The Hole Night 50th Reunion bash was a huge success. Great old friends telling great old stories while enjoying adult beverages and fine cigars. And while the reunion was going on I had my good eye on the draft too. Here's how I see it played out.
 | Fernando Mendoza QB Indiana | It was a no brainer pick. Mendoza was the best QB in the draft by far. He's a complete QB with tremendous accuracy. His ability to bail the offense out of deep holes on 3rd down is uncanny. Don't underestimate his mobility which he will need as the Raiders attempt to upgrade one of the worst OLs in the game. The Raiders finally have their franchise QB |
 | David Bailey DE Texas Tech | Bailey is a proven edge rusher but hit or miss as a rush defender and paired with Will McDonald they will rattle Drake Maye and Josh Allen. But he is hot or miss as a rush defenders similar to McDonald which could cause some concerns. He'll be measured up against Arvell Reese who was also considered at this spot. Bailey is more proven as an edge rusher but may not have the upside of Reese. |
 | Jeremiyah Love RB Notre Dame | Love becomes the highest drafted RB since Sauqon back in 2018. Love is elite as both a runner and receiver and can supercharge the Cardinal offense. But there is no one around him. Arizona will likely waste his best years as the try to find a QB and build an offense. |
 | Carnell Tate WR Ohio State | The first surprise of the draft. Expectations would be that Tennessee would g defense with this pick. With teammates like Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Jeremiah Smith, Tate went under the radar, but he is a talented receiver in his own right. Tate has good size, runs well enough, and has flashed big-play ability while never being the No. 1 featured receiver. He's a safe pick to be a solid contributor. He will be compared to Jordan Tyson who was available. |
 | Arvell Reese DE/OLB Ohio State | The Giants had to be surprised that Reese was available at 5 so they grabbed him rather than a position of need such as WR. He is the most complete defender in the draft. Reese is a special player with great instincts in combination with being big, athletic, and fast. Reese is a sideline-to-sideline run defender who is tough at the point of attack. He is also capable of dropping into coverage, moves well in zone, and is a dangerous pass rusher. The Giants will likely use him as an off-ball linebacker as he develops and realizes his immense potential as an NFL edge rusher. |
 | Mansoor Delane CB LSU | The first mistake of the draft. The Chiefs traded up three spots to get the what might be the 2nd best CB in the draft. He could have been available later in the night. Delane is an instinctive defender with a quality skill set for the next level. He has good size to him with upside to continue to get better as he gains experience. Delane's size, run-support skills and ball disruption are NFL ready. But he was not worth trading up forr. |
 | Sonny Styles LB Ohio State | The Redskins are getting the best player on the board who fills a huge need for them. They should be able to cover the middle of the field for once, very useful against the Eagles’ offense. Styles is an incredibly versatile, high-IQ prospect who could immediately be the field general His ability to cover ground in coverage at his size is nothing short of special. |
 | Jordyn Tyson WR Arizona State | the best WR in the draft falls to the Saints at 8. Tyson is one of the most explosive prospects, regardless of position. He can stretch a defense with his combination of size and vertical burst, plus he has a knack for picking up yards after the catch. An excellent addition to a hobbled Saints WR corps. But he has a bit of the injury bug too missing time every year during his college career. |
 | Spencer Fano OT Utah | The Browns making a good draft move? When is the last time you could say that. Cleveland fooled KC into thinking they were going for Delane and got their guy and draft capital too. Fano pairs high-end athleticism with technical prowess and strong hands. He's an elite zone blocker who has the size to play anywhere along the offensive line if needed. His arm length may scare some off, but it was never a massive issue for him on tape. |
| | Francis Mauigoa OT Miami (FL) | Were the Giants drinking during the draft. First they take a defensive project at a non-need position. Then they take OT that they also don't need who might not be able to play due to a back injury. He'll kick inside to right guard for now, where he'll be a butt-kicker in the run game. His ability to move people off the line of scrimmage is special for a player who hasn't even turned 21 yet. |
 | Caleb Downs S Ohio State | The Cowboys upgrade their much maligned secondary. Downs is a true do-it-all safety with no true holes in his game. Downs can play safety and nickel corner for the Cowboys and give them a dynamic playmaker in the middle of the field. In 2025, Could they have gotten him at 12 instead of trading two fifth round picks to move up one spot. Maybe, but it was a small price to pay to get Downs. |
 | Kaydan Proctor OT Alabama | The Lions were really hoping Kadyn Proctor would fall to them, but the Dolphins quashed those hopes. Proctor is risky with his weight, but there’s a ton of upside with this pick for the Dolphins, who have needed offensive line help for years. Oh, and they got a couple fifth rounders too, Excellent drafting by Miami. |
 | Ty Simpson QB Alabama | You got to be kidding me! What a joke. Arizona was debating whether to take Simpspn at 30 so why would he be good enough to take at 13. The Rams are on the verge to win the Super Bowl right now. They needed the best player available to put them over the top. Instead, they selected a one-year starter who melted down in every big game. There’s a chance Simpson wouldn’t have been the starter at Alabama had he returned to school. Worst draft pick I can ever remember. |
 | Vega Ioane G Penn State | Ba;timore, unlike the Rams understand how to use the draft to get to a Super Bowl. The Ravens, as is their history, usual, were able to get a great value. Ioane is a strong blocker at the point of attack with the ability to generate movement in the ground game. He is also a reliable pass protector. Ioane is explosive, can mirror speed rushers, and plays with physicality with a nasty streak. Ioane looks like a guard for the NFL and probably does not have the length to kick outside to tackle. |
 | Rueben Bain DE Miami (FL) | Great value pick. Bain could have easily gone in the 7-10 range, and no one would have blinked an eye. Bain is a rugged, powerful pass rusher who has been was dinged for short arms, but he’s a great player and should be able to be productive in the pros. He can set a hard edge in the run game and collapse pockets with ease. He fills what was easily the biggest need on the Bucs. |
| | Kenyon Sadiq TE Oregon | Multi-tight end formations is all the rage lately, so this pick makes sense despite the Jets having a talented tight end in Mason Taylor. That's his ideal role - a movable TE2 who can block in space and run past linebackers. Sadiq is one of the most physically-gifted prospects for the position in a long time running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the combine. Athletes like him don't come around every year. |
 | Blake Miller OT Clemson | The Lions desperately needed a tackle with Taylor Decker gone, and there was some discussion that they’d move up for Kadyn Proctor. Instead, they get Blake Miller, who fills an obvious need. Miller was a solid starting tackle for Clemson with 54 consecutive starts. He is a good athlete with quickness and agility on the edge. Miller could stand to get stronger and play with more physicality, so he is a bit of a project. But he has the ability to develop into a solid pro starter. Time will tell if they should have gone with Monroe Freeling over Miller, This likely confirms Penei Sewell to the left side as Miller was a four-year starter at right tackle. |
 | Caleb Banks DT Florida | A huge reach for Banks who was projected as a late second rounder. But he fills a position of need for the Vikings. At 6-foot-6, 327 pounds with an over 7-foot wingspan, when he fires off low into contact, he's nearly impossible to block. The worry is that we never saw it consistently before his 2025 season was cut short with a foot injury that required surgery. He then had another foot surgery after an injury suffered during the combine week. The Vikingsd would have been better off taking a better secondary player here. |
 | Monroe Freeling OT Georgia | Freeling has got prototypical left tackle size and athleticism but the knock on him was he really only started looking like a first-round tackle for the final few games of 2025. The Panthers don't need him to start right away after the Rasheed Walker signing so he will have time to develop. |
 | Makai Lemon WR USC | This could either be a great value pick or an utter bust. Lemon is dynamic weapon good enough to go in the top half of the draft Despite not being big, (5-11, 190) Lemon did nice job winning contested catches. For the NFL, he would fit best as a slot receiver. But, Lemon had some seriously terrible and weird interviews at the combine. This pick has great upside, but Lemon may not be around very long if he continues this behavior. |
 | Max Iheanachor OT Arizona State | Iheanachor is a project having only started playing football 5 years ago. But he has very high upside. For the Steelers, they won't necessarily need him to start Year 1 with Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu already set at tackle. But they could have had Iheanachor much later in the draft. |
 | Akheen Mesidor DE Miami (FL) | It fills a need, but Akheem Mesidor is an old prospect (25), so there’s not much upside. Mesidor was also able to ride Rueben Bain’s coattails, so there’s no way of knowing how he would have performed if opposing teams were able to focus on him. Mesidor was truly dominant vs. both run and pass. The problem is he doesn't quite have top-10 tools. The Chargers needed help on the defensive line in a huge way, and he should be a plug-and-play piece on this defense as it tries to contend. |
| | Malachi Lawrence DE Central Florida | The Cowboys traded down three spots and were able to still get their player His explosiveness is all over his tape. He's undoubtedly a project, though, who flashed more on reps than he did for long stretches of time. He’s a liability against the run, but Dallas needed a pass-rushing replacement for Micah Parsons. |
| | KC Concepcion WR Texas A&M | K.C. Concepcion is a terrific prospect with some great play-making ability. He was the best separator in the entire draft class. He can play on both the outside or slot for the Browns and has even taken 68 handoffs in his career. The only issue is a 9.3% career drop rate. IThe Browns need wide receiver help desperately and could still potentially add another in this draft class. But Concepcion is a great place to start. It must be noted that he comes with some character concerns. |
 | Dillon Theineman S Oregon | Thieneman will be a nice upgrade for the Bears at safety. Thieneman had eight picks and 11 pass-breakups in his college career to go along with 4.35 speed. He's a crazy athlete who has a nose for the football and can cover as well. But the Bears may have wanted to consider other players for their dreadful pass rush |
 | Keylan Rutledge G Georgia Tech | The Texans moved up for Keylan Rutledge? Why? They easily could have gotten him two picks later because he’s a second-round prospect. He's a hard-nosed guard who you'll never have to worry about playing through the whistle. He's a people mover at the point of attack but pass protection could be an issue, which is not ideal with C.J. Stroud regressing each year. |
| | Chris Johnson CB San Diego State | Johnson was a dynamo in coverage in the Mountain West but his athleticism questionalble. There was no need to trade up for Johnson with several talented corners available. Also Miami failed to address the weakest receiver room in the NFL in the first round, which is something they needed to do to make sure Malik Willis succeeds. |
 | Caleb Lomu OT Utah | To get a tackle with Lomu's tape in pass protection at 28 overall is nothing short of a steal. He falls here because he needs to get stronger, more consistent, and play with more edge. Drake Maye was sacked at least five times in every single playoff game, so New England had to obtain someone like Lomu. |
| | PeterWoods DT Clemson | With Chris Jones turning 32 this offseason, the Chiefs nab his successor in Peter Woods. Woods has an incredible blend of explosiveness and play strength. He falls to this point in the draft because of lackluster tape this past fall compared to 2024, but now he gets to learn from the best in the business on how to rush the passer. We’ll have to see if Woods finally lives up to his potential, but there’s a ton of upside with this pick. |
| | Omar Cooper WR Indiana | he Jets are giving Geno Smith quite the arsenal, selecting Omar Cooper after getting Kenyon Sadiq. They were starved for offensive firepower, and they may now have plenty of it. New York's offense doesn't have that reliable possession type receiver on the roster. Adding him gives the WR that weapon. Cooper should be a big upgrade across from Garrett Wilson, and he provides with plenty of value because he easily could have gotten him in the 16-21 range. |
| | Keldric Faulk DE Auburn | The Titans complete the overhaul of their non-existent edge room from a season ago with one of the draft's best run defenders. Keldric Faulk has superb talent and could have easily been chosen in the teens or maybe even No. 12. The Titans don’t have an edge rush, so the Titans are filling a huge need with a prospect with insane upside. Faulk has the length to be a hard edge-setter across from Jermaine Johnson in the Titans' defense. He also has the body type to kick inside and rush the passer. He'll need some development as a true rusher, but he offers intriguing tools in that regard. |
 | Jadarian Price RB Notre Dame | The Seahawks have only four picks in the draft so using the most valuable pick on a position of nonpremium position is a bit of a head scratcher. Price is a reach with plenty of unkknowns about him. That said, Price is an explosive running back who fills a huge need in the wake of Kenneth Walker’s departure and Zach Charbonnet’s injury. |
