2025 NFL Draft Grades: Day 3 Picks by Team
The 2025 NFL Draft is done! It’s been a really fun weekend, but all good things must come to an end. This particular draft was very deep, so starters and developmental prospects could be had much later than usual. Teams looking for stars this year weren’t thrilled, but it was a great draft for roster building. However, some did better than others, and that’s why we’re here. In this post, I’ll be grading each team’s picks made on day 3 of the draft. If you want to see my grades for rounds 1, click here, and if you’re interested in the day 2 team grades, go here.
As in the day 2 analysis, team picks are grouped together, and the teams are listed in reverse order of their records (i.e., what the order would have looked like if no picks were ever traded). Each player is accompanied by a value in parentheses such as (2-44). In this case, the player was picked in the 2nd round with the 44th overall selection. Since so many trades take place on day 3, it’s too cumbersome to track them all down. If any are truly notable, they’ll be featured in the analyses listed below.
1. Tennessee Titans – WR Chimere Dike, Florida (4-103); TE Gunnar Helm, Texas (4-120); WR Elic Ayomanor, Stanford (4-136); G Jackson Slater, Sacramento State (5-167); CB Marcus Harris, California (6-183); RB Kalel Mullings, Michigan (6-188): B
Tennessee focused on giving as much help to #1 overall QB Cam Ward as possible. Five of the team’s 6 picks on day 3 were on offense, which was very smart. Dike and Ayomanor were both nice grabs, but Ayomanor is better. He has the size to be a QB-friendly target, though Dike is very fast. Helm did poorly ad the Combine while injured, but he was a good producer for Texas. Mullings wasn’t even the best Michigan RB available, and he won’t poach carries from Tony Pollard or Tyjae Spears. Slater is a high-upside player from a small school. Harris is a small but feisty corner. This isn’t a bad group, and I love the thought behind it.
2. Cleveland Browns – RB Dylan Sampson, Tennessee (4-126); QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (5-144): D
With just two picks remaining in their possession, the Browns made some serious noise. First, they added a second RB. Trying to recreate the Ohio State dynamic, Cleveland paired the bruising Quinshon Judkins with the speedy Sampson. I probably wouldn’t have gone for another runner with limited picks. The Sanders pick is bonkers. His value is insanely good here, but Cleveland JUST spent a 3rd-rounder on a (worse) QB. Deion Sanders may not have even wanted his son to go there. As usual, the Browns’ QB room is becoming a clown show. I’m glad someone finally stopped Sanders’ fall, but this was the wrong team to do it.
3. New York Giants – RB Cam Skattebo, Arizona State (4-105); G Marcus Mbow, Purdue (5-154); TE Thomas Fidone, Nebraska (7-219); CB Korie Black, Oklahoma State (7-246): A-
The Giants started off by picking something they didn’t truly need, but the value was too great. That would be Skattebo, the wrecking ball of a running back. His traits seem underwhelming, but sheer will alone enables him to succeed. Mbow was a fantastic pick; Evan Neal is a bust, so this could be a replacement at a major discount. Fidone is a big body with some stiffness, but he provides a large catch radius. Black is fast but needs to improve his instincts, as he guesses often in coverage. Players in the 7th round come with warts though, so I like the upside of both picks. This is a good group of players.
4. New England Patriots – S Craig Woodson, California (4-106); DT Joshua Farmer, Florida State (4-137); DE Bradyn Swinson, LSU (5-146); K Andres Borregales, Miami (6-182); OT Marcus Bryant, Missouri (7-220); LS Julian Ashby, Vanderbilt (7-251); DB Kobee Minor, Memphis (7-257): B
After an offensive focus on Thursday and Friday, the Patriots only took one offensive player on day 3. That was Bryant, who has plenty of experienced but is probably maxed out as a below-average athlete. Four picks went to the defense. Woodson and Farmer are both highly athletic players with starting upside. Swinson may even better, as he broke out with a huge 2024 season. Minor is someone even even NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah didn’t know, so Mr. Irrelevant may be truly irrelevant. Borregales was the draft’s best kicker, but I’d rather get one from the UFL. And why are we drafting a long snapper? Much better start than finish.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars – RB Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech (4-104); LB Jack Kizer, Notre Dame (4-107); EDGE Jalen McLeod, Auburn (6-194); S Rayuan Lane III, Navy (6-200); C Jonah Monheim, USC (7-221); RB LeQuint Allen, Syracuse (7-236): B-
I think the Jaguars are dissatisfied with Travis Etienne because they selected TWO running backs. Tuten is a speedster who featured in my list of top returners in the draft. Allen is average as a rusher but has good receiving skills. Both could make the roster. Kiser is a smart, instinctive player who’s a great leader, but his upside is limited. McLeod is an undersized edge rusher who might fit bitter as an ILB with dedicated blitz packages. Lane is probably just a special teamer. Monheim is versatile and can play all over the line. I consider this a decent batch of players, but only Tuten has really high upside.
6. Las Vegas Raiders – WR Dont’e Thornton Jr, Tennessee (4-108); DT Tonka Hemingway, South Carolina (4-135); DT JJ Pegues, Mississippi (6-180); QB/WR Tommy Mellott, Montana State (6-213); QB Cam Miller, North Dakota State (6-215); LB Cody Lindenberg, Minnesota (7-222): D+
Las Vegas attacked a few specific positions. Thornton is a size/speed mismatch but is just a vertical threat until he polishes his route running. Taking two FCS QBs within 3 picks was highly bold, even if Mellott becomes a WR. Quinn Ewers would’ve been a better QB flier. Hemingway and Pegues are redundant: they’re both low-upside DTs, but Pegues can run goal-line packages. Lindenberg is a thumper who stops the run and plays special teams. Out of all of these picks, I can really only get behind Thornton. The QB picks were odd (to put it kindly), and I don’t see a bunch of contributors here.
7. New York Jets – WR Arian Smith, Georgia (4-110); S Malachi Moore, Alabama (4-130); OLB Francisco Mauigoa, Miami (5-162); DE Tyler Baron, Miami (5-176): B+
New York had all of their day-3 selections within rounds 4 and 5, and I like what they did with them. Smith is an explosive WR who can blow by people, but he needs to work on his drops. Moore looked better in 2024 than in years past, but he was trusted by the coaching staff since the day he got to Tuscaloosa. He might be a player on the ascent. Seemingly fixated on Miami, the Jets took two Hurricanes in round 5. Both are edge rushers, though Mauigoa can play MLB as well. They each tested better than expected, likely earning them rotation spots. Those edge players weren’t needs, but you can never have too many.
8. Carolina Panthers – RB Trevor Etienne, Georgia (4-114); S Lathan Ransom, Ohio State (4-122); DT Cam Jackson, Florida (5-140); TE Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame (5-163); WR Jimmy Horn, Colorado (6-208): C-
There was a strange attraction to risky players here. Etienne is a fine value, but he has injury concerns and does not fill a need. Evans is coming off an injury of his own, though he has good upside as a possession TE and an inline blocker. Ransom isn’t super durable either, but he’s a versatile secondary piece that has shown flashes of great play. Jackson is a 2-down nose tackle, and I have absolutely no problem with that in round 5. Horn is explosive but very small and not highly productive. I didn’t see enough focus on defense, and the bust potential here is high with all of the injury questions.
9. New Orleans Saints – LB Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma (4-112); CB Quincy Riley, Louisville (4-131); RB Devin Neal, Kansas (6-184); TE Moliki Matavao, UCLA (7-248); DE Fadil Diggs, Syracuse (7-254): B-
It seems like the Saints filled out their roster as if they’re contending right now. Stutsman has advanced instincts, but his tackling is suspect. Riley has good ball skills and athleticism, though I’m not sure whether he can stay outside or if he’ll have to move to the slot. Neal was a popular back in the media, but I always viewed him as more of a plodder. That’s fine in round 6 though. Matavao might not make the roster due to athletic limitations. Diggs showed out at the Combine and might be a worthwhile project. Aside from Diggs and Riley, I was hoping for picks with more upside to help the Saints rebuild.
10. Chicago Bears – LB Ruben Hyppolite, Maryland (4-132); CB Zah Frazier, UTSA (5-169); G Luke Newman, Michigan State (6-195); RB Kyle Monangai, Rutgers (7-233): B+
The first two picks for Chicago on day 3 were all about speed. Hyppolite’s speed caused him to rise during the pre-draft process, but he’s completely raw from a skill perspective. The same is true for Frazier, but you can’t coach a 4.36-s 40. Newman is a better run blocker than pass protector; at least he fits HC Ben Johnson’s blocking scheme. Monangai didn’t look like a special athlete to me, but his production was certainly top-notch. He should be able to spell D’Andre Swift. In my opinion, this was Chicago’s best day. They didn’t reach on superfluous positions and extracted reasonably high upside.
11. San Francisco 49ers – DT CJ West, Indiana (4-113); WR Jordan Watkins, Mississippi (4-138); RB Jordan James, Oregon (5-147); S Marques Sigle, Kansas State (5-160); QB Kurtis Rourke, Indiana (7-227); G Connor Colby, Iowa (7-249); WR Junior Bergen, Montana (7-252): B-
GM John Lynch went to the IU well twice. First, he grabbed West, who used to be a pure run defender but added some rush ability late in his career. Rourke, who’s recovering from a torn ACL that he played through, is an interesting flier. We all know what happened the last time SF drafted a 7th-round QB. Watkins and Bergen are both best in space, but neither does much beyond their quickness. Colby is strictly a backup. Sigle is intriguing because of his speed; he could develop into a starter. James is a good back, but why does Kyle Shanahan continue to draft an RB every year? He doesn’t need to do that with his scheme!
12. Dallas Cowboys – RB Jaydon Blue, Texas (5-149); LB Shemar James, Florida (5-152); OT Ajani Cornelius, Oregon (6-204); DT Jay Toia, UCLA (7-217); RB Phil Mafah, Clemson (7-239); DT Tommy Akingbesote, Maryland (7-247): C+
Ignoring the RB position during free agency gave way to the Cowboys drafting two of them. Blue is a speedy back who looked really good at Texas, whereas Mafah is a bigger back with limited agility. I much prefer the former. James is an undersized tweener with some explosion, but I’m not sure he has a natural position. Cornelius is mainly a run blocker, but I like that because Dallas couldn’t pound the rock last year. Of the two DTs, only Toia will make the roster (he’ll do it as a nose tackle). I didn’t have Akingbesote on my radar. This group is mixed, but the first 4 picks were alright.
13. Miami Dolphins – DT Jordan Phillips, Maryland (5-143); CB Jason Marshall Jr, Florida (5-150); S Dante Trader, Maryland (5-155); RB Ollie Gordon II (6-179); QB Quinn Ewers, Texas (7-231); DT Zeek Biggers, Georgia Tech (7-253): C
Something made Miami obsessed with DTs this draft. They drafted one in the first round and added two more here. Phillips is only good in the run game, and Biggers only does well as a rusher. If they were one player, they’d be pretty good. Marshall is an athletic CB with upside, but he gets lost in coverage a lot. Trader is an undersized but productive safety. Both DBs targeted needs, but Miami probably should’ve addressed them sooner. Gordon is the bruiser the Dolphins lacked in the backfield. Ewers is an excellent value in round 7; his slide was even more puzzling than Shedeur Sanders’.
14. Indianapolis Colts – OT Jalen Travis, Iowa State (4-127); RB DJ Giddens, Kansas State (5-151); QB Riley Leonard, Notre Dame (6-189); DT Tim Smith, Alabama (6-190); S Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin (7-232): B+
Indy started out by focusing on supporting their QBs. Travis is a huge tackle who has surprisingly good feet. His upside is well worth this pick. Giddens is essentially a lesser version of Jonathan Taylor, making him a good fit to take some carries off the star’s back. Leonard was a curious pick. He’s a terrible passer who won’t be better than either Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones. Shifting to the defense, Smith is a prototypical pocket-pushing run stuffer from Alabama. He’s a useful player. Wohler is only good as a strong safety, as he’s big but not fast. The Travis pick really makes this bunch look better.
15. Atlanta Falcons – S Billy Bowman Jr, Oklahoma (4-118); OT Jack Nelson, Wisconsin (7-218): C-
Thanks to their aggressive trading up, Atlanta had just two picks on day 3. I’d like Bowman more if he were consistent. Sometimes he looks like a genius, but he occasionally gets caught flat-footed. He has potential, but only if HC Raheem Morris can coach him up. Nelson has more athleticism than you’d expect from a 7th-rounder. However, like Bowman, he needs a bit more seasoning before he can meaningfully contribute. I don’t dislike either pick here, but this light haul is what you get when you ship off all of your draft capital for just one or two specific players.
16. Arizona Cardinals – LB Cody Simon, Ohio State (4-115); CB Denzel Burke, Ohio State (5-174); G Hayden Conner, Texas (6-211); S Kitan Crawford, Nevada (7-225): B
If Arizona intentionally grabbed two consecutive players from the National Champions, good for them. The fact that they’re both defenders is even better. Simon isn’t the most athletic guy, but he is always in good position. Burke is the opposite in that he’s plenty talented but often confused. A defensive coach like Jonathan Gannon may be able to get something out of him. Conner is a solid guard, though he may have been shielded by other strong linemen around him. Crawford is a producer but lacks size. There are questions about each player here, but they have good pedigree and all focus on the Cardinals’ needs.
17. Cincinnati Bengals – LB Barrett Carter, Clemson (4-119); OT/G Jalen Rivers, Miami (5-153); RB Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech (6-193): B-
For a team with needs all over their defense, the Bengals double-dipping on linebackers was an odd choice. Clemson HC Dabo Swinney swears by him, but there are only so many LB spots on the field. Rivers was a much better pick, as he’s a college LT who can also play at guard with his large frame. Cincinnati needs as much line depth as possible, so this was a good use of a 5th-round selection. Brooks provides insurance for the injured Zack Moss. Chase Brown is a smaller back, so a larger bruiser was needed, and Brooks is great in that role. These are quality players, but I was hoping for more edge rushing talent.
18. Seattle Seahawks – DT Rylie Mills, Notre Dame (5-142); WR Tory Horton, Colorado State (5-166); TE Robbie Ouzts, Alabama (5-175); OT Bryce Cabeldue, Kansas (6-192); RB Damien Martinez, Miami (7-234); WR Ricky White III, Nevada (7-238): B
Mills outperformed his abilities in college, but he’s an outstanding leader with a mean streak on defense. The trade up to get him cost the Seahawks Sam Howell, which was a result of yesterday’s Jalen Milroe Pick. Horton is a criminally underrated player; injuries hurt his stock, but he’s big and fast along with being a great returner. White is a solid WR too, and he also is a special teams ace. Martinez wasn’t needed, but his value was too good in round 7. Ouzts is a blocking TE that probably didn’t warrant any draft pick. Cabeldue is a lineman, so I was going to be fond of that no matter how good he is.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – EDGE David Walker, Central Arkansas (4-121); DE Elijah Roberts, SMU (5-157); WR Tez Johnson, Oregon (7-235): B-
Tampa spent their first two day-3 picks on the defensive line. Walker is a wild card; he comes from the FCS level, but he dominated his opponents. Pass rushing tends to translate from one level to another, so Walker could provide a major boost to a lackluster unit. Roberts represents a doubling down on the edge position, though this one is more of an edge setter in the run game than a pure rusher. Tez Johnson was a pointless pick. I already complained about the Buccaneers wasting a first-round pick on a WR, but now they’ve acquired another who’s only 154 lbs. I’m not following this strategy.
20. Denver Broncos – LB Que Robinson, Alabama (4-134); P Jeremy Crawshaw, Florida (6-216); TE Caleb Lohner, Utah (7-241): C+
Had Robinson played more snaps, he’d probably go higher. He did well in his role but didn’t get to do it often enough, which made him more of a projection for teams. Crawshaw fills a need for the Broncos, but drafting a punter doesn’t usually make sense. UDFAs often do the job just as well if not better. Lohner is intriguing; he was a former basketball player, not too much unlike former Bronco Julius Thomas. His athletic upside and big frame give him potential, but he’s far from being able to contribute right now. Denver did much of their work earlier and merely used day 3 to add around the edges.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers – DE Jack Sawyer, Ohio State (4-123); DT Yahya Black, Iowa (5-164); QB Will Howard, Ohio State (6-185); LB Carson Bruener, Washington (7-226); CB Donte Kent, Central Michigan (7-229): A-
The Steelers finally drafted a QB, but it was Will Howard. I’m on the record as a believer in him, and a season learning under Aaron Rodgers could turn this into a sneaky good pick. His teammate, Jack Sawyer, fells because of a lack of top-end tools, but he has a relentless motor and shines in the biggest moments. Black is a nose tackle, which makes sense in a division with the Ravens. Bruener is a legacy pick whose dad played in Pittsburgh; like Sawyer, he never quits on a play. I’m not sure what purpose Kent serves beyond pure depth. I love that the Steelers let the board come to them and didn’t force any picks.
22. Los Angeles Chargers – DE Kyle Kennard, South Carolina (4-125); WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Auburn (5-158); TE Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse (5-165); OT Branson Taylor, Pittsburgh (6-199); S RJ Mickens, Clemson (6-214); CB Trikweze Bridges, Florida (7-256): A
It’s a good day when you start off by taking one of my favorite edge rushers in Kennard, the SEC DPOY. This is a flat-out steal. Lambert-Smith is a deep threat that Justin Herbert and his big arm can use. Gadsden is another receiving weapon, but he can’t block. That job falls to Taylor, a swing tackle who was taken with the famed Brady pick. Mickens has good bloodlines and was coached well at Clemson; he can probably play immediately. Bridges is a long CB with a high floor. With picks devoted to the trenches and the defense, this was a very Jim Harbaugh set of picks, but it was a good bunch.
23. Green Bay Packers – DE Barryn Sorrell, Texas (4-124); DE Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State (5-159); DT Warren Brinson, Georgia (6-198); CB Micah Robinson, Tulane (7-237); OT/G John Williams, Cincinnati (7-250): B
First off, I enjoyed Sorrell’s big moment. He was actually in the green room and celebrated his selection with the home fans. As a player, he’s strong in the run game but needs refinement as a rusher. Oliver is the reverse: a twitchy rusher with a lack of size to handle the ground game. Given his production, he’d have gone higher if not for an injury. Brinson is a Georgia DT, so he might automatically be good. I’m only partially joking, as he possesses good upside. Robinson is a special teamer if you ask me. Williams is a strong run blocker with positional versatility, finishing the Packers’ trench-focused day appropriately.
24. Minnesota Vikings – DE Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Georgia (5-139); LB Kobe King, Penn State (6-201); TE Gavin Bartholomew, Pittsburgh (6-202): C+
The Vikings came into the draft with 4 picks, and they only added one more. Three of their 5 total selections came on day 3, with a Georgia defensive lineman kicking things off. Ingram-Dawkins was the best of these picks, as he provides good juice as a rusher. He’s typically athletic for a Georgia player, but he’s a bit small to stop the run effectively. King is undersized as well, but like Ingram-Dawkins, he’s very athletic. I worry about his instincts, but I say that about many PSU players. Bartholomew is a fine player, though I don’t understand wasting a pick on a TE with so few to spend in the first place.
25. Houston Texans – RB Woody Marks, USC (4-116); S Jaylen Reed, Penn State (6-187); QB Graham Mertz, Florida (6-197); DT Kyonte Hamilton, Rutgers (7-224); TE Luke Lachey, Iowa (7-255): D+
Houston made a couple of expensive blunders. Marks is a good receiving back, which was a need, but a trade up for him cost the team a 2026 3rd-rounder. The Texans also traded up for Mertz, a QB worse than Quinn Ewers who also happens to be coming off a torn ACL. Though Reed doesn’t fill a need, he brings athleticism and good pick value. Hamilton is agile but underdeveloped. HC DeMeco Ryans can do good work with him, but only if he’s patient. I usually celebrate Iowa TEs, but Lachey is honestly more of a blocker than a real receiving threat. We’re not looking at a new George Kittle, though he might be good anyway.
26. Los Angeles Rams- RB Jarquez Hunter, Auburn (4-117); DT Ty Hamilton, Ohio State (5-148); LB Chris Paul Jr, Mississippi (5-172); WR Konata Mumpfield, Pittsburgh (7-242): A
Akin to their divisional foes (the 49ers), LA seems intent on taking a midround RB each year. Hunter might be better than Blake Corum in this case. Hamilton is a skilled DT who didn’t get enough attention for the Buckeyes, but he cost a 2026 4th-round pick in a trade up. As the Eagles showed us, you can’t have too many skilled defensive linemen. Paul fills more of a need, and I think he’s a 3-down player with his ability to both tackle and cover. Taking a receiver in round 7 felt like a throwaway, but we’ve seen LA hit on day-3 players before. Three of these players can contribute now, which should help with the Ram’s Super Bowl push.
27. Baltimore Ravens – LB Teddye Buchanan, California (4-129); OT Carson Vinson, Alabama A&M (5-141); CB Bilhal Kone, Western Michigan (6-178); K Tyler Loop, Arizona (6-186); WR LaJohntay Wester, Colorado (6-203); DT Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech (6-210); CB Robert Longerbeam, Rutgers (6-212); G Garrett Dellinger, LSU (7-243): A+
Wow this is a lot of players, but we’ve come to expect that from Baltimore on day 3. Somehow, they acquired a three-down LB (Buchanan) in the 4th round. Vinson is a freaky athlete, and only his FCS background is a question mark. Kone is a fluid corner with adequate length, so he’s yet another steal. So is Longerbeam, who plays in the slot. Loop is interesting only because he means that Justin Tucker is not on stable footing. Wester is mainly a PR, but he’s one I happened to highlight! Peebles and Dellinger are both solid picks on opposites sides of the line, wrapping up a stellar Ravens draft.
28. Detroit Lions – G Miles Frazier, LSU (5-171); DE Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State (6-196); S Dan Jackson, Georgia (7-230); WR Dominic Lovett, Georgia (7-244): B
Unlike last year, Detroit didn’t make any wild future-pick-mortgaging trades. Frazier is a third-round prospect that the Lions got in round 5. He can probably start at RG now, so he makes yesterday’s Tate Ratledge pick a bit superfluous. Hassanein is a fascinating story in that he came from Egypt as a great athlete but is still just learning the game of football. At the very least, his motor fits Dan Campbell perfectly. Jackson and Lovett, both Bulldogs, are rare Georgia players who don’t have great skillsets for the NFL, so they’ll only make the roster through special teams. The prior two picks raise the level of this haul.
29. Washington Commanders – WR Jaylin Lane, Virginia (4-128); LB Kain Medrano, UCLA (6-205); RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Arizona (7-245): C
Washington wasn’t very busy on day 3, and I can’t say that they got too much better either. Lane is a very fast slot receiver who can team up with Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel. He was clearly the best of these picks. Medrano is a bit reckless and lacks strength, leading to too many missed tackles. Croskey-Merritt is mostly interesting because the Commanders said they wanted another back to compete with the ones that are already on the roster, so this is a 7th-round pick with an actual shot to play. I’m not particularly inspired by this group, but Washington didn’t make any critical errors.
30. Buffalo Bills – DT Deone Walker, Kentucky (4-109); S Jordan Hancock, Ohio State (5-170); TE Jackson Hawes, Georgia Tech (5-173); CB Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech (6-177); OT Chase Lundt, Connecticut (6-206); WR Kaden Prather, Maryland (7-240): A
Each defensive lineman the Bills take is bigger than the last, and that’s true of Walker, who’s a run-stuffing nose tackle. He complements the smaller Ed Oliver and TJ Sanders. Buffalo finally addressed the safety position with Hancock, who played very well without much recognition in Columbus. Next, the Bills added two blockers: a TE (Hawes) and a tackle (Lundt). Both players are serviceable considering their draft slots. Strong is another shot at addressing a weak CB room, and he could’ve been taken earlier. Prather is a big-bodied wideout who serves a purpose. Buffalo clearly knew what they needed from this draft.
31. Kansas City Chiefs – WR Jalen Royals, Utah State (4-133); LB Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon (5-156); RB Brashard Smith, SMU (7-228): A
Only three picks, yet a lot of value. Royals is an underrated receiver because he played for a Mountain West team, but he was a true #1 for the Aggies. His profile projects well, and Patrick Mahomes could have himself a new weapon. Bassa is a modern inside LB in that he’s almost like a strong safety. His run defense is only average, but he covers well due to his movement skills. Smith is a former WR who is still learning to play RB. With Isiah Pacheco as the hammer, Smith can the lightning and the return man. It’s not a coincidence that the teams at the bottom of the draft board are the ones extracting the best value.
32. Philadelphia Eagles – CB Mac McWilliams, Central Florida (5-145); LB Smael Mondon Jr, Georgia (5-161); C Drew Kendall, Boston College (5-168); QB Kyle McCord, Syracuse (6-181); OT Myles Hinton, Michigan (6-191); OT Cameron Williams, Texas (6-207) DE Antwuan Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech (6-209): A+
Notice how the Eagles and Ravens had the most picks in rounds 4-7? That’s how they sustain their success, and other teams should probably copy them. McWilliams isn’t a great athlete but is a skilled cover man. GM Howie Roseman had to take at least one Georgia player, and it’s Mondon, a typical high-upside Bulldog. Kendall is a good center, but he has nowhere to play on this loaded team. McCord, the FBS’s leading passer, can challenge Tanner McKee for the backup job. Hinton and Williams are both steals that provide line depth and development potential. Powell-Ryland is just a producer (16 sacks in 2024). Another haul.