Race for the No. 1 Pick of the 2025 NFL Draft:
Carolina Panthers:
The Panthers have been a mess for years thanks to terrible ownership decisions by David Tepper, but new general manager Dan Morgan has made some good moves to build up the offensive line and wide receiver talent for Bryce Young. Still, it will take time as evidenced by their Week 1 performance versus the Saints. Morgan needs more runs through free agency and the draft to get Carolina out of contention for the No. 1 pick.
New York Giants:
The Giants had an embarrassing performance in the season opener, getting owned by the Vikings. It looks like it could be a long-year in New York
Arizona Cardinals:
The Cardinals are a young team that could need development time around Kyler Murray.
Las Vegas Raiders:
The Raiders play in the tough AFC and have some weak spots along the offensive line and in the secondary. In most games, Las Vegas will be facing a superior quarterback. The Raiders were handled by the Chargers in Week 1 and it could be a long season for Vegas.
Top General Manager Candidates:
- Detroit Lions director of scouting development Mike Martin
- Atlanta Falcons vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith
- Indianapolis Colts chief personnel executive Morocco Brown
- Buffalo Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray
- Tennessee Titans director of pro scouting Brian Gardner
- Philadelphia Eagles director of scouting Brandon Hunt
- Miami Dolphins assistant general manager Marvin Allen
- Washington director of pro scouting Eric Stokes
- Miami Hurricanes general manager Alonzo Highsmith
Top Head Coach Candidates:
- Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden
- Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
- Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn
- Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley
- Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia
Head Coach Hot-Seat Tracker:
- Dallas Cowboys: Mike McCarthy
- New York Giants: Brian Daboll
- New York Jets: Robert Saleh
Let’s Play Matchmaker:
Seatle Seahawks: Emery Jones Jr., OT, LSU 
The Seahawk’s offense was terrible in the first half, and the right side of their offensive line was getting whipped, leading to the Broncos recording two safeties. The offensive line was a big weakness for Seattle last season, and they did nothing significant to improve their line. Next April, the Seahawks could use an upgrade at right tackle to provide more stability in pass protection and run-blocking power.
Jones (6-6, 322) earned a starting job during his freshman season and has turned in a pair of impressive years to start his collegiate career. In 2023, Jones formed an excellent tackle tandem with Will Campbell to help their quarterback Jayden Daniels produce a massive season that earned Daniels the Heisman Trophy. Jones has a strong build with impressive athleticism for a thick-bodied tackle, and his basketball background is evident in his footwork. At many schools, Jones would be a starting left tackle. Jones looks like a pro starter and should enter the NFL with excellent experience. He could have the potential to be a plug-and-play starter for Seattle.
New England Patriots: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona 
The Patriots pulled off one of the most shocking Week 1 upsets with a six-point win over the Bengals. While the New England passing offense was unimpressive once again, Rhamondre Stevenson ran well, and the Patriot’s defense shut down the Bengals’ high-powered offense. This offseason, New England needs to add a legit No. 1 receiver for Drake Maye.
To open 2024, McMillan had an amazing performance with ten catches for 304 yards and four touchdowns taking on New Mexico. Arizona had an impressive 2023 season while featuring a dangerous passing attack. Wide receiver Jacob Cowing was a known factor for 2023, but McMillan emerged as a playmaker that season. The sophomore caught 90 passes for 1,402 yards and ten touchdowns. McMillan notched 39 catches for 702 yards and eight scores as a freshman. The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder McMillan has mismatch size for the NFL. He would be a great addition to the Patriots offense.
Minnesota Vikings: Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
The Vikings cruised over the hapless Giants with an impressive road win to open the season for Minnesota. Sam Darnold threw two touchdown passes, and Aaron Jones ran very well. While the Vikings wide receivers weren’t prolific, the New York offense was pathetic and could only muster six points. T.J. Hockenson is out of the lineup as he works his way back from a torn ACL. The Vikings could use a second tight end to pair with Hockenson. Hockenson has limitations as a blocker. Adding another weapon at tight end would make Minnesota very dangerous in 12 personnel, a grouping that J.J. McCarthy ran a lot of plays out of at Michigan.
Taylor has been a receiving weapon since his freshman season with the Tigers. While his numbers have not been prolific, LSU has had some superb receivers that they have fed the ball to. In 2023 (36-348-1) and in 2022 (38-414-3), Taylor was a good weapon for Jayden Daniels. Taylor could be a nice day-two pick to help McCarthy in what will be essentially his rookie season in 2025.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Nic Anderson, WR, Oklahoma 
The Steelers defense carried them to a road win to start the season. Pittsburgh’s offense struggled to produce points, but the defense overwhelmed Kirk Cousins and produced huge turnovers to bail out the lack of playmaking from the offense. Clearly, the Steelers need more point producers.
In 2023, the 6-foot-4, 209-pound Anderson showed that he was scratching the surface of his potential. As a redshirt freshman, Anderson caught 38 passes for 798 yards and ten touchdowns, a superb average of 21 yards per catch. Anderson has size, speed, and athleticism. He has serious playmaking ability and upside.
Miami Dolphins: Shavon Revel, CB, East Carolina 
The Dolphins pulled off a comeback with a late comeback over the Jaguars. Jacksonville had some big plays through the air, and the Dolphins’ front seven came through with clutch plays. Miami signed Jalen Ramsey to a huge extension, but Ramsey is aging and declining. They could use a talented and cheap option to pair with him.
Revel (6-2, 188) is a big cornerback that has impressive speed and athleticism for a big cornerback. In 2023, he had 55 tackles with 12 passes broken up and one interception. Revel has the potential to be a riser like Quinyon Mitchell did for the 2024 draft. He could be a good fit in Miami.
Philadelphia Eagles: Landon Jackson, DE, Arkansas 
The Eagles enjoyed a tremendous debut from new linebacker Zack Baun. He had 15 tackles against the Packers and registered both of Philadelphia’s sacks. Brandon Graham is in the final year of his contract, and Bryce Huff was quiet in the season opener. If Nolan Smith doesn’t start producing more, the Eagles will need to add some pass-rushing talent in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The 6-foot-7, 280-pound Jackson is strong at the point of attack and has good length to keep blockers from getting into his chest. In 2023, Jackson recorded 44 tackles, 6.5 sacks and a pass broken up. He has upside and could be a nice prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft. Jackson could be a good fit in Vic Fangio’s defense.
Kansas City Chiefs: Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State
The Chiefs struggled to run the ball in the season opener, totaling only 72 yards on 20 carries. After this season, it looks like veteran guard Trey Smith is likely to leave in free agency, which will open up a hole inside the line. Kansas City could target a run-blocking force in the second round.
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Jackson has been a tough blocker for the Buckeyes over the past few seasons. He blasts open holes in the ground game and does a steady job of protecting his quarterback. Jackson could be a safe pick to turn into a solid pro.
Team Draft Report:
In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand in regards to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Green Bay Packers:
The Packers had a tough challenge in Week 1, drawing a tough opponent in the Philadelphia Eagles and making an absurdly long trip to Brazil to play the game. With a healthy Jordan Love, the young Packers are a Super Bowl contender in the NFC. However, they might be below teams like the Eagles, 49ers, and Lions. Green Bay has room for improvement on defense, especially to help it become more formidable against the elite teams in the NFC.
Green Bay made defensive coordinator Joe Barry the fall guy for the defensive inconsistency after the 2023 season, hiring Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley to replace Barry. Hafley did not show an improved scheme, as the Packer’s defense couldn’t stop Philadelphia despite the Eagles making several stupid mistakes with multiple terrible interceptions and a mistimed fumbled snap. Unless young players step up during the season, the Packers could use more talent on their defense.
In my latest mock 2025 NFL Draft, I have the Packers drafting some defensive line talent with an interior pass rusher. Lukas Van Ness has yet to show signs of being the impact player he was expected to be when the Packers took him 13th overall in 2023. Preston Smith is aging, and they could use more help for Rashan Gary and Kenny Clark. The 2025 draft has a good amount of defensive line talent for the Packers to draw upon.
The cornerback position could get consideration as well. However, that will depend on how Eric Stokes plays this year and if Jaire Alexander can show more durability. The Packers also could consider continuing to build up their offensive line talent to protect Jordan Love.
Even if the Packers don’t make a Super Bowl run this year, they could contend for a Championship in the coming seasons. General manager Brian Gutekunst must draft well to help put Green Bay over the top.
Baltimore Ravens:
The Ravens came close to going to the Super Bowl last year and started the 2024 season with a repeat of last season’s end with a loss to the Chiefs. While Baltimore is 0-1, they still should be a Super Bowl this season as they have a strong roster of talent on both sides of the ball. With an elite quarterback in Lamar Jackson, the Ravens should be in Super Bowl contention for years to come, even if they don’t win a championship this year.
The Ravens had some turnover at the offensive line last offseason, sending right tackle Morgan Moses to Washington and adding Roger Rosengarten in the second round. Rosengarten struggled in his first game, but obviously he could improve as he gains experience and was playing a tough opponent in an elite defender with the Chiefs in Chris Jones. Still, Ronnie Stanley has had issues staying healthy, and it would make sense to add depth and competition. Rosengarten could always move inside to guard if they add more tackle talent. Late in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Baltimore could have some good options to consider to bolster the offensive line. Those players could include Texas’ Kelvin Banks, Minnesota’s Aireontae Ersery, Georgia’s Earnest Greene, Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea, and Oregon’s Josh Conerly. In my latest mock 2025 NFL Draft, I have the Ravens taking Ersery to be a player who could start at right tackle but might have the potential to develop into a replacement for Stanley.
Defensively, Baltimore has a loaded secondary with good young talent. The Ravens should consider adding youth and some edge rush talent to the defensive line. They lost Jadeveon Clowney in free agency, and the Ravens need their young pass rushers to step up. If they wanted to add a big body to the defensive line, they could have intriguing options like Arkansas’ Landon Jackson, Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams, Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, South Carolina’s T.J. Sanders, and Clemson’s DeMonte Capehart.
The Ravens are in a great position to make a run to the Super Bowl this year or next. Another good draft might just put them over the top.
