The 2025 Draft Thread

[Chris 44]

If the stories about him being a diva, doesn't like to practice -- some odd family dynamics with his mom and his girlfriend is his agent, etc -- he doesn't seem to fit that locker room brotherhood theme they are trying to build aside from him lobbying to play with Jayden. And heck his head coach even said on the record that he doesn't think he's a good fit for a team who already has Deebo on the roster.

Watched Command Centers latest, they had DQ on and they were talking about culture. DQ emphasized "fit" and culture is a big consideration when resigning and bringing someone new in to the building. Thinking its a big part of who they end up drafting....they will definitely do their homework.

 

[DWinzit]

I noticed judging by their meetings. What mattered last time was combine meetings and to some extent the top 30 visits.

The focus is DE, O line, CB, WR, RB, K.

RBs are the ones mostly projected in the late 4th-6th range.
O line all over the map
WR 2nd round and some later
Edge: 2nd-4th round ball park range
CB: 2nd-5th round ball park range.

Clearly some meetings haven't been disclosed. But judging by these meetings -- maybe they want to accumulate picks in the 2nd-4th round. Maybe they aren't hung up on any position in the first round if they don't trade back.

In a trade back looking at their more important interviews: Conerly, Landon Jackson, Jayden Higgins, Trey Amos? That's one player at each spot ironically.

If trading down deeper into the 2nd or early mid -third: J. Noel, JT Tuimoloau, Kyle Kennard, Oladejo, Wyatt Milum. Those are three edges in that mix.

Diving deeper down 4th round range: Tyler Baron edge, Billy Bowman safety, Quincy Riley CB, and then you got the RBs: J. Hunter, W Marks (who could go lower), Jordan James (might be gone before this pick but not impossible)

Then in the 6th-7th: you got the special teams guys, the kickers, lower round LBs they are talking too and some O line projects.

What a great analyst and breakdown of the teams activities through the process. I am still hoping they are able to get a good trade back from 29 but I wont hold my breath that they will receive a decent offers. Teams will throw low-ball offers knowing AP will want a trade back. I figure he will bite on one in the 2nd though

 

[skinsinparadise]

Martinez doesn't get mentioned much here or nationally because it's a giant RB draft and he is similar to Robinson. The thing is, he's better than him in power, instinct and hands/receiving, just no afterburner like BRob. Robinson was predicted to go late 2nd to the beginning of the 4th in a decent RB draft. In a lesser RB draft I could see Martinez receiving more hype like BRob.

I agree with SIP that he could go in the 3rd, and he would be an upgrade. Like you, I like Martinez better than a lot of the other speedier receivers being mentioned in this thread, they all have different dings.

Martinez stands out a bit too much from the pack, in that third tier group, IMO to fall through the cracks. And it wouldn't shock me if he is graded by some teams in that 2nd tier -- in that Judkins, Kaleb Johnson, Skattebo tier. I think he's definitley in that RJ Harvey, Sampson, Giddens tier.

The thing about him is he beat loaded boxes better than just about anyone in this class. When you gave him light boxes, he was one of the best in this class. The only thing missing in his game is the passing game.

 

[Iraolaball]

What a great analyst and breakdown of the teams activities through the process. I am still hoping they are able to get a good trade back from 29 but I wont hold my breath that they will receive a decent offers. Teams will throw low-ball offers knowing AP will want a trade back. I figure he will bite on one in the 2nd though

I think that what happens with QBs before #29 will be a big factor. If both Sanders and Dart are still available there, some QB needy team may want to trade back into the first round to get that 5th year option. That’s at least what I’m hoping for.

 

[Ashburn Dave]

2025 NFL Draft: Strongest position group? Weakest?

 

[skinsinparadise]

Maybe the best kept secret from nincompoops like Thor Nystrom. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t a secret to any actual FO.

And no. I haven’t settled my beef with Thor even though I’ve buried the hatchet with PFF.

I'll give Thor one thing with the power of hindsight. He thought Brian Robinson was yawn. Trashed the pick. Not that he was completely vindicated on it. Robinson has had a decent career but he was right in that he wasn't a standout RB.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Sounds like Emmitt Smith. Nothing flashy but always moving forward.

Emmitt was 5'9" also and some NFL teams felt that Smith was too small and slow for the pro game.

That definitely would be the most optimistic take of it. Yeah he seems solid to me. Good speed so he isn't boring. Not electric. But good burst. Little wiggle. Hated that fumble I saw from him because it brought flashbacks to the Eagles matchups for this team -- some dude just punched it and then strong armed the ball out of his hands. though 5 fumbles in his full career isn't too bad.

 

[DWinzit]

I'll give Thor one thing with the power of hindsight. He thought Brian Robinson was yawn. Trashed the pick. Not that he was completely vindicated on it. Robinson has had a decent career but he was right in that he wasn't a standout RB.

Does anyone really like Thor?
In fairness, that bucket of RBs was White, Davis-Price, Robinson and Pierce. The only one that really has made waves is White who went earlier than the others. Robinson has produced even if not a stud. Who knows, with D and the improved line and weapons he should show up better this year too. We all are hoping he however is given more credible competition.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Does anyone really like Thor?
In fairness, that bucket of RBs was White, Davis-Price, Robinson and Pierce. The only one that really has made waves is White who went earlier than the others. Robinson has produced even if not a stud. Who knows, with D and the improved line and weapons he should show up better this year too. We all are hoping he however is given more credible competition.

The guy I loved in that range was Pierce. Robinson was my backup idea to him. Pierce started off red hot then coloed because of injuries, etc. They didn't have to take a RB -- but it does fit Ron's style where it was telegraphed via leaks to reporters how they zone in on a position per round. Ron could write a textbook as to how not to draft. Ron is a great guy -- but sadly he couldn't even hold a candle to Bruce or Vinny as a drafter. He was by far the worst personnel guy in Dan's reign of terror -- but was such a nice classy guy that it didn't feel nearly as painful as the previous regimes.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I'll give Thor one thing with the power of hindsight. He thought Brian Robinson was yawn. Trashed the pick. Not that he was completely vindicated on it. Robinson has had a decent career but he was right in that he wasn't a standout RB.

A broken clock is right twice a day.



Never forget: “I have not been as confident that I was right and the NFL was wrong on a player since Lamar Jackson.” Talking about Malik Willis dropping to the third round of the NFL draft.

That was at the 36:30 minute on episode 305 of the Al Galdi Podcast, May 2nd, 2022.

My issue with Thor is not that he gets it wrong from time to time. He's often right. He was also kindof right on Dotson, the entire 2021 drafts, etc.

My issue is that he’s a know it all arrogant ass hat that refuses to acknowledge all of this is educated guesswork.

That said, I will not derail the thread further about Thor.

 

[method man]

I'll give Thor one thing with the power of hindsight. He thought Brian Robinson was yawn. Trashed the pick. Not that he was completely vindicated on it. Robinson has had a decent career but he was right in that he wasn't a standout RB.

As a whole, Thor was on point bashing the Rivera drafts. We didn’t want to hear it at the time but he’s been vindicated by how bad they went

 

[DWinzit]

The guy I loved in that range was Pierce. Robinson was my backup idea to him. Pierce started off red hot then coloed because of injuries, etc. They didn't have to take a RB -- but it does fit Ron's style where it was telegraphed via leaks to reporters how they zone in on a position per round. Ron could write a textbook as to how not to draft. Ron is a great guy -- but sadly he couldn't even hold a candle to Bruce or Vinny as a drafter. He was by far the worst personnel guy in Dan's reign of terror -- but was such a nice classy guy that it didn't feel nearly as painful as the previous regimes.

How sad is it that Commanders fans can say they got worse at GM, personnel evals and drafting after Bruce and Vinny.
I gave up on saying Rons a nice guy. His incompetence killed this team. Guys like Ron, Spurrior, Zorn, Vinny and Bruce might have been a nice guy too but I can't stand them. Guess I'm bitter!

The telegraphing of draft wishes was bonkers. This new regime has been such a breath of fresh air for keeping things hidden.

I really like Pierce as well but honestly, I had he and Robinson equal. I was very happy they were able to get BRob one of them with White already off the board

 

[method man]

How sad is it that Commanders fans can say they got worse at GM, personnel evals and drafting after Bruce and Vinny.
I gave up on saying Rons a nice guy. His incompetence killed this team. Guys like Ron, Spurrior, Zorn, Vinny and Bruce might have been a nice guy too but I can't stand them. Guess I'm bitter!

The telegraphing of draft wishes was bonkers. This new regime has been such a breath of fresh air for keeping things hidden.

I really like Pierce as well but honestly, I had he and Robinson equal. I was very happy they were able to get BRob one of them with White already off the board

I don’t think Marty Hurney gets enough flack for how bad things went on the personnel side. He was shadow GM here and owns a lot of these bad personnel decisions. I know he drove the Forbes pick.

The 2020 offseason under Ron was not bad. Although the draft class ended up disappointing due to CY, the FA class that year was probably our best at that point since that Gibbs class that brought Marcus Washington, Shawn Springs and Cornelius Griffin here. Kudos to Kyle Smith for that.

 

[method man]

A broken clock is right twice a day.



Never forget: “I have not been as confident that I was right and the NFL was wrong on a player since Lamar Jackson.” Talking about Malik Willis dropping to the third round of the NFL draft.

That was at the 36:30 minute on episode 305 of the Al Galdi Podcast, May 2nd, 2022.

My issue with Thor is not that he gets it wrong from time to time. He's often right. He was also kindof right on Dotson, the entire 2021 drafts, etc.

My issue is that he’s a know it all arrogant ass hat that refuses to acknowledge all of this is educated guesswork.

That said, I will not derail the thread further about Thor.

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As a sidenote, given how bad this QB draft is, it’s a bit surprising that one of these QB needy teams hasn’t sent an early Day 3 pick to the Packers for Willis. He clearly wasn’t ready for the NFL as a rookie but has gotten better and stepped in competently for Love last year.

 

[burgold]

Sounds like someone wants to go drinking with Thor. (Thor the sports analyst probably doesn't look quite as good as Thor the Marvel superhero.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Digesting these 2nd- early 3rd round running backs some more.

Treveyon Henderson: I am not with McShay on the thought that Henderson goes late first. I think most of the other mock draft types are proven right that he goes to the 2nd. I love Henderson but he's not a perfect prospect. Among all these Rbs, he was the worst or close to the worst when it came to dealing with stacked boxes. I saw on Sharp's web site, he was the worst when it came to success after getting hit at or behind the line of scrimmage. About 50% of the time that happened he didn't get a single yard. He feasted off of light boxes. And while i am good with that it adds to the profile that he's not a featured RB type. He's the dude Ohio State liked to use more often in passing downs. Judkins was the opposite. He was one of the better against stacked boxes. Moreover, he played a fair amount against stacked boxes. I think he goes somewhere early to mid 2nd.

Skattebo: Doubling down on him. I think he's tailored made if this offense wants to become what SF once was which is a bruising one where it hurts to play them. Remember the season when no team won the next week after playing SF? SF came into a hot Philly and ripped the Eagles to shreds? Shattebo adds to that. And yes running violent does translate to the next level. And it goes below the radar somehow that the dude was an incredible weapon in the passing game. Best passing game stats in this group.

Kaleb Johnson: He's an enigma but I lean positive. Faced stacked boxes yet succeeded anyway. He was he best in the class against light boxes the rare times he got them, even better than Henderson. Big dude yet seems to favor running on the periphery and his team goes heavy outside zone. Didn't run fast yet he looks fast when watching him and breaks some big runs. Isn't a physical between the tackles kind of guy and like Henderson is poor at breaking tackles when hit on the line of scrimmage. Yet he has one of the biggest break tackle rates in this group, because he's hard to take down in open field. Brain Robinson if Robinson can turn the corner and turn a 2 yard run into a 20 yard run?

He seems like a scheme dependent guy. Would likely kill it in SF. Either a superstar or just a guy. Tough call for me. But he looks the part.

Sampson: He feels very boom-bust the more I digest. He's a bit of an enigma like Kaleb where I can see it going either way. The bad is the dude fumbles, has small hands, has one of the highest drop rates in the passing game. For a dude wiith his speed he was just ordinary at best at breaking big runs, 15 plus. Tennessee's blocking for him was really good. He had the lightest boxes in this class. Got hit the least at the line of scrimmage. But, he's fast, and looks fast when running. Good wiggle to go along with the speed. And like Henderson he can run well inside which fits this scheme. You are betting on upside with him.

Damien Martinez: he's like a walking double as a running back. He's not an electric runner. But he's really good. Very consistent. if you want to move the chains consistently he's the guy. He rarely gets stopped. He's what I gather our coaching staff would love Brian Robinson to be albiet he isn't that guy. He can deal with stacked boxes. He's explosive enough to take advantage of light boxes.

Judkins: like Martinez can succeed against heavy boxes. Like Martinez he gets yards consistently no matter the context. He's a good pass protector when I watched him -- I know some disagree with that. I also think he has underrated hands. His athleticism for his size was great. It's toss up for me if I was deciding between him and Martinez as to a power type back. My point is if Martinez is there in the 3rd, and they trade down, I'd take him over Judkins in the 2nd.

 

[skinsinparadise]

As a whole, Thor was on point bashing the Rivera drafts. We didn’t want to hear it at the time but he’s been vindicated by how bad they went

You are right about that. I joined the bashing with Ron's last draft. I hated that one in real time. But as for the Jamin Davis draft, Dotson, etc I should have stuck with my instincts (rated both on the draft thread as 2nd rounders) versus giving Ron the benefit of the doubt.

lol, I recall being made fun of by some when I said as the first round was unfolding I'll have a stroke if Ron doesn't take Gonzalez -- with some by default defending Ron's pick of Forbes. That draft season he lost me. I bashed it and him to no end. But I gave him rope leading up to it. Too much.

But absolutely, Thor wasn't kind to Ron's drafting. That wasn't well received at the time. But he was right. He comes off like a nice dude on air.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

As a sidenote, given how bad this QB draft is, it’s a bit surprising that one of these QB needy teams hasn’t sent an early Day 3 pick to the Packers for Willis. He clearly wasn’t ready for the NFL as a rookie but has gotten better and stepped in competently for Love last year.

I doubt the Packers would do it at this point because Love hasn’t shown the ability to play 4 games in a row.

 

[Commander Wraith]

The talk about Ron and company’s drafting just made me realize something… in back to back years we drafted undersized corners early - Forbes in the 1st and Sainristil in the 2nd. Forbes is gone in a year, Sainristil gets put on the outside (and among other highlights, notches 2 Ints in the divisional round). That’s a heck of a data point to showcase the difference in draft success between regimes.

 

[method man]

I doubt the Packers would do it at this point because Love hasn’t shown the ability to play 4 games in a row.

Probably not at this point given who is left but there could’ve been an opportunity earlier in the offseason.