We had a wild night last night with plenty of trades and some big surpises. Here are some initial thoughts:

1. Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza (QB, Indiana)

We all knew this was coming, and it’s the right choice.

Mendoza capped a historic Heisman season by leading Indiana to a national title. The Raiders selected him to be the face of the franchise under new coach Klint Kubiak, valuing his elite accuracy and poise.

2. New York Jets: David Bailey (EDGE, Texas Tech)

Widely considered the best pure pass-rusher in the class, Bailey offers elite bend and burst. The Jets took him at No. 2 to fix a pass rush that finished last in the AFC in sacks last season.

It’s hard to criticize this pick, but I would have gone with Arvell Reese here.

3. Arizona Cardinals: Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame)

The Cardinals are a mess and this pick shows they have no idea how to build a winning roster.

And that’s nothing against Love, who is a “field-tilting” athlete with comparisons to Saquon Barkley. But the Cardinals ignored positional value and now have a running back with a massive, guaranteed contract.

4. Tennessee Titans: Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State)

This may be a bit high to take Tate, but they needed weapons on offense.

Tate is a polished route-runner with some of the most reliable hands in the draft. The Titans selected him to provide a consistent primary target for second-year quarterback Cam Ward.

5. New York Giants: Arvell Reese (EDGE, Ohio State)

The Giants luck out with one of the best players in the draft falling to them at the fifth pick. Wow.

Reese is a beast. He’s a massive, versatile athlete who can play off-ball linebacker or stand-up edge. The Giants prioritized his ability to create “perfect storm” chaos in a defense looking for alignment variety.

6. Kansas City Chiefs (via CLE): Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU)

Delane was the top-ranked corner for many scouts due to his lockdown man-coverage skills. The Chiefs traded up with the Browns to secure a definitive No. 1 corner to stabilize their secondary.

7. Washington Commanders: Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State)

Styles is a generational athlete with a nearly perfect 9.99 RAS score. The Commanders drafted him to be the centerpiece of Dan Quinn’s defense, essentially serving as a younger, more explosive replacement for Bobby Wagner.

8. New Orleans Saints: Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State)

Tyson was a wild card with all the injury concerns. He put some of those doubts to rest with an impressive workout last week. You could see how emotional he was when the Saints picked him.

9. Cleveland Browns (via KC): Spencer Fano (OT, Utah)

The 2025 Outland Trophy winner is seen as the most technically sound tackle in this class. After trading back with the Chiefs, the Browns still landed their cornerstone blindside protector. They also picked up an extra 3rd and 5th by trading back three spots.

10. New York Giants (via CIN): Francis Mauigoa (OT, Miami)

He’s a powerhouse blocker with rare strength in the run game. This is a solid pick, but I can’t believe they passed on Caleb Downs here . . .  who ends up with the Cowboys!

11. Dallas Cowboys (via MIA): Caleb Downs (SAF, Ohio State)

Like the Giants at pick 5, the Cowboys were sooooo lucky to have this guy fall to them.

Downs is a high-IQ safety who won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back. The Cowboys traded up one spot to make him the vocal leader and “quarterback” of their secondary.

12. Miami Dolphins (via DAL): Kadyn Proctor (OT, Alabama)

Proctor is a massive tackle with elite reach and a high-pedigree background. But he’s one of the most polarizing players in the draft. He has huge upside, but there’s risk here. Nick Saban pretty much admitted he wasn’t a self-starter. He once balloned up to 390 pounds.

Worse yet, the Dolphins traded down and passed on Caleb Downs to draft him. That seems crazy to me!

13. LA Rams (via ATL): Ty Simpson (QB, Alabama)

Next to the Cardinals drafting Love at 3, this might be the worst pick of the night.

Sure, there’s some logic to drafting him as the heir apparent to veteran Matthew Stafford. But at 13?? Also, the Rams are a serious Super Bowl contender. There are plenty of players on the board who could help them this season.

Finally, you’re drafting a small QB wityh only one season of experience who also looked terrible after a few injuries.

14. Baltimore Ravens: Vega Ioane (G, Penn State)

The Ravens always patiently wait and get a stud. Ioane is a physical “mauler” who fits the Ravens’ identity perfectly.

The Ravens drafted him to reinforce their interior line and power their rushing attack.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rueben Bain Jr. (EDGE, Miami)

This was a big drop for Bain and his short arms.

Does that make sense? Bain led the nation in pressures and is a versatile powerhouse. He was dominant in the college playoffs. The Buccaneers viewed him as a steal at 15, adding a high-motor rusher who can disrupt from multiple spots on the line.

16. New York Jets (via IND): Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon)

A modern matchup nightmare who moves more like a wide receiver than a traditional tight end. Sadiq gives their offense a dynamic middle-of-the-field weapon.

17. Detroit Lions: Blake Miller (OT, Clemson)

A high-floor starter with extensive experience against top-tier competition. The Lions drafted him to add even more depth and talent to what is already considered one of the NFL’s best offensive lines.

18. Minnesota Vikings: Caleb Banks (DT, Florida)

This is a boom or bust pick. He’s a beast with potential injury concerns so some called this a reach. Banks is a massive interior presence who can swallow up double teams and disrupt the run. The Vikings targeted him to shore up a defensive front that struggled with consistency in 2025.

19. Carolina Panthers: Monroe Freeling (OT, Georgia)

Freeling is nn athletic tackle with long arms and high developmental upside. He might end up being the best left tackle in the draft. The Panthers selected him to provide better long-term protection for Bryce Young.

20. Philadelphia Eagles (via GB): Makai Lemon (WR, USC)

The Eagles traded up and swiped this versatile playmaker from the Steelers who looked like fools as they were calling Lemon to pick him at 21.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Max Iheanachor (OT, Arizona State)

After losing out on Lemon, the Steelers rebounded with this physical, aggressive tackle who thrives in gap-scheme blocking. He has tons of raw talent, so he’s a bit of a project for the 21st pick, but he has a very high ceiling.

22. LA Chargers: Akheem Mesidor (EDGE, Miami)

A high-motor defender who can slide inside on passing downs to rush the passer. The Chargers took him to provide rotational depth and tactical flexibility for Jim Harbaugh’s defense. But he’s also 25 years old, so that explains why he didn’t go higher.

23. Dallas Cowboys (via PHI): Malachi Lawrence (EDGE, UCF)

The Cowboys used their second pick of the night to bolster their pass-rush rotation, though the opinions on this player vary wildly. This was a reach.

24. Cleveland Browns (via JAX): KC Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M)

The Browns needed a receiver, and KC gives them a versatile weapon who can contribute in the slot, out wide or out of the backfield. The Browns drafted him to add more speed to their offensive rotation.

25. Chicago Bears: Dillon Thieneman (SAF, Oregon)

An elite “centerfield” safety with incredible range and ball skills. The Bears drafted him to be a long-term fixture and playmaker in the back end of their defense.

26. Houston Texans (via BUF): Keylan Rutledge (G, Georgia Tech)

A technically sound and consistent interior blocker. The Texans traded up and selected him to help stabilize the pocket for C.J. Stroud and improve their interior run blocking.

27. Miami Dolphins (via SF): Chris Johnson (CB, San Diego State)

A fast, feisty corner who excels in press-man coverage. The Dolphins used their second first-round pick to add youth and competition to their secondary.

28. New England Patriots (via BUF): Caleb Lomu (OT, Utah)

An athletic tackle with great feet and pass-protection technique. The Patriots traded back into the first round to make this pick, which makes you wonder about what they think about Will Campbell and where on the line he’ll play next year.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (via LAR): Peter Woods (DT, Clemson)

A versatile lineman who can play any position on the defensive front. The Chiefs took him to add more disruptive potential alongside All-Pro Chris Jones. This is another polarizing prospect and he sometimes disappeared.

30. New York Jets (via DEN/SF): Omar Cooper Jr. (WR, Indiana)

Cooper is a strong-handed receiver who excels at winning 50/50 balls and getting yards after the catch. The Jets suddenly have an impressive set of targets fior Geno Smith.

31. Tennessee Titans (via NE/BUF): Keldric Faulk (EDGE, Auburn)

A powerful defensive end who is elite against the run and still developing as a rusher. The Titans traded back into the round to secure a physical presence for their defensive front.

32. Seattle Seahawks: Jadarian Price (RB, Notre Dame)

Another Notre Dame running back? The Seahawks drafted him to replace Kenneth Walker III and maintain a dynamic, high-speed backfield for their offense.

That was a beatdown.

The Patriots looked overmatched last night, particularly against the Seattle defense. There was plenty of chatter leading up to this game about New England’s cakewalk schedule during the regular season and their good fortune during the playoffs, and all of their weaknesses were exposed last night.

Drake Maye was terrible. Of course he was under pressure all night long, but he was also missing open receivers. Now, we all know he’s been hurt, so many will chalk this up to a sore shoulder. But this game must have been tough to watch for anyone who was banging the drum on Maye being the MVP.

As for the line, everyone is talking about Will Campbell this morning. The kid had a terrible night and could seem to block anyone, and we saw a flood of comments on social media from fans and draft experts with their “I told you so’s.”

Campbell is a fascinating case study as many questioned whether he was worth the #4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. There was the question about his arm length and whether he could really be a left tackle in the NFL. In hindsight, Armand Membou would have been a much better pick, which many suggested at the time.

It also raises the issue of reaching for need when drafting in the top ten of the NFL draft. You should be looking at the next ten years, not a need for the next season, when you’re have a shot to get a true blue chip talent.

The other complication is Campbell’s health. He may not have been 100% after a knee injury, which led to the debacle in the Super Bowl.

The video above offers a fair review of some of the plays from the game. The kid clearly has issues, as he was getting pushed around on bull rushes as well which has nothing to do with arm length. Many are taking their shots at him, but I prefer seeing film study that actually tried to assess the performance fairly.

In any event, the Patriots had a hell of a run, but this team may be due for some serious regression next season.

May and Campbell are both young, so they both have a chance to learn from this and improve. But with Campbell, the Patriots will need to take a hard look as to whether he’s really a left tackle.

Here’s a fantastic clip from Todd McShay’s new podcast and YouTube channel where Todd McShay discusses Mel Kiper. McShay is very fond of Kiper, and the two of them established a very close bond over the years. They also drove each other a little crazy, and that led to some great televsion at times.

McShay explains the craziness and quirkiness of Kiper’s personality, and how Todd leaned into it both on air and off. He also explained how McShay is a great person and incredibly kind to everyone. It’s quite a tribute.

And finally he explains why Kiper has not been on the new podcast, and he explained that ESPN basically won’t allow it. He even got into how Kiper is now paired with Field Yates, and how Yates has been thrown into the draft prep world from the fantasy football world. Yates is good, but they can’t recreate what they had with Todd and Mel. McShay isn’t afraid here to say what he thinks.

Nobody knows how tonight’s picks will work out. But naturally everyone will have opinions.

I’m more interested in overall strategy as opposed to making definitive statements about specific players. Good drafting is about more than player valuation. It’s mostly about probability analysis. The teams that forget that and fall in love with players usually end up making mistakes.

Let’s start with the Texans. This team has a horrible roster, and they have an owner that likes to meddle. They’re also on their third head coach in three years. Basically, the organization is a dumpster fire.

Despite that, the Texans were sitting on a ton of draft capital as a result of last year’s Deshaun Watson trade with the Browns. If they sat back and let the draft come to them, they could load up on talent this year and next.

But these are the Texans, so chaos rules. The owner wanted a quarterback, so they draft C.J. Stroud with the second pick of the draft. Solid pick. Now they could wait till pick #12 and get another very good player.

But their new head coach, a former linebacker from Alabama, wanted to draft . . . a pass-rushing linebacker from Alabama. What a shock! And what a shock that this organization would let their head coach have this much influence over the draft. So what did they do? One person in the organization couldn’t get the player they loved, so the Texans traded a boatload of picks to trade up to the third pick to grab Will Anderson.

When your GM can’t control the draft, and has to defer to the owner and head coach, you have a mess on your hands.

This doesn’t mean Will Anderson won’t be an excellent player. It’s about how you approach the draft, and the Texans seem to be clueless. Squandering draft capital rarely works out, particularly for teams who are desperate to fill out their roster.

Of course, the Packers still have Rodgers, and they played for the NFC championship last season. So what did they do heading into a draft loaded at the wide receiver position in a year where they really needed to get Rodgers more weapons?

Aaron Rodgers' receivers cost him at least 648 yards last season because of drops. The average for qualifying quarterbacks was 282 and the second-placed quarterback had only 507. pic.twitter.com/UCkG2iYXpM

— QB Data Mine (@QBDataMine) April 19, 2020

They drafted a quarterback in the first round. Jordan Love may end up being a great pick, but he doesn’t seem like a sure thing at this point. And while

Aaron Rodgers' receivers cost him at least 648 yards last season because of drops. The average for qualifying quarterbacks was 282 and the second-placed quarterback had only 507. pic.twitter.com/UCkG2iYXpM

— QB Data Mine (@QBDataMine) April 19, 2020 ” target=”_blank”>Rodgers will say all the right things, he has to be pissed at the situation.

The Packers have a window to win an NFL championship that runs the length of time that Rodgers remains an elite quarterback. Yes, they need to think about the future, but they shouldn’t squander this opportunity.

How bad can things get in New York? Dave Gettleman comes across as a caricature of a meathead sports executive who can’t seem to wrap his head around analytics and rational player evaluation. He goes by his considerable gut, and may end up making the New York Giants the laughing stock of the NFL.

Last year, Sam Darnold fell int his lap, but he passed and took a running back. This year, Josh Rosen was available for pennies on the dollar, and Gettleman passed again. Dwayne Haskins was available and yet Gettleman wasn’t interested. Oh, and he managed to get rid of Odell Beckham Jr. along the way as well.

Instead, Gettleman fell in love with Daniel Jones and drafted his with the 6th pick, even when he easily could have waited until pick 17. Jones seems like a great kid and a nice player, but there’s no way he’s worthy of the 6th pick in the draft based on his tape. The kid isn’t accurate and he doesn’t handle pressure well.

This pick is a disaster for the Giants, and this once-proud franchise is tuning into a joke.

What’s going on in Oakland? Leading up to the draft it sounded like chaos in that building, and then Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock raised eyebrows during the draft. Clelin Ferrell is a very good player, but nobody thought he’d go in the top 10. But the Raiders decided to snag him at pick #4, even with tons of other talent sitting there on the board. Gruden has never been good at managing the draft, but you would think Mayock would have a clue about how to trade down, get more assets, and still get your man.

Only the idiocy of the Giants pushed this down as the top story.