27. Dallas Cowboys - Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
I know there are Cowboys fans out there who will be furious with this prediction, but Dallas easily has the worst running back room in the league. Ezekiel Elliott is over the hill. Deuce Vaughn is a fun gadget player. Rico Dowdle is a serviceable change of pace back. This team desperately needs a lead back.
Judkins is far and away my favorite back in this class. He was a beast at Ole Miss and now will get a chance to show what he can do against some of the best defenses in the country in the Big Ten. He is tough to tackle and should translate well to the NFL.
28. Philadelphia Eagles - Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson
I know, I know. The Eagles do not draft first-round linebackers. They haven't since Marcus Smith back in 2014. However, before the 2024 draft, Philly had not selected a first-round defensive back since taking Lito Sheppard back in 2002.
Trends are made to be broken. Plus, this is a good spot for Carter to land. He is an excellent cover man with great speed. The Eagles have taken dart throws at Zack Baun, Nakobe Dean, Shaq Leonard and Devin White in recent years. Carter would help end some of the constant carousel at the position.
29. Baltimore Ravens - Jonah Savaiinaea, OL, Arizona
Baltimore lost both of its starting guards and its starting right tackle this offseason. They are planning to lean on former draft picks in Ben Cleveland and Andrew Vorhees at the two guard spots and drafted Roger Rosengarten to likely play right tackle. If either of those guards don't work out, Cleveland is a free agent after the season, offensive line will once again be a need for Baltimore.
Savaiinaea is a massive player with experience at both right guard and right tackle. I have only watched one game of his at this point, but I like him better as a guard than a tackle. I think he could slot in as Baltimore's starting right guard in 2025. He is a great run blocker with impressive power.
30. Detroit Lions - Patrick Payton, EDGE, Florida State
Faith in the Lions is still very high after a breakthrough season saw Detroit reach the conference championship game. Brad Holmes and company had another impressive draft, but they have yet to find a reliable long-term option across from Aidan Hutchinson. Bringing in Marcus Davenport is a decent band-aid, but Payton would remedy the situation.
Payton is a big, long player with solid production over the past two seasons. He has 12 sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles since the start of the 2022 season. With Jared Verse and Braden Fiske now in the NFL, Payton will be the focus of Florida State's pass rush and will need to prove he can be the guy in that situation.
31. Kansas City Chiefs - Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
Coming off back-to-back Super Bowl wins, expectations are high once again for the Chiefs, although FPI is giving the edge in a Super Bowl rematch to the 49ers. Kansas City has the best interior offensive line in the NFL, but still has question marks at tackle. Wanya Morris and rookie Kingsley Suamataia seem set to battle it out for the starting left tackle spot. Jawaan Taylor returns at right tackle, but he could be a trade chip next offseason based on how his contract is constructed.
Conerly could be the long-term answer at left tackle. He is a fluid mover with heavy hands. He has a lot of refining to do after just one year starting for Oregon, but the upside is there for him to be a first-round pick.
The last @oregonfootball OT selected in the 1st round was Penei Sewell in ‘21. Josh Connerly Jr. (No. 76) has a long way to go, but has 1st round upside. Smooth mover who needs to improve his hand placement in pass protection. Uneven game vs. Utah, but lots to like pic.twitter.com/AOiOV9TdVr
— Chris McGlynn (@cmcglynn84) May 31, 2024
32. San Francisco 49ers - Emery Jones Jr., OT, LSU
Until I see some improved play from the right side of the 49ers offensive line, I am going to mock linemen in this spot. FPI has San Francisco winning the Super Bowl this season, and the Niners likely would have this past season if not for some major blown assignments by Jon Feliciano and Colton McKivitz. San Fran did draft Dominick Puni in the third round, but I believe further reinforcement should be required.
Jones is naturally a right tackle, having started there for each of first two seasons at LSU. He is a big man and difficult to get around. Given his size, he will need to learn how to play with better leverage, but his physicality and grip strength should translate well to the NFL.