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Mock Draft Monday (Wednesday Edition)
Rethinking the Top Ten
Free Agency isn't over, but the big pieces are in place for the most part, and until we find out where the last couple of quarterbacks land, it’s time to shift focus back to the NFL Draft.
I zeroed in on the top ten today because I don’t have all the stuff done I wanted to for my next FULL mock, and also, it’s time to tweak the NCAA brackets and finish figuring out survivor entries.
So, the top ten for now:
1. Tennessee
The Moves: not getting any of the quarterbacks, but also working on the offensive line and defense.
No one seems to strongly disagree with this: all signs appear to be pointing to the Titans taking a quarterback. I’m unsure how I would approach this mess if I were new GM Mike Borgonzi, but the clock starts ticking the day you’re hired. If you get the quarterback who earns himself a second deal, you could be enjoying that corner office for a decade.
I’ve seen cases to the contrary. Hell, Drew made a good point the other day about how their current path is the best to take if they want to maintain the leverage for anyone trading with them: if they don’t have a QB, the pick is worth more to them, and should be harder to pry away. I still think they grab a signal caller.
Pick: Cam Ward, QB, Miami
2. Cleveland
The Moves: they didn’t have much to work with but did ok filling in a bit on defense. Getting Maliek Collins to replace Dalvin Tomlinson works, but then they pay Myles Garrett and trade for Kenny Pickett. Very uneven.
There are not a ton of clues as to which direction they’ll be going based on free agency unless they think they can draft the 2nd quarterback and make it work here. Abdul Carter makes sense for every team in the league, but with the re-signing of Garrett and a pretty stout defense, it’s not a priority. Maybe they grab someone who could change their fortune on BOTH sides of the ball.
Pick: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
3. NY Giants
The Moves: added cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland
Free agency moves haven’t affected the Giants' main needs at #3 outside of making Travis Hunter slightly less desirable as they have already spent and worked on the secondary. That said, they did see a team in the division double dip on defensive backs last year and then win four playoff games.
What we have to keep coming back to with the Giants is that the head coach and GM are not likely to do what’s best for this team long-term. They were told that this is a make-or-break year, and you certainly don’t turn a team around starting Tommy DeVito at quarterback. Their hand may be forced if they don’t end up with Aaron Rodgers. I’m just penciling them in to do something dumb until I figure out a way out of their self-imposed mess. If they end up with Rodgers or perhaps trade for Cousins, this changes and they can simply take the best defender available. For now, they reach because they have no choice.
Pick: Shadeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
4. New England
The Moves: Signed multiple defensive players (DT Milton Williams, CB Carlton Davis III, and LB Harold Landry), improved the offensive line (OT Morgan Moses, C Garrett Bradbury), but didn’t nail down a WR1. Signed Mack Hollins instead.
As I said before, if two teams ahead of them go with a quarterback, they may have lucked into whoever is left between Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter and I guess in this 10-team half-assed mock, that did happen, so I’ll be happy to put the Penn State pass rusher in here. Obviously, they have a very nice fallback option in a certain big-bodied, athletic wide receiver that could further unlock their young quarterback.
Depending on demand and what some of the other QB-needy teams behind them do, this is a nice spot for a trade-back as well. For now, we’ll go with the best available for a team with plenty of needs. They own three day two picks and can take some shots at a WR there.
Pick: Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State
On the latest edition of Mock Draft Monday, @TampaBayTre gave out Tetairoa McMillan to the New England Patriots as one of his favorite player-to-team fits.
We got into why TMac is such a strong prospect, why he works for Drake Maye and player comps.
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB)
6:17 PM • Mar 17, 2025
5. Jacksonville
The Moves: Signed a good slot CB in Jourdan Lewis and got a fill-in guard in Patrick Mekari.
They have TEN picks in this year’s draft and hope to make the most of them. Nice job last year of nailing down a star WR, but some of the picks on defense have been misses, notably top overall Travon Walker. I suppose someone is going to have to move outside between Jourdon Lewis and Jarrian Jones, but they still have lots of holes to fill in the front seven right now and likely won’t be adding much more via free agency. They need some day-one starters on defense with a couple of their top picks, and the interior defensive line is a high priority.
The Pick: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
6. Las Vegas
The Moves: solidified the defensive line with re-signings and added some secondary pieces, but the thing that changes how this pick is going be treated is obviously the trade for Geno Smith.
With some needs along the interior offensive line, at wide receiver, and maybe even some more help in the defensive backfield, the Raiders are probably not done in free agency, so a splashy move here or there could change things, but this is quickly becoming a favorite landing spot for mockers’ top RB.
A strong case for an outside WR in Tet McMillan as well, but after they rolled out a half dozen different RBs last year and only went out and signed Raheem Mostert for about $2 million, this fit is both fun and makes a ton of sense. I refuse to NOT enjoy this process sometimes.
The Pick: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Missed tackles forced vs yards after contact
— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights)
11:42 PM • Mar 18, 2025
7. NY Jets
The Moves: Jettisoned 225 pounds of leftover QB, re-signed LB Jamien Sherwood, and brought in CB Brandon Stephens.
We’ll find out if Justin Fields can make a proper go of it here in New York, but it seems like they’re set at QB and will start to focus on other needs now (although they’ve said they may still look at rookie QBs if the situation is right, presumably later in the draft).
They could grab one of the two Tight Ends here or even grab an offensive tackle, but unless the concerns around McMillan are real and shared by a majority of the league, I think he’s atop-tenn talent and it’s hard to pass up something to help get this offense moving, especially after last year.
The Pick: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
8. Carolina
The Moves: Defenders at all three levels and a new contract for CB Jaycee Horn. Signed RB Rico Dowdle from the Cowboys and extended TE Tommy Tremble.
This was the worst defense last year, and they’re still not close to fixing all of the issues. Injuries played a part in that, but it’s still a squad that needs guys who can start day one. Decent case to take an offensive lineman here, I suppose, but I like the idea of someone who has the buzzword we’ve loved throwing around a ton the past few years: versatility. Barron can play in different roles and different positions, a boon for any team but a need for Carolina.
The Pick: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
9. New Orleans
The Moves: Re-signed Chase Young, got safety Justin Reid and brought in OL Will Clapp.
This might be the toughest of the top ten to sort out after some of free agency. They retained a bunch of players, especially on the defense, and while the offensive line was horrid at times, plenty of that was due to missed time. They could look at the offensive line or tight end here if they have a clear-cut favorite between the duos atop those positional rankings. If Tet McMillan drops, he has to be a guy they look at as well with their current WR room. With Lattimore and Adebo gone, I like them reloading an outside CB here even with one already off the board.
The Pick: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
10. Chicago
The Moves: Fixed the Interior offensive line about as quickly as you can. Added defensive line talent in Jarrett and Odeyingbo
This has always felt like a lineman, and maybe it still is, but if a good defender drops to this spot, you’d have to think about it. So much about this pick depends on the ratio of offense to defense over the first nine picks. There’s a non-zero chance that two offensive linemen are gone and you can get key defender. That said, if possible….
I still think you upgrade from Braxton Jones and decide which young man is going to anchor your left side for the next ten years (hopefully): LSU’s Will Campbell or Missouri’s Armand Membou.
These two SEC products are starting to form a bit of a tier one for tackles, with Simmons, Zabel, and Banks a step behind. I think the Bears should have a few names ready based on what happens ahead of them, but after Caleb Williams took 69 sacks last year, continuing to pour resources into protecting him will pay dividends. Just having the time to go through his reads and make clean throws will make him so much better on paper and film, making the new coaching regime automatically look smarter. It’s an easy win to start the Ben Johnson era.
The Pick: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
I let the PFF simulator finish out the first round after entering these ten picks, and boy, howdy, it threw some weird ones in there.
Their stuff like James Pearce more than the mockers of the world
The Vikings taking a WR seems a bit nutty, but with the two top safeties off the board, they are in a weird spot (I still think they’d take defense).
The Ravens are giving it another go with a first-round WR!
As always, the Eagles get a pass rusher.
Campbell to be the 1st LB is +250 (Walker favored at -380)
