7. New York Jets: Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
The New York Jets are one of the most desperate teams in the NFL right now. They have a new head coach (Aaron Glenn) and a new general manager (Darren Mougey). Their owner was just voted as the literal worst in the league by his own players. The Jets are cutting ties this offseason with legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The premature Super Bowl parade this time a year ago for the Jets looks really funny in hindsight, but don’t say we (meaning me) didn’t warn you. The Jets obviously have a need at the quarterback position and if there’s one thing Darren Mougey learned during his time with the Denver Broncos, it’s that you have to stick to your convictions at the position.
Jaxson Dart is not widely considered a top-10 prospect right now but it will be interesting to see how much he moves the needle between now and the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s got a lot of franchise QB qualities, but is his pre-draft hype more of the Will Levis variety?
8. Carolina Panthers: Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
There’s really no need to overthink things with the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The only question is going to be which player they rank as the top EDGE on their board with this selection, but I see very few avenues in which Carolina is not taking advantage of the defensive front with this top pick.
Jalon Walker, Shemar Stewart, and even possibly Mike Green will all be options here for the Panthers, whose pass rush needs an infusion of talent desperately after they traded away Brian Burns last offseason.
It’s a desperate situation for Panthers GM Dan Morgan, who would love nothing more than to give his emerging young quarterback extra possessions over the course of a season. How do you do that? You get a pass rusher who can help get your defense off the field quickly.