NFL Draft Predictions
By: Will Aimette
(Photo Credit: StadiumRant)
Superstar QB Cam Ward majorly increased his draft stock after putting up one of the best combines in the draft, as he has solidified himself as the number one pick in the draft.
Pick One:
Team: Tennessee Titans
Selection: Cam Ward
Position: QB
College: Miami
Why this will happen: The era of Will Levis is over. Yes, he’s only 25 years old, but he’s now been in the league over 2 years, and there's a point in time where you have to let him go. Plus, the Titans have a great D-Line and solid corners, but they still need a quarterback. So, the obvious choice is Cam Ward. After Shadeur Sanders got exposed after turning down the combine, there is no doubt Ward is better. So, this move makes sense for both sides, a team that desperately needs a QB getting one that exactly fits their fast, scramble-heavy offense.
Will this pick succeed? Yes, I think Cam Ward will be a star, and certainly make the Titans better. But you can only make the 3-14 Titans so much better. He’ll probably have a Drake Maye-type first season, in the sense of being good on a bad team. But the guy has amazing potential, so even if the Titans don’t have talent around him, he’ll find a way to succeed.
Pick Two:
Team: Cleveland Browns
Selection: Abdul Carter
Position: DE
College: Penn State
Why this will happen: This pick just makes sense in every way, especially after the Browns signed Kenny Pickett to be their starting QB. So, no Shadeur Sanders. That would lead to two options: Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter. And the Browns don’t need WR help or CB help, as they have Jerry Jeudy and Denzel Ward. So, a good pick would be Carter. After resigning Myles Garrett, he could use some help in that D-Line. And Carter is perfect for the job. He had 12 sacks last year, not to mention he was injured for multiple games during their title run, where he could’ve padded his stats even further. He is hands down the best defensive player in this draft. Now, if the Browns didn’t sign Pickett? Then the front office would be in a tough situation. But in the end they signed him (although I’m not sure how great that will turn out), and Carter is the perfect fit for Cleveland.
Will this pick succeed? For Abdul Carter? Definitely. For the Browns? I’m not sure about that one. Yeah, the already top-five defense is even better, but their offense remains the same. I don’t understand how this team is supposed to win games with that horrible offense. A good QB makes so much more of a difference than a good D-Lineman. But if the Pickett experiment goes well, then yeah, while the Browns took a risk, but it could pay off. As for Carter, he is set to have one of the best defensive rookie seasons in a while.
Pick three:
Team: New York Giants
Selection: Will Campbell
Position: OT
College: LSU
Why this will happen: While Will Campbell isn’t predicted to go this high, the Giants will certainly be happy to take him here. Their O-Line is probably the worst in the NFL, and their WR/CB core is doing just fine (for all you crazy Travis Hunter fans). Will Campbell has done an outstanding job at LSU last year, giving up only 2 sacks all season. And the Giants need to rebuild. The first step? Getting good protection for your stars. Although they do need desperate QB help, they just signed Russell Wilson, but he’ll only buy them a couple of years. So while this is a good move, it is a boring pick, and they certainly will be passing on bigger fish.
Will this pick succeed? I believe Will Campbell will have a great season, like he’s had his whole career at LSU. Only thing? He’ll go unnoticed by many, and won’t make the Giants that much better. Plus, fans will probably criticize the Giants for not getting Hunter, while in reality Campbell will be doing a great job blocking. So, while he’ll be an important part of the team, I’m not sure this pick will be considered a success.
Pick four:
Team: New England Patriots
Selection: Travis Hunter
Position: WR/CB
College: Colorado
Why this will happen: This pick is an absolutely ideal situation for the Patriots. This pick will be the best value pick in the draft. But frankly, no one below them really needs a guy like Hunter. But that’s a whole different story with the Patriots. Drake Maye needs someone to throw to. His number one receiver last year was Rasul Douglas. Yikes. Plus, after losing Stephon Gilmore, their cornerback situation has never been the same. Hunter kills two birds with one stone. And Coach Mike Vrabel has announced if they get to draft him, Hunter will certainly play both sides. So, overall, this will definitely happen if the Patriots get the chance, as Hunter is a can’t-miss prospect.
Will this pick succeed? Yes, I think Hunter will succeed possibly the most out of anyone in this entire draft class. With elite young QB Drake Maye throwing him the rock, that is an upgrade even over his former Colorado teammate, Shadeur Sanders. He is an electric player, fast and a perfect fit for Maye’s athleticism and strong arm. And on the defensive side? He’ll bring an energy previously unknown to the defense. Teams that selected before the Patriots will be very annoyed they missed out on this top tier talent.
Pick Five:
Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
Selection: Mason Graham
Position: DL
College: Michigan
Why this will happen: Outside of these top five players, talent really starts to drop off in this front-loaded draft. There is a huge difference in draft stock between projected number five pick Mason Graham, and projected number seven pick and fellow defenseman Jalon Walker. Mason Graham is a huge prospect, at 6’ 3” and 320 lbs. He carried Michigan’s defense to the playoffs, and provided 45 tackles and seven tackles for loss. So, the Jaguars would be crazy not to take him. The only other two positions they would even consider drafting would be QB and RB due to Sanders and RB Ashton Jeanty. But they have the Clemson duo of Travis Etienne Jr. and Trevor Lawrence at those positions, two players that have solidified themselves as some of the best on the team. Of course, the team isn’t great, as they have the fifth draft pick, but Lawrence was injured and they will improve after the draft.
Will this pick succeed? No, I don’t think Mason Graham will be a successful pick. The only reason I believe this is because outside of LB Josh Hines-Allen, I don’t see why he would be successful on a team with an extreme lack of defense. Plus, Graham has seen his fair share of injuries in college, as there is a good chance he gets set back to start the year due to his left heel.
Pick six:
Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Selection: Ashton Jeanty
Position: RB
College: Boise State
Why this will happen: Jeanty has the speed of Saquon, the strength of Henry, and the mentality of CMC. This guy is elite (and I don’t throw that word out easily). The superstar ran for over 2,600 yards in his final season in college. This includes over 300 against number one team in the nation, Oregon, and over 300 against College Football Playoff champions, Ohio State. So, it’s not like he just farmed yards against bad teams. It’s just that this guy is insane. After the Raiders traded for Geno Smith, running back looked like a very limited position for them. So why not go ahead and get the best running back prospect in over 10 years! Seems like a good solution to me. And by the way, that running back 10 years ago? Well, that was Derrick Henry.
Will this pick succeed? Well, considering what a mediocre offensive line the Raiders have, Jeanty will have a decently good season. Don’t get me wrong, he will not be running for 2,000 yards in his rookie season. But as this young kid develops, I could see him doing this in the future. And for the Raiders, they certainly benefit, as they got the best talent and potential in the running back field.
Pick seven:
Team: New York Jets
Selection: Armand Membou
Position: OT
College: Missouri
Why this will happen: Membou is a very similar player to Campbell. He’s huge, at 6’ 3” and 324 lbs (Now that I bring the stats in, that is weirdly similar to Mason Graham). And while the Jets have a “plan” for QB, they could surprise the draft and go Shadeur Sanders. I honestly wouldn’t be shocked. But if they don’t, he is my top candidate. A great blocker that only gave up zero, yes ZERO sacks in over 400 snaps certainly deserves to be regarded this highly.
Will this pick succeed? This pick will be a great one for the Jets. This young blocker will develop to eventually become one of the best in the NFL. And it’s not secret Breece Hall needs good blockers to run behind, and the same goes for Justin Fields. If they can block for him, Fields gets way more time, allowing him to become the two-way threat they signed him to be.
Pick eight:
Team: Carolina Panthers
Selection: Will Johnson
Position: CB
College: Michigan
Why this will happen: Besides Travis Hunter, Will Johnson is the best corner in the draft. And with the Panthers getting Jaycee Horn to upgrade their CB core, Will Johnson will make this defense that much better. He’ll make a huge difference, as the rush defense is already great for the Panthers, and if they can develop a better pass defense, their team will instantly win more games. With Bryce Young progressing and the offense slowly improving, it wouldn't surprise me if the Panthers go for Johnson for some defensive help.
Will this pick succeed? Yes, if Will Johnson goes to the Panthers, I can guarantee you he will be great. Already getting placed into a good defense, he will only raise the team’s potential and allow for a great year, after putting up a masterclass year in his junior campaign.
Pick nine:
Team: New Orleans Saints
Selection: Shadeur Sanders
Position: QB
College: Colorado
Why this will happen: Maybe Sanders won’t have Hunter to throw to like he did on Colorado, but he certainly inherits a talented offense. The only thing I will say is that if the Saints decided to keep Derick Carr, then this pick is a waste. The alternative is a good WR in Tetairoa McMillan, as he is one of the best in the class. However, I think the Saints will decide to move on to a different style of QB, both a playmaker and a scrambler, two things that honestly, Derick Carr didn’t have.
Will this pick succeed? If the rest of the Saints can stay healthy, and they do decide to draft Sanders, yes, he could lead them to the playoffs. The only problem is trying to keep the injury-ridden Saints healthy. Alvin Kamara missed multiple weeks in his ninth season in the NFL, and Raheed Shaheed, Chris Olave, and Taysom Hill all got hurt, forcing the Saints to rely on backups and even backups of backups. This year they are all starting fresh and healthy, and with the leadership of Shadeur Sanders, they will be successful.
Pick ten:
Team: Chicago Bears
Selection: Kelvin Banks Jr.
Position: OT
College: Texas
Why this will happen: The Bears need protection so badly. I just don’t think I can bear to watch another Caleb Williams sack. He got sacked more than anyone in the NFL last year. So, Kelvin Banks Jr. his the next best O-Lineman on the board. Yeah, maybe he didn’t give up 0 sacks last year, but he only gave up three. Between these three O-lineman going in the top ten, there isn’t much difference between them. But the Bears desperately need some protection and Banks Jr is a great start towards a solid O-line.
Will this pick succeed? No, I don’t think Banks Jr. will be enough. This offensive line needs saving badly, and I don’t know how much of a difference he can make. He is definitely a legit blocker, the question is, can he block two people at once? Because he’ll probably have to to save Williams from getting sacked.
Will’s list of successful rookies:
Tetairoa McMillan-WR-Arizona-Middle 1st Rounder
Ashton Jeanty-RB-Boise State-Early 1st Rounder
Travis Hunter-WR/CB-Colorado-Top 5
Abdul Carter-DE-Penn State-Top 5
Colston Loveland-TE-Michigan-Late 1st Rounder
Jaxson Dart-QB-Ole Miss-Late 1st Rounder
Malaki Starks-S-Georgia-Early 2nd Rounder
