Chicago Bears:
Caleb Williams QB, USC: The Bears are in a very unique situation, as trading out of the 1st overall pick last year, they were able to get the panthers first round pick the following year, which now has emerged as the number 1 overall pick. The Bears current QB Justin Fields has been good, but not great. With very inconsistent passing seasons, and tape showing that he still has a long way to go as a pocket passer, the Bears are running out of time with the former Ohio State standout. Chicago has been blessed with an opportunity to reset the clock on the Quarterback position with the best QB prospect we have seen since Trevor Lawrence a few years ago, in my mind this move is a no brainer.
Washington Commanders:
Drake Maye QB, UNC: the Commanders have been in mediocrity purgatory for a while now, consistently being able to scrape by 7-8 wins being just good enough to miss out on a top pick, but rarely making the playoffs, and when they do, losing immediately. This year though, they came out of the season very fortunate to be as bad as they were. With the 6’4” North Carolina product falling right into the Commanders’ laps. Maye is a very good QB prospect with many saying he would have gone number 1 in last years stacked QB class, Dan Quinn is able to come in and get a guy he can build around for a full reset.
New England Patriots:
Marvin Harrison Jr. WR, Ohio State: while the Patriots QB situation is very miserable and they are in position to take a guy like Jayden Daniels, however this team is filled with holes throughout, and I don’t think it’s the time in the rebuild to take a shot on a quarterback. Marvin Harrison is the best Wide Receiver we have seen in years. Harrison excelled last year at Ohio State with Kyle McCord throwing him the ball, so there is no reason to believe he can’t have a great season with a guy like Mac Jones or a free agent QB throwing him the ball. I think you take the sure thing and start looking towards next year’s class for your next franchise QB.
Arizona Cardinals:
Rome Odunze WR, LSU: I think this is a prime trade down spot for the Cardinals, even though they were able to secure a decent amount of draft capital last year from the Texans, this team is still missing a lot of key pieces and with not a lot of people worth taking at 4, Arizona should look towards building up their draft pick stockpile. I think they can trade back while still being able to take the 6’3” Washington Receiver Rome Odunze to pair with the speed threats already on the Arizona roster. It’s time to get Kyler Murray some reliable weapons to throw the ball too, as the last time they had a real number 1 receiver was Deandre Hopkins, and the duo led Arizona to handful of playoff berths.
Los Angeles Chargers:
Malik Nabers WR, LSU: I was wrestling on this pick between Brock Bowers and Malik Nabers, however, when you have a Quarterback at the caliber of Justin Herbert you should look to take the deep threat playmaker, aside from the Tight End safety blanket. The 6’0” speed demon Nabers was incredible at LSU with Heisman QB Jayden Daniels throwing him the rock for nearly 1600 yards and 14 touchdowns. With Keenan Allen and Mike Williams departing this offseason, you can get a superstar number 1 receiver for your 50 million dollar a year Quarterback, while building up the offensive line in free agency and later rounds in the draft.
New York Giants:
Jayden Daniels QB, LSU: This will be the first of a few teams I think need to try to trade up for Jayden Daniels, with the Giants reportedly being “completely done” with Daniel Jones they are in a great spot to draft Daniels. Only needing to trade up a couple spots, sitting at number 6 currently, while the Giants don’t have the best receiving core or line to surround Daniels, it’s time to make a big splash move, the Giants have invested heavily in the offensive line over the past few years, and while Evan Neal was pretty terrible last year, I don’t think it’s quite time to give up on him and try to draft his replacement, and stick with your guys while they develop.
Tennessee Titans:
Joe Alt OT, Notre Dame: This isn’t the flashiest pick in the world for the Titans, but it’s the pick that definitely makes the most sense. With Will Levis playing the second half of the season and showing some very real flashes of his ability, it’s time to try to build around the second year QB. The Titans offensive line is very bad, and the best way to build around a young QB is getting him some protection, a slam dunk Left Tackle prospect, Alt is 6’9” 320 pounds and has the agility of a Tight End at times, a very easy pick for the Titans trying to usher in a new era in Tennessee.
Atlanta Falcons:
Dallas Turner EDGE, Alabama: While I considered the Falcons being another team to try to trade up for Jayden Daniels, I think the Falcons would be better suited to target a guy in free agency or trades. With the Falcons going playmakers in the past three drafts, with Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson, offense is not their focus this year, and Atlanta will be happy to take the first defensive player off of the board with the Alabama Edge Rusher being maybe the best overall defender in the draft.
New York Jets:
Olu Fashanu OT, Penn State: While the Jets could use some extra weapons for Aaron Rodgers to throw too, Garrett Wilson is a great Wide Receiver one and Breece Hall out of the backfield is primed to break out into a top 5 running back season. Aaron Rodgers got hurt last year because of a bad offensive line and it was a glaring problem for the Jets all of last year, getting a tackle who played 4 years of college football is huge, as Olu can play on the left or right side and immediately make a strong impact for this team.
Minnesota Vikings:
Jayden Daniels QB, LSU: This is my second team that I think needs to trade up to make a big move at Quarterback. The Vikings options right now is to bring back Kirk Cousins for his age 36 season, coming off an Achilles tear, or find a quarterback in free agency like Russell Wilson. Both of these options do not get the Vikings even close to the super bowl and will continue to tread water near the middle of the league, when you have a superstar at the caliber of Justin Jefferson you need someone to throw him the ball, and I think the Heisman winner would do great things in Minnesota. The asking price may be high, but it is time for the Vikings to go in on winning instead of mediocrity, and this is the move they might just have to make.
Denver Broncos:
Brock Bowers TE, Georgia: The Broncos handling of this offseason has already been very confusing to say the least, the Broncos cut Russell Wilson this offseason, and while doing so are taking on $85 million in dead cap, an NFL record. The only solution I have for this team is to blow it all up, after trying to go all in trading multiple firsts and seconds for Russell Wilson and a second-round pick for coach, Sean Payton, the team has a roster in shambles and no playoff appearances to show for it. Tight End isn’t the biggest need for this team by any means but taking a shot in the dark on a QB like J.J. McCarthy isn’t the answer. I think their best option is to take the sure thing prospect this year, lose a lot of games next year and build this thing from the ground up.
Las Vegas Raiders:
J.J. McCarthy QB, Michigan: The Raiders are also in a situation similar to the Broncos, though not as severe. After trading away a good chunk of draft capital for Davante Adams, the team has underperformed and found themselves being just outside of the playoffs 2 years in a row. As an outsider looking in, I may say that its time to blow it up, but if this team plans to keep Davante Adams around again this season, they absolutely need to get someone to throw him the ball. When your options at quarterback is a 4th round draft pick in his second year in the league and Brian Hoyer, you need to change something. J.J. has experience leading winning teams at Michigan in college and I think he can lead a run heavy offense to some wins in the NFL, plus watching McCarthy play his former coach Jim Harbaugh twice a year will be fun.
New Orleans Saints:
Jared Verse EDGE, Florida St.: Here goes our third team in a row with no real direction, after the very confusing decision to put all their eggs in the Derek Carr basket last offseason, giving him a 4-year $150 million dollar contract with nearly half of that money guaranteed, the saints sat outside of the playoffs stuck in mediocrity once again. This team has been restructuring contracts and over the cap ceiling since Drew Brees was still the starter on this team and for some reason, they refuse to cut their losses and rebuild. With the situation this team is in, I think their best-case scenario is just improving this aging defense by taking the best Edge Rusher left on the board.
Indianapolis Colts:
Quinyon Mitchell CB, Toledo: Getting back on track with a team that has some optimism, the Indianapolis Colts were able to make a quick turn around from their 4-13 season two years ago, going 9-8 and being one missed Gardner Minshew throw away from the playoffs. Second year QB Anthony Richardson, while not playing much last year showed great flashes, putting on display not only his incredible athleticism and arm talent, but his ability to read and decipher an NFL defense. While this team could use some extra weapons, this team has a solid receiving core with a few young players primed to break out, like Alec Pierce, Josh Downs, and Tight End Jelani Woods, who missed all of the last season with an injury. This team has a clear need at corner, with their two starters last year being 2nd round Rookie Julius Brents and 7th round Rookie Jaylon Jones, they could use an upgrade. The Colts front office loves prospects with exceptional athleticism and Quinyon Mitchell fits this perfectly. He ran a 4.33 second 40-yard dash at the combine, can jump 38 inches vertically. And while he’s only 195 pounds, he is freakishly strong, leading all corners in the bench press with 20 reps.
Seattle Seahawks:
Jackson Powers-Johnson OC, Oregon: While this spot may be a bit early for a center, Jackson Powers-Johnson is one of the best center prospects we’ve seen in the draft for a while. We saw last year that this offense, even though being chock full of weapons, would struggle at times because of the holes on this offensive line. While I considered the Seahawks looking towards a tackle at this spot, they have first round pick Charles Cross, and third round pick Abraham Lucas at the tackle positions, so some potential there. I think at this point, take the best lineman prospect left on the board and improve a unit that held this offense back last year.
Jacksonville Jaguars:
Terrion Arnold CB, Alabama: Oh, the Jaguars, right when you think they have it figured out and will be a good football team, they lose 5 out of their last 6 games, including a win and in game against the already eliminated Tennessee Titans, and miss the playoffs. The whole team played really badly down the stretch, kickstarted by an overtime loss to the Jake Browning led Bengals, where a better secondary would’ve been a big help. While this team does have Tyson Campbell who is a great corner on the outside, they don’t have much on the opposite side of the field. I think they should be looking towards the Alabama Corner who is the safest Corner prospect in the draft. He can come in and immediately make an impact, and the Jags can come into this season with a clean slate.
Cincinnati Bengals:
Jer’Zhan Newton DT, Illinois: After an injury riddled season where Joe Burrow missed 13 games, the Bengals were still able to go 9-8 just narrowly missing out on the playoffs. The team does still have its fair share of holes however, with one thing sticking out in particular being the run defense. The interior of the Bengals defensive line is aging and regressing year by year. They should be looking towards drafting the Illinois DT and 2023 Big Ten Defensive Player of the year to shore up the interior of this defense.
Los Angeles Rams:
J.C. Latham OT, Alabama: Since being a bottom team in the league 2 years ago it looked like the Rams would stay there for a while after going all in for a super bowl in 2021. However, thanks to a great rookie class led by incredible 5th round rookie Puka Nacua, the Rams won 10 games, made the playoffs and nearly beat the Lions in the Wildcard round. My two biggest takeaways from that game on the Rams side were, “wow, Matthew Stafford is really good at football” and “wow, Matthew Stafford is getting his ass whooped right now.” There is no reason the Rams number 1 priority shouldn’t be protecting him. The Rams haven’t been able to find a real replacement for Andrew Whitworth since he retired after the Rams Super Bowl win, but Latham can slide right in at Left Tackle and be a solid starter out of the gate after being a pillar at Alabama.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Taliese Fuaga OG, Washington: somehow Mike Tomlin and the steelers were able to pull their season out of the fire, and not only go .500, but win 10 games and make the playoffs. With that being said, they were easily the worst team in the playoffs and their QB situation is in shambles. Its looking like the Steelers will be finding their starting QB for next season in free agency or the trade market. The Steelers offensive line is not very good and hasn’t been for a while. If you want to trade for a guy like Justin Fields, he needs some tackles to block for him, especially with how we’ve seen him perform in Chicago with a bad offensive line. This goes for any quarterback entering a new system though, you’ve made the flashy picks with Najee Harris and George Pickens, now get a big guy to give them some time to work.
Miami Dolphins:
Byron Murphy II DT, Texas: After a dominating start to the season, the Dolphins ended up fading away down the stretch, losing their last 2 regular season games and getting bounced from the playoffs in the first round. I don’t think any drastic measures need to be taken of course, this team is still firmly in win now mode and should be looking to retool their team for next year. After Christian Wilkins left to sign with the Raiders, there is a glaring hole on the interior defensive line of Miami. Byron Murphy will fit in perfectly with a run defense who struggled at times last year.
Philadelphia Eagles:
Cooper Dejean S/CB, Iowa: Speaking of teams that fell off last year, there are maybe none as glaring as the Eagles last year. After starting the season 10-1 and looking like the clear super bowl front runners, Philly lost 5 out of their last 6 games and got routed by the 9-8 Buccaneers in the first round of the playoffs. The Philly secondary was abysmal last year, and I think the best option for this team is Cooper Dejean. The Iowa Hawkeye played everywhere on the field for the outstanding defense, he can be put anywhere from outside corner to box safety. I think the Eagles should draft the best player available and find a place where he can succeed in trying to fix the biggest weakness on this team.
Houston Texans:
Nate Wiggins CB, Clemson: Houston exceeded expectations greatly last season, before the season started it looked like this roster would once again be one of the worst in the league, but thanks to Head Coach DeMeco Ryans, and C.J. Stroud putting together one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history, the Texans were able to win a playoff game and look to be one of the best teams in the league next year. With that being said, they still have some holes that need to be filled and Cornerback is one of them. While Wiggins isn’t the biggest and strongest guy in the world, he more than makes up for it with his combination of length and speed, running a 4.28 40-yard dash at the combine.
Dallas Cowboys:
Brian Thomas Jr. WR, LSU: It looked like it might finally be the Boys year in 2023, but that was before the Cowboys got blown out by the 7th seed packers, with the game being all but over by halftime. The game was a full collapse, from top to bottom, so I think that Dallas should just look towards best player available and grab Brian Thomas Jr. one of the downfalls of the cowboys during that playoff game was that Daks first read on every play was CeeDee Lamb, making it easy to diagnose where the ball was going, even leading to a pick 6 in the packers favor. If you get this offense a real, reliable second playmaker I think you can rely on them more in big games than you could last year.
Green Bay Packers:
Tyler Nubin S, Minnesota: After a slow start to the year, QB Jordan Love in his first year as a starter, was able to cement himself as the franchise guy in Green Bay, very nearly making it to the NFC Championship game. Green Bay’s Offense needs weapons, but with the Packers history of not drafting skill positions in the first round and having a lot of young guys with potential already on the roster, paired with where they are on the board, I think they’re going to go defense. Its clear they value the safety position, paying Xavier McKinney $82 million over the next 4 years, they can get the best Safety Prospect in the draft and lock in that part of the defense for a long time.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Chop Robinson EDGE, Penn State: While Edge rusher may not be the number one need for the Buccaneers, where they are in the draft limits their ability to take other positions of need a bit. With Shaq Barrett’s departure this offseason I think they should draft Chop Robinson to fill that hole, the uber athletic prospect may not have had a lot of production in college, but 254 pounds running a 4.48 40 yard dash is hard to ignore, you can put him on the field and let him develop his skills, and if he hits his ceiling, you have one of the best defensive players in the league.
Buffalo Bills:
Troy Franklin WR, Oregon: Buffalo once again came up just short in the playoffs, after starting the season slow, they were able to go on a winning streak and head into the playoffs hot. Unfortunately for them though, they faced their Kryptonite the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. This loss was especially rough for Buffalo this time around however, because to get under the salary cap, they had to cut a lot of their roster, the defense especially taking a large blow. I think the Bills will need to retool for the next few years and this team won’t be a super bowl favorite for a while. While they obviously need to get some players on defense, I think this team will be better off just leaning on the offense for the next couple years, and with Gabe Davis leaving in Free Agency, Troy Franklin can come in at the number 2 WR spot and be an immediate deep threat for Josh Allen.
Detroit Lions:
Kool-Aid McKinstry CB, Alabama: McKinstry was the number one corner coming into this college football season but has fallen down boards a bit. With that being said he is still a great corner prospect that Lions should be looking to get in the late first round, the Lions shocked many this year by making it to the NFC Championship game and even with their success this year, their rebuild isn’t over. The Lions biggest weak spot currently is definitely their corners, and they can get a young cornerstone on the outside
Baltimore Ravens:
Ladd McConkey WR, Georgia: McConkey sliding into the first round may be a surprise to some on draft night, but I think he’s a great fit for Baltimore, the Ravens have been looking for a reliable receiving core ever since Lamar was drafted. It seems like they found their Deep Threat in Zay Flowers, who had a great rookie year, but they still don’t have a lot of playmakers underneath. McConkey reminds me a bit of Cooper Kupp (no its not because they’re both white) with their route running and ability to make catches on the sidelines. The Georgia product may be just what the Ravens and Lamar need to get over the hump and win the Super Bowl.
San Francisco 49ers:
Kameren Kinchens S, Miami: Another deep playoff run for the 49ers and another loss in the Super Bowl, the 49ers who are now approaching Cowboys territory are no stranger to heartbreak. This team is still very good though and very much in the running for the chip this year, San Francisco should be looking to fill some holes and take the best player available, and lucky for them, Kinchens fills both of those very well.
Kansas City Chiefs:
Keon Coleman WR, Florida St.: The Chiefs somehow did it again, winning back-to-back super bowls and their 3rd in 5 years. Even though this offense looked lost at times with a very inconsistent receiving core, a combination of Travis Kelce stepping up his play drastically in the playoffs, Mahomes playing great, and the best defense this team has had in a very long time got them over the hump. With this being said the receiving core is still not very good, the chiefs signed Hollywood Brown to give this team yet another deep threat, so I think taking the 6 foot 3 Coleman would be perfect for this offense and give it the balance that it needs.
Carolina Panthers:
Amarius Mims OT, Georgia: I could probably sit here and write about how sad and poorly run the Panthers are, this team should be picking 1st overall in the draft, but of course, they are down this far because they traded this pick away last year moving up to get Bryce Young. While this team has no chance of being good next year, they have thankfully been working on getting Young some help to develop him, signing linemen like Robert Hunt to a 5 year 100-million-dollar contract. While this may be an overpay, it’s a step in the right direction, the biggest issue last season was the lack of protection for Bryce so investing in the line should be the number one priority, I don’t care if your defense gives up 100 points a game next season, Carolina needs to make sure their young QB develops into his full potential.
Cleveland Browns:
Laiatu Latu EDGE, UCLA: When I looked at this roster to see who they should be targeting, I was actually very impressed, almost every position has a solid player at it, if Nick Chubb can come back from that terrible injury even 80% as good as he used to be and Deshaun Watson can finally figure it out and get close to being back in Houston form, this team is very dangerous. I think it would be interesting if the Browns went all in on getting Latu, and maybe traded up in the back half of the first round to get him on draft night, to give this defense a dangerous rusher opposite of Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
