Today’s athletes are quickly learning how much leverage and power they currently hold. Yet 20 years have passed since Maurice Clarett legally challenged the NFL’s entry rule.
Professional football remains steadfast in prospects needing to be three years removed from the high school level before they’re eligible to join its ranks. No other major American sport holds the same requirement.
This weekend, Major League Baseball will conduct its own version of the entry draft. Its rule for eligibility is different but could be a formula the NFL uses if/when another young, talented individual challenges the status quo and forces change through a court of law.
A baseball prospect can be drafted directly out of a high school. He then has a choice. Either he chooses to become a professional and joins the minor leagues, or he commits to a collegiate program, where he’ll need to complete his junior season or be at least 21 years old before becoming draft-eligible again.
What if the 2025 NFL class had a similar setup? Well, the draft would look quite different.
For the sake of this projection, let’s simplify. First, the order is determined by reverse Super Bowl odds provided by DraftKings. Second, let’s take age out of the equation since not all individual birthdays are public knowledge, thus all draft-eligible prospects must be either elite high school options or three years removed from high school.
With that setup in mind, the Carolina Panthers are on the clock.
The Carolina Panthers find themselves at the top of the draft for the third-straight year, though they’ll get to select this time after trading this year’s No. 1 overall pick to the Chicago Bears as part of the Bryce Young trade.
With Young in the fold, the Panthers can concentrate on adding a defensive centerpiece.
Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. enters the 2024 campaign as the favorite to claim the class’ top spot because of his ability to explode off the edge and play around or through offensive tackles, even at a listed 242 pounds.
As a true sophomore, he accumulated 14.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks on his way to being named first-team All-SEC. His presence off the edge can help offset Carolina’s loss of Brian Burns, who was traded to the New York Giants this offseason.
With Bo Nix in place, the thought of the Denver Broncos making a change at quarterback next offseason doesn’t seem feasible, even after what could turn out to be a disastrous campaign earned them the second overall pick.
The Broncos can instead invest in a different premium position in an attempt to salvage the situation.
LSU’s Will Campbell took over at left tackle from the start of his true freshman season and hasn’t relinquished the job. He thrived as an underclassman despite playing against the best competition that college football has to offer.
Last season, he earned first-team All-SEC honors. He’s a 6’6″, 320-pound blocker with the feet to handle athletic pass-rushers, yet heavy hands to jolt and move defenders.
Denver already has a tone-setter up front in right guard Quinn Meinerz. With Garett Bolles set to hit free agency after this season, Campbell can provide the type of anchor who can create a ripple effect through the rest of the offensive line.
The New England Patriots began their offensive revolution this offseason by moving beyond the old guard and bringing in fresh blood in hopes of infusing the organization with some offensive vigor.
Six of the Patriots’ seven draft picks this year, including the third overall selection of quarterback Drake Maye, fell on the offensive side of the ball. They shouldn’t stop there.
The LSU and Washington wide receiver corps may have garnered the most attention last season, but Missouri’s Luther Burden III was every bit as good as any individual wide receiver in college football last season.
The 20-year-old caught 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns. He became the only wide receiver in the nation to finish top-10 in yards after catch, missed tackles forced and contested catches, according to Pro Football Focus.
With Burden, Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, New England will feature a nice trio for Maye to utilize.
If the Tennessee Titans find themselves picking among the top four selections next year, something went drastically wrong with Will Levis’ development.
The upside to this particular scenario is the Titans find themselves in position to select the projected top quarterback for 2025, Georgia’s Carson Beck.
“He’s got that prototypical first-round QB look to him,” an opposing defensive coordinator told The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman. “His touch on the deep ball was tremendous. I don’t think there is a better quarterback in the country right now in terms of his size, accuracy, accuracy on the deep ball. I think he throws a better deep ball than Jayden Daniels.”
The 6’4″, 220-pound Beck may not be as heralded or as much of a playmaker as Caleb Williams, but he consistently wins from the pocket with his decisive and efficient play.
In some ways, Tennessee could be landing its version of Joe Burrow for head coach Brian Callahan.
Whether first-round cornerback Emmanuel Forbes turns out to be a good investment by the Washington Commanders is inconsequential for two reasons.
First, Michigan’s Will Johnson is a superior prospect once he’s eligible to be drafted. Second, Forbes’ bookend, Benjamin St-Juste, will be a free agent after the upcoming season.
Physically, Johnson is exactly what a team wants in a cornerback. He’s 6’2″ and 202 pounds. More importantly, he’s competed at a high level since he stepped onto campus.
According to Pro Football Focus, the 21-year-old led all Power Five cornerbacks with a 91.1 grade in man coverage as a true freshman, then allowed a measly 29.1 passer rating into his coverage last season.
With Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Dorance Armstrong and Frankie Luvu creating havoc on the front end, Johnson can thrive thanks to his coverage and ball skills.
The first high school prospect comes off the board here.
Generally, the NFL is a win-now league, and the possibility of upgrading a team’s roster in the short term will be a priority for most. Quarterback is a little different, though. It’s the one position where long-term planning is taken into account.
Belleville’s Bryce Underwood is generally considered the top recruit for the 2025 class. He’s a 6’4″, 205-pound passer with a compact and quick delivery that allows him to spin the ball extremely well and drive it to all three levels.
The Arizona Cardinals, meanwhile, find themselves in a bit of a predicament. They signed Kyler Murray to a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension less than two years ago. Yet the possibility of picking this high again shows that not enough progress is being made.
The Cards can invest in a young quarterback with immense upside but needs time to develop without giving up on Murray entirely.
By 2026, Arizona can release Murray and save over $35 million if needed.
Frankly, the New York Giants could go in numerous different directions based on another underachieving season. The simplest solution is adding the best overall talent, who happens to also present positional flexibility.
In this instance, Travis Hunter is still being projected as a cornerback. Maybe that’s somewhat of an outdated way of thinking considering how valuable wide receivers have become. But his skill set currently translates best to the defensive backfield, where he can join last year’s first-round selection, Deonte Banks.
Hunter can still be used in certain specific packages on the offensive side of the ball. He’s a legitimate playmaker. Or the Giants can take the stance that he’s better suited helping quarterback Daniel Jones on a full-time basis.
The team did just invest a top-10 pick in Malik Nabers and has young options at wide receiver that it hopes blossom in Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt.
The option is always there, though.
Let’s be up front about Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
First, not everyone is going to project him highly because of concerns over poor pocket management and decision-making. Second, he’s still a gifted quarterback prospect, and they tend to go much higher than projected based on position value alone.
The Las Vegas Raiders can’t continue to wait regarding the game’s most important position.
The organization did not find a seat during this offseason’s version of musical chairs and settled with the duo of Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O’Connell as its starting options. Realistically, no one expects either to emerge as a long-term solution.
Sanders is a very talented passer, but he had to deal with being under a constant barrage of pressure last season, which led to multiple bad habits.
An improved supporting cast this season may help ease any concerns during the evaluation and solidly place the 22-year-old in the conversation as a top-tier quarterback prospect.
A couple of years ago, the Georgia Bulldogs were loaded with one of the best rosters in college football history and a historic defense. Yet Jalen Carter outshined everyone when he was in the lineup.
Mason Graham had a similar impact when he was on the field for the Michigan Wolverines during their national championship run.
The difference in both is a ridiculous combination of size, strength and explosiveness, which appears during both phases of the game.
“Graham was one of only two interior defensive linemen in the country to finish with top-10 grades as both a pass rusher and run defender,” Pro Football Focus’ Max Chadwick wrote.
The 6’3″, 318-pound defensive tackle can anchor a Minnesota Vikings defensive front that now features Jonathan Greenard and first-round rookie Dallas Turner flying off the edges.
Pockets will be collapsing on the regular.
The New Orleans Saints have to know they’re not going to compete at the highest level with Derek Carr as their starting quarterback.
Last season, the Saints fell just short of a division title to a Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad with Baker Mayfield at the helm. Furthermore, the Atlanta Falcons massively upgraded behind center with the additions of Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr.
New Orleans must reconsider its plan at quarterback.
Bellefontaine’s Tavien St. Clair is a broad-shouldered 6’4″, 225-pound recruit, who can rip downfield throws and factor significantly in the run game. His mechanics and footwork are a work-in-progress. Those aspects will need time and polish, but the physical traits are glaringly obvious.
“I think Tavien had the best arm here,” an Elite 11 coach told The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman after St. Clair attended the prestigious quarterback camp.
Quarterbacks coach Yogi Roth said: “He is an anomaly. He’s from an hour away from Ohio State [where he committed], one of the greatest schools in the history of the game, and he’s never had a personal QB coach. He’s done it in a way I haven’t heard about in, like, 20 years.”
Interestingly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers traded starting cornerback Carlton Davis III to the Detroit Lions this offseason and didn’t immediately replace him in the lineup.
Instead, Zyon McCollum is expected to take on a bigger role this fall, while playing opposite Jamel Dean and Christian Izien covering the slot.
This same group, sans Davis, finished in the bottom four of pass defense last season. A high-end cornerback prospect can help.
Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison is as sticky as they come when it comes to straight coverage, even against the best college football has to offer.
“On seven targets against Marvin Harrison Jr. over the past two years, he forced more incompletions (three) than he allowed catches (two),” Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus noted.
The Buccaneers didn’t make any significant changes to really build upon last year’s surprising division crown. The secondary will be a specific area of concern.
If Tampa waits, Morrison can alter the entire complexion of the defense.
The Seattle Seahawks’ defensive front has the potential to be frightening, but it’s missing one key component: A war daddy smack dab in the middle of the defense.
The squad’s defensive is loaded, with Leonard Williams and Dre’Mont Jones playing along the interior and the recent addition of this year’s DT1, Texas’ Byron Murphy II.
Boye Mafe and Uchenna Nwosu will also give offensive tackles fits when working off the edge.
Kentucky’s Deone Walker is something completely different. He’s a 6’6″, 348-pound force of nature, who can command the middle of the line of scrimmage.
Walker placed between Williams and Jones, with Murphy rotating in as a premium interior pass-rusher, can give Seattle the type of tone-setting defense that new head coach Mike Macdonald can deploy to offset the offensive geniuses (Kyles Shanahan and Sean McVay) found within the NFC West.
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard is on record saying that he prefers to bet on high-end traits. It’s hard to think of a greater bet on high-end traits than selecting a high school prospect at a premium position.
The Colts refrained from making any significant changes to last year’s secondary. Ballard and Co. remain bullish on the roster’s young defensive backs, specifically outside cornerbacks JuJu Brents and Jaylon Jones. They can remain so, while still bolstering the overall talent pool.
North Shore’s Devin Sanchez is generally considered the top cornerback prospect for the 2025 recruiting class. He’s a 6’2″, thinly framed (170 pounds) cover corner, who’s clearly growing and getting stronger as time passes.
On the field, he has the length and quick feet to follow top wide receivers. He’d get burnt at times, as he learned to play against professional receivers. But he presents the right competitive nature to bounce back from those learning experiences.
With a little patience, the Colts could mold the game’s best young group of corners.
The Pittsburgh Steelers should be applauded for doing what many teams wouldn’t: They cut bait with their first-round quarterback after only two seasons.
Steelers brass revamped the entire QB room, because it realized what everyone else already did: The squad’s previous group of signal-callers simply wasn’t good enough.
Now, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will forge ahead as Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks.
Neither is under contract beyond this season, though. The Steelers should be improved, even after last season’s 10-7 effort and a playoff appearance. But the long game still remains a mystery.
The acquisitions of Wilson and Fields indicate what they now prefer at quarterback: A mobile threat who can hurt a defense in multiple ways. Alabama’s Jalen Milroe fits the template.
The 21-year-old started slowly last season but played well down the stretch, with 17 total touchdowns during the Crimson Tide’s final seven contests.
If Milroe plays that well for an entire season, his draft stock should skyrocket.
The Jacksonville Jaguars offensive line is getting old in certain spots and required long-term reinforcements.
Next year, the trio of right guard Brandon Scherff, center Mitch Morse and left tackle Cam Robinson will be 34, 33 and 30, respectively. Only Morse is under contract beyond this season and that’s through the 2025 campaign.
Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. can immediately step in and fill the void potentially left by Robinson and give quarterback Trevor Lawrence a long-term blindside protector.
Banks isn’t a traditional left tackle prospect, in that he’s listed at 6’4″. However, his movement skills and pass-blocking prowess are projectable.
In fact, he hasn’t been credited with a single sack since the start of the 2022 season, per Pro Football Focus.
With Walker Little also set to enter free agency next offseason, the Jaguars could be looking at a pretty big reclamation project along their offensive line. Banks is a fantastic starting point.
The Cleveland Browns find themselves in a bind of their own making.
Four years ago, general manager Andrew Berry chose Jedrick Wills Jr. over Tristan Wirfs in the first round of the NFL draft.
Wills has dealt with injuries and never developed to expected levels, while Wirfs has been an All-Pro at right tackle and made a seamless switch to the blind side.
Now, Berry must decide what to do with Wills regarding the left tackle’s long-term status. He’s only 25 years old. The Browns did pick up his fifth-year rookie option, but he’s never performed at a level much better than an average left tackle.
The organization can slow-play the decision to some degree by selecting Providence Day’s David Sanders Jr. The Browns can re-sign Wills to a new contract without offering him a long-term extension.
Either the former top-10 pick finally reaches his potential, or the Browns have Sanders already on the roster after a year of two of growing into his 6’6″ frame.
The Michigan Wolverines connection between Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh and his former players can’t be entirely overlooked, especially with one as talented as tight end Colston Loveland.
The Chargers will almost certainly be looking for weapons again in next year’s draft. They don’t necessarily need to be improvements at wide receiver. Los Angeles did select Ladd McConkey near the top of this year’s second round, while last year’s first-rounder, Quentin Johnston, could still develop as well.
But a mismatch at tight end will go a long way if Harbaugh’s previous history is any indication. Stanford became a TE factory starting under his watch, and Loveland finished only three catches behind Roman Wilson during the Wolverines’ recent national championship run.
The 20-year-old can now add a legitimate receiving threat to a position that really isn’t at the moment. Will Dissly and Hayden Hurst are capable but far from threatening.
Loveland is a smooth target who can instantly create after the catch.
Montez Sweat proved to be a revelation after the Chicago Bears acquired the edge-defender from the Washington Commanders just prior to last year’s trade deadline.
The Bears must now place the right pieces around the 27-year-old to coax a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber campaign out of him.
Georgia’s Mykel Williams has the potential to be a difference-maker opposite Sweat. He’s a Travon Walker-like projection, though.
Walker eventually rose to the No. 1 overall pick because of his rare physical gifts. Like Walker, Williams is an impressive athlete who has spent more time playing along the interior than as a true edge-defender. The latter will get more of a chance to do so before his draft class rolls around.
The 6’5″, 265-pound prospect can be a wrecking ball, as he continues to develop as a pure pass-rusher. His value is already increasing as preseason evaluations commence. How they proceed will depend on his transition to a full-time edge.
Matthew Stafford is a legitimate franchise quarterback. He’s also 36 years old, with a long injury history, as well as recent flirtations with retirement.
The Los Angeles Rams can’t be complacent and simply ride out what years he has left.
Carrollton’s Julian Lewis is a fascinating option after reclassifying to an older class. He’s the youngest prospect in these rankings by a significant margin. The possibility of a mentorship with Stafford could go a long way in the Lewis’ maturation and development.
From an evaluation standpoint, Lewis needs to mature physically. He’s a 6’1″, 185-pound quarterback, but his natural throwing ability is immense. His flick-of-the-wrist release allows him to get the ball out quickly and in rhythm. He’s also slippery working in the pocket.
“From a pure passer standpoint, he’s as good as anyone there [at this year’s Elite 11 camp], and he performed well,” the event’s general manager Brian Stumpf told The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman.
The Rams may not see any return for a few seasons, but the potential reward here is massive.
The Atlanta Falcons completed their offense with the acquisitions of quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr.
Now, general manager Terry Fontenot can turn his attention to the defense next offseason.
To be fair, he added four prospects to the Falcons’ defensive front with this year’s draft class. There’s no guarantee any of them will provide the necessary juice to improve the team’s pass rush after finishing in the bottom half of the league with 42 sacks.
To make matters worse, Atlanta’s top two sack artists from last season, Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree, are no longer with the team.
Penn State’s Abdul Carter will make the full-time transition from off-ball linebacker to edge defender this fall.
As a hybrid player during his first two seasons on campus, he still managed 16 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. His movement skills and explosive athleticism should place offensive tackles in a blender.
The Miami Dolphins’ approach is quite similar to the one the Indianapolis Colts undertook during the franchise’s time with Peyton Manning behind center: They’re going to outscore opponents.
Specifically, they’re going to score early and often, and the defense will be built in a manner that can pin its ears back in obvious passing situations to simply slow an opponent down.
So, this year’s first-round selection of Chop Robinson to go with Bradley Chubb and Jaelen Phillips—both of whom are coming back from season-ending injuries—makes sense.
Playmakers along the back end also fit the mold. The Dolphins could well lose Jevon Holland in free agency next offseason, and Jordan Poyer is only signed to a one-year deal.
Georgia’s Malaki Starks is the top safety prospect for the 2025 class. He’s an excellent run defender. But he’s also strong against the pass, with three interceptions and seven forced incompletions last season.
The Dolphins are built to win in a certain manner. The right pieces need to be in place to legitimately challenge for a Super Bowl.
The second tier of quarterback prospects for the 2025 NFL draft has plenty of sorting to do over the next few months.
Will someone make a Joe Burrow/Jayden Daniels-type run toward the top of the draft? Can the upcoming class feature the depth this year’s class ultimately provided? Who will emerge along the way?
In this case, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart gets the nod based on his current situation and what he can achieve this fall.
To be clear, the 21-year-old will benefit from Lane Kiffin’s simplified RPO-heavy scheme. The quarterback’s situation will certainly factor into how he’s viewed by those in the NFL. At the same time, a huge performance can go a long way in some organization’s willingness to invest in his talent.
The Rebels are loaded at the skill positions, with a veteran O-line blocking for them. Dart has a chance to post huge numbers in the SEC and become the breakout prospect, which is critical for a New York Jets squad relying on the 40-year-old Aaron Rodgers.
The Green Bay Packers’ young offensive core is impressive. Quarterback Jordan Love and Co. will grow together and keep them in the mix for years to come.
The same can’t necessarily be said about the defense, though.
Next offseason, Green Bay could experience some turnover on defense, with nose tackle Kenny Clark and cornerback Eric Stokes being the key decisions.
Clark could well be back. Stokes still has something to prove, as does his running mate, Jaire Alexander.
Stokes hasn’t lived up to his first-round draft status, while Alexander must show he’s committed to being the elite cover man he showed himself to be at points. Until they do, another cornerback addition is a safe bet.
The addition of Arizona’s Tacario Davis is a big bet on traits. After all, not many 6’4″ cornerbacks are available.
The 19-year-old knows how to use his length, too. He forced more incompletions (14) than he allowed catches (11) when in single coverage last season, per Pro Football Focus.
The inevitable criticism to this particular pairing is easy to predict: “The Philadelphia Eagles don’t value the linebacker position. General manager Howie Roseman will never draft a linebacker in the first round. There’s no way this will happen.”
Well, don’t view LSU’s Harold Perkins Jr. as a linebacker. See him as a defensive weapon defensive coordinator Vic Fangio can use as a hybrid playmaker.
Perkins is a natural pass-rusher, with the athleticism and explosivity to play off-ball. To address further critiques, yes, he doesn’t have a large frame and won’t be able to hold up playing as an every-down edge. The 6’1″, 220-pound defender isn’t exactly Micah Parsons.
Even so, Perkins is electric coming off the edge and as a blitzer. He knows how to use his quickness and stature to his advantage.
Fangio can sprinkle in the 19-year-old in a variety of different ways to play alongside Bryce Huff and Nolan Smith Jr. while keeping opposing offenses on their heels.
The Dallas Cowboys could do something dumb by not signing quarterback Dak Prescott to a long-term contract extension, which will change the entire process of this particular pairing.
Let’s assume Prescott will get a new deal. After not getting ahead of the market once again, owner/general manager Jerry Jones must make the subsequent moves to ensure the investment in his signal-caller isn’t squandered.
CeeDee Lamb has worked his way into elite wide receiver status. Beyond him, the Cowboys wide receiver corps consists of…[insert confused-John Travolta-in-Pulp Fiction GIF]. The sixth-round addition of Ryan Flournoy isn’t enough to make the group much, if at all, better.
A healthy Emeka Egbuka has a chance to return to form after seeing his production drop dramatically in 2023 due to an injured ankle. The season before, he posted an 1,151-yard campaign. He’ll now be the primary target in what should be an outstanding Ohio State offense.
Just because the Houston Texans added Stefon Diggs this offseason doesn’t mean they’re done at wide receiver.
C.J. Stroud is a bona fide dude. The reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year looks every bit the part of a franchise quarterback and could creep into conversations about being a top-five performer by the end of his sophomore campaign.
Diggs will help tremendously. Nico Collins is already a certified 1,200-yard target. Tank Dell is an explosive playmaker, when healthy. The Texans don’t necessarily need another wide receiver.
However, Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan adds even more size and presence to the group. He is a 6’5″, 210-pound target and brings a contested catch component, specifically around the red zone.
With Collins and him working outside the numbers and Diggs and Dell going to town everywhere in-between, Stroud will have an embarrassment of riches that likely translates to an elite offense.
The Cincinnati Bengals continue to build the largest offensive line in history.
As it stands, their top three offensive tackles are Orlando Brown Jr. (6’8″, 345 lbs), Trent Brown (6’8″, 355 lbs) and this year’s first-round pick, Amarius Mims (6’7″, 340 lbs).
Eventually, Mims will replace Brown, but the Bengals’ offensive interior doesn’t have the same succession plan in place.
Cincinnati has been proactive in getting ahead of positional needs before contracts come due. Going into the 2025 season, both of its starting guards—Alex Cappa and Cordell Volson—will be on the last year of their current deals.
Both are solid but can be upgraded. Enter Alabama’s Tyler Booker.
The 6’5″, 352-pounder is a bulldozer. His body type and playstyle will fit right in with the direction the Bengals are trending, which is the correct path in order to keep quarterback Joe Burrow as clean and healthy as possible.
Aidan Hutchinson has been everything the Detroit Lions hoped he’d be upon selecting the defensive end with the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.
The 23-year-old is already a Pro Bowl-level performer, with 21 sacks in his first two professional seasons. However, the Lions lack a significant secondary pass-rushing threat.
Defensive tackle Alim McNeill finished second on the team last season with five sacks. None of the squad’s other defensive ends could muster more than two. But the Lions had deeper concerns among their secondary and spent premium assets this offseason to address that before their pass rush.
Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton can provide the type of presence the Lions currently lack. The 6’4″, 280-pound defender already produced at a high level against Big Ten competition. Now, he sets his sights on the SEC.
Another standout campaign should skyrocket his draft standing.
The Buffalo Bills have overcorrected at the wide receiver position.
After previously fielding an undersized group that head coach Sean McDermott affectionately referred to as “the Smurfs,” the team will ravage the land as never before with massive weapons on the outside.
The position group now features four wide receivers who are over 6’3″.
Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel break up that forest of trees, but the Bills made this decision while moving top target Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans. Another dynamic threat should be added to feature a full arsenal of weaponry at Josh Allen’s disposal.
Duncanville’s Dakorien Moore is an electric open-field player. He has the speed to stack and even run away from defensive backs. He’s at his most dangerous after the catch, though.
In today’s NFL, the fact that Moore is listed at 5’11”, 182 pounds isn’t a concern. The high school product can still provide another exciting option to an already potent offense.
The Baltimore Ravens continue to sink investments in the wide receiver position yet haven’t gotten the results they need to play at the same level as the Kansas City Chiefs or Buffalo Bills.
No one on the roster eclipsed 900 yards last season.
Obviously, tight end Mark Andrews, when healthy, is Lamar Jackson’s favorite target.
A consistent outside weapon will make the Ravens far more dangerous. Since Jackson became the team’s full-time starter, only one wide receiver, Marquise Brown, eked over the 1,000-yard marker. He hasn’t been with the team for three years.
Colorado State’s Tory Horton has pieced together stellar back-to-back campaigns with 167 receptions for 2,267 yards and 16 touchdowns. He presents legitimate vertical speed coupled with the change-of-direction to snap off routes and create significant separation.
Horton blowing the top off the defense, with Zay Flowers working underneath and Andrews down the seam, should finally elevate Baltimore to the place where it wants to be.
The years of a Shanahan offensive scheme being able to plug and play offensive linemen are long gone. The system is too varied now, and too many have taken it to other organizations.
At this point, the San Francisco 49ers need to make legitimate investments in their O-line beyond left tackle Trent Williams, who turns 36 later this month.
Williams isn’t the problem right now. The overall position group is mediocre, though.
According to Pro Football Focus, the unit graded 21st overall last season. Right guard Jon Feliciano is a replacement-level player. Left guard Aaron Banks is a free agent after this year. Right tackle Colton McKivitz only has one year left on his deal beyond this season.
Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea can be used in a variety of manners. The 6’5″, 300-pound blocker may fit best inside at guard. He has experience at right tackle. The possibility of playing left tackle still exists.
Any of these things can prove beneficial to the Niners’ O-line.
Unless something drastically changes this fall, the Kansas City Chiefs’ investment in right tackle Jawaan Taylor could turn into one of the worst signings in franchise history.
To be fair, the Chiefs still overcame the struggles that Taylor endured and won another Super Bowl. But the organization won’t continue to pay a premium for a player who’s highly inconsistent.
Financially, Kansas City can get out of his contract in 2026. The team can save $20 million with his release.
LSU’s Emery Jones Jr. can start his career working along the interior, depending on what happens with right guard Trey Smith next offseason since he’s set to enter free agency, then bump out to right tackle. Or Jones can be Smith’s long-term replacement if necessary.
Much like teammate Will Campbell, Jones started as a true freshman and thrived. The 6’6″, 322-pound blocker can help the Chiefs transition into whatever they want to be along their front five.