Is there any doubt that the Bears are picking Williams first overall? No, but there should be. There isn’t a great gulf of talent between Williams and UNC’s Drake Maye like we’ve seen in other draft classes with a clear-cut No. 1 quarterback prospect. Still, Chicago is widely expected to pick Williams, and the draft becomes wide-open from there.

It won’t make LSU fans happy to see Maye picked ahead of Daniels, but he’s probably more appealing to the NFL given his younger age and larger frame. There’s a possibility that Washington could trade out of this pick but they’ve paved the way for a quarterback after trading Sam Howell. Right now, it’s looking like Maye will be the second passer to off the board and the second prospect to be selected overall.

The draft starts in earnest at No. 3, with the Vikings trading a king’s ransom — both of this year’s first-round picks and their 2025 first rounder — to convince the Patriots not to draft Daniels themselves. New England gets the ammunition it needs to rebuild in life after Bill Belichick. Minnesota gets the most exciting quarterback in this draft class who can really liven up their offense. Now that they have a quarterback, can the Vikings extend Justin Jefferson?

There may not be a more talent-poor receiving corps in the league than the Cardinals’ depth chart, which they’ll address quickly by picking Harrison. Arizona is going to entertain trade offers but with the top three quarterbacks off the board it’s unlikely anyone will make it worth their while. Harrison is the real deal. He’ll give Kyler Murray a reliable, big target ready to make a name for himself in the NFL.

Someone is going to trade up for McCarthy, and this time it’s the Raiders outbidding the Denver Broncos in a very weird deal with the Chargers. How often are three teams competing in the same division involved in trade talks focusing on a franchise quarterback? NFL coaches love McCarthy as a prospect despite his limited production in college, and to his credit he’s shined when the chips are down on third-and-long. He’ll be just fine in the NFL, but it’s worth asking how high his ceiling might be.

There has been speculation about who the second receiver to be picked after Harrison might be, and now it sounds like Nabers has pulled ahead of Rome Odunze. Don’t expect that intrigue to quiet down until one of them hears his name called on draft day. Nabers was highly effective from the slot at LSU but he has the tools to do so much more, and he’ll fit right into New York’s offense as the unquestioned alpha dog at wide receiver.

No change from before: this is the textbook definition of a “don’t overthink it” pick. Alt addresses the Titans’ biggest need and just so happens to be the best prospect at their worst roster spot, being available right where they need him. He’s going to remain a popular pick for Tennessee unless something drastic changes in the next month.

The Falcons offense should have enough talent for Kirk Cousins to work with, though Odunze is very tempting. It’s their defense that doesn’t inspire enough confidence. Can Raheem Morris maintain the success that Ryan Nielsen found last year? Adding a high-end pass rusher like Turner would make the task much easier. Turner was productive in college and checked every box at the combine. He’s going to be a major problem for opposing offenses in the NFL.

Chicago spent big in free agency and got Caleb Williams, but it’s worth adding another receiver (who also happens to be the best player available) to insure he starts his career strong. Odunze is dangerous after the catch and fights viciously on contested targets, but those are few and far between when he separates so easily. It shouldn’t take long for him to surpass Keenan Allen and take point when Williams drops back to pass.

Offensive line could be a priority for the Jets, even after signing Tyron Smith, but expect Aaron Rodgers to lobby for more weapons. And Bowers can certainly do that. He’s a competent blocker but he’s most dangerous out in space with the ball in his hands, where he can dodge a tackle and make a play. He still hasn’t worked out for pro teams but, like with Marvin Harrison Jr., there isn’t much for Bowers to prove by doing so anyway. They know how special he is.

It’s been trendy to predict a fall for Fashanu into the teens, but NFL teams won’t let a an elite athlete with his skills in pass protection and experience at a major program slide too far. The Patriots traded out of the top ten picks but still came away with a top-ten talent. Fashanu should be a serious building-block for them.

The Broncos need more draft picks, and there’s no incentive for them to loiter this high in the first round without getting a viable quarterback. So they slide down a few slots and add another third rounder, while the Jaguars move up to get the draft’s best cornerback (likely taking themselves out of the Marshon Lattimore sweepstakes expected to pick up this summer). Mitchell has done everything right in his pre-draft process while coming out of a smaller program.

The Chargers need big upgrades across their offensive line, but the left tackle spot is in good hands with Rashawn Slater. So Fuaga stays in his college position on the right side to bookend Justin Herbert’s protection. Adding a couple of picks in a that trade with the Raiders is worth moving down, though it does mean they’ll have to contend with J.J. McCarthy starting for Las Vegas in the foreseeable future.

There are a couple of options the Saints can take here: address the offensive line, invest in more pass-rush help, or restock the skills positions. Of those three items on the to-do list, getting better protection up front remains the highest priority. And whether he’s starting at left guard or displacing Trevor Penning from left tackle, Fautanu can immediately upgrade a spot for New Orleans and allow the team to play its five best linemen. Maybe Penning can move to the right side and develop into Ryan Ramczyk’s replacement.

The Colts were unable to pry L’Jarius Snead away from the Kansas City Chiefs, so they still need a No. 1 cornerback. And Arnold would be a perfect fit as arguably the most pro-ready cover corner in the draft (unlike Quinyon Mitchell, he competed against the best at Alabama). He’s a great value at this point in the draft and could go higher.

Verse has nailed the pre-draft process by following up two productive seasons at Florida State with high marks in the athletic testing drills. He shouldn’t be overlooked as a possible top-10 pick, but this time he goes just outside that range. And the Seahawks made off like bandits by getting an impactful pass rusher in the middle of the first round. He’ll be starting for them before long.

The Broncos need a quarterback as desperately as any other team in the NFL would when faced with the prospect of starting Jarrett Stidham, and Penix is a much more appealing option than Bo Nix. He plays aggressively but mitigates risk by evading sacks in the backfield and trusting his receivers in one-on-one situations. He doesn’t throw many interceptions across the middle of the field. Penix is a heady prospect who should appeal to Sean Payton, who can’t afford to get this wrong. But can Penix thrive in Denver after Payton pillaged the receiving corps?

Murphy is the best player available in this scenario, and the Bengals have the luxury of drafting almost any position after some smart investments in free agency cleaned up their offensive line and defensive secondary. A wide receiver could make sense but the drop from Murphy to other defensive tackles is steep. Get him in the building and he’ll anchor the middle of the line for a decade.

It’s very tempting to go with Johnny Newton here as a natural Aaron Donald replacement, but Latu has a more conventional path to success. He’s a prototypical pass rusher off the edge who will immediately see a lot of snaps. His injury history is a concern, sure, but so far he’s checked every box and should lock in a top-20 pick. The Rams would have to be thrilled for him to still be available at this point.

Barton can credibly play any spot along the offensive line, and he can help fix one of the Steelers’ biggest problems at either left tackle or center. Get him in the building and figure it out. Pittsburgh’s offensive line has been a mess for a while and, now that they’ve got a quarterback in Russell Wilson, it’s important they get this right.

Latham would be moving to guard in Miami, and that might be a great development for his career after he got beaten around the edge a time or two in college. His impressive movement skills will be put to good use in the Dolphins’ high-powered offense. If disaster strikes, he could slide back out to right tackle (where he’s predominately lined up in college), but hopefully the Dolphins line enjoys better health this season so he can focus on one spot in his rookie year.

It’s very tempting to go with a pass rusher like Chop Robinson or a receiver like Adonai Mitchell here, but the Eagles need to do a better job defending the pass and McKinstry is a great value in the back half of the first round. He would add youth and a lot of playmaking ability to a secondary that needs it.

The Patriots swung hard on Calvin Ridley and missed, but they’ll get an exciting receiver inn the draft to make up for it. Mitchell combines solid production with high-upside athleticism, and in the right environment he could become a star. New England just needs to find itself a quarterback.

Dallas almost needs to force a pick to try and get their offensive line in shape, but Powers-Johnson is good value here. He can give them some certainty at center while the Cowboys work to figure out the tackle spots. Converting a right tackle like Tyler Guyton to the left side is an option but Powers-Johnson has a clearer path to success given his ample starting experience at the college level.

DeJean can help the Packers out at either corner or safety, both of which are getting reworked this offseason. But he should get a chance to prove he can’t cut it out wide before moving to the less-lucrative safety position. DeJean did a great job defending talented receivers at the college level and the potential upside in pairing him with Jaire Alexander is huge.

This would be such an annoying pick for the Saints, which means it’s almost a lock for Tampa Bay. Wiggins is an automatic starter replacing Carlton Davis at cornerback. He’s feisty and plays a heady brand of football where he’s always looking to cover for a teammate’s mistake or make a big play. This would be an outstanding value pick late in the first round.

I don’t buy the top-15 hype for Mims, but he’s well worth a shot late in the first round. He needs all the reps he can get to develop his game and meet his potential, and a fast-moving Cardinals offense should give him every opportunity to improve.

The Bills have neglected their defensive line long enough. Robinson has the agility and power to compete with NFL blockers right away, and the flexibility to line up all over the formation. He’ll be a really tough out lining up next to Ed Oliver.

Value is the name of the game, and the Lions just won it. Newton has been seen as a surefire top-20 pick for much of the pre-draft process, but his recovery from injury has kept him from completing athletic testing in front of teams (though he hopes to run drills at a private pro day in April). If he’s available this late, the Lions should pounce. Adding him to the rotation with Alim McNeil and D.J. Reader would be dynamite.

Robinson looks every inch like a future Raven: a highly athletic college pass rusher whose best days are ahead of him. Wide receiver is very tempting and it might make more sense here (Xavier Worthy would be a lot of fun to watch with Lamar Jackson) but Baltimore has always kept its defense well-stocked. Robinson can keep that talent pipeline running strong.

Maybe the 49ers reach on a defender here, but Frazier is quietly gaining momentum as the draft draws nearer. He’s an impressive athlete for his size and he can execute many of the blocking assignments that Kyle Shanahan asks of his linemen on the move. After they got outmuscled in the Super Bowl, they can’t afford to ignore this vulnerability.

The fastest receiver in the draft lands with the league’s most-daunting offense. Worthy has shown he has the skills to compete, but his athleticism is what will help his star rise higher on draft day. He lands in a perfect opportunity to cultivate those skills and develop into one of the game’s most exciting young wideouts. Catching passes from Patrick Mahomes sure helps his case.