We'll get the draft value challenge officially started in the coming days at some point UDFAs will be autoed but you can get a head start by following last year's template.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 1 16 Kelvin Banks Jr., OL - Texas 2 50 Jack Sawyer, EDGE - Ohio State 2 52 Jack Bech, WR - TCU 4 111 Gunnar Helm, TE - Texas 5 146 R.J. Mickens, S - Clemson 5 172 Cam Jackson, DT - Florida 5 175 Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB - Arizona 6 188 Kyle McCord, QB - Syracuse 7 223 Jake Majors, OL - Texas UDFA Kitan Crawford, S - Nevada UDFA Garrett Dellinger, OL - LSU TITANS 2026 2nd @ShanePHallam let me have it
Chicago Bears 1.10: Armand Membou OT/Missouri 2.39: TreVeyon Henderson RB/Ohio State 2.41: Nic Scourton EDGE/Texas A&M 3.72: Jalen Royals WR/Utah State 5.148: Yahya Black DL/Iowa 7.233: Moliki Matavao TE/UCLA 7.240: Tommy Mellott QB/WR/Montana State UDFA: Dante Trader Jr. S/Maryland UDFA: Jalen McLeod LB/Auburn Focused on hitting the OL/DL early. Didn't expect to go EDGE so early, but the Scourton value as a 3rd down pass rusher was too good. Royals gives another weapon as well. Los Angeles Rams 1.26: Jaxson Dart QB/Mississippi 3.90: Danny Stutsman LB/Oklahoma 3.101: Tory Horton WR/Colorado State 4.127: Jalen Rivers OT/Miami (FL) 6.189: Jake Briningstool TE/Clemson 6.190: Hunter Wohler S/Wisconsin 6.201: Seth McLaughlin iOL/Ohio State UDFA: ShunDerrick Powell RB/Central Arkansas UDFA: Andrew Armstrong WR/Arkansas Got the QB of the future along with some developmental OL. Loved the values in the 6th as well.
I really like Chicago's draft. Nothing wrong with the Rams. A ho hum draft where they get a QB to develop and then are essentially done until day 3 where they try to get some role players and value. A few of them will surely be more than just depth and not just for need.
Hoping you caught on that my "ruining the franchise" comment with Dart, the joke was that I mirrored that move in the previous mock. It's risky, but worth the juice imo if McVay and co. believe he's got the goods. They have more info than we do. He's got coachable traits and improved every season. The values on Stutsman, Wohler, and McLaughlin were great. The Bears first two alone, paired with all their IOL moves could honestly bump that offense into the top 6 if Ben Johnson comes as advertised and Caleb makes a little progress. Scourton and Yahya should help the defense in a meaningful way too. Well done. I still like the DT's Chicago drafted recently too. Was a big Zacch Pickens guy. And Dexter has outperformed my early expectations. Great group there with those 2, Grady Jarrett, and Yahya.
I love it for the most part. I'm not 100% sure I get the fit with Sawyer, but he's a solid player. Just seems a decent depth spot for Seattle, if their guys are healthy I guess. Helm, Mickens, Jake Majors all great values and hit spots that can help them. You sniped my a$$ a bit with Mickens, but I knew I might never get him. Adding the Titans 2nd is icing on the cake. All in all you did plenty to help the offense, and with patience that 26' 2nd might become something shiny.
Philly is annoying, in that they already have a great roster, and the values on players fall very well for that 30-80 range where they can make some noise. Especially since the current roster means they can be flexible about what positions they attack. That always helps the draft look like good values. Hinton was a good late find. And I love the first three.
I liked Philly's draft more. I know we already did the back-and-forth with how I feel about RB's in the top 10. Or maybe first round more generally, not that there aren't exceptions. The value you found with Harris, Walker, Fairchild, and arguably Neyor depending on development/if he makes the roster was pretty good. Getting Brooks so you don't have to 'beat up' on Jeanty was a pretty smooth insurance policy. I like Walker the most. He's going to be one of "my guys" this year. Small school, shorter than ideal. But damned if so far he doesn't just keep getting the job done. Hope he keeps it up in the NFL. Him, Harris, and Fairchild all pretty good values after burning your first pick at a non-premium position
You got guys that should help the team. Some pretty interesting late picks, but swing for the fences in the 7th I say. You can cut those guys for nothing anyways. Love Warren, and I'm no Dolphins expert, but do they even want to use their TE?? He can help the run game regardless. The value on your next two was excellent. Walker was on my radar for KC when you took him. His 2023 tape has elite moments. Makes me wonder if he gets back to it. Could be a gem. And forget the measurables, I love the football player Sebastian Castro. Could help a defense got off the field on 3rd & whatever. He's a smart player. Zy I'm not an expert on. His value in the draftnik/online community has fallen a bit since pre-combine. But played at a big school, has the size. I'm intrigued for sure. You definitely gave the DC some pieces to work with, size up front, and length in the back. Fun approach.
Value actually amazing here. I love Mason Graham, adding Rylie Mills later was icing on the cake. Hampton I don't completely understand with Etienne/Bigsby there. But he's a more well-rounded player and I know Liam Coen intends to get the run game going so don't let my opinion matter there. They have the guys now. On that note, Belton is a beast in the run game, should help the cause. I kept targeting Mason Taylor for my Colts. But secretly, Arroyo would have always been plan 1b. He's a well-rounded player who could develop into a top 10 NFL TE. I like him quite a bit. Monheim is athletic, and a fun developmental backup at worst. I'm also quite intrigued by Dorian Strong. He's not the strongest player, but he's got great instincts for being in position and reading the developing play. Got some speed for the offense with Tez, Bond, and Lovett. All in all amazing effort for building up the DL, and adding complementary offensive pieces for Liam Coen to bring something similar to what he had going in Tampa.
Green Bay Packers Quick hits: Easiest roster evaluation of all 3 squads. Had four needs imo; CB and WR were glaring. Both got exposed in playoffs. Then Edge and DT both needed reinforcements and someone to push projected starters for consistency. Their offense is actually full of talent, just need 1 more "elite-ish" WR and progress from young guys like Jordan Morgan and MarShawn Lloyd to take it to next level. Read up a bit on new DC. He wants to be more aggressive defensively and runs more one-high safety than average, but he's willing to adapt to his roster. Actually sounds like an intriguing DC hire. I knew nothing about him. Now I appreciate the hire for a team that believes their window is open. I ended up double-dipping at CB, Edge, and DT. Which is fine because the team has proven willing to triple-dip before at positions of need (WR), and they had very few needs. 1.23 Shavon Revel / CB - East Carolina 2.43 Jayden Higgins / WR - Iowa State 4.130 Antwaun Powell-Ryland / EDR - Virginia Tech 5.147 Jason Marshall Jr. / CB - Florida 5.159 Jah Joyner / EDR - Minnesota 5.174 Aeneas Peebles / 3T - Virginia Tech 6.196 Clay Webb / OG - Jacksonville State 6.198 Corey Kiner / RB - Cincinnati 7.250 Tommy Akingbesote / DT - Maryland UDFA Dalton Cooper / OL - Oklahoma St. UDFA O'Donnell Fortune / CB - South Carolina Thought it went very well. I traded Jaire for a 5th/cap dump and conditional 2026 5th. Made the need at CB very real. Got some size for new D.C. with Revel, Jason Marshall Jr, and signed UDFA Fortune. Higgins' metrics are actually very good, great size, very good tape. I thought enough of him to trade out of the 3rd to move up for him. He gives the offense a true weapon to pair with the others already on roster. A.P.R. and Joyner are two Edges with inconsistent tape, but who both show flashes of huge upside. I think both could be starters with added strength and refinement. Peebles is undersized, but I'll be damned if that kid doesn't have a natural feel for rushing the passer. He can be the 8th-9th linemen on game days and be a 3rd down specialist. Webb, Kiner, Akingbesote, and Cooper can try to prove in camp they deserve a spot on the final-55. A lot of the final grade on this draft will come down to Revel's development. But the size and measurables give him a high ceiling. The new DC got his start coaching DB's and they've looked at this kid, so I'll take that as a good sign.
Pittsburgh Steelers Draft 21. Derrick Harmon. DT Oregon 83. Tyler Shough QB Louisville 123. RJ Harvey RB UCF 156. JJ Pegues DT Mississippi 185. Ajani Cornelius OT Oregon 229. Justin Walley CB Minnesota UDFA Kyle Monangai RB Rutgers UDFA Jared Henderson-Harte DT SMU
Strong not Strong? What is this irony? I believe the Jags are likely looking to move away from Etienne. He made that move to commit to that.
Patriots draft summary: 1.04 - Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado - a trade down might've been nice given the Pats already have a good amount of resources committed to Hunter's positions, but failing that he's simply too good and the Pats roster too devoid of elite talent to pass here. 1.31 - Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State - In the prior mock I traded up to 29 and took the other Josh OT with Simmons already off the board. There was clearly less of a frenzy to grab OL this time such that by this pick I figured one of them might fall to me at 38, but I wanted to make sure I got one. And I still kind of prefer Conerly for the Pats given that there's a chance Simmons might not be ready to start the season, but he also fits Wolf's profile a little more and the Buckeye connection with Vrabel can't be discounted, so I diverged and went with Simmons this time. 2.69 - Charles Grant, OT, William & Mary - another player who went higher last time than this, but a player I really like and well the Pats just can't afford to not have another potential option at LT if Simmons can't go. The competition jump could be hard but I feel pretty good Grant has the athleticism and demeanor to get there quickly, and that he could move to LG or RT, too. 3.96 - Jared Wilson, C, Georgia - probably needs a year but he should be pretty good pretty quickly once he gets in there and the Pats have no heavy commitment to any of the C's currently on the roster, took a move down here to make up a pick lost in the move up for Simmons when there wasn't anybody on the board I felt I had to have at 77 5.144 - Jordan Phillips, DT, Maryland - Pats definitely need another DT in the rotation, especially if Barmore's health issues pop up again. Phillips might not be a 100% fit with Vrabel's defense, but he's super young and a good run defender and I'm not buying shares in Khyris Tonga as our NT. 5.168 - Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas - The fumbles and drops are concerning, but you can't teach a 4.6 guy with great ball security to be a 4.3 guy. Pats offense is sorely lacking in explosive playmaking. Blue along with Hunter gives Maye a definite boost in that department. 5.171 - Quandarrius Robinson, Edge, Alabama - Tried to trade down here to snag an extra pick and backfill the 80 pick gap between this one and my 7th rounder and didn't have anyone left I felt bullish about. Went with Robinson because he'll be a good ST player and maybe occasional designated pass rusher at minimum, with a fair bit of upside to be more than that. Plus I was getting tired of drafting guys with names from a middle class white suburban lacrosse team. 7.251 - Esa Pole, OL, Washington State - Another swing at making sure our OL needs are covered. Good size, like the film I saw, seems like a good dude, and he's only been playing football a few years so he might still have some untapped potential. UDFA 1 - Thomas Perry, OL, Middlebury - gotta have a small school New England guy in here somewhere lol. But Perry I think is legit. He lives and breathes football, strong as a mf'er, and he held his own at the Shrine game. Seems like the consensus is he's a C-only guy, but I think he can play G, as well. He'll at least be on a practice squad somewhere this year, IMO. UDFA 2 - Ricky White III, WR, UNLV - thought about grabbing a K, wish there'd been a TE I liked left but I'll just continue to root for a year 2 jump for Jaheim Bell instead, several intriguing WR options, but I feel like whatever his pecadilloes, White was just too productive as a WR and ST player to go completely undrafted so I had to go with him.
