7. Las Vegas Raiders: Peter Woods, DL, Clemson
Where do we begin with the Raiders?
This Raiders team is going to be better in 2025. I don’t think they’re going to be able to be this bad unless Geno Smith is throwing a bunch of pick-sixes. Pete Carroll should help raise the floor of this team significantly. Smith is the best QB the Raiders have had over the last handful of years. Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers give the Raiders an enviable duo of young players for the offense.
But that defense in Las Vegas is horrendous. The Raiders have Maxx Crosby, who is going to have to account for the production of two or three guys because the Raiders just don’t have the talent on paper to hold up over a long NFL season. The injury issues with big-money free agent Christian Wilkins are concerning for the long-term, and a player like Peter Woods can give the Raiders a much-needed jolt on the defensive front.
8. Indianapolis Colts: Arch Manning, QB, Texas
We could go a few different ways here for some possible fan service to the Indianapolis Colts at the quarterback position.
Fernando Mendoza is likely to become a fan favorite in the area with his transfer to Bloomington in 2025 to play for the Hoosiers. And it’s possible that the Colts go after Mendoza even higher than this, because their quarterback situation could sink this ship pretty early on.
But what if the Colts have the chance to take the nephew of the best player in their franchise’s history? That would be wild.
Right now, opinions are super split on Arch Manning’s NFL projection. A lot of NFL Draft experts don’t think he’s as good of a prospect and is riding the momentum of his last name. To me, this is a kid who was beloved by talent evaluators since he was in middle school. I think he’s going to take the next step in his game this year and become a consensus top-10 player.