Patriots Deal No. 85 To Chiefs
The Chiefs already made a move for a cornerback this offseason, giving Kristian Fulton a two-year deal worth $20MM. But the AFC dynasty will keep going here.
New England dealt Kansas City No. 85, and the Chiefs took cornerback Nohl Williams out of Cal. The Chiefs will send the Pats No. 95 and a 2026 fourth-rounder.
Kansas City did not see its L’Jarius Sneed replacement cadre impress last season, though Jaylen Watson missed most of it due to a broken leg. The Eagles picked on him in Super Bowl LIX, however, likely contributing to the increased commitment this offseason. Kansas City also has Johnson and Joshua Williams in contract years. Trent McDuffie technically joins the 2022 draftees, but the All-Pro will see his fifth-year option exercised before the May 1 deadline.
McDuffie and Fulton are poised to start on the outside for the Chiefs, with McDuffie proving an elite slot stopper on occasion as well. Nohl Williams joins a somewhat crowded cadre of cogs vying for time behind the team’s top two cover men.
The younger of the Chiefs’ two CB Williamses will head to Missouri after displaying elite ball production in his final Cal season. Nohl grabbed seven interceptions, pacing Division I-FBS in 2024. He also served as the Golden Bears’ kick returner, taking one back for a score. Williams transferred from UNLV in 2023.
Chiefs Select T Josh Simmons At No. 32
To no surprise, the Chiefs have looked at the offensive tackle spot to close out the first round of the draft. Ohio State’s Josh Simmons is headed to Kansas City. With Simmons on the roster, the team now has plenty of bodies to work with on the line, if they can just figure out the right combination. 
It’s a good thing the Chiefs have so many bodies, too, since Simmons could be a bit of a project in the NFL. After a redshirt season at San Diego State, Simmons started a season at right tackle before transferring to Columbus and switching to left tackle. As a redshirt junior, Simmons returned to start on the left side before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Still, the 22-year-old has displayed quickness off the line of scrimmage and impressive balance in his time as a starter.
Last year’s starting tackles for the Chiefs, Jawaan Taylor and Wanya Morris, were anything but impressive in 2024. The team still has last year’s second-round pick, Kingsley Suamataia, and free agent signing Jaylon Moore to work with, but plenty of question marks remain on the depth chart. Luckily, enough of those players can man the offensive line effectively until Simmons is recovered and ready to contribute.
Simmons certainly holds the potential to act as an improvement at tackle in Kansas City, but most of his impact in 2025 will depend on his injury outlook. If Simmons can recover quickly, he stands a chance of making a significant impact in the coming year. If not, the Chiefs will hope he can contribute in the near future.
Ely Allen contributed to this post.
Eagles Acquire No. 31, Draft Jihaad Campbell
The Eagles have pulled off a one-pick swap at the back of the first round. Philadelphia has acquired No. 31 from the Chiefs, sending Kansas City Nos. 32 and 164 (h/t ESPN’s Adam Schefter).
With the pick, the Eagles have selected Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell. Lingering as one of the best available prospects for an extended stretch tonight, Campbell will join the defending Super Bowl champions — after their trade with the team they walloped in February. As the Chiefs moved to draft tackle Josh Simmons at No. 32, the Eagles bolstered their linebacking corps with a rookie-scale asset.
Campbell established himself as a late-Day 1 or early-Day 2 pick following a strong showing in 2024. The Alabama linebacker finished the season with 117 tackles, five sacks, and 12 tackles for loss, a performance that earned him All-SEC honors.
Campbell drew praise for his coverage ability thanks to his athleticism and acceleration. Scouts weren’t as high on his run-stopping ability, although he lands in a good spot for his development in Philly. The prospect ultimately profiles as more of a middle linebacker, although he possesses the versatility and pass-rush prowess to also play on the edge.
The Eagles are apparently enamored with Campbell’s ability, as the team reportedly tried to trade up earlier in the first round to select the Alabama product. The player’s recovery from a shoulder injury may have slightly hurt his draft stock, a development that ended up working in Philly’s favor.
As Nakobe Dean recovers from a torn patellar tendon, Campbell could be called on to start at middle linebacker to begin the 2025 campaign. When the whole grouping is entirely healthy, Campbell may find himself in a rotational role playing behind Dean and Zack Baun. Campbell’s contract becomes critical now that the Eagles have paid Baun, who has gone from a one-year, $3.5MM deal to a three-year, $51MM pact after his first-team All-Pro season. With injuries marring Dean’s rookie contract, the Eagles paid up to make a more significant investment in a position they had recently devoted minimal resources to stocking.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
AFC Draft Rumors: Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Bills, Ravens, Titans, Jaguars
The Broncos have been connected to trading up, but a year after Sean Payton admitted he participated in a smokescreen operation surrounding a potential first-round move up the board, the team may be content staying at No. 20. A recent report pegged Denver as a team interested in trading up, but The Athletic’s Dianna Russini counters by indicating the team is comfortable staying at 20 or potentially moving back. It is important to note Payton’s teams have never traded back in the first round during his HC tenure, but the Broncos are known to be interested in adding a running back. A potential move down the board could allow the team to draft a starter-level RB while adding assets.
This could effectively serve as an announcement the Broncos’ No. 20 pick could be had by a team aiming to climb back into Round 1 — and there are believed to be many — for a quarterback. Though, ESPN.com’s Matt Miller adds the Broncos are believed to be more interested in adding a wideout or a tight end in Round 1 than addressing their RB need there.
A day out, here is the latest from around the draft:
- Denver would be taking a risk by moving out of Round 1 altogether, as this is a loaded running back class. Another team that could be in the mix for a back: the Broncos’ top rival. The three-time reigning AFC champion Chiefs did some late work on TreVeyon Henderson, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler noting Andy Reid participated in a video call with the versatile Ohio State RB. The Chiefs hold the No. 31 overall pick and are not planning to extend Isiah Pacheco before the season, as the three-year starter missed much of last season with a broken leg. Henderson’s stock is on the rise, per Fowler, and his floor appears to be early in the second round.
- Staying in the AFC West, the Chargers are believed to be eyeing an early-round upgrade to their edge-rushing corps, Miller adds. The Bolts re-signed Khalil Mack, but that came after the Joey Bosa release. Mack is also 34 and on a one-year deal. Bud Dupree is also in a contract year, even as two years remain on Tuli Tuipulotu‘s rookie pact.
- Holding the No. 27 overall pick, the Ravens are believed to be interested in adding a safety — after multiple investments backfired at the position. As our Ely Allen pointed out in PFR’s mock draft, the shortcomings of Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson restricted Kyle Hamilton last season. The Ravens want Hamilton to play a deep safety role, and Georgia’s Malaki Starks excelling in multiple areas would enable that and qualify as Baltimore’s “dream pick” in Round 1.
- Bills ties to a first-round defensive tackle pick have emerged, but Miller indicates the five-time reigning AFC East champs have a higher opinion of Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos than the DTs expected to be available by No. 30 overall. Buffalo re-signed Tre’Davious White, but he profiles as more flier than true Rasul Douglas replacement. Amos would effectively qualify as a make-up call for the team’s Kaiir Elam miss.
- Although Mike Borgonzi said the Titans are not planning to move off No. 1, despite some offers (most notably from the Giants), ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicates the team wants to add to its draft arsenal. Specifically, Tennessee wants to add a Day 2 pick. The team traded its third-rounder (No. 66) for L’Jarius Sneed last year, as Borgonzi was working for the Chiefs at that point.
- Despite holding the No. 5 overall pick, the Jaguars threw a strange wrinkle into their pre-draft process. They did not conduct any “30” visits, Schultz adds. This has left teams guessing, though the odd plan also would stand to leave Jacksonville’s new regime with less intel on prospects down the board. Indeed, PFR’s Jaguars page lists no “30” visits, adding intrigue to the first Liam Coen–James Gladstone offseason blueprint.
AFC West Notes: Thuney, Chiefs, Raiders
While the Chiefs again turned to Patrick Mahomes‘ increasingly team-friendly contract for a restructure to create cap space, they did move on from a core player to make room for Trey Smith‘s franchise tag. Kansas City traded three-time All-Pro Joe Thuney to Chicago, moving the guard’s contract-year salary off the books after tagging Smith. The team then re-signed Nick Bolton. Signed when the Chiefs transformed their O-line following a Super Bowl LV blowout loss, Thuney gave the Chiefs stability at left guard.
“As the years go on and we hope to keep this winning tradition up and have sustained success, it only becomes more difficult,” GM Brett Veach said during his pre-draft press conference. “(We) knew early on that we would be limited and that was obviously the reason why we had to make that trade with Chicago with Thuney. I mean, that was a player that we loved, and it was gut-wrenching to have to do that, but you had to do it.”
The Thuney trade saved the Chiefs $16MM in cap space but created a hole at LG. Kingsley Suamataia, who won the team’s LT job out of training camp only to be benched in Week 2, is expected to have a good chance to win succeed Thuney alongside new LT starter Jaylon Moore. Thuney missed just four games due to injury in four seasons, two of them coming to close out the 2023 campaign, but he is going into an age-33 season. It made sense for the Chiefs to swap out high guard salaries, as Smith will turn 26 this year.
Here is the latest from the AFC West:
- Despite showing interest in retaining Tre’von Moehrig, the Raiders let the young safety walk in free agency. The Panthers gave Moehrig a three-year, $51MM deal — now the league’s fifth-most lucrative safety contract — and the Raiders added Jeremy Chinn on a lower-cost contract (two years, $16.26MM). Las Vegas also lost Marcus Epps in free agency, re-signing Isaiah Pola-Mao (two years, $7.45MM). The latter is expected to see plenty of snaps alongside Chinn, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vincent Bonsignore, who notes the Raiders like their in-house safeties post-Moehrig. Pola-Mao, a 2022 UDFA, made 14 starts in place of Epps last season. It appears the former post-draft find has a clear path to keeping that role.
- The Raiders moved Hunter Renfrow back onto their radar, hosting the former Jon Gruden-era draftee on a free agency visit recently. Renfrow did not play last season and fell out of favor with the Raiders fairly soon after being given a two-year, $32MM extension during Josh McDaniels‘ first months on the job. No reunion has taken place, and The Athletic’s Vic Tafur views it as unlikely. A post-draft reassessment could take place at receiver, depending on how the Raiders fare next week, but Renfrow (29) may need to look elsewhere to secure a comeback opportunity.
- Kolton Miller is locked into a starting job, as he angles for a new contract, while DJ Glaze would appear to have the inside track to the Raiders’ right tackle gig. But the interior O-line will bring competition. Alex Cappa‘s two-year, $11MM contract points to the ex-Buccaneer and Bengal starter landing one of the jobs, but GM John Spytek said the FA addition will join holdovers Jackson Powers-Johnson, Jordan Meredith and Dylan Parham in competition. Cappa will vie for one of the guard spots, while Spytek said (via Tafur) the other three will compete for the guard and center roles. Parham has started at both positions over the past two seasons, while Meredith split his eight starts at both LG and RG last season. It would surprise if Powers-Johnson, a 2024 second-round pick, failed to win a job considering his draft pedigree. A move to center makes sense, as the Oregon product won the Rimington Award in 2023.
- Linked to a few veteran wideouts this offseason, the Broncos are planning to add at the position. Though, it is not known if a significant addition will come via an early-round draft pick or a post-draft free agency move.
Chiefs Preparing To Discuss Extensions With Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis
The Tyreek Hill trade gave the Chiefs two first-round picks in 2022. They used their own first-rounder on George Karlaftis and traded up for Trent McDuffie with the pick the Dolphins sent them (via the 49ers) for Hill. Both defenders are now extension-eligible.
McDuffie and Karlaftis have been central cogs during the Chiefs’ franchise apex, each starting in three Super Bowls. While franchise-tagged guard Trey Smith will be the team’s top extension priority after the draft, GM Brett Veach indicated (via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra) dialogue with the 2022 first-rounders is expected to occur as well.
Veach’s stance makes it fairly clear the Chiefs plan to exercise the fifth-year options in each defender’s contract. That will buy the team time, as the options being exercised would keep the 2022 draftees signed through 2026. McDuffie’s option has certainly never appeared in doubt, as the versatile cornerback has booked first- and second-team All-Pro nods over the past two years.
Though, the NFL still using Pro Bowls (original ballot only) as a key option determinant will reduce the cost of that 2026 number; McDuffie has yet to be selected for a Pro Bowl, keeping his option number at just $13.63MM. This exposes a bit of a flaw in the league’s updated option format, but it will benefit the Chiefs.
Karlaftis has started 44 games in three seasons, registering 24.5 sacks in that time and not missing any games due to injury. Operating as a Frank Clark sidekick as a rookie, the Purdue product took over as the team’s top edge rusher after Clark’s 2023 release. The Chiefs have retained auxiliary edge players in recent years, re-signing Michael Danna in 2024 and Charles Omenihu last month, but Karlaftis remains their top outside rusher. The team has not seen 2023 first-round pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah contribute much, which should give Karlaftis more leverage once extension talks start.
McDuffie’s extension roadmap will be more interesting on multiple levels. The Chiefs’ Andy Reid-years M.O. at this position has been to deploy low-cost talent at corner, in order to devote funds to other areas on the roster. This has led to Marcus Peters, Steven Nelson, Kendall Fuller, Charvarius Ward and L’Jarius Sneed finding their second contracts elsewhere (via trade or free agency). The team deviated from that blueprint a bit this offseason, however, signing Kristian Fulton to a two-year, $20MM deal. Fulton will be expected to start opposite McDuffie, as the Chiefs did not see Jaylen Watson establish consistency during an injury-marred year replacing Sneed.
Kansas City has also used McDuffie in the slot regularly, though the team cut back on that considerably in 2024. McDuffie, 24, saw his slot snaps drop from 448 in 2023 to 138 last season. Staying on the perimeter stands to help McDuffie, extension-wise. Our latest Trade Rumors Front Office piece examined the disparity between the outside and slot corner markets, though McDuffie manning both spots effectively will up his market. The 49ers use Deommodore Lenoir both inside and on the boundary; his contract (five years, $89.8MM) reflects it, coming in well north of where the pure slot market has settled.
Karlaftis, 24, will not command a top-market EDGE extension, but McDuffie will undoubtedly aim high at corner. Considering the Chiefs’ spending pattern at the position, McDuffie’s market will provide an interesting test. The low fifth-year option number gives Kansas City some leverage once talks begin, but the team completing an extension before the Jets pay Sauce Gardner would probably be a wise move, as the NFL could certainly have two $30MM-per-year corners (after Derek Stingley Jr.‘s deal) once the now-extension-eligible Gardner is paid.
Brett Veach: Chiefs Eyeing Post-Draft Trey Smith Extension
Trey Smith seemed at one point to be on track for free agency and thus a massive contract sending him to a new team. Instead, the Chiefs kept him in place via the franchise tag, buying team and player time to work out an extension agreement. 
[RELATED: Chiefs Aiming To Trade Up For Tackle Prospect?]
As things stand, Smith is on track to earn $23.4MM next year, a figure inflated by the fact all offensive linemen are grouped together for tag purposes. Landon Dickerson leads the way for guards in terms of annual compensation on multi-year deals at $21MM, something which made the Chiefs’ decision to apply the one-year tender somewhat surprising in the eyes of some observers. Kansas City is aiming to keep Smith in the fold well beyond 2025, though, and general manager Brett Veach recently confirmed as much.
“Hopefully we get that done,” Veach said during his pre-draft press conference when speaking about the Smith situation (via NFL.com). “There’s no lack of interest or will or desire on our end… My guess is once the draft’s over and our focus is back on taking care of the players that are here and trying to get those guys locked up… There’s no secret there that we’d like to get Trey locked up.”
The attention of teams and agents alike will remain focused squarely on the draft for the several more days, but afterwards the Chiefs will have a number of extension candidates to deal with. Smith, 25, is understandably atop that list given his importance to the team’s offensive line. A key factor in the decision to trade away fellow guard Joe Thuney was the need to make a lucrative commitment to a younger option in the form of Smith. The latter has started all 80 of his combined regular and postseason games, and in 2024 he became a Pro Bowler for the first time.
Creed Humphrey reset the center market ($18MM per season) with his Chiefs extension, one which raised questions about the team’s willingness to make another lucrative investment on the interior. Veach’s comments certainly confirm Kansas city is prepared to move forward with a Humphrey-Smith tandem for years to come, however. The ninth-year GM noted extension talks took place with Smith’s agents during the Combine and again at last month’s league meetings.
As a result, it will be interesting to see if traction can be gained in short order with respect to an extension agreement once the draft concludes. If that proves to be the case, Smith’s future beyond the coming season will become clear.
Chiefs Eyeing Tackle In Trade-Up Move?
Donovan Smith did not play last season, but the Chiefs did not effectively replace their Super Bowl LVIII starting left tackle. Kansas City started four players at the position last season, eventually seeing their setup unravel on the biggest stage.
The Eagles’ dismantling of the Chiefs checked in as more alarming than the AFC power’s Super Bowl LV loss to the Buccaneers. Kansas City’s 2020 edition had lost both its starting tackles (Eric Fisher, Mitchell Schwartz) by the time Shaq Barrett and Co. teed off on backups; they came into Super Bowl LIX with their starting O-line, only to see it fail to hold up against a smothering Eagles rush. The Chiefs moved from Kingsley Suamataia, Wanya Morris and D.J. Humphries to finally Joe Thuney at LT. Thuney’s run of capable work on the outside did not lead to him holding up against Philly, and the Chiefs have made moves to address the position once again.
John Lynch expressed surprise when the Chiefs gave 49ers swing tackle Jaylon Moore a two-year deal worth $15MM on average, but the three-time reigning AFC champs have him tentatively slated to start at left tackle to begin next season. Thuney’s departure via trade, following the Trey Smith franchise tag, will free up a spot for Suamataia; the 2024 second-round pick will attempt to find his footing at guard. Moore’s deal may wind up being a solution, but the Chiefs are believed to be looking into trading up for a tackle.
Kansas City is actively looking to find a first-round trade partner, according to ESPN.com’s Matt Miller, who identifies tackle as the position the Chiefs are primarily targeting. Moving ahead of the Texans (No. 25) and Rams (26) is a factor here, Miller adds, if a specific LT prospect remains on the board. As the Super Bowl loser, the Chiefs hold the No. 31 overall pick in a historically rare first round in which every team (for now) carries its own first-round selection.
Will Campbell and Missouri prospect Armand Membou, whom teams view more as a right tackle and a potential guard, are expected to be long gone by this trade range. No other tackles slot inside the top 30 on Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board, which places Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. at 31st, Ohio State’s Josh Simmons 37th and Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr. 39th. Donovan Jackson kicked outside to tackle to replace an injured Simmons last season, but he is viewed more as a guard — where he played exclusively from 2022-23 — in the pros. North Dakota State’s Gray Zabel, as our Ely Allen pointed out in his mock draft, has the ability to shift outside. He is also, however, seen first as an interior blocker at the NFL level. The Chiefs met with Simmons last week.
The Chiefs giving Moore $15MM per year, after 12 career starts, effectively indicates they are done with Suamataia and Morris as viable LT starter options. The team going after a tackle in Round 1 also makes sense when its RT situation is considered. Penalty maven Jawaan Taylor has not lived up to his $20MM-AAV deal, but the contract included a rolling guarantee structure that locked in the ex-Jaguar’s 2025 salary in March 2024. The Chiefs, though, can move on from Taylor cleanly following the 2025 season. They will need a right tackle starter in that likely event. Adding a tackle early in this draft could cover multiple bases for the team, one that has a notable recent history of trading up in Round 1 (Patrick Mahomes, Trent McDuffie, Xavier Worthy).
Pro Football Rumors 2025 NFL Mock Draft
The pool of prospects available for teams later this month delivers an interesting challenge for anyone making a mock draft. This year’s crop of players has been viewed as far more deep than it is top-heavy, with only 15-20 players receiving first-round grades in most scouting departments. Because of this, we’re left with a fun uncertainty in which any of several players with second- to third-round grades could hear their names called throughout the back half of the first round.
Here, we’ll make an attempt to identify the best prospects for each team in their draft slot and with their position needs. Because we’re in a rare and fun scenario at the moment in which every team holds its own first-round pick for the first time in a long, long time, we will not be predicting any in-draft trades, but you can read here about the possibilities for such trades happening at the tail-end of the first round.
1) Tennessee Titans — QB Cam Ward, Miami (FL)
Let’s not overthink this one. The Titans have a need at quarterback, unless they’re fully willing to run through the 2025 NFL season with Will Levis as their leader under center. While top-ranked prospects like Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Penn State’s Abdul Carter are certainly worthy picks here, it makes a bit too much sense to just address the most important position in football.
Ward has run away with the honor of being the best quarterback prospect in this year’s class. Year after year, Ward has progressed from Incarnate Word to Washington State to Miami and has played better and better football at each step of his journey. The well-traveled passer has his shortcomings as a prospect, but there is no reason to believe he won’t continue to improve and excel at the next level.
Ward here would give the Hurricanes their first first-round pick on offense since David Njoku in 2017 and their first No. 1 overall pick since the Cowboys took defensive lineman Russell Maryland in 1991. He would be bringing the best arm in the draft to Tennessee to spread the ball out behind a slowly improving offensive line.
2) Cleveland Browns — WR Travis Hunter, Colorado
I was extremely tempted to go with Hunter’s quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, at this pick. Star pass rusher Myles Garrett was a big critic of the team’s chances to contend for a title, largely due to the Browns’ quarterback situation. It felt like the only thing that could convince him to make a hard U-turn on this thinking (besides money) would be if team brass had clued him in to a plan to address the position. At this point, though, Sanders has begun to slide down a lot of boards and could be available via trade from the early second round back into the late first. We’ve also seen the Browns express interest in Alabama passer Jalen Milroe, who could be another candidate to add a fifth-year option to his contract with a trade into the first round.
Instead, we’re going with Hunter. It is strange to think we could have two players going Nos. 1 and 2 who began their collegiate careers at the FCS level, but here we are. Cleveland general manager Andrew Berry reportedly views Hunter primarily as a wide receiver, making him an exciting weapon to pair with Jerry Jeudy.
Strong ball skills combined with explosiveness and an ability to make tacklers miss make Hunter a scary edition to a group that already includes Jeudy and Njoku. While they need a quarterback to distribute the ball, that problem may be addressed later in the round. There’s a chance the Browns try to utilize Hunter’s unicorn ability to play both sides of the ball in the NFL, but we know his offensive abilities are what Cleveland primarily values.
3) New York Giants — OLB Abdul Carter, Penn State
While ultimately an easy decision, it is likely not one the Giants would prefer. Ward, Hunter, and Carter are, by a wide consensus, considered the surefire top three picks of this draft in some order. Though, it’s always possible another quarterback sneaks his way in due to desperation from Cleveland or New York. The Giants would likely love to add Hunter as a shutdown, true No. 1 cornerback, but with the 2024 Heisman winner in Cleveland, Carter is far and away the best prospect left on the board at this point. Any other pick here would be a reach. The only thing to watch out for here is the fact that general manager Joe Schoen was lucky to retain his job this offseason, and he may feel the need to do something bold in order to keep his job like going after Sanders or Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.
There is not a huge need for Carter in New York. Despite the loss of Azeez Ojulari in free agency, the team still rosters Brian Burns and former top-five pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. The two only combined for 14 sacks in 2024 and only have two double-digit sack seasons between them. That said, the Giants have invested a lot in the pass-rushing duo and likely intend to keep utilizing the pair. Little depth exists behind them and adding Carter to serve as a third edge rusher seems underwhelming for a No. 3 pick. The Giants do have a past of making such moves, as Mathias Kiwanuka (2006) and Jason Pierre-Paul (2010) joined John Mara-run teams that had strong edge-rushing units already. It would be foolhardy for New York to pass up the last elite talent left in this draft.
4) New England Patriots — T Will Campbell, LSU
Here’s where the draft can become really interesting. Now that the top prospects are off the board, we get a little more into speculation on team preference and fit. While New England was dead last in team sacks in 2024, it made strong additions in former Titan Harold Landry and ex-Eagle Milton Williams. Because the Patriots already invested a lot in the defensive line through free agency, they use this draft slot to address another area of weakness: the offensive line.
FA pickup Morgan Moses is set to lock down his side of the line, slotting Michael Onwenu at right guard. Former Vikings center Garrett Bradbury should start, as well, allowing Cole Strange to return to his role as starting left guard with Layden Robinson providing depth on the interior. Vederian Lowe and Caedan Wallace could both receive opportunities to start at left tackle, as each was part of last season’s merry-go-round at the position. But new head coach Mike Vrabel admitted that the draft could be a useful tool to improve at the position.
Campbell started at left tackle for all three of his seasons in Baton Rouge. While analysts criticized Campbell’s lack of length as a detriment to his first-round status, scouts don’t believe it to be an issue that would prevent him from having a successful NFL career at left tackle. He heads north to New England, where Lowe or Wallace would be in place as a stopgap if the seasoned SEC blocker needs any acclimation time. Considering 2025 will be a crucial developmental year for Drake Maye, it would stand to reason Campbell would step in immediately.
5) Jacksonville Jaguars — DT Mason Graham, Michigan
Jacksonville’s biggest holes are at tight end, linebacker, and maybe safety, but none of the top prospects at those positions feel worthy of going fifth overall. The best player on the board at this point is Graham, and while defensive tackle may not be a gaping hole, it’s a spot at which the Jaguars could use an upgrade.
Graham was the top-ranked interior defender in the NCAA last year, per Pro Football Focus, and this was not a breakout year; he ranked fifth in 2023. Graham can be disruptive as an inside pass rusher, totaling nine sacks and 18 tackles for loss in three seasons, but he is an elite run defender — the NCAA’s best, per PFF — and would be pivotal to a unit that finished 25th in run defense in 2024. With Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker in place on the edge, Graham pairs with Arik Armstead to form the team’s most menacing defensive line since its 2017 “Sacksonville” crew.
6) Las Vegas Raiders — RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
There’s work to be done at a number of positions in Las Vegas, but running back seems to have the biggest need for improvement. The other position I considered here was defensive tackle, but Graham is off the board, and I think Jeanty adds more to the running backs group here than Derrick Harmon or Walter Nolen would add to the defensive line. Plus, with a decent O-line and a lack of elite wide receivers in the class, the new brain trust of general manager John Spytek, head coach Pete Carroll, and minority owner Tom Brady will need to find some way to add a weapon for new quarterback Geno Smith.
A lot will be expected of Jeanty in 2025 after he carried the Broncos to the College Football Playoff last year. Hopes that some combination of Alexander Mattison and Zamir White would make for a passable run game proved misplaced as the Raiders finished dead last in rushing in 2024. Vegas added Raheem Mostert to improve the room in free agency, and though he’s only a season removed from a 1,000-yard rushing campaign in which he led the league in rushing touchdowns with 18, the veteran speedster took a backseat last year in Miami. He would do so again here behind Jeanty, whose run at Barry Sanders‘ hallowed single-season Division I-FBS rushing record (2,628) fell just 27 yards short.
7) New York Jets — T Armand Membou, Missouri
It is extremely tempting to go with Jaxson Dart here. Post-Aaron Rodgers, the Jets are once again trying to figure out their future at quarterback. At the moment, though, they seem decently positioned with Justin Fields set to start and experienced backup Tyrod Taylor behind him. New York even rosters former Florida State star Jordan Travis as a potential underrated pick to develop. Ultimately, Dart would feel like a reach, especially if Fields continues to improve as a starter. Instead, the team decides to add a piece to protect its new starting passer.
Membou would enter a really good situation in New York. A combination of center Joe Tippmann, left guard John Simpson, and right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker anchored an impressive interior line in 2024. Olu Fashano, the team’s pick at No. 11 overall last year, should step up at left tackle, where he started five games last year. If Membou is ready, he can step in as the starting right tackle right away. If not, Chukwuma Okorafor is available to fill in until Membou develops.
8) Carolina Panthers — LB Jalon Walker, Georgia
We know that Carolina is likely to focus on defense in this year’s draft, and its biggest weaknesses currently reside in the linebacking corps, where the team has plenty of bodies but lacks elite talent. Safety, wide receiver, and tight end seem to be other positions at which the team could add, but unless the Panthers want Tyler Warren out of Penn State, none of those positions feature prospects that fit at this point of the draft.
The team’s weakness in the linebacking corps applies to both the off-ball group and the edge-rushing stable. Josey Jewell, Christian Rozeboom, and Trevin Wallace man the inside linebacker spots, while Jadeveon Clowney, Patrick Jones, D.J. Wonnum, and DJ Johnson comprise the outside linebacker corps. Aside from Clowney, none of the Panthers’ OLBs have proven to be entirely effective as starters. Walker is the perfect addition. Playing 311 snaps as an off-ball linebacker and 249 as an edge rusher in 2024, the Bulldogs standout’s versatility across the defense is reminiscent of Micah Parsons. The Panthers will get to determine at which spot Walker offers the greatest potential to help.
9) New Orleans Saints — QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
Sanders is trending heavily here, especially following the injury update to veteran starter Derek Carr, but hear me out. Dart makes so much more sense here. To get it out of the way: there are weaknesses on New Orleans’ offensive line (namely at guard), cornerback, and defensive tackle, but Carr’s situation makes quarterback a direr need. While initially the team was linked to Day 2 passers like Texas’ Quinn Ewers, the situation seems to necessitate a Day 1 move.
Now, back to the Dart-Sanders argument. This doesn’t boil entirely down to the fact that the two’s draft stocks have been moving drastically in opposite directions for weeks, but that is noteworthy. New head coach Kellen Moore has worked with three quarterbacks in the past three seasons: Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts. Moore’s experience is with big-bodied passers with deep-ball and rushing abilities, two facets Sanders has seen criticized about his game. Sanders carries only average arm strength and plays conservatively. He also did not inherit his father’s electric speed and finished at Colorado with negative rushing yards (sacks count against rushing yards in college). Dart is a much more willing and accurate deep-ball thrower and has far more ability as a rusher.
If Carr is able to play in 2025, all the better to sit and develop Dart responsibly. If not, Dart stands a much better chance at finding success with a relatively weak offensive line and a bevy of offensive weapons than Sanders.
10) Chicago Bears — TE Tyler Warren, Penn State
Adding center Drew Dalman and guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson to a line bookended by an impressive pair in Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones solidifies a group that was suspect in 2024. Upgrades could be made along the defensive line, but Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett are serviceable on the interior while Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo both have more potential than they showed in 2024. It is tempting to go with Georgia’s Mykel Williams or Marshall’s Mike Green here to add more pass-rushing bodies, but the best safety blanket you can provide a young, growing quarterback like Caleb Williams is a talented tight end, and Warren is too good a prospect to fall outside of the top 10.
Now, I know Cole Kmet exists and earned a four-year, $50MM extension after a career year in 2023, but last season brought Kmet’s worst work since his rookie year. His contract includes a potential out following the 2025 season that would allow them to cut him with only $3.2MM in dead cap. Drafting Warren here provides Williams with a top-tier weapon, one coming off a 1,233-yard receiving season, and gives the Bears a chance to determine whether or not they’re able to move on from Kmet should his down 2024 turn out not to be an anomaly.
NFL Minor Transactions: 4/11/25
Here are today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Re-signed: CB Kevin King
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed RFA tender: LB Jack Cochrane
Miami Dolphins
- Signed RFA tender: CB Kader Kohou
King returned to the field last year for the first time since 2021. A former second-round pick for the Packers, King was a starter in Green Bay before deciding to sit out the 2022 season for personal reasons. He attempted to make a return in 2023, but a torn Achilles tendon prevented him from doing so.
Finally coming back to the NFL with the Falcons last year, King saw very few snaps on defense in the regular season despite being a standout in the offseason. King was praised for his defensive versatility throughout camp and the preseason, but the Falcons mostly utilized the veteran on special teams.