Tag: 2025 NFL Draft

Steelers fill 2 major offensive needs in 2025 NFL mock draft

Here is our first too soon 2025 NFL mock draft.

Is it ever too soon to talk about the NFL draft? The ink is barely dry on the 2024 NFL draft but we already have a far-too-early 2025 mock draft to talk about.

In this three-round mock, the Steelers select Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III in the first round. Burden is a special player who reminds us a lot of a mix of Deebo Samuel and Dez Bryant. He’s got track speed, a running back’s frame and is explosive and agile after the catch.

Moving to the second round, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was available and too good to pass up. All the Steelers current quarterbacks are on one-year contracts this year so don’t be shocked if they don’t prioritize the position. Milroe is a remarkable athlete with a powerful arm and tons of potential.

Moving to the third round, we went with Georgia defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse. We love his size, power and leverage and want to see him lined up inside next to Keeanu Benton.

This would be a fun draft for the Steelers future, especially to see what the coaches can do with Milroe. Pittsburgh hasn’t properly addressed wide receiver this offseason so we are all for Burden being the pick.

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Colin Cowherd skeptical on Carson Beck being a top-5 NFL draft pick

“I don’t think he’s a top-five pick. I think he’s Georgia good,” said Colin Cowherd on UGA quarterback Carson Beck

FOX Sports analyst Colin Cowherd is not as high on Georgia quarterback Carson Beck a year in advance of the 2025 NFL draft. Cowherd is skeptical that Beck will be the top quarterback selected in next year’s draft.

“I don’t think he’s a top-five pick,” said Cowherd on “The Colin Cowherd Podcast” to Nick Wright. “I think he’s Georgia good,” said Cowherd. “I think you’re probably right,” agreed Wright.

The expert consensus is still forming on Carson Beck. Beck is projected as a first-round pick in pretty much every mock draft. ESPN NFL draft expert Jordan Reid tabs Carson Beck is the No. 1 pick in his way-too-early 2025 NFL mock draft (subscription required).

There’s no doubt that Carson Beck has an excellent situation surrounding him. Beck plays behind an elite offensive line and has a prolific group of receiving targets. Additionally, Georgia’s defense keeps opposing offenses at bay, so Beck knows he does not have to be a hero and try to score 40 points.

However, Beck has a great football intelligence, is an efficient passer and has the frame NFL teams are looking for. Beck’s greatest flaw is his lack of mobility.

NFL teams won’t be too critical of Beck playing on a good team as long as he gets the job done. Many of the most recent No. 1 picks have all played on elite teams including Alabama’s Bryce Young, LSU’s Joe Burrow and Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence.

Will Titans receive any compensatory draft picks in 2025?

Experts are making their projections for 2025 compensatory picks. Are the Titans coming away with any?

The Tennessee Titans won’t receive any compensatory picks in the 2025 NFL draft, according to projections.

That comes from both Lance Zierlein of NFL.com and Over The Cap. It would be the third straight draft in which the Titans don’t receive a comp pick.

The Titans last received a compensatory pick in the 2022 draft, when they were awarded two for losing wide receiver Corey Davis and defensive lineman DaQuan Jones.

The year before that, they were awarded a comp pick after right tackle Jack Conklin moving on in free agency to the Cleveland Browns.

Compensatory picks are calculated based on the number of qualifying free agents a team gains and loses. All of the Titans’ losses in free agency this offseason have been canceled out by their signings.

With no comp picks coming, the Titans are slated to have one pick in each round but the third in the 2025 NFL draft. That pick was included in the trade for cornerback L’Jarius Sneed.

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Lions not expected to earn any compensatory picks in the 2025 NFL draft

The Detroit Lions are not projected to earn any compensatory picks in the 2025 NFL draft after free agency signings

Despite some Lions players from last season signing lucrative free agent deals elsewhere this offseason, Detroit is not projected to earn any compensatory selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The latest projections for 2025 comp picks from both NFL.com and Over The Cap do not include the Lions among those teams receiving any. The Lions are one of 17 teams whose spending on incoming free agents canceled out the losses from the roster in the qualifying portion of free agency.

The formula for awarding compensatory picks isn’t completely known, but it’s based on a formula that balances the average per year (APY) value of contracts signed by qualified free agents departing the team against the APY value of free agents the team signed.

For Detroit, three departing free agents qualified:

Detroit added in four qualifying free agents:

The Lions did lose $4.4 million in net free agent spending ($32.1 lost, $28.1 spent), but that’s not enough to earn one of the 32 compensatory picks. As Lance Zierlien of NFL.com notes,

“To qualify for compensatory picks, teams must end up with more qualifying free agents lost than gained in a particular year.”

Detroit signed four and only lost three in the qualifying period, which ended on April 29th when the 2204 NFL draft process concluded. Any further free agency moves don’t factor into the comp pick formula. Detroit last earned compensatory picks in the 2022 NFL draft. Those picks turned into Kerby Joseph, James Mitchell and James Houston.

 

 

Where are the Commanders picking in this way-too-early 2025 NFL mock draft

Where does Washington select in this way early 2025 mock draft?

A mock draft? Already? The 2024 NFL draft is over, and the Washington Commanders found their quarterback, Jayden Daniels, with the No. 2 overall pick.

So, before we look ahead to minicamps and training camp this summer, we take an early peek at 2025. ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid published his first mock draft for next year.

Where does Reid have the Commanders picking in 2025?

In Reid’s mock draft, Washington is selecting second again. Don’t yell at Reid. He didn’t make the draft order. Reid used the inverse of Super Bowl odds from ESPN BET and tweaked them for the draft order.

With the second pick, Reid has the Commanders selecting Georgia edge Mykel Williams. Here’s his analysis:

The Commanders laid a firm foundation for the roster with their 2024 draft picks, but the defense still lacks youth on the edge. Williams is the most impressive 2025 prospect I’ve watched on tape so far. He played a lot of defensive tackle last season and still had 4.5 sacks, but he’s transitioning to a full-time outside linebacker role this year. He’s still only 19 years old and has so much upside. In fact, I think he’s a potential No. 1 pick candidate next April.

Williams would be an elite choice for head coach Dan Quinn and the Commanders. One thought here: No left tackle? This would presumably mean that rookie third-round pick Brandon Coleman had some success in 2024.

Remember, this is a way-too-early mock draft. It’s a fruitless exercise but fun nonetheless.

ESPN has 3 LSU Tigers going in 1st round of 2025 NFL draft

It’s never too early to start thinking about next year’s draft.

It’s never too soon to think about the next NFL draft, right? ESPN just released its first mock draft for 2025, and it projects three LSU Tigers being drafted in the first round.

LSU had three players taken in the first round of this year’s draft when [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr.[/autotag] were all taken on Night 1. ESPN has two offensive linemen and one linebacker being taken this time.

[autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag], [autotag]Emory Jones Jr.[/autotag], and [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag] are the three Tigers players who are projected to go in the first round. With the third pick of the [autotag]2025 NFL Draft[/autotag], ESPN has the Patriots selecting Will Campbell, who is one of the best offensive linemen in college football. He was given the historic No. 7 jersey patch for a reason. He will be a Day 1 starter wherever he goes.

With the 18th pick of the 2025 NFL draft, ESPN has the Cleveland Browns selecting Emory Jones Jr, who is the other cornerstone of the Tigers’ offensive line. Between Campbell and Jones, you can’t go wrong picking either one.

With the 24th pick of the 2025 NFL draft, ESPN has the Houston Texans selecting Harold Perkins. Perkins has been a star ever since he stepped on campus. Last season, Perkins had 75 tackles, 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception.

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Three Longhorns land in first round of way-too-early 2025 NFL mock draft

Texas is likely to have another good showing for the 2025 NFL draft.

Texas is likely to have another good showing for the 2025 NFL draft. Continue reading “Three Longhorns land in first round of way-too-early 2025 NFL mock draft”

Patriots go offense in first round again in early ESPN 2025 NFL mock draft

ESPN’s Jordan Reid has the focus staying on offense for the Patriots in an early 2025 NFL mock draft

We are less than a full week out from the end of the 2024 NFL draft, and mock drafts are already being put out for 2025. ESPN’s Jordan Reid has the New England Patriots selecting highly once again in his recent mock draft.

The Patriots overhauled the offensive unit over the course of three days, and they are projected to do the same in 2025. Reid has New England selecting Will Campbell from LSU with the No. 3 overall pick.

The offensive tackle measures in at 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds. He played in 17 games last season and was named to the 2023 All-SEC First-Team by the coaches. He was also voted to the 2023 All-SEC Second-Team.

The Patriots did upgrade the line a bit in this year’s draft, with Penn State tackle Caedan Wallace and Texas A&M guard Layden Robinson both in the fold now. Nevertheless, adding even more protection for rookie quarterback Drake Maye is never a bad idea.

Reid wrote:

The Patriots’ starting left tackle this season will likely be Chukwuma Okorafor. He’s on a one-year deal, meaning New England should be searching for a long-term solution to protect the blind side of Drake Maye. Campbell is a technician who plays with poise, displaying the foot quickness and balance to mirror and match defenders in pass protection. He has played only left tackle during his career at LSU (1,625 total snaps) and didn’t allow any sacks last season.

Left tackle was one of the biggest needs for the Patriots heading into this year’s draft. The offensive line struggled last season, and protecting the quarterback should be of the utmost importance.

With that said, let’s hope the Patriots aren’t in the position to be picking third overall again.

Oregon WR Evan Stewart lands with ‘America’s Team’ in latest ESPN 2025 mock draft

Evan Stewart to “America’s Team” in 2025? The latest mock draft from ESPN has it happening.

It hasn’t even been a week since the 2024 NFL Draft concluded, where a program-record eight Oregon Ducks were selected, but we already have our eyes on 2025 and what that might bring for Eugene.

The Ducks have a five-year streak of having first-rounders selected in the draft, and according to the latest mock from ESPN, that streak will continue with wide receiver Evan Stewart going to the Dallas Cowboys with the No. 26 overall pick.

Outside of CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys haven’t really found a dependable pass-game option on the perimeter. That’s why I like Stewart as a fit in Dallas. He is a sudden route runner with instant acceleration to threaten defenders in a hurry. The Texas A&M transfer lacks play strength, as only 27 of his 514 receiving yards came after contact last season, and he managed three forced missed tackles over eight games. Even so, the flashes suggest big upside and a potential breakout year.

Stewart has yet to play a real game in Eugene, but he did look impressive in the spring game last weekend after transferring in from Texas A&M. In his two seasons at the college level, Stewart has 91 catches for 1,163 yards and 6 touchdowns.

The receiver room in Eugene is stacked with talent, so Stewart is going to have to compete with the likes of Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden, Gary Bryant, and others for targets, but based on the talent that he brings to the table, a career year isn’t hard to project for the Texas native.

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Texans land LSU LB Harold Perkins In ESPN’s 2025 NFL mock draft

It’s early, but the Houston Texans could target a standout SEC linebacker for their front seven in the 2025 NFL draft.

A week ago, Caleb Williams took the stage in Detroit, Michigan, and donned his first jersey as a member of the Chicago Bears. The move was expected for months, but it finally marked the start of the 2024 NFL draft. 

Now, analysts are already preparing for the 2025 draft less than 10 later. Of course, plenty could change from here until Week 18 come next January, but at least pundits have a baseline on what to expect leading up to the regular season. 

For the Houston Texans, they remain a playoff contender entering 2024 after their lucrative offseason spending. Is it enough to send the franchise to New Orleans for the Super Bowl? According to ESPN, not yet. 

Instead, the Texans secure the 24th overall pick in the 2025 draft and select LSU linebacker Harold Perkins, thus bolstering DeMeco Ryans’ front seven at the second level. 

“Perkins is an ideal fit in DeMeco Ryans’ scheme,” wrote ESPN’s Jordan Reid. “He has spent time at the first and second levels of the Tigers’ defense, but he is expected to be a full-time inside linebacker this season. Perkins is an explosive playmaker, with 13 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons, but he has to improve his read-and-react skills.” 

Perkins, a native of Cypress, has been a staple of the Tigers’ defense over the past two seasons. He started as a true freshman and impressed off the edge, leading the team in tackles for loss and sacks while earning first-team All-SEC honors. 

Last season, Perkins’ numbers plateaued. While his rep count grew, his production dipped, totaling just three more tackles and two fewer sacks.

He did finish with an identical 13 tackles for loss in comparison to his freshman year production, though this time it was from the inside linebacker role. 

Perkins’ best asset is his ability to blitz. He’s also been an effective run-stopper, though half of his production came on designed blitzes meant for quarterback hits. 

Far from a finished product, it’ll be interesting to see what new LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker does to fix the miscues in Perkins’ game. It’ll also be intriguing to see how the Texans view starters Azeez Al-Shaair and Christian Harris following a prominent season in the AFC South. 

Al-Shaair, who played under Ryans in San Francisco, is coming off his best professional season with 163 tackles. He inked a three-year, $34 million deal with Houston this offseason and should be the starting MIKE backer through at least 2025. 

Harris, a former third-round pick out of Alabama, broke out as Houston’s weakside backer en route to a division title. He totaled 101 tackles and two sacks during the regular season.

Harris made headlines with his 36-yard interception returned for a touchdown in the wild-card playoff win over the Cleveland Browns. Should Perkins be the selection, Harris will be entering a contract year and could be viewed as the odd man out.