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2025 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Texans Attempted To Trade Up For WR Emeka Egbuka; Rams Showed Interest?

May 1st, 2025 at 4:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

As we come out of the draft, the annual tradition of what-ifs regarding high-value investments persists. The Falcons probably would not have traded a 2026 first-round pick had Jalon Walker been off the board (as the team expected) by No. 15, while the Cowboys had Tetairoa McMillan in their sights — before a Panthers move for the WR preceded Dallas not selecting a wideout at all last weekend.

The Broncos also eyed a trade-down move for TreVeyon Henderson; instead, they stood pat and circled back to their running back need at No. 60 (R.J. Harvey). Henderson saw four of his Buckeyes teammates go in Round 1. While Donovan Jackson (Vikings), Tyleik Williams (Lions) and Josh Simmons (Chiefs) came off the board during the second part of the round, Emeka Egbuka looks to have drawn the most interest.

Prior to the Buccaneers drafting Egbuka at No. 19, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes the Texans (No. 25) were believed to have made a trade-up effort to land him. An accomplished Buckeyes receiver who profiled as a slot option, Egbuka landed in Tampa despite the Buccaneers already carrying an apparent surplus at the position. The Bucs moving Egbuka off the board at 19 looks to have stopped the trade calls, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero said during a Dan Patrick Show appearance.

The Rams (No. 26) also were believed to be eyeing Egbuka, per Pelissero, who corroborates Breer’s account on the Texans’ interest. Both the Texans and Rams, who had been calling teams in front of them before the Bucs’ surprise WR move, then traded out of the first round.

Houston lost Tank Dell to a second major injury — this one potentially threatening to sideline him for much of the 2025 season — and a visibly distraught C.J. Stroud looked on as an ambulance transported Dell out of Arrowhead Stadium. The Texans then let Stefon Diggs defect to the Patriots in free agency, after seeing the veteran tear an ACL near the midseason point. Although receiver reinforcements came later in the draft, the Texans attempted to reunite Stroud with one of his college weapons.

Egbuka stayed at Ohio State for four years, moving past 2004 first-rounder Michael Jenkins to become the Buckeyes’ career receiving leader (2,868 yards). A four-year career and an extended season boosted Egbuka’s chances to reach No. 1 on that list, but he entered the draft as one of this year’s safest prospects. The Bucs concurred, as GM Jason Licht said during a Rich Eisen Show appearance (h/t JoeBucsfan.com) Egbuka carried a top-10 grade on the team’s board.

The Bucs drafted Egbuka despite using a third-round pick on Jalen McMillan and continuing to re-sign Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. The latter turned down bigger offers elsewhere — one almost definitely from the Patriots — to sign a three-year, $66MM Bucs deal. Evans is in a contract year once again, but for 2025 at least, Tampa Bay is quite deep at receiver thanks to Egbuka’s arrival.

Stroud’s Buckeyes career overlapped with Egbuka from 2021-22. Although Egbuka shifted to a Marvin Harrison Jr. sidekick (after playing alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson in 2021), his career-best 1,151-yard receiving total came with Stroud at the controls in ’22. The Texans later targeted Iowa State’s receiving corps to stock theirs, adding Jayden Higgins in Round 2 and Jaylin Noel in Round 3. That Cyclones duo will join Nico Collins, Christian Kirk and John Metchie in Houston.

The Rams did not draft a receiver until Round 7 (Pitt’s Konata Mumpfield), but they did see Puka Nacua miss a chunk of last season. That said, Los Angeles both re-signed Tutu Atwell (on a one-year deal) and added Davante Adams. The latter’s contract also includes an out after Year 1, keeping another WR addition on the L.A. radar.

Colts Notes: Warren, Leonard, Carlies, Wohler

April 30th, 2025 at 10:52pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Colts general manager Chris Ballard has established an affinity for trading back in the draft, particularly in the second round.

He moved back in the second round in the last three drafts, adding extra picks to select Bernhard Raimann and Andrew Ogletree in 2022, Adetomiwa Adebawore in 2023, and Anthony Gould in 2024.

This year, however, the Colts declined multiple opportunities to trade back in the first two days of the draft, per Joel Erickson of The Indianapolis Star.

“We were really convicted about who was on the board at the time,” said Ballard, explaining that the team felt they’d be risking a significant drop in talent by moving back. The Colts were enamored with their targets across the first three rounds, selecting Penn State tight end Tyler Warren at No. 14, Ohio State defensive end JT Tuimuoloau at No. 45, and Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley at No. 80.

Indianapolis later traded their fourth-round pick, moving back 10 slots to pick up an extra sixth-rounder that was used on Alabama defensive tackle Tim Smith.

Saints’ Derek Carr Provides Update On Shoulder Injury

April 30th, 2025 at 7:04pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Saints quarterback Derek Carr confirmed that he was dealing with a shoulder injury during a guest sermon at Church LV in Las Vegas last weekend, according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell.

“I have an MRI report to prove it,” said Carr. “The team knows about it, we’ve been in constant communication.” 

He also criticized media speculation about his injury and his absence in New Orleans as the Saints began offseason workouts, revealing that his wife was dealing with a serious health issue that delayed their return to the Big Easy. Carr did not provide any more details regarding the specific nature of his injury or his timeline to return.

Carr’s brother, former NFL quarterback David Carr, offered some more clarity in an appearance on NFL Network. He explained that the injury is believed to have occurred during the Saints’ Week 14 matchup with the Giants last December. Derek Carr also broke his wrist and suffered a concussion in that game, his last of the season. After his wrist healed, he realized his shoulder was still hurt and began to evaluate his options for the future.

Surgery is a possibility, which could threaten Carr’s availability for the 2025 season. He would prefer to focus on rehab with the goal of playing as soon as possible. The 34-year-old quarterback is seeking more opinions and consulting with the team on how best to move forward.

The Saints’ decision to draft Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough last weekend looms larger in the light of Carr’s injury update, especially with the information that the team is fully aware of his shoulder injury. New Orleans believes that Shough was the most pro-ready QB in the draft, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, which may have been an especially strong motivator with the potential for Carr to miss time this year.

General manager Mickey Loomis said that there would be a “competition” when asked about Shough’s role, but indicated that Carr would remain the starter when healthy. If he’s still out to start the year, Shough could take over as starter and make it hard for the Saints to go back to Carr once he’s ready to return. That might be why Carr would prefer to rehab his shoulder and attempt to play as soon as possible; if not, he could find himself out of a job.

Panthers’ View Of OLB Depth Impacted Tetairoa McMillan Pick

April 30th, 2025 at 3:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Panthers have now made three first- or second-round wide receiver picks in three years, bringing in Jonathan Mingo, Xavier Legette and Tetairoa McMillan. Although McMillan’s arrival can be viewed as a sign of early concern regarding Legette, Bryce Young made a push to have the Arizona WR prospect routed to Charlotte.

Young’s endorsement notwithstanding, the Panthers passed on improving their league-worst defense at No. 8. They circled back to their glaring outside linebacker need by using both their Day 2 picks (Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen) on the position, with these picks coming after the team shopped Jadeveon Clowney before the draft. The McMillan pick also emerged due to Carolina brass’ view of the draft depth at wide receiver and edge rushers.

Carolina believed this class featured better Day 2 options on the edge compared to wide receiver, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer. This led to the team filling its WR need early while betting it could land edge players soon after. The Panthers did pass on Jalon Walker, whom Breer adds the team had graded highly, to select McMillan. Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen also checked in high on the Panthers’ board, per Breer. Those defenders went 15th and 16th, respectively.

Given the Panthers’ modest approach to replacing Brian Burns last year, passing on Walker is risky. Carolina ranked last in points and yards allowed in 2024, despite its three-win improvement from a dismal 2023, and HC interest in Ejiro Evero — a 2023 and ’24 storyline — dimmed. The Panthers lost their 2025 second-round pick (No. 39), the final asset conveyed in the Young trade, but had picked up No. 57 from the Rams (via the 2024 Braden Fiske swap). The team traded up to Denver’s No. 51 spot for Scourton, who drew some late-first-round buzz. They then traded up (via the Patriots) to No. 77 for Umanmielen. The team will hope the former Texas A&M and Purdue edge rusher can hit the ground running, as Clowney may not be around as a veteran presence.

The Panthers have spoken with multiple teams on Clowney, and GM Dan Morgan did not confirm his roster spot. If Clowney is to return, The Athletic’s Joe Person notes his workload will be reduced. Clowney played 57% of the Ravens’ defensive snaps in 2023 but 64% of the Panthers’ last season. He finished with 5.5 sacks and four pass deflections — both numbers down from 2023. Clowney, 32, did match his Baltimore TFL number (nine) in his first Carolina season. If the former No. 1 overall pick is to return, he will be viewed as a bridge player while the rookies develop alongside free agency addition Patrick Jones. Clowney entering the season as a Panther also would make him a fairly obvious deadline chip.

As for the Panthers’ McMillan move, it came as the 49ers and Packers joined the Rams in showing interest. The Cowboys also appeared ready to take McMillan at No. 12. The 49ers joined the Rams in attempting to trade up with the Panthers, Breer adds.

Passing on a rumored trade-down maneuver, Carolina had shown increased interest in McMillan as the pre-draft process progressed. A late Zoom meeting with WRs coach Rob Moore helped seal the deal, per Breer, who adds the team’s “30” visit with the 6-foot-4 pass catcher did not go as well. McMillan landed in Carolina after a string of meetings elsewhere, potentially contributing to his lack of energy during the team’s in-person visit.

McMillan will team with Legette, Jalen Coker and Adam Thielen as Carolina’s top receivers. As long as Thielen is in the mix, one of the young players would stand to draw backup reps. It would seem Thielen will be tied to trade rumors for a second straight year.

Falcons Had Planned To Draft James Pearce Jr. At No. 15

April 29th, 2025 at 11:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Jets carried the curse of John Abraham at edge rusher for over a decade, the Falcons also struggled mightily to replace the since-retired pass rusher. Despite first-round picks, notable free agency additions and a 2024 trade, Atlanta has come up empty in its search for consistent EDGE presences.

Abraham, whom Atlanta acquired in a three-team trade in 2006, signed with the Cardinals in 2013. The Falcons have sputtered in their attempts to locate edges since. Free agency additions (Osi Umenyiora, Dwight Freeney, Bruce Irvin, Dante Fowler, Bud Dupree) and a Matt Judon trade either provided stopgaps or ended up misfiring, while first-rounders Vic Beasley (2015) and Takk McKinley (2017) did not become long-term answers. Falcons have produced one double-digit sack season (Beasley’s outlier 2016) since Abraham’s 2013 exit.

[RELATED: Jalon Walker May Need Surgery]

This alarming trend heavily influenced Atlanta’s 2025 draft. The team had attempted to trade up for Laiatu Latu after its surprising Michael Penix Jr. pick last year, but no deal emerged. The Falcons did find a taker this year, sending their 2026 first-rounder to the Rams in a package that secured them James Pearce Jr. at No. 26. This came after Atlanta chose Jalon Walker at No. 15. The duo represents the biggest swing the Falcons have taken to stop this pass-rushing drought since Abraham’s Cardinals defection.

Although the Falcons have drawn criticism for trading their 2026 first to move into the late first round, they did so because they placed a high value on Pearce. The Tennessee edge presence would have been Atlanta’s No. 15 pick had Walker not been available, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer.

The Falcons did not expect Walker to be there at 15, leading to the Georgia hybrid linebacker being the choice. Walker had been linked to a few teams in the top 10 — from the Saints to the Panthesr to the Jets to even the Patriots at No. 4. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot said the team would have been “more than comfortable” taking Pearce at 15, per ESPN.com’s Marc Raimondi. Fontenot noted Pearce being off the board would have caused the Falcons to stand down, but they will be without their 2026 first-rounder because of a high grade on Pearce.

Even as Grady Jarrett returned from his ACL tear to team with Judon, the Falcons ranked 31st in pressure rate last season. Pearce, who registered 17.5 sacks over his final two Tennessee seasons and clocked a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, will join Walker and free agency addition Leonard Floyd in a beefed-up Falcons pass rush. Pearce had come up as a Falcons target at 15 during draft week. The team hosted him on a “30” visit as well.

It will be interesting to see how the Falcons use Walker, Pearce and Floyd. Walker’s work as an off-ball linebacker at Georgia creates some possibilities for the team to use all three together, but Floyd is a 49ers cap casualty on a one-year, $10MM deal. Walker and Pearce are in place to be Atlanta’s hopeful long-term answers to one of the NFL’s longest-running problems.

Broncos Eyed RB TreVeyon Henderson In Round 1

April 29th, 2025 at 5:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bolstering their secondary by choosing Jahdae Barron, the Broncos next turned to what many considered their top need. The team drafted Central Florida running back R.J. Harvey at No. 60 overall.

While Harvey is expected to quickly push to the head of a Denver backfield committee, the team was connected to first-round running backs in mock drafts for months. Sean Payton said the trade-up rumors surrounding his team were unfounded, but the Broncos did eye at least one RB via a trade-down maneuver during the first round.

It is believed Denver was interested in Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson in the event of a first-round trade-down move, the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel notes. GM George Paton said after Round 1 one running back drew interest from the team, and it is interesting that it does not appear to have been Omarion Hampton — the North Carolina product many had going to Denver at No. 20.

Hampton went two spots later to the Chargers. Henderson was viewed as a threat to be the draft’s third RB off the board. That nearly came to fruition, but the Browns took fellow Ohio State RB Quinshon Judkins first. Henderson went two picks later, at No. 38, to the Patriots. The Broncos met with Hampton, Judkins, Henderson and Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson on “30” visits.

It will be Harvey set to team with Jaleel McLaughlin and 2024 fifth-round pick Audric Estime. Javonte Williams joined the Cowboys in free agency. The Broncos deemed a trade-down move (via the Panthers) to No. 57 a safe play due to not deeming the teams behind their No. 51 spot as a particularly RB-needy lot, Gabriel adds. The team then dropped three more spots in a trade with the Lions.

Receiving rave reviews for his pass-protection skills, Henderson also drew attention for his potential as a receiving option. Payton has generated considerable value from receiving backs throughout his career, as the likes of Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, Darren Sproles and Alvin Kamara became central pieces in his Saints offenses. Payton has yet to find that in Denver, continually expressing a desire to add a “joker” to his offense.

The Broncos now have Harvey and Evan Engram, the latter being added after the team’s post-Noah Fant offenses received little tight end contributions. But Henderson checked in with a higher profile compared to Harvey, who dazzled at the mid-major level before clocking a 4.40-second Combine 40-yard time. (Henderson ranked 32nd on Daniel Jeremiah’s final NFL.com big board this year, while Harvey was 99th.) Henderson battled injuries with the Buckeyes but was one of the nation’s top RBs when healthy. That included last season, when he and Judkins formed a 1,000-1,000 tandem to help the team to a national championship. Henderson paced the Big Ten with a 7.1-yard average per carry, totaling 1,300 scrimmage yards and 11 TDs.

Elsewhere on Denver’s roster, the team will use third-round pick Sai’vion Jones as a defensive end in their 3-4 scheme, 9News’ Mike Klis tweets. Although LSU had played Jones as an edge defender, his 283-pound frame aligns more closely with a five-technique player. The Broncos have both their starting D-ends — Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers — in contract years. While both appear extension candidates during Bo Nix‘s rookie contract, Jones adds a potential option in the event the team does not pay one of them.

Denver long snapper Mitchell Fraboni underwent back surgery recently, per Klis, who describes it as a cleanup. Fraboni, who has been with the Broncos since 2022, is expected to be ready for training camp. The team has him signed through the 2027 season. Recent addition Zach Triner will snap during the team’s offseason program, though it does not yet sound like this is a competition.

Browns Did Not Anticipate Selecting Two QBs; Latest On Shedeur Sanders’ Pre-Draft Process

April 28th, 2025 at 11:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

Entering the draft, the Browns were among the teams seen as a logical landing spot for a rookie quarterback. The team did wind up adding at the position, although not in the way they (or many others) anticipated.

Cleveland declined to draft a signal-caller until late in the third round when Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel was added. That move seemed to close the door to Shedeur Sanders being selected, but on Saturday the Browns moved up into the fifth round to acquire the Colorado product. More details have emerged regarding the latter’s slide down the order.

[RELATED: Giants Considered Sanders Trade-Up; Teams Took QB Off Draft Boards?]

Sanders met with one team at the Combine which discussed an interception dating back to his college career (with breakdowns of such plays being standard practice), as detailed by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. He writes Sanders declined to take the blame when speaking about the play, and added his feelings that he and the team may not be the best match for one another. Per Breer, a different visit resulted in a disagreement between Sanders and an NFL coach when he failed to recognize intentional mistakes in a hypothetical offensive install.

Off-the-field factors have been cited as presumed reasons why Sanders – once viewed as being in the running to be drafted as high as second overall by the Browns and the subject of considerable scouting attention this season – fell all the way to pick No. 144. Being the son of Deion Sanders has long been regarded as an element of drafting Shedeur which would give many NFL teams pause. As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Daniel Oyefusi report, though, multiple evaluators assigned a late first-round grade on Sanders while many others listed him as a Day 2 pick. A slide out of the top of the order thus came as little surprise, but remaining on the board as late as he did comprised one of the draft’s top talking points.

“I feel like in life, there’s always a way I can improve,” Sanders said (via Oyefusi). ” I’m able to improve. And some things that I [did] that seemed right at the time, I could’ve went about it a different way. I think what happened was I had a great interview and had a great process with the Browns, and that’s why they were able to pick me. So anything outside the organization is really a [non-factor] for me now.”

Sanders is now a member of a quarterback room which includes veteran Joe Flacco and trade acquisition Kenny Pickett along with Gabriel. General manager Andrew Berry noted (via the ESPN report) the Browns did not expect to draft two passers this weekend. Since they have, though, the team’s QB situation will be an interesting storyline to follow as the offseason unfolds.

Giants Considered Trading Up For Shedeur Sanders; Teams Took QB Off Draft Boards?

April 28th, 2025 at 9:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL may never see a fifth-round pick overshadow its draft again, but it certainly happened this past weekend. Shedeur Sanders‘ fall to No. 144 perplexed most, but it came after rumblings of the QB’s stock having tumbled ahead of the selection event.

Countless instances of players with criminal backgrounds becoming early-round picks have been part of the draft’s history, but it appeared as though teams determined Sanders’ skillset was not worth any potential off-field distractions he and his family might provide. As we move away from the draft, more evidence toward that case is emerging.

[RELATED: Which QB Will Make Most Starts For 2025 Browns?]

Before Round 4 began, a report that indicated Sanders not being a first-round pick pertained to a lack of high-level traits while then pointing to the Day 2 snub coming from teams not wanting their backup to bring a “circus” atmosphere. A Monday offering indicated Sanders indeed run into issues during the pre-draft process, particularly with coaches. Quarterback-turned-veteran media presence Boomer Esiason has offered more to this end.

Esiason said during his Boomer and Gio WFAN Sports Radio show (video link) that multiple teams took Sanders off their draft board due to his attitude during interviews. Owners drove these decisions, Esiason added, with perceived Sanders entitlement a central issue here. Deion Sanders having also mentioned potential intervention with regards to steering his son away from certain teams also “didn’t help.”

Shedeur Sanders fell from a player in contention for the No. 1 overall pick, before Cam Ward evaluations separated the Miami product, to someone not expected to drop out of the top 10 to a player not a lock to go in Round 1. Coaches becoming more involved in the process are believed to have affected this, at least it is believed to have impacted the Giants’ approach, and Esiason adds that Sanders’ brash attitude proved off-putting to “many, many” GMs and coaches. Clubs were certainly hesitant on Sanders becoming the face of a franchise, as the three-day fall illustrated.

We heard before Round 2 the Saints were unlikely to choose Sanders, despite carrying QB uncertainty going into the draft. They indeed went another way, taking Tyler Shough at No. 40. The Seahawks (Jalen Milroe) and Browns (Dillon Gabriel) followed suit. It was fairly clear the Browns were not planning to draft Sanders, having made Gabriel their choice in Round 3. But as he fell into the fifth round, a Cleveland team attempting to move past the Deshaun Watson mistake traded up for him. Sanders and Gabriel will vie for the starting job along with Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett.

While the Browns were not one of the teams whose owner put a reported kibosh on a Sanders selection, the Giants moved three Day 2 picks to the Texans for Jaxson Dart. They did this after extensive Sanders homework. Big Blue is believed to have done more work on Sanders compared to Dart, but Brian Daboll — who was believed to have been among the coaches who did not see eye-to-eye with the Colorado QB — is believed to have driven a push for the Ole Miss passer. That said, the Giants still considered moving up for Sanders — had Dart been off the board — per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

The Giants were believed to be leery of the Browns for a Dart move, and their trade offers appeared to emerge after the Steelers passed on Dart at No. 21. This brought New York’s long-debated Dart-or-Sanders decision to the forefront, and as Daboll and GM Joe Schoen attempt to make cases to last beyond Year 4 in their respective roles, Dart will be in line to eventually replace Russell Wilson.

As reports of teams being miffed at Shedeur Sanders’ tactics ahead of the draft multiply, the historic slide begins to make a bit more sense. The former Colorado and Jackson State signal-caller potentially overplaying his hand regarding his approach to the interview process will likely come up for many years during draft time. For 2025, he will attempt to prove the league — which includes his own team, which drafted Gabriel 50 spots before him — wrong for its determination on his prospect value.

Cowboys May Reunite With Amari Cooper After Missing Out On Tetairoa McMillan

April 28th, 2025 at 4:46pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Cowboys were widely expected to add to their wide receiver room this offseason, but they didn’t sign any major free agents or draft a single player at the position.

Dallas would have drafted Tetairoa McMillan with the No. 12 pick if he was available, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer, but the Arizona wideout was selected three picks earlier by the Panthers. They also explored a trade for a veteran receiver from the AFC North, per Archer, but couldn’t come to terms to finalize the deal.

Now, Dallas will likely have to add one of the veteran receivers still available in free agency. One name has already jumped out at the team, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Amari Cooper. He had a down year in 2024, both in Cleveland before the trade deadline and in Buffalo after. The 30-year-old posted the lowest per-game numbers of his career and has received little interest in free agency as a result.

The Cowboys have discussed the possibility of a reunion with Cooper internally, but no deal is imminent, according to NFL Network’s Jane Slater. The team is still evaluating their options at the position, which also include veteran free agents like Keenan Allen and Nelson Agholor.

After missing out on McMillan, the Cowboys went with offensive guard Tyler Booker  and by the time they were back on the clock in the second round, four more receivers were off the board. Dallas took Florida State edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku with pick No. 44, and another four wideouts were taken before their next pick, which they used on Eastern Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel. All three players were ranked among the team’s top 35 prospects, according to Archer.

Though the Cowboys didn’t address their biggest need in the draft, it’s hard to argue with their process. They drew criticism for taking a guard with such a high first-round pick, especially since Booker was not considered a top-20 talent. However, he was thought to be the best guard in the draft, and the team’s acquisition of falling talents at premium positions in Ezeiruaku and Revel allowed them to finish Day 2 with three players who could start as rookies.

Raiders Eyed Kelvin Banks Jr. If Ashton Jeanty Was Off Board

April 27th, 2025 at 11:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Coming into the draft, the Jaguars had become connected to Ashton Jeanty. Even as the team did not conduct any “30” visits, late buzz developed for the 2024 Heisman runner-up to become a weapon in Liam Coen‘s first Jags offense. As it turned out, the team had been planning a move for the Heisman recipient for weeks.

The Jags’ Travis Hunter trade-up still left Jeanty on the board for the Browns, who entered the draft as a running back-needy team after seeing two major injuries end Nick Chubb‘s prime. Even with Chubb in free agency, the Browns tabled their RB need to Day 2 of the draft by taking Mason Graham. This left the Raiders free and clear to draft Jeanty, to whom they had been closely tied as the draft approached.

If Jeanty became the first top-five RB pick since Saquon Barkley, however, the Raiders are believed to have been ready to pivot to their offensive line. The Raiders’ pick in that scenario was expected to have been Texas tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur.

Las Vegas going with Banks or Missouri tackle Armand Membou surfaced as moves to watch for before the draft, even as Jeanty loomed as the organization’s preference. A subsequent report identified Banks as the team’s likely choice over Membou. With Jeanty still being available at No. 6, this alternate reality did not unfold. Banks is now a Saint, being taken ninth overall.

Not ranked as highly by draft experts going into the event, Banks was viewed higher within the NFL scouting community. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. ranked Banks 26th, while NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah had him 27th. He was viewed as a potential Cowboys target at 12; ditto the Dolphins at 13. But teams were higher on the former SEC and Big 12 blocker. Banks earned the Outland and Lombardi awards last year, after earning first-team All-Big 12 acclaim in 2023. The Saints, who went tackle in Round 1 for the second straight year, took him at No. 9 and will entrust him to protect Derek Carr (or Tyler Shough).

With a third GM running their draft in three years, the Raiders did not address their O-line until Round 3. But they added two players (Texas Tech guard Caleb Rogers and William & Mary tackle Charles Grant). Grant stands to join incumbent DJ Glaze, a 2024 third-rounder, as a potential right tackle option. LT Kolton Miller has angled for a new contract as well, adding a potential wrinkle here. The Raiders are set to have Alex Cappa, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Dylan Parham and Jordan Meredith vie for the three interior spots; Rogers will now factor into this mix.

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