Round 1

1. Titans: QB Cam Ward

Ward was the presumed pick at this spot for weeks — if not months — and rightfully so. While not quite the best player in this draft, the Miami passer has a legitimate chance of establishing himself as a franchise quarterback. That matters for the Titans, an organization that hasn’t had a good option at the position since Steve McNair. Expectations won’t be high for Ward immediately — and that’s a good thing — but Tennessee did upgrade its offensive line this offseason.

2. Jaguars: CB Travis Hunter

Wow! James Gladstone came out swinging in his first draft as Jacksonville’s general manager, and I think it’s a worthwhile gamble. Surrendering a 2026 first-round pick is risky, but the Jaguars are adding the best player in the draft. If the franchise gets back to the playoffs this season, nobody will lament this trade. Jacksonville has plans to play Hunter at both wide receiver and cornerback, and while that decision will likely pay immediate returns, it could shorten Hunter’s career.

3. Giants: EDGE Abdul Carter

If Hunter is the best player in the draft, Carter is a close second. New York won two Super Bowls in the last 20 years, each partly due to a ferocious pass rush. The Giants aren’t close to contending again, but the team now has a great stable of outside linebackers to get after the quarterback. That’s a necessity, especially in division with Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, and Dak Prescott.

4. Patriots: OT Will Campbell

Campbell is a quintessential safe pick. Obviously New England would’ve been better off if a surefire franchise left tackle — say, Joe Alt — was in this draft, but the organization made the best of what was available to it. The worst case scenario for the Patriots is that Campbell’s physical limitations lead to struggles at left tackle, forcing him inside to guard.

5. Browns: DT Mason Graham

Yes, the Jaguars made a good decision in trading up for Travis Hunter, but two things can be true in life. The second thing, of course, is that the Browns trading down was also wise. Cleveland is further away than Jacksonville from competing, so accumulating extra picks — both this year and next year — is great for the long-term health of the franchise. This was a mature move by Andrew Berry. Mason Graham obviously isn’t a bad consolation prize, either.

6. Raiders: RB Ashton Jeanty

I could go either way on this selection. For starters, Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is 73 years old, and first-round running backs are typically viewed as win-now prospects. Jeanty certainly fits that mold, and it doesn’t hurt that the Boise State product is one of the best players in the draft. The drawback, though, is that Jeanty’s salary as the No. 6 overall pick will be very high for a running back. Las Vegas could’ve avoided that problem by drafting an offensive tackle, such as Armand Membou.

7. Jets: OT Armand Membou

New York doesn’t have a franchise quarterback — Justin Fields breakout notwithstanding — but that hasn’t precluded the Jets from fortifying the offensive line. The franchise added left tackle Olu Fashanu in Round 1 last year, and is now expecting Membou to solidify the right side of the protection unit. This is a great landing spot for the Missouri product, too, as he’s best suited to play right tackle.

8. Panthers: WR Tetaiora McMillan

Bryce Young’s play down the stretch in 2024 justified the Panthers’ belief in him, and this selection is a major vote of confidence in the quarterback. Carolina easily could’ve addressed a need on a porous defense, but Dan Morgan went out of his way to give Young the draft’s best non-Travis Hunter wide receiver. It also doesn’t hurt that McMillan has great size — a great beneficiary to smaller passers.

9. Saints: OT Kelvin Banks

Many people –myself included — expected the Saints to go with a toolsy edge rusher here, but filling a need at right tackle superseded that. Banks’ best position might end up being at guard, but I don’t mind New Orleans giving him a chance to be the heir apparent to Ryan Ramczyk at right tackle. The Texas product certainly has the ability; he just needs to clean up his technique.

10. Bears: TE Colston Loveland

The Bears likely wanted to move up for Ashton Jeanty. That obviously didn’t happen, so Ryan Poles turned his attention to the tight end position. Cole Kmet is already in tow, but teams are playing 12 personnel more and more, so Loveland will have an immediate role with Chicago. Most expected Tyler Warren to be the first tight end off the board, but I had the Michigan product ranked ahead of him.

11. 49ers: EDGE Mykel Williams

For the most part, teams were making smart picks all evening. This selection certainly qualifies, and if Williams reaches his potential, him and Nick Bosa will form a dominant duo off the edge. There’s definite risk in drafting the Georgia defender, however.

12. Cowboys: G Tyler Booker

This was a bit of a reach. Booker is a better football player than athlete, and those physical limitations could hinder him, especially at a position where testing matters greatly. Regardless, the Alabama guard will be a plug-and-play starter for Dallas.

13. Dolphins: DT Kenneth Grant

Miami entered last night as a wild card of sorts. The defensive front, however, needed to be addressed, and adding a high-end nose tackle prospect is a good way to do that. For what Grant lacks as a pass rusher, he makes up as a run defender. The Michigan product also possesses an elite motor.

14. Colts: TE Tyler Warren

Indianapolis was expected to select a tight end in the first round, though it was not expected that Tyler Warren would be available at this spot. It remains to be seen if the Penn State product can be an elite tight end and more than a gadget weapon, but this is still a worthwhile swing for the Colts. It’s fair to view Warren as one last gift — one last shot — to give Anthony Richardson a chance at success.

15. Falcons: EDGE Jalon Walker

Walker was one of the first round’s biggest fallers, and that’s a massive gift for the Falcons. Atlanta was desperate for help off the edge, partly due to spending a first rounder on offense for four consecutive years. The Georgia defender is undersized for a full-time edge defender, but maybe defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will have Walker moonlight at off-ball linebacker.

16. Cardinals: DT Walter Nolen

Nolen is a terror of a prospect, an elite defensive tackle capable of wrecking game plans. The problem, however, with the Ole Miss product is an inconsistent motor. That’s a dangerous description for a defensive tackle, but Arizona is betting that it has the infrastructure in place for Nolen to succeed. Perhaps franchise icon Calais Campbell can serve as a mentor.

17. Bengals: EDGE Shemar Stewart

Stewart is the ultimate traits over production prospect. The Texas A&M defender had just mediocre statistics in the SEC, but his testing was elite — maybe even beyond elite. Cincinnati wants to win now, though, and it’s doubtful that Stewart will be ready to contribute from the start. The Bengals can hardly afford for Stewart to struggle like 2023 first rounder Myles Murphy has.

18. Seahawks: G Grey Zabel

I graded Zabel as a center, but the North Dakota State prospect can excel anywhere on the interior offensive line. For Seattle, that’ll likely be at left guard, where he can help new quarterback Sam Darnold transition to a new team and offense. This is far from an exciting pick, but it’s the type of selection that wins games for franchises.

19. Buccaneers: WR Emeka Egbuka

Tampa Bay is constructing one heck of a seven on seven team. In all seriousness, the Buccaneers are building on a strength, adding Egbuka to a wide receivers room that already includes Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan. That’s a lot of mouths to feed, but Baker Mayfield throws the ball a lot, so everyone — including the unselfish Egbuka — should be happy.

20. Broncos: CB Jahdae Barron

Oh yes. Denver already had a strong defense, so why not add Barron, who could be used as a joker of sorts in the backside of the unit? Primarily a slot corner, Barron is also capable of playing on the outside, and that should work well with Riley Moss, who holds a similar skillset. The Broncos were projected to add an offensive weapon in Round 1, but I like this better.

21. Steelers: DT Derrick Harmon

Like the Broncos, the Steelers were also expected to go offense last night. I also am more in favor of this decision, as Harmon can both help right away and be groomed as Cameron Heyward’s long-term replacement. Pittsburgh hasn’t had a profitable run of recent first-round picks, but this selection signals the franchise getting back to its old ways — and that’s a good thing.

22. Chargers: RB Omarion Hampton

It’s easy to understand what the Chargers are trying to do. Los Angeles wants to be more physical than everyone else, forcing its will on opponents on the ground. That’s fine in a vacuum, but the franchise rosters a great young quarterback, and keeping Justin Herbert’s golden arm out of commission is inadvisable.

Circling back to the selection, this is a matter of decent idea, but wrong player. Hampton is a fine prospect, but I’m against taking non-elite running backs in Round 1. This would’ve been a solid pick tonight, not yesterday.

23. Packers: WR Matthew Golden

Ah, the Packers add yet another pretty good wide receiver. Green Bay has waited since 2002 (!) to finally draft another first-round receiver, but unfortunately Golden won’t be worth the wait. The Texas product has a poor production profile, and his speed won’t make up for his other deficiencies in the NFL.

24. Vikings: G Donovan Jackson

This is a bold selection, but Jackson was undervalued by the draft community all along. The Ohio State blocker meant everything for the Buckeyes as they raced to a national championship, and he showed along the way that he can excel at both guard and tackle. He’ll play guard for Minnesota, protecting new signal-caller J.J. McCarthy.

25. Giants: QB Jaxson Dart

Our second trade of the night! This is a reasonable landing spot for Dart, both in terms of ability and fit. The problem, though, is that New York’s regime is on the hot seat. If 2025 goes awry, Dart could find himself with a new front office and coaching staff next season. That’s normally doom for a young quarterback’s development. Perhaps this selection buys Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll more time. If so, good on them.

26. Falcons: EDGE James Pearce

Good lord, Atlanta. In this piece last year, I wrote that I was worried Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot drank during the draft. Selecting Jalon Walker at No. 15 overall quelled those concerns for me, but now I’m fearful again. This is actually a good spot for Pearce, but Atlanta traded a 2026 first-round pick for the Tennessee edge rusher — a first! The Falcons also packaged pick No. 46 overall to move up. What a disaster. Congratulations, Rams.

27. Ravens: S Malaki Starks

This was the point in the draft where I started to get sleepy, and apparently teams picking before the Ravens faced a similar struggle. There’s no way Starks should’ve dropped this far, but that’s what Baltimore does — catch falling prospects. Starks lacks high-end athleticism, but he’s an awesome football player. That reminds you of a certain current All-Pro Ravens safety, doesn’t it?

28. Lions: DT Tyleik Williams

Interesting pick. Detroit is clearly focused on beefing up the interior of its defensive line, and that’s never a bad idea. Williams is an absolute unit of a run defender, capable of swallowing up blockers. The Ohio State product reminds of Alim McNeill, one of Williams’ new teammates.

29. Commanders: OT Josh Conerly

Washington has Jayden Daniels on a rookie contract — a significant boon for any franchise — so it has ample freedom to improve its roster. This offseason, the Commanders have poured heavy resources into the offensive tackle position, adding both Laremy Tunsil and Conerly. It’s uncertain whether the Oregon product will start Week 1, but he’ll serve as the team’s swing tackle at the very least.

30. Bills: CB Maxwell Hairston

Selecting Hairston here is drafting for need and fit over anything else, and that’s okay. Buffalo needs to position itself to match up with Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow in the AFC, so I can’t fault it for adding a talented and athletic corner.

31. Eagles: LB Jihaad Campbell

The Eagles are probably laughing right now. The draft has become so, so easy for Howie Roseman, and this pick is why. Win a bunch of playoff games and then sit back and draft a great defender? Sign me up. It’s obviously not that easy, but Philadelphia makes it feel that way. What a night for the defending Super Bowl champions.

32. Chiefs: OT Josh Simmons

This selection signifies a win for Kansas City. The Chiefs have lost some big games due to poor offensive tackle play, and Simmons should help with that. The concern, however, with the Ohio State product are his medicals. Kansas City is surely betting that Simmons will be ready for Week 1.