53. Houston Texans - Emery Jones, OT, LSU
The Houston Texans offensive line play has not been great this year, and while second-year QB CJ Stroud does deserve some of the blame for the team's struggles, the OL most definitely needs improved. Texans GM Nick Caserio has done a fantastic job overall in bringing this franchise back from the dead, but it's clear that he will need to invest into an important position next offseason.
The Texans take OT Emery Jones from LSU and hope that they can simply field a competent offensive line in 2025 and beyond. It's rare for a QB or team overall to succeed with poor OL play. This is the main building block of an NFL team besides the QB.
And the Texans must do whatever it takes to protect CJ Stroud.
54. Denver Broncos - Evan Stewart, WR, Oregon
The Denver Broncos continue to load up offensively for Bo Nix, and take Evan Stewart from Oregon. Stewart transferred to Oregon for the 2024 college football season, so he did not play with Nix, but he does come from the same, top-tier program. Denver is enjoying a ton of success this year with their rookie QB, and they are doing it without much at the playmaker positions.
It's been Courtland Sutton and "hold your breath" with the Broncos playmakers this year, but this success is showing just how important competent coaching and OL play is. If Denver can bring in some pieces on offense to make life even easier for Bo Nix, this team is going to ascend right into the Super Bowl contention window.
55. Washington Commanders - Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame
The Washington Commanders have laid the groundwork for long-term success in the NFL. They have dropped three games in a row, but if you ask me, they are going to be just fine. Jayden Daniels has been very good this year, and it's important to keep in mind that this is year one for the GM, head coach, and QB.
The potential is through the roof, and at pick 55 of this NFL mock draft, Washington takes safety Xavier Watts from Notre Dame.
56. Los Angeles Chargers - Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson
The Los Angeles Chargers are probably going to be very aggressive next offseason with the players that they bring in. Their current group are mostly just holdovers from the previous regime, so it's likely that we see more of Jim Harbaugh's footprint on this roster going forward. They address the defense in the second round and take Barrett Carter from Clemson.