17. Cincinnati Bengals: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
There’s trouble in Cincinnati with seemingly everyone but Trey Hendrickson getting handed big-money contracts. Hendrickson wants a new deal or he wants to be traded, and even if the Bengals find a way to make him happy, they need help off the edge. There’s no doubt that Mykel Williams has some of the highest upside in this class at the age of 20 and flashing top-five pick potential early in his college career. The Bengals would be “buying low” in this scenario.
18. Seattle Seahawks: Tyler Booker, OL, Alabama
I want so badly to put Jalen Milroe in this pick slot as the Seahawks brought in the dynamic Alabama quarterback for a visit, but I’m not going there just yet. We’ll look at that another time. But wouldn’t that make sense with Mike Macdonald watching Lamar Jackson blossom when so many had written him off as an NFL QB prospect? Anyway, the Seahawks have the worst interior offensive line in the NFL right now. Tyler Booker and Grey Zabel should have Seattle hats close by during the 1st round.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
This is such an odd first round because you will typically see top cornerback prospects fly off the board early. The consensus seems to be that both Will Johnson and Jahdae Barron could hear their names called anywhere from the top 10 picks to the 20s. Barron’s versatility, toughness, ball skills, and football IQ will endear him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and head coach Todd Bowles.
20. New York Giants (from Broncos): Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
And here we have our one massive trade that could have a huge ripple effect in the 2025 NFL Draft. The New York Giants trade up 14 slots to reunite Colorado teammates Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, who just had their numbers retired by the university. The Giants have done more homework on these guys than most teams, and getting both of them in the building could help them thrive at the next level. It also might put Brian Daboll on notice as Deion might like to jump to the NFL at some point and coach these guys…