The annual NFL draft is almost like a holiday for football fans. Your team gets young, exciting new prospects that you will get to watch develop for the coming years. This year, it will take place in Detroit over three days in late April. In this article, I will be predicting each team’s pick in the first round.

Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB – USC

While not a generational prospect by any means, Williams has easily been the most impressive quarterback from this year’s draft class. And, since Chicago recently traded Justin Fields, their starting quarterback, to Pittsburgh, it only makes sense that Chicago would go QB with this pick.

Washington Commanders: Marvin Harrison Jr, WR – Ohio State

Harrison is one of the most talented athletes to come out of college in recent memory, and while it could be argued that the quarterback position should be prioritized, it would be foolish to pass up on such a prospect in a needed position.

New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB – UNC

While Maye is a bit of a project, he is still an accurate and strong quarterback that can be developed in the league. Jerod Mayo, New England’s head coach, even stated that quarterback is their biggest priority, as their previous first round quarterback, Mac Jones, was traded to Jacksonville very recently.

Arizona Cardinals: Malik Nabers, WR – LSU

The Cardinals have absolutely no wide receivers left after losing Marquise Brown to Kansas City and Rondale Moore to Atlanta. Nabers is supposedly the WR1 on many team’s draft boards, so it only makes sense for Arizona to pick him here.

Los Angeles Chargers: Brock Bowers, TE – Georgia

The Chargers have left their quarterback, Justin Herbert, with no weapons after trading Keenan Allen to Chicago and losing Mike Williams to the Jets. They also lost their starting running back, Austin Ekeler, to the Commanders. Bowers is an accomplished two-time national champion, and an incredible athlete, so this selection provides a much-needed option for Herbert.

New York Giants: Rome Odunze, WR – Washington

The Giants have made many unsuccessful attempts to attain productive pass-catchers in recent years, with the likes of Kenny Golloday, Kadarius Toney, and Darren Waller. Odunze is a consensus All-American who should go very early in this year’s draft, making him New York’s perfect target.

Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt, OT – Notre Dame

Tennessee has lost plenty of offensive linemen in recent years due to retirements, trades, and free agent signings. Alt has been one of the best linemen in college football for years, and Tennessee should be taking him at a priority position.

Denver Broncos (via Atlanta Falcons): Jayden Daniels, QB – LSU

Here, I have Denver trading up to attain Atlanta’s eighth overall pick. It only makes sense that they would trade up over Minnesota, who will likely also pick a quarterback. Daniels, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, has shown plenty of promise in his college years, and with Denver needing a quarterback after cutting Russell Wilson, this pick should help the Broncos a great deal.

Chicago Bears: Byron Murphy II, DI – Texas

The Bears should be prioritizing the defensive line in this year’s draft, and Murphy is the most talented interior defensive lineman in this year’s draft. He was named the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the year in 2023, and ran a 4.87 second 40-yard-dash in this year’s combine – an impressive time at almost 300 pounds.

New York Jets: Taliese Fuaga, T – Oregon State

It’s no secret that the Jets need to take an offensive lineman in this year’s draft to prevent more quarterback injuries, like the catastrophic 2023 Aaron Rodgers one. Fuaga can fill their hole at right tackle and help provide adequate pass protection in the pocket for New York.

Minnesota Vikings: J.J. McCarthy, QB – Michigan

Minnesota is clearly interested in the national champion J.J. McCarthy, as they have arranged private workouts and meetings with the prospect. Their starter at the moment is Sam Darnold, who has proved to be unserviceable in his NFL career. McCarthy is comparable in skill and play style to their previous quarterback, Kirk Cousins, who recently signed with the Falcons. So, to keep superstar WR Justin Jefferson’s career alive, they should take a quarterback like McCarthy.

Atlanta Falcons (via Denver Broncos): Jared Verse, DE – FSU

Florida State made an impressive run this past college season, partly thanks to their star pass-rusher Jared Verse. The Falcons have stacked up on offense and now they need an adequate defensive line unit. Verse would fit right into their defensive scheme and provide pressure to opposing teams in the trenches.

Las Vegas Raiders: Jer’Zhan Newton, DI – Illinois

Newton and the newly-signed superstar defensive lineman Christian Wilkins could be a dynamic run-stopping duo in the powerful AFC West. He would add a competitive edge to their defense which they haven’t seen in years, and he plays a priority position for Vegas.

New Orleans Saints: Michael Penix Jr, QB – Washington

Penix, a Heisman nominee and runner-up national champion, is a good selection for the Saints, who have had a talented roster for years but limited success during the season. What’s missing? A quarterback. Derek Carr has clearly not worked out as their starter, and for the fifth one selected, Penix is a talented passer who could be mentored by Carr and developed into a very good player.

Indianapolis Colts: Cooper DeJean, CB – Iowa

The first defensive back selected in this year’s draft should without a doubt be Cooper DeJean. The lockdown corner from Iowa could help to shut down the many talented receivers in the AFC South.

Seattle Seahawks: Dallas Turner, DE – Alabama

Turner is arguably the most impressive defensive end of this year’s draft class, and Seattle has needed players badly at the position for years.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Quinyon Mitchell, CB – Toledo

The Jaguars fell apart in the second half of the 2023-24 season, particularly due to poor performances from the secondary. Mitchell has proven he can shut down talented receivers and is a ridiculous athlete. He should be able to solve the team’s defensive back woes.

Buffalo Bills (via Cincinnati Bengals): JC Latham, T – Alabama

The Bills need better run-blocking for their offense to improve, and Latham can provide just that at right tackle. Buffalo should trade up to Cincinnati, who can wait for their selection, and attain the talented offensive lineman.

Los Angeles Rams: Troy Fautanu, T – Washington

Fautanu, along with Rome Odunze, were integral to the success of Michael Penix Jr. in college, and big contributors to the program achieving the title of runner-up national champions. The Rams need pass protection for veteran QB Matthew Stafford so that they can continue to succeed in the passing game, and they need run blocking to prevent further injuries to the talented running back Kyren Williams. Fautanu can perform these much-needed functions in the team.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Brian Thomas Jr, WR – LSU

Calvin Austin III has underperformed in the NFL, and Diontae Johnson has been traded to Carolina, leaving the Steelers very few choices other than wide receiver in this year’s draft. Pittsburgh needs to select a receiver for the newly-signed Russel Wilson to succeed with the team, and Thomas is an incredible vertical threat who can do just that.

Miami Dolphins: Braden Fiske, DI – FSU

The Dolphins could very well select Florida State star Braden Fiske after losing star defensive lineman Christian Wilkins to Vegas, and Bradley Chubb suffering a torn ACL injury. Miami has a close relationship with Florida State University, and Fiske could be a huge help to their holes in the defensive line.

Philadelphia Eagles: Nate Wiggins, CB – Clemson

The Eagles secondary is aging fast, and they need a fresh start sooner rather than later. Wiggins has impressed at Clemson and should go on to have a very successful career with Philly.

Minnesota Vikings: Jackson Powers-Johnson, C – Oregon

If the vikings are going to draft a quarterback this season, they need to protect him, too. The best center in the draft will help their new quarterback in the pocket and allow for productive passing in the offense.

Dallas Cowboys: Adonai Mitchell, WR – Texas

The Cowboys have limited options at WR after star CeeDee Lamb, and if they want to finally win in the postseason, they’ll need to expand their depth at the position. Mitchell has shown size and speed with a ridiculous combine performance; Dallas needs to invest in him.

Green Bay Packers: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OT – Penn State

Fashanu would be a steal in the later first round and a great choice to help protect franchise QB Jordan Love. Green Bay has spent years prioritizing their WR core, and now they should begin to perfect their line, too.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Terrion Arnold, CB – Alabama

Tampa’s secondary has struggled in recent seasons. Arnold is a high-ranking CB in this year’s class and could fill the holes that resulted from the departures of many Buccaneers on defense.

Arizona Cardinals: Zach Frazier, C – West Virginia

Everyone knows that running quarterbacks don’t always have very long primes in the NFL. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is an exceptional passer and runner, and they should invest in improving his surroundings so that their offense can improve. A good center, such as Frazier, is absolutely vital to the success of a young quarterback, and can prevent injuries and provide more time in the pocket for Murray.

Cincinnati Bengals (via Buffalo Bills): Troy Franklin, WR – Oregon

It appears that both Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd will be leaving Cincinnati soon, leaving Joe Burrow with only one starting receiver. Pass-catchers are crucial and valuable in today’s NFL, and the Bengals need to attain a WR2 if they want to get back to being contenders.

Detroit Lions: Laiatu Latu, DE – UCLA

Although the Lions have star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson, they still lack depth at the defensive end position. Latu, a highly sought-after prospect, can step up as the second defensive end in their line to create a truly elite defense.

Baltimore Ravens: Chris Braswell, DE – Alabama

The Ravens have built up a great roster in recent years, but they are still missing defensive ends – key pieces of any defense. They should pick up Braswell to wreak havoc in the pocket and create pressure against the talented AFC North quarterbacks.

San Francisco 49ers: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB – Alabama

The 49ers have limited depth at the cornerback position, and should invest in some more cornerbacks to lock up receivers – their loss in the Super Bowl was primarily blamed by many on poor coverage.

Kansas City Chiefs: Amarius Mims, OT – Georgia

The Chiefs have struggled with protecting star QB Patrick Mahomes in the past season, most likely due to the departure of star tackle Orlando Brown Jr. Mims is a versatile player who can play both left and right tackle, and can work as an effective factor in shutting down pressure against Mahomes. The Chiefs have spent this off-season investing in receivers for him, so why not the offensive line, too?

Overall, it’s shaping up to be a very exciting draft with tons of talent, stacked quarterbacks, receivers, and more. Only time will tell who each team will decide to select this year, and NFL fans all over the country are itching to find out who will pan out in the league.