The first round of the NFL Draft is set to happen at Campus Martius Park in Detroit on Thursday, April 25.
Unfinished – The NFL Draft is days away and teams are finalizing their draft boards to select players they think will lead their franchise in the right direction.
Chicago Bears, Pick 1 – QB Caleb Williams, USC
The Bears have never had a 4000 yard passer in the history of their franchise and look to change that with the selection of Williams. Williams is the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner who has thrown for over 9000 yards, 93 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions in his career at USC. Williams is a playmaker with the ability to make any throw on the field. He has insane arm talent and plays like the game is in slow motion for him. When the play breaks down, he’s able to improvise and keep his eyes up looking for an open receiver. While his playstyle has rocketed him up to the number one overall pick, it also does raise some concerns within his game. He holds the ball for a very long time hoping to make a one of a kind play which can lead to unnecessary sacks or turnovers. According to PFF, his average time to throw was 3.16 seconds, the sixth longest of all quarterbacks with a minimum of 200 pass attempts. Williams will have some work to do to play at a high level at the NFL, but the ceiling is through the roof.
Player Comparisons – 2018 Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Texas Tech Johnny Manziel if he actually cared about football
Washington Commanders, Pick 2 – QB Jayden Daniels, LSU
Reports have come out that the Commanders really enjoy the idea of making Daniels their QB of the future. Daniels is the recent Heisman winner who led the country with 4,946 total yards and 50 total touchdowns. His rushing ability and beautiful deep ball is what has rocketed him up draft boards despite being a 23 year old five year college starter. He’s shown the ability to be a home run player who can score on any given play, whether he’s scrambling or throwing a go ball to guys like Malik Nabers or Brian Thomas Jr. What worries me about Daniels is his unwillingness to throw over the middle, his lack of elite arm talent, and the way he takes unnecessary devastating hits. If Washington surrounds Daniels with the right pieces and he learns how to avoid pressure and big hits, he could be a force to be reckoned with. But if he doesn’t grow into his ceiling, he might flame out faster than you think.
Player comparisons – Robert Griffin III, Justin Fields without the aura, discount Lamar Jackson
New England Patriots, Pick 3 – WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
Some might question this pick and ask why not take a quarterback? Marvin Harrison Jr. is your answer. The best wide receiver prospect since Calvin Johnson and my number one prospect in this draft class. Marvin Harrison Jr. is a 6’4, 205 pound receiver with the whole package. He has elite athleticism, amazing ball tracking, blazing speed, and some of the best route running in the country. Anything coaches ask Harrison Jr. to do, he’ll do it better than you can imagine. He is a quarterback’s best friend (despite the Patriots not having even an average quarterback) and will be a great day one starter at the least. If you wanted to point out a weakness, he can drop a ball every now and then and he isn’t the best at breaking tackles. Even then, I’m just nitpicking. The Patriots haven’t had a true number one receiver since the Bush administration, it’s time to change that. The Patriots somehow get a steal at pick 3.
Player comparisons – A.J Green, CeeDee Lamb with less YAC ability, Marvin Harrison if he was 6’4
TRADE: Arizona Cardinals trade Pick 4 to the Minnesota Vikings for Picks 11 and 23
Minnesota Vikings, Pick 4 – QB Drake Maye, UNC
The Vikings get their heir replacement for Kirk Cousins in Drake Maye. Maye is my QB1 in this draft with great height, immense arm talent, and the ability to stand tall in the pocket even when the pocket is collapsing. Maye is what you want in a pocket passer with an aggressive mindset and big play mentality with a little feel for playmaking. He’s able to make throws from any angle with any amount of velocity he wants to. Despite all these pros, Maye suffers from some of the same issues Caleb Williams does. He tends to look for the big play instead of the easy play and when down, he can go into hero ball mode and cause crushing sacks or turnovers. He also needs to work on his footwork as sometimes his mechanics can lead to inaccurate balls. Maye had to suffer from a below average team surrounding him which made his stats look somewhat pedestrian but the tape speaks to me.
Player comparison: If Justin Herbert and Josh Allen had a baby
Los Angeles Chargers, Pick 5 – WR Rome Odunze, Washington
The Chargers have a need at pretty much every position except quarterback with said quarterback needing to throw to players not picked up from their local Walmart. With this being said, I think the Chargers take Rome Odunze out of Washington. Odunze is a 6’3, 212 lb. big play machine with the best hands in this receiver class. He can win 50/50 balls with ease and can easily take the top off defenses despite not being the fastest guy out there. He also reads the field pretty well as he can find the soft spots in zones when necessary. He doesn’t have many downsides, his route running can be a little sloppy at times and his cuts might now be the smoothest but those can be worked on with practice. The Chargers get an alpha receiver which is what they’ve needed for years now.
Player comparisons: DeAndre Hopkins, 2022 Davante Adams, a mix of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams
New York Giants, Pick 6 – WR Malik Nabers, LSU
The Giants are in limbo right now, they have a front office that wants to compete yet they don’t have the team to do just that. Their only playmaker in Saquon Barkley is gone and they have plenty of needs at multiple positions but to me, their WR room is screaming for help and Malik Nabers is here to save them. Malik Nabers excels after the catch and can blow past any defender with his blazing speed. Yet another big play threat in this loaded receiver class who averaged 17.6 yards per catch this past season. With nine 20 yard touchdowns, he excels as a deep threat from both the slot and outside. Nabers has a slender frame so he can be abused by press coverage relatively easily, especially on the outside. He’ll be excellent in the pros, but the question of surviving on the outside consistently will remain a question mark until he proves it.
Player comparisons – Slim A.J Brown, D.J Moore if he ran a 4.3
Tennessee Titans, Pick 7 – OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame
The Titans have spent the 4th most money in free agency trying to fill up holes in their roster alongside having the 7th overall pick in the draft. Because the 6 teams ahead of them are quarterback and receiver needy teams, the Titans get one of the best tackle prospects in recent years to fall to them at seven. Alt is a 6’8 tower who uses that height to his advantage with a great first step and quick feet for someone his size. He’s able to dig his feet into the ground to defend bull rushes, he has solid hand punches, and he moves easily in space. He’s a day one starter at left tackle, without a doubt.
Player comparisons – Trent Williams, Taylor Decker
Atlanta Falcons, Pick 8 – DE Dallas Turner, Alabama
The Falcons have signed the piece to complete their offense, Kirk Cousins and hired a defensive head coach in Raheem Morris. It’s time for the Falcons to spend a premium draft pick on a defensive player after taking offensive playmakers in the first round the past 3 years. The Falcons have 138 sacks in the last 5 years, the least out of any team over that period of time. Raheem Morris’ scheme screams Dallas Turner, a twitchy pass rusher with the ability to possibly run back into coverage in the middle of the field and defend against the run. Turner has a multitude of nasty pass rushing moves and has the bend to execute them at a high level. His main concern is that he’s undersized and could struggle against bigger tackles with long arms overpowering and outstretching him. If he were to bulk up, he could be a perennial Pro Bowler at the next level.
Player comparisons – Eagles Hasson Reddick, Brian Burns
TRADE: Chicago Bears trade Pick 9 to the Indianapolis Colts for Pick 15
Indianapolis Colts, Pick 9 – TE Brock Bowers, Georgia
With the three top receivers off the board, the Chicago Bears choose to load up on their limited assets in this draft and trade the 9th pick to the Colts for the 15th pick. Shane Steichen builds out the offense for potential superstar quarterback Anthony Richardson by giving him possibly the best tight end prospect ever. Bowers is a 6’3, 243 pound player who led the Georgia Bulldogs in receiving 3 years in a row with the ability to line up anywhere in formation and wreak havoc on the field. He’s basically a big slot receiver but with top tier blocking and insane yards after the catch ability. He can catch screens or slants and take them to the house in the blink of an eye. While all of these positives go his way, he is a little undersized for a traditional tight end and could be misused very easily if a team doesn’t try to maximize his strengths. Blocking and having to run through bigger guys but teams like the Chiefs have proven to be able to run through slot tight ends. Steichen gets a guy to fully unlock this potentially hyper powered offense.
Player comparisons – Aaron Hernandez but only on the football field. Nowhere else.
TRADE: New York Jets trade Pick 10 to the Las Vegas Raiders for Pick 13
Las Vegas Raiders, Pick 10 – QB J.J McCarthy, Michigan
The Raiders attempt to get their quarterback of the future after their stint with Jimmy Garappolo blew up in their face. McCarthy is a national champion with a 27-1 record as a college starter, the Raiders might be getting a “winner” with this pick. McCarthy played in a low passing volume system in Michigan but stats show he was excellent on 3rd and 4th down which are great indicators for how good a quarterback can be when he passes the ball. He has above average arm strength with an aggressive mindset which leads to him consistently attempting to make tight window throws, especially in play-action looks. One quality I admire about McCarthy is he will stand in the pocket until the very last second to get a throw off, even when he is going to get blasted by an incoming defender. A recurring theme in this draft, McCarthy is a bit on the smaller side leaving him prone to injuries from bigger guys. He also doesn’t have elite arm strength, his decision making can be very questionable at times, and he can have inconsistent accuracy on deep balls. His biggest weakness seems to be throwing to the left side of the field but if he goes to a system that relies on throwing over the middle of the field, he won’t have to worry about that too much.
Player comparisons – Weak Kirk Cousins, Brock Purdy
TRADE: Minnesota Vikings trade Picks 11 and 23 to the Arizona Cardinals for Pick 4
Arizona Cardinals, Pick 11 – CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama
The Cardinals choose to pass on two fantastic receiver prospects to gain 2 more first round picks and build out their limited roster. The Cardinals have needed a number one corner since Patrick Peterson left in free agency a few years back. Arnold played at Alabama under Nick Saban alongside fellow first round prospect, Kool-Aid McKinstry and both were dominant as advertised. Arnold seems to be the more preferred prospect over the latter though and it’s not hard to see why. He’s got long arms, is a ball hawk, and able to guard both outside and the slot so he’s able to move all over the field. He’s very bendy which allows him to flip his hips in the blink of an eye and has good ball skills which gives him a feel for when a ball is coming his way. His fluid play also allows him to be both a good press and off-coverage corner, he’s basically a do it all player in the secondary. Like most ballhawks though, Arnold is susceptible to double moves or comeback routes which could let up big chunk plays. He also has a tendency to give up too much space in off-coverage but these problems could easily be worked on. The Cardinals start the rebuild of their secondary with a bang.
Player comparison – Trevon Diggs, little bit of Darius Slay
Denver Broncos, Pick 12 – CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
The Broncos are in purgatory right now. They tried to go all in by acquiring Russell Wilson, Sean Payton, and big spendings in free agency but it seems like it was all for nothing. The only player truly worth more than a dime on the Broncos roster right now is Patrick Surtain II who is nearing the end of his rookie contract with no extension imminent. While the Broncos have needs at pretty much every position, the Broncos choose to take a corner to line up opposite of Surtain. Just like Arnold, Mitchell is a ballhawk corner with excellent ball skills and fluidity. He’s also maybe the most athletic corner in this class with a 4.33 40 time and high percentile combine results. His ball skills are his best trait as he’s able to know when the ball is coming to him, he’s able to jump routes very easily and intercept the ball, and he’s super aggressive at the catch point. He’s an excellent zone corner but by that same token, he can give up too much separation while in man coverage and also sits on routes waiting for a ball to come his way. General managers might also question the level of talent he played at Toledo but the athleticism and play show a lot to like.
Player comp – 2019 Marcus Peters
TRADE: Las Vegas Raiders trade Pick 13 to the New York Jets for Pick 10
New York Jets, Pick 13 – OT Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
The Jets have spent their off season fixing most of the holes on offense… sorta. They’re getting Aaron Rodgers back, they signed backup QB Tyrod Taylor, WR Mike Williams, OT Tyron Smith and John Simpson, and traded for OT Morgan Moses. There’s just one problem, all of these guys are fairly injury prone or old. Some are both. While they’re all good players, the Jets season is going to have to rely on them staying healthy. They could either be super bowl contenders or flame out like they did last season. With all that being said, the Jets choose to play it safe and protect their most valuable asset with offensive line depth. Fuaga is a 6’6 tackle with light feet and great arm technique with fine athleticism. He’s able to move around well enough to pick up stunts or defenders rushing around the edge, along with the ability to create motion in the run game. Fuaga may be listed as a tackle but he might be better at the guard position due to his certain strengths and weaknesses. His first step can be a little slow so pass rushers might be able to blow right past him, especially speedy pass rushers around the arc. Fuaga can play guard or tackle for the Jets but to maximize his potential, the Jets might have to consider putting him at guard.
New Orlean Saints, Pick 14 – OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State
Another tackle off the board, this time Olu Fashanu out of Penn State. Just like Fuaga, Fashanu has very light feet and better arm technique due to his long arms. His pass blocking is top tier, he’s super twitchy and able to redirect pass rushers away from the quarterback. Any move that is thrown at Fashanu, whether it be a bull rush or a spin move, he can take it on with his freak athleticism. He has very flexible hips so he’s able to bend and twist when throwing out blocks if necessary. He also just has a good feel for what moves pass rushers are gonna throw at him, especially spin moves. Fashanu’s problems begin in the run blocking game though, he’s not very reliable when he has to keep running lanes open and can overstep a little bit, falling over and letting up control to the defenders trying to close the lanes. He needs to be more patient as well. Fashanu can fill the hole potentially left by tackle Ryan Ramczyk who might have a career ending knee injury, the Saints get a high ceiling guy who can play day one and not be a negative.
TRADE: Indianapolis Colts trade Pick 15 to the Chicago Bears for Pick 9
Chicago Bears, Pick 15 – DE Laiatu Latu
The Bears unfortunately miss out on one of the top three receiver prospects so they trade back to 15 to land possibly the best defensive player in this draft, Laiatu Latu. You might be wondering why the best defensive prospect is falling all down to 15, the answer is medical concerns. Latu had to medically retire in 2021 but was medically cleared to come back in 2022 after transferring from Washington to UCLA. In 2023, he played all 12 of UCLA’s games and was an absolute force to be reckoned with. He has the best first step, some of the best hand fighting, and one of the deepest pass rushing bags in this class. According to PFF, he led the country in pass-rush win rate with a 40.7% pass-rush win rate. He has elite bend and flexibility which allows him to bend in any way he wants to fight past the lineman he’s rushing against. He can line up both on the edge and inside against smaller guards who might struggle with his ferocity. His main concern is that he doesn’t have the best length for an edge rusher so he can be pushed around on run plays or even against bigger tackles with long arms. And again, the medical history might have some teams completely take him off their draft board. But to any team willing to take a shot on him, they’ll get a bonafide stud on their defensive line. The Bears get their guy opposite of Montez Sweat.
TRADE: Seattle Seahawks trade Pick 16 to the Green Bay Packers for Pick 25
Green Bay Packers, Pick 16 – CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson
The Packers are normally an aggressive team when it comes to getting their guy, they want to get a corner opposite Jaire Alexander or to even fill in for him if he goes down with an injury (27 games played out of 51 in the past three seasons) which has been a frequent occurrence in recent seasons. Wiggins is a freak athlete despite his slender frame (6’1, weighing at the combine at 173 pounds) with a twitchy feel for the position, a 4.28 40 time, and some of the best body control out of all the cornerback prospects. With that cheetah-like speed, if he were to get beat off the line, he can easily make up the ground lost and catch up with his receiver. He has a good feel for the game, knowing routes before they are even ran or balls that are coming his way before they are even thrown. According to PFF, he only let up one touchdown in 2023 which is some of the best ball skills you could ask for. Back to his slander frame though, it might be a concern for some teams and his playstyle in the pros. He frequently missed tackles and can be blocked easily in the run game, especially when it gets to the second level. He also is inconsistent with turning his head around at the catch point. The Packers fill a big need at that second corner spot after Rasul Douglas’ departure at the trade deadline last season.
TRADE: Jacksonville Jaguars trade Pick 17 to the Philadelphia Eagles for Pick 22
Philadelphia Eagles, Pick 17 – CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa
Howie Roseman strikes again, to no avail. When that man wants something for his team, he’ll get it. The Eagles went 1-6 in their last 7 games after starting 10-1, the last loss being an embarrassing playoff exit to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Eagles add some youth to their old cornerback room with a hybrid cornerback/safety player in DeJean. He can line up all over the field, on the outside, the slot, in the box, he’s a jack of all trades. One of my favorite aspects of DeJean’s game is his aggressiveness, especially in the run game and as a blitzer. He refuses to be blocked and has a knack for finding the ball. As a blitzer, he can fly downhill and lay some huge hits on whoever has the ball in their hands. In pass coverage, he’s great in off coverage and even a little bit of press coverage. He’s able to keep pace with whoever he’s covering and has good awareness when playing in zone coverage. One last thing, he excels as a punt returner, averaging 11.5 yards per return on 21 returns. DeJean has a hard time turning his head around when the ball comes to him and often bites on double moves, leading to explosive plays. He also doesn’t have great hip flexibility which can lead to tightness when in man coverage. The Eagles get one of the most versatile players in the draft to fix their secondary issues from the back end of last season.
Cincinnati Bengals, Pick 18 – OT J.C Latham, Alabama
The everlasting problem of Cincinnati’s bad offensive line has plagued them even before QB Joe Burrow’s arrival, no matter who they seem to sign or draft. The hit rate on Alabama offensive lineman also seems to have a bad history in recent years so it doesn’t seem like a great match, but something about Latham feels different to me. Latham is one of my favorite tackles in this class and for good reason. He’s a 6’6, 342 pound tackle with huge legs and long arms. He has excellent upper body strength with lockdown hands, whenever he gets his hands on you, you’re not getting anywhere near the ball. In the run game, he’s an absolute bulldozer and will dig defenders into the ground. Despite the frame and supreme strength, he has amazing leverage and honestly plays like he’s lighter and smaller. Through all of this, he lunges at defenders an awful lot. If he misses that first punch, he can get caught off balance and a big guy like him can’t recover as quickly as a smaller tackle could. He’s also a right tackle at heart, he has never played a snap at left tackle in college which could be a negative to teams that want a versatile tackle. Joe Burrow gets an absolute freak to protect him during their championship window.
Los Angeles Rams, Pick 19 – DL Byron Murphy, Texas
The Rams have their own first round pick for the first time since 2016, but at the cost of losing DT Aaron Donald to retirement this off season. Luckily for the Rams, there are two high end defensive tackle prospects in this draft to somewhat fill the void he leaves on their defensive line. They choose to take Byron Murphy out of Texas. As a run stuffer and interior pass rusher, he seems to excel at both. He has a super quick first step and plays low with a never ending motor. He has great hand fighting skills and his swim move is relentless to offensive lineman, his bag of moves he’s able to utilize is dangerous. He’s able to dig deep into the ground and use his burst to push back offensive lineman, especially in passing situations. It seems like most players in this draft are undersized and Murphy is no different, unfortunately. He doesn’t have average height and length for a defensive tackle which means bigger players can take him out of a play if he lines up across from them. Double teams can also completely take him out completely due to his size and inability to outstretch them. His aggressiveness is also a double edged sword in a sense, he can be too aggressive and lose his balance. The Rams get their Aaron Donald replacement, if you can even replace a player like Donald.
Pittsburgh Steelers, Pick 20 – OT Amarius Mims, Georgia
The Steelers continue to build out their offensive line with another Georgia lineman, the monstrous 6’8, 340 pound Amarius Mims. Mims is the rawest tackle prospect in this class but by that same token, has the highest upside of any of them. He has 36 ⅛ inch arms and 11 ¼ inch hands, excellent fluidity and quick feet for someone his size. He’s an absolute monster who knows how to use his size to his advantage, his long arms are able to hold pass rushers back without giving up any ground. He can react quickly to any spin moves or speed around the arc and keep opponents away from his quarterback. He’s even more of a freak in the run game, his huge size allows him to knock defenders out of the ball’s range and keep rushing lanes open. As stated before, he’s incredibly raw with only eight career starts. While he has a good feel for the game, he’s a player that needs in-game reps to develop into a cornerstone tackle. He’s inconsistent at getting to the second level and lunges too easily when his first punches don’t land. He also comes with the question mark of if he can stay healthy, especially at his size. The physical traits, the passion to destroy anyone in his way, and feel for the game show a soaring ceiling for a raw prospect right now.
Miami Dolphins, Pick 21 – DT Jer’zhan Newton, Illinois
The Dolphins lost DT Christian Wilkins to free agency this off season, adding to their list of needs on the defensive side of the ball. After Murphy and Newton, the list of quality defensive tackles seems to fall off so the Dolphins strike while the iron is hot by taking Newton out of Illinois.
