Cam Ward Goes #1

Tennessee is in desperate need of a franchise quarterback, can Ward be their savior? There is no question that Ward has the physical tools to be a plus starter. He has a huge arm, excellent mobility and good pocket presence. He however needs to work on some of his decision making as he tends to play hero ball much like previous #1 Caleb Williams.

Regardless of the weaknesses the upside is too great to pass on and the Titans will take that gamble. If he does go to Tennessee I wouldn’t mind if they sat him a year to get up to speed.

Sanders to the Big Apple

Shedeur Sanders is by far the most intriguing prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. He doesn’t quite have the mobility of Ward but has shown he can lead a pro-level offense at a high level.

New York just seems like the perfect fit for Sanders. The spotlight will be on him from day 1 but Sanders is used to that for obvious reasons. Like the Titans, the Giants need to find a franchise quarterback and can’t afford not to take Sanders. If this is indeed the pick it will make for an entertaining season in NY.

Ashton Jeanty to the Big Easy

Jeanty is coming off a monster year at Boise State where he carried the Broncos offense. There will be questions on his college workload but Jeanty is a beast and a prototypical NFL running back. He very rarely goes down at first contact and has a good breakaway speed.

The Saints jump on this opportunity to draft Jeanty as they need a compliment to the aging Alvin Kamara. With Jeanty in the mix Kamara can have a lighter load and get back to his explosive self.

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Injuries: An alarming amount of key players have been injured in the first two weeks of football. How will these teams navigate these injuries and just survive.

Rookie QB’s: There was a lot of hype this year about Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams. So far I would say Jayden has the edge with 0 INT and 2 rushing TD’s. He has shown the ability to throw and run when he has to. He does need to work on sliding and avoiding any major injury. The zero int’s are not surprising because at LSU he didn’t throw too many, and is smart with the football.

New Kickoff: This has been a disaster with most players and viewers not happy with the new kickoff. I understand the NFL is all about safety but to implement this rule doesn’t make sense.

New Orleans Saints: Are they for real? They’ve scored on every offensive drive this season and have no plans of slowing down. They appear to be playing at 100% confidence. In a pretty weak division, the sky is the limit for them.

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As usual, these rankings will be updated up to week 1 of the NFL season. Before you check out our rankings, check out some highlights that stick out.

Two Rookie QB’s in the Top 20

The big question heading into every new NFL season is how the top quarterbacks in the draft will fare. There is a lot of hype for Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels this year and we are buying the hype.

Williams has a great supporting cast surrounding him in Chicago. With plenty of weapons to choose from, he should thrive in this new-look Bears offense.

In Washington, Daniels has been the talk of training camp. While he has not officially been given the starting job many believe it’s just a matter of time. Daniels is the perfect quarterback for Kliff Kingsbury’s system and will have plenty of opportunities to put up points.

Christian McCaffrey Holds Down Top Spot

At this point, it’s no surprise that McCaffrey is #1 overall in our draft rankings. The 49ers running back was once again RB1 last season and there are no signs of him slowing down.

I expect McCaffrey to once again put up big numbers in the San Francisco offense. This could be the last year though this offensive unit stays intact with Brock Purdy’s contract looming.

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Houston Texans

The obvious choice is the Texans, they made it to the Divisional Round with a rookie quarterback. C.J. Stroud is now heading into his second year. The acquisition of Stefon Diggs certainly boosts the offensive firepower. If Stroud continues on this track I certainly expect Super Bowl contention.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns have had an elite defense for a couple years now. The problem has been offensive production, with Deshaun Watson struggling a bit and the injury to Nick Chubb it wasn’t very good last year. This year Watson can deliver and make this team a Super Bowl caliber one. Kevin Stefanski will find a way to bring some sort of production out of Watson.

Chicago Bears

By no means is Chicago a sure-fire Super Bowl contender. I do think they have the pieces to be a serious playoff contender and even in a weak NFC conference anything can happen. Caleb Williams has all the tools needed to perform in Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore, D’Andre Swift and two stud tackles. Regarding the defensive the Bears locked down cornerback Jaylon Johnson earlier this year. 

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Winner – Chicago Bears

Well, this an obvious team to choose for the best draft. Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze headlined this incredible draft that could be remembered in Chicago for years.

A franchise QB and maybe a franchise WR in Rome Odunze, Chicago probably has the best reciever core in the league with DJ Moore Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze. Tory Taylor is also just a special punter and will be a dominant one for years to come.

Loser – Atlanta Falcons

The falcons had a great opportunity this year to majorly upgrade their pass rush by getting the likes of Dallas Turner or Laitu Latu. Instead, they draft their successor of Kirk Cousins in Micheal Penix Jr.

Penix is a great quarterback, but the value was too high and the situation truly doesn’t add up. Cousins is on a 4-year deal that pays him a lot of money. Penix has a chance to be great but everything needs to fall in place. Moving onto the later rounds, Ruke Orhorhoro with the 35th pick was a bit of a reach but, mainly fine. 

Winner – New Orleans Saints

The Saints crushed this draft. Tailese Fuaga with the 14th pick was perfect value and a great fit. The main steal of the draft were two picks, Kool-Aid Mckinstry with the 41st pick and Spencer Rattler with the 150th pick.

These two guys have huge upside and can be not only productive starters, STARS. In terms of Rattler, his upside is through the roof, he throws a better ball than a lot of guys in the league currently. 

Loser – Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas didn’t get a quarterback, it’s that simple. I love the Brock Bowers pick, but in a league as competitive as the NFL, you need to at least have a guy that’s a lottery ticket. When I say lottery ticket I mean a 4th rounder or 5th rounder that could boom and become a franchise guy, take Spencer Rattler for example or for someone actually in the league Dak Prescott. 

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Vikings Move Up for J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings have the draft capital and need to find their quarterback of the future. In comes J.J. McCarthy who has shot up draft boards this offseason. Whether you think McCarthy is worthy of a top 5 pick doesn’t matter at this point. Its become clear that many NFL execs are enamored with his ability to run a pro-style offense. Head coach Kevin O’Connell knows how to run an offense and if he likes McCarthy the Vikings will go all in.

Minnesota also brought in Sam Darnold this offseason but I see him more as a backup who can mentor the young QB. The Vikings have weapons and a strong o-line that can protect McCarthy.

Michael Penix Jr. to the Seahawks

Another quarterback to keep an eye on in this year’s draft is Michael Penix Jr. Penix is starting to climb up draft boards with some having him as 5th quarterback taken. The Seahawks seem like a perfect destination for the former Washington QB.

Penix can learn behind Geno Smith and compete with Sam Howell who Seattle traded for this offseason. Although he is not known as a runner Penix is sneaky athletic and can escape pressure if needed.

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Caleb Williams to Chicago

After the block buster move to send Justin Fields to Pittsburgh, it’s more clear than ever that Caleb Williams will be the guy in Chicago. In years past, this would be considered a bad situation to go to, but with one of the best WR duos in the league (Keenan Allen and D.J. Moore) the pressure is on for Williams to perform. Williams is the most NFL ready QB and the clear #1 prospect in this draft.

Drake Maye to Washington.

Drake Maye is one of my favorite prospects in the draft. His big arm and big production makes him a Josh-Allen esque talent. More teams everyday are taking a chances on big talent big risk guys after seeing how well it has worked out. Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson should produce very well for Maye.

The only downside to his game is the turnovers, 9 INT’s and 4 particularly in the last 3 games of 2023 is definitely concerning, but it would be criminal to pass on him at 2. 

Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Patriots.

Marvin Harrison is probably the best non-QB prospect in this draft. The patriots having many holes to fill in this roster should just take the best player available. The route of going QB is interesting but the question remains if you want to throw a rookie QB into a bad situation so early on. 

Malik Nabers to the Cardinals

Nabers would be an electric addition to the WR-needy Cardinals. Kyler Murray’s production would skyrocket with Nabers and could seriously upgrade the Cardinals offensively, the option of trading down always remains of course, but going with Nabers seems like the smart choice.

Jayden Daniels to the Vikings (Trade)

Here is the blockbuster trade of the evening, Minnesota trades up 6 places to grab their franchise guy at 5. Daniels had a career year at LSU winning the Heisman and skyrocketing his draft value. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Daniels have the potential to be the best offense in the league and would make this a crazy good pick.

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Commanders Trade Up for Caleb Williams

Early on in the offseason, it seemed like a lock the Chicago Bears would select Caleb Williams with the first pick. Fast forward to today and that is no longer a guarantee. As it stands quarterback Justin Fields is still on the Bears roster and hasn’t been traded. Most assume that is because nobody wants him but what if the Bears intend to keep him instead?

Yesterday, Chicago pulled off a surprising trade with the LA Chargers and received Keenan Allen for a 4th round pick. Allen is no longer in his prime but is still a top-level receiver in the league. Pairing him with DJ Moore gives the Bears something they have been lacking for years. Weapons.

Some would assume getting Allen is to help Caleb Williams but what if it’s for Fields instead? Fields has not had a great supporting cast since he was drafted. This move could put less pressure on Fields and allow him to stay in the pocket more as these two receivers will eventually get open. Keep in mind the Bears also signed running back De’Andre Swift in free agency. Swift is another weapon that Fields could utilize.

So what would it take for the Commanders to move up? Well with the trade yesterday the Bears now only have 4 picks in the upcoming draft. I believe Washington who just acquired an additional 3rd round pick for Sam Howell could offer the below package.

• Commanders get 1st overall pick —> Bears get 2nd overall pick, 36th pick, 67th pick and a 2025 1st round pick

That may seem like a lot to move up one spot but if Washington believes that Williams is their franchise QB of the future they have to pull the trigger.

Vikings Move Up and Draft Drake Maye

Earlier today the Minnesota Vikings pulled off a trade to swap draft picks with the Houston Texans. This gives Minnesota the 23rd pick in the upcoming draft. The Vikings now have two first-round picks at their disposal and I believe they will use them to move up for Drake Maye.

As it stands the Vikings are too far back to wait on a quarterback and with the departure of Kirk Cousins they need to address the position. I do realize the Vikings picked up Sam Darnold this week but I don’t think he is there to be the starter. Maye makes a lot of sense for this Vikings team who still have star Justin Jefferson and recently brought in ex-Packer Aaron Jones.

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Quarterback

Long story short, this quarterback class is loaded. In most drafts, a prospect like Jayden Daniels is a lock to be a top 3 picks but there is a true chance with all the talent on the board he could fall to maybe 8-10th overall. On the other hand, the first few picks are looking like they will be quarterbacks as well.

Caleb Williams is nearly a lock to go number 1 overall, the discussion is surrounded around where he will go with the Bears currently owning the first overall pick. Drake Maye would be the first quarterback taken off the board in 90% of other classes, he’s just that talented. A couple of other guys like Micheal Penix Jr. and Bo Nix from Washington and Oregon have  chance to go in the 1st round if not very early second. 

Wide Receiver

Well, this was a popular position during the combine with guys like Xavier Worthy lighting it up in the 40 yard dash. To look at it frankly this is the best wide receiver class in years and maybe in a decade or so. Marvin Harrison Jr is a blue chip and a lock to go top 5 overall and Malik Nabers shouldn’t fall to far behind him.

This class is not only top heavy with MHJ, Nabers and Rome Odunze but has some really good depth with Brian Thomas Jr (LSU) and Keon Coleman being available late first round maybe even second round. Xavier Worthy’s draft stock is also rapidly rising with his impressive 40 yard dash time, he wouldn’t be a surprise for his name to be called on day 1. 

Offensive Tackle

Joe Alt is the big name for this class, the left tackle out of Notre Dame has a very good shot to go top 7 in this year’s draft. Also at the top Olu Fashanu (Penn St.) is very likely to go early. My personal favorite prospect is Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State). Tackle is a very big need for NFL teams needing to protect their Quarterbacks, so I could see a world in where some trades are made maybe by the Cardinals to protect their guy.

The 2024 class is one of the more exciting classes in recent years considering how strong this particular class is. The only true class that is bad is the running back. Everything else has top to bottom quality starters, and we could potentially look back at the 2024 class and think of it as the turning point.

Out of all three classes listed I would give the slight edge to the Wide Receivers, much more depth than both other positions and maybe even more talent at the top. 

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In my mind, there is a clear favorite and it’s Daniels. Not only that but the more I study his game the more I am convinced Daniels is closer to Williams than Maye.

The Intangibles

Jayden Daniels had the best season of any quarterback prospect in the upcoming draft. Daniels finished his 2023 campaign with 40 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions. He also rushed for over 1,000 yards and had 10 rushing touchdowns. This was all against SEC defenses and he capped off his season by winning the Heisman trophy in December.

Daniels is listed at 6′ 4″ and 210 lbs according to his latest measurements. He has ideal size but will need to put on 10-15 lbs this offseason. He is a top level athlete with an excellent arm and can make all the throws you look for in an NFL quarterback. Perhaps his greatest intangible is his quick release which looks at times almost effortless.

Another trait that stands out for Daniels is his pocket movement. He has the ability to maneuver the pocket like an NFL quarterback and take off and run when he needs to. The play below vs. Florida is a perfect example of this.

This play is what many NFL execs look for in a modern-day quarterback. It is sometimes referred to as the 2nd play. If the play breaks down does the quarterback have the ability to reset, take off or scramble and find the open receiver. Lamar Jackson is elite at doing this and you can see many of the same traits in Daniels game.

Jayden Daniels is not without weaknesses though. He tends to take too many unnecessary hits and this is a concern considering his frame. Once he gets to the NFL this will be the main focus for whichever team selects him. There are also times he can move on from his reads too quickly. Again, this can be addressed at the next level.

Could Jayden Daniels go #1?

Before the start of the 2023 season, it would’ve been crazy to think Daniels could leap over Caleb Williams. Fast forward to now and it’s worth a debate. As we get closer to the 2024 NFL draft I believe this will be more of a topic and the Daniels hype train to heat up. Still, when the Chicago Bears do make their pick I expect them to grab Williams.

This would mean Daniels would be available for the Washington Commanders and I expect them to select him with the 2nd pick. This is reflected in our latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft. A lot could change between now and April so buckle up!

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