Is it early? Yes. However, see what experts think about Alabama QB Jalen Milroe as the 2024 season approaches.
After a rough start to the 2023 season, Alabama Crimson Tide starting quarterback returns to his role at the helm of the Alabama offense in 2024. With a new, offensive-minded head coach in Kalen DeBoer, there are high expectations for Milroe in the upcoming season.
Heading into the beginning of last season, Milroe was fighting in a three-man QB competition with Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner. He ultimately won the job, but couldn’t find a groove early in the season. After a Week 2 loss to the Texas Longhorns, Milroe was benched in Week 3’s road game against USF.
After that, Milroe was the clear-cut starter for the team and steadily improved every week. By the end of the season, Milroe finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
It may be early, but a good indicator of how experts believe a college player will perform in the upcoming season is to look at way-too-early NFL mock drafts.
Popejoy did not include any rationale behind this pick, but if the Giants are in need of a quarterback to replace Daniel Jones, Milroe may be the best option available at pick No. 5, but he is not QB1 in the draft. Popejoy has Milroe being the second quarterback drafted, with Carson Beck of the Georgia Bulldogs, who is selected first overall to the Carolina Panthers.
Milroe finished the 2023 season with an impressive 65.8% completion, 2,834 passing yards and 23 touchdowns while only throwing six interceptions. On the ground, Milroe rushed for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The 2024 Alabama football season will begin in a few months as the Tide takes on Western Kentucky on Aug. 31 in Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama football news as the 2024 offseason approaches.
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM.
When ESPN NFL draft expert Jordan Reid released his 2025 first-round mock draft, it listed Notre Dame cornerback [autotag]Benjamin Morrison[/autotag] at 13th. That’s not a surprise given the big plays Morrison is known for. Missing from that mock draft was new Irish quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag].
However, all may not be lost as far as Leonard being an early-round pick. In an appearance on “SportsCenter”, Reid indicated that Leonard will be someone to watch this year as far as increasing his draft stock to the point where he will become difficult for NFL teams to ignore:
This obviously would be a good thing for the Irish as it should indicate a successful season barring the complete collapse of another unit. All we know at this point is expectations are high with Leonard under center.
In a decade where the Irish have relied heavily on transfer quarterbacks like [autotag]Jack Coan[/autotag] and [autotag]Sam Hartman[/autotag], Leonard might have the most pressure. Here’s to seeing how he handles it.
Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
On the way to earning All-Pac-12 honors, UCLA’s Adem Bona averaged 12.4 points on 58.8% shooting from the field with 5.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.
With only one pick in the second round, there’s been a flurry of different prospects projected to land with the Golden State Warriors in mock drafts. In the latest mock draft from Kevin O’Connell with The Ringer, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Steve Kerr and the Warriors landed a standout defensive big man from the Pac-12.
With the No. 52 overall selection, the Warriors added UCLA’s Adem Bona in the second round. According to O’Connell, Bona is similar to Warriors veteran big man and fellow UCLA alum Kevon Looney.
In two seasons with the Bruins, the 6-foot-10 center built a decorated resume that includes Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and Pac-12 Rookie of the Year.
On this way to earning All-Pac-12 and All-Defense honors, Bona averaged 12.9 points on 58.8% shooting from the field to go along with 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game.
The second round of the NBA draft is scheduled for Thursday, June 27 at 1 p.m. PT from Brooklyn, New York.
In a way-too-early 2025 mock draft, the Commanders go defense.
The dust has only recently settled on the 2024 NFL draft and we are already looking ahead to 2025. If we know anything about the NFL draft, the hype never stops.
What could the Washington Commanders be looking for in 2025?
That’s tough to say because Washington hasn’t even hit training camp for 2024 yet. However, three positions stick out like a sore thumb: Offensive tackle, edge rusher and cornerback.
Of the three positions, the offensive tackle position appears the most dire. The Commanders believe that third-round pick Brandon Coleman will become their future left tackle.
At cornerback are Emmanuel Forbes, Benjamin St-Juste, Mike Sainristil and a host of veterans. Washington has high hopes for the rookie Sainristil, but this coaching staff did not draft St-Juste and Forbes.
St-Juste is entering the final year of his rookie contract, while Forbes is heading into his second season. If both pan out, this becomes less of a need.
At edge rusher, next year is expected to have a deep class. Washington has a mix of veterans at the position now and could look to add to the group early in next year’s draft.
The Commanders are in desperate need of a true CB1, and not just because a light breeze could knock Emmanuel Forbes over on any given snap. Will Johnson is the answer, as he could’ve lined up across from NFL WRs last season.
Johnson wasn’t eligible for the 2024 draft, but looked like he could be a No. 1 cornerback in the NFL as a sophomore in 2023 for the national champions. Opponents struggled throwing at Johnson and he has everything NFL teams covet.
There’s a long way to go until 2025 and most Washington fans would tell you an offensive tackle should remain the top priority — even if Coleman pans out.
In the latest mock draft from ESPN, Bronny James lands with the Warriors in the second round.
Although he’s not widely considered one of the top prospects available in the 2024 NBA draft, all eyes will be on Bronny James and the James family on draft night.
After one season at Southern California, the 19-year-old wing declared for the draft. Whichever team submits its draft card with James listed as the pick will likely have a looming decision from his father, LeBron, waiting. James has a player option with the Los Angeles Lakers and has a chance to become a free agent in the summer.
In 25 games with the Trojans, James averaged 4.8 points on 36.6% shooting from the field to go along with 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes per game. James notched a career-high 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field with three assists and a rebound in 20 minutes against Oregon State.
The Saints reopened their Ohio State pipeline in this way-too-early 2025 mock draft, but would they really pass on every first-round QB to do it?
It’s too early to seriously predict which players might be picked in the 2025 NFL draft, but the event draws interest year-round and speculation won’t slow down just because we’re in a quiet stretch on the calendar.
The latest way-too-soon 2025 mock draft comes from Curt Popejoy over at Draft Wire. While the New Orleans Saints have a solid position at No. 9 (which would be the payoff for struggling through a hard-to-watch season with fewer wins than losses), in this projection New Orleans passed on every quarterback in the draft. The first passer, Georgia’s Carson Beck, wasn’t drafted until No. 16.
For all the talk about next year’s class being better (which is a popular draft narrative every year, whether it’s true or not) there’s a real possibility the Saints could be stuck with mediocrity under center. If the Saints are bad enough to be picking this high, it’s because Derek Carr is playing poorly enough to be replaced.
Instead of drafting Beck or any other quarterback to replace Derek Carr, the Saints started this mock draft by spending the ninth overall pick on his Georgia teammate: left tackle Earnest Greene III. That pick is easy to understand. New Orleans has struggled to get much out of Trevor Penning after drafting him in 2022’s first round, and he’s now moving to right tackle while their 2024 first rounder, Taliese Fuaga, is being asked to play on the left side. If Penning is a total bust and Fuaga has to move back to his college position, it makes sense to draft a true left tackle to man that spot. Maybe the vision is for Spencer Rattler or Jake Haener to push Carr for the starting gig in 2025.
While that first-round pick makes plenty of sense, it’s easier to get excited about the Saints’ haul in Round 2. They selected Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson at No. 41 overall, making him the sixth running back to be picked in the first two rounds. That would be a huge shift after just one running back was drafted in that range this year.
Henderson has been a big-play threat at Ohio State, scoring 32 touchdown runs while picking up 10 or more yards on 71 of his 445 career rushing attempts. He’s averaged an impressive 6.2 yards per carry with the Buckeyes. There’s a real possibility that Alvin Kamara won’t be on the team next year (between his contract status and ) so the Saints could be on the lookout for a new lead running back. That’s the vision for Kendre Miller but he needs to prove he can handle that kind of workload after injuries interrupted his rookie year. Either way, someone like Henderson could be on their radar in 2025.
A new mock draft has the Browns looking for a new quarterback…
For the first time in three years, the Cleveland Browns will have a first round pick. And in a new 2-round 2025 NFL mock draft, the Browns use that pick to replace Deshaun Watson (the player they used their previous three first rounders to acquire) for Georgia quarterback Carson Beck.
Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy mocked Beck to the Browns at the midway point of the first round. There is no doubt that Watson enters a make-or-break year, but the Browns will realistically have to ride it out at least one more season with him to avoid a crippling cap hit to move on.
In his first season as the starting quarterback at the University of Georgia, Beck racked up nearly 4,000 yards passing, 24 passing touchdowns, and just six interceptions. Returning to school, Beck has the current claim as the best quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft class at this point.
Popejoy then had the Browns taking Iowa safety Zavier Nwankpa in the second round. Nwankpa is coming off of a campaign with two passes defended, an interception, and two tackles for loss for the Hawkeyes.
We are a long way out from the 2025 NFL draft, but it is at least nice to have a first round pick again.
Is it too early to pick up on trends in fantasy football mock drafts?
It is mid-May, and fantasy football drafts are gaining steam. A recent industry mock is the source for this recap. Out of respect for the hosts of this draft, no reference will be made to its identity so the content remains fresh on their end, nor will the entire draft results be published here.
The blurbs about my team below were provided to the draft host and will appear in a magazine as part of a larger evaluation of the draft. Before getting into my individual picks (we didn’t have to select kickers or defensive teams), here are a few general observations from a 12-team, PPR draft.
Drafting in the middle of Round 1 wasn’t a detriment. The placement afforded the ability to build either two strong running backs, a blend of prominent RBs and receivers, or loading up on a pair of wideouts. Flexibility is key, and it’s tough to go wrong picking fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh in 2024.
It’s not too often, even in an experts league, no quarterbacks come off the board in the first three rounds. Personally, I love to see it, and that’s how gamers should draft … in an ideal world. I suspect the delay in addressing the position is a byproduct of gamers being burned by the rash of QB injuries in 2023.
Eight of the first 24 picks were running backs in this PPR format, which isn’t a huge surprise, but the notable takeaway here is this draft went all the way until the 32nd pick before a different position came off the board.
Six of the 19 total quarterbacks who were drafted came in Rounds 4 and 5 alone, which shows the ability to wait on the position if you don’t buy into a top-heavy position.
Five TEs going in the first six rounds is normal, though the eight who went over the following four rounds are mostly interchangeable. Much like with quarterback, gamers should make a predraft decision about whether they prefer to invest early or wait, and a good deal of these trends are due to the RB and WR selection spree atop the draft.
The positional breakdown is as follows: 19 QBs, 60 RBs, 79 WRs, and 18 TEs.
Here’s a snapshot of the first 10 rounds broken down by number of positional picks:
We were asked to write 35 words per pick to give a little insight as to our draft thoughts:
RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons: I considered Ja’Marr Chase, but Robinson has RB1 overall upside and will anchor my roster. The do-all Texas product no longer will be hampered by the silly utilization games played by former head coach Arthur Smith.
WR Stefon Diggs, Houston Texans: I’m banking on one last big season from the well-seasoned veteran with a final huge payday at stake. Houston didn’t acquire him to be a decoy. This loaded offense can support multiple top-flight fantasy targets.
RB Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers: If he can stay healthy, Jacobs has RB1 written all over him in Green Bay. The Packers paid a hefty sum for his services, and the versatile veteran will command the lion’s share of this backfield’s touches.
WR Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns: There’s no question that I am skeptical about Cooper staying healthy and Deshaun Watson rebounding, but the only real-life WR1 remaining I considered was Zay Flowers. My strong RB corps leaves me comfortable with Cooper as my WR2.
QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles: I wasn’t inclined to land a QB here, but the value of Hurts in Round 5 was far too tantalizing to ignore. Between a stacked receiving corps and his rushing talents, Hurts will challenge for QB1 overall.
RB Austin Ekeler, Washington Commanders: I’m comfortable with Ekeler as a third back, and he has upside in PPR since Brian Robinson Jr. is more of a two-downer. Being reasonable, the former Charger is probably a matchup play instead of a lock.
WR Marquise Brown, Kansas City Chiefs: As my third receiver, Hollywood catching passes from Patrick Mahomes is exciting and will make up for a lack of volume. Rashee Rice could miss games — perhaps the entire year — giving Brown serious upside.
WR DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans: Despite crossing my fingers in hopes of Christian Watson coming back to me, Nuk is a WR4 with viable weekly lineup consideration – a nice consolation. I’m expecting enough work to go around in this revamped offense.
TE T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings: I gambled on Jake Ferguson lasting, missing out by a few picks. While Hockenson might rest early, rookie QBs tend to lean on TEs, and this selection had a playoff push in mind.
RB Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons: Expecting a lesser role than last year’s 209 utilizations, the sole purpose here was to insure my Round 1 selection of Bijan Robinson. Nothing more, nothing less.
TE Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans: T.J. Hockenson was a strategic gamble two rounds ago, and Schultz will be a stop-gap if he misses action as well as an insurance policy should the former Detroit Lion not regain form in 2024.
WR Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons: A late-round flier who could rebound after falling on hard times the last two years, Mooney gets a QB upgrade and a friendlier system. He has even more value if TE Kyle Pitts doesn’t pan out again.
RB Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rookie RBs who are an injury away from a No. 1 role always enter my late-round draft plans. Irving even could muster enough action for a fill-in role if Tampa chooses to scale back Rachaad White‘s workload.
QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars: Even though the retooled receiving corps isn’t as appealing on paper, volume alone puts Lawrence into the top-12 conversation. A likely QB1 as my backup in Round 14? Sign me up!
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Bonus draft recap!
As part of the magazine mock draft participation agreement, we also took part in a non-PPR version. Here’s my team review for that one:
1) RB Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts: I briefly considered Saquon Barkley, but Taylor’s fantasy scoring and TD upside is greater in non-PPR. There’s top-3 potential from the former rushing champ.
2) RB Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers: I was hoping for Derrick Henry here, but Jacobs is a quality consolation prize. He should threaten RB1 status as my No. 2 in a Green Bay offense that will ride its new bell cow.
3) WR Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: While he’s not a value buy this year, and regression is a real risk, double-digit TD potential remains high. Evans is a so-so WR1.
4) QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles: I really wanted Cooper Kupp here, but Hurts’ rushing TD upside was far too tempting in non-PPR. This is much earlier than I tend to draft a QB, and the scoring system made the difference here.
5) WR George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers: He’s one of my favorites for a true breakout season, and I’ll be surprised Pickens doesn’t finish as a borderline WR1. There’s some concern with Russell Wilson and Arthur Smith, however, but talent usually wins out.
6) RB Zack Moss, Cincinnati Bengals: I’m higher on him than most, but there’s legit 10-TD potential in sight as my third back. Moss has flashed starting-caliber ability at times in his career, and he now gets a chance to run away with the gig.
7) TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons: Was this a reach? Maybe. If Pitts cannot ascend in 2024, all hope is lost for his future. I’m optimistic that Kirk Cousins and a better offensive system will work wonders.
8) WR Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos: Denver is lacking receiving options, and rookie QB Bo Nix has the collegiate experience to hit the ground running. He should be good for WR3 or flex utility more often than not.
9) WR Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers: There’s tremendous upside in Watson if the hammy can hold up for more than 30 minutes. That said, he could get lost in the mix some weeks if the deep receiving corps plays to its potential.
10) RB Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks: We saw enough from the former as a rookie to suggest he’ll be involved in this new offense. As my RB4, Charbonnet is a decent flier for RB2 returns if Kenneth Walker goes down.
11) WR Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers: Let’s face it, Johnston was abysmal in 2023, but LA needs a WR to step up, and why not him? He has the QB and offensive line to create damage with limited targets.
12) QB Jared Goff, Detroit Lions: Aside from a bye week, Goff probably won’t see my lineup, but he’s awesome insurance for Hurts.
13) TE Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints: Mike Gesicki was a consideration, but Johnson has a clearer path to scoring fantasy points. If Pitts is solid, Johnson won’t crack my lineup often anyway.
Three former Kentucky basketball players are picked in a new NBA mock draft from ESPN.
The 2024 NBA draft continues to drift closer with draft lottery complete and the NBA draft combine up next. That means that a new round of NBA mock drafts are now up from analysts.
Jonathan Givony of ESPN has a new mock draft up (subscription required), and he has three players from Kentucky basketball being drafted. All three of them are predicted to go in round one, but a few players hoping to get picked in round two are left off the list.
Round one, Pick 3: Reed Sheppard – G
The Houston Rockets hold the third pick, and Givony has them taking guard Reed Sheppard. He’s an elite shooter and a terrific passer who plays the game with a rare set of instincts. There will be some growing pains on defense, but he brings an impressive set of skills to the NBA.
Round one, Pick 4: Rob Dillingham – G
The San Antonio Spurs got a generational talent with the first pick last year and get an exciting player to pair with him in this mock draft. Dillingham became a spark plug off the bench who could take over games with difficult shots around the rim or from three-point range
Round one, Pick 26: Justin Edwards – F
Forward Justin Edwards is as talented as any player in the draft, but he wasn’t able to put it all together at Kentucky. The Washington Wizards select him here, and would attempt to capitalize on the potential he has. He can shoot, drive, and defend, so his upside is impressive.
Fox Sports projects Danny Stutsman to the Dallas Cowboys in a 2025 NFL Mock Draft.
The Oklahoma Sooners 2025 roster received a huge boost when [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] opted to forgo the 2024 NFL draft and return for his senior season. The Sooners linebacker room has a lot of talent, but would have been lacking experience had Stutsman departed for the league.
Looking ahead, he and the Sooners defense are poised for another strong season in 2024, Oklahoma’s first in the SEC. With improved defensive tackle depth, Stutsman will get to play a little cleaner as Damonic Williams, Da’Jon Terry, Jayden Jackson, Gracen Halton, and David Stone keep interior offensive linemen from climbing to the second level to slow Stutsman and the linebacker group.
With improved talent up front and a developing linebacker group around him, it’s possible we see the best version of Danny Stutsman in 2024. NFL draft analysts are banking on it. In a 2025 mock draft over at Fox Sports, Rob Rang sees Stutsman going in the back end of the first round to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 26 overall.
After leading the Big 12 in tackles in 2022 and earning All-American accolades (despite battling injury) a year ago, Stutsman was thought to be a shoo-in to join the 2024 NFL draft. Instead, by returning, the rangy 6-foot-4, 241 has a chance at being the first off-ball linebacker selected next spring. He certainly checks boxes for his playmaking ability, recording 267 tackles, including 28 tackles for loss already. – Rob Rang, Fox Sports
There’s a good chance the Cowboys have a need at linebacker again next offseason. They lost Leighton Vander Esch to retirement and were already light at the position. They signed veteran Eric Kendricks to a one-year deal this spring, but could need an infusion of talent next spring.
Dallas would be a fun landing spot for Danny Stutsman, who has become a larger-than-life individual in Oklahoma.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.You can also follow John on X @john9williams.
