Draft Rumors: Hunter, Sanders, Banks
With the 2025 NFL Draft just four days out, the Browns are increasingly expected to select Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter with the second overall pick in the first round. Several sources have told FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano that Cleveland will take the multi-positional talent at No. 2 overall, clearing the path for Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter to land with the Giants.
The Hunter-to-Cleveland steam has been building over the last few weeks, especially following comments from general manager Andrew Berry indicating the team’s willingness to play Hunter on both sides of the ball. The reigning Heisman has repeatedly expressed his desire to continue his two-way exploits in the NFL, even saying he would consider sitting out if he’s only permitted to play one position.
It seems, though, that Hunter can avoid that potential outcome in Cleveland, and the closer we get to Thursday, the more likely that outcome is to occur.
Here are a few other draft rumors from around the NFL:
- Hunter’s teammate, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, has been one of the draft’s most polarizing prospects in the last few months. According to ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler, some scouts believe Sanders’ head coach at Colorado and father, NFL Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, is contributing to the wide range of evaluations. Typically, when scouts or position coaches visit a university to either watch tape or conduct a workout with a prospect, they will visit with a staff member, usually a head strength coach or NFL liaison to elicit some frank and honest information about the prospect. Some believe that Deion being the father of Shedeur and the superior of these employees has created a conflict wherein NFL personnel have had difficulty getting an understanding of who Shedeur is because of Deion’s influence.
- After missing half of his junior year after undergoing hip surgery, Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison did not participate in drills and workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine or the Fighting Irish’s pro day. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, though, Morrison will conduct “a positional workout for teams on Monday” at his former high school in Arizona. Morrison currently grades as a potential Day 2 pick, and his father, former Washington safety Darryl Morrison, is currently the team chaplain for the Cardinals.
- Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. has been a popular prospect leading up to the first-round of the draft. We noted a visit for Banks two weeks ago with the Falcons, but Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 updated his visit list to include the Panthers, Patriots, Cardinals, Cowboys, Raiders, and 49ers. He adds that the Texans spoke with Banks at his pro day in Austin, as well.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.
Draft Trade Rumors: Edge, Bears, Vikings
We’ve seen lately that a litany of first-round options at edge rushing positions could lead to a run at the position in the first two days of the 2025 NFL Draft. After Penn State’s Abdul Carter (projected at Nos. 2 or 3 overall), there isn’t expected to be another pass rusher taken until the mid-teens. If the Falcons open the floodgates, it could both trigger a run at the position and possibly spark some trade movement in the first round, according to sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline.
Pauline calls the Cardinals‘ pick at No. 16 overall a potential “flashpoint” where teams who are looking to add an impact edge rusher may trade up in order to jump the Bengals, who hold the No. 17 overall pick and have been linked to a pass rusher in the first round. He and ESPN’s Jordan Reid identify the Falcons‘ No. 15 overall pick as a more likely target to trade up to.
Pauline points out that Atlanta currently only owns five draft picks and would be more than happy to add more picks to their docket by trading down. Reid adds that, in a deep class of edge rushers, the Falcons “feel comfortable with several options” that they have similar grades on. If a team wants to jump Cincinnati for a pass rusher, proposing to trade with the Falcons may be the route to follow.
Here are a couple other trade rumors that could come to play in next week’s draft:
- Reid also seems to be under the impression that we will see a team trade into the top 10, specifically into No. 10 overall, a pick currently owned by the Bears. Reid asserts that, should the Saints throw a curveball from recent rumors and not draft a quarterback at No. 9 overall, several teams may jump to move up as a result. He sees teams potentially moving up for a top tight end or potentially a pass rusher, though the deep pass rushing class narrative seems to conflict with that sentiment. Without the New Orleans curveball, though, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune believes that a lack of interest in the No. 10 overall pick would make a trade back in the second round more likely than the first for the Bears.
- We’ve seen this several places, but ESPN’s Matt Miller pointed out a bit of the obvious recently, identifying the Vikings as a team likely to seek a trade back in the first round of the draft. The reason this seems so obvious is because, with only four draft picks, Minnesota owns the fewest selections of any team in the draft. The Vikings may attempt to increase their draft capital with a trade back if they can find an interested party.
OL Draft Notes: Campbell, Jackson, Membou
In our recent 2025 NFL Mock Draft, we projected that LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell would be selected by the Patriots at No. 4 overall, and we don’t appear to be alone in that projection. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe recently asserted that “all roads lead to” New England for Campbell.
Volin quoted Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network who recently told him, “I’ve just continually heard that offensive tackle was going to be addressed, and I’ve continually heard that that’s Will Campbell’s spot.”
The top three picks of the 2025 NFL Draft consistently reflect that Miami quarterback Cam Ward, Colorado athlete Travis Hunter, and Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter will be the first three off the board. This leaves the Patriots with every other option on the board with the fourth overall pick, and while no pick seems as obvious as the first three, all signs seem to be pointing to Campbell.
Here are a few other draft rumors concerning offensive linemen in the upcoming draft:
- Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson hasn’t garnered as much attention from the media in the pre-draft process as his bookend teammate Josh Simmons, who has earned some projections as a potential first-rounder, but he’s still getting plenty of attention from the NFL. After shifting out from his usual left guard spot to left tackle part-way through his senior season in Columbus, Jackson has garnered some second-round projections of his own. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Jackson visited his hometown’s local team, the Texans, this week. Wilson adds that Jackson has also visited the Giants, Eagles, Vikings, and Raiders in the past few weeks.
- Many of the draft’s top tackle prospects have been projected more favorably as guards at the NFL level. Several teams have overlooked the limitations of these prospects as they search for tackle help. Missouri lineman Armand Membou continues to hear position questions in the runup to the draft. Per Volin, Membou’s trainer, Duke Mayweather of OL Masterminds, has claimed that Membou is much more likely to flourish at right tackle and that he wouldn’t try to switch him to left tackle. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune took things a step further, saying that, while he agrees Membou will fit first at right tackle, he thinks Membou is more likely to end up playing guard than left tackle in the NFL.
Georgia Defenders Making Early First-Round Connections
The University of Georgia has been a pipeline for first-round defensive talent in the past several years. Since 2016, 11 Bulldogs have been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, including in 2022 when No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker was joined by four other defensive teammates in the first round. This year Jalon Walker, Mykel Williams, and Malaki Starks have been noted as potential first-rounders coming out of Athens, and as potential edge defenders, Walker and Williams are likely to hear their names called in the first half of Day 1. 
As they continue to draw interest from multiple teams in the top 16, two teams seem to be zoning in on the teammates; the Panthers have been repeatedly linked to Walker, while the Falcons are heavily monitoring Williams. In fact, in the last day of pre-draft visits earlier this week, Williams spent his time in the Falcons’ building, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Atlanta has been repeatedly linked to the possibility of drafting a defensive player in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft and, needing help on the edge, Williams and his mid-first-round projection make a lot of sense.
It was also announced, by ESPN’s Jordan Reid, that Walker and Williams would be holding a private workout for NFL scouts and executives this past Friday at Georgia’s indoor facility. Each player only participated in position drills throughout the workout, which is notable because Walker only measured at the NFL Scouting Combine and Georgia’s pro day, not doing any timing or testing. Williams, likewise, only measured at the combine, but did run and time at the Bulldogs’ pro day.
The Falcons maintained their link to Williams, sending both assistant general manager Kyle Smith and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to Athens for the players’ workout yesterday, per Josh Kendall of The Athletic. The Panthers, on the other hand, were not in attendance as, according to Joe Person of The Athletic, they remained in draft meetings and “seem to have seen all they need to from the Georgia linebacker.”
Based on rumors and fit, we recently projected Walker to Carolina and Williams to Atlanta in our 2025 NFL Mock Draft. We’re just five days away from finding out just how serious each team’s interest is in the respective defensive prospects.
CB Will Johnson’s Draft Stock Falling
Entering the 2024 college football season as a likely top five draft pick, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson only needed to show NFL scouts what they had seen for the first two years of his collegiate career in order to solidify that status. Unfortunately, an up-and-down junior campaign could cost Johnson money as he seems to be sliding down draft boards. 
Analytically, Johnson played well at times but didn’t nearly display the dominance that he had in his first two years in Ann Arbor. As a freshman for the Wolverines, Pro Football Focus (subscription required) graded Johnson out as the 12th-best cornerback in the NCAA out of 917 graded players at the position. He followed that up with a 114th-best ranking (out of 859) in 2023 before falling to 139th out of 848 in this year.
You can see similarities reflected in his on-field contributions, as well. As a true freshman, Johnson played in all 14 of the team’s games, making five starts. In his time on the field, though, Johnson was extremely disruptive with three interceptions, six passes defensed, and two tackles for loss. During the team’s championship campaign in 2023, Johnson missed a couple of games with injury but still started 11 of 12 games played. He increased his pass defense numbers with four interceptions and eight passes defended and even won the Defensive MVP award in the National Championship Game.
Despite only playing six games in 2024 due to injury, Johnson stayed on track with two interceptions and five passes defensed. After a shoulder contusion forced him to miss some time early in the season, Johnson saw a turf toe injury sideline him for the back half of the season.
The turf toe injury lingered into the offseason and pre-draft process. The ailment held him out of workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine, though he did attend for interviews and measurements. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Johnson held a private workout for scouts in Ann Arbor in early-April after missing Michigan’s pro day because of the injury. Todd McShay of The Ringer, though, adds that Johnson did not run a 40-yard dash in the private workout.
As a result of these injury issues and the up-and-down play as a junior, Johnson appears to be falling down draft boards. Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald indicated that Johnson is likely to fall out of the top 10 draft picks and may not be the first cornerback off the board. This prediction doesn’t include Colorado’s Travis Hunter, an obvious prospect being ranked over Johnson, but instead asserts that Texas’ Jahdae Barron will be picked before Johnson.
Regardless, all Johnson can do at this point is keep his head down and keep working. He seems to be healing, but each team will do their own research into his medicals as they continue to evaluate their options. Most recently, Johnson visited the Seahawks earlier this week, per Rapoport. At the moment, he’s still considered a likely Day 1 pick, but if he keeps trending down, he could be in danger of falling out of the first round altogether.
Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.
Seahawks Open To Trading QB Sam Howell
Just over a year ago, the Seahawks were the winners of the Sam Howell-sweepstakes, acquiring the former Commanders starter, a fourth-, and sixth-round pick while sending Washington a third- and fifth-rounder. After backup passer Drew Lock signed a deal to go to New York for 2024, Howell was Seattle’s answer to fill the vacant role. With Lock back in Seattle to back up Sam Darnold, Howell has potentially become expendable, once again. 
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Brady Henderson, Seattle is open to trading Howell and has received some inquiries from teams interested in acquiring him. General manager John Schneider claimed that the team is prepared to have Lock and Howell compete for the QB2 job behind Darnold, but if they know Lock has familiarity with the roster, it could be smart to pursue some additional draft capital in exchange for Howell.
Howell was brought in after his first and only full season starting in Washington. The Commanders went 4-13 with Howell as a starter and, while he threw for 21 touchdowns, he failed to amass 4,000 passing yards despite leading the NFL in pass attempts. He also had league-leading numbers in interceptions (21) and sacks (65). After arriving in Seattle, Howell had a rough offseason. When he was asked to step in for an injured Smith in a Week 15 loss to the Packers, Howell had a rough outing only completing five of 14 pass attempts for 24 yards and an interception.
Schneider backed Howell recently, claiming the young quarterback “was put in a very hard spot” and that the team has “four guys that (they) really like.” That could be totally true, and they may be completely willing to head into the offseason with four quarterbacks. Those statements could also be Schneider’s attempts to inflate Howell’s trade value a bit, making him appear less expendable than he is.
The Seahawks already have 10 draft picks (eight in the first five rounds), so they may not exactly need any more draft capital. Still, if they were able to package Howell with some picks, they may be able to move around a bit in this year’s draft with some increased maneuverability.
Ravens Draft Rumors: Edge, Kicker, DL, CB, S
The Ravens are well-known for their draft approach of taking the best players available regardless of position, though they’re not above taking a player at a position of need if they believe it’s at a good value. That being said, Tony Pauline of sportskeeda claimed today that Baltimore is “believed to be in the market for an edge rusher in the first round.”
The Ravens aren’t likely to reach for a player at a position at which they’ve already spent a 2024 third-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, and 2021 first-round pick. Because of this, I would think that this would only be true if a top-ranked pass rusher falls to them in the back half of the first round.
Obviously, a player like Abdul Carter isn’t expected to be around by the 27th overall pick. After that, anything can happen, and while it might not be likely, it wouldn’t be a surprise if players like Shemar Stewart, Mike Green, or Mykel Williams were around that late. Options like Donovan Ezeiruaku and James Pearce are expected to be around in that range, and Baltimore could certainly pursue them, but only if they perceive them to be one of the top players available.
Here are notes on a few other positions of focus for Baltimore when next week’s draft occurs:
- Ongoing legal issues with future Hall of Fame kicker Justin Tucker have the Ravens in an uncertain position on special teams for the first time since Tucker signed as an undrafted free agent out of Texas in 2012. As a result, Baltimore has been doing its research on kickers in this year’s draft class and could draft a kicker for the first time in their franchise’s history, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. The Ravens are the only team not to have drafted a kicker in the common draft era, and general manager Eric DeCosta admits “there’s no blueprint for finding a kicker.” If they find the right kicker at the right time, though, we could see the selection made. Two options on the table could be in-state rivals Andres Borregales out of Miami (FL) and Ryan Fitzgerald out of Florida State.
- Following the retirement of Michael Pierce and the coming contract year for Travis Jones, defensive tackle is a position of need for Baltimore in this year’s draft. DeCosta confirmed as much, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic, calling the position a priority. DeCosta called this year’s class fairly deep at defensive line and claimed “there’s an opportunity for (them) to get better” at the position.
- Another position that DeCosta singled out was cornerback. After losing Brandon Stephens and Tre’Davious White to free agency, the team added Chidobe Awuzie. They also roster recent draft picks Jalyn Armour-Davis and T.J. Tampa as depth pieces. While DeCosta didn’t guarantee anything, he told the media that “it’s a pretty safe bet that the Ravens will be drafting at least one cornerback next week,” per Zrebiec. The team is likely to start Nate Wiggins and Awuzie on the outside with Marlon Humphrey manning the nickelback role, so they could look for an upgrade over Awuzie, but at the very least, adding depth is a necessity.
- DeCosta didn’t mince words about the safety position either, per Zrebiec. Despite being “fairly confident” that Ar’Darius Washington will return after presumably signing his exclusive rights free agent tender, DeCosta said that it was “more than likely” that Baltimore would still add a safety in the draft, as well. Washington and Kyle Hamilton would return as starters from last year, but the only depth behind them currently are two rookies from last year, Sanoussi Kane (seventh round) and Beau Brade (undrafted).
Raiders Wanted Joe Milton, Still Might Draft QB
Deciding to try and improve on a depth chart topped by Aidan O’Connell at quarterback this offseason, the Raiders’ new leadership opted to trade for former Seahawks veteran Geno Smith. Las Vegas wasn’t done there as they were reportedly interested in trading for a backup quarterback, as well, per Vic Tafur of The Athletic. 
The day after the Raiders acquired Smith, reports claimed that the team could still potentially draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. While that seems less likely after Smith’s two-year extension, it became clear that Vegas was not through addressing the quarterback position.
According to Tafur, after news that the team was still considering a first-round passer, the Raiders were in trade talks for former Patriots backup quarterback Joe Milton. A sixth-round rookie out of Tennessee last year, Milton served as a third-string and scout team quarterback for much of the season behind Drake Maye and Jacoby Brissett. Milton felt like insurance in case Maye didn’t pan out early, but Maye showed decent promise in 2024.
While most of Milton’s impact came on the practice field, he got to play some significant snaps in the team’s season finale. Milton impressed by completing 76 percent of his passes for 241 yards and a touchdown, adding 16 yards and a score on the ground, as well. Milton’s impressive showing drew interest from across the league, and while it sounds like Las Vegas was seriously in the running, Dallas ended up acquiring the second-year backup.
After failing to bring Milton in, the Raiders are still considered a team likely to pursue a passer at some point in the draft. General manager John Spytek confirmed as much, telling Raiders columnist Paul Gutierrez that they “remain open-minded…to the most important position in sports.” The team has all seven of their original draft picks, as well as two additional sixth-rounders, so there will be several opportunities to target a new passer.
It will be interesting to see who has more pull in the draft room next week in Las Vegas: veteran head coach Pete Carroll or the rookie general manager. According to another quote provided from Gutierrez, neither seems to have final say over the other Carroll said they would “work it out,” while Spytek added that “if there’s no consensus, (they) probably don’t take him.”
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/18/25
Here are today’s minor moves as we head into the last weekend before the draft:
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed RFA tender: WR Greg Dortch
Denver Broncos
- Signed ERFA tender: S Devon Key
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: TE Irv Smith Jr.
Tennessee Titans
- Waived (with NFI designations): DE Khalid Duke, CB Justin Hardee
Dortch has had a couple decent seasons as a depth receiver in Arizona now. The Wake Forest product didn’t have much of a choice but to sign his restricted free agent tender and return for another year.
It’s been about five years since Smith has seen some success in the NFL. He signed late in the season with the Texans after a ton of injuries and did his job as a depth option at tight end. He returns on a one-year deal to serve as an option once again should Brevin Jordan or Cade Stover struggle with injury.
Hardee was re-signed to a one-year deal just over two weeks ago, but it appears the special teams ace won’t be sticking around in Nashville, or if he does, it will be on an injured list.
Ravens Unsure On Future Of Mark Andrews
APRIL 17: The Ravens are cognizant that losing Andrews would hurt their 2025 roster, with The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec indicating the team will demand a solid return for the Pro Bowl tight end. Andrews’ status as a team leader also factors into the team’s thinking here.
APRIL 16: Veteran tight end Mark Andrews is heading into a contract year with the Ravens. On its surface, you take a look at Andrews’ three Pro Bowl selections and first-team All-Pro history and think that this problem has an easy solution. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, though, isn’t as sure about how things will turn out. 
“I never know what’s going to happen,” DeCosta told ESPN’s Jamison Hensley in a pre-draft news conference, “and I would never want to say this or that. But I can tell you this: Mark Andrews is a warrior. He’s played his butt off for us.”
DeCosta isn’t wrong. In only seven seasons in Baltimore, Andrews is second all-time for the franchise in receiving yards (only 247 yards behind Derrick Mason) and holds the record for most touchdowns (rushing or receiving) in franchise history.
Coming in as a third-round pick in the same draft as Lamar Jackson and Hayden Hurst — both selected in the first round — Andrews outdueled Hurst for the primary tight end job and established an electric connection with Jackson. Just before 2021, the Ravens awarded Andrews with a four-year, $56MM extension. Andrews rewarded Baltimore in return with his strongest season to date, notching career highs in catches (107) and receiving yards (1,361).
That extension is now coming to an end, and while Andrews has continued to bring success to the field as one of the NFL’s best tight ends, he’s brought his share of bad memories, as well. As good as Andrews has been in the regular season, he has a tendency to disappear in the playoffs. The franchise’s touchdown leader has never scored in the postseason.
Despite being targeted 53 times, he’s only caught 29 playoff passes. According to Pro Football Reference‘s advanced statistics, he also has two drops and has seen three passes intended for him intercepted in postseason play. Recency bias can be dangerous, too, as this year’s playoff loss to the Bills saw him fumble the ball on a crucial drive and drop a game-tying two-point conversion.
These struggles when it matters most have been key in the arguments against retaining Andrews in Baltimore. Another factor is the emergence of third-year tight end Isaiah Likely, who seems to be improving year after year despite a continued role as TE2. Given more of a role in the offense, many believe Likely could be even more dangerous of a weapon than he’s displayed already. While Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked Andrews as the fourth-best tight end in the league, Likely (seventh) wasn’t far behind. Even more impressive, the Ravens also roster third-year tight end Charlie Kolar, whose receiving grade ranked eighth in the NFL for tight ends, per PFF, in 2024.
So, with weapons like Likely and Kolar behind Andrews, should the Ravens let Andrews walk to see what could be waiting in his wake? It’s not hard to justify a new long-term deal for Andrews based on his regular season numbers, but if he continues to let his team down in the playoffs, fans are going to lament the money dedicated to the veteran.
With Likely and Kolar also heading into the final years of their rookie deals, DeCosta and company are going to have to make a decision about which tight ends they are going to decide to pay. Likely will likely fetch a high price on the free agent market, so it’ll be difficult to retain both. For now, DeCosta left things open-ended. Perhaps next week’s draft will illuminate a bit more about the team’s future at the position.