Height: 6'2"

Weight: 223 lbs.

Class: Senior

Fit: The Hurricanes robbed us of the gift of scouting Cam Ward against college football playoff defenses — the Canes collapsed against Syracuse and blew a 21-point lead to fumble their ticket to the postseason. That does leave Ward's resume more open to interpretation — but here's what we do know: he's unlike Daniel Jones in a few key areas. Ward has a great sense of the rush, which may have been Jones' worst trait.

Ward has also never seen a window he couldn't fit a ball through, for better or for worse. So, as the Giants look to transition into their next era, finding someone like Ward, who has well-placed confidence in his arm, would be a great first step.

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 185 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: Yes, the New England Patriots need wide receiver help. Yes, the New England Patriots need to figure out their offensive line. But with a top-5 pick in this class, the top talent options should take center court. And with the Patriots sitting behind two quarterback-hungry teams and ONLY two quarterback-hungry teams, this is a great opportunity to get a potential blue-chip player. The DNA of New England, even with Jerod Mayo, lies in their defense, for better or for worse.

And New England will have had the chance to spend in free agency to more directly address their most pressing needs — leaving Travis Hunter and his ability to play cornerback as an obvious choice. Oh, right. Travis Hunter can also ultimately play wide receiver, too.

Pro Comp: Champ Bailey

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 259 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: The Carolina Panthers are the rare team picking in this range that doesn't really need a quarterback or offensive line help. Instead, for Carolina, this is about allocating an impact player — and few prospects have the potential game-breaking impact of an Abdul Carter. Carter has rounded into form as a pass rusher and is a super high-ceiling prospect. Given Carolina's move away from Brian Burns this past offseason, there's room on this roster for a hallmark pass rusher.

Pro Comp: Will Anderson

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 202 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: Jacksonville, as much as anything, needs some direction. They're in need of elite talent and continued commitment to an identity. Adding Michigan cornerback Will Johnson affords them some of that — as he pairs with Tyson Campbell to give the Jaguars a super-long and super-physical cornerback duo. These guys can dictate so much of the spacing on the Jaguars' defense, given their ability to play physically on the outside — and Johnson is a more coverage-diverse option than Campbell, kicking things up another notch.

Pro Comp: Patrick Surtain II

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 212 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: The Titans invested plenty around Will Levis this past offseason and, at least as of lately, it is looking as if it is paying off. Levis has played the best ball of his NFL career. He's still getting sacked far too often — but there have been loads of offensive line investments made into that unit, and the injury to Lloyd Cushenberry only further complicates the end-of-the-year stretch.

Wide receiver looms as a great upgrade opportunity for Tennessee, particularly with a three-level threat like Tet McMillan. McMillan has the vertical receiving ability that Levis should love and the kind of catch-point prowess to help erase any inaccuracies in his vicinity as Levis continues to develop.

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 320 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: This is an interesting spot for the Jets, who have a spotty future at quarterback, at best. But the options here at this early stage of the first round simply just don't add up, although it should be considered that they may jump back into the 1st-round later on to target a quarterback of the future.

The team just invested in Olu Fashanu, and the team boasts an impressive secondary headlined by star cornerback Sauce Gardner. So, some of the "usual suspect" positions at the top of the draft may not be the most attractive for this Jets' roster when considering the board. One name that makes sense is Mason Graham.

This team's bet on Javon Kinlaw has not paid dividend,s and the depth of the defensive line has suffered this season.

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 320 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: The Bears and Caleb Williams both need to do their part in ensuring that the young quarterback takes fewer hits in 2025. Williams entered Week 14, leading the league in sacks taken and yards lost by sacks.

The offensive scheme needs to be better, but so does Williams in being calculated outside of the structure. Williams can use this year's reps to learn how to do his part. And GM Ryan Poles can do his part in this process by adding a legitimate left tackle to the front. Kelvin Banks Jr. has the best traits to bet on.

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 243 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: Find a more cruel development this season than Cincinnati squandering MVP-caliber play from Joe Burrow with one of the league's worst defenses. This group needs a lot of new talent and fast if the Bengals hope to resume life as a contender in the AFC.

James Pearce Jr. is a speedy pass rusher worth dialing in on for the Bengals, thanks to his elite explosiveness and bends off the edge. He'll be a much needed pass rush boost to a Bengals team that entered Week 14 with just one player (Trey Hendrickson) with more than 2.0 sacks on the season.

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 245 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: The Saints paid Chase Young handsomely this offseason despite their current roster and cap situation to come in and be a key pass-rushing cog. It hasn't paid dividends for New Orleans — even as Young continues to torment opposing quarterbacks each week.

The Saints have fired their coach and look forward to a new direction starting this offseason. That means one thing: get back to basics. Early draft investments for rebuilding teams usually fall in three areas: having a quarterback, protecting a quarterback and disrupting the opposing quarterback.

Jalon Walker disrupts opposing quarterbacks with explosive physical traits and can move around the front.

Pro Comp: Jaime Collins

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 215 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: Sorry, Cowboys fans. If it ain't broke, we're not going to fix it. And the idea of Ashton Jeanty playing in the backfield for the Cowboys is too good of a mix of talent and opportunity to pass up.

Dallas simply needs more options in their offensive attack — paying Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb is not an excuse to leave them on an island to carry the load. The Cowboys' rushing attack entered Week 14 ranked in the bottom three in yards, touchdowns, and yards per carry — it's not good enough.

Pro Comp: An angrier DeAngelo Williams

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 205 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: The conversations around the Dolphins' draft needs so often center around the offensive line. But this team has stiff-armed drafting explicitly for need with their early picks, and 2024 2nd-round pick Patrick Paul has shown some flashes in sparing play for Terron Armstead. He and Austin Jackson are both good scheme fits at tackle.

There's much more work to be done on defense. The pass rush room feels like it is on the cusp of an overhaul with Chop Robinson in a featured opportunity role — but don't sleep on the secondary. The argument can be made that Miami's biggest shortcomings loom at cornerback, where Jalen Ramsey remains a star, but his cohorts are leaving opportunities to claim long-term gigs wide open.

Veteran Kendall Fuller has been in concussion protocol twice. 2023 2nd-round pick Cam Smith cannot stay healthy or avoid playing too physically beyond the contact window. But the turnover looms largest at safety and Malaki Starks is a diverse quarterback in the secondary that could give the Dolphins another crack at the game-breaker it initially appeared they had in Jevon Holland, who is scheduled to hit free agency in March.

Pro Comp: Kevin Byard

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 203 lbs.

Class: Senior

Fit: Julian Blackmon has an expiring contract, and the Colts' young secondary needs someone to tie everything all together. Xavier Watts is a local prospect who the Colts should know well — and his ball production over the past two seasons is largely unparalleled in college football. This is a ball-hawking safety who can tie things together on the back end for a defense that needs a dynamic playmaker to roam amidst all of the youth at corner.

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 247 lbs.

Class: Senior

Fit: The Falcons' pass rush woes have been seemingly never-ending over the past several seasons. There have been scheme changes and investments, and yet the Falcons continue to struggle to get after the quarterback with consistency.

The good news is that Raheem Morris should be able to get the ship right. The bad news is that it seems like more talent is needed to get the unit where it needs to be. For the Falcons, there are a number of pass rushers worth considering here — but Donovan Ezeiruaku is the most advanced rusher in this stratosphere of the draft. His speed and pass rush counters make for a killer ability to finish pressure opportunities.

Pro Comp: Trent Cole

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 305 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: The San Francisco 49ers nightmare season has come from a number of issues. Yes, the injuries have mounted in an overwhelming fashion. But some of the key pillars of the recent 49ers teams haven't been there this season, either — starting with a defensive unit that is giving up more yards than you'd expect from San Francisco.

The depth of this group has been whittled away and this looms as a big opportunity for San Francisco to right the situation. Walter Nolen, as a disruptive presence on the same front as Nick Bosa and a healthy Javon Hargrave, certainly feels like it could go a long way in getting things back on track for the 49ers.

Pro Comp: Sharrif Floyd

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 245 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: The Rams need to be ready for life after Cooper Kupp. The team's interest in Brock Bowers is affirmation that a bigger pass catcher could be a part of the team's next vision offensively — and this year's model is Colston Loveland. Loveland is not Bowers; let's be clear about that.

But Loveland has outstanding hands, separation ability in the middle of the field and the right kind of blocking chops to serve as an F-tight end or slot receiver. These traits can help further blur the lines between the Rams' 11p offense and 12p concepts, making them all that much harder to defend.

Pro Comp: Zach Ertz

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 290 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: The Buccaneers love their edge defenders with length and heavy hands. Shemar Stewart has both. This is one of the more physically gifted talents in this year's class, but he needs refinement with his pass rush plan in order to help him be in a position to finish his pressure opportunities.

But Stewart is effective defending the run and has all the tools to be a disruptive force. Playing for Todd Bowles, Stewart likely gets his fair share of free runs to the quarterback in the Bucs' aggressive scheme, too.

Pro Comp: Keion White

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 285 lbs.

Class: Senior

Fit: The Commanders have made a huge leap this year under first-year coach Dan Quinn and Jayden Daniels. There will undoubtedly be temptation to fill out the skill groups and surround Daniels with the best supporting cast possible — but Quinn's defense will thrive and prosper even more when the personnel is optimized.

Getting another pass rusher for the rotation up front would be a great next step for Quinn's defense and Nic Scourton has the power and pass rush variety to serve as a direct upgrade with more upside to Clelin Ferrell.

Pro Comp: Melvin Ingram

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 310 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: The Texans' defense under DeMeco Ryans isn't a dominant unit, but they're still having their fair share of success and turning teams over at a high rate in 2024. The talent is young, and the ceiling is high. But if the Texans are going to fulfill their potential as a big-time annual problem in the AFC, getting a penetration defender on the interior would go a long way.

Derrick Harmon is exactly that — and is close to having some monster numbers on the inside. Putting him on the Texans' line, with their speed off the edge, would create a lot of headaches for opposing coaches.

Pro Comp: DaQuan Jones

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 257 lbs.

Class: Senior

Fit: The Chargers have a slew of draft needs, but a tight end prospect like Tyler Warren, who can actually serve as something of an offensive weapon in the passing game, is a dream come true for the bully ball the Chargers aspire to play. There are long-term vacancies in the Chargers' tight end room, too — so this is a marriage of stylistic fit along with long-term opportunity. Warren is an emerging playmaker with the ball in his hands for the playoff-bound Penn State program.

Pro Comp: Dallas Goedert

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 180 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: The Broncos are enjoying a resurgence under Sean Payton and rookie QB Bo Nix — who has played tremendous football over the course of the last two months. But for the Broncos to keep up with the powerhouses of the AFC conference, they feel like a team that needs more firepower in their skill group.

They're in luck with Texas WR Isaiah Bond, who can win to all levels of the field and creates massive separation on his routes. He should be a much more productive pro than he has been between Alabama and Texas.

Pro Comp: Jaylen Waddle

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 330 lbs.

Class: Senior

Fit: The Ravens' long-term outlook at offensive tackle is looking up thanks to Roger Rosengarten, the team's second-round draft choice from the 2024 draft. But Ronnie Stanley's heir is a different conversation—one that the team would be wise to explore sooner rather than later. Aireontae Ersery matches the vibes Baltimore has trended toward. He's a physical presence with prototypical size and length; Ersery would be very effective serving as a people mover in the Ravens' run game.

Pro Comp: Kingsley Suamataia

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 193 lbs.

Class: Senior

Fit: The Packers are making a stretch run toward the postseason without Jaire Alexander on the field, and the cornerback room beyond him is full of questions and/or youth. A talent like Shavon Revel may be in for a bit of a slide due to a season-ending injury, but his talents warrant being long gone by this chapter of the first round. This value would be off the charts for Green Bay and the Packers could address a need with a massive cornerback with budding ball skills.

Pro Comp: Richard Sherman

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 205 lbs.

Class: Senior

Fit: Pittsburgh appears to have caught lightning in a bottle with Russell Wilson, who has wound the clocks back and is playing like it is 2019 again. It is hard to imagine the Steelers not doubling down there, which makes finding the right blend of talent around him essential to unlocking the full potential of the offense.

Emeka Egbuka would be a strong addition to complement the Steelers' tight end room and George Pickens at wide receiver. Yes, the Steelers have Roman Wilson waiting in the wings, but that should stop them from adding more talent to their pass-catching group.

Pro Comp: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 190 lbs.

Class: Senior

Fit: Minnesota does not have a viable long-term replacement for Stephon Gilmore on the roster. Trey Amos is big and physical and has showcased good ball skills and physicality at the catch point. In Minnesota's high-pressure defense, Amos' aggressiveness can help attack the football in coverage and disrupt the timing of opposing offenses.

Amos enjoyed a strong final season of college ball at Ole Miss after stops in Louisiana and Alabama across his first four seasons of play. He's a viable candidate to sneak into the back quarter of the 2025 first round.

Height: 6'7"

Weight: 280 lbs.

Class: Senior

Fit: The Bills love their defensive ends with length and power. Landon Jackson offers elite levels of both. This is a talent who has grown significantly over the last two years as a pass rusher, too. Jackson has surprising variety with his rush counters despite not being the most flexible rusher off the edge. Buffalo must begin bracing for a transition away from Von Miller and AJ Epenesa is in a contract year in 2025.

Pro Comp: Emmanuel Ogbah

Height: 6'3"

Weight: 244 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: Zack Baun has been a delight in Philadelphia. But can the Eagles, with their hefty finances at QB, WR, RB, OL, and elsewhere, afford to keep him after his 1-year contract runs up? If the answer is no, finding a player to fit the role is a must. Vic Fangio got a great season out of Andrew Van Ginkel in Miami in 2023.

He's getting a great season out of Zack Baun in 2024. Perhaps versatile linebacker Jihaad Campbell from Alabama can be next. Campbell can play on the edge or as a stack player — bringing versatility and football smarts to the next level.

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 208 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: Luther Burden's 2024 campaign wasn't anywhere near as fruitful as his 2023 season — which put him squarely on the radar as a potential first-round draft choice. Burden's talent is still obvious — but his development as a player did not necessarily take a big leap this season.

That leaves him as someone who likely benefits from complimentary skill sets in the wide receiver room; and Kansas City has got a collection of talent to offer. Rashee Rice's size and route running and Xavier Worthy's speed would pair with Burden's run-after-catch ability to create all kinds of problems.

Pro Comp: Percy Harvin

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 325 lbs.

Class: Junior

Fit: The Lions have all the right pieces in place to make a run. The sustainability of their current status as a top dog in the NFL will largely hinge on their ability to maintain their greatest strength — the trenches. Guards Kevin Zeitler and Graham Glasgow are both not long-term answers and landing Tyler Booker gives the team a mauler who can step in and keep the brand of the team alive and well on the offensive interior.

Pro Comp: O'Cyrus Torrence