Let’s get right to it, shall we?
#1, Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami. The Titans need to find the QB of the future, and Ward can be that guy. He is a little raw in his game, and his set of weapons is not stellar by any means, but he could be a nice starter after a little bit of further development. At worst, he would become a journeyman starter, but at best, he could lead a Titans team on deep playoff runs
#2, Jacksonville Jaguars: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado. The Jags traded up to #2 and used it on the dual-way Heisman Trophy winner, who I think will be a bust. Hunter wants to play both WR and CB, but he will have to take limited snaps at each position if he wants to have a long career. That’s fine, but you don’t use a second overall pick on a player who won’t be full-time.
#3, New York Giants: Abdul Carter, DE, Penn State. The Kayvon Thibodeaux experiment has not worked out well, but pairing Carter with DE Brian Burns and DT Dexter Lawrence will lead to a scary front seven. The secondary was already partly addressed this offseason, and that leaves the offense to be dealt with in the future. The Giants did well with this pick.
#4, New England Patriots: Will Campbell, OT, LSU. If Drake Maye is to be the future at QB, he needs to be able to stay on his feet. Will Campbell is an absolute wall of a human being, and his skill set should translate nicely. The Patriots did a nice job with this pick.
#5, Cleveland Browns: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan. The Browns traded down and took Mason Graham at #5. Graham is a nice DT who, when paired with Myles Garrett, should make a nasty front seven. Graham is elite in the run game and serviceable in pass rush, traits that are needed to deal with high-powered offenses in the AFC North like Cincinnati and Baltimore.
#6, Las Vegas Raiders: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State. In my opinion, Jeanty should have won the Heisman Trophy last year. This guy has Derrick Henry written all over him, and with the Raiders in desperate need of a true RB1, Jeanty will fit in nicely with Chip Kelly’s offense. As a Broncos fan, I have to give credit to the Raiders for making a smart move (for once).
#7, New York Jets: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri. I think this is a slight overdraft (I had Membou going to San Francisco at #11), but I don’t hate it. Membou is a solid right tackle, which Justin Fields needs to stay on his feet. This is a fairly safe pick that should pan out in my opinion. Regardless of whether Fields is the long-term answer at QB (spoiler, he isn’t), Membou should be a stalwart for the Jets’ quarterbacks for years to come.
#8, Carolina Panthers: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona. Bryce Young has shown flashes of brilliance, but he needs some weapons to truly take the Panthers to the next level. Tetairoa McMillan, when paired with Adam Thielen and Xavier Legette, would be a very flashy WR trio in Carolina. McMillan is a big-bodied WR with nice hands, and he should be a consistent target for Bryce Young.
#9, New Orleans Saints: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas. The Saints recently lost former All-Pro OT Ryan Ramcyzk to retirement, and whoever they trot out at QB (I had the Saints taking Shedeur Sanders here) needs protection. Banks is one of the best tackles in this draft class, and while he needs some patching up, he should be a solid lineman for years.
#10, Chicago Bears: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan. Holy overdraft. (I had Loveland going to the Chargers at #22.) The Bears don’t really need a TE; Cole Kmet is not elite by any means, but he’s decent enough. Loveland should be a nice TE, but this pick does not make a lot of sense to me. I think Penn State’s Tyler Warren was the best TE in the draft, and even then, the Bears should have gone for a defensive player. Odd pick, but could still be solid nonetheless.
#11, San Francisco 49’ers: Mykel Williams, DE, Georgia. This was another overdraft in my opinion. Williams is a nice DE, but I think there were better options available at the position. Williams should pair nicely with Nick Bosa, but there were bigger needs on this team, such as the offensive line, linebacker, and defensive back. This should pan out, but this pick could’ve been used better.
#12, Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama. Jerry Jones: apparently, not a moron. (Don’t worry, he’ll return to form soon.) The Cowboys lost future HOFer OG Zack Martin to retirement, and Booker, who can play both tackle and guard, is a nice replacement. He’s a little raw, but could easily blossom into yet another elite Cowboys offensive lineman.
#13, Miami Dolphins: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan. This is another overdraft—but I don’t hate it. Grant is the best DT in the class behind Mason Graham, so this could work out nicely for Miami. However, with Jalen Ramsey trade rumors swirling around, finding his replacement at CB with a guy like Will Johnson or Jahdae Barron would have been a better use of this pick.
#14, Indianapolis Colts: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State. Warren is the best TE in this draft class, hands down. He’s a great blocker and even better receiving target, plus with his background as a QB, he could easily add an element of trickery to this Indianapolis offense. As Anthony Richardson enters a prove-it year, giving him another weapon is the best choice you can make.
#15, Atlanta Falcons: Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia. The Falcons haven’t had a player with double-digit sacks since Vic Beasley’s 15.5 sack season in 2016. Walker’s ability to play both outside and inside linebacker adds a degree of versatility to this defense that desperately needs it. I personally would have gone for a DE with this pick, but I actually like this pick a lot. Good job, Falcons.
#16, Arizona Cardinals: Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss. This is another overdraft, and it didn’t really need to be, but this isn’t a terrible pick. Nolen has nice skills, and with Josh Sweat [Ed. Note—best name in football], Calais Campbell, and Dalvin Tomlinson by his side, he could become a dark horse threat in both pass rushing and run stopping. Not the pick I would’ve made (I would’ve gone with Mike Green here), but it could’ve been worse.
#17, Cincinnati Bengals: Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M. Not a bad pick here, but could be better. The Bengals defense was so putrid last season it kept Cincinnati out of the playoffs. Stewart is a nice DE; when paired with Trey Hendrickson, he would hold down a very nice defensive line. However, Stewart only had 4.5 sacks across his entire college career. Hopefully, with new DC Al Golden calling the shots on defense, Stewart could develop into a very nice defensive end.
#18, Seattle Seahawks: Grey Zabel, OG, North Dakota State. The Seahawks threw a bag at Sam Darnold in free agency, but he needs to be protected in the pocket. Zabel has the ability to play all five offensive line positions, and has all the tools to be a long-serving lineman for the Seahawks. This was a bit of a dark horse pick, but I think that’s in a good way.
#19, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State. I wanted Denver to draft him so bad, especially considering the Bucs don’t really need a WR, as they have Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Egbuka is the next in a long line of great Buckeye wideouts, and he should be a nice target for Baker Mayfield for years to come.
#20, Denver Broncos: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas. I did not see this coming as a Broncos fan at all. The secondary was elite last year, and I guess this is a replacement in the starting role for Riley Moss, who will instead be very solid depth? I would’ve gone with WR or RB with this pick, but Vance Joseph knows what he’s doing with defenses, so this will probably work out in the long run (I hope so).
#21, Pittsburgh Steelers: Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon. The Steelers fans in Green Bay booed this pick, and while I get that they wanted Shedeur Sanders, Harmon is a nice pick in the long run. Future HOFer Cam Heyward isn’t getting any younger, and Harmon could learn from the Steelers great for a few years before he has to take over as the leader of the defensive line.
#22, Los Angeles Chargers: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina. Jim Harbaugh, known for his love of running the ball, gets a new RB to pair with Najee Harris. Hampton is similar to fellow rookie Ashton Jeanty in that he powers through front sevens like it’s nothing. Justin Herbert has a new weapon in Los Angeles, and as a Broncos fan, I don’t love this pick but I don’t hate it either. Hampton could be a threat for a long time if his development progresses well.
#23, Green Bay Packers: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas. The Packers drafted a WR in the first round for the first time since Javon Walker in 2002. Golden is a speedy target that should help Green Bay get over the hump in a competitive NFC North. This pick makes a lot of sense, and Jordan Love should be grinning ear to ear right now.
#24, Minnesota Vikings: Donovan Jackson, OG, Ohio State. The Vikings have already poured a lot of resources (and by that I mean money) into their offensive line this season, and Jackson adds to that. JJ McCarthy is going to need plenty of protection as he develops, and Donovan Jackson is a low-risk option for that. I would’ve gone for either CB or S with this pick but I think this will work out.
#25, New York Giants: Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss. The Giants traded back up into the first round with Houston and used it on Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart. I like Dart a lot, and I could easily see him as a long-time starter in the league, but this doesn’t make sense for the Giants. They signed both Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson this offseason, and having three starting-caliber quarterbacks on the team doesn’t make sense. Dart will obviously learn from the veteran QBs on the team, but the Giants were probably better off waiting for next year to take the QB of the future.
#26, Atlanta Falcons: James Pearce Jr., DE, Tennessee. The Falcons traded back into the first round with the Rams, and picked Tennessee DE James Pearce Jr. with it. As I mentioned with Jalon Walker, the Falcons need pass rushers. This double-dipping on the pass rush is a dream come true for Raheem Morris, and the Falcons defense could actually be scary next year with a pair of young budding stars leading the pack.
#27, Baltimore Ravens: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia. The Ravens need to get over the hump from Buffalo and Kansas City. Bringing in Malaki Starks to work with Kyle Hamilton, Nate Wiggins, and Marlon Humphrey would be the makings of a truly elite secondary. Starks is great at both run stopping and pass coverage, and should be a nice defender in a division full of elite wide receivers.
#28, Detroit Lions: Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State. This is a slight overdraft, but this guy should be a nice addition to an already near-elite defense. Williams on the same defensive line as Aidan Hutchinson should have the rest of the NFC North’s quarterbacks running for their lives, as the Lions attempt to overcome the hump and win their first Super Bowl.
#29, Washington Commanders: Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon. I think the Commanders should have gone defense with this pick, but Conerly is a very underrated lineman in this draft class. Jayden Daniels needs protection to keep his career in DC long, and Conerly, while raw, has the tools to do that. This is a low-risk but high upside pick for Washington.
#30, Buffalo Bills: Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky. The Bills needed help in the secondary, and Maxwell Hairston, when paired with budding star Christian Benford, will be a massive pain for teams the Bills face in the playoffs. The Bills have yet to get over the hump, but Hairston should be able to change that, and hopefully for the sake of everyone at McQuaid Jesuit.
#31, Philadelphia Eagles: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama. The Eagles traded up a spot with the Chiefs to draft Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell. While middle linebacker is held down by Zack Baun, outside linebacker could use some work; enter Campbell. The Eagles had a bit of turnaround on this offseason following their Super Bowl win, and Campbell can keep this defense elite for a long time.
#32, Kansas City Chiefs: Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State. The Chiefs lost several offensive linemen this offseason, and they make the smart move in drafting the replacement. I had Simmons going to the Texans at 25, but this is a nice pick for Patrick Mahomes. The Super Bowl showed how paramount a strong offensive line is, and Simmons should be able to buff that up as the Chiefs try to return to dominance.