25. Washington Commanders - Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
How about the Washington Commanders? The team seems to have struck gold with rookie QB Jayden Daniels, and even though this team simply cannot beat other good teams yet, does not mean they still aren’t in great shape for the future. Washington is still in a position to win the NFC East if things go their way, and they are most definitely still in a decent playoff spot.
One area they did address at the NFL trade deadline was in the secondary; they swung a trade for former New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who could be a part of their plans in 2025 and beyond. Washington is absolutely going to hammer away more at the secondary next offseason, so in the 2025 NFL Draft, they could target the best safety in the country in Malaki Starks of Georgia.
He could be the missing piece to this puzzle for Washington, and if the team sees Jayden Daniels take the desired year-two leap, this team could be a serious contender in the NFC for years to come.
26. Baltimore Ravens - Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State
The Baltimore Ravens passing defense has been bad this year. Like, it’s been very, very bad. It’s odd, as the team has a ton of talent on the backend, but I guess it just has not come together for them as of yet. Losing former defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald has been a huge blow, but Baltimore could take the lead in the AFC North in Week 11 with a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
If the Ravens get bounced out of the playoffs once again, it may be because their passing defense simply cannot hold up, so in this NFL mock draft, I went with Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke. Shoring up the defensive backend needs to be a top priority for Baltimore this coming offseason if they want to eventually make a Super Bowl run.