With all the general managers, coaches, and scouts in attendance for the Senior Bowl, there is a lot of chatter going around. Here are some highlights from around the league on day one of the 2024 Senior Bowl week.
The New England Patriots have the fourth-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and the Patriots sit in a very unique position. All three teams picking ahead of New England are in the market for a quarterback. There also is a rare talent in Colorado star cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter. In my latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft, I have Hunter and two quarterbacks off the board, which leave some great options available for New England. Obviously, the Patriots need to build talent around second-year quarterback Drake Maye. However, New England has huge needs on both sides of the ball.
In speaking with team sources, early indications are they love Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter. It sounds like they prefer Carter over a potential No. 1 wide receiver in Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan. Their love for Carter could have him as the No. 1 player on their board, ahead of Hunter as well. I’ve spoken with evaluators at other teams who feel that Carter is the best prospect in the draft, so the Patriots would not be alone if they came to that conclusion during the lead-up to the draft. New England needs young edge rush talent, and Carter looks like an excellent fit for head coach Mike Vrabel. A lot can and will change in the coming months, but the Patriots sound infatuated with Carter right now.
The 2025 NFL Draft is loaded on the defensive line with good prospects at defensive end and defensive tackle for the first two days of the draft. Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham has been a media favorite to be a top-10 pick, but multiple team sources say they think Graham is more likely to go in the 11-20 range. After scouting Graham in person, they say he has a terrible body that looks like “the marshmallow man.” They think when general managers and head coaches see the physical makeup that could push Graham outside the top 10 and into the teens.
Graham’s teammate Kenneth Grant has not gotten as much media hype, but multiple team sources have Grant as the better prospect. They feel that Grant has a better skill set with more upside. Those sources feel that Grant could go ahead of Graham, and Grant has a shot at being a top-10 pick.
The Washington Commanders had a magical season led by the outstanding performance of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Last offseason, new general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn began to remake the roster they inherited from the Ron Rivera regime, and the make-over will continue in 2025. In speaking with sources with Washington, it sounds like veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is a likely cap casualty. The Commanders have a big contract tied up in Daron Payne, drafted Johnny Newton in the second round last year, and Allen has dealt with injuries and declining production. In 2024, he had 19 tackles with three sacks and only one total tackle in the playoff games against Tampa Bay and Detroit. Allen’s contract is at a tolerable point to move on and free up some space, according to sources. Perhaps Allen will restructure to stay with the franchise that drafted him with the 17th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, but it sounds like Allen is a potential cap casualty before free agency.
Last offseason, the Detroit Lions went on a big spending spree, securing some of their core players to long-term contracts. General manager Brad Holmes signed quarterback Jared Goff, right tackle Penei Sewell, and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown to big contracts early in the offseason, and they proved to be very astute contracts by Holmes. All of those contracts were quickly surpassed, and lesser players in those positions are getting paid more than that trio in Detroit. In the coming months, they continued to retain their core by locking up left tackle Taylor Decker and defensive tackle Alim McNeil. With the sixth-most cap space in the NFL, sources say expect the Lions to be spenders again in 2025.
Many Lions fans have been advocating for a trade for Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, and Crosby has not been coy about an inner desire to come home and play for Detroit. While the Lions could possibly afford to Crosby’s big salary and re-sign star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, that would very likely tap out Detroit. Sources say while the Lions are going to be spending, the big money is likely to be spent on continuing to do contract extensions for the young talent on their roster. Star safety Kerby Joseph is probably first in line for a big payday, but others will not be far behind. Over this offseason and in 2026, Detroit is likely to do extensions for players like Hutchinson, safety Brian Branch, and tight end Sam LaPorta. There are other free agents that they would like back that could be tough to afford as well including linebacker Derrick Barnes, safety Iffy Melifonwu, and cornerback Carlton Davis. The Lions will pick up the fifth-year option on Jameson Williams, and an extension for Williams is in play. Then, in a year or two, they will have to start considering when to do extensions for running back Jamhyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell.
The Lions are also inclined to keep draft picks rather than trade them for veterans. The draft picks could turn into young, cheap, talented starters. No general manager in the NFL has drafted better than Holmes since he arrived in Detroit in 2021. Holmes has shown he can find gold after the first round in players like St. Brown, Joseph, Branch, McNeil, LaPorta, etc. Detroit fans can expect the Lions to stick with their plan of drafting well and retaining their young talent this offseason.
