Tag: 2025 NFL Draft

Texans land Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka in 2025 way-too-early mock draft

It’s never too early to think about 2025 and the Houston Texans secure another weapon out of Ohio State next April in the draft.

C.J. Stroud is reuniting with his former Ohio State tight end and security blanket Cade Stover at NRG Stadium this fall. 

How about he and the Houston Texans add another Buckeyes pass-catcher in 2025? 

In the USA Today’s way-too-early 2025 NFL mock draft, the Texans continue to surround Stroud with playmakers and fellow teammates by selecting Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka at pick No. 20. Stroud should be elated to see his reliable slot receiver head down from Columbus to Houston after a two-year hiatus. 

Noticing a trend here? After Michigan controlled the 2023 draft, the Buckeyes could be set to make a serious imprint on next April’s class. An ankle injury spoiled Egbuka’s season last fall, but the 6-1, 205-pound target consistently outmaneuvers cornerbacks with his crafty route-running and natural fluidity. Re-teaming him with former Ohio State signal-caller C.J. Stroud should be of great interest to both the quarterback and the team should the Stefon Diggs move not work out.

Egubka was a favorite to land in Houston entering the offseason given his relationship with Stroud, but he chose to return to Ohio State for his senior season after being limited to 10 games in 2023. 

His production dipped due to a nagging hamstring, but also given Kyle McCord’s infatuation with two-time All-American and current Cardinals’ first-round pick Marivn Harrison Jr. With Stroud, Egbuka was a reliable option across the middle and shifty route-runner in space. 

In 2022, Egbuka served as the No. 2 option, but put up No. 1 production with 74 catches for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns. He stepped up in the Peach Bowl against eventual national champion Georgia after Harrison left in the fourth quarter, hauling in eight passes for 112 yards and a score. 

Diggs, whom the Texans acquired via trade this offseason, is only on a one-year deal after Houston voided the final three years of his contract. While expected to compete with Nico Collins for the title of No. 1 weapon, there’s no guarantee he and Stroud will build a similar relationship to one with Josh Allen. 

Collins, who is coming off a career-high 1,297-yard season, is entering a contract year. The Texans want him back and could look to extend him before the regular season begins, but the 24-year-old might want to bet on himself. 

Last season, Collins became the third Texans player to total over 1,200 receiving yards in a single season. Receivers are cashing in these days, so Collins might be on the shortlist to haul in an offer he can’t refuse. 

While the Texans enter 2025 with John Metchie III and Tank Dell under contract, nothing is promised with their roles. Dell, Houston’s third-year round pick last April, is coming for a season-ending fractured fibula.

Metchie, a former second-round pick, missed his entire rookie season due to his battle with cancer and was relegated to the No. 4 role behind Dell, Collins and Robert Woods in Year 2. He showed flashes of upside, but the Texans expect more heading into 2024. 

Egbuka will be a fan favorite to land in H-Town if he lives up to the billing as the new leading man at “WRU.” Much like Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase or Tua Tagovailoa and Jaylen Waddle, sometimes reunions lead to unexpected results. 

Early 2025 mock draft has Panthers taking Shedeur Sanders with No. 1 overall pick

A “way-too-early” 2025 mock draft from CBS Sports has the Panthers selected Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders . . . with the No. 1 overall pick.

The Carolina Panthers weren’t on the list of Deion Sanders’ preferred landing spots for his son Shedeur. But that didn’t stop CBS Sports writer Ryan Wilson from already projecting the University of Colorado star to the Queen City—and with next year’s No. 1 overall pick, no less.

Wilson, in his “way-too-early” 2025 mock draft, explains that a new quarterback may be on the horizon if the Panthers finish with the league’s worst record for the second year in a row:

If nothing else, using the betting odds means that, for the third straight year, the Panthers have the No. 1 overall pick. Hopefully first-year coach Dave Canales can get the most out of Bryce Young, but if that doesn’t happen … you’d have to imagine quarterback at No. 1 (for the second time in three drafts for Carolina) will be a talking point.

And with that pick, Wilson sends Sanders to Carolina:

Shedeur Sanders made huge strides in his first year as an FBS QB and he’ll be in the conversation with several other players to be the first quarterback drafted.

Sanders completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 2023.

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Multiple Aggies selected in in first round of CBS Sports’ ‘way-too-early’ 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Noah Thomas, Shemar Turner projected as 2025 first-round picks in CBS Sports’ “way-too-early” 2025 mock draft

The 2024 NFL Draft has concluded, and for Texas A&M, four players were selected, led by star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper with the 45th overall pick in the second round, now headed to the Green Bay Packers after three seasons in College Station.

Joining Cooper, defensive lineman McKinnley Jackson (Cincinnati Bengals), offensive lineman Layden Robinson (New England Patriots), and wide receiver Ainias Smith (Philadelphia Eagles) were all selected in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds, respectfully.

With the Jimbo Fisher era officially in the rearview mirror, new Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is equipped with a bevy of talent on both sides of the ball heading into his inaugural 2024 season. Starting quarterback Conner Weigman is leading the way after sustaining a season-ending injury after just four games last season.

According to CBS Sports’ latest early 2025 NFL mock draft, junior wide receiver Noah Thomas and junior defensive lineman Shemar Turner have received projections to be selected in the middle and end of the first round next April, and based on traits alone, this shouldn’t be a surprise.

With the 15th-overall pick to the Chicago Bears, a franchise that recently selected WR Rome Odunze with the 9th overall within this year’s draft is still in need of a consistent red zone target, as Thomas’s 6-6 200-pound frame and large catch radius make him an instant threat on the boundary. During his 2023 sophomore season, Thomas recorded 29 receptions, 359 receiving yards and five touchdowns.

With the 29th-overall pick to the Detroit Lions, head coach Dan Campbell is an Aggie through and through and will be keeping an eye on Turner’s final season at Texas A&M as the versatile defensive lineman is coming off his best collegiate season yet after recording six sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss and two force fumbles in 2023.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Giovanni Manu: What the Detroit Lions are getting in their 4th-round offensive tackle

Giovanni Manu was a surprise pick by the Lions in the fourth round, but Russell Brown breaks down the game film and likes what he sees

Entering the third and final day of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions were scheduled to make four picks and they did just that. To start the day off, the Lions surprised plenty of people trading up and selecting British Columbia OT Giovanni Manu.

It’s not every year that we see college football players out of Canada selected in the NFL Draft but this year, the Lions may have gotten the best one. While the Lions gave up a 2025 3rd Round Pick to draft Manu, there’s much to be desired with his skill-set.

For starters, he’s 6-foot-7 and 352 pounds and had a very good Pro Day in front of NFL teams. This led to him having 11 pre-draft visits, including Detroit. At his Pro Day, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.96 seconds and had 23 reps in the bench press. His 33.5″ vertical jump for a player of his size is also impressive. Let’s take it a step further and look into the tape to see what the Lions are getting with Giovanni Manu from British Columbia!

Starting with the first play, you can see Giovanni Manu aligned as the left tackle (#76) for the British Columbia offense. Immediately, you’ll notice how flexible his lower half is with good knee bend. This helps him lower his pad level and work his hands into the defenders chest plate.

Once the ball is snapped, you’ll see relatively quick feet from Manu in his kick-slide. This helps him mirror defenders off the edge. Most importantly, you can see the biggest asset to his game with his grip strength. Once his hands hit clean onto a defenders chest plate, it normally leads to Manu winning the rep. That’s exactly what happens on the play above.

Moving onto the next play, I want to showcase the power and strength that Manu possesses in the run game. Looking at the play above, you can see Manu highlighted at left tackle. Aligned across from him is a defensive end aligned in a 4-technique.

Once the ball is snapped, Manu reaches to his left and engages on the chest of the defensive end. With complete control, you can see Manu latch on and just overpower the opposition. Zero hesitation in his game, he shows good grip strength and leg drive as he slams the defender into the dirt.

Overall, it’s easy to see why the Lions jumped in front of most teams on day 3 to select him. There’s size and tools to work with when watching his tape. As I mentioned, he’s got a flexible lower half and very strong hands. He’ll need to fix his hand placement and he’ll have to adjust to the speed of the NFL but the potential is there for Manu to develop into something more. It’s unclear if he’ll play tackle or guard at the next level but either way, he was a much needed attention to the Lions offensive line.

Jets trade down again in 4th round, this time with Lions, gain 2025 3rd

Jets trade down again in 4th round, this time with Lions, gain 2025 3rd

The Jets have traded down again in Round 4 of the 2024 NFL Draft. This time, they have traded with the Detroit Lions and they have added a pick in next year’s inventory to make the deal. The Jets acquired a third-round pick in 2025 from Detroit to move out of pick No. 126.

Before this trade, the Jets had seven picks in the 2025 draft, one in each of the first five rounds plus two in the 6th. They have their own picks in the first six rounds plus Kansas City’s pick in the 6th from the Mecole Hardman trade. They traded their 7th-round pick to the Lions in the Denzel Mims trade last year.

Now, the Jets have two picks in the third round and eight total picks next year, which could be extra ammunition if the Jets want to make a deal at the trade deadline in October.

Eagles trade pick No. 123 to the Texans for 127th pick, and a 2025 fifth round pick

Eagles trade pick No . 123 to the Houston Texans for pick No. 127 and a 2025 5th-rd pick.

The Eagles are all about amassing assets, and on the final day of the draft, GM Howie Roseman secured even more capital for 2025.

After trading pick No. 120 the Dolphins, Philadelphia traded pick No. 123 to the Texans for the 127th pick, and a 2025 fifth round pick.

The Eagles typically hand out the biggest signing bonuses to undrafted free agents, and it won’t be a shock to see Roseman stockpile picks for 2025 while scouring the UDFA market for players with Day 2 or early Day 3 draft grades.

Eagles trade pick No. 120 in 2024 NFL draft to Dolphins for 2025 third round pick

The Philadelphia Eagles have traded pick No. 120 to the Miami Dolphins for a 2025 third round pick

The Eagles are all about amassing assets, and on the final day of the draft, GM Howie Roseman secured capital for 2025.

Philadelphia traded out of pick No. 120, trading the pick to Miami for a 2025 third round pick.

The Eagles typically hand out the biggest signing bonuses to undrafted free agents, and it won’t be a shock to see Roseman stockpile picks for 2025 while scouring the UDFA market for players with Day 2 or early Day 3 draft grades.

Where will the 2025 NFL Draft be held?

Where is next year’s NFL Draft taking place?

The 2025 NFL Draft might seem like a good ways away, but it’ll be here before you know it.

As this year’s NFL Draft takes place in Detroit, next year’s draft will make a quick trip on the map to Green Bay, Wisconsin.

From April 24-26 next year, the 2025 NFL Draft will select its players around the Green Bay Packers Packers’ Lambeau Field and its Titletown community.

Names to watch in next year’s draft cycle include Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback Travis Hunter, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and Tennessee defensive end James Pearce, among plenty others.

We’ll see who gets their NFL dreams fulfilled once the NFL Draft takes over Green Bay next April.

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Dolphins currently projected to get 3 compensatory picks in 2025

While the Dolphins lost Christian Wilkins, Robert Hunt, and others in free agency, that should mean more draft capital in 2025.

It’s been a few years since the Miami Dolphins received a compensatory draft pick. The last time was in 2020 when the team received fourth- and seventh-round selections for losing Ja’Wuan James and Brandon Bolden.

Five years later, the Dolphins are in line to finally get some compensatory picks again.

According to Over The Cap’s projections, the sizable contracts that Christian Wilkins and Robert Hunt signed with the Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers, respectively, are both likely to earn the Dolphins third-round picks in 2025.

While OTC also projects Miami will receive a seventh-round selection, that one is much less certain. For now, the additions of Jordyn Brooks, Aaron Brewer, and Kendall Fuller cancel out the losses of Andrew Van Ginkel, Raekwon Davis, and Brandon Jones. That leaves the contract signed by DeShon Elliott as just rich enough to earn a seventh-rounder.

But if the Dolphins make another move or just a few more free agents get deals elsewhere, that pick could disappear.

Either way, two third-round picks is quite a coup for Miami and will mean the Dolphins have a lot of draft capital to worth with next year.

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Saints enter the mix for a 2025 comp pick thanks to Isaac Yiadom

The Saints entered the mix for a 2025 compensatory draft pick thanks to Isaac Yiadom. But they haven’t locked it in just yet:

The New Orelans Saints could be in play for a 2025 compensatory draft selection after the San Francisco 49ers signed away cornerback Isaac Yiadom this offseason according to OverTheCap’s Nick Korte.

After being a career journeyman that had not found much time on the field in the past few years, Yiadom found a resurgence in New Orleans. Once Marshon Lattimore went down with a midseason injury, Yiadom was called on to pick up the slack and he did more than just be a replacement-level player. He was very solid this year with the Saints and earned a bigger contract in San Francisco, reportedly worth $3 million.

The Saints currently own their first six draft picks in 2025. Their own seventh round draft selection was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade. Adding a seventh-round compensatory pick would essentially bring things back to default for New Orleans. With more free agents still out there it remains to be seen whether the Saints will earn a comp pick or outweigh it by signing more players.

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