1st Round Grades
1. Tennessee Titans - Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Grade: A
Cam Ward is the best QB in the draft, and in some years, that makes you a number 1 pick by default. That is not true with Cam Ward. Is he as good as the top prospects in last year’s draft? No. But is he the player with the highest ceiling in his ability to affect winning football in this year’s draft? Yes. He still has to work on his consistency in throwing downfield and calm down some of his more questionable decisions. That 2nd one, though, might just be mitigated, but not playing for a team that feels like it needs to score 45 to win games. Has the athleticism to make plays, but like many of the top-end QBs is always looking for the pass. I will be incredibly interested to watch his development under Brian Callahan.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns trade
Jacksonville receives: 2nd, 104th (4th round), 200th (6th round) picks
Cleveland receives: 5th, 36th (2nd round), 126th (4th round), and a 2026 1st round pick
Jaguars grade: D
I will hear arguments about the additional value of a player who has the ability to play both ways and how that could create surplus value in a similar fashion to a QB. I will then respond that means you are hoping he can be fully and equally effective both ways for almost every snap. Most players have a hard time staying healthy playing way less snaps than that. It’s a bet on a huge outlier scenario happening to an already huge outlier of a player.
Cleveland grade: A
With an already very good secondary and so many needs, adding extra picks in this year’s draft is a great result. Add into that, betting on a bottom 10 team to not succeed and pick high again next year is always a smart move.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars - Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
Grade: A
As much as I hate this trade, I love this player. Travis Hunter is a true one of one player. I believe he will be able to contribute both ways, but I think it will be something like an 80/20 split, rather than a 50/50 split. I think that his best position is WR, but this draft pick makes me believe he might play more on the defensive side of the ball. He has unreal twitch and football IQ that give him the ability to be the Heisman trophy winner, and best CB and WR in the draft, while being nowhere near the finished product in either position. Jacksonville should be ecstatic with the player they got.
3. New York Giants - Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
Grade: A
One of the best compliments an opposing offense can give to a defensive player is avoidance. To look at the monster head on and go “Nope, let's just go a different way.” And when one of the best offenses in all of college football makes that business decision, as Ohio State did against Abdul Carter, you can guess that if they didn’t, he would have ruined their day. Abdul Carter is a physical freak with explosive athleticism that very few players have, which makes offenses avoid him. The only worry is that he is slightly undersized, but it looks like he may be able to pack a bit more onto his frame still.
4. New England Patriots - Will Campbell, OT, LSU
Grade: B+
Will Campbell is a great tackle prospect, but not the top one on my big board. The grades were close, but what holds Campbell down is his arm length, movement in space, and the way he holds his weight. All of this limits his potential upside, but what you are getting already is an unbelievable pass blocker. He is a straight-up stone wall in pass protection, able to find leverage and invite defenders into disadvantageous positions consistently. Having him protect Drake May’s blindside will help immensely.
5. Cleveland Browns - Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
Grade: A-
Grabbing a player who is adept at working through double teams, and has an endless motor, is a great pair to a player who is always doubled and has an endless motor. Mason Graham will be able to take advantage of all the attention paid to Myles Garrett and be a menace to opposing offenses. He loves to bully lineman inside on a pass rush, and keep them off of him when defending the run. Any player who has the ball near him gets swallowed up in a tackle. A great player and great fit.
6. Las Vegas Raiders - Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Grade: A
Draft good football players. It does not matter what position they play, the more good football players are on your team, the better your team will be. Look at the difference great running games have done to the Eagles, 49ers, Lions, and more. Having a top end running back can take a good offense to a great one, and Ashton Jeanty is a top end running back. He is just about impossible to tackle. He looks like a block of marble covered in grease, the way that defenders bounce and slide off of him. And he does not just get 4 yards in a cloud of dust, he has breakaway speed and vision that creates explosive plays nearly on demand. Pair him with Chip Kelly’s proficiency in the run game, and this is a truly terrifying player to face.
7. New York Jets - Armand Membou, OT, Mizzou
Grade: A+
The Jets did the right thing? For two years in a row, there have been rumors about taking non-premium positions around this team, but both times, they decide to take their medicine and bookend their offensive line for the next 10 years. Membou is my top tackle prospect in the draft, and 6th overall. He is a very large human being, and an unnaturally athletic one too. Men of his size are not supposed to be able to accelerate as quickly or move as fluidly as he can. Add to that brute strength that can handle the biggest edge rushers, and you have a franchise cornerstone.
8. Carolina Panthers - Tet McMillan, WR, Arizona
Grade: A-
Tet McMillan was my top non Travis Hunter WR in this draft. His athleticism does not fly off the charts by any means, though again I say, draft good football players. Most of the best players in the league play the game at their tempo, and force others to try and match it. Tet does exactly that. He finds a way to break away from coverage, break tackles, and grab high-point contested catches even though he is not the fastest, strongest, or best jumper. He just knows how to maximize all of his abilities to win. Bryce Young having a safety blanket like this will be huge for what the Panthers' offense can do, and trusting Dave Canales to make this work, as he did with undrafted players and Adam Thielen for most of last year.
9. New Orleans Saints - Kelvin Banks Jr, OT, Texas
Grade: A
There are very few positions that the Saints do not need help with right now. Drafting my best player still available helps accomplish the goal of building out of the dumpster fire they have created. It also gives Banks a year to figure the NFL game out before the Saints probably give their shot at a long-term QB answer next year. While his testing numbers don’t jump off the chart, his fluidity in movement is maybe the best in this draft.
10. Chicago Bears - Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
Grade: B-
The Bears are in a weird position. Most would agree the team does not have too many holes, but they are still picking 10th. Yes, they addressed most of their needs in free agency before the draft, but it is still strange to see them take a non-premium decision, when premium players I had ranked much higher than Loveland were still available. I do like the fit, though, and trust Ben Johnson’s track record with TEs. Loveland is a smooth operator who doesn’t lose speed with the ball in his hands, and it will be interesting to see how he pairs with the other pass catchers in Chicago.
11. San Francisco 49ers - Mykel Williams, EDGE, UgA
Grade: A
The 49ers needed help along the defensive line and Mykel Williams was my final top 10 grade left on the board. He is a high-motored long armed defensive end with tons of power. He still does not have a ton of moves in his pass rushing bag, but his bull rush is fantastic. He consistently disrupts offenses in their backfield with tackles for loss (TFLs) and sacks. Not the most athletic, but what I loved most on his tape was that he was seldom pushed back.
12. Dallas Cowboys - Tyler Booker
Grade: C+
What grade do you give a team for selecting a player about twice as early as you would have but still think that player is pretty good? Thats the question with Tyler Booker. His tape shows a phenomenal guard who can pass block and run block really well. However his athletic testing is some of the worst ever. WHich was quite hard to square with the fact that when you watch him move, he does so in such a controlled and powerful way. So in this edition of two truths and a lie, the athletic testing is a lie. That being said, the Cowboys have other pressing needs that could have been addressed by players still available at this pick.
13. Miami Dolphins - Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
Grade: D
There is a strange dichotomy appearing between the NFL and college football right now. One of the highest paid positions in the NIL era is the big run stopping DT. Though at the same time in the NFL, that archetype of player may be less valuable than ever? While that is not all Kenneth Grant is, I am not sure I entirely believe in his pass rushing upside to the point where I think picking him this high is worth it. And for a team with quite a few needs, the Dolphins would have been better served looking elsewhere.
14. Indianapolis Colts - Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
Grade: B
Was TE supposedly the Colts’ most pressing need in the draft? Yes, but I would not agree. An offense with Anthony Richardson at the helm might not gel well with a receiver who excels on choice routes and underneath work. Maybe I am wrong, but I just don’t exactly see that working. Tyler Warren is still a very good player, and what I am super excited to see is an Anthony Richardson + Tyler Warren option at the 5 yard line. That’s a lot of man to worry about tackling!
15. Atlanta Falcons - Jalon Walker, EDGE, UgA
Grade: B
The Falcons have been cursed never to have a decent pass rush. They have tried many ways to remedy it and this appears about as good as any. Jalon Walker is undersized, there is no doubt about that. However, he has great football IQ. His ability to quickly identify plays, combined with his athleticism, makes him a quick and disruptive presence. He can also make a tackle from behind the play because of his great pursuit. He is still very raw in terms of his actual pass rushing abilities, but you can see the pathway to high potential upside, and at the minimum, a very solid starting player in the NFL as a linebacker.
16. Arizona Cardinals - Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
Grade: B+
This could be a huge home run if Walter Nolen is able to play to the top of his potential. He is a top 5 player at his position in the NFL, and he has nearly everything you want to see out of a prospect. Quick twitch athleticism combined with raw power that is difficult to handle, he is a violent mover. All of that being said there are character concerns here, but it might have just been smoke to try and get him to fall down draft boards.
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
Grade: C-
On my Bluesky, I called Shemar Stewart the unstoppable force vs the immovable object. He is in the elite echelon of the most athletic EDGEs to ever come into the league, a position that is often dominated by those players with similar athletic testing. He had almost no production at Texas A&M, though, and I am not bought into his ability to match his upside. He often looks like a player who does not know how to use his body in an effective way, and it leads to poor results. Cincinnati does have a good track record drafting and developing, so I feel slightly better about this pick than I would.
18. Seattle Seahawks - Grey Zabel, OG/C, NDSU
Grade: A
This guy rocks. Did you see the video of him getting drafted and the room he was in, A++ tier lineman surroundings. He even managed his home farm while in college. This fall, he will appear on the Seahawks’ offensive line, which desperately needed help, and stay in that exact spot for the next 10 to 15 years. What else can you ask for when you pick a player?
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Grade: B
Originally, I was stunned by this pick. You already have Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan really showed some good stuff last year for a rookie. So you go and pick a WR? When you have other more dire needs? It is a bit of a head-scratcher for sure, but this undoubtedly signals the end of the Mike Evans era in Tampa Bay. And if you squint, you can see a McMillan and Egbuka-led receiving core become a core of this team, much like Godwin and Evans have been for years. Egbuka is, by all accounts, one of, if not the best, character players in the draft, and he is a really good player too. He might never be looked at as a top 5 receiver in the NFL, but he the smarts he plays with will have opposing fans shouting at their screens about how he keeps getting so open for years.
20. Denver Broncos - Jahdae Brown, CB, Texas
Grade: B+
Again, originally I had this grade lower. Then I thought about what Jahdae Barron was best at and playing him with both Riley Moss and Pat Surtain, in a division with Justin Herbert, Geno Smith, and Pat Mahomes as their QBs and decided yeah, its probably a good idea to make your secondary a bunch of ball hawking vultures.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers - Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
Grade: A-
A classic, how do they keep getting away with this pick. Derrick Harmon has most of the tools you want out of an interior lineman prospect. Now he is being dropped into one of the best defensive developmental organizations in the league, and studying behind the player who is probably his upside comp in Cam Heyward. If he is able to hold up medically, a terrific pick.
22. Los Angeles Chargers - Omarion Hampton, RB, UNC
Grade: B-
This grade would be a lot lower if it was a team other than the Chargers who took Hampton. That is because unlike the elite of the elite RBs, he will work way better in some schemes vs others. The Chargers' style of smashmouth, Greg Roman and Jim Harbaugh-led football is about the best fit you could ask for. He is not going to be asked to create explosive plays in the way Bijan Robinson or Saquon Barkley do. He is going to be asked to hit holes in the line of scrimmage violently and that is what he does best. Once he gets moving, he is hard to stop, but once he slows, its very difficult for him to get moving again. Good thing he wont have to worry about that too much running behind Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater.
23. Green Bay Packers - Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Grade: A-
I am being a bit kind here in this grade, because I understand the process of it. The Packers desperately need a #1 receiver who can take the tops off of defenses and cannot rely on Christian Watson or Dontayvion Wicks to be those guys. They must really think Matthew Golden can be that guy, and I think there is a chance of that. So I am commending them for taking that shot. Though I do worry that Golden does not play up to the level of the freakish athletic testing that he has, but coaches always think they can fix that. Maybe they can, and I will take a flyer on the upside, but even if it falls through, Golden will be another very good #2 option for the Packers.
24. Minnesota Vikings - Donovan Jackson, OG, Ohio State
Grade: B
A bit of an overpay as compared to where I had him on my big board but Donovan Jackson is still a really good football player. Showed this year at Ohio State that he has the flexibility to play at guard or tackle. He should definitely help establish the run for the Vikings, but I might have erred toward the other two lineman picked in the 1st round after this to help accomplish that.
25. New York Giants, Houston Texans trade
New York receives: 25th pick
Houston receives: 34th, and 99th pick
New York Grade: D
In my opinion, he would still be there at 34, and the extra year contract control is not worth it for a player I had rated like him. Did not give up a ton, though.
Houston Grade: C
They are in the process of rebuilding their offensive line, and there are two top 15 overall offensive linemen still on the board, and they punt. There is a pretty big drop-off now in the talent left there.
25. New York Giants - Jaxson Dart
Grade: D
The D is for desperate. Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll are fighting for their job, and this three-headed QB hydra they have created might be enough smoke and mirrors to do it. Dart is a fine player who has good tools, but has never really been asked to process a game because of Lane Kiffin’s system in Ole Miss. Daboll is supposed to be a QB whisperer, so who knows, but I do not think he is the franchise savior.
26. Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams Trade
Atlanta receives: 26th, 3rd rounder
Los Angeles receives: 46th, 2025 7th, 2026 1st
Atlanta grade: F-
Oh no! Disaster! What a bad idea!
Los Angeles Grade: A+
Like stealing candy from a baby. That 2026 1st could be incredibly valuable from a team that consistently disappoints.
26. Atlanta Falcons - James Pearce Jr, EDGE, Tennessee
Grade: A
If I had it my way, the Falcons’ first selection in round one would have been James Pearce. He overwhelms tackles with his speed and movement, causing pressures and holding calls galore. He is strong enough to fight through them as well, and if he can add some mass to his already huge frame, could really improve an already pretty good bull rush. He closes on player in the backfield like lightning out of a bottle. Now there are maturity concerns about him, but when is that not said about a 20-year-old? I’ll take a bet on the guy who went to the same school as Reggie White and had similar production.
27. Baltimore Ravens - Malaki Starks, S, UgA
Grade: A
Malaki Starkes does not have the best athletic testing, but he plays to the absolute limit of it every play. He also has an incredible nose for the ball, and great hands to come up with huge interceptions (looking at you, Clemson tape). He works well through blocks in the run game, but I would imagine he is going to play more as a deep roamer in Baltimore, giving Kyle Hamilton the ability to wreck offenses weekly.
28. Detroit Lions - Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
Grade: B
The Lions needed someone to help out Aidan Hutchinson in their pass rush. Tyleik Williams will be able to do that, especially if teams decide to continue doubling Hutchinson. He pushes lineman back into the QBs lap and moves quite fluidly for a guy his size. I trust that the Lions have done a good job again, and think Tyleik will fit in very well.
29. Washington Commanders - Josh Connerly, OT, Oregon
Grade: A-
Whisper this, but are the Commanders now a well-run organization? It does not seem possible, but they just might be. Kliff Kingsbury created a scheme to mitigate poor offensive line play last year, you would rather not do that. Now they have one of the last top tackles in this draft to help protect Jayden Daniels from the formidable pass rushes seen throughout the rest of their division. A great pick.
30. Buffalo Bills - Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
Grade: B-
Hairston is a good fit for the Bills brand of defense. Plays super physically, and unlike most of the rest of the Bills defense, has SPEED. Truly elite world-class speed that he uses to recover on routes and make plays on the ball. If the Bills did not come out of the draft with a player like Hairston, it would have been a failure, but they got him. Dinged only because I am not as high on Hairston as others.
31. Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs Trade
Philadelphia receives: 31st
Kansas City receives:
Philadelphia grade: B+
Did not pay much to move up and grab their guy, and stop other teams from grabbing him.
Kansas City Grade: A+
Grabbed an extra pick and were still able to get the guy they most likely wanted anyway.
31. Philadelphia Eagles - Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
Grade: A
Another how do they keep getting away with this pick. Some looked at Jihaad Campbell as a top 10 level pick as a Linebacker. That should let you know his level of talent. And there is no doubt that Howie Roseman watched his defense destroy all comers last year en route to a Super Bowl victory, and how important the linebackers were to that success, and went, why not get another one of those. Probably means Nakobe Dean is done, though.
32. Kansas City Chiefs - Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
Grade: A+
#11 on my big board at pick #32. A homerun. The Chiefs hear character concerns and are not concerned by them whatsoever. Go get the good football player who will help Patrick Mahomes not get sacked 6 times in the Super Bowl.
