49. Minnesota Vikings - Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
Eli Stowers might legitimately be the most athletic tight end prospect to ever enter into an NFL Draft. His vertical jump was something to behold, and his athletic profile and receiving upside is present.
There are some huge limitations here, though, and I am not so sure this is a first-round player. Stowers just isn’t going to offer much at all as a blocker, and he does not have special teams experience.
It might be hard for him to get onto the field early in his career, but the athletic upside seems to have Stowers as high as TE2 in certain instances. The Vikings figure they could get some great value with Stowers and take him at pick 49 in this mock draft.
50. Detroit Lions - AJ Haulcy, S, LSU
The secondary is one area where Lions GM Brad Holmes just has not seen come together in recent years, and a lot of that has been due to injuries. Well, the Lions might have to keep adding players and adding players until finally, a solution is present.
Detroit can go in a number of directions with its draft picks, given how solid their roster is, and after a down year in 2025 and a second-half collapse, you get the sense that this team is going to be more motivated than ever to retake the NFC North title, a division they did dominate for a couple of seasons.
51. Carolina Panthers - Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee
After taking Sadiq in the first round the Panthers double-down on the offensive side of the ball and now add another big-bodied target in Chris Brazzell II. What we have seen from the Panthers in this era is a ton of free agency spending on the defensive side of the ball, which is a solid move.
Some of the best defenses in the NFL, like the Broncos, have built their defense through free agency. The Panthers take a vertical threat in Brazzell at pick 51 and give Young yet another weapon, in, once again, what will be a huge year for the young quarterback. A strong year in 2025 could earn Young a long-term contract extension.
52. Green Bay Packers - Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati
Losing Quay Walker in free agency, the Packers take linebacker Jake Golday from Cincinnati. The team does not have a first-round pick this year due to the Micah Parsons trade, and Parsons is recovering from his torn ACL. It won’t be a guarantee that he’s back on the field from Week 1.
Golday is a massive linebacker with athletic upside and is one of the better prospects in a loaded linebacker class.