7. New York Jets: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
The New York Jets have a new brain trust with general manager Darren Mougey coming over from the Denver Broncos and Aaron Glenn now the head coach after a great stint calling the defense for the Detroit Lions. The Jets have a lot of great pieces on the roster and the Jets are going to look to build upon that foundation under Mougey and Glenn, and I could see this team believing the best course of action is one more year of Aaron Rodgers and a possible reset in 2026.
Regardless of who the quarterback ends up being for the Jets, this team absolutely needs to add a dynamic presence at the tight end position. Tyler Warren is exactly that. He did everything for the Penn State offense this past season and has a complete skill set. He can play in line, he blocks well, he can run after the catch, and he has strong hands. It would be unfair to expect Warren to be the “next” Brock Bowers but he can be a highly effective weapon immediately at the next level.
8. Carolina Panthers: Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
The Carolina Panthers had one of the worst defenses in the NFL this past season, and when you look up and down at the roster they assembled on that side of the ball, it’s not overly hard to tell why.
After trading Brian Burns to the New York Giants, the Panthers failed to find anyone even remotely capable of filling his shoes off the edge. They didn’t even get to see one of their top free agent pickups – DJ Wonnum – until later in the year when the season was already lost.
Carolina desperately needs to add pieces to build around on the defensive side of the ball, and that’s exactly what Jalon Walker can be. He played off the edge and off-ball linebacker at Georgia but his projection to the NFL will involve much more rushing the passer. He’s a high-character player who is likely going to be beloved in this pre-draft process by coaches around the league.