Let’s expand our mock draft and look at two full rounds
Now that we are just a couple months away from the draft and the Carolina Panthers are locked into the No. 8 overall selection (barring a trade), it’s time to start looking a lot closer at this year’s NFL Draft. This time around, we’re expanding our predictions to include projected trades! Let’s get this sucker started:
1. Tennessee Titans (3-14) – Shadeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Brian Callahan recently made comments comparing Sanders to Joe Burrow. Callahan coached Joe Burrow in Cincinnati. 1 + 1 = Shadeur Sanders being taken first overall.
2. Cleveland Browns (3-14) – Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
The Browns might very well take a quarterback since Deshaun Watson has not been great since joining the team. Another route they could take is adding Carter to play opposite Myles Garrett. It won’t matter how bad the quarterback play is if the other team can’t score.
3. New York Giants (3-14) – Cam Ward, QB, Miami
The Giants will definitely be taking a quarterback. It all comes down to which of the top two fall to them at three. I’m sure they’d be happy with either.
4. New England Patriots (4-13) – Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
The Patriots have their quarterback, but they need weapons and better players on defense. Enter Travis Hunter, who can play some offensive packages while
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-13) – Mason Graham, DL, Michigan
The Jaguars defense was awful, and they fired their coach. Despite hiring an offensive mind, I think the new brain trust in Jacksonville looks to help their abysmal defense. Graham is a disruptive force who can help stop the run and rush the passer.
6. Las Vegas Raiders (4-13) – Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
The Raiders need quite a bit of talent influx. They just hired Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator, and we know Pete Carroll will want to run the football, so quarterback might get put on the back burner. McMillan can jump right in and fill the big slot position in Kelly’s offense similar to Jordan Matthews back in the day.
7. New York Jets (5-12) – Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas
Maybe Aaron Rodgers comes back, maybe he doesn’t. No one knows. Aaron Glenn knows that the Jets will need to protect whoever is under center. Banks can come in and play tackle or even move in to guard if need be.
8. Carolina Panthers (5-12) – Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Well, the board fell just about as poorly as it could for the Panthers, and they can’t find a willing partner to trade back with. Their consolation prize is a good one, though: the best cover corner in the draft. Johnson is coming off an injury, but when healthy he is an unquestioned stud. In this scenario, the Panthers would have two fantastic corners to help give the anemic pass rush time to get home.
9. Seattle Seahawks (10-7) – Will Campbell, OT, LSU **TRADE**
The Seahawks send the 18th pick, a third this year, and a third next year to the Saints to move all the way up to 9 and grab the best tackle remaining before the Bears can take him. Seattle needs offensive line help, and the Saints need a pretty big overhaul in general, so they’ll happily take the extra picks.
10. Chicago Bears (5-12) – Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
The Bears have a ton of offensive talent around Caleb Williams, but he was under a lot of pressure his first season. With the top two tackle prospects off the board, Chicago takes a bit of a reach here to fill a desperate need.
11. San Francisco 49ers (6-11) – James Pearce Jr, EDGE, Tennessee
The 49ers had their worst season in a long time under Kyle Shanahan, and a large part of that was defensive struggles. Pearce looked like a lock for a top five pick heading into 2024. Here, the 9ers hope they can unlock that version of Pearce in the pros.
12. Dallas Cowboys (7-10) – Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise St
The Cowboys need a running back. Jeanty is the best in the class. Everyone and their mother is going to mock Jeanty here, and I’m on board as well. A good run game could help the entire offense.
13. Miami Dolphins (8-9) – Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
The Dolphins are trying to keep their window open with Tua under center. Their defense struggled at times last year, and in a division with Josh Allen, they definitely need to improve on that side of the ball.
14. Cincinnati Bengals (9-8) – Jalon Walker, EDGE/LB, Georgia **TRADE**
The Bengals only need a defense good enough to stop a high school JV team in order to make the playoffs with Burrow and Chase. They know the window is right now, so they jump the Falcons and take the next best edge defender who is also ready to see the field right away. The other prospects are too raw for the Bengals to wait on improving.
15. Atlanta Falcons (8-9) – Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
The Falcons missed the playoffs once again this season, in part thanks to the Carolina Reaper. They have plenty of needs on defense, but Raheem Morris and company decide to go with the edge defender who could end up being an absolute monster. Williams has all the tools you could want, but he is still very raw and did not have the college production most teams look for.
16. Arizona Cardinals (8-9) – Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
The Cardinals have a dominant receiver in the making in Marvin Harrison Jr. Here, they add a YAC monster for Kyler Murray to throw to as well. This helps make the Cardinals passing attack even more diverse and dangerous.
17. Indianapolis Colts (8-9) – Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State **
The Colts trade back and still land the player they likely would have taken at 14. Warren is probably the most versatile offensive weapon in the draft, and Shane Steichen will have plenty of ideas for how to deploy him.
18. New Orleans Saints (5-12) – Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M **
The Saints are in the middle of a roster overhaul, so the extra picks will be nice. After trading down, they take advantage of the relatively deep edge class by taking Scourton. With the plethora of needs they have, I could see the Saints doing almost anything here.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) – Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
Back to back A&M defensive linemen off the board to NFC South rivals. The Bucs definitely need pass rush upgrades, as evidenced by bringing back Shaq Barrett at the end of this season. Stewart is massive and great against the run. If he can improve his pass rush technique, he could push Tampa Bay’s defense to greater heights.
20. Denver Broncos (10-7) – Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
Sean Payton wrecked havoc on the league with a prime Jimmy Graham. Here, he tries to replicate that and give Bo Nix another target to work with. With no Jerry Jeudy, the Broncos definitely need more pass catchers.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) – Jahdae Barron, CB/S, Texas
The Steelers need some help on defense, and I think Mike Tomlin would love Barron’s versatility on the back end. Adding another weapon similar to Minkah Fitzpatrick will do wonders for the Steelers’ defense.
22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) – Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
The Chargers showed some promise in their first year under Jim Harbaugh. That being said, their unreliable pass catchers definitely did not help Justin Herbert in the playoffs. Egbuka will give Herbert another target.
23. Green Bay Packers (11-6) – Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
The Packers need some help on the back end of their defense to really take the next step in the stacked NFC North. Morrison helped Notre Dame make it all the way to the College Football Championship Game.
24. Kansas City Chiefs (15-2) – Tyler Booker, IOL, Alabama **TRADE**
The Chiefs have shown their willingness to be aggressive to go get the player they want in the Draft. This time around, they package a first, a third, and a 2026 fifth to go get some offensive line help. If this dynasty is to continue, they need to keep Mahomes upright and healthy. Booker is one of the best interior lineman in the draft, so he’ll definitely help there.
25. Houston Texans (10-7) – Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
The Texans desperately need offensive line (still), and the Chiefs just jumped them for their preferred player. Instead, they get Membou, who has started to creep up draft boards. The Texans will take any help they can get to keep Stroud clean.
26. Los Angeles Rams (10-7) – Josh Conerly Jr, OT, Oregon
The Rams are another team that seemingly always needs offensive line help. They end up taking Conerly. Conerly is a very good pass blocker but has not shown dominance in the run game. McVay can work around that deficiency and make Conerly effective in the NFL.
27. Baltimore Ravens (12-5) – Shavon Revel Jr, CB, ECU
The key to unlocking the Ravens defense the second half of the year was switching up their corners. This allowed Kyle Hamilton to go do Kyle Hamilton things. The Ravens build on this strategy by taking Revel, a long and athletic corner. Revel is recovering from a torn ACL, but should be ready to go for the season.
28. Detroit Lions (15-2) – Kenneth Grant, DL, Michigan
The Lions lost Aidan Hutchinson to injury earlier this year and he still led the team in sacks. Since they were so successful the last time they drafted a defensive lineman from Michigan, they decide to try it again, this time working on the interior.
29. Washington Commanders (12-5) – Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
The defense let the Commanders down in the playoffs. Adding Green off the edge will definitely help put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
30. Buffalo Bills (13-4) – Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss
The Bills were once again a hair short of de-throning the Chiefs. Their defensive line is getting up there, with Vonn Miller and Daquan Jones well into their 30s. Injecting some youth into the rotation might get them over the hump.
31. Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) – Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota
The Eagles are in the Super Bowl again, so they obviously don’t have many needs. One thing that has held them back at times this year has been the offensive line. They’ve been great overall, but the Eagles could look to add depth and/or competition by adding someone like Ersery.
32. Minnesota Vikings (14-3) – Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame **
After trading back with the Chiefs, the Vikings have some options at the end of the first round. A lot of this decision will be impacted by what they do with Sam Darnold. In this scenario, I think Brian Flores loves Watts’ versatility enough to trump other needs. A player like Watts would let Flores get even more creative in his play calling.