Texans Collect No. 97 From Vikings
A flurry of trades is closing out Day 2 of the draft. The Texans are adding No. 97 from the Vikings, who are sliding down five spots.
Minnesota will move into tonight’s final slot (No. 102) and add No. 142 as well. In addition to 97, Houston will add No. 187. The Texans chose USC cornerback Jaylin Smith at 97.
Smith spent his entire four-year career with the Trojans, starting 32 of 43 games. His most productive campaign came in 2024, when he posted four pass deflections and a pair of interceptions. Those figures helped him earn third-team All-Big Ten honors.
Given Smith’s size (5-11, 187 pounds), it would come as no surprise if he were to operate in the slot at the NFL level. Especially given Houston’s CB setup, competing for defensive time on the inside should be expected. Smith could, at a minimum, look to earn snaps on special teams right away.
The Texans used a second-round pick on Kamari Lassiter last year, and he enjoyed a strong rookie campaign. Derek Stingley Jr., meanwhile, is on the books for years to come thanks to his monster extension signed this offseason. Those two will remain atop the depth chart for perimeter corners in 2025 and beyond. Smith could look to serve as a backup if he sees time on the outside at the NFL level.
Houston ranked sixth against the pass in 2024, and DeMeco Ryans‘ team will be expected to duplicate that success next season. Smith could manage to play a role in that effort depending on his performance in training camp, or he could at least give the team a low-cost option in the secondary for years to come.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
Giants Draft Fallout: Wilson, Dart, Daboll, Sanders, Schoen, Browns, Rams, Pack, Vikes
Post-draft, Brian Daboll confirmed Russell Wilson will remain the Giants‘ starter entering the season. Considering Jaxson Dart‘s profile, it should not be expected the former Ole Miss and USC passer would have a good chance to overtake Wilson before the season. But Daboll and GM Joe Schoen’s New York fates are almost definitely tethered to Dart now.
After passing on Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix last year, the Giants traded three Day 2 picks to land Dart at No. 25. They did not view any of the non-Cam Ward QBs in this class as worthy of No. 3 overall, where Abdul Carter went as expected. But the decision to go with Dart over Shedeur Sanders provided a signature sequence during this draft’s opening night.
A pre-draft report indicated the Giants were split on Sanders (as the Dart pairing gained steam), and while the QB still had support in the building going into the draft, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan indicates the Colorado prospect’s momentum cooled as the coaches became involved in the evaluation process. Rumblings of Daboll preferring Dart look to have been accurate. The Giants did more work on Sanders compared to Dart, per the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard, who indicates Schoen scouted on in-person Dart performance. Conversely, a pre-draft assessment tabbed the fourth-year Giants GM as having “lived in Boulder.”
It would appear Daboll drove the bus for Dart, as Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz offers, and teams’ reported issues with Sanders’ attitude look to have included a Giants encounter. A Daboll-Sanders pre-draft meeting did not go well, according to The Ringer’s Todd McShay (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy). A quarterback who had entered the pre-draft process as a fairly safe top-10 pick fell out of the first round, with Giants and Steelers decisions defining the second-generation NFL prospect’s night. The Steelers chose Oregon D-lineman Derrick Harmon four picks before the Giants moved back into Round 1 for Dart.
The Giants initially contacted other teams about trading up, as Duggan adds Schoen saw some of his offers to move back up rejected. We heard midway through the first round the Giants had launched their effort to move back into Round 1 — a rumored pursuit that we now know was Dart-based — but he did not see the offers gain much traction until around 22.
The Steelers passing undoubtedly intensified the Giants’ effort to land their second-favorite QB in this class (after Ward trade efforts failed). The Chargers passed to draft Omarion Hampton, but the Texans allowed the Giants to move up three spots later. It cost the team Nos. 34, 99 and a 2026 third-round pick. The Giants held a second third-rounder this year, helping move the trade across the goal line.
Green Bay and Minnesota turned down trade offers for the Nos. 23 and 24 overall picks, according to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman and the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. It is safe to assume Schoen made calls to both NFC North teams, as he was leery of another QB-needy club swooping in. The Browns, Saints and Rams had been connected to making a move at this juncture of the draft, while the Steelers’ need remained after their Harmon pick.
Several teams made the Packers offers, Brian Gutekunst said. Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said talks intensified shortly before his team’s No. 24 pick. In addition to the QB-needy lot, the Falcons were angling to move up for edge rusher James Pearce Jr., which they did (via the Rams) at No. 26. That move cost a first-round pick, while the Giants escaped without needing to part with their 2026 first.
New York’s move came in part because of a fear the Browns were eyeing Dart, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets. Other teams shared this view, even though a draft-day report connected the Steelers, Rams and Saints to Dart. Though, the Browns were able to keep their Travis Hunter negotiations with the Jaguars quiet for weeks; they look to have done the same with Dart. Holding the top pick in Round 2 and a second selection three spots later (thanks to the Hunter swap), Cleveland now has its choice of the remaining QBs. The team could have put together an enticing package to move up, but it stood down. The Giants just made sure the AFC North club could not choose Dart. The Rams were not a factor for Dart, per Raanan and SNY’s Connor Hughes.
Although the Giants were still meeting on QBs this week, per Schoen, Leonard adds Daboll and Dart had begun texting daily after the Giants sent a sizable contingent to Ole Miss’ mid-March pro day. That communication understandably cooled before the draft, leaving Dart in the dark, but he will be asked to do what Daniel Jones could not. (That said, Jones was still a six-year Giants starter.) His tenure, however, moved Daboll and Schoen to the hot seat. Considering Jones was a Dave Gettleman pick, it had always seemed logical — despite the Wilson and Jameis Winston signings — this regime would tab its QB in this draft.
The Giants will aim to give Dart a full-season redshirt, Duggan adds. A previous plan did not get off the ground, as Jones replaced Eli Manning in Week 2 of his rookie season. Wilson’s post-Seattle play also may not be enough to hold off Dart, but the RPO-based college passer will almost definitely require some in-season acclimation time. Calls for the rookie will likely be loud, especially as the Giants’ schedule includes eight games against the NFC North and AFC West — not to mention the four against the teams that played for the NFC title last season.
The Schoen-Daboll regime also stands to be eager to sink or swim with a quarterback it drafted, rather than allow Wilson to steer the ship too far off course while John Mara evaluates the current power structure’s future. Going into training camp, however, Wilson will have a firm grip on the job. This will be new territory for the potential Hall of Famer, however, as he has not needed to fend off a highly drafted rookie previously.
Vikings Draft G Donovan Jackson At No. 24
The Vikings were busy adding up front in free agency, and that has continued via the draft. Minnesota has selected Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson at No. 24.
Only entering the draft with four picks, the Vikings nevertheless used their top 2025 draft asset to complete an interior O-line overhaul. After signing ex-Colts Ryan Kelly and Will Fries in free agency, Minnesota is adding Jackson, who played both guard and tackle at Ohio State last season. In the NFL, however, Jackson is expected to line up inside.
Set at tackle, in rostering Brian O’Neill and a recovering Christian Darrisaw, the Vikings changed up significantly inside. They traded benched guard Ed Ingram, a 2022 second-round pick, to the Texans. Dalton Risner, a two-year stopgap of sorts, has not re-signed. It should be expected Jackson will usurp Blake Brandel at one of the guard positions, while Fries mans the other spot after the Vikes won a free agent derby to land one of this year’s top available blockers.
Jackson gave the Vikings plenty of tape to study. He started at guard throughout the 2022 and ’23 seasons, at a program known for churning out O-line talent, and slid to left tackle after Josh Simmons suffered a patellar tendon tear last season. Despite this Buckeyes nucleus’ profile rising thanks to the late-season charge to the national title last season, Jackson was already on the NFL radar after earning first-team All-Big Ten acclaim in 2022 and ’23 as a guard. He repeated that feat last season, helping Ohio State (and transfer QB Will Howard) to a championship.
The Vikes having Jackson also should help them from a roster-building sense, as Darrisaw is on a top-five LT contract while O’Neill is attached to an upper-crust RT deal. The team also gave Fries top-10 guard money to commit to the Twin Cities, while Kelly is signed to a short-term deal at a mid-market center rate.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Browns, Steelers, Vikings Linked To Kirk Cousins; Saints In Mix For Falcons QB?
Although Shedeur Sanders probably enters the draft with the most compelling storyline, a player who came off the board on Day 3 13 years ago is pushing for a front-row spot. The Kirk Cousins situation remains foggy, even after the demoted Falcons quarterback reported on time for his team’s offseason program.
Cousins is still eyeing a way out of Atlanta, and teams continue to come up as interested parties. Even after their Joe Flacco addition — one that came after Cousins consideration — the Browns are being mentioned as a candidate to add Cousins. So are the Steelers and Vikings, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. How teams proceed in the draft will obviously play a central role in Cousins’ willingness to sign off on a trade, as he is not planning to waive his no-trade clause before the draft — in an effort to avoid a redux of his 2024 storyline.
Of the above-referenced trio, Russini points to the Vikings being the least likely to add Cousins — in what would be a quick reunion — due to J.J. McCarthy‘s presence. With McCarthy’s path to the Minnesota starting job clear enough the team has brushed off Aaron Rodgers, it would be understandable if Cousins — his production under Kevin O’Connell notwithstanding — would be leery of landing there again. Cousins would be against a trade that sends him to a team with a starter-level young passer, Russini adds. Considering the teams in this mix, that might be a difficult play.
Employing ex-Cousins Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski, the Browns are candidates to circle back to address their QB situation after making their first-round pick (likely Travis Hunter). The Giants, Saints, Rams and Dolphins join the Steelers in being linked to early-round QB investments. Cleveland already signing Flacco and adding Kenny Pickett via trade would stand to block a Cousins path — if a rookie is tabbed, at least. If the Browns somehow leave this draft without a QB, they could be in play to reunite Cousins and Stefanski, where a Flacco competition would stand to be on tap.
As odd as it would be to see the Falcons send their high-priced backup to their top rival, the Saints should also be considered on the Cousins radar, Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline writes. Falcons GM Terry Fontenot came from the Saints, and Pauline adds the Falcons would consider dealing Cousins to any team willing to pay a sizable chunk of the QB’s 2025 money. Cousins’ 2025 base salary ($27.5MM) is guaranteed, giving the Falcons no incentive to move on without someone taking on part of the salary. We heard earlier this offseason that Atlanta wanted an acquiring team to pay at least $20MM of Cousins’ tab. That has seemed highly unlikely to occur.
Donovan McNabb and Drew Bledsoe were traded within their divisions this century, creating a precedent for Fontenot and Co. The Saints, however, want to leave this draft with a quarterback. Mickey Loomis evaded Derek Carr questions at his pre-draft presser today, further muddying this situation, one that has the veteran starter in danger of missing some (or all) of the 2025 season due to a shoulder injury. New Orleans has done extensive work on prospects but is viewed as less likely to spend its No. 9 overall pick on the position. This would send them into a battle royal of sorts with the lot of teams eyeing this draft’s second wave of passers.
The Steelers could be the spot teams eyeing a trade-up maneuver to target, though they are not certain to use their first-rounder (No. 21) on a QB, either. Mike Tomlin has said Mason Rudolph would be an acceptable starter, but Pittsburgh — recent doubts aside — is still pursuing Rodgers. It had been expected around the league, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz, the Steelers would have an answer from the future Hall of Famer by the draft. With that not happening, the Steelers need to cover their bases. On that note, they have also done work on potential Day 3 options in Syracuse’s Kyle McCord and his Ohio State successor (Will Howard), per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler.
More notably, Fowler adds the Steelers want to take a QB swing in one of the next two drafts. That could create the illusion of flexibility, though if Rodgers does not show in Pittsburgh, Rudolph would move to the front of the line if the Steelers do not make a first- or second-day addition. Cousins, then, would become insurance against Rodgers balking at a longstanding Pittsburgh offer. Would the Steelers make a preemptive play for the Falcons backup if they lose patience with Rodgers?
Offering a final wrinkle here, Schultz adds Arthur Blank could also opt to keep Cousins (after presumably not seeing other teams agree to take on much salary). Several sources inform Schultz that Cousins could be effectively held hostage (a well-paid hostage, but still) as Michael Penix Jr.‘s backup. Considering Penix’s injury past, the Falcons considering Fontenot’s previous decree to retain Cousins as QB2 has some merit.
This would drain a year from Cousins’ career, his age-37 season, while giving the Falcons insurance ahead of a smoother 2026 release. It would stand to reason we still have plenty of Cousins updates to come between now and this potential reality.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/23/25
Here are Wednesday’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Waived: QB Jake Fromm
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed ERFA tender: C Dylan McMahon
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived/failed physical: CB NaJee Thompson
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: DT Cameron Young
The Lions had added Fromm shortly after cutting Nate Sudfeld last summer. Detroit stashed Fromm on its practice squad throughout last season, keeping him as its third-stringer behind Jared Goff and Hendon Hooker. Teddy Bridgewater‘s late-season unretirement changed the Lions’ plans, but they retained Fromm and then kept him on a reserve/futures contract in January. Fromm, a 2020 fifth-round pick who has not seen game action since 2021, is again available.
Minor NFL Transactions: 4/22/25
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: OL Michael Niese
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: OL Trevor Reid
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed second-round RFA tender: RB Jaylen Warren
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed ERFA tender: DL Evan Anderson, DL Alex Barrett, LB Jalen Graham, TE Brayden Willis
The Steelers let Najee Harris walk in free agency, passing on re-signing their four-year starting RB despite the Chargers only giving him a one-year, $5.25MM deal. That base value is nearly identical to Warren’s 2025 compensation, set for $5.35MM by virtue of being tendered at the second-round level.
A former UDFA, Warren has served as Harris’ flashier sidekick for three seasons. The former Utah State and Oklahoma State back has proven a find, making key contributions off the bench while on a UDFA deal. Warren, 26, totaled 1,154 scrimmage yards in 2023 and 821 (in 15 games) last year. He will be set to team with Kenneth Gainwell, who is also on a one-year agreement. Pittsburgh has since been linked to adding a starter-level RB in the draft.
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.
Dalton Risner Expects To Sign Soon; Vikings, Broncos, Bengals On Radar
With the start of the draft less than one week away, little movement is expected as it pertains to free agency. Dalton Risner is among the top offensive line options still on the market, and he could see himself signing in the near future, though. 
The veteran guard has 87 appearances and 81 starts to his name, and he could occupy a first-team role upon arrival with a new employer. Risner, 29, has gone through a lengthy free agent process for each of the past two years, both times inking a deal with the Vikings. Minnesota’s offseason has included the addition of Will Fries along the interior of the O-line, however, so another Vikings pact could entail backup duties in Risner’s case. The team is nevertheless one of three in position to agree to a deal.
“Minnesota has shown interest in bringing me back, but only to an extent,” Risner said in a video posted to TikTok. “I will be on a team soon, I could imagine.”
The former second-rounder noted he is currently in talks with multiple teams and specifically named the Broncos and Bengals as other potential landing spots. Risner spent his first four seasons in Denver, operating as a full-time starter at left guard. He topped out as PFF’s 28th-ranked guard during that time, a feat which was surpassed this past campaign in Minnesota (68.1 overall grade, good for 22nd amongst guards). The Broncos already have Quinn Meinerz and Ben Powers under contract for multiple years, so Risner would be in line for a backup gig in the event he returned to the Mile High City.
The Bengals’ O-line setup has seen alterations at the guard spot during free agency. Alex Cappa was released, while Lucas Patrick was added on a one-year deal. The latter has started 64 games in his eight-year career, and he will compete for a first-team spot during training camp. Cody Ford was re-signed last month, and as a result he will be able to handle a swing tackle role and/or see playing time at guard if needed. Adding Risner to the mix would give Cincinnati another experienced option along the interior.
All three teams in question have the finances needed to add Risner, ranging from $16.56MM to $23.44MM in cap space as things stand. Minnesota, Denver and Cincinnati will of course need to set aside resources for the incoming draft class as well as other moves, but an agreement on this front could come together at any time.
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.
