The annual mock draft projection from The Athletic's Bruce Feldman is out now. Feldman, also known for his "freaks" list every year, uses intel and quotes from NFL execs to plot out the projected first round in his mock.
It's always interesting to get a glimpse into the mind of the NFL and how the league sees certain prospects. That's certainly true in this year's wildly unpredictable draft, where there appears to be little difference between No. 10 and No. 40 overall.
Some of the more interesting tidbits gleaned from Feldman's draft:
Cam Ward
Feldman, like just about everyone else, projects Miami QB Cam Ward as the top overall pick. But on the off chance Ward falls, Feldman doesn't believe he's falling far.
"If Cam Ward is available, I believe Cleveland will pounce," Feldman prognosticates. That would be the Browns with the No. 2 overall pick, of course. That's been something of a point of contention in Cleveland, where there is considerable consternation about the Browns and their QB plans.
The quotes on Shedeur Sanders
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders comes off the board at No. 3 to the New York Giants. That's not exactly noteworthy in and of itself, but some of the quotes from personnel execs and coaches on Sanders do a good job of elaborating why the Giants would take Sanders. A sampling:
“He throws a very catchable ball,” the coach said, “and knows what kind of ball to throw, and his pocket movement is good, and those things do translate."
Said a Big 12 secondary coach, “I think he really understands football and is very smart, and their OC did a good job of playing to his strengths. I don’t think he’s gonna be a bust.”
“I think he has good arm talent and really good poise,” a Big 12 defensive coordinator said.
It feels like the discourse on Sanders is always focused on the perceived negatives, namely his propensity for holding the ball too long and the fact he's often overshadowed by his celebrity coach/father, Deion. It's good to get the reminder that Shedeur Sanders is pretty darn talented.
A very telling passage
Here's the lead paragraph from Feldman's projection of Michigan DT Mason Graham to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 5 overall,
This is a tricky spot. The coaches I spoke to who have faced Graham talked about him like he was a first-round talent, just not necessarily in the top five. Then again, you could say the same about Shedeur Sanders, and maybe this is more of an indictment of this year’s talent pool.
That very succinctly sums up the general consensus about this draft class. Graham is a good player, but there are legit questions about just how good. He might not have been a top-20 prospect in 2024, but because this class is weaker overall, Graham could very well be a top-5 prospect in 2025.
Armand Membou is OL1
The first offensive lineman projected is Missouri's Armand Membou, to the New York Jets with the No. 7 pick. That's ahead of LSU's Will Campbell, which bucks the conventional wisdom that ...
