ChatGPT says: Ross Jacobs is a football analyst and mock draft expert associated with Fantasy Football Metrics (FFMetrics). He has produced several NFL mock drafts over the years.
In addition to his mock drafts, Jacobs has contributed scouting reports and analyses on various football prospects. Jacobs is active on social media, sharing his analyses and engaging with the football community. His work is recognized for its depth and insight into player evaluations and draft projections.
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1) Tennessee Titans - QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
As of now I am still convinced Sanders will ultimately be the #1 pick. Does he fit the mold of your ideal top overall QB? No. But neither did Baker Mayfield, and he still went first because he’s big enough, smart, accurate, and tough.
You may not agree with that assessment, but I can tell you many in the NFL do, and they also like that he is Deion’s kid because Deion knows what it takes to succeed in the NFL and has impressed that on Shedeur his entire life. He’s been groomed specifically for this moment.
If there was a Myles Garrett or Jake Long, edge rusher or tackle respectively, then I would put them over Sanders, but Abdul Carter doesn’t have the size or strength and Travis Hunter is skinny, has some injury questions, and doesn’t play the coveted positions.
2) Cleveland Browns - QB Cam Ward, Miami
Ditto the second pick. At this point I do believe it’s a legitimate 50/50 shot between Carter and Ward. There are enough questions about Ward’s game, the reckless passes and playing out of structure, that the Browns might be inclined to pass on him for the upside of the edge rusher. It’s something I’ll be digging into closely over the following months.
But until I hear differently, if you assume Ward is at least a viable starter, teams tend to favor the QB when they can get them.
3) New York Giants - CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado
If a QB is available here you have to imagine the Giants will pounce, but if they miss out I could see them preferring the versatility and playmaking of Hunter over Carter considering they already have Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.
4) New England Patriots - EDGE Abdul Carter, Penn St
If Carter is available here the Patriots will be thrilled. Yes, they have a lot of issues including the offensive line (and Will Campbell is definitely an option), but many people are overlooking that their pass rush was among the worst in the league last year, and Mike Vrabel is going to be hyper focused on fixing his defense.
5) Jacksonville Jaguars - OT Will Campbell, LSU
I’ve looked at this a lot already, and there’s really not a great fit here in my opinion. The most common players you’ll see mocked to the Jaguars are Mason Graham and Will Johnson, but Graham has a terrible body and work ethic questions and Johnson might not have the elite speed and agility to go at 5. Campbell makes a lot of sense as the Jaguars could look to build the best possible line they can for Trevor Lawrence.
I don’t love this pick right now, and will probably change it later. If Johnson tests off the charts he will probably be my choice.
6) Las Vegas Raiders - RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise St
I’ve been pointing out some potential issues with Jeanty for a while, and I still believe they are legitimate, but one knock I had on him was, to me, he didn’t look all that fast on tape. However, I keep being told that he will run in the 4.4s at the combine and that would change the equation massively. I’m also curious about his weight because he’s routinely listed at 215 but he looks smaller to me. If he checks both those boxes, I don’t see why he won’t go extremely high.
Pete Carroll is the real driver of this pick however. Pete wants to build a powerful run game and defense. He doesn’t care about QB (to the point that even if a QB was here, I believe he’d pass on them). He traded for Marshawn Lynch, drafted Rashaad Penny in the first round, and Christine Michael, Kenneth Walker, and Zach Charbonnet (while already having Walker) in the second. He loves his run game and there’s no chance he’s passing on a RB like Jeanty to take a receiver or QB.
7) New York Jets - OT Kelvin Banks, Texas
I’m not sure Banks will go this high, but offensive tackles usually get pushed up the board so it’s definitely a possibility. The Jets could once again be looking for a tackle since Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses are free agents. Kenneth Grant and Tetairoa McMillan could be in play as well.
8) Carolina Panthers - WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
The Panthers have two clear and obvious needs, wide receiver and edge rusher. At this spot there may not be an edge rusher worth it, but this is firmly in McMillan’s range. Dave Canales gets a player with some similarities to Mike Evans, a receiver he coached in Tampa.
9) New Orleans Saints - CB Will Johnson, Michigan
The Saints have needs all over, but after trading away long time stalwart Marshon Lattimore to the Commanders and getting destroyed through the air all year, they will no doubt be looking for some help at cornerback. One thing you can count on in the first round for the Saints every year is that they are going to take a big, freaky athlete and Johnson fits the bill at 6’2”/200 and possibly running in the 4.4s.
10) Chicago Bears - OG Tyler Booker, Alabama
You won’t see Booker this high in most mock drafts, but Booker is absolutely going to be a top 20 pick come draft day and possibly sneak into the bottom of the top 10. He’s considered one of the safest and most pro ready players in the entire draft.
You have to figure Ben Johnson is going to try to build this team in the image of the Lions and what better way to do that and protect his young QB than by taking a rock-solid guard early?
11) San Francisco 49ers - EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia
If you think Kyle Shanahan is finally going to take a replacement tackle for Trent Williams, you’re dreaming. Williams will probably play another two years anyways. No, the 49ers love their edge rushers and haven’t had a good bookend for Nick Bosa for a few years now. I’ll bet they try to plug that hole with Williams, another Georgia player light on stats but with the size and frame you can dream on.
12) Dallas Cowboys - DT Kenneth Grant, Michigan
I’m well aware Mason Graham is regularly mocked in the top 5 or 6 picks for most people, but I don’t believe he’ll even be the first defensive tackle drafted from his own team. Graham is a good player but has a terrible body and a lot of questions about his work ethic. And even if I’m right and he falls this far, I believe the Cowboys could be more interested in his teammate, Grant, a monstrous tackle that is supposedly going to light up the combine according to Bruce Feldman. Maybe the Cowboys can make up for the Mazi Smith pick by taking his old teammate.
13) Miami Dolphins - DT Mason Graham, Michigan
And here we finally have Graham coming off the board after a ‘surprising’ fall according to the mainstream. Maybe Graham can alleviate some of the concerns with him before the draft, but based on the info I have now, I believe his likely range is between 10-20.
The Dolphins need defensive line help badly as they never found an adequate replacement for Christian Wilkins after losing him in free agency. Graham has a lot of similarities to Wilkins as a player (although maybe not as a person) and should fit in perfectly.
14) Indianapolis Colts - S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
Another player you won’t see this high in most drafts, Emmanwori is one of the freakiest athletes in the entire draft. He checks in at 6’3”/225 with range and playmaking skills, exactly the kind of player Chris Ballard loves. They need help at safety and corner.
The only caveat here is that safeties often get pushed down the draft board due to being considered a non-critical position, so it’s possible Emmanwori will come off a bit later, but if anyone is going to take him this highly it’s Ballard.
15) Atlanta Falcons - EDGE James Pearce, Tennessee
Last year the Falcons were all ready to take Laiatu Latu with the 8th pick in the draft before the owner panicked and pushed them to take Michael Penix. This year they once again are looking for edge rushers (what team isn’t?) and Pearce could be on the board around this range. He profiles similar to other thinner but speedy pass rushers like Brian Burns and Dallas Turner.
16) Arizona Cardinals - LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
Yet another player most other mocks won’t have nearly this high, Campbell has all the traits of a classic middle linebacker. He’s big, fast, productive, and versatile. The Cardinals could be looking for a new inside backer if/when they lose Kyzir White and Campbell would fit the bill. If he doesn’t land with Arizona then Tampa Bay is another possible landing spot.
17) Cincinnati Bengals - DL Jordan Burch, Oregon
The Bengals are going to be zeroed in on edge rushers after the failure of Myles Murphy, and Burch is just the kind of jumbo player they love. He’s a massive 6’6”/290 but still has the athleticism to come off the edge and slide inside on third down. Cincy has taken several players with the same physical profile over the years including Carlos Dunlap, Michael Johnson, and Margus Hunt.
18) Seattle Seahawks - OT Josh Simmons, Ohio St
The defense is mostly set in Seattle so I expect they will be focused on fixing the offense. Offensive tackle and receiver will likely be high up on their list of priorities as their tackles have struggled with injuries and inconsistency and Tyler Lockett is soon to be cut while DK Metcalf could be traded.
It’s hard to say where Simmons might be drafted since he’s coming off an ACL injury that ended his year, but before that he was playing like one of the better tackles in all of college. If he can show he’ll be ready for training camp, the top 20 is absolutely a possibility.
19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - LB Jalon Walker, Georgia
There are some people that think Walker is a top 5 or 10 player in this draft. I’m not one of them, but this feels like a decent spot for him.
The Bucs lost Devin White (whose play cratered) and Lavonte David is not long for this team. They need a future captain in the middle of the defense.
20) Denver Broncos - TE Tyler Warren, Penn St
Sean Payton has Denver back on the upswing, but the team still has some holes to fill, none bigger than TE where Greg Dulcich flamed out. Payton needs a big, athletic target to continue improving his offense and Warren fits the bill perfectly.
21) Pittsburgh Steelers - WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio St
The Steelers haven’t taken a wide receiver in the first round in a very long time, but could this be the year they break that trend? Maybe. The drama surrounding George Pickens could force their hand. Personally, I don’t think it’s any particular preference on their part and more just happenstance that a receiver they liked was never available in the first round.
Egbuka is drawing some Amon-Ra comps with his agility and route running out of the slot and toughness as a blocker. That sounds like something the Steelers might be interested in.
22) Los Angeles Chargers - CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
I know everyone wants to put a receiver here, but Harbaugh just does not care about the passing game. If he did, he would have taken Nabers over Alt last year. No, I firmly expect this pick to be a defensive player even though the team finished as the #1 scoring defense in 2024. A physical edge rusher or a pure cover corner are right up his alley.
23) Green Bay Packers - EDGE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
The Packers love them some big, prototypical edge rushers (Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness), and Scourton fits in that same mold at 6’4”/280. They will be looking at edge rushers and corner this off-season and if Morrison is off the board, Scourton is exactly the kind of player they love on the defensive line. He reminds me of Cam Jordan.
24) Minnesota Vikings - CB Shavon Revel, East Carolina
Death, taxes, and the Vikings need cornerbacks. This team has just had no luck drafting corners, and it looks like they have to try again this year. Revel isn’t a super common name in many mocks, but he’ll be in the mix as a possible late first round pick despite a torn ACL that cut his season short after just 3 games. He’s just as big as Will Johnson and probably faster.
25) Houston Texans - WR Luther Burden, Missouri
A lot of people have Burden going in the top 15 picks, but I’m not sure he’ll be quite so high after a down year and some questions about his game. No doubt he’s explosive and a natural athlete, but his routes are sloppy and most of his production (something like 70% of his catches) came within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. He’s also a bit shorter than ideal at 5’11”. He reminds me of DJ Moore as a player so the early to mid 20s feels about right.
Houston will be looking for receivers after Tank Dell’s latest injury and with Stefon Diggs likely moving on.
26) Los Angeles Rams - TE Colston Loveland, Michigan
Last year the Rams were trying very hard to trade up and draft Brock Bowers. They couldn’t get it done, but this year they might have a chance at getting a discounted version in Loveland. He profiles similarly to Bowers and LaPorta and would be a weapon at TE that McVay has been missing lately.
27) Baltimore Ravens - S Malaki Starks, Georgia
Baltimore is going to have work to do on their offensive line, but they won’t force a draft pick to fill a specific position. They will let the best talent fall to them, and in this case that’s a safety that many people believe is a top 15 talent in this class. Starks is a classic free safety and would pair fantastically with Kyle Hamilton.
28) Detroit Lions - OG Donovan Jackson, Ohio St
The Lions value their offensive line as highly as any team in the league, and with a few of their interior players getting long in the tooth, they will likely be looking for replacements sooner rather than later. Jackson is a big, powerful lineman with some tackle flexibility but his best spot is at guard.
29) Washington Commanders - DT Tyleik Williams, Ohio St
Jonathan Allen might be let go this off-season for cap reasons, and the Commanders will need some depth behind Da’Ron Payne and Jer’zhan Newton. Tyleik isn’t often included in many mocks, but he’s well-liked by many scouts and has the versatility to play multiple spots on the defensive line.
30) Buffalo Bills - DB Jahdae Barron, Texas
Buffalo’s defense, and particularly their pass defense, fell off a cliff this year. If they had been better they might have been playing for a Superbowl instead of watching from home.
Barron is a small but tough and versatile defensive back with the ability to play multiple spots in the secondary.
31) Kansas City Chiefs - EDGE JT Tuimoloau, Ohio St
The Chiefs could be looking for upgrades at a number of positions next year, but their offensive and defensive lines are likely to be at the top of the priority list once again.
Many people mock Ohio St’s Jack Sawyer ahead of Tuimoloau, but I think the reverse is more likely. Tuimoloau is the better overall athlete and just being overshadowed because of Sawyer’s big play to beat Texas.
32) Philadelphia Eagles - DT Walter Nolen, Mississippi
I see a lot of people mocking edge rushers to the Eagles, and while that is definitely in play, defensive tackle is very likely as well and possibly a more urgent need for Howie Roseman. Jalen Carter is about to get a big contract so the team probably can’t keep Milton Williams this year and might lose Jordan Davis the following year. That means they need more bodies to keep their prized defensive line rotation fully functional.
Nolen is on the borderline between the first and second rounds. He’s a former #1 overall prospect out of high school with fantastic athleticism and some spectacular flashes of ability but a lot of inconsistency and some character concerns. Remind you of anyone?