Category: SPORTS

The Giants are reportedly one of the teams interested in Matthew Stafford, but in this mock draft, they miss out on the 37-year-old signal-caller. As a result, they pivot to the top of the draft, and with general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll badly needing to produce a successful season, they can’t afford to miss. That’s why they leave nothing to chance, moving up two spots and getting the quarterback they want, which in this case is Cam Ward.

The Myles Garrett trade rumors are swirling, but from the Browns perspective he’s not going anywhere, so Cleveland turns its attention to the other side of the ball. Head coach Kevin Stefanski spoke highly of both Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders at the NFL combine, but in one specific interview, he pointed out that two quarterback traits he covets are accuracy and decision-making. Sanders doesn’t wow you with his athletic traits, but he certainly possesses those attributes, so that’s the direction Cleveland goes.

The biggest news to come out of the NFL combine so far has been the injury to Abdul Carter, who reportedly has a stress reaction in his right foot but will elect not to undergo surgery after having more tests done. CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson talked to two league sources who are “not worried” at all about Carter’s injury, so I’m not going to be, either. The Titans still take Carter in the top 3 to strengthen their pass rush, which will likely be without Harold Landry next season with Tennessee allowing him to seek a trade.

Patriots EVP Eliot Wolf emphasized needing to improve in the trenches during his NFL combine press conference, citing it as a formula for winning. And depending on how the first three picks shake out, offensive line and defensive line still seem like the most likely targets. But this is a dream scenario for New England; Travis Hunter can not only be Drake Maye’s No. 1 wide receiver but can help shore up the back end of Mike Vrabel’s defense.

The Jaguars finished 30th in the league in sack rate (5.5%) and and 27th in pressure rate (29.6%) a year ago, so they need to get better along the defensive front. And while I’m sure new head coach Liam Coen wouldn’t mind getting some added protection for Trevor Lawrence, Mason Graham is too good of a player to pass up here. His arm length isn’t that of a typical top-10 defensive tackle, but his tenacity, strength, technique and consistency more than make up for it.

With the top-two quarterbacks off the board, the Raiders and new head coach Pete Carroll focus their attention on stopping the signal-callers in their division. Jalon Walker would go a long way in helping them do that, as the linebacker/edge rusher hybrid has the length and athleticism to be a tone-setter along with Maxx Crosby on the defensive side of the ball in Las Vegas.

Will Johnson was one of the best NFL Draft prospects entering the 2024 season before being limited to six games this past fall due to a toe injury. Scouts were not able to see him work out out at the NFL combine, either, as he did not participate in on-field drills, instead opting to delay his long-awaited return until Michigan’s Pro Day on March 21. But make no mistake: Johnson is still an elite NFL Draft prospect, and new Jets head coach Aaron Glenn (a longtime NFL cornerback and defensive-focused coach) will get the most out of him.

The Panthers would probably prefer Jalon Walker here, but with him off the board they take another Georgia defender in Mykel Williams. His production wasn’t what you would like to see from a top-10 pick, but he said an ankle injury forced him to play at about 60% throughout the year. Carolina decides to trust Williams’ elite physical traits as it prioritizes bolstering the defensive line this offseason.

Cameron Jordan turns 36 years old in July and Chase Young is set to hit free agency; that’s basically all you need to know about which direction the Saints should go in the NFL Draft. Full transparency: I initially had Marshall’s Mike Green here, but then Shemar Stewart absolutely destroyed the NFL combine. He had very similar height, weight, wingspan, vertical jump and broad jump numbers to Myles Garrett coming out of Texas A&M; the only issue is that Garrett had 32.5 sacks in college and Stewart only had 4.5. Even with Stewart’s lack of production, the Saints bet on his tremendous upside.

The first nine picks played out perfectly for Chicago, which would like to do everything possible to protect franchise quarterback Caleb Williams. With every offensive line prospect available, the Bears select Will Campbell for his smooth athleticism, technical ability and experience (38 starts over the past three seasons).

General manager John Lynch said Trent Williams is “really motivated to come back,” but he turns 37 years old in July, so the 49ers need a backup plan at left tackle. Enter Josh Simmons, who was one of the best offensive lineman in all of college football before having season-ending knee surgery in mid-October. Some will have Simmons going later because of the injury, but San Francisco trusts that he can be the perfect replacement for their future Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Credit to my colleague, Mike Renner, for pointing this out: is Jerry Jones just concerned about selling jerseys and tickets? Because his moves the past few years, including the hiring of new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, don’t reflect an owner/general manager solely focused on winning. Now, this is nothing against Ashton Jeanty; he’s a top-10 worthy prospect, so Dallas should be thrilled to get him here. But compared to almost every other prospect (not named Shedeur Sanders), Jeanty will get fans excited to go to games, buy merchandise and more.

Kelvin Banks was a decorated three-year starter at left tackle, but some feel he may be best suited for guard. Luckily for the Dolphins, they need help at both spots. They’ve long struggled to pick up tough yards when necessary, and that’s because of the lack of push up front. Then you have head coach Mike McDaniel saying Miami is preparing as if its current left tackle, Terron Armstead, is going to retire. Whenever Banks ends up playing, he’ll be a quality starter who will improve the unit as a whole.

Tyler Warren said he wears No. 44 because when he was younger, his father put on video of legendary Washington running back John Riggins and said, “This is how I want you to run the ball.” Well, you know who else wore 44? Legendary Colts tight end Dallas Clark. Warren can do it all offensively, and Indianapolis needs to do whatever it can to help out Anthony Richardson, so that’s the direction the franchise goes here.

For the first time since Takkarist McKinley in 2017, the Falcons take an edge rusher in Round 1. Among the plethora of defensive options in this class, Atlanta elects to take the FBS’s reigning sack leader in Marshall’s Mike Green. It’ll have to do its homework about his potential character concerns — he told reporters at the NFL combine that two sexual assault allegations resulted to his departure from Virginia — but the physical tools and production are there.

It was a major bummer that a hamstring strain kept Kenneth Grant from working out at the NFL combine, but he’s still a massive, super athletic interior defensive lineman with a ton of room to grow. The Cardinals badly need help in that area, especially having to deal with the potent run games of the Rams and 49ers four times per year.

With the Bengals insisting they’re going to pay Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson, it seems like a forgone conclusion that they let veteran defensive tackle B.J. Hill walk. Cincinnati wouldn’t miss a beat if it drafted Walter Nolen, who had this to say at the NFL combine: “I’m smaller, but I’m strong as ox. I’m not a one-trick pony. I feel like I can move up and down the line.”

Nick Emmanwori said he models his game after Kyle Hamilton, arguably the best safety in the NFL at only 23 years old. It just so happens that Seahawks head coach Mike McDonald was the Ravens defensive coordinator for Hamilton’s first two years in the NFL, so he would know exactly how to maximize the potential of the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Emmanwori.

Finally a wide receiver! And the fit makes too much sense. Chris Godwin is set to become a free agent, and Mike Evans can’t put up 1,000-yard seasons for forever (can he?). Pairing the towering Tetairoa McMillan with Jalen McMillan would ensure that the receiving future is bright in Tampa Bay.

Tyler Warren stole the show among college football tight ends last season thanks to his extreme versatility and elite production, but Colston Loveland was the clear TE1 entering the 2024 campaign. He just didn’t have anyone at Michigan capable of throwing him the ball — and STILL finished with 56 catches for 582 yards and five touchdowns. Head coach Sean Payton said the Broncos “need a joker” to create mismatches offensively, and Loveland can certainly fill that role.

George Pickens is extremely talented, but also very inconsistent (and someone who frequently makes headlines for the wrong reasons). The Steelers need stability among their receiver corps, and Emeka Egbuka is the player for the job. He was always overshadowed at Ohio State by otherworldly talents, but he’s a savvy route runner who just knows how to get open.

I’m sure Jim Harbaugh would have loved to reunite with Colston Loveland in Los Angeles, but the Broncos snagged the former Michigan tight end two picks earlier. The Chargers instead turn their attention to the offensive line. General manager Joe Hortiz said the Chargers would experiment with moving Zion Johnson to center, which would leave a hole at right guard. Tyler Booker could fill that role right away, as he has all the traits (explosiveness, power leadership) that Harbaugh covets.

Cornerback Eric Stokes is set to become a free agent, and now the Packers are reportedly having trade conversations around Jaire Alexander. That leaves cornerback as one of the biggest needs, so the team goes out and gets Jahdae Barron, who won the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in college football last season. He’s not an elite athlete, but he does everything really well.

While a lot of the top defensive tackles opted not to participate in on-field drills at the NFL combine, Derrick Harmon made himself a lot of money working out at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Thursday night. He wowed with a 4.95-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-5 and 313 pounds and then showcased fluid movement skills during football drills. Brian Flores’ vaunted defense gets even better with the addition of the former Oregon star.

There’s always a few players who slip further than expected in these mock drafts, and Armand Membou is one of them. Membou was an All-SEC right tackle at Missouri, but NFL scouts believe he could be even better inside. The Texans would start him there right away and feel good about him providing much-needed protection for C.J. Stroud.

This one seems pretty straightforward: If the Rams let left tackle Alaric Jackson walk, then that position becomes the biggest need (assuming they don’t trade Matthew Stafford). Josh Conerly Jr. is the best player at that position available, so that’s the direction Los Angeles goes.

The Ravens have a bunch of impending free agents along the offensive line, and Grey Zabel has played a bunch of different positions in his career (mostly left tackle at North Dakota State before moving inside during his breakout Senior Bowl performance). It would be a good problem to have for Baltimore, which could draft him and then figure out his best spot afterwards.

Jihaad Campbell played mostly off-ball linebacker at Alabama, but he’s more than capable of being an edge rusher, and that’s where he would thrive in Detroit opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Campbell only helped his draft stock with his performance at the NFL combine.

Obviously protecting Jayden Daniels is a priority, but Donovan Ezeiruaku’s NFL combine performance made him too good to pass up here. A consensus All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year (16.5 sacks and 21.0 tackles for loss), Ezeiruaku recorded the fastest three-cone and short-shuttle times among edge rushers. He gets to the quarterback and does so quickly, which will be imperative as the Commanders attempt to catch the Eagles.

It doesn’t appear that Malaki Starks will fall this far on draft night, but that’s how this mock shook out, which the Bills are thrilled about. The Georgia standout is a do-everything safety who makes the job of his teammates easier.

I feel like I’m morally obligated to give the Chiefs an offensive lineman after what happened in the Super Bowl against the Eagles. Donovan Jackson moved from guard to left tackle after Josh Simmons went down in October, and he was an invaluable part of Ohio State’s run to winning the College Football Playoff national championship. Regardless of where he lines up, he’ll help give Patrick Mahomes more time to work his magic.

Tell me if you’ve heard this before: a talented, productive defender falls to the Eagles. James Pearce Jr. finished top three in the SEC in pressures each of the last two seasons.