Category: 2025 NFL Draft

Drew Allar’s CFP semifinal shows he made the right decision to return to Penn State

Penn State QB Drew Allar’s poor CFP semifinal against Notre Dame shows he made the right decision to return to school

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar has already committed to return to the Nittany Lions for another season. He made that declaration weeks ago and has never publicly wavered from that stance.

Despite that, many NFL Draft analysts and college football media have not exactly taken Allar’s statement seriously. There’s been a strong undercurrent of doubt that Allar would ignore the potential to be a top-15 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and renege on his commitment to Penn State.

Some of that was predicated upon an expected playoff run that would spotlight Allar’s outstanding arm, smartly aggressive decisions with the ball and triumphant performances in the CFP spotlight that would reflect his relative NFL readiness in a very underwhelming quarterback class. Alas, that’s not what happened for Allar in the Nittany Lions’ semifinal loss to Notre Dame.

Allar was tentative and inaccurate most of the night. He missed several open throws early, effectively proven unable to complete anything longer than a screen pass. The game ended with a very bad interception from Allar, who was under pressure but had options.

He had a few performances in 2024 that made Allar look unready for the NFL. The physical tools are definitely there, but his overconfidence in his arm and his struggles against well-coached, talent-laden defenses (Illinois, Ohio State and Oregon come to mind) revealed a young player with very serious concerns if entering the next level.

Under the bright lights and against an NFL-style defense, Allar wilted. There will still be folks who advocate for Allar to change his course and declare for the 2025 NFL Draft before the deadline in two weeks for players who participated in the CFP. Their case lost a lot of luster on Thursday night in Miami. A return to Happy Valley for more development, more consistency of performance, should suit Allar very well in his eventual NFL dreams.

Drew Brees shares his take on Spencer Rattler, Jake Haener

Drew Brees shared his take on New Orleans Saints quarterbacks Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener: ‘This will be a great offseason for both of them to really compete’

The New Orleans Saints have not had a truly reliable quarterback since the legendary Drew Brees retired, but have been going back and forth between different options.

For now, those primary options are Derek Carr, Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. While the veteran Carr is clearly the guy for now, the Saints must start looking to the future soon and must evaluate the potential of both Rattler and Haener.

Brees recently weighed in on both players, who got a ton of playing time when Carr went down with an injury not once, but twice during the 2024 season.

“I think both of them showed great signs of what could be to come. Both of them have some unique traits,” Brees told me this week. “They’re kind of smaller, undersized guys, more my size at about 6-foot-1. Both of them are very athletic and they can make a ton of plays on the perimeter. This day and age, you see that becoming more the norm of the quarterback position.”

Brees also said that he views the Klint Kubiak system as a solid fit for both signal-callers, though that obviously could change at some point. How the head coaching search shakes out will have a ton of bearing on that.

“The offense suits both of them well. This will be a great offseason for both of them to really compete,” Brees said. “We will see what offensive scheme is in place, based on what happens with the head coach. They’ve shown what they can do if given the opportunity.”

Jake Haener was the preferred backup for Spencer Rattler on game days, but it was Rattler who got the start most often once Carr went down. It will be interesting to see what the Saints choose to do at this position moving forward and what the future holds for a team in the midst of full change.

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Texans build up offensive line in latest ESPN mock draft

In the latest mock draft from ESPN, the Houston Texans shore up their offensive line with the selection of an All-Confernce stud.

If C.J. Stroud plans to stay upright in 2025, the Houston Texans need an All-American guard to pair alongside five-time Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil.

Consider that mission accomplished based on one mock draft to start the new year.

Jordan Reid’s latest 2025 NFL mock draft from ESPN has the Texans shoring up their trenches with the selection of Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea with the 20th overall pick in the first round.

Houston’s draft plan is simple on Day 1 entering the wild-card round of the playoffs: take the best lineman available and worry about the rest later. 

C.J. Stroud had a bit of a sophomore slump, and poor play from the Texans’ O-line was a contributing factor. Houston tied for the third-most pass-blocking losses in the league (210) and wasn’t much better in the run game, as its guards’ 66.4% run block win rate was the fifth worst in the NFL.

The 6-foot-5, 336-pound Savaiinaea is a stoutly built blocker who plays with a sturdy base and has powerful hands. He allowed only one sack this season and can play tackle and guard, though he projects best inside in the NFL.

While the Texans could pivot toward the defensive line, their inability to secure a long-term left guard makes the selection of Savaiinaea intriguing. The massive junior comes from an offense built on a ground game emphasis under both Jedd Fisch and Brent Brennan. 

Is it the sexiest pick in a draft filled with defensive studs? Not at all. Most fans are hoping with Tank Dell’s injury woes that Houston will take a pass-catcher to build up Stroud’s production. 

But finesse only works when physicality is evident. The Texans must fix their power up the middle if expectations are for Stroud to connect with his targets in 2025.  

The former Wildcat also offers position flexibility at four different roles on the line.

The Texans look to extend this season, thus pushing down their draft stock, on Saturday against the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC wild-card round. 

Kickoff from NRG Stadium is scheduled for 3;30 p.m. CT. 

Titans make an unexpected GM change that could impact the top pick

Firing GM Ran Carthon a year after giving him a lucrative contract extension shows how unsteady the Titans are at the top

Put any of those ideas of what the Tennessee Titans might do with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on hold. There will be a different person making that pick than has been expected.

In an odd move, Titans ownership fired general manager Ran Carthon on Tuesday. This comes after the same ownership gave Carthon a lucrative contract extension a year ago and opened up the purse strings to allow him to build the team as he saw fit following the departure of longtime head coach Mike Vrabel.

Now, Carthon is out after the Titans fell from 6-11 in 2023 to 3-14 in 2024 and it became increasingly obvious that they didn’t have their long-term solution at quarterback. After tabbing Will Levis in the second round of 2023, Carthon won’t get a second chance in Tennessee to fix the problem.

The Titans offseason needs haven’t changed with Carthon’s firing. But now there is the variable of the unknown GM commodity who will be making the pick at No. 1 and controlling free agency. In Carthon’s stead, Titans Director of Football Operations Chad Brinker will run the team and the search, according to a statement from owner Amy Adams Strunk. In that statement, Strunk also announced that Brian Callahan will return as head coach.

Cardinals add pair of pass rushers in new 2-round mock draft

In a new two-round mock draft, the Cardinals take pass rushers with their first two picks of the draft.

With the conclusion of the Arizona Cardinals’ season, we must look straight ahead into the offseason and that includes the NFL draft.

Probably the Cardinals’ biggest need is with their edge defenders, as they have no premium pass rushers.

In a new Draft Wire two-round mock draft from Curt Popejoy, the Cardinals add two edge defenders with their first two picks in the draft.

In the first round they Georgia EDGE Mykel Williams.

Williams is 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds. He had five sacks, nine tackles for loss and two forced fumbles to go with 21 total tackles last season for the Bulldogs. In three seasons, he had 14 sacks and 23 tackles for loss.

In the second round, they double up on the edge, taking Ole Miss EDGE Princely Umanmielen. Umanmielen played four seasons for Florida and transferred last year to Ole Miss. He is 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds. He had 10.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss last season after 15 sacks and 26 tackles for loss in four seasons for the Gators.

With Zaven Collins, BJ Ojulari and potentially the return of Baron Browning, that would be solid core of edge defenders.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Browns will have interesting choices with the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft

The Cleveland Browns will have some interesting choices with the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft

The Cleveland Browns fell apart throughout the 2024 season, dropping their final six games to finish 3-14. In many seasons, that would be bad enough to earn the top pick in the NFL draft, but this year it only merits the No. 2 spot for the Browns and GM Andrew Berry. The Tennessee Titans also finished 3-14 and earned the tie-break for the top spot, leaving the Browns picking second overall.

It’s hard to know what exactly the Titans will do with that top pick, but if Tennessee sticks at No. 1, they figure to at least strongly consider a quarterback. An offensive-minded head coach in Brian Callahan and the unreliability and spotty development of incumbent starter Will Levis make a quarterback at the top spot a very distinct probability.

Cleveland has a ton of needs, but — like Tennessee above them — none is more critical than quarterback. Deshaun Watson remains in injury-related limbo, only still on the roster because of an insanely expensive contract for the Browns to extract themselves from eating. Jameis Winston is a free agent, and Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe each proved they shouldn’t start above being a No. 3 option entering the offseason.

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Shortly after their season ended, the Browns fired their offensive coordinator and OL coach. Those spots will need to be filled quickly so the organization can more accurately assess what players might no longer fit, or what schematic preference head coach Kevin Stefanski wants with his offense.

Expect a ton of Cleveland draft scrutiny on the presumptive top two QBs, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward from Miami. There is considerable debate about the merits of either prospect being taken by anyone that high in the draft, but QBs tend to rise regardless of merit–especially early (pre-Combine) in the draft process.

This will be the Browns’ first first-round pick since taking CB Greg Newsome in 2021, thanks to the Watson trade. Between the lack of high-end draft assets and some misses in the middle rounds from GM Berry and his scouting staff (Anthony Schwartz, David Bell, Cade York, Perrion Winfrey to name a few), the overall depth chart needs help.

That could portend a trade for additional picks, a more intriguing possibility if the Browns decide that the quarterback(s) are not to their appeal. The Giants and Jets are also picking high and appear desperate for QB help, and either New York squad might be willing to cough up some extra picks to ensure they get whichever quarterback they desire.

Cleveland could also build up the lines, both of which can use some high-end reinforcement. Michigan DT Mason Graham, LSU OT Will Campbell and EDGEs Abdul Carter from Penn State and Mykel Williams of Georgia all make sense as projections.

Then there’s Travis Hunter. The Heisman winner might be the best player in the draft regardless of position, and he can play two of them–WR and CB–at a very high level.

It should be a fun and interesting few months for Browns fans in considering all their options, which is something Cleveland hasn’t had in the draft in a few years.

 

Updated 2025 NFL draft order after Week 18

With the NFL season officially in the books, here’s the latest draft order heading into the playoffs.

The Houston Texans are headed to the postseason, but 18 other teams are headed toward the offseason.

That means that draft talk is only about to start heating up.

With the 2024 NFL regular season in the books, the top of the 2025 NFL draft order — featuring non-playoff teams (picks 1-18) — has been finalized.

A shakeup at the top of the draft order over the past two weeks changed everything heading into April. Much like last week with a New York Giants win over the Indianapolis Colts, the team holding the No. 1 pick won a game and forfeited its top selection.

The New England Patriots dropped three spots after defeating the Buffalo Bills, who were resting starters, in Week 18.

Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans are now on the clock following a nine-point loss to Houston while donning the Oilers uniforms.

Here’s an updated look at the 2025 NFL draft order following Week 18 action, courtesy of the folks at Tankathon:

Full 7-round mock draft update for the Titans

The Titans make the most of the No. 1 overall pick in this new mock draft.

Now that the Tennessee Titans have secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, we decided to give them a full seven-round mock draft update.

At this point, the biggest job for the Titans is to evaluate their quarterback position currently and the quarterback class in the upcoming draft. There’s no denying Will Levis has been a disappointment after being the No. 33 overall pick to Tennessee in 2023.

The easy part for the Titans is no matter what they decide, their Plan B is set. The Titans should have plenty of suitors for the pick, they could draft one of the two big names at quarterback but if neither of those things materialize the way they wan, Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter will be there waiting on them.

First round – WR/CB Travis Hunter, Colorado

Second round – EDGE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee

Third round – QB Carson Beck, Georgia

Fourth round – OT Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon

Fifth round – LB Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma

Fifth round – RB Krayton Allen, Penn State

Sixth round – S Upton Stout, Western Kentucky

Seventh round – DT DeMonte Capehart, Clemson

The best value in this draft is easily Carson Beck. Injuries and inconsistency hurt his draft stock, but his ceiling is as high as any in this draft. He’s a great option to come in and develop into the starter.

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Where will the Cardinals pick in the 2025 draft?

The Cardinals will pick in the middle of the first round in the 2025 draft.

The Arizona Cardinals finished the season 8-9 after their 47-24 home win over the San Francisco 49ers. With the regular season concluded, we know the order of the first 18 picks in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Cardinals will pick 16th in the first round, moving down two spots from where they were after Week 17.

Here is the full order for the first 18 picks. The teams that made the postseason will have their spot in the first round determined by when they are eliminated from the playoffs and their regular-season record.

2025 NFL draft order

  1. Tennessee Titans
  2. Cleveland Browns
  3. New York Giants
  4. New England Patriots
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars
  6. Las Vegas Raiders
  7. New York Jets
  8. Carolina Panthers
  9. New Orleans Saints
  10. Chicago Bears
  11. San Francisco 49ers
  12. Dallas Cowboys
  13. Miami Dolphins
  14. Indianapolis Colts
  15. Atlanta Falcons
  16. Arizona Cardinals
  17. Cincinnati Bengals
  18. Seattle Seahawks

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

B/R identifies two draft-day trade targets for the Saints

The Saints may not be able to land an elite prospect at No. 9. Bleacher Report identified two players they could trade up for at major positions of need:

The New Orleans Saints are going to be on the clock in the first 10 picks of the upcoming 2025 NFL draft. Even with a victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it would just prevent the Saints moving any higher but it wouldn’t drop them.

Will the next head coach follow the trend of Sean Payton and Dennis Allen’s aggression in the first round? If he does decide to trade up, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski has two names to watch.

Sobleski highlights Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Penn State’s Abdul  Carter as two players New Orleans could trade up for. Quarterback and edge rusher (whether they continue to use defensive ends or switch to outside linebackers in a new coach’s scheme) are two positions the Saints clearly need.

Sanders is the more interesting inclusion of the two. He and Cam Ward are the top two quarterbacks in the draft, and there’s a belief those players have a good chance at being the first two picks.

With so many quarterback-needy teams it’s hard to see Sanders falling too far. The Saints would need to be very aggressive, and sacrifice next year’s first round pick. However, if that player is your quarterback of the future, it’s worth it.

Carter is the more realistic player to trade up for if the Saints stay at No. 9 overall. If he drops to the seventh pick, the standard NFL draft trade value chart says it would take just a 2025 third round pick to move up and make the selection.

The edge rusher is described as being “best used as a pass-rush specialist to begin his career.” That’s exactly what the Saints need. Cameron Jordan may be preparing for a move to a new team if he’s released, and Chase Young could demand more money in free agency than New Orleans can afford to pay.

Either way, the Saints need more juice out on the edge of the defensive line. Carter can provide a quick and explosive pass rush threat at the position in a way the Saints typically haven’t utilized.

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