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Only the National Championship Game remains in college football, and we’re already onto the divisional round in the NFL playoffs. That means we’re getting closer and closer to draft season.
Here’s how we see the first round playing out with the updated draft order.
1. Las Vegas Raiders: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
The Pete Carroll-Geno Smith partnership lasted just one disastrous season in Las Vegas. The Raiders are currently looking for Carroll’s replacement and will likely use this top selection to find Smith’s. Mendoza could fit the billing after winning the Heisman Trophy this past season at Indiana. His 41 passing touchdowns and 133.2 NFL passer rating both easily lead all FBS quarterbacks this year.
2. New York Jets: QB Dante Moore, Oregon
As long as Moore enters the draft, the Jets will likely select whichever quarterback the Raiders don’t take. Moore’s 90.3 PFF passing grade is fifth among all quarterbacks in the nation this year, while his 30 big-time throws are tied for the most.
3. Arizona Cardinals: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State
The Cardinals also need a quarterback, but there isn’t one worth taking here with the third overall pick. Instead, Arizona selects one of the top defenders available in Reese. He’s an impressive downhill defender, as his eight sacks this year are tied for fourth among all linebackers in America, and he has an 86.5 PFF run-defense grade to boot. Reese can play either off-ball linebacker or on the ball as an edge defender for the Cardinals.
4. Tennessee Titans: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL)
While the Titans need to surround quarterback Cam Ward with more talent, they also didn’t have a single edge defender higher than 70th in PFF grade this year. Enter Bain, whose 93.1 PFF grade is second among all defenders in college football. His 80 pressures are second in the nation, while his 87.1 PFF run-defense grade is sixth among all edge defenders. Arm length be damned, he’s one of the best football players in this draft.
5. New York Giants: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
While the Titans refused to surround Ward with more talent with their top pick, the Giants refuse to do the same with Jaxson Dart and give him Tate here. His 88.6 PFF grade is fourth among all FBS wide receivers this year, while his 151.8 passer rating when targeted leads all wideouts in America. Tate would give New York a true X-receiver that’d pair very nicely with Malik Nabers once he recovers from his torn ACL.
6. Cleveland Browns: WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
The Browns have the second-worst team receiving grade in the NFL this season and didn’t have a single wide receiver place higher than 100th in PFF grade. Tyson would immediately become the top weapon for whoever’s playing quarterback for Cleveland and has an 89.5 PFF receiving grade over the last two seasons.
7. Washington Commanders: S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
The Commanders simply need difference makers on defense and can procure one of the very best players in the draft in Downs here. He has been an elite player ever since he arrived in college football as a five-star recruit in 2023, producing an elite 93.6 career PFF grade. Downs is one of the best safety prospects in recent memory and would transform Washington’s defense.
8. New Orleans Saints: DI Peter Woods, Clemson
Bryan Bresee hasn’t lived up to his first-round billing through three seasons so far, so the Saints look to replace him with another Clemson defensive tackle here in Woods. He has an impressive 87.1 career PFF grade with prodigious power and quickness at 6-foot-3, 310 pounds.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Both Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco are unrestricted free agents this offseason, and it seems likely that the Chiefs will part ways with one or both of them. Kansas City instead finds its future at running back with Love here. After posting a 91.1 PFF grade as a sophomore in 2023 (fifth), he followed that up with a nation-leading 93.1 grade this season.
10. Cincinnati Bengals: EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
The Bengals selected one of the best run-defending edge rushers in the first round of last year’s draft in Shemar Stewart and selected the best pass-rusher in this year’s class with Bailey here. He leads all FBS defenders in PFF grade (93.1), pass-rush grade (93.9), pressures (81) and sacks (15).
11. Miami Dolphins: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
The only Dolphins corner that was even in the top-65 of PFF grade this season was Rasul Douglas, and he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent at 30 years old. Delane would inject some much-needed youthful talent to this secondary and only surrendered a 26.7 passer rating into his coverage this year (first among Power Four corners).
12. Dallas Cowboys: EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
The Cowboys have the seventh-worst team run-defense grade in the NFL this year and four upcoming free agents at edge defender. Dallas finds a new running mate for Donovan Ezeiruaku here in Faulk. He has an outstanding 89.2 PFF run-defense grade over the last two years at Auburn.
13. Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons): OT Spencer Fano, Utah
While Warren McClendon Jr. has performed admirably at right tackle this season, Fano gives the Rams a long-term answer at that position. He has an elite 92.2 PFF grade across his last two seasons at Utah.
14. Baltimore Ravens: WR Makai Lemon, USC
The Ravens need to surround Lamar Jackson with more wide receivers outside of Zay Flowers. Lemon has been the best receiver in college football this season, taking home the Biletnikoff Award. His 90.8 PFF grade leads all wideouts in college football.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
Lavonte David finally began to decline at nearly 36 years old this season, but the Buccaneers still have no succession plan at linebacker. Enter Styles, who was one of only six linebackers in the nation to earn 85.0-plus grades both in coverage and in run defense.
16. New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts): CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
The Jets acquired this pick from the Colts as part of the trade for cornerback Sauce Gardner, which left New York with a glaring hole in its secondary. McCoy could be the next shutdown corner for the Jets. Even though he missed all of this season with a torn ACL, he was still outstanding as a true sophomore in 2024 with an 89.6 PFF coverage grade (ninth in FBS).
17. Detroit Lions: OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL)
The Lions would be wise to address their offensive line this offseason, especially with longtime left tackle Taylor Decker contemplating retirement. Detroit gets a potential steal here in Mauigoa. His 86.4 PFF pass-blocking grade is sixth among all FBS tackles this year, while his 78.4 PFF run-blocking grade is 20th. Mauigoa has played right tackle his entire career, but either he or Penei Sewell is capable of switching to the left side.
18. Minnesota Vikings: CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson
The Vikings need help in their secondary, particularly at cornerback. That comes here in Terrell, who has posted 80.0-plus PFF grades in each of the last two seasons at Clemson. He’s the younger brother of Falcons corner A.J. Terrell, who was second among all cornerbacks in PFF grade back in the 2021 season.
19. Carolina Panthers: EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
The Panthers have the second-worst pass-rushing grade in the NFL this season. After selecting Nic Scourton in the second round last year to help fix that problem, Carolina will take another Texas A&M edge rusher here in Howell. His 12 sacks are tied for fourth among all edge defenders in America this year.
20. Dallas Cowboys (via Green Bay Packers): LB C.J. Allen, Georgia
After selecting edge defender Keldric Faulk at No. 12, the Cowboys continue to boost their run defense with Allen here. His 88.6 PFF run-defense grade is ninth among Power Four linebackers this year.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
The Steelers haven’t had a true franchise quarterback since prime Ben Roethlisberger and would be wise to take a shot on Simpson to sit behind Aaron Rodgers. His 30 big-time throws are tied for the most among all quarterbacks in college football this season.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: IOL Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
The Chargers have had the lowest-graded interior offensive line in the NFL this season. Enter Ioane, who didn’t allow a sack or hit across 297 pass-blocking snaps this year.
23. Philadelphia Eagles: TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Dallas Goedert is in the midst of the lowest-graded season (66.8) of his career and is likely going to hit free agency at 31 years old this offseason. Sadiq leads all FBS tight ends with eight receiving touchdowns this season, while his 560 receiving yards are tied for eighth.
24. Cleveland Browns (via Jacksonville Jaguars): OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
The Browns have the worst supporting cast in the league, as they’re the only team in the NFL with a bottom-five team grade in receiving, pass blocking and run blocking. Cleveland addressed the issue at wide receiver with Tyson at No. 6 overall and now fills its offensive line hole here with Proctor. He’s one of seven offensive tackles in college football with 80.0-plus grades as a pass blocker and run blocker.
25. Chicago Bears: DI Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
Every Bears defensive tackle has a 60.0 PFF grade or worse this year. McDonald leads all interior defenders with a 91.2 PFF run-defense grade, while his 86.5 overall PFF grade leads all Power Four ones.
26. Buffalo Bills: WR Denzel Boston, Washington
The Bills desperately need to upgrade their receiving corps, as they didn’t have a single wideout who placed inside the top-35 of PFF grade. Boston, meanwhile, is sixth among all college wide receivers with an 87.6 PFF grade.
27. San Francisco 49ers: WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
It seems as though Brandon Aiyuk’s days are numbered in San Francisco, so the 49ers would be wise to add another wide receiver with their first-round pick. Concepcion would be a great fit in Kyle Shanahan’s system as a dangerous player after the catch.
28. Houston Texans: OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
Neither of the Texans’ starting tackles, Tytus Howard and Aireontae Ersery, is among the 55 highest-graded offensive tackles in the league this year. Lomu posted an impressive 82.1 PFF pass-blocking grade this year with no sacks allowed across 357 pass-blocking snaps.
29. Los Angeles Rams: CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina
Cornerback is one of the Rams’ biggest needs this offseason, as they haven’t had a true shutdown corner since prime Jalen Ramsey. Cisse is an impressive athlete who broke up seven passes this year while only allowing 47.4% of his targets to be caught.
30. New England Patriots: EDGE T.J. Parker, Clemson
The Patriots don’t have a single edge defender who’s in the top 40 of PFF grade this year. Parker has been incredibly productive throughout his career at Clemson, posting a 90.1 career PFF grade.
31. Denver Broncos: LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
The Broncos are one of the most complete teams in the NFL but can stand to upgrade their linebacker unit. Hill is a versatile player who’s been an effective run defender, pass-rusher and coverage player throughout his three years at Texas.
32. Seattle Seahawks: CB Colton Hood, Tennessee
While Devon Witherspoon is the highest-graded cornerback in the NFL, the Seahawks could use help on the other side. Hood filled in admirably for the injured Jermod McCoy this year by placing sixth among SEC cornerbacks with an 80.1 PFF coverage grade.