Category: NFL Draft

UCLA All-America linebacker accepts invite to Reese’s Senior Bowl

Another Bruin football player is Mobile-bound and will get a chance to increase his draft stock at the Senior Bowl.

After a big statistical year with the Bruins, linebacker Carson Schweinsger declared for the 2025 NFL draft in December. Before the All-American makes his way to the draft stage in April of this year, Schwesinger will stop in Mobile, Alabama. According to a post on X, the former Bruin has accepted an invite to the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

The Senior Bowl is one of college football’s most prestigious showcases. It allows NFL-bound players to wow scouts and general managers with their play over a week of practices and a scrimmage.

Schwesinger will join fellow former Bruin and defensive teammate Oluwafemi Oladejo in Mobile, where the two staples of UCLA’s defense in 2024 have a chance to show out together before the NFL Draft.

Though Schwesinger’s numbers speak for themselves, he has flown under the radar in the early goings of the draft process. However, if Schweinsger can have a big week at the Senior Bowl, he could emerge as a potential first-round draft pick in April.

Dolphins’ top 2025 draft prospects: Notre Dame S Xavier Watts

Will the Dolphins make the safety position a priority early in the 2025 NFL draft?

Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts is a converted wide receiver so it’s no shock he was second in the nation in interceptions this year with six, and leader in 2023 with seven. The consensus All-American received the 2023 Bronko Nagurski Award for the nation’s top defensive player. Watts has great ball skills and hands, and his quick transition to become a productive safety demonstrates his smarts and football IQ.

Position: Safety/Slot
Projected round: 2nd
Height: 6’0
Weight: 203

Fit for Miami

The Dolphins had poor safety play in 2024 and both Jevón Holland and Jordan Poyer are set to become free agents in March. Even depth defensive back and special teamer Elijah Campbell could hit the market this offseason, so Miami must circle safety as a top need.

Watts could be a potential replacement for Holland, should the fourth-year veteran find riches elsewhere.

The Notre Dame captain is a top three or four safety in this class, so if Miami passes on Georgia’s Malaki Starks at No. 13 overall, he could be the team’s solution on the back-end.

Bottom line

Watts could be a solid pick as well as an economic solution for general manager Chris Grier at the safety position. Not paying top dollar to keep Holland could give Miami the ability to address other needs.

Watts has the leadership, ball-hawking skills, and physicality Miami needs. The Dolphins had just 10 interceptions in 2024, and their leader in the statistic was linebacker Tyrel Dodson, who wasn’t even on the roster at the start of November. In fact, no safety recorded an interception for Miami this season, and the group had just one sack.

While still a work in progress at the position, Watts has ball skills as well as work at linebacker on his collegiate résumé. He could be an immediate impact player deep in the secondary, up in slot duties, and against the run. Watts is a potential captain-type player with game-changing ability.

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Georgia interior DL Nazir Stackhouse makes NFL draft decision

Georgia nose tackle Nazir Stackhouse announced his decision for the 2025 season.

Another Georgia Bulldog defensive lineman announced his decision on 2025. Senior Nazir Stackhouse entered the NFL draft, according to his social media account.

Stackhouse was a four-star prospect out of high school before enrolling with the Bulldogs in 2020. He only played in nine games in 2020-21, racking up 12 tackles and one sack, but from 2022 onward, he became one of Georgia’s best run-stopping defensive lineman. In the last three years, he had 22 pressures, an 81.4 overall run-defense grade, and a 73.2 overall grade on PFF.

Currently, Stackhouse is ranked as the No. 16 interior defensive lineman, according to Mock Draft Database.

Stackhouse joins a big group of veteran Georgia defensive linemen entering the NFL draft. Tyrion Ingram Dawkins, Warren Brinson, and Mykel Williams have already all declared, and Chaz Chambliss is out of eligibility.

Georgia also has a lot of players leaving via the transfer portal. Jamaal Jarrett and Sam M’Pemba transferred to different teams over the transfer portal window.

Safe to say, Georgia will need to replace a lot of departing players in the transfer portal. Fortunately for the Bulldogs, standout Christen Miller is staying, and the Bulldogs recruited a strong defensive line class, highlighted by Elijah Griffin and Isaiah Gibson. Still, defensive line depth remains a significant concern for UGA in 2025.

2025 mock draft: 49ers may be able to maximize talented edge rusher

New mock draft, new pass rusher for the 49ers.

There’s not a more important aspect of the San Francisco 49ers defense than their pass rush.

That unit struggled in the 2024 season, which didn’t help the struggles that led to the ouster of defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen. Addressing that group has to be a priority in the 2025 NFL draft, and they do so in a new mock draft from the Draft Wire.

In that recent one-round mock, the 49ers select Texas A&M edge rusher Nic Scourton with the No. 11 overall pick.

Scourton is an intriguing prospect with good size and athleticism that should quickly translate to the NFL. He’s listed at 6-4, 280 pounds, but he moves laterally like a much smaller DE.

He spent his first two years at Purdue and led the Big 10 in sacks with 10.0 in the 2023 season as a sophomore. Scourton transferred to Texas A&M for the 2024 season and didn’t have as much success getting quarterbacks on the ground in the SEC, finishing with 5.0 sacks. Pro Football Focus had him down for an impressive 42 pressures in 263 pass rush snaps in 2023. That number dropped to 35 pressures in 318 pass rush snaps this season.

It’s easy to see why San Francisco would be intrigued with Scourton based on his tools as an edge rusher, but his size may afford him the versatility to kick inside and contribute as an interior pass rusher as well. If the 49ers think they can snag a pass rusher who can make an impact at two positions, it’s hard to imagine they’d pass on him with their first-round choice.

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Fifth Georgia football DL entering NFL draft

Georgia is losing a fifth defensive lineman to the 2025 NFL draft. Dawgs are going to have to replace a lot in the trenches

The Georgia Bulldogs have seen a ton of the talented defensive linemen enter the 2025 NFL draft, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins just became the fifth expected one to do so. He announced his decision to declare for the draft on social media.

Ingram-Dawkins was a five-star recruit from high school before enrolling with the Bulldogs in 2020. Starting in 2022, he got significant snaps as a rotational edge rusher and defensive end, sometimes even starting. In his career, he racked up 39 tackles, three passes deflected, four sacks, and two forced fumbles. His biggest game was against Kentucky in 2024, when he had a sack and five pressures.

Ingram-Dawkins, who also accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl, is not ranked among Pro Football Focus’ top 275 NFL draft prospects, so his decision comes as a bit of a surprise.

Georgia has seen three other defensive linemen officially enter the NFL draft. Nazir Stackhouse, Mykel Williams, and Warren Brinson have already entered the draft. Senior Chaz Chambliss is also out of eligibility, so it is safe to assume he’ll enter the draft.

That’s not to mention the amount of defensive front transfer portal losses the Bulldogs have already suffered. Outside linebacker Damon Wilson II, outside linebacker Sam M’Pemba, and defensive tackle Jamaal Jarrett have all been lost to the transfer portal. Safe to say, Georgia could be relying a lot on their talented incoming recruits if they don’t get edge rushers and defensive linemen in the transfer portal.

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Georgia does return veteran defensive lineman Christen Miller for the 2025 season.

John Lynch update on Trent Williams is great news for 49ers

The 49ers are very confident Trent Williams will be back next season.

The San Francisco 49ers have some work to do on their roster this offseason to return to Super Bowl contention.

That work would get significantly more difficult if 36-year-old All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams opted to hang up his pads and retire after an injury-plagued 14th NFL season. Alas, Williams is committed to returning to San Francisco according to general manager John Lynch.

Lynch on Wednesday in a press conference told reporters Williams is recovering well from the ankle injury that limited him to only 10 games this season, and that the team fully expects their superstar left tackle to be back for the 2025 campaign.

“Trent’s doing well,” said Lynch. “He had a bruise in the ankle joint and it probably took a little longer than anyone anticipated, but sometimes that happens. And the good news is, it’s taken a positive turn. Trent’s mindset is where it always is and he’s still very interested in being a great player that he is. And I think he’s still got a lot left in the tank. So, Trent’s committed as ever and we love having Trent Williams a part of us.”

Williams returning for at least 2025 changes the way the 49ers can attack their offseason. If he wasn’t going to return, they may turn all their resources toward finding his long-term replacement to protect quarterback Brock Purdy’s blind side.

By getting an All-Pro back, not only do the 49ers retain one of the NFL’s best offensive linemen, they can also focus their offseason energy on supplementing their offensive line and bolstering other areas of their roster instead of trying to replace a future Hall of Famer.

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Oregon LT Josh Conerly announces 2025 NFL Draft decision

Oregon Ducks left tackle Josh Conerly announces his decision surrounding the 2025 NFL Draft.

With the offseason getting underway for the Oregon Ducks, several Oregon players are facing the tough decision of whether to remain in college or move on to the NFL. One of those players is Ducks‘ left tackle Josh Conerly, who announced on Tuesday that he is declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Conerly is a true junior, so he has one year of college eligibility remaining, but due to his rising draft stock, he’s opted to forgo his final season. Conerly came to Oregon as the Ducks’ lone 5-star recruit in the class of 2022, Dan Lanning’s first recruiting journey as Oregon’s coach.

As a freshman, Conerly was immediately thrown on the field, backing up an already strong Oregon O-line. The next year, after four of five O-line starters graduated, Conerly was thrown into the starting LT spot. Besides frequent penalties, he was immediately successful, and in 2024 he got even better.

Playing nearly 1000 snaps this season, Conerly allowed just one sack and nine quarterback pressures. The sack and three of those pressures happened in the Ducks first two games, against Idaho and Boise State, before Oregon’s O-line caught its stride.

Conerly’s draft stock really began to fly up in the back half of the Ducks’ 2024 season. From the Illinois game on, Conerly was a near-perfect pass blocker, and he put several key blocks on tape.

It’s too early in the cycle to say for sure which round Conerly will be selected in, but after how well he played in 2024, expect him to be taken in the first or second round and one of the first tackles picked.

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All-SEC Georgia center declares for NFL draft

Georgia football loses another starting offensive lineman to the NFL draft.

Georgia Bulldogs center Jared Wilson announced his decision to declare for the 2025 NFL draft on Instagram. He had already accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl, so this is more of a formality.

Wilson originally committed with North Carolina in 2020, but flipped to the Bulldogs on Aug. 3 of that year. In his first three seasons, Wilson didn’t receive many snaps, backing up Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, but in 2024, he became the everyday center (outside of an injury in the Alabama game).

In 2024, he earned a 79.4 offensive blocking grade, including an 84.9 pass-blocking grade. He had the third-best PFF grade (premium subscription needed) out of all Georgia offensive players. His performance earned him a spot on the All-SEC second team.

The redshirt junior will try his luck at the NFL draft, along with offensive linemen Tate Ratledge and Dylan Fairchild. He is ranked as the 115th prospect and 9th interior offensive line prospect, according to Mock Draft Database. Georgia’s entire starting interior offensive line is departing for the NFL.

Could the Browns actually trade up to pick No. 1?

Is a move UP the board a possibility?

The Cleveland Browns hold the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, and it is already causing chaos in Northeast Ohio.

There have already been conflicting reports about what the Browns intend to do between taking a quarterback and potentially trading down, and now there is some buzz about potentially trading up one slot and securing the No. 1 overall pick.

Justin Melo of The Draft Network thinks a move up the board could be in the cards for the Browns as they look to secure the top quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft. Here is what Melo had to say:

“Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury and reportedly experienced a setback in his recovery earlier this week. That only increases Cleveland’s already pressing need to draft a quarterback. Trade-ups from No. 2 are fairly rare, but if the Browns want to secure their specific target, they may need to ensure another QB-needy team doesn’t leapfrog them.”

Ultimately, a trade down and punting on a rookie quarterback while bridging with a veteran may be the best path forward for the Browns to add future draft assets and give their books one year to heal. However, it is only January and there is still plenty of time between now and the start of the draft.

Anything could happen.

2025 mock draft: 49ers avoid temptation of superstar RB, help pass rush instead

The 49ers are in a good spot to land pass rush help … or Ashton Jeanty … in the 1st round of this year’s draft.

Running back is one position that won’t land particularly high on a list of San Francisco 49ers needs in the 2025 NFL draft.

However, Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty may be an enticing option for the 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan when it’s their turn to select this year in Green Bay.

He was there at No. 11 overall in a mock draft from Pro Football Focus, but the 49ers avoided the temptation and added Georgia edge rusher Jalon Walker to check off their top overall need.

Walker is a little undersized, but he has the tools to offer the kind of impact Dee Ford had for San Francisco in 2019 when he was healthy. The junior posted a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2024 after hanging up 5.0 in the 2023 season. He also racked up 19 tackles for loss.

Some of his peripheral numbers paint a better picture of his potential effect on the 49ers defensive line. Via PFF’s Trevor Sikkema:

The 49ers could use help in the trenches this offseason, and defense is the choice here due to it being the strong position in this year’s draft. Walker is listed as an off-ball linebacker, but he is at his best when rushing the passer as an edge. At 6-foot-2 and around 250 pounds, he’s a bit light on his measurables to be a full-time edge defender, but his 18.3% and 21.0% pass-rush win rates over the past two years are proof of his consistent disruption at that size. Walker is explosive and turns speed to power easily.

Various offensive and defensive tackles have been popular choices for the 49ers in early mock drafts, but a player like Walker better fits their organizational team-building philosophy.

They need some substantial additions to their pass rush to help Nick Bosa and establish the dominant front that is supposed to catalyze their defense. If they believe Walker is an edge defender who can consistently affect the opposing quarterback, it’s easy to see the 49ers putting his measurables aside and taking a swing on him at No. 11 overall.

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