The 2025 Draft Thread

[SkinsFTW]

Hopefully they can find someone who can make a difference on the D line in the first or second round. Probably would have to be in the first though. That run defense is horrendous.

It will be interesting to see what they do.

If they select a RB or something else in the first then it'll tell us what they think about our current players there. I mean, it must be bad if they pass up trying to fix the DL and besides Garrett, I don't know who else they can trade or sign up. That Dallas dude is also a smaller DT.

 

[Discobob]

Darnold is trash and anyone who pays big bucks for him is dumber than hell. He found his way onto a team with an extremely good play caller who could mostly mask his glaring weaknesses, and a great supporting cast. As soon as the bright lights came on and he got flustered he turned into the exact same scrub he always was before.

 

[method man]

I don't watch tape so this is just be summing up takes I have heard... Aireontae Ersery is a really good, but not great college player. 77.5 overall PFF Grade. 77.3 Pass block grade and gave up 10 pressures (including one sack) on 201 true pass set snaps. 73.6 run block grade including a 77.3 zone run block grade and a 62.9 gap scheme run block grade. From reading reports he could improve his hands, leverage, and balance in pass blocking. In run blocking could play with better leverage. He is 39th overall and 6th amongst Tackles on the consensus board At 29 he probably isn't great value, but wouldn't be a reach either. At 61 he would probably be good value. If we had gone 6-11 and were picking like 9th and 41st he would be the type of player we would really be hoping fell to 41 (though he is a tackle and they tend to go slightly before their spot on consensus boards from my past observations).

The consistent criticism I’ve heard of Ersery is that he plays a finesse game for someone that big. He is not one who is going to run over people.

Logan keeps bringing up Jalen Travis as a guy who they could take in the 3rd or 4th who could fit what they are looking for as a developmental RT. He has the size, the length, the physicality and enough mobility in the run game to fit. Interesting background…played most of his career at Princeton before one final year at Iowa State.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I prefer Sampson over anyone in this draft not named Jeanty. Henderson may have a weight advantage, but that is due to the height difference. And Henderson runs too upright. Give me Sampson and his lower center of gravity. He is the most explosive back in this draft. IMO, he is the second best back in this draft!!

Sampson i think is underrated in the class. He might run under a 4.4. I am not on the same page that he's the 2nd best RB in the draft. But i do think he's a great fit here -- perfect for RPOs, one cut and go. 70 missed tackles. A nose for the end zone -- TD machine. He needs to clean up his fumbles. A bunch of these Rbs are really good with ball security - Sampson isn't one of them. But i think-hope he can clean it up. Only 20 years old.

I suspect he's still available in the late 2nd but wonder if he will be in the third.

I don't think he's quite as fast as Sampson but for the moment if they skip RB in the first two rounds and Sampson is gone and the desire is for some explosion-speed -- RJ Harvey for me.

 

[SkinsGuru]

RJ Harvey

I like Harvey too . . . i like RB's to be shorter (5-8 to 5-11) and have lateral quickness and tree trunk legs . . . yes, like Barry Sanders . . . harder to find, harder to hit. Tall RB's tend to have to be all strenght as they don't bend well and are not anywhere near as explosive (usually).

 

[bifflog]

I like Harvey too . . . i like RB's to be shorter (5-8 to 5-11) and have lateral quickness and tree trunk legs . . . yes, like Barry Sanders . . . harder to find, harder to hit. Tall RB's tend to have to be all strenght as they don't bend well and are not anywhere near as explosive (usually).

Some advanced metrics I came across on Reddit that make Harvey look like a good target:

Credit to: reddit.com/user/I_dont_watch_film

 

[skinsinparadise]

Yeah RJ Harvey has some sick stats. I watched him a ton because my daughter goes to UCF.

He had 32 15 plus yard runs. Most in this class. 6.8 YPC also the best among the top prospects in this class. 267 receiving yards. Played QB for years so he can be used in the wildcat and for gadget plays - threw a TD in the Senior Bowl.

My main issue with him is he loves to dance a bit and head to the perimeter if he doesn't see a crease he likes, and that style doesn't always translate well to the pros. Also small hands so I worry about fumbles. But overall, I'd be jazzed if that's who they took in the third round range.

But if this team waits until the third round to take a RB and Sampson and Henderson are gone -- he'd be the speed back I'd want.

 

[RWJ]

I like R J Harvey as well. Devin Neal is another good option at RB.

 

[skinsinparadise]

I like R J Harvey as well. Devin Neal is another good option at RB.

I like Neal. Shifty. High intangibles player -- fits the culture, etc. My only beef with him is he doesn't have that breakaway speed.

Everything being equal, I'd love to have a RB who can take it to the house for a change. In that next tier: Sampson. Henderson fit that.

In the tier after that: I like a lot Harvey, Neal, Giddens. Harvey is the one of those three who IMO can take it to the house. Still digesting B. Smith among others.

 

[SkinsFTW]

Yeah they need a dude that can do at least some the stuff Barkley and Gibbs do. Robinson isn't that dude.

 

[bifflog]

Yeah they need a dude that can do at least some the stuff Barkley and Gibbs do. Robinson isn't that dude.

Feels like a good draft to have this need?

I kinda feel that way about a lot of our needy areas. Shame we don't have more picks, but maybe there's an opportunity to acquire.

 

[RWJ]

Feels like a good draft to have this need?

I kinda feel that way about a lot of our needy areas. Shame we don't have more picks, but maybe there's an opportunity to acquire.

You know biff, we are in a good spot to trade down with our 3rd (79 overall) we got from Philly which was originally Miami's we acquired in the Dotson trade. We could get a lower 3rd, a 4th and more.

 

[bifflog]

You know biff, we are in a good spot to trade down with our 3rd (79 overall) we got from Philly which was originally Miami's we acquired in the Dotson trade. We could get a lower 3rd, a 4th and more.

Yep, and I wonder (barring our 2026 1st going in a big trade for a player) if something like the 2026 2nd rounder becomes a way to get another bite in the 3rd round.

 

[Riggo44]

My gut is telling me we trade back, out of the first round. Pick up another 2nd, possibly a 4th this year, more next year?

 

[bifflog]

My gut is telling me we trade back, out of the first round. Pick up another 2nd, possibly a 4th this year, more next year?

How far can you go into the 30's and still grab an immediate starter? The 6th or 7th Edge or DT in each respective class is probably there. The 6th Tackle probably gone by then.

 

[Primus Porcus]

How far can you go into the 30's and still grab an immediate starter? The 6th or 7th Edge or DT in each respective class is probably there. The 6th Tackle probably gone by then.

Johnny Newton
Mike Sainristil
Brandon Coleman
Jordan Magee


All taken after 30.

Trust the talent evaluators. They've been doing pretty good. I didn't even mention Sinnott or McCaffrey who stand to take big steps in year 2.

Terry McLaurin
Kam Curl
Quan Martin
Jeremy Chinn
Bobby Wagner
Frankie Luvu (UDFA)

All guys after 30

Keon Coleman
Cooper Dejean
Ladd McConkey

Taken after 30.

I think we've reached an era where we have to trust the guys making the picks to do their jobs.

 

[bifflog]

I think we've reached an era where we have to trust the guys making the picks to do their jobs.

Oh I absolutely have full faith and trust in the Peters regime, and I was flabbergasted by how well I thought they handled last off season. I expect that feeling to continue.

And point taken about there being plenty of immediate impact guys taken after the spot in question, but it's invariable that the odds go down the more guys get taken off the board. I find discussion of where that inflection point is interesting, because is makes sense that it would change class to class.

 

[Primus Porcus]

Oh I absolutely have full faith and trust in the Peters regime, and I was flabbergasted by how well I thought they handled last off season.

And point taken about there being plenty of immediate impact guys taken after the spot in question, but it's invariable that the odds go down the more guys get taken off the board. I find discussion of where that inflection point is interesting, because is makes sense that it would change class to class.

it is 1000% something a lot of fans forget.

"Look where Tom Brady was taken"

Well guess what, there isn't a Tom Brady in every draft. But here's what I can tell you, there's damn good football players available in all 7 rounds. Not good to go 'looking' for needs expecting them to be available late, but it is good to understand that there is talent there, and if you can find it, maximize what you do in order to set the player up to be successful.

The inflection point changes because the pool of players is not a 'control' if you want to talk about scientific equation. It changes every year, and it's also not pre-determined. I don't believe there is 'fate' when it comes to NFL draft picks. If Tom Brady had been drafted by Washington, are we now leading the NFL all time with 9 Super Bowl wins? Nah, don't think so. A LB drafted by Pittsburgh or Baltimore in the 4th round may end up as an All Pro, while if he's drafted by Cle or Chi, he ends up fading into obscurity. Zack Baun lived on practice squads until 2024, and he became an All Pro. A closer to home example... If Ryan Kerrigan is drafted to Pitt / Bal / Sea does he end up an All Pro instead of a 'good' de on a bad team? I love Kerrigan, don't get me wrong, but do we honestly have any real faith we got anywhere NEAR his full potential out of him? Nah.

There is no secret equation, and because of that, there shouldn't be a limitation based on pre-draft rankings. I promise there will be a guy between 50 - 60 ranked by PFF who will end up being a quality starter. This opens the 4th dimension... is this player a quality starter HERE?


Sorry, draft eval rant... went down a hell of a rabbit hole

 

[method man]

My gut is telling me we trade back, out of the first round. Pick up another 2nd, possibly a 4th this year, more next year?

If we trade back from 29 to, say 35, I think we are probably looking at a 4th. In this draft, I feel we can get a good TE, DT or RB prospect in the 4th. It’s going to be a tough call to make however.

I feel more open to trading out of the 2nd somewhere into the 3rd and getting a 5th that way

 

[method man]

Has anyone taken a look at Luke Kandra? If he can hold up enough in pass pro, he looks like a day 1 starter at guard who could be an absolute beast in the run game with his high level athleticism