Las Vegas - An interesting position for Vegas with above average David Carr their current starting QB and super star Aaron Rogers returning from a devastating injury next year. The obvious pick here is the offensive rookie of the year QB C.J. Stroud who looks ready to lead a team at the most important position on the field for at least the next decade. I expect Rogers and/or Carr are available for a trade and the Plague to go with Stroud here.
San Diego - The Sun add to an already talented receiver group with phenom WR Puka Nacua. With 1,486 receiving yards Nacua will team up with Terry McLaurin and Calvin Ridley to terrify secondaries all year. Tua is very excited, and this offense looks poised to score a lot of points. Their secondary also needs work and if not addressed they could be involved in a lot of high scoring games.
Hollywood - The Stars look to get younger on their defensive line where aging DE Arik Armstead and retired DT Arron Donald have been a dominant force for years. Hollywood likes the flexibility of DL Jalen Carter who teams up with DE’s Montez Seat and Armstead as they prepare for a post Donald era next year.
Spokane - With an already stacked defensive line and solid linebacker core the Sabercats add more talent to their secondary with CB Devon Witherspoon. Teaming up with CB Kenny Moore II and S Javon Holland this defense is ready to completely shut down their opponents this year. There’s work to do at receiver and the QB tandem of Murray and Fields is an unknown long term but I expect this defense will launch Spokane into a playoff run this year.
Albuquerque - The Rattlesnakes desperately need to address their defensive line and are thrilled to have defensive rookie of the year DE Will Anderson Jr. fall to them here. He will team with 33-year-old Kahlil Mack and his 17 sacks for the short term to keep the defense competitive. There’s still work to do on the interior of the defensive line, but Anderson Jr. will be a key building block for the future in ABQ.
Krakow - The Kielbasa already have a lot of talent in a number of key positions. They decide to get younger at WR and take Zay Flowers to partner up with Garrett Wilson on the outside. This moves 31-year-old Tyler Locket into the slot and gives QB Jared Goff a trio of talented receivers. Even back up QB Justin Herbert is excited about this one. They look ready to challenge defending division champion New York for the title this year.
Indianapolis - The Cobras are in desperate need of a QB to take over for the below average play of Mac Jones and Ryan Tannehill. I expect they may be trying to trade out of the seventh pick because there’s really no one here worth taking this early. They could even be a good trade partner to move up for QB C.J. Stroud at number one overall. Instead, they opt to add some flexibility in their secondary with DB Brian Branch. This is a weak point for their defense so also a good fit.
Carbon - The Monoxide pause briefly to consider replacing Joe Mixon with a younger, more exciting runner. Instead, they decide to add WR Jordan Addison and his 10 touch downs to partner with D.K. Metcalf and Davante Adams. This upgrades an already strong position while the team transitions from Stafford to Mayfield at QB (for at least one year anyway). They also hope one of the 3 – 4 young RB studs drop to them in the second round.
Cleveland - The Force add S Geno Stone, the highest rated defender in the draft. This aligns well with their needs and strengthens the back end of a secondary that already has CB’s Charvarius Ward and Derek Stingley Jr. locking down the outside. Stone’s 7 interceptions add to some already impressive individual stats on a defense that includes T.J. Watt (19 sacks). Cleveland also looks to be coming after New York for the division title this season.
San Antonio - The Vikings decide on an upgrade at RB and select Jahmyr Gibbs. With 10 TD’s and a 5.2 yards/carry average San Antonio hopes to keep defenses off balance and open things up downfield for A. J. Brown and Adam Thielen. Layer in TE George Kittle and QB Dak Prescott is ready to put up a lot of points this year. Their mediocre offensive line could hold them back and will need to be a focus later in the draft.
Hollywood - After adding to their defense already the Stars shift their attention to offense and scoring points. They opt for TE Sam LaPorta and his 10 TD’s and 889 receiving yards. He and fellow TE Hunter Henry combine for some serious goal line mismatches this season. If WR’s Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy can reach their full potential, Hollywood will have an impressive air attack for years to come.
Arizona - The Tombstone look to improve the interior of the offensive line and select G Kevin Dotson. With a 9-run blocking rating Dotson will open gaping holes for talented RB’s Derek Henry and David Montgomery. It’s not a flashy pick but Arizona will be looking to grind down their opponents on their way to a repeat division title.
Alaska - The Grizzlies are ready to compete for a championship now. With three receivers combining for more than 4,600 yards, the QB pairing of Josh Allen and Jordan Love and some powerful RB’s the skill positions are set. The offensive line however needs an upgrade and Alaska chooses the best available option with T Luke Goedeke.
Chicago - This team is stacked and will be in the mix again to challenge for a championship this year. QB Patrick Mahomes leads an air attack that highlights 5 (FIVE!) receivers with more than 1,000 yards. The running game gets a major boost to help balance the offence with the Caravan adding RB Kyren Williams. His 1,144 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns makes this offense almost unstoppable. If they can shore up the interior of the offensive line later in the draft, they will be hard to slow down.
New York - The Knights were 2 points short of a championship and look to add some depth to the receiving team. With a few solid WR’s left on the board they go with the safest long-term option and select Jayden Reed. His 12.4 yards/catch average and 8 touchdowns is an excellent pairing with superstar WR Tyreek Hill. Reed finally fills the void that Kadarius Toney or Hollywood Brown could not develop into.
Kansas City - The defending champs have some work to do if they want to remain competitive this year. The MVP of the AFA championship game QB Kirk Cousins is coming off a devastating injury. Unfortunately, the draft class at QB this year is weak so they may be looking for a trade partner. The Beast decide to take a chance on QB Bryce Young in hopes that he will develop into their future starter. Hopefully he has enough to cover the games Cousins misses with injury this year. It looks like their window might be starting to close.