Right now, I’m between Carter and Travis Hunter as being the two best players in the draft, and I’d rather have either of them than one of the quarterbacks. Of course, that’s rarely how the NFL Draft works, but while the Titans need an upgrade at QB, they shouldn’t pass on Carter. I had fellow Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson as my top edge in last year’s class, and I think Carter is a better prospect than Robinson (who had 6.0 sacks as a rookie). In general, pass rushers out of Penn State are a solid choice.

He’s polarizing, but is he polarizing because of who he is as a player, or his profile off the field as a college player, as well as the coach he played for? For my money, Hunter is an incredible talent who will be successful on either side of the ball. I genuinely feel he’d be one of the top corners in the league from Day 1 in the NFL, but others feel he’d have a greater impact at receiver. How does Cleveland feel in this situation? I don’t care; just get him in the building and improve your football team.

Ward is not the “safest” bet among the QB options in this class, but he does have the highest ceiling. He’s the guy who has consistently shown the ability to create explosive plays in college, both with his arm and his legs. He also has a tendency to try to do too much, which you get away with in college easier than you will in the NFL. As for the fit here, Brian Daboll got the Giants job because of the work he did with Josh Allen. While I’m not making a comparison to Allen as far as prospects, a lot of Ward’s faults are similar to the ones Daboll had to iron out of Allen’s game.

Full disclosure, after the 2024 NFL Draft I placed a bet that Campbell would be the No. 1 pick of the 2025 draft at odds of 60-to-1. I’m not going to win that bet (unless the Titans really like me), but it goes to show how high I am on Campbell as a player. There may be some size concerns, and the combine will be huge, but this is a player who stepped into the left tackle position as a freshman in the SEC and held his own from the very start. I’ve never heard a negative word about him from anybody, and his play speaks for itself.

Another player I’ve been high on for years. Typically, when you’re drafting an interior DL this high in the draft, you’re hoping for Aaron Donald. I doubt you’ll get that from Graham, but you will get a disruptive presence capable of wrecking shop. Graham is extremely athletic, strong and has a motor that goes forever.

Ignore the name and look simply at the player. What you have is a guy who would be considered a first-round QB but likely not a No. 1 pick. Sanders doesn’t have top-end physical traits, but he has many other traits that are imperative for playing the position. He doesn’t have a rocket arm, but he’s accurate. He’s also fearless. He’ll stand in the pocket as long as he must to get the throw off, take the big hit, and then get up and do it again. This gets him in trouble with sacks a little too often, and the hope is you can find the right balance. Sanders might not be the next Patrick Mahomes, but he could easily be an above-average starting QB in the NFL, and a lot of teams could use an above-average starter at QB!

I told you about my Will Campbell bet. Well, my other bet was on Mykel Williams. I won’t win that one, either, as Williams didn’t have a great season at Georgia in 2024, but he wasn’t fully healthy, either. To me, Williams is a fascinating player who can play and excel at multiple spots on a defensive line. He’s the kind of player I can see new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn falling for.

Johnson missed most of the 2024 season with an injury, but he made his presence felt in a short amount of time. Johnson had two pick-sixes for the Wolverines in six games, which means the only Wolverine to catch more touchdowns than Johnson did last season was tight end Colston Loveland. Johnson has the ability to be a lockdown corner at the NFL level, and depending on how things go at the combine, I won’t be shocked if he begins climbing higher than this in mocks.

Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins will be one of the most sought-after free agents in the league this spring. Well, if you miss out on Higgins in free agency, maybe you’ll get the chance to draft him! That’s who Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan reminds me of, though I’ve also seen comps to Drake London, which make sense, too. Either way, he’s a big-bodied receiver who can win a jump-ball scenario but is also athletic enough to make you miss in the open field.

The Bears have their quarterback after drafting Caleb Williams and their head coach in Ben Johnson. Now they need an offensive line, or both will fail. Banks is a much stronger pass-protector than a run-blocker, but he wasn’t really asked to maul much in the Texas offense.

Based on what I’ve seen to this point, Nolen is the most slept-on prospect in the draft. He is a large, disruptive force in the middle of your defensive line and strikes me as the kind of player Robert Saleh loves at that spot. There are plenty of really good edge guys in this class, but I don’t think the interior has that same depth. I bet Nolen’s stock rises as we approach the draft.

Membou has a lot of the physical traits teams love at the tackle position, and he’s an impressive athlete for a player his size. I don’t think he steps in as a rookie and excels, but there’s the potential for a franchise left tackle and perennial Pro Bowler in there.

Starks has tremendous instincts for the ball at the safety position, and since he played at Georgia, you know he was well-coached. You also know he’s versatile enough to handle different assignments, as the Dawgs weren’t afraid to put Starks in different spots during his time in Athens.

It feels like everybody in the world is mocking Warren to the Colts, so I suppose I’ll throw my hat in the ring. Warren is a unique weapon who was used in every conceivable fashion in the Penn State offense. If Anthony Richardson is going to work out with the Colts, he needs as much help as possible, and Warren is the kind of safety valve who will come in handy. And if Richardson doesn’t work out, well, it’ll still be nice to have Warren.

Ah, the eternal question of traits vs. production. Stewart did not have great numbers in college. He had only 4.5 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss in three seasons, but the stats don’t always tell the whole story. He’s young and has all the athleticism and physical traits you look for in a pass-rusher. He was also disruptive as hell at A&M, but had trouble finishing. Somebody will fall in love with him.

There aren’t many other edge prospects in this class with Pearce’s first step or his ability to change direction without losing momentum. What will keep him from going too high is his overall size and questions about his ability to hold up against the run.

Morrison played in only six games this season and wasn’t around for Notre Dame’s playoff run, and I think it’s caused people to forget how freaking good he is! If Morrison stayed healthy all year, I don’t think there’s any question that he’s a first-round pick. He’s an exceptional corner in coverage.

Maybe it won’t be Simmons, but I’ll be shocked if the Seahawks don’t address their offensive line in the first round. As for Simmons, the ACL injury will impact his draft stock, but when healthy this season, he was one of the best left tackles in the country.

The Bucs could use some new blood in their pass rush, and Mike Green is flying up boards right now following his performance at the Senior Bowl. He reminds me of Tennessee’s James Pearce in that he’s extremely quick and athletic, but he probably isn’t an every-down player right now.

I was tempted to send Egbuka to Pittsburgh because he reminds me a lot of Hines Ward. Am impressive route runner who has no qualms about mixing it up as a run-blocker when called upon (though not as good as Ward was). He spent his entire college career in the shadow of another top wide receiver (Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., Jeremiah Smith), but that says a lot more about Ohio State’s receiver room than Egbuka.

The Steelers need help at WR, and Burden immediately improves the situation. He’s best suited working out of the slot, and there are kinks to work out when it comes to route-running, but he’s electric with the ball in his hands. He reminds me a lot of current Bears wideout D.J. Moore.

Maybe the Chargers look to add to their OL here or do something “fun” by taking Ashton Jeanty. With questions about Khalil Mack’s future, as well as the health of Joey Bosa, addressing the pass rush probably isn’t a bad option, either. Scourton strikes me as the kind of edge presence Jim Harbaugh appreciates. He gets after the quarterback while also serving as a positive, setting the edge against the run.

Barron doesn’t have great size, but it doesn’t impact the way he plays. He looks like a 195-pound player who thinks he’s 215 pounds when throwing himself into a tackle. He’s a playmaker in the secondary who has the ability to line up in different spots and shows strong instincts for knowing where the ball will be and when it’ll get there.

We saw running backs have a huge impact for a lot of the best teams in the NFL this year, but will that change how teams look at them in the draft? As a player, Jeanty is a top-five prospect in the class, but that’s not how RBs are looked at when chosen. Aaron Jones isn’t getting younger, and Jeanty gives the Vikings yet another incredible weapon on offense.

Much like Seattle, I don’t know if Booker will be the guy here, but I’m confident the guy will be an offensive lineman. Houston’s unit was a mess last season, and Booker would be a good way to go about shoring up the interior of that line. He’s big, long, strong and plays with a mean streak.

I have no idea what direction the Rams are going this offseason, but they can probably use help up front either way. I’m higher on Conerly than many others seem to be, but saying that, I’m not sure he’s a first-round talent in other years. It’s the lack of depth at OT in this class that could lead to players like Conerly sneaking into the back end of the first round.

Grant’s excellence on the interior was often overshadowed by Mason Graham, but he has a quick first step and can really move in ways that sometimes cause you to reconsider the laws of physics. Consistency is the concern, as Grant would sometimes disappear for a series before re-emerging as a monster later.

The Lions will look to address the pass rush in the draft, and Jack Sawyer seems like he was grown in a lab to play for Dan Campbell. He’s big, strong, smart and goes full speed on every snap. There isn’t a kneecap he won’t bite off when given the chance.

We know who the quarterback will be here for a long time; now the job is surrounding him with what he needs. Perhaps that’s an offensive lineman, or perhaps it’s another weapon in the passing game. Terry McLaurin is criminally underrated across the league, but the Commanders could use upgrades behind him. Golden’s stock skyrocketed during Texas’ playoff run as Isaiah Bond dealt with injuries. A lot of the things Golden was asked to do in Texas’ offense translate to what the Commanders do in theirs.

The primary knock I’ve heard on Walker is people aren’t sure what he is. It’s a combination of his size, as well as the fact he had a limited role at Georgia due to the overwhelming number of players they had at his position. What can’t be denied is his explosiveness, strength and fluidity. He has the ability to take games over.

Ole Miss went and plucked two defensive linemen out of the transfer portal last year, and I have both of them in the first round of my first mock. Umanmielen is another player I’m a touch higher on than the consensus. He has a quick first step, great athleticism and is versatile. A real Vic Fangio special here.

I don’t know if there’s a player who impressed me more this year than Jackson. He was already one of the top guards in the country but was forced to move to left tackle when Josh Simmons tore his ACL. After a rough start, Jackson more than held his own at tackle as Ohio State worked its way to a national title.