2025 NFL Draft News & Rumors

Steelers Interested In Trading Back; Latest On Team’s QB Draft Approach

April 21st, 2025 at 9:32pm CST by Adam La Rose

All 32 teams still own their first-round pick as the countdown to the draft nears an end. Movement up and down the order could be in store soon, although 2025 is not expected to witness many blockbuster trades given the nature of this year’s class.

As a result, the list of teams interested in moving back is lengthier than usual. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Steelers are among those looking to trade down, something which comes as little surprise. Pittsburgh’s acquisition of Pro Bowl wideout D.K. Metcalf included the team’s second-rounder in 2025, so trading back to recoup some of that lost capital would be a feasible approach. As Schefter notes, however, there are few known parties looking to trade up.

The Steelers own pick No. 21, which may put them in range to add a quarterback. Per Schefter, the team did not originally intend to select a signal-caller on the opening night of the draft, but the board may allow for that to take place. Shedeur Sanders has been viewed at times as a first-round lock but has seen his stock drop recently, something Schefter adds the Steelers did not anticipate. The Colorado product may be available as a result, and head coach Mike Tomlin has been named as a Sanders supporter.

Pittsburgh is also among the teams which have put together a strong evaluation of Jaxson Dart. The Ole Miss product is considered a first-round prospect by the Steelers, a team still in need of a long-term Ben Roethlisberger successor. Mason Rudolph is back in the organization, but it would come as no surprise if a rookie were to be added this week as competition for the starting gig in 2025 or at least an option to take over QB1 duties down the road.

Aaron Rodgers looms as a stopgap option for next season, but it remains to be seen if he will play in 2025 (and if so, for the Steelers). Pittsburgh has remained patient while awaiting a decision on the Rodgers front, and that process could easily extend past the draft. It will be interesting to see if a first-round signal-caller is in the fold shortly in the Steelers’ case or if the team aims to trade down on the opening night of the draft.

Ashton Jeanty Could Be On Jaguars’ Radar; RB Still Top Bears Target

April 21st, 2025 at 9:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

During the pre-draft process, the Raiders have consistently been linked to Ashton Jeanty. The consensus top running back in the 2025 class is understandably seen by many as a strong candidate for the sixth overall pick, but other teams are worth watching on this front as well.

The Jaguars can be listed as a “sleeper team” regarding Jeanty, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (video link). Jacksonville is set to select fifth overall, and the team has often been connected to Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. Taking that route is seen by many as the likeliest outcome, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes. He adds, however, that selecting a skill-position player at No. 5 could be in play.

In that case, Jeanty would receive consideration. The Heisman runner-up enjoyed a hugely productive three-year career at Boise State, cementing his status as the most highly-regarded prospect in a deep running back class. Jeanty is widely viewed as a top-10 talent (at least), but the matter of taking a running back so high in the draft remains a topic of debate. An All-American in 2024 (just like Jeanty), Graham is seen as one of the safest prospects in the draft and could contribute right away along Jacksonville’s D-line.

If the Jaguars – now led by first-time general manager James Gladstone and rookie head coach Liam Coen – elect to avoid Graham and Jeanty with their top pick, a move down the board could be in order. Fowler’s colleague Adam Schefter lists Jacksonville as one of the teams interested in a trading back, something which will be difficult given the lack of blue chip prospects at the top of the order. If such a deal were to be made, though, the Raiders would remain in position to add Jeanty.

Such a scenario would come as no surprise, but Schefter notes a sense exists around the league that the Bears are “praying” Jeanty falls to them at No. 10. Chicago has done plenty of work at the running back spot during the pre-draft process, and the team is known to be high on the Maxwell Award winner. D’Andre Swift has one more year of guarantees on his deal, but adding Jeanty to the mix would give the Bears a two-pronged rushing attack not unlike the one new head coach Ben Johnson had with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery during his time as the Lions’ offensive coordinator.

In the event the Jags stand pat at No. 5 and draft Jeanty, Breer adds former first-rounder Travis Etienne could become a trade candidate. It would come as a surprise to many for that circumstance to emerge, but it is a possibility to watch for as the first round approaches.

Broncos Looking To Move Up In First Round

April 21st, 2025 at 6:44pm CST by Ben Levine

While there’s been plenty of talk about teams potentially moving back in the first round, it sounds like one team is actually focused on moving up the draft board. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Broncos “have made inquiries about moving up” in the first round. Albert Breer of SI.com shares that sentiment, noting that Denver is one of the lone teams looking to move up.

The Broncos are currently armed with the No. 20 pick in the draft, and they own all of their picks through the first four rounds. The team doesn’t own a fifth- nor seventh-round pick, although GM George Paton and his staff do have three sixth-round selections at their disposal. Denver also has all of their 2026 picks except a sixth-round selection (sent to the Jets in the John Franklin-Myers trade).

After the Broncos made a surprising run at the playoffs behind rookie QB Bo Nix, the organization is obviously looking to take another significant step in 2025. There’s been plenty of speculation that the front office could look to add to Nix’s arsenal, with rumblings surrounding the addition of an early-round running back or receiver. On the flip side, there’s also been a rumor about the Broncos focusing their draft efforts on the defensive side of the ball — even after the Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga signings.

In other words, the Broncos’ trade opportunities will likely be dependent on individual players vs. any one overarching position. One thing seems pretty certain: the Broncos won’t be moving back. As our own Sam Robinson noted last week, Sean Payton has never traded down in Round 1 (and probably won’t start now).

Fortunately for the Broncos, they should have plenty of options if they ultimately decide to pull the trigger on a trade. While there’s been plenty of trade-back speculation regarding a handful of teams, Schefter definitively points to the Jaguars (No. 5), Panthers (No. 8), 49ers (No. 11), Falcons (No. 15), Seahawks (No. 18), and Buccaneers (No. 19) as teams picking before Denver that could be looking to move back.

Saints Likelier To Add QB After Round 1?

April 21st, 2025 at 3:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

APRIL 21: The Saints have done much more work on Dart than Sanders, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes. That falls in line with reporting from ESPN’s Adam Schefter; both pieces point further to New Orleans opting against a signal-caller at No. 9 and targeting one later. On that note, Schefter adds the Saints have made “exploratory calls” about trading up in the second round, a move which would be aimed at selecting a passer like Dart or another option at the position.

APRIL 18: A recent report indicated the Saints want to come out of this draft with a quarterback, but they may not view this prospect crop as producing anyone — after Cam Ward goes off the board — worthy of the No. 9 overall pick.

With the caveat of smokescreen season being in full swing, the Saints appear more likely — even after the Derek Carr news became public — to wait on a quarterback rather than select one in Round 1. They do not appear enamored with a passing prospect enough to pull the trigger at No. 9, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill notes; ESPN.com’s Matt Miller concurs.

If the top 10 closes without a second quarterback being taken, an interesting pursuit will begin. The Giants are also viewed as being in the mix to trade up from their second-round position (No. 34) for a potential long-term answer. The Saints hold the No. 40 overall choice, a range Underhill classifies as a sweet spot for the team to get serious at QB. The Saints famously have not chosen a first-round quarterback since Archie Manning (1971), seeing free agents (Carr, Drew Brees) and trade acquisitions (Aaron Brooks) carrying the load throughout this century. With Carr’s status uncertain, however, the organization will be taking a risk by passing at No. 9.

The Saints would have a few second-tier options to choose from if they were to take their chances and go another direction in the first round. It does not look like Shedeur Sanders will be chosen in the top 10, based on recent reports, and ESPN.com’s Field Yates does not view the Saints as being sold on Sanders to the point they would burn their top draft asset on the two-year Colorado starter. That said, Yates adds Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough are believed to be on the team’s radar at a later point.

To land Dart, the Saints will probably need to trade back into Round 1. This would allow them to pick up a fifth-year option on the Ole Miss alum’s contract. Our Ely Allen mocked Dart to the Saints at No. 9. That would be the safest play for the team, even though it would strip away the chance of bolstering its Week 1 starting lineup with a higher-level prospect. QB reaches occur annually, but if the Saints do not view a substantial gap to exist between this glut of second-tier options, waiting on one could be the play.

Saints-Dart connections came up earlier during the pre-draft process, while the team has also been tied to Quinn Ewers. The latter likely will be available at No. 40. Additionally, Miller notes the Saints still view fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler as having upside. Rattler submitted a shaky run as Carr’s primary injury fill-in, after falling in the 2024 draft. Though, this came with the Saints missing their top two wide receivers, creating a tough situation for a Day 3 rookie. It would still be unlikely if the Saints left this draft with Carr and Rattler as their top two QB options, but the latter’s presence may deter the team from reaching for a passer at No. 9.

A non-QB addition in Round 1, to merely add another potential quality starter to the roster, may well be the play while the franchise examines this year’s passer contingent. With the Browns likely joining the Giants in being on the trade-up radar, to go with the QB-needy Steelers lurking as well, the Saints will have some potential landmines to navigate if they do pass at No. 9 and look to circle back to the game’s premier position soon after.

Prospect Profile: Shedeur Sanders

April 20th, 2025 at 10:10pm CST by Ely Allen

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, son of Hall of Fame NFL cornerback and current Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, has been one of the 2025 NFL Draft class’s most polarizing prospects. At times trending to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Sanders’ draft stock has slowly fallen in the last few months, but he still projects as a first-round quarterback and a potential starter in the NFL.

Sanders grew up just outside of Dallas, where his father spent five years of his career from 1995-99. When he got to high school, attending Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill, Texas, he was coached by his father, who served as the high school’s offensive coordinator at the time. Between the different recruit ranking services, Sanders was either a three- or four-star recruit, with 247Sports ranking him as the 37th-best passer in the class.

Likely based on his pedigree, plenty of schools were willing to take a chance on Sanders as a prospect, granting him offers from several Division I programs. The schools that recruited him the most were Alabama, Baylor, Louisville, LSU, South Carolina, FAU, UCF, and Utah State. He committed to the Owls in Boca Raton in the July before his senior season, but when his father was hired as the new head coach at Jackson State two months later, the Tigers became the favorite to land him. He eventually decommitted from FAU, flipping and signing with Jackson State, who would also flip five-star, No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter from Florida State on Early National Signing Day.

After initially being ineligible to perform in football activities during the spring, Sanders was named the starting quarterback for Jackson State as a true freshman. Starting all 13 games, Sanders completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 3,231 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions, winning 11 games. He won the Jerry Rice Award (given to the most outstanding freshman in the FCS) becoming the first player from a historically black college or university (HBCU) to win the award. As a sophomore, Sanders’ Tigers went 12-1 while he completed 70.6 percent of his passes for 3,732 yards, 40 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. He sophomore campaign was rewarded with the Deacon Jones Trophy (given to the nation’s top HBCU player).

In early-December, near the end of the Tigers’ season, Deion was named the new head coach at Colorado. Two weeks later, both Shedeur and Hunter entered the transfer portal and, eventually, followed their head coach to Boulder. The newcomers in Colorado started off hot with three straight wins over a ranked TCU, Nebraska, and Colorado State, but the Buffaloes would go 1-8 in Pac-12 play to finish the season 4-8 (4-7 with Sanders as the starter). Sanders completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only three interceptions as he and Hunter shined as bright spots on a struggling team that desperately needed improvements on the offensive line and defense.

Coming back for his final year of eligibility, Sanders, Hunter, and company went 9-3 in the regular season, ranking 23rd in the College Football Playoff rankings, missing the playoffs. They would go on to lose to BYU in the Alama Bowl to end 9-4. Overall on the season, Sanders set career highs in completion percentage (74.0) and passing yards (4,134) while throwing 37 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He earned honors as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in the school’s first season in the new conference, and the university would eventually announce that it was retiring both Sanders’ No. 2 jersey and Hunter’s No. 12 jersey.

At times during the 2024 season, Sanders was thought to be a potential No. 1 overall pick in the draft, often with Hunter being his top competition for the top honor in the class. Over time, Miami’s Cam Ward eventually took over the odds as the favorite to land in Nashville as the top overall draft pick, making Sanders a likely second overall pick. As the pre-draft process continued, Sanders continued to slip with Hunter and Penn State’s Abdul Carter becoming favorites to land at Nos. 2 and 3. While it’s always a possibility that a team could trade up to No. 4 overall to secure Sanders, the latest projections see him potentially falling back to No. 9 overall with the Saints or even No. 21 overall with the Steelers. There are some that view him almost as highly as Ward and some who don’t even give him a first-round grade.

The majority of concerns that have caused Sanders to slide have to do with his tape. Sanders ranks as QB2 (sometimes QB3 behind Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart) for a reason. His senior year completion percentage led the NCAA, displaying elite accuracy, and he shows impressive abilities stay cool in clutch situations and avoid turnovers despite excessive pressure from a leaky offensive line. He’s smart, savvy, and tough and plays in a really clean rhythm with Colorado’s offensive system, which he knows well.

Some negatives from his game are actually related to some his strengths. His high completion percentage has been linked to an overreliance on quick throws, screens, and checkdowns as only 23.7 percent of his completions at Colorado were on throws over 10 yards. Much of this has to do with a lack of elite arm strength, forcing him to rely on strong timing to float and arc throws in to his receivers with limited zip. When that elite timing falls apart on him, though, he can roll the snowball down the hill, backpedaling into pressure and holding on to the ball too long while trying to make something out of nothing. When plays fall apart, he has a tendency to get ultra-conservative, which avoids turnovers but doesn’t turn negative plays into positive plays, something Ward excels at. A lot of this stems, as well, from a general lack of mobility, a trait he failed to inherit from his father.

Further concerns were raised about off-the-field aspects. Though Sanders has kept his nose clean off the field, some organizations came away from interviews with Sanders with concerns about his character, whether warranted or not we can’t necessarily say. There were also concerns about his leadership, mentality, and coachability on a team without his father as a coach, considering Deion has coached his son since their time in high school together.

Regardless of these concerns, Sanders has shown that he can overcome his shortcomings to find some success at the collegiate level. It remains to be seen whether he can find that same success without a Heisman winner weapon to throw to or his father as a mentor and coach to support him, but Sanders has done enough at this point to warrant a first- or second-round chance. While Sanders’ elite timing and ability to avoid turnovers makes him one of the most pro-ready passers in the class, he may project best on a team with whom he can sit, learn, and develop, a team with a veteran in place that Sanders can either beat out or learn from.

Later this week, we’ll find out which locker room he’ll be joining. And, in May, when the rookies report to camp, we’ll begin to see just how well he fares out from under the shadows of his father and Hunter.

Steelers Have 1st-Round Grade On Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart

April 20th, 2025 at 10:09pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Steelers have a first-round grade on Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, though that does not mean they’ll prioritize the position over other needs in next week’s draft.

Instead, Dulac writes, Pittsburgh will likely target a defensive lineman or even a running back with their first-round pick. Both positions have projected top-10 picks (Michigan’s Mason Graham, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty) who are not expected to fall to the Steelers with multiple second-tier talents that should be available at No. 21.

The team’s defensive line targets include Georgia’s Walter Nolen, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, and Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, per Dulac. At running back, Pittsburgh could target North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton or Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson, though they may wait until Day 2 to pick from a deep class.

Pittsburgh used 17 of their top-30 pre-draft visits on defensive linemen and running backs, another indication that their first-round pick will target one of the two positions.

The Steelers’ top brass also did their homework on this year’s quarterback class. They have a first-round grade on Dart and “really like” Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, per Dulac, making both potential options with the 21st round pick if the talent at DL and RB thins out. The team also scouted a number of Day 2 quarterbacks via pro days and top-30 visits.

Ultimately, though, it’s hard to believe that the Steelers would pass up the opportunity to draft a potential franchise quarterback after cycling through a half-dozen starters since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. They may still sign Aaron Rodgers to start this year, but they have no long-term options on the roster and a clear desire to add one. It would be strange to have first-round grades on Dart and potentially Sanders but prioritize other positions when quarterback is such a dire need in 2025 and beyond.

Prospect Profile: Donovan Ezeiruaku

April 20th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Boston College doesn’t always act as a pipeline of talent into the NFL, but often, the players they do put into the league (e.g. Matt Ryan, Luke Kuechly, Chris Lindstrom) have potential to be some of the best at their respective positions. Premier pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku has potential to do the same for the Eagles as a possible first-round pick this coming Thursday.

Originally a Philadelphia native, Ezeiruaku grew up and went to high school just half an hour south of the city at Williamstown HS (NJ). Even after leading his high school to back-to-back state championships, Ezeiruaku didn’t have a rank on most recruiting sites. He ended up being ranked as a three-star athlete, with 247Sports ranking him as the country’s 195th-best linebacker.

After getting his second ring at the high school level, Ezeiruaku started to garner some attention, picking up offers from FCS programs like Holy Cross, Stony Brook, and Wagner. His intelligence was on display, as well, as he saw offers come in from Harvard and Princeton. Eventually, FBS offers would arrive with Northern Illinois, Old Dominion, Temple, Boston College, and Vanderbilt all soliciting his services. Without the availability to take visits because of COVID-19, Ezeiruaku committed to head coach Jeff Hafley and the Eagles sight unseen.

As a true freshman, Ezeiruaku didn’t start but played a huge role off the bench, logging three sacks and four tackles for loss in 10 game appearances. Becoming a full-time starter in 2022, he earned All-ACC second-team honors with a breakout season that saw him lead the team in both sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (14.5). Despite a down season for the Eagles defense the following year, Ezeiruaku still led the team in both categories while only recording two sacks and 6.5 tackles for loss in 13 starts.

Whatever Ezeiruaku lacked in production in 2023, he made up for in his senior season. This past year, Ezeiruaku finished second in the country with 16.5 sacks (behind only Marshall’s Mike Green) and fourth in the country with 20.5 tackles for loss (behind Green, Penn State’s Abdul Carter, and Ohio State’s JT Tuimoloau). Because he played in one fewer game than Green, Ezeiruaku passed him on avergae as first in the country with 1.38 sacks per game (over Green’s 1.33). Similarly, Carter and Tuimoloau both played in 16 games, so Ezeiruaku passed them to finish second in the country with 1.71 tackles for loss per game (behind only Green’s 1.73).

There’s lots to like about Ereizuaku as a pure pass rusher. He has great bend and acceleration during an outside speed rush. He also has a range of pass rushing moves that utilize his lateral mobility and quickness. He also has the flexibility to rush from both sides of the ball. He showed durability throughout his time in Chestnut Hill, starting 36 straight contests after missing three games his freshman year. He also showed leadership characteristics as a team captain in his last two years of school.

Ezeiruaku isn’t a perfect pass rushing prospect, though. Ideally, he needs to add size and strength in order to compete with NFL linemen, particularly since he doesn’t have an effective bullrush move. That lack of muscle moves can limit him if he gets pinned inside on a pass rush. While he’s an elite disruptor, he lacks elite abilities on other parts of the field. He rarely showed an ability to drop into coverage, and if a quarterback or ball carrier slips away from him, he doesn’t have great speed to pursue.

These shortcomings haven’t stopped teams from doing plenty of homework on Ezeiruaku as a potential first-round pick. The reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year and consensus All-American (the school’s first since running back Andre Williams in 2013) was a hot topic among scouts at the start of the month and has only seen his stock rise from there. While some view him as an early-Day 2 prospect, a run on pass rushers could help Ezeiruaku slip into some first-round money, and with how deep this year’s pass rushing group is, a run is likely to occur.

Draft Rumors: Hunter, Sanders, Banks

April 20th, 2025 at 8:36pm CST by Ely Allen

With the 2025 NFL Draft just four days out, the Browns are increasingly expected to select Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter with the second overall pick in the first round. Several sources have told FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano that Cleveland will take the multi-positional talent at No. 2 overall, clearing the path for Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter to land with the Giants.

The Hunter-to-Cleveland steam has been building over the last few weeks, especially following comments from general manager Andrew Berry indicating the team’s willingness to play Hunter on both sides of the ball. The reigning Heisman has repeatedly expressed his desire to continue his two-way exploits in the NFL, even saying he would consider sitting out if he’s only permitted to play one position.

It seems, though, that Hunter can avoid that potential outcome in Cleveland, and the closer we get to Thursday, the more likely that outcome is to occur.

Here are a few other draft rumors from around the NFL:

Hunter’s teammate, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, has been one of the draft’s most polarizing prospects in the last few months. According to ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler, some scouts believe Sanders’ head coach at Colorado and father, NFL Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, is contributing to the wide range of evaluations. Typically, when scouts or position coaches visit a university to either watch tape or conduct a workout with a prospect, they will visit with a staff member, usually a head strength coach or NFL liaison to elicit some frank and honest information about the prospect. Some believe that Deion being the father of Shedeur and the superior of these employees has created a conflict wherein NFL personnel have had difficulty getting an understanding of who Shedeur is because of Deion’s influence.
After missing half of his junior year after undergoing hip surgery, Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison did not participate in drills and workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine or the Fighting Irish’s pro day. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, though, Morrison will conduct “a positional workout for teams on Monday” at his former high school in Arizona. Morrison currently grades as a potential Day 2 pick, and his father, former Washington safety Darryl Morrison, is currently the team chaplain for the Cardinals.
Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. has been a popular prospect leading up to the first-round of the draft. We noted a visit for Banks two weeks ago with the Falcons, but Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 updated his visit list to include the Panthers, Patriots, Cardinals, Cowboys, Raiders, and 49ers. He adds that the Texans spoke with Banks at his pro day in Austin, as well.

Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.

Commanders Looking To Draft A WR

April 20th, 2025 at 4:47pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Commanders are interested in adding a wide receiver during next week’s draft, per Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline, though their lack of a third-round pick could complicate their strategy.

Washington traded for Deebo Samuel to pair him with Terry McLaurin as one of the league’s most exciting starting WR duos, but both are in the last year of their contracts. In fact, the team currently only has one receiver – 2024 third-rounder Luke McCaffrey – under contract past the 2025 season with a number of veterans on one-year deals. That makes wideout a clear priority for the Commanders, who only have two picks across the first two days of the draft after trading for Marshon Lattimore at the 2024 trade deadline.

One of the team’s coveted targets is Tai Felton, according to Pauline. Felton is a local product who was born and raised in Ashburn, Virginia and played college football just outside of Washington, D.C. at the University of Maryland. The 22-year-old played sparingly across his first two seasons as a Terp before emerging as a starter in 2023 and a star in 2024. Last season, he recorded a school-record 96 receptions for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns and led the Big 10 in catches and yards per game. That production, as well as strong performances at the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine, have positioned Felton to be drafted late on Day 2 of the draft.

The Commanders have shown interest in Felton throughout the pre-draft process, attending his pro day in College Park and hosting him at the team’s local pro day where they worked him out as a returner. His draft projection poses a strategic dilemma for general , who have a large gap between their second and third selections (Nos. 61 and 128). There may be better players available at the end of the second round, but Felton may not last to the Commanders’ next pick at the end of the fourth.

Oregon DT Derrick Harmon A 1st-Round Lock?

April 20th, 2025 at 3:50pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

NFL front offices expected Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon to go in the first round of next week’s draft, according to Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post.

Michigan’s Mason Graham is widely considered the draft’s top DT, but there’s no clear No. 2 behind him. That could be Harmon, who has earned praise for his schematic versatility as a run defender and a pass rusher.

“He fits whatever defense you want to run if you know what you’re doing,” said one evaluator (via La Canfora), who listed the Steelers and the Ravens as fits for Harmon’s physical, disruptive play style. Harmon is on Pittsburgh’s list of first-round targets, and he’s frequently been mocked to Baltimore in the last two months. Both AFC North squads are returning two of their starting defensive linemen, but each lost a key veteran this offseason.

The Steelers will have Cameron Heyward for a 15th consecutive year alongside 2023 second-rounder Keeanu Benton, who has played better than his limited production would suggest. Pittsburgh moved on from Larry Ogunjobi in March and didn’t add replacement-level talent in free agency. Harmon would be an instant member of the Steelers’ starting DL rotation and could potentially take over for the soon-to-be 36-year-old Heyward in the long term.

The Ravens have Nnamdi Madubuike locked down through 2027, but 2022 third-rounder Travis Jones is entering a contract year and Broderick Washington could be a cap casualty after the 2025 season. Veteran nose tackle Michael Pierce retired in March as well, making defensive line a short- and long-term need for the Ravens in the draft.

Harmon making it to Pittsburgh at no. 21 or Baltimore at no. 27 feels unlikely at this point with a number of other teams, including the division-rival Bengals, looking to add a premier defensive linemen earlier in the first round.

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