George Paton‘s first draft. Payton is now the lead decision-maker in Denver, but the fifth-year GM still holds considerable say after staving off firing rumors during a bleak period headlined by the Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett misses. The team also used “30” visits on Johnson and Judkins.

Connected to Saquon Barkley last year, Los Angeles and Houston have RB starters — in Harris and Joe Mixon — but could use younger talent to supplement the vets at the very least. Mixon has 1,816 carries on his odometer, while Harris accumulating 1,097 as a between-the-tackles grinder in Pittsburgh undoubtedly impacted his free agent stock.

First-Round Grades Elusive On Shedeur Sanders; QB Unlikely To Go In Top 10?

April 15th, 2025 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants are still doing due diligence on Shedeur Sanders, being set to conduct a private workout with the Colorado star in Boulder on Thursday. But it is undeniable that Sanders’ stock has slipped during the pre-draft process.

No longer being mocked consistently in the top three, despite the Browns and Giants‘ QB needs, Sanders now may need to be patient. The Browns and Giants are not expected to draft him, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer, who notes it could be a surprise if the Raiders, Jets and Saints (Nos. 6, 7 and 9, respectively) prevented him from falling out of the top 10.

This runs counter to a late-March report indicating Sanders was unlikely to fall out of the top 10, but the consensus appears to be changing. We heard recently a New Orleans landing may not be too likely, though that report emerged before Derek Carr‘s prospective surgery became public. Sanders and Travis Hunter dined with Browns brass before Colorado’s pro day, but Cleveland has been viewed as more likely to draft the two-way dynamo at No. 2. This would leave Abdul Carter for the Giants, even as the team rosters Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux already.

Coaches and scouts are not seeing enough to justify an early-first-round pick on tape, Breer adds, with many not grading him as a first-round talent. Although Sanders’ accuracy has drawn praise, his penchant for taking sacks offers a negation. The two-year Buffaloes starter also has not displayed high-end arm strength on tape, and despite his father being one of the greatest players in NFL history, Shedeur is not viewed as particularly athletic. That has created concerns about a QB-needy team making him its new franchise centerpiece via a top-10 investment.

Potential concerns about Deion Sanders’ involvement in his son’s career are natural for teams, but Breer and Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline have attempted to explain NFL staffers’ issues with the quarterback from a strictly on-field standpoint. Despite Shedeur’s 37:10 TD-INT ratio last season, he finished with negative rushing yards — due both to taking sacks and not contributing heavily as a rusher. Sanders’ fundamentals are drawing scrutiny, per Pauline, though he adds the QB’s toughness has garnered praise.

We have heard some teams have Jaxson Dart graded higher than Sanders on this year’s board, and Breer adds it might take owner involvement to ensure Sanders becomes a first-round pick. The 2022 draft brought what was viewed at the time as a significant slide, with Malik Willis dropping from likely first-round pick to 86th overall. It would still be shocking if Sanders experienced a comparable tumble as part of the latest maligned QB class, but a top-10 investment now may be unlikely. That will create major questions as to where Sanders will wind up.

Holding the No. 21 overall pick, the Steelers have hosted Sanders on a “30” visit. Of course, a host of non-QB-needy teams picking between the Saints and Raiders opens the door to a potential trade-up move. The Browns and Giants could have a window to move back in, though if the teams do not hold Sanders in much higher regard compared to this draft’s other second-tier QBs (Dart, Quinn Ewers, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe), waiting on them may be the play rather than handing over notable draft capital in a Sanders-based trade. Plenty of Giants-Sanders connections emerged during the pre-draft process, but a year after Big Blue was tied closely to J.J. McCarthy only to pass on him, some are doubting the Giants like Sanders all that much.

Unless Cleveland and New York are conducting elaborate smokescreens, Sanders likely will be in for a wait next week. This would open the door to teams like the Raiders and Jets adding Sanders as a high-end developmental option behind established starters. Beyond that, this draft will become quite interesting at QB after the Titans take Cam Ward — as they are widely expected to — to open the event.

Combine Meeting, Workouts Sold Titans On QB Cam Ward

April 15th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Ely Allen

There’s plenty to like about projected No. 1 overall 2025 NFL Draft pick Cam Ward. The Hurricanes quarterback led the NCAA in passing touchdowns with 39 while only tossing seven picks and finished second in passing yards with 4,313. His effortless, no-panic playing style and ability to turn disaster plays into big gains is enough to draw the eye of any NFL scout. According to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, though, it was the pre-draft process that sold the Titans on the Miami passer.

Following a rough, 3-14 2024 campaign, head coach Brian Callahan made it known that competition was likely on the way for incumbent starter Will Levis. The team sent staff to the Senior Bowl, where Shedeur Sanders was doing meetings while Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough competed at practice. They even came away from the event thinking Sanders would be a great fit for Callahan’s system.

Then came the NFL Scouting Combine, at which NFL prospects are given 18 minutes to converse with NFL teams for an initial meeting. Ward’s initial meeting in Indianapolis with the team went so well that Tennessee quickly made sure to schedule him for a top-30 visit, which they would also do with Sanders, Travis Hunter, and Abdul Carter. The Titans made sure to bring the quarterbacks in before the start of free agency, so they could be well-informed on their plan of attack.

Ward made his way out to Nashville on March 7, five days before the opening of free agency. Per McCormick, Ward “wowed them…with his confident alpha personality…his astute knowledge of the game and his detailed understanding of the QB position.” In his first opportunity to spend significant time with the team picking first overall in late-April and talk in depth about football, Ward seemingly “knocked it out of the park.”

All the while, the quarterback dominos were falling in free agency as Tennessee never really fully committed to pursuing a veteran quarterback market that contained two former Callahan quarterbacks — Matthew Stafford and Derek Carr. Kirk Cousins stayed put in Atlanta, and all of the sudden, the only options left were players like Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson, and that felt unappealing to the Titans staff. Still, the team was attracted to the idea of signing a passer like Darnold then being able to add a premier talent like Carter or Hunter at No. 1 overall.

This was the thought process Tennessee brought into Coral Gables as they attended Miami’s pro day on March 24. They sent not only coaches and evaluators but also their team beat writer and video staff to dictate and capture every interaction, including a dinner with the team the night before. Ward followed up being wined and dined with a pro day that showed him make just about every pass necessary for the position, exhibiting himself as a natural thrower of the ball. To quote Ward himself, his performance seemed to “solidify” the Titans decision.

Five days later, Ward participated in a private workout with much of the same team brass. This meeting also saw team owner Amy Adams Strunk appear to meet Ward in person. According to McCormick, the events of that private workout validated to those in attendance “who Ward is as a person and a quarterback,” and it seems that person is the future No. 1 overall pick.

Lots can certainly happen in just over a week, but Ward-to-Nashville seems to be one of the NFL draft’s worst kept secrets. We’ll find out next Thursday if Ward is, indeed, the future of the quarterback position in Tennessee.

Travis Hunter: Teams Open To Two-Way Role

April 15th, 2025 at 11:57am CST by Adam La Rose

One of the top storylines in the 2025 draft remains Travis Hunter‘s landing spot and the way in which he will be used at the NFL level. The Heisman winner has remained insistent, to no surprise, that he aims to continue playing at both receiver and cornerback as a pro.

During the pre-draft process, a key talking point for teams near the top of the first-round order has been the matter of where Hunter should play (at least, primarily) in the NFL. Opinions have been split along the way, and that remains the case to this day. In his most recent comments on the matter, Hunter doubled down on his goal of playing both ways.

In an interview with CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell, the Chuck Bednarik and Fred Biletnikoff winner (awarded respectively to the top defender and receiver in the country) said the concept of playing on offense and defense in the NFL has not been an issue for the teams he has spoken with. That will need to remain the case once Hunter is drafted, given his added comments that he would consider not suiting up if a team attempted to only use him at one position.

“It’s never playing football again,” Hunter said of his reaction in that hypothetical situation. “Because I’ve been doing it my whole life, and I love being on the football field. I feel like I could dominate on each side of the ball, so I really enjoy doing it.”

During Colorado’s Pro Day, Hunter – who did not participate in drills at the Combine, like many other top prospects – worked exclusively as a receiver. He is nevertheless seen in some circles as a cornerback, and how teams plan to use him will remain a key factor in determining his destination. The Browns (set to select second overall) and Giants (third) loom as his likeliest landing spots.

To no surprise, Hunter is among the prospects who will be in attendance for the first round of the draft. He will not need to wait long to hear his name called, but intrigue over his workload will persist throughout the build-up to his rookie campaign.

Giants Schedule Shedeur Sanders Workout

April 14th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

The Giants’ third-overall pick continues to represent one of the most fascinating story lines in this year’s draft. While recent reports have suggested that the organization may skip the QB position and opt for Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter, that won’t stop the organization from taking a longer look at one of the draft’s top signal callers.

[RELATED: Giants Could Aim To Land Both Colorado Stars]

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Giants plan to work out Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders privately on Thursday. The workout will take place in Boulder, Colorado.

This isn’t the first time the Giants have signaled some interest in Sanders. Coach Brian Daboll and a large contingent of other Giants decision makers attended the QB’s pro day earlier this month. While that obviously coincided with Hunter’s pro day, the event was truly an extended showcase for the signal caller. Further, as Pelissero notes, the Giants scouted Sanders “extensively” in games and practices over the past year.

There was even a report last week that the Giants could get creative and pursue both Colorado stars. However, subsequent rumblings indicated that the Giants weren’t necessarily as high on Sanders, and there was a bit of skepticism surrounding the team’s QB pursuit following the addition of Russell Wilson.

Cam Ward is all but guaranteed to go first-overall to the Titans, and despite the Browns’ (No. 2) and Giants’ (No. 3) potential need for a quarterback, there’s been talk of Sanders potentially falling down the draft board. While this year’s draft lacks top-end talent, there isn’t a long list of teams that are desperate for first-round QB prospects. That’s opened the door to a potential draft-day disappointment for Sanders.

Ryan Dunleavy of New York Post has expressed some doubt surrounding Sanders’ declining draft stock, noting that it’s “premature.” Dunleavy also says the Colorado product has “always” been in the conversation for the No. 3 pick, and while he may not necessarily be the favorite, the team hasn’t made any definitive decisions.

Of course, the Giants’ workout with Sanders later this week could simply be due diligence, as the team doesn’t have anything to lose by getting one last look at the quarterback. Dianna Russini of The Athletic seems to echo this sentiment, noting that the Giants plan to take a long look at all of the draft’s QB prospects. On the flip side, the Giants surely wouldn’t be putting in this type of effort if they weren’t at least considering Sanders with the third-overall pick.

NFL Announces 17 Prospects Attending NFL Draft

April 14th, 2025 at 6:30pm CST by Ben Levine

There will be 17 draft prospects waiting in the green room to hear their name announced next week. The NFL announced the players who will attend the first round next Thursday night in Green Bay:

When players commit to attending the first round of the draft, their respective camps have often been given some kind of assurance that they’ll be selected within the top-32 picks. Of course, that’s not a prerequisite, and as we’ve seen many times, there are some overly-confident prospects who subsequently endure the very-public waiting game.

Per usual, the most notable inclusions surround the QB position. Cam Ward is the favorite to go first-overall, and Shedeur Sanders (who is absent from this list) is also expected to be selected at some point in the first round. After that, the position is pretty uncertain, and that could lead to some awkward moments for the other QBs who decided to attend.

Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe have firmly established themselves in that next tier of QB prospects, and recent reports have indicated that they should be at least Day 2 picks. There haven’t been any definitive reports about their Day 1 candidacy, and while we shouldn’t read too much into the list of attendees, it is notable that both prospects believe they have a shot of going in the top-32 selections.

RBs Omarion Hampton, Kaleb Johnson To Visit Bears

April 14th, 2025 at 3:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears were recently reported to be among the teams which view Ashton Jeanty in high regard. The Heisman runner-up is thus a prospect to watch in the event he slides to No. 10 in the first-round order, but Chicago is also showing interest in other running backs.

Omarion Hampton is set to visit Chicago today, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports. In addition, a pre-draft visit has been lined up with Kaleb Johnson, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Hampton is considered by many to be a first-round prospect, as Schultz confirms, while Johnson is one of several Day 2 candidates at the position.

2024 marked the first season with D’Andre Swift handling lead back duties for Chicago. He notched a new career high in scrimmage yards (1,345) while logging a full campaign for the first time in his career. Two seasons remain on the 26-year-old’s contract, and his base salary for 2025 ($7.39MM) is guaranteed in full. Swift will be counted on to handle RB1 duties for at least one more year as a result, but a rookie could be joining him in the backfield soon.

Hampton has already met with the Cowboys, Steelers and Giants – teams which are spread across the first-round order. While Jeanty is expected to hear his name called early on the draft’s opening night (perhaps by the Raiders at No. 6), a longer wait could be in store for Hampton. The North Carolina product’s stock is still high, but it remains to be seen if he will wind up being a top-20 pick. The Bears would represent a more suitable landing spot in the event of a trade down the order.

Johnson starred during his three-year run at Iowa, earning several accolades along the way. The junior was the Big Ten’s top running back in 2024, and he was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award (given to the best RB in the country). He could very well be the third running back in this year’s draft as a result. The No. 45 prospect on Daniel Jeremiah’s big board, Johnson could be an option for Chicago in the second round. The team owns the 39th and 41st selections as things stand.

Adding along both sides of the line of scrimmage has been a priority this offseason for the Bears, and defensive tackle is viewed as a key remaining need in the lead-in to the draft. Chicago will have plenty of options to choose from at that position throughout the draft, but the team’s work at the top of the running back board makes a move at that spot something to watch for.

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