The 2025 Draft Thread

[Baines]

In terms of round 1, the guys I would be fine with taking are:

RB: Hampton
TE: Loveland
WR: Egbuka, Golden
T: Banks, Simmons, Connerly
G: Zabel, Booker
DE: Stewart, Green, Donovan Ez., Pearce, Walker
DT: Nolen
LB: Campbell
CB: Barron, Revel, Amos
S. Starks, Emmanawori

So that is 21 guys I would feel fine taking. Granted probably 14 or 15 of those guys are off the board at 29. If I was ranking them 1-20 I tentatively would go (team need plays into this ranking--its based on a mix of how good I think they are, team need, and position value)

1. Shemar Stewart:
2. Josh Simmons
3. Mike Green
4. Donovan Ez.
5. Jalon Walker
6. Kelvin Banks
7. James Pearce
8. Colston Loveland
9. Jahdae Barron
10. Shavon Revel
11. Trey Amos
12. Matthew Golden
13. Emeka Egbuka
14. Josh Connerly
15. Malachi Starks
16. Walter Nolen
17. Jihad Campbell
18. Gray Zabel
19. Omarion Hampton
20. Tyler Booker
21. Nick Emmanawori

If I ranked the same 21 guys tomorrow without looking at this ranking, I would probably have a similar list but a couple guys would have moved up or down a spot or two so it definitely has some wiggle room. I think all the guys have at least a small chance of being available at 29. I didn't list guys who I thought had no realistic shot at being available at 29.

interesting top 20. mine is probably:

1. Jalon Walker
2. Mike Green (assuming bg checks out)
3. Donovan Ezeiruaku
4. Jihaad Campbell
5. Mykel Williams
6. Shemar Stewart
7. Jahdae Barron
8. Malaki Starks
9. Omarion Hampton
10. Walter Nolen
11. Derrick Harmon
12. Coleston Loveland
13. Emeka Egbuka
14. Kelvin Banks
15. Josh Simmons
16. James Pearce Jr
17. Luther Burden
18. James Pearce Jr
19. Greg Zabel
20. Shavon Revel


If the top 12 are not available then I would be trying to trade back

 

[RWJ]

Were those combine meetings?

I wonder how many players it’s possible/practical to meet with at the combine.

Yes, sorry about that Ans.

 

[RWJ]

Does I seem odd that there aren't any DT or IOL on RWJ s list above?

Actually DW, Wyatt Milum from WVU played OT but is projected to play OG in the NFL due to his short arms at 31 1/8.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Agree. I’d say it’s rarely easy. I’ve always said there is a component of blind luck involved.

I’ve been involved in hiring young adults out of college for 25 years. Clearly in a different field. But you can do all the interviews you want, look at grades, transcripts, prior work experience, etc. and sometimes you just get it wrong. Something about the kid doesn’t materialize the way you expect. You could think the candidate is can’t miss, and they still miss by a mile. In the end, there is no way to simulate “life” when it comes to new college graduates.

Or vice versa. You pass on a kid because of “reasons” or you take a flyer on a kid you don’t think is going to pan out and then they end up taking over the world.

There is a component of luck to the draft you just can’t get around.

Same. I am good at what I do. But as for hiring people either working for me or for campaigns am involved in, I am hit and miss.

I think the key is drive, some have it, some don't. When Cooley said once if he were a GM the #1 thing he's try to scope out is whether the player loves football, I get the mindset behind it.

So when some here say, even if the stuff about James Pearce for example is true (most of it is about drive and he's not the best teammate) this locker room can perhaps turn him around. My thoughts are nope. Changing other people (I've tried and seen others try too) isn't easy but especially when it comes to creating internal drive in someone or changing a malcontent type personality.

 

[skinsinparadise]

This is disappointing, I hadn't heard or read anything negative about his personal side

Princely Umanmielen, Mississippi (6-4 ½, 241, 4.72)

Said one scout: “He left Florida for Ole Miss (in 2024). I always thought he was a bit of an underachiever. Blamed others, all that kind of stuff. I think the league knows who he is. So I think he’ll be surprised on draft weekend when he doesn’t go until the third day.”

Part 8, Edge: Herd of QB Hunters arrive with warnings...

Which prospect with red flags is worth the gamble? Tennessee's James Pearce & Marshall's Mike Green are igniting lively debate in draft meetings. Scouts tell all to our Bob McGinn.

www.golongtd.com

 

[skinsinparadise]

Here are all the players via Ken.Johannesen they have met with. Of all the players and selecting who I think AP picks and fits, guesstimating and crunching into our draft w/a tradedown this is who I am thinking with an "*" next to their names.

Note: Woody Marks because Ekeler is a huge risk due to multiple concussions and two last year. I truly believe one of the Ks will drafted. This is all guessing and speculating. Some of these playes I like a lot (i.e., Marks, Higgins & Bowman)

*Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State
*Wyatt Milum, OT, West Virginia
Jordan James, RB, Oregon
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
*Woody Marks, RB, Southern California
Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss
Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville
*Billy Bowman Jr., S, Oklahoma
*Eugene Asante, LB, Auburn
Kyle Kennard, DE/Edge, South Carolina
*Landon Jackson, DE/Edge, Arkansas
J.T. Tuimoloau, DE/Edge, Ohio State
*Andres Borregales, K, Miami
or
*Ryan Fitzgerald, K, Florida State

Thanks, I've kept that list myself. So at a minimum these guys have a shot to be taken. Teams usually meet with at least 30 players so alas we don't know all their meetings.

From Standig and Keim, I've pieced together they also met in the combine with Tuten and Henderson. Standig flat out said they met with Henderson. Keim implied Tuten.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Agree. I’d say it’s rarely easy. I’ve always said there is a component of blind luck involved.

I’ve been involved in hiring young adults out of college for 25 years. Clearly in a different field. But you can do all the interviews you want, look at grades, transcripts, prior work experience, etc. and sometimes you just get it wrong. Something about the kid doesn’t materialize the way you expect. You could think the candidate is can’t miss, and they still miss by a mile. In the end, there is no way to simulate “life” when it comes to new college graduates.

Or vice versa. You pass on a kid because of “reasons” or you take a flyer on a kid you don’t think is going to pan out and then they end up taking over the world.

There is a component of luck to the draft you just can’t get around.

Going with a personality angle on the draft. And again far from an exact science.

Lets take Sinnott. Listening to Logan Paulsen, he's politely suggested he's struggled with the mental part of the game from what he can tell. He's not assignment sound. And struggles to do what Ertz for example does so well as to understanding coverage and how to use his leverage to get open. And he mentioned if anything he regressed as the season progressed and they trusted him less. But he's a good blocker and does some other things well. But its not hard to tell Logan (who I trust a lot on TE issues) has doubts Snnott will blossom into this receiving stud.

All of that is probably hard to decipher in advance as to how a player adjusts to the mental nuances of a game and whether their drive is special.

Part of the reason why I am sold on Jayden Daniels is not just the obvious part which is he's freakishly good. But also the mental part and drive. He won't be denied. I don't know Sinnott from a hole in the wall so I could be completely wrong about this but my guess is Sinnott doesn't have a won't be deined personality. I haven't heard anything about him being lazy. So I don't mean this with any drama. But if he's not hot at following his assingments. Logan explains it in a different ways saying from what he knows from watching the team, Sinnott at times doesn't seem to be where he's supposed to be on this and that play, etc. Lets juxtapose that with Jayden doing walk throughs with Kliff at 5 am before the other players even arrive. He has his role rehearsed inside and out in so many different ways. Jayden heck was famously running through the playbook already in the airplane after visiting the team for the first time and just getting the playbook for the first time.

I used to say this in a debate with someone about QBs who loved to say teams make the QB. My rebuttal was they area a factor, indeed. But the player makes the player more. I've read books about the Pats and Brady for example. Brady was freakishly dedicated to his craft. He was obsessed. It wasn't just because he was playing for the Patriots. The Patriots drafted Mac Jones in the first round. Some of the same staff and he bombed. He was wired differently. Brady IMO was wired in a way where he would have likely been successful anywhere eventually.

 

[DWinzit]

Princely Umanmielen, Mississippi (6-4 ½, 241, 4.72)

Said one scout: “He left Florida for Ole Miss (in 2024). I always thought he was a bit of an underachiever. Blamed others, all that kind of stuff. I think the league knows who he is. So I think he’ll be surprised on draft weekend when he doesn’t go until the third day.”

Part 8, Edge: Herd of QB Hunters arrive with warnings...

Which prospect with red flags is worth the gamble? Tennessee's James Pearce & Marshall's Mike Green are igniting lively debate in draft meetings. Scouts tell all to our Bob McGinn.

www.golongtd.com

Wow, thanks for clarifying. It's crazy how many of this years great Edge group are going to be downgraded due to character issues or different sorts. What a shame.

I agree with your convo with VOR on the luck that goes with hiring. It is such a hit or miss no matter how much you look into. Self motivation is the most important characteristic. With players, they can get around that if they are truly above others with physical traits (athleticism) in high school, maybe college but rarely in the NFL. You want them to be motivated to hit playbooks, studying game films and always asking questions and trying to learn on the field, whether an OTC, basic practice, warmups etc...

 

[skinsinparadise]

Wow, thanks for clarifying. It's crazy how many of this years great Edge group are going to be downgraded due to character issues or different sorts. What a shame.

I agree with your convo with VOR on the luck that goes with hiring. It is such a hit or miss no matter how much you look into. Self motivation is the most important characteristic. With players, they can get around that if they are truly above others with physical traits (athleticism) in high school, maybe college but rarely in the NFL. You want them to be motivated to hit playbooks, studying game films and always asking questions and trying to learn on the field, whether an OTC, basic practice, warmups etc...

Yeah I was watching the QB school guy talk about this as to QBs. He goes he knows a lot of these QBs personally, and many of them don't really work that hard in the off season to work on their weaknesses. So he values QBs that he knows are hard workers because its far from a given. This is me paraphrasing him.

 

[Commander Wraith]

Were those combine meetings?

I wonder how many players it’s possible/practical to meet with at the combine.

Feel like I read it’s up to 45? Maybe it was SIP who mentioned it?

Does I seem odd that there aren't any DT or IOL on RWJ s list above?

Our info is incomplete, so who knows. But yeah, given the the depth of the DT class, the fact Newton’s the only DT here long term… it would be a surprise if we intentionally avoid DT, even if it might be a lower priority than other spots.

As to IOL, perhaps it has to do with the possibility of Coleman/Wylie moving inside? Or maybe they like the idea of adding another T that can play inside while also providing emergency depth outside (like Milum)? I still struggle understanding exactly what went wrong with our ground game, particularly the inconsistency, and especially when you factor in the added threat of Daniels running. I’m with Utah that our line seemed to really struggle to get push and prevent penetration with some frequency. Yet Coleman and Biadasz rated quite highly as run blockers, it was a strength of Cosmi’s prior to his moving inside, and our TEs seem like plus blockers on that front. And our IOL was mostly healthy all year, or at least played most of the season together, so continuity shouldn’t have been an issue. While I agree that our backs could be improved, it felt to me that they were getting hit early on way too often.

Point being, I hope the FO doesn’t feel like we’re set on the OL, especially the interior. Tunsil’s a great add, but with Cosmi out, it certainly seems possible that our run blocking could be even worse this season...

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[Commander Wraith]

Riley with a formal Combine mtg and now a visit. Interest in Hairston is new though, AFAIR. Adding him to meeting Amos at the combine, I wonder if they might end up seeing corner as a better option than edge at 29 (or after a small trade back), particularly knowing there should be some interesting edges at 61 or into the 3rd+.

 

[Anselmheifer]

Riley with a formal Combine mtg and now a visit. Interest in Hairston is new though, AFAIR. Adding him to meeting Amos at the combine, I wonder if they might end up seeing corner as a better option than edge at 29 (or after a small trade back), particularly knowing there should be some interesting edges at 61 or into the 3rd+.

It does seem like they might consider CB at 29. I wouldn't mind a high upside CB at all. Our secondary was a ****ing mess for most of last season. As was our run defense. And, we generated an adequate number of sacks, but that was largely predicated on sending 5 pass rushers. Our 4 man rush was poor. You can't always fix everything in a season. If our run defense and secondary can be top 12, but our pass rush isn't improved, I still expect a significantly better defense.

Ex-LSU WR Kyren Lacy died in apparent suicide, authorities say

Former LSU receiver Kyren Lacy, who was found dead Saturday night in Houston, died in an apparent suicide in his car while being pursued by authorities, according to a Harris County sheriff's report released Sunday.

www.espn.com

Apparently authorities were called because Lacy was arguing with a family member and discharged a firearm into the ground. They pursued him, he crashed, and before they could pull him out, he shot himself.

 

[The Chump Bailey]

Lets take Sinnott. Listening to Logan Paulsen, he's politely suggested he's struggled with the mental part of the game from what he can tell. He's not assignment sound. And struggles to do what Ertz for example does so well as to understanding coverage and how to use his leverage to get open. And he mentioned if anything he regressed as the season progressed and they trusted him less. But he's a good blocker and does some other things well. But its not hard to tell Logan (who I trust a lot on TE issues) has doubts Snnott will blossom into this receiving stud.

Had no idea about this concern thanks SIP - on the one hand I would not like using a pick on the position because of what we've already invested but this is a good class to go TE shopping.

 

[DWinzit]

As to IOL, perhaps it has to do with the possibility of Coleman/Wylie moving inside? Or maybe they like the idea of adding another T that can play inside while also providing emergency depth outside (like Milum)? I still struggle understanding exactly what went wrong with our ground game, particularly the inconsistency, and especially when you factor in the added threat of Daniels running. I’m with Utah that our line seemed to really struggle to get push and prevent penetration with some frequency. Yet Coleman and Biadasz rated quite highly as run blockers, it was a strength of Cosmi’s prior to his moving inside, and our TEs seem like plus blockers on that front. And our IOL was mostly healthy all year, or at least played most of the season together, so continuity shouldn’t have been an issue. While I agree that our backs could be improved, it felt to me that they were getting hit early on way too often.

Point being, I hope the FO doesn’t feel like we’re set on the OL, especially the interior. Tunsil’s a great add, but with Cosmi out, it certainly seems possible that our run blocking could be even worse this season...

I think the run game suffered from Coleman getting a late start after missing the off-season and he, Biadasz and Cosmi's injuries. They seemed to play much better when healthy and as they had time together. I do believe the RB group is sort of meh, especially once Ekeler got banged up, he was never really the same afterwards. We do need a more dynamic RB and I don't see how we can trust Ekelers health. I am definitely on board with them drafting another OL piece, even if it is someone that needs to take a year to learn and take his time getting his feet wet. We should draft at least one OL every year.

Regarding the CB visits, Hairston is someone I find little interest in after the Forbes debacle for skinny minnie's. I really like Amos and Thomas in that late 1 early 2 area if Revel and Morrison don't fall. Riley would be okay too. You know DQ wants some play makers on that D for sure!

 

[skinsinparadise]

Had no idea about this concern thanks SIP - on the one hand I would not like using a pick on the position because of what we've already invested but this is a good class to go TE shopping.

It could turn around, so not suggesting it can't. But at a minimum, I got the vibe its a TBD with Sinnott as opposed to optimism. I hear he's a good dude.

 

[bifflog]

It could turn around, so not suggesting it can't. But at a minimum, I got the vibe its a TBD with Sinnott as opposed to optimism. I hear he's a good dude.

I got the impression that Jayden specifically felt more comfortable with veterans as well and they also leaned into that, also a factor. Its difficult to find too many spots for Jayden to improve, but this is one, find some trust for the younger weapons (and then they have to hold up their end).

 

[skinsinparadise]

One of my favs took him in the boards draft

Undersized like Stewart but is a handful to deal with. I prefer Stewart but Walker could be fun, too. Had a great Senior Bowl week.

 

[bifflog]

Top Golf time boys!

 

[skinsinparadise]

Conerly is getting a lot of attention from them. Riley, too. Gordon is one of the only RBs i havent watched, need to get to him soon.