Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - We've finally made it.
The 2025 NFL Draft starts Thursday night, and this draft class is unique in many ways, mainly that there are not many superstars projected. However, teams can get multiple Day 1 starters all the way through, at least, the third round.
Without further ado, let's have some fun, shall we?
1.) Tennessee Titans
Selection: Cam Ward - QB - Miami
The Titans need more picks. Having only two selections in the top-100 for a three-win team is dangerous. However, no team can trot out Will Levis under center again and be taken seriously. Then again, it is the Titans, so...
2.) Cleveland Browns
Selection: Travis Hunter - CB/WR - Colorado
Even the Browns cannot make the mistake of passing up on the most talented player of the draft. Hunter can help a talented Browns team that just might hold out one more year on a quarterback, and they do have a roster that can keep Kenny Pickett afloat.
3.) New York Giants
Selection: Abdul Carter - EDGE - Penn State
The Giants take the best player available, which means they can bolster their pass rush with Carter. While there are questions about what they are going to do long-term, this coaching and management staff does not have time to worry about that.
4.) New England Patriots
Selection: Will Campbell - T - LSU
This pick screams trade down. New England loses out on Hunter, which allows Patriots fans to curse out Joe Milton balling out against the Bills' backups in the Week 18 finale. Offensive line is a huge need as well. Whether they make this pick or not will be the true mystery here.
5.) Jacksonville Jaguars
Selection: Mason Graham - DT - Michigan
Fortune finds the Jaguars, as Graham, a top-three talent, falls to No. 5 and Jacksonville. While the Jaguars have plenty of other needs, sometimes taking the best player available is the easy way to play it. Trent Baalke is also no longer here to screw this up.
6.) Las Vegas Raiders
Selection: Ashton Jeanty - RB - Boise State
Jeanty is an incredibly talented running back who can easily become a top player at a position that does not allow for many superstars. While Tet McMillan is also an option, head coach Pete Carroll tends to invest high picks at the position often.
7.) New York Jets
Selection: Armand Membou - T - Missouri
The Jets need every bit of offensive line help. Membou will instantly help New York, even though it might take time for him to get comfortable with the left tackle. While a transition from the right to the left can be difficult, Membou's elite technique is one of his strongest traits.
8.) Carolina Panthers
Selection: Will Johnson - CB - Michigan
Welcome to the first true moments of unpredictability. From the first seven picks, it seems the favorites are pretty easy to forecast (now watch chaos ensue as soon as Pick 2 because of that dreaded sentence). Carolina can go in a lot of directions, however a corner like Johnson will be a shoo-in as the best player available, while also filling a need for the Panthers.
9.) New Orleans Saints
Selection: Tetairoa McMillan - WR - Arizona
I'm convinced the Saints are tanking for a chance to get the prodigal son, Arch Manning, grandson of Saints quarterback Archie Manning. McMillan lets the Saints set that future up while also getting a new receiver for their quarterback next year. McMillan is seen as the next best wideout to Hunter, making this the easy choice.
10.) Chicago Bears
Selection: Jalon Walker - LB - Georgia
Kelvin Banks Jr. on the offensive line is not a bad idea here, but Walker is a projected stud in a linebacker class that is not very spectacular. Chicago also has picks 39 and 41, so the second round can help them immensely.
11.) San Francisco 49ers
Selection: Mike Green - EDGE - Marshall
While the 49ers need injury woes to not cripple them every couple of years, luck is not something a team can draft. Green is the second-best pass rusher in this draft class. A chance to get younger on defense with an immediate starter should help any team.
12.) Dallas Cowboys
Selection: Matthew Golden - WR - Texas
Dallas is all about pizzaz, and taking another receiver over a glaring need at guard is peak Cowboys. Then again, there isn't really any guard worthy of a selection at No. 12. Shadeur Sanders' fall continues, and this is another place where a team can be the wild card for him, much like New Orleans.
13.) Miami Dolphins
Selection: Kelvin Banks Jr. - T - Texas
Longhorns go in back-to-back picks. Miami's constant failures with their offensive line has to stop, and in order to do that, a high pick should be invested here. That said, general manager Chris Grier is not a good general manager, so who knows how this pick goes.
14.) Indianapolis Colts
Selection: Tyler Warren - TE - Penn State
The Colts are sprinting to the podium with this card. Warren is a perfect addition to a Colts offense in need of more options to answer the question of, "Is Anthony Richardson the guy?" Warren adds that security blanket for any young quarterback.
15.) Atlanta Falcons
Selection: Jahdae Barron - CB - Texas
Any dreams of trading up for one of the higher-end cornerbacks ends here, as Atlanta snags Barron to aid in rebuilding their secondary. At 5-foot-10, Barron projects as a slot defender long-term, but potentially an elite one at that.
16.) Arizona Cardinals
Selection: Mykel Williams - EDGE - Georgia
Williams is a solid talent that can help boost one of the weaker defensive lines in the NFL. While Arizona could go in a couple of directions here on defense, sometimes it's easier to grab the pass rusher. Safety should heavily be in play here, too.
17.) Cincinnati Bengals
Selection: Shemar Stewart - EDGE - Texas A&M
Like Arizona, Cincinnati needs to add on defense as much as humanly possible. Their roster on defense was so barren that it not only cost the Bengals a playoff spot, despite one of the most dangerous offenses in football, but also the job of savvy coordinator Lou Anarumo. Stewart is athletic, but has some poor production for his athleticism.
18.) Seattle Seahawks
Selection: Emeka Egbuka - WR - Ohio State
Having just traded D.K. Metcalf, Seattle can reload at receiver and focus on pieces for their offensive line in the second round, where they have two selections. Seattle is also a peak trade-down candidate, especially if a quarterback is on a team's radar to vault Pittsburgh at 21.
19.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Selection: Malaki Starks - S - Georgia
Tampa Bay needs anything on defense, and Starks is the most talented option. Rangy, athletic and versatile, Starks can jump in Week 1 as an immediate starter. Starks has the prototypical skill set of a rangy safety, with the production as a three-year starter on an elite Georgia defense.
20.) Denver Broncos
Selection: Colston Loveland - TE - Michigan
Bo Nix gets a new piece for the middle of the field in Loveland, who would easily be the best tight end of the draft class if not for Tyler Warren. With the early wideouts gone, Denver could go Luther Burden here as well.
21.) Pittsburgh Steelers
Selection: Shadeur Sanders - QB - Colorado
The fall stops here for Sanders, as Pittsburgh is likely desperate for a quarterback at this point. Sanders lacks elite athleticism, but is probably the most accurate quarterback of a rather underwhelming draft class.
22.) Los Angeles Chargers
Selection: Walter Nolen - DT - Ole Miss
One of the best 3-technique linemen in this draft, Nolen fills one of the biggest needs for the Chargers. One of the more common comparisons for Nolen's skill set is Ed Oliver. The Chargers could be in the market for a wide receiver here as well.
23.) Green Bay Packers
Selection: James Pearce Jr. - EDGE - Tennessee
Pearce Jr. is seen with a wide lens, but is able to play as an edge rusher for both 3-man or 4-man fronts. Green Bay is in the market for a boost in pass rush quality, and will have some options between Pearce Jr., Donovan Ezeiruaku or Nic Scourton.
24.) Minnesota Vikings
Selection: Nick Emmanwori - S - South Carolina
The rangy, incredibly athletic Emmanwori is built like a linebacker with the speed and skill set of a safety. He might be perfect for defenses that want a "big nickel" concept, while also providing the speed and size to confound tight ends in pass coverage.
25.) Houston Texans
Selection: Josh Simmons - T - Ohio State
Booker gives the Texans a solid protector on the interior for their offense. If not for his position being as highly drafted, Booker would have a case for the top-20 of this draft. Houston needs to build a lot of their offensive line back up, and it starts here with Booker.
26.) Los Angeles Rams
Selection: Jihaad Campbell - LB - Alabama
The Rams scream "trade down candidate", with a chance to go in a lot of directions. Los Angeles also only has two picks in the top-100. If they stay, Campbell is a mainstay in a linebacking corps for the Rams, and easily a top linebacker in this class.
27.) Baltimore Ravens
Selection: Grey Zabel - OL - North Dakota State
The Ravens can go in several directions, but a stellar offensive linemen is never a bad idea. Zabel's biggest strength might be his versatility. Most likely a guard in the NFL, but he can play at center in a pinch as well.
28.) Detroit Lions
Selection: Donovan Ezeiruaku - EDGE - Boston College
An elite technician, good hands and high-energy, Ezeiruaku will make a team near the end of the first or early second round very happy that he fell to them. He is smaller, so he might max out as a steady, but consistent pass rushing specialist in the NFL. But he'll be good at it.
29.) Washington Commanders
Selection: Trey Amos - CB - Mississippi
A potential run on cornerbacks might begin here a couple of picks before this, with several teams in front of Buffalo that could not only use the secondary help, but this is where the next wave of cornerbacks is likely to start. Amos is a solid coverage corner, while not the best tackler out there.
30.) Buffalo Bills
Selection: Kenneth Grant - DT - Michigan
Yeah, this might be a safe pick and a bit of a cop out, but with as many options as they have, a trade down is very much on the table, especially if a team wants quarterback Jaxson Dart, for some reason.
The Bills almost have too many ways to go about this pick. Buffalo can go edge rusher with players like Nic Scourton still out there. There are also some decent cornerbacks on the board like Maxwell Hairston, Shavon Ravel, Benjamin Morrision or Azareye'h Thomas. There are even plenty of defensive tackles to consider like Darius Alexander, Tyliek Williams and Derrick Harmon.
Grant, however, checks the most boxes.
At 6-foot-3 and 334 pounds, Grant is the prototypical 1-technique upgrade that Buffalo needs. Grant is solid against the run, while he possesses pass rushing capabilities to add some sacks to the defense in his own right.
While defensive tackle is deeper than any position in this draft class, Grant being here is simply too good to pass up.
31.) Kansas City Chiefs
Selection: Tyler Booker - OL - Alabama
Do I have to give them a good player? OK, fine, I'll be professional. Booker had fantastic production as a guard at Alabama, giving up only one sack in his college football career. Naturally, it makes sense the Chiefs would get a player like this because the world hates us all.
32.) Philadelphia Eagles
Selection: Derrick Harmon - DT - Oregon
Injury concerns might push Harmon out of the first round, but the Eagles can take a chance with his frame. 6-foot-4 with 34-inch arms make for a lot of potential deflections for a young Eagles secondary.
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Don't forget to tune in to coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft all weekend on WGR, as Zach Jones, Nate Geary and myself will be live for all seven rounds of the draft!