Race for the No. 1 Pick of the 2025 NFL Draft:
Jacksonville Jaguars:
The Jaguars had a bye this week and are 2-9 after getting blown out by the Lions a week earlier. Jacksonville should not have given Trevor Lawrence a massive contract last offseason as they could have franchised him and waited another year to see if they should marry themselves with a huge second contract. But what’s done is done, and if the Jaguars land the top pick, they should move down and load up on picks for years to come.
New York Giants:
Tampa Bay cruised over the Giants and dropped New York to 2-9. If New York lands the No.1 pick, they should take Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders to be their franchise quarterback.
Las Vegas Raiders:
The Raiders are 2-9 after losing to Denver, and they are dealing with the ramifications of many terrible decisions by Mark Davis. Allowing the NFL league office to force him to fire Jon Gruden was a crucial mistake. Davis then followed it up by not keeping Rich Bisaccia after the Raiders went to the playoffs, and then Davis made the terrible move of hiring Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler and getting rid of Derek Carr. Las Vegas has a bad roster after the McDaniels-Ziegler years and needs a massive rebuild, including a true replacement for Carr.
Top General Manager Candidates:
- Detroit Lions director of scouting development Mike Martin
- Detroit Lions assitant general manager Ray Agnew
- 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
- New England Patriots executive Alonzo Highsmith
Top Head Coach Candidates:
- Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden
- Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick
- Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
- Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn
- Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik
- Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley
- Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia
- Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen
- Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson
Head Coach Hot-Seat Tracker:
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Doug Pederson
- Dallas Cowboys: Mike McCarthy
- New York Giants: Brian Daboll
- Chicago Bears: Matt Eberflus
Let’s Play Matchmaker:
Kansas City Chiefs: Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas 
The Chiefs pulled off another last-second win, and had major challenges getting a win over the 3-8 Panthers. Carolina was able to sack Patrick Mahomes five times, but Mahomes had a huge scramble to set up the game-winning field goal. This offeason, Kansas City needs to improve their offensive line to help out their franchise savior.
Banks played well as the starting left tackle for the Longhorns over the past few seasons. At 6-foot-4, 324 pounds, Banks has adequate size, but some might view him as having more of a guard-type body – depending on how long his arms are. Banks moves well for his size with quickness and athleticism. He would make sense as a first-round pick for Kansas City with his ability to be a plug-and-play starter at tackle or guard.
Denver Broncos: Omarion Hampton, WR, North Carolina 
The Broncos ended their road losing streak to the Raiders and Denver maintained their wild card positioning for the AFC. Bo Nix continued to play well even though they had no running game to help their rookie signal caller. The Broncos had only 63 yards on 22 carries. To help Nix make strides in year two, they could use more backfield talent.
In 2024, Hampton averaged 5.7 yards per carry for 1,475 yards and 14 touchdowns with 34 receptions for 295 yards and a touchdown. The big back Hampton ran well for North Carolina in 2023, averaging 5.9 yards per carry for 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also caught 29 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. The 6-foot, 220-pound Hampton is built well for the NFL, and he is a physical load that breaks a lot of tackles while ripping off a lot of yards after contact. Hampton would be a good second-round pick for Denver.
Minnesota Vikings: Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss 
The Vikings almost blew a two-score lead on the road in Chicago, but Minnesota was able to pull out an overtime win. Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze had some clutch conversions in the fourth quarter, and the Vikings could use more cornerback talent to help defend the passing weapons in the dangerous NFC North. Minnesota could use a No. 1 corner to make their defense even more dynamic in 2025.
Amos flashed on tape for Alabama in 2023, and he has picked up where he left off after transferring to Ole Miss. Thus far in 2024, Amos has 41 tackles with three interceptions and 11 passes broken up. Amos (6-1, 190) has good size, speed, and athleticism. He could be a riser for the 2025 NFL Draft next April. In the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Amos would be a good fit for the Vikings.
Dallas Cowboys: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State 
The Cowboys pulled off a surprising upset of Washington thanks to a long kickoff return and an efficient game from Cooper Rush. Dallas only averaged 3.3 yards per carry and Rico Dowdle fumbled as well. To help get Dak Prescott back on track, the Cowboys need to re-establish the ability to run the ball in 2025.
In 2024, Jeanty has averaged 7.5 yards per carry for 2,062 yards with 27 touchdowns and 18 receptions for 102 yards and one touchdown. Jeanty (5-8, 217) has a strong build with impressive speed and athleticism. In 2023, Jeanty averaged 6.1 yards per carry for 1,347 yards with 14 touchdowns. He also was a tremendous receiving back with 43 receptions for 569 yards and five scores. Jeanty could be a dangerous weapon to lead an NFL rushing attack, and he could transform the Dallas offense.
Tennessee Titans: Tyler Booker, G, Alabama 
The Titans pulled off a shocking win over the Texans despite Tennessee giving up a whopping eight sacks to Houston. Tennessee has drafted offensive linemen in the first round under general manager Ran Carthon, but in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Tians could continue to build up a young line by taking Booker from Alabama. He would be an upgrade at guard and reuniting him with C.J. Latham could give them two devastating run blockers at the point of attack.
In his second season as a starter with the Crimson Tide, Booker (6-5, 325) has turned into a dominant performer up front who consistently wins his blocks in impressive fashion. As a pass protector, Booker has no issues stonewalling bullrushes and mirroring speed rushers. Booker is a beast and extremely strong as a run blocker. He constantly generates movement at the point of attack and drives defenders out of their gap in a violent fashion. The powerful Booker can get a serious push at the line with brute physicality and power. He is a people mover in the ground game and looks like a plug-and-play starter at guard in the NFL. Booker could make a lot of sense for Tennessee in round two.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Green, DE, Marshall 
The Buccaneers ended their losing streak with a road win in New York. While Tampa Bay had four sacks, they had zero sacks from edge rushers and the Giants were playing without stud left tackle Andrew Thomas. This offseason, the Bucs need to improve their pass rush and add more edge rush talent.
Green has been a monster for the Thundering Herd this season, with a ton of big plays for the Marshall defense. Thus far in 2024, Green has 15 sacks with three forced fumbles, 73 tackles, and a pass batted. The 6-foot-4, 248-pounder is very fast and explosive off the edge. In 2023, Green had 43 tackles with 4.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Green could be a dynamite edge rusher for Tampa Bay with Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea on the inside. In the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Green could be a nice pick for the Buccaneers.
Cleveland Browns: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
The Browns pulled off a surprising upset with a home win over the Steelers. Cleveland improves to 3-8, and who knows if the Browns season would be completely different if Deshaun Watson had played better before his season-ending Achilles injury. The Watson trade has been a disaster for the franchise, and the fact that they gave him a fully guaranteed contract was unforgivable. It will be next to impossible to trade Watson this offseason, given his play, contract, and off-the-field controversies. In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Browns could target a quarterback to develop and replace Watson.
In 2024, Milroe has completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,396 yards with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has 17 rushing touchdowns as well. Milroe (6-2, 212) has an excellent skill set, a good arm, a strong build, and dangerous running ability with amazing speed. In his first season as a starter, Milroe improved as the season progressed, completing 66 percent of his passes for 2,834 yards with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. He ran for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns with many clutch plays to get Alabama past Georgia in the SEC Championship and into the college football playoff.
As a passer, Milroe shows real potential with a powerful arm, and he can throw the ball accurately deep downfield. Milroe’s deep ball is phenomenal. He is also a dangerous running threat who can rip a defense with his legs. Milroe needs to improve his ability to read coverage, his knowledge of defenses, his communication, and develop his football I.Q. He also needs to get more accurate as a passer in the short to intermediate part of the field. Milroe is a hard worker and a good kid who is putting in a lot of time to get better. He could be developed behind Watson and eventually replace him.
Team Draft Report:
In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand in regards to the 2025 NFL Draft.
Indianapolis Colts:
Indianapolis has had a frustrating season. At times, they look like they can compete with anyone, and in other games, they look like they could lose to the worst team in the league. The reason for that is the inconsistent passing of second-year quarterback Anthony Richarson. This offseason, the Colts need to really develop Richardson and get him to improve his ball placement and precision. He has to make a big jump in his third season, showing improved accuracy and recognition of coverage. If Richardson does not make a big jump in his play next year, Indianapolis will be in the market looking for a new franchise quarterback.
In my latest mock 2025 NFL Draft, I have the Colts taking Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos, and that would make their defense even better with a true No. 1 corner on the outside. With the superb Kenny Moore in the slot and JuJu Brents on the outside, Indianapolis would have a superb trio to backup their talented defensive line. Aside from Amos, they could hope to land Michigan’s Will Johnson, but Indianapolis probably won’t be picking high enough to land him. There also could be some intriguing cornerback options on day two.
Even though the Colts have some good veteran offensive linemen, they could consider an upgrade at right guard. In my mock, I have them taking Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson, and he could improve their run blocking for Jonathan Taylor and the pass protection in front of Richardson. For Richardson to make strides, they must keep him healthy, so leaning on Taylor and improving his protection would make sense. Alabama’s Tyler Booker could be a late first-rounder, but that could be too luxurious of a pick for Indianapolis.
The 2025 NFL Draft could be a great year to add defensive line talent. Indianapolis landed a superb edge rusher in Laiaut Latu last year, but the Colts don’t reach in the first round under general manager Chris Ballard. They could consider adding some defensive tackle youth next to DeForest Buckner. While tackle is not a need, the value could be too good to pass on. They could consider options like Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, Michigan’s Mason Graham, Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams, or Tennessee’s Omarr Norman-Lott.
The Colts have a strong roster capable of taking the team to the post-season and competing with the top teams in the AFC. They will continue to build up their roster as they draft well, but the most critical thing to fix in the offseason is to get Richardson more consistent and accurate as a passer. If they are able to do that, Indianapolis could take off in 2025.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
The Pittsburgh Steelers had a surprising loss on Thursday Night Football to the reeling Browns, but Pittsburgh will rebound, and they are in a great position to win the AFC North this season. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have been good enough to help a superb defense, but adding more talent next April could help the Steelers be more dangerous when taking on teams like the Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens in the post-season.
The top need on the Steelers roster is wide receiver talent. Even if George Pickens is signed long-term, they need more weapons to go with him. In the first round of the draft, they could hope to have a shot at speed receivers like Missouri’s Luther Burden or Texas’ Isaiah Bond. Either would be a nice weapon to add quickness and big play ability to the offense. Pittsburgh typically targets wide receiver help on day two of the draft or later. They have had great success landing some excellent pros like Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace, Diontae Johnson, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Pickens. Some day two receivers that could be steals include size/speed freaks like TCU’s Savion Williams or Maryland’s Kaden Prather. Smaller fast wide outs include Oklahoma’s Deion Burks and Oregon’s Evan Stewart. Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka would be a safe pick to turn into a contributor. Pittsburgh evaluated and drafted receivers well under former general manager Kevin Colbert, and now the Steelers need to keep that tradition going next April.
Depending on how the draft unfolds, a receiver may not be available in the first round, or the Steelers might be more inclined to follow their track record of taking a wide out on day two. In my latest mock 2025 NFL Draft, I have the Steelers taking LSU linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., and he would be a great fit in Pittsburgh. Perkins is a versatile defender who could help them at linebacker, rotating with Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts while also proving to be a rotational edge rusher to go with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. The Steelers traded for Preston Smith for some rotational edge rush depth, but he is not a long-term contributor at this point of his career. Perkins is a dynamite speed rusher that could be a dynamic chess piece for Mike Tomlin to work with.
The Steelers have a defense capable of shutting down almost any offense. Continuing to add wid receiver talent and some pass rush depth could be a good plan to help get Pittsburgh in better position to contend for a Super Bowl next season.
