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That’s a far cry from the 1936 NFL Draft, which marked the first professional football team to select from a pool of players. It looked like this:
Free agency and the NFL Draft have come and gone, and the Raiders still have a “Band-Aid” at the quarterback position. New England could use an elite receiver, while the Falcons and Bears need edge rushers.
What does 2025 offer teams with question marks? Let’s look at expected free agents and next year’s draft:
Free agents 2025
After former general manager Randy Mueller covered the top 30 free agents of 2025, let’s take a quick look at three positions with players likely to be available:
- WR: Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper and Chris Godwin are all talented receivers over the age of 29, likely available in a one-year rental range between $19 million and $25 million. Tee Higgins (25) would command a longer-term deal.
- QB: Russell Wilson or Justin Fields will likely leave Pittsburgh, while Sam Darnold and Jimmy Garoppolo might tempt teams, but hopefully not mine. Daniel Jones could be cut. Hell, 47-year-old Tom Brady might come back.
- Pass rushers: Veterans Khalil Mack, Shaq Barrett, Haason Reddick, Matt Judon and Josh Sweat could hit the open market. The range of $10 million to $15 million is reasonable here. Seeing Mack (33) back in Chicago would be special.
Who will have ceiling space?
Teams that can and cannot spend in 2025, per Over the hood:
- Most important space: Patriots ($128M), Cardinals ($113M), Commanders ($102M) and Lions ($98M… 👀).
- Minimum ceiling space: Seahawks ($2M), 49ers (-$23M), Browns (-$31M) and Saints (-$73M… 😂).\
The 2025 draft
After a record number of quarterbacks and offensive players, next year’s draft is less star-studded, awaiting breakouts during the upcoming college season. Three takeaways from Dane Brugler’s 2025 draft:
- No. 1: Georgia DL Mykel Williams, a “tooled prospect” who could move to the upside – similar to their 2022 No. 1 pick Travon Walker, who quietly had 10 sacks last season.
- QB: Only three are first-round picks, starting with Georgia’s Carson Beck, who Dane lists as the second pick. Quinn Ewers of Texas is No. 14, followed by Shedeur Sanders of Colorado (yes, Deion’s son) at No. 22.
- Defense: 17 defensive prospects are projected in the first round, including advantage Abdul Carter, who draws against fellow Penn State alum Micah Parsons. Two Michigan defenders – DT Mason Graham and CB Will Johnson – crack the top five.
Who will have additional choices?
Even though each team still has its first, the Bear And Invoices have additional second-rounders (thanks, Bryce Young and Stefon Diggs). And of course, Eagles General manager Howie Roseman has additional third, fifth and seventh rounds in 2025.
THE Vikings have the least draft capital, missing out on their second, third and fourth round picks. The rams traded a 2025 second to move up to No. 39 and draft DT Braden Fiske, who will reunite with fellow Florida State forward Jared Verse (No. 19) in Los Angeles. Speaking of draft trades…
What Dianna Hears: Closing the Books
The 2022 Texans-Browns Deshaun Watson trade is now complete. Let’s look at the results:
The Texans received:
- 2022 first round pick (became G Kenyon Green)
- 2022 fourth (became RB Dameon Pierce)
- 2023 first (became DE Will Anderson Jr.)
- 2023 third (became WR Tank Dell)
- (2024 first, which was later traded to the Vikings)
- 2024 second (CB Kamari Lassiter)
- 2024 sixth (LB Jamal Hill)
- 2024 fourth (became S Caden Bullock)
The Browns received:
- QB Deshaun Watson
- 2024 sixth (included in trade for Jerry Jeudy)
And that doesn’t take into account Watson’s 2024 cap hit, which is less than $64 million.
Back to you, Jacob.
Most underpaid position in the NFL: tight end?
Running backs get attention, but Most underpaid position in NFL might be tight end. After Hall of Famer Travis Kelce received an extension worth a $4 million raise, he became the highest-paid tight end in NFL history. Yet he will earn significantly less than the top receivers, many of whom he outperforms.
Three figures demonstrate the difference:
- $17.1 million: Kelce’s new salary for 2024, according to Spotrac, currently ranks 114th among all playerscosts ~$400,000 less than Jerry Jeudy, ~$1 million less than Christian Kirk, and ~$8 million less than DeVonta Smith.
- 302: Total receptions for TEs Evan Engram, TJ Hockenson and Kelce in 2023, who made a combined $44 million last season.
- 301: Total receptions for WRs Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams and Mike Evans in 2023, who made a combined $74 million last season.
As Austin Mock pointed out in his excellent introductory article, the league does not view tight end as a premier position. The only positions with top-10 salaries lower than TE are center and running back, despite tight ends routinely outperforming highly paid WRs – while blocks better than some offensive linemen.
A productive and relatively cheap TE is a major advantage. Austin’s NFL Projection Model allows Kelce and Mark Andrews to have a similar impact on any NFL game as Adams and AJ Brown, but for much less money.
And unlike RBs, the best TEs have incredibly long careers of sustained success. Kelce, for example, has played in at least 15 games every season since 2014, receiving a Pro Bowl nod every year. But, because he’s a TE, Kelce will make about half the amount of Amon-Ra St. Brown, the highest-paid WR in 2024.
Ah, that’s why Kelce is sold?
Around the NFL
The brown ones exercised CB Greg Newsome II’s fifth-year option, guaranteeing him about $13 million this season. Mike Jones has the full list of players with fifth-year options. The deadline is Thursday.
Ancient Broncos CB Chris Harris Jr. announced his retirement from the NFL yesterday. Undrafted, Harris, 34, was named to the 2010s All-Decade team after winning Super Bowl 50, making four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams.
How long until QB Bo Nix is the starter in denver? “They won’t rush the rookie if he’s not ready, but Nix has every chance of winning the job,” wrote Nick Kosmider in his look at the Broncos depth chart.
Kalyn Kahler revealed Prospect X’s identity, the most overlooked player in the 2024 NFL Draft who the Vikings used their latest pick on.
What is the FalconsQB plan? Josh Kendall explores the unprecedented situation. “Ninety million dollars of Cousins’ $100 million guaranteed will be paid out over the first two years of his contract, and the Falcons could release him after the 2025 season and only accrue $25 million. dead cap penalty dollars.”
Jacob’s choices
📕 Post-draft power rankings. Josh Kendall assesses where the teams stand after the draft: The Chiefs reign at the top, Dallas moves up to No. 7, and the Bears’ selection of Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze puts them in the top 15. (Athleticism)
📕 Best value for money choice for the 32 teams: The Panthers drafted Dane Brugler’s No. 2 TE, Ja’Tavion Sanders, nearly 50 spots below his ranking. Sanders’ 139 targets and 99 catches over the past two seasons trail only Raiders TE Brock Bowers, the No. 13 pick. (Athleticism)
🎙 What does the project tell us? Robert Mays is joined by ESPN’s Field Yates to break down the messages we’ve learned from team roster construction this offseason. (The athletic football show)
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The rebound 🏀 | Liquidation ⚾ | Full time ⚽ | Main tire 🏁 | Until Saturday 🏈
(Photos: NFL Draft: Harry L. Hall / Associated Press,
Travis Kelce: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)