For NFL diehards out there, this period without football can be difficult... but thankfully the offseason is just kicking off, and with that comes the multitudes of mock drafts, free agency predictions and the frenzies of the trade season! The Draft Combine has just wrapped up in Indianapolis, and with it came some truly mind-boggling results from some of the best athletes on the planet. As the draft season progresses, there will be plenty more movement on each team’s boards, so why not have some fun with some predictions of where players might land come April!
Pick 1: LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: Fernando Mendoza QB, Indiana University
After the Giants beat the Raiders in December of last year, pretty much everyone pencilled this in as the pick to kick it all off. Mendoza is the reigning Heisman winner and was an integral piece to a Hoosiers team that won the National Championship. The Raiders have a glaring need for a quarterback, and this is all but guaranteed to be the opening selection on draft night.
Pick 2: NEW YORK JETS: Arvell Reese EDGE, Ohio State University (OSU)
The Jets have committed to the rebuild for what feels like the 10th time in 10 years, but maybe this time will be different! With no obvious QB on the board, the logical option for New York would be to take the best player available, and that could be the athletic linebacker out of OSU.
Pick 3: ARIZONA CARDINALS: Francis Mauigoa OL, University of Miami (FL)
I’m not sure what direction the Cardinals will go in this situation, but reinforcing the offensive line is always a good move. Mauigoa has flexibility at both tackle and guard, and he should be a valuable piece moving forward for the Cards.
Pick 4: TENNESSEE TITANS: Carnell Tate WR, Ohio State University
After drafting what looks like their franchise quarterback last year, the Titans look as if there might be some promise on the horizon. With that in mind, I have them drafting with a similar strategy to the Panthers from last year (an unpopular choice at the time), taking their WR1 of the future in Carnell Tate.
Pick 5: NEW YORK GIANTS: Sonny Styles LB, Ohio State University
I do not mean this lightly when I say that Sonny Styles might be the closest thing we ever see to Calvin Johnson. As an absolute athletic freak in every sense of the word, with the Giants releasing veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke, he should slide in seamlessly and solidify that defense from day one.
Pick 6: CLEVELAND BROWNS: Makai Lemon WR, University of Southern California
The Browns are in desperate need of talent at pretty much every position. I could see them drafting the best left tackle in Monroe Freeling, but instead I have them opting for a shifty and reliable receiver in Makai Lemon. Shades of Amon-Ra St. Brown is a great comparison for Lemon, and he should feast out of the slot very early on.
Pick 7: WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: David Bailey EDGE, Texas Tech University
David Bailey is an interesting case-study for a new genre of edge rusher that is emerging. While being undersized at only 251 pounds, he poses a threat to offensive lineman due to his unique combination of burst off the line of scrimmage, and explosive speed when in space. The Commanders could do with help on their defensive line, and this would make plenty of sense.
Pick 8: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: Jeremiyah Love RB, University of Notre Dame
Love is one of the best running back prospects we have seen in recent memory, and he could feasibly go off the board as high as pick three. Despite this, I have him falling slightly due to positional importance. If things were to play out in this way, the Saints should jump at the opportunity to add someone like him to their offense.
Pick 9: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: Spencer Fano OL, University of Utah
The Chiefs haven’t picked this high since they drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017, so they need to capitalise on the draft capital while they can. Given this, I think drafting a high end offensive lineman could be the best move for them. KC have had issues with the turnstiles on their line since the 2021 Super Bowl, and they can finally solidify that after trading Joe Thuney last offseason and releasing Jawaan Taylor this year.
Pick 10: CINCINNATI BENGALS: Rueben Bain EDGE, University of Miami (FL)
The Bengals defense has been swiss cheese for a number of years now, and with perhaps the best defensive prospect falling into their laps at pick 10, it’s a complete no-brainer.
Pick 11: MIAMI DOLPHINS: Mansoor Delane CB, Louisiana State University
The Dolphins had issues all year with their secondary, and Delane profiles as a technically sound corner that should be able to help immediately.
Pick 12: DALLAS COWBOYS: Caleb Downs S, Ohio State University
Like the Bengals and Dolphins before them, the Cowboys struggled on the defensive side of the field this past season. Caleb Downs is an incredibly polished prospect, but some potential knee injuries and lack of positional importance could see him fall.
Pick 13: LOS ANGELES RAMS (FROM ATLANTA FALCONS): Monroe Freeling OT, University of Georgia
Freeling has been moving up draft boards quickly, and after a strong showing at the combine he seems to be the best pure left tackle prospect. The Rams have a need with the retirement of Rob Havenstein, and he could be their future at the position.
Pick 14: LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (FROM BALTIMORE RAVENS): Vega Ioane IOL, Pennsylvania State University
The Raiders need to upgrade their offensive line this season, and Ioane is the consensus best prospect at his position.
Pick 15: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: Kenyon Sadiq TE, University of Oregon
With the looming departure of Cade Otton, the Buccaneers could look to bring in the speedy and strong tight end out of Oregon.
Pick 16: NEW YORK JETS (FROM INDIANAPOLIS COLTS): Jordyn Tyson WR, Arizona State University
Tyson could easily be the best receiver prospect in this draft, but injuries are holding him back from solidifying his position. As the Jets have a war-chest of first rounders in the next couple of years, they could bank on the extreme upside.
Pick 17: DETROIT LIONS: Max Iheanachor OT, Arizona State University
As Taylor Decker continues to age, the Lions should look to bring in some youth, and Iheanachor is an absurd athlete who could develop well underneath veteran leadership.
Pick 18: MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Dillon Thieneman S, University of Oregon
The Vikings have a pretty complete roster, but after losing Cam Bynum and with Harrison Smith getting old, Thieneman would be a perfect replacement to bring some genuine A-grade athleticism into their defensive-back room.
Pick 19: CAROLINA PANTHERS: Peter Woods DL, Clemson University
The Panthers took a massive leap forward this year, and adding a high-upside defensive lineman like Woods should only bolster their hopes of contending in the next couple of years.
Pick 20: DALLAS COWBOYS (FROM GREEN BAY PACKERS): Akheem Mesidor EDGE, University of Miami (FL)
Ironically, I think the best use of the pick the Cowboys got for Micah Parsons would be to bring in some defensive line help. While Mesidor is old, he is incredibly polished and he should be a day one starter for a Cowboys defense in need of improvement.
Pick 21: PITTSBURGH STEELERS: Omar Cooper Jr. WR, University of Indiana
The Steelers wide receiver room is pretty much just DK Metcalf, so bringing someone like Cooper Jr. in would be a worthwhile investment for a team still trying to be relevant.
Pick 22: LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: Caleb Banks DL, University of Florida
The Chargers felt the loss of Poona Ford this year. While there are concerns with his injury history, Banks could emerge as one of the best players in this draft due to his combination of size and pass-rushing skills.
Pick 23: PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: Jermod McCoy CB, University of Tennessee
The Eagles always seem to land incredibly talented players further down the board than they should be, and I could see this continuing with McCoy. Injury concerns could scare teams, but I think the talent is too great to let him slide much further.
Pick 24: CLEVELAND BROWNS (FROM JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS): Caleb Lomu OL, University of Utah
The Browns didn’t go offensive line with their first pick, but I think they have to here. While Lomu probably won’t stick at tackle in the NFL, he should be valuable on the inside.
Pick 25: CHICAGO BEARS: Keldric Faulk EDGE/DL, Auburn University
There is a lot of smoke around the Bears potentially trading for superstar defensive lineman Maxx Crosby. If they are unable to, then Faulk would make an immediate impact in the run-game, with upside as a pass rusher.
Pick 26: BUFFALO BILLS: Denzel Boston WR, University of Washington
Now that the Bills have traded for veteran receiver DJ Moore, they have less of a need at WR, but nevertheless he will not be a long-term option. In this scenario I have the Bills taking a nice compliment to Moore in the tall receiver with strong contested catch abilities.
Pick 27: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren S, University of Toledo
While the Niners were able to find decent enough replacements for their heavily injured defense last year, that isn’t necessarily sustainable. McNeil-Warren is an instinctual and rangy safety that hopefully will help solidify the back-end of the defense.
Pick 28: HOUSTON TEXANS: Kadyn Proctor OT, University of Alabama
The Texans continue to make strange decisions on their offensive line, and so they need to bring someone in. While Proctor is far from a finished product, he potentially possesses some of the highest upside in the draft due to his enormous frame and athletic tools.
Pick 29: KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (FROM LOS ANGELES RAMS): Aveion Terrell CB, Clemson University
After just trading away their all-pro corner to the Rams, I could absolutely see the Chiefs going straight back to the position and drafting a young, cheap and talented replacement.
Pick 30: DENVER BRONCOS: CJ Allen LB, University of Georgia
With all of the top receivers off of the board, the Broncos pivot to their other biggest need and draft their potential “quarterback of the defense” in CJ Allen.
Pick 31: NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: T.J. Parker EDGE, Clemson University
Fresh off of an unexpected Super Bowl appearance, the Patriots should look to build on their strengths and bolster their defensive line with the upside of Parker.
Pick 32: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: Brandon Cisse CB, University of South Carolina
The Seahawks have a number of free-agents in their DB room, and Cisse fits their archetypal mold perfectly: supreme athleticism combined with great physicality on the outside.
