2025 Salary Cap

Last week, the NFL projected the 2025 Salary Cap would land between $277.5 million and $281.5 million. Further discussions with the NFLPA were necessary for an exact number. Those discussions took place. The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to a 2025 Salary Cap of $279.2 million per club.

$279.2 million.

That number is a $23.8 million leap from last year. Business is good in the NFL. 

The salary cap became a thing in 1994 with the introduction of free agency. Other than the offseason lockout year of 2011 and the post-COVID year of 2021, the salary cap has grown since 1994.

Salary Cap By Year ($ in millions)

1994: $34.608

1995: $37.100

1996: $40.753

1997: $41.454

1998: $52.388

1999: $57.288

2000: $62.172

2001: $67.405

2002: $71.101

2003: $75.007

2004: $80.582

2005: $85.500

2006: $102.000

2007: $109.000

2008: $116.000

2009: $123.000

2010: N/A-uncapped year when owners exited CBA

2011: $120.375

2012: $120.600

2013: $123.000

2014: $133.000

2015: $143.280

2016: $155.270

2017: $167.000

2018: $177.200

2019: $188.200

2020: $198.200

2021: $182.500

2022: $208.200

2023: $224.800

2024: $255.400

2025: $279.200

Throwback Thursday: Some of the Best Linebacker Trios

This Flicker was originally posted on 3/5/2020. 

I've been reading Joe Zagorski's fine book America's Trailblazing Middle Linebacker: The Story of NFL Hall of Famer Willie Lanier. Despite Lanier's Kansas City Chiefs thumping the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV, I've always been intrigued by the team. I really like a lot of the Chiefs players from those teams, especially several of the defensive players. Six of those defenders from that Chiefs Super Bowl team have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Buck Buchanan, Curley Culp, Bobby Bell, Willie Lanier, Emmitt Thomas, and Johnny Robinson. Reading about Lanier got me thinking about some of the best linebacker trios in the history of the league. In my opinion, those trios starts with the group that Lanier led.

1960s Kansas City Chiefs
Bobby Bell
Willie Lanier
Jim Lynch

When I think of this terrific group I can't help but dream about Bobby Bell playing for the Vikings. They drafted him out of Minnesota in the 1963 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, this was during the signing wars with the AFL. The Chiefs drafted him as well. Bell signed with the Chiefs. I dream about him playing behind the Vikings' great defensive line. Maybe Super Bowl IV would've gone a bit differently. It does in those dreams. Willie Lanier and Jim Lynch were both drafted in 1967 to compete for the middle linebacker spot. Lynch actually won the competition in training camp but it didn't take long for Chiefs head coach Hank Stram to realize that the defense was better with both on the field and Lanier in the middle. Stram's offense was considered ahead of its time but it was the Chiefs defense that was the key to the team's winning ways in the late 1960s. This linebacker trio was the heart of one of the greatest, most underrated defenses.

1970s Pittsburgh Steelers
Jack Ham
Jack Lambert
Andy Russell

Unlike the Chiefs, the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers defense isn't underrated. From front to back, they were great. They fielded a ferocious pass rush, a fine secondary, and linebackers that were ideally suited to play in Bud Carson's zone defense. Jack Ham could play sideline to sideline. Jack Lambert could blitz, fill run lanes, and drop and cover the middle of the field. The two Jacks played their way into Canton. Andy Russell isn't in the Hall of Fame but he did get to seven Pro Bowls.

1960s Green Bay Packers
Dave Robinson
Ray Nitschke
Lee Roy Caffey

Like the Chiefs and Steelers, the 1960s Green Bay Packers had a linebacker trio made up of two Hall of Famers and a solid, reliable third. Dave Robinson, like Bobby Bell and Jack Ham, could do just about everything. Blitz, play the run, cover. Ray Nitschke, like Willie Lanier and Jack Lambert, was a beast in the middle of the defense. Lee Roy Caffey played in the long shadows of his teammates but played really well, earning Pro Bowl, All-Pro nods and a place on the Packers 75th anniversary All-Time team.

1960s Chicago Bears
Joe Fortunato
Dick Butkus
Larry Morris

Joe Fortunato
Bill George
Larry Morris

I'll take the Bears trio with a young Dick Butkus over the one with an aging Bill George. I just wanted to give mention to the ridiculous hand-off that the Bears had at the middle linebacker position. From 1952-73 the middle of the Bears defense was managed by Hall of Famers George or Butkus. Joe Fortunato and Larry Morris was on either side of those Hall of Famers from 1959-65. That's a long, strong run of linebacker talent.

1985 Chicago Bears
Otis Wilson
Mike Singletary
Wilber Marshall

Mike Singletary was really good for longer than the outside linebackers. He had a great Hall of Fame career. From 1984-86, I thought that Otis Wilson and Wilber Marshall were the stars of this trio.

2000 Baltimore Ravens
Peter Boulware
Ray Lewis
Jamie Sharper

Ray Lewis carries this group. The 2000 Ravens defense was so dominant that it seems like each position group should be considered among the best in league history. The strength of this defense was the whole rather than the individual parts.

One more (just for giggles):

2000s Minnesota Vikings
Chad Greenway
E.J. Henderson
Ben Leber

It may not rank with the trios listed above it but I really liked this group. I think that it edges out the 1970s trio of Matt Blair/Jeff Siemon/Fred McNeil as the best in Vikings franchise history.

I've always favored the 4-3 so it's easy for me to focus on the league's best linebacker trios. That isn't fair to some of the best linebacker groups in league history.

Some Foursomes:

1980s New York Giants
Carl Banks
Gary Reasons
Harry Carson
Lawrence Taylor

Lawrence Taylor is one of the best football players to ever play and arguably the game's best defensive player. Harry Carson is honored in Canton. I was a big fan of Carl Banks. I'd like to see his Hall of Fame case make it to serious discussion among the voters. Gary Reasons was a solid football player. The late-1980s Giants annually trotted out a dominant defense. This linebacker group was the main reason that dominance.

1980s New Orleans Saints
Rickey Jackson
Sam Mills
Vaughan Johnson
Pat Swilling

Rickey Jackson and Sam Mills are in the Hall of Fame. An argument can be made for Pat Swilling joining them in Canton. Vaughan Johnson was a fine football player with several Pro Bowl nods. Individually, they were terrific. As a group, they were one of the best in league history. The New Orleans Saints had been consistent losers from the moment the team entered the NFL in 1967. That consistent losing ended about the time that this linebacker group was put together in the late 1980s. They put on a show.

Minnesota Vikings Add A Coach

While entertaining the assembled media at the Scouting Combine, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell announced an addition to the team’s coaching staff. Former Tennessee Titans and New York Jets offensive line coach Keith Carter will replace Shaun Sarrett as assistant offensive line coach. The Jacksonville Jaguars tapped Vikings assistant offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski to be their offensive coordinator under new head coach Liam Coen. Udinski took Sarrett with him to be the Jaguars offensive line coach. The Vikings needed a new assistant to work with offensive line coach Chris Kuper. Keith Carter will be that assistant. 

When the Vikings hired Shaun Sarrett last offseason, I thought that he was incredibly experienced for an assistant offensive line coach. He’d been coaching since 2004. He’d been coaching in the NFL since 2012. Four years as an assistant offensive line coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers. Two years as offensive line coach with the Steelers. Keith Carter’s coaching experience is even more impressive. So much so, that it’s a little surprising that he accepted an assistant offensive line coach job. He coached the Tennessee Titans offensive line under Mike Vrabel from 2018-22. He was the offensive line coach/run game coordinator for the New York Jets from 2023-24. He has more experience leading an NFL offensive line than Kuper. Carter’s seven years as an offensive line coach are eye-catching but it’s his two years as the assistant offensive line coach with the Atlanta Falcons that really caught my eye. That’s when he worked with then Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. I’ve been hoping for the Vikings to get more creative with their run schemes. Shanahan has long been one of the most creative run-schemers in the league. Maybe Carter can bring some of that. 

A negative that’s been mentioned with the hiring of Keith Carter have been the opinions of some of his former players. Former Titans offensive tackle Taylor Lewan said that he “loved his coaching staff (other than Keith Carter).” Former Falcons fullback Patrick DiMarco and Jets offensive lineman Mekhi Becton expressed their agreement. O’Connell called Carter a “tough, kind of gritty guy.” The Vikings have built a special environment and culture. How will such a coach impact that environment and culture? It’s probably safe to say a little bit of toughness, a little bit of edginess could do the team some good. That’s especially true of the offensive line. O’Connell said that Carter’s coaching style could work well as the #2 offensive line coach. The Vikings front and the run game must get better, must get tougher. Perhaps the addition of Keith Carter is a step in that direction. 

Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft Tracker

There was a time when mock drafts were limited to magazines and released about a week before the real picks. Those were the easy to track days of Paul Zimmerman and Joel Buschbaum. That was about fifty years ago. Today, media pundits roll out mock drafts daily. Here’s a collection of those pundits and their first-round picks for the Minnesota Vikings.

NFL.com:

Daniel Jeremiah:

24. TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State

Bucky Brooks:

24. Benjamin Harrison, CB, Notre Dame

Lance Zierlein:

24. Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas

Cynthia Frelund:

24. Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame

Eric Edholm:

24. Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon

Chad Reuter:

(Trade w/Buffalo Bills)

30. Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State

97. Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee

Dan Parr:

24. Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina

Gennaro Filice:

24. Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

The Athletic:

Athletic Beat Writers (Alec Lewis picks for the Vikings):

24. Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon

Athletic College Football Writers:

24. James Pearce Jr., Edge, Tennessee

Dane Brugler:

24. Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa

Nick Baumgardner:

24. Walter Nolen, DT, Mississippi 

ESPN:

Mel Kiper Jr.:

24. Grey Zabel, G/C, North Dakota State

Field Yates:

24. Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon

Jordan Reid:

(From January 7)

30. Walter Nolen, DT, Mississippi

Matt Miller:

24. Walter Nolen, DT, Mississippi

CBS Sports:

Ryan Wilson:

24. Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina

Chris Trapasso: 

24. Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State

Garrett Podell:

24. Malaki Starks, S, Georgia

Tyler Sullivan:

24. Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas

Another Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft

Players are arriving in Indianapolis for the Scouting Combine. It’s time for another Minnesota Vikings mock draft. 

For this mock draft, the Vikings trade their first round pick (#24) to the Kansas City Chiefs for first- and third-round picks (#31 and #66).

1. (31)   Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo

3. (66)   TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State

3. (97)   Tre Harris, WR, Mississippi

5. (139) Quincy Wilson, CB, Louisville

5. (160) Seth McLaughlin, C, Ohio State

With only four draft picks, it feels likely that the Vikings will try and trade back in the first round to increase their opportunities. Seeing as two of their likely positional needs (defensive line and running back) are extremely deep in this draft, a first-round trade back feels even more likely. That being said, there are a few players that if available at #24 the Vikings could/should/would stay put and pick that player. A guess at those players:

Walter Nolen, DT, Mississippi

Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

and, maybe:

Tyler Booker, G, Alabama

At the start of the offseason, Walter Nolen was my #1 draft crush. In the past few weeks, Kenneth Grant has taken that title. Of the two, I believe that Grant is more likely to be available at #24. 

As for this mock draft, I like it. After Walter Nolen, Kenneth Grant, and perhaps Oregon’s Derrick Holmes, Darius Alexander has emerged as a defensive tackle favorite. So much so that the trade-back window is limited for fear of losing the chance at selecting him. TreVeyon Henderson would be an outstanding addition. I don’t think that there’s any chance that he’s available early in the third round. It’s probably more likely that Kansas’ Devin Neal and Central Florida’s RJ Harvey are the top running backs available at #66. But, you never know. Funny things can happen in a draft. Neal and Harvey are nice third-round options. With Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, aand Jalen Nailor, receiver isn’t the need of some other positions. At 6’3,” Tre Harris would add some needed size to the Vikings receiver group. I really like Quincy Wilson. I doubt that he’s available in the fifth-round so he’s an easy pick here. Seth McLaughlin would immediately provide offensive line depth and perhaps take over for Garrett Bradbury in a year. 

I like this draft. PFF seems to like it as well as they gave it an A-. With TreVeyon Henderson in the third and Quincy Wilson in the first, it should be at worst a solid “A.” 

A Brief History of the Scouting Combine

The Scouting Combine has become an oddly big, televised event on the NFL’s offseason schedule. For younger fans that’s all they’ve known of the event. It wasn’t always like that. It used to be a very secret thing. There were no cameras and no news. It was as if draft prospects and team decision-makers disappeared into a black hole for a few days. That was a very different time. This is a brief look into the history of the Scouting Combine. 

Thanks to then Philadelphia Eagles owner Bert Bell, the NFL Draft was introduced in 1936. At the time, all of the best college prospects gravitated to the league’s best teams. The Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and New York Giants annually re-stocked and played for championships. The rest of the league’s teams collected scraps and hoped for the best. There had to be a better way of spreading the football talent more evenly and more fairly across the league. Bell suggested the draft. George Halas, Curly Lambeau, and Tim Mara reluctantly agreed. For the first few decades, scouting for the draft was an afterthought. Today’s average fantasy football participant takes part in their drafts far more prepared than those NFL team decision-makers did for their real drafts. Coaches and owners would show up to the draft and just randomly pluck names out of a college football magazine. Maybe a few of them had hot tips from friends in the college coaching ranks. There were no scouts. The first true scouts didn’t appear until the late 1940s and 1950s. Ed Kotal is generally regarded as the first person in league history to travel, watch, and evaluate college football talent. He helped build the Los Angeles Rams into an annual contender and league champion in 1951. Dick Gallagher and Sarge MacKenzie helped stock the powerful Cleveland Browns. A little later, Jack Vainisi built the Green Bay Packers team that Vince Lombardi took to ridiculous heights in the 1960s. 

It’s difficult to imagine a time when football scouting was an afterthought. One of the hardships of football scouting, especially thorough scouting, is the size of this country and the number of colleges, at all levels, that pepper it. To cover it all seems impossible. With hundreds of colleges to visit and thousands of players to see and limited resources to cover them, NFL teams started to enter into partnerships to share the costs and labor. Imagine that. NFL teams working together, sharing resources and information in an effort to get better. It’s inconceivable. The first of these partnerships began in 1963. The Lions, Eagles, Steelers Talent Organization, or LESTO. The Bears joined in 1964 and LESTO magically became BLESTO. In 1964, the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, and St. Louis Cardinals formed Central Eastern Personnel Organization (CEPO). The name was changed to United Scouting after the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants, and Washington Redskins joined. In 1983, the name was changed to National Football Scouting. It’s now known simply as the National. In 1964, the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, and San Francisco 49ers formed Troika. The group became Quadra when the expansion New Orleans Saints joined in 1967. The Minnesota Vikings joined BLESTO in 1966 and BLESTO became BLESTO-V. Clever. Jerry Reichow insisted the team join as a condition of his becoming the team’s director of scouting. The Vikings are still with BLESTO and Jack Murphy is the team’s BLESTO scout. All of the NFL teams were part of some scouting partnership during the 1960s. 

Prior to the 1970s, NFL teams didn’t typically give physical exams to draft prospects. Medically, the teams had little to no knowledge of the players that they were selecting. During the 1970s, that started to change as teams scheduled individual visits with draft prospects to check them out physically and medically. In both time and money, it was a very costly process. As with most NFL business from 1960-89, Dallas Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm was in the middle of change. He proposed to the league’s Competition Committee holding a centralized event at which evaluations of the draft prospects could take place. In 1982, National Football Scouting, which had expanded to 16 teams after the merger of the NFL and AFL in 1970, held the first National Invitational Camp (NIC) in Tampa. This camp formed the foundation of all those that followed. BLESTO and Quadra held their own camps. 

From 1982-84, BLESTO, NFS, and Quadra held separate camps. To share costs, they decided to merge in 1985. They decided to COMBINE. This merging of the three scouting organizations is why the Scouting Combine is called the Scouting Combine. The first Scouting Combine was held in Phoenix. The second was held in New Orleans. In 1987, the event was moved to it’s, so far, permanent home, Indianapolis. This is the home city of NFS so it’s nice and convenient for them. 

The Scouting Combine did not allow media coverage for nearly two decades. It was a very secret event. It was secret to the extent of being somewhat suspicious. If not suspicious, it was definitely mysterious. Everything changed in 2003 when the NFL launched their own television channel, NFL Network. The 2004 Scouting Combine was the first to be revealed to the public. With each year, the television production and coverage has gotten bigger. Now, it’s a prime time event. The evolution from a very secret event to a very public event has been astonishing. It’s gotten to the point where the actual work being done in Indianapolis is secondary to the coverage of it. 

The future of the Scouting Combine has recently been questioned. Initially, those questions arose because of players (mostly quarterbacks) opting not to take part in some of the testing (mostly throwing). More recently, a few head coaches have decided that it’s not worth their time and skip the event. I don’t really get that decision. If I was a college football prospect meeting with a team and my potential head coach isn’t even there, I’d have second thoughts about that team. My time isn’t worth his time? That’s pretty pathetic. The future of the Scouting Combine in some form should be secure. Perhaps some of the testing is a little too extra but the teams desperately need much of the information that’s gathered there. Less important but surely significant, the Scouting Combine has come to be the starting point of the NFL’s offseason. The couple of months prior to the NFL Draft wouldn’t feel the same without the strange event in Indianapolis that kicks it all off. I’d certainly miss it. 

Minnesota Vikings Salary Cap Boost

NFL financial success is reflected in the salary cap. The league is doing well. The salary cap continues to rise. 

While an official figure has yet to be determined, the league notified clubs that the 2025 salary cap will have a projected range of $277.5 million to $281.5 million. The $4 million range is due to yet-to-be-determined particulars with the NFL Players Association. Those particulars could be settled as early as next week. 

The estimated range is more than clubs had been anticipating. The salary cap is always more than anticipated. In December, teams were budgeting between $265 million to $275 million. Depending upon their degree of optimism, teams will have either a little or a lot more than they expected. 

At a minimum, it’s a $22.1 million leap from the $255.4 salary cap of 2024. At a maximum, it’s a $26.1 million leap. 

So, what does that mean for the Minnesota Vikings? Obviously, it means that they’ll have either a little or a lot more than they expected. At around $60 million, the Vikings were set to have more salary cap space than they’ve had in years, perhaps ever. Now, they’ll have more. $65 million? $65 million with the ability to create even more. 

The Vikings have significant needs on both sides of the trenches. The interior of the offensive line is probably the most significant with the defensive line a close second. They also have needs at cornerback and perhaps safety. So, here’s an open invitation to Trey Smith, Milton Williams, Osa Odighizuwa, Paulson Adebo, D.J. Reed, Charvarius Ward, Mekhi Becton, Will Fries, Levi Onwuzurike, and perhaps Jevon Holland to come to Minnesota. There’s no way the Vikings can afford all of those players but I’d happily pick three, four, or five of them to join the team’s roster. 

Flea Flicker Top 5 Draft Prospects By Position

In advance of next week’s Scouting Combine, here’s another look at the Top 5 draft prospects by position. The Combine shouldn’t impact these rankings much but it always does. 

Quarterbacks

1. Cam Ward, Miami

2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

3. Kyle McCord, Syracuse

4. Jaxson Dart, Mississippi 

5. Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Running Backs

1. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

2. Omarion Hampton, North Carolina

3. Kaleb Johnson, Iowa

4. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State

5. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State

Wide Receivers

1. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

2. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

3. Luther Burden III, Missouri

4. Tre Harris, Mississippi

5. Matthew Golden, Texas

I have Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter at corner. As a receiver, he’d easily be in the Top 5. Perhaps at WR1.

Tight Ends

1. Tyler Warren, Penn State

2. Colston Loveland, Michigan

3. Elijah Arroyo, Miami

4. Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green

5. Gunnar Helm, Texas

Offensive Tackles

1. Will Campbell, LSU

2. Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas

3. Josh Simmons, Ohio State

3. Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon

5. Armand Membou, Missouri

Interior Offensive Line

1. Tyler Booker, Alabama

2. Grey Zabel, North Dakota State

3. Donovan Jackson, Ohio State

4. Jared Wilson, Georgia

5. Tate Ratledge, Georgia

Edge

1. Abdul Carter, Penn State

2. Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M

3. Mike Green, Marshall

4. Mykel Williams, Georgia

5. Nic Scourton, Texas A&M

Defensive Tackles

1. Mason Graham, Michigan

2. Walter Nolen, Mississippi

3. Kenneth Grant, Michigan

4. Derrick Harmon, Oregon

5. Joshua Farmer, Florida State

Linebackers

1. Jalon Walker, Georgia

2. Jihaad Campbell, Alabama

3. Barrett Carter, Clemson

4. Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon

5. Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma

Cornerbacks

1. Travis Hunter, Colorado

2. Jahdae Barron, Texas

3. Will Johnson, Michigan

4. Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina

5. Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame

Safeties

1. Malaki Starks, Georgia

2. Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina

3. Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

4. Andrew Mukuba, Texas

5. Sebastian Castro, Iowa

It’s Tagging Time

The two-week NFL franchise tag window opens today and runs through 4pm ET on March 4. During the window, each team is allowed to tag one player that is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. It would keep the player with the franchise for the 2025 season. 

Franchise tag numbers are based on the top five annual salaries at each position. 

QB:  $41,325,000

LB:  $27,050,000

WR: $25,693,000

OL:  $25,156,000

DE:  $24,727,000

DT:  $23,468,000

CB:  $20,357,000

   S: $19,626,000

TE:  $14,241,000

RB: $13,629,000

ST:  $6,459,000

A few things about the process of coming up with those numbers. It’s ridiculous for the league to have separate numbers for defensive tackles and defensive ends yet group all of the offensive linemen together. It would also be better to group pass-rushing linebackers with the defensive ends. The off-the-ball linebackers certainly benefit from the top salaries of their pass-rushing brethren. There’s no way a team will tag their inside linebacker at $27,050,000 when the going rate is probably half that number. 

It was a long time ago but I remember the days when running backs were some of the highest paid players in the league. They trailed only the quarterbacks. The relative importance of the running back might be the game’s greatest change of the last 30 years. 

So, who’s going to get tagged? Each year, the number of tagged players seems to drop. Last year, nine players were slapped with the franchise tag. Two of those were eventually traded. The Carolina Panthers traded defensive end Brian Burns to the New York Giants a week after tagging him. The Kansas City Chiefs sent cornerback L’Jarius Sneed to the Tennessee Titans a few weeks later. 

Some of the leading franchise tag candidates:

Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Jevon Holland, S, Miami Dolphins

Zack Baun, LB, Philadelphia Eagles

Trey Smith, G, Kansas City Chiefs

Osa Odighizuwa, DT, Dallas Cowboys

Short list. Of those, Tee Higgins and Zack Baun feel like the most likely. One player that won’t be tagged is quarterback Sam Darnold. Many talking heads have said that the Minnesota Vikings should tag their 2024 starter. In my book, it’d be a stupid thing to do. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has spent the last three years working for this moment. Building a competitive roster with a young, franchise quarterback on a rookie deal has been the purpose of his “competitive rebuild.” Why would the Vikings throw all that away with an another giant deal for a quarterback? It’d be a stupid move and I’d be stunned if they made it. 

It’s tagging time. 

Aaron Jones Agreement

The Minnesota Vikings and Aaron Jones didn’t agree on a contract extension. They did agree to push back the void date on Jones’ contract. That’s sort of an extension.

The contract that Aaron Jones signed with the Vikings last offseason was originally set to void today. Had that happened, the Vikings would automatically incur a $3.2 million dead cap hit on their 2025 salary cap. With the agreement, reported by ESPN’s Field Yates on Saturday, the void date has been moved to March 11, one day before the start of free agency. 

Now, the Vikings and Jones have a bit more time to work on a possible contract extension. This doesn’t mean that a new deal will happen. It just means that it could still happen. It’s certainly more likely to happen than if the team had simply let the deadline pass. From a health standpoint, it wasn’t a clean season for Jones. Despite scattered knocks, he did appear in all 17 games for the Vikings in 2024. He set career highs in both carries (255) and rushing yards (1,138) and five touchdowns. He also had 51 receptions for 408 yards and two touchdowns. He turned 30 in December. Running backs often fade as they approach that milestone. Jones didn’t. Other than scattered instances in which he was clearly aching, he was a terrific all-around back. Can he do the same in a season in which he turns 31? The Vikings will likely add a running back in the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s a draft loaded with talented backs. Jones would likely still top the depth chart as the Vikings introduce a rookie runner. With fewer carries and fewer hits, perhaps Jones can have a more efficient season in 2025. 

Aaron Jones is still a very good running back. He proved that last season. He’s also an outstanding presence in the locker room. Head Coach Kevin O’Connell and General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have made a concerted effort to improve the culture and chemistry of the Vikings. Jones was a big part of that last season. I would imagine that the team’s decision-makers would like him to be part of the team this season. It sounds like Jones would like that as well. We should know in the next three weeks whether they can reach an agreement on a new contract. This agreement is a step in that direction. 

Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft

PFF’s Mock Draft Simulator makes these things too easy. The old days of notebooks, pens, and scattered magazines weren’t that long ago. Here’s another swing at a Minnesota Vikings mock draft. 

1(24).   Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

3(97).   RJ Harvey, RB, Central Florida

5(139). Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville

5(160). Connor Colby, G, Iowa

I’d be a fan of this draft. With only four picks (three and an expected third-round Compensatory Pick), the Vikings have limited draft resources. I believe that it’s likely they trade back in the first round to boost those resources. I also believe that there will be a few players that if available at #24, the Vikings will stay where they are and grab that player. The immense, in size and talent, Kenneth Grant could be one of those players. In this mock draft, I’m grabbing Grant. 

The Vikings enter this offseason with significant needs at a few positions.

Defensive Line

Interior Offensive Line

Cornerback

Running Back

Free agency should change the priority of those needs but those positions should be supplemented with the Vikings limited draft resources. I see Kenneth Grant as a Day 1 starter. I like RJ Harvey to immediately partner with Aaron Jones and/or Cam Akers and to evolve into the team’s RB1. Quincy Riley should compete for early playing time. Connor Colby will provide line depth and could eventually start. 

This is probably one of the better PFF Vikings mocks that I’ve had. 

Until the next one. 

NFL Scouting Combine Invites

The NFL Scouting Combine is just over a week away. 329 prospects have been invited to show their stuff in Indianapolis. It’s a good year for the Minnesota Vikings to have some of the needs that they have. Defensive tackle and running back are two of those needs. The 2025 NFL Draft is loaded with talent at those positions. Last year, 25 defensive tackles were invited to the Scouting Combine. This year, 41 have been invited. It’s a very good year to need defensive tackles. Running backs too. Here are the 329 prospects invited to the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.

Colorado’s Heisman-winning, do-everything Travis Hunter is listed with the receivers and the defensive backs. 

Quarterbacks 

Max Brosmer, Minnesota

Brady Cook, Missouri

Jaxson Dart, Mississippi

Quinn Ewers, Texas

Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

Seth Henigan, Memphis

Will Howard, Ohio State

Riley Leonard, Notre Dame

Kyle McCord, Syracuse

Graham Mertz, Florida

Jalen Milroe, Alabama

Kurtis Rourke, Indiana

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

Tyler Shough, Louisville

Cam Ward, Miami

Running Backs 

LeQuint Allen, Syracuse

Ulysses Bentley IV, Mississippi

Jaydon Blue, Texas

Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech

Donovan Edwards, Michigan

Trevor Etienne, Georgia

DJ Giddens, Kansas State

Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State

Omarion Hampton, North Carolina

RJ Harvey, UCF

TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State

Jarquez Hunter, Auburn

Ja’Quinden Jackson, Arkansas

Jordan James, Oregon

Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

Kaleb Johnson, Iowa

Montreal Johnson Jr., Florida

Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State

Corey Kiner, Cincinnati

Phil Mafah, Clemson

Woody Marks, USC

Damien Martinez, Miami

Kyle Monangai, Rutgers

Kalel Mullings, Michigan

Devin Neal, Kansas

Dylan Sampson, Tennessee

Raheim Sanders, South Carolina

Cam Skattebo, Arizona

Brashard Smith, SMU

Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech

Marcus Yarns, Delaware

Wide Receivers 

Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas

Elic Ayomanor, Stanford

Elijhah Badger, Florida

Jack Bech, TCU

Isaiah Bond, Texas

Ja’Corey Brooks, Louisville

Sam Brown Jr., Miami

Pat Bryant, Illinois

Luther Burden III, Missouri

Beaux Collins, Notre Dame

Chimere Dike, Florida

Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

Da’Quan Felton, Virginia Tech

Tai Felton, Maryland

Jacolby George, Miami

Matthew Golden, Texas

Tre Harris, Mississippi

Jayden Higgins, Iowa State

Traeshon Holden, Oregon

Jimmy Horn Jr., Colorado

Tory Horton, Colorado State

Kobe Hudson, UCF

Travis Hunter, Colorado

Daniel Jackson, Minnesota

Tez Johnson, Oregon

Josh Kelly, Texas Tech

KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Auburn

Jaylin Lane, Virginia Tech

Dominic Lovett, Georgia

Bru McCoy, Tennessee

Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

Konata Mumphield, Pittsburgh 

Nick Nash, San Jose State

Isaiah Neyor, Nebraska

Jaylin Noel, Iowa State

Kaden Prather, Maryland

Xavier Restrepo, Miami

Jalen Royals, Utah State

Arian Smith, Georgia

Roc Taylor, Memphis

Isaac TeSlaa, Arkansas 

Dont’e Thornton Jr., Tennessee

Jordan Watkins, Mississippi

Theo Wease Jr., Missouri

Antwane Wells Jr., Mississippi

LaJohntay Wester, Colorado

Ricky White III, UNLV

Kyle Williams, Washington State

Savion Williams, TCU

Tight Ends 

Elijah Arroyo, Miami

Gavin Bartholomew, Pittsburgh

Jake Briningstool, Clemson

Jalin Conyers, Texas Tech

CJ Dippre, Alabama

Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame

Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green

Terrance Ferguson, Oregon

Thomas Fidone II, Nebraska

Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse

Jackson Hawes, Georgia Tech

Gunnar Helm, Texas

Brant Kuithe, Utah

Luke Lachey, Iowa

Colston Loveland, Michigan

Moliki Matavao, UCLA

Bryson Nesbit, North Carolina

Robbie Ouzts, Alabama

Joshua Simon, South Carolina

Mason Taylor, LSU

Tyler Warren, Penn State

Offensive Linemen 

Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas

Anthony Belton, N.C. State

Tyler Booker, Alabama

Logan Brown, Kansas

Will Campbell, LSU

Conor Colby, Iowa

Josh Conerly Jr., LSU

Hayden Conner, Texas

Ajani Cornelius, Oregon

Eli Cox, Kentucky

Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, Florida

Garrett Dillinger, Florida

Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota

Dylan Fairchild, Georgia

Miles Frazier, LSU

Charles Grant, William & Mary

Joshua Gray, Oregon State

Myles Hinton, Michigan

Joe Huber, Wisconsin

Donovan Jackson, Ohio State

Emery Jones Jr., LSU

Luke Kandra, Cincinnati

Drew Kendall, Boston College

Chase Lundt Connecticut 

Jake Majors, Texas

Marcus Mbow, Purdue

Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State

Armand Membou, Missouri

Wyatt Milum, West Virginia

Jonah Monheim, USC

Jack Nelson, Wisconsin

Hollin Pierce, Rutgers

Tate Ratledge, Georgia

Jalen Rivers, Miami

Caleb Rogers, Texas Tech

Jonah Savalinaea, Arizona

Josh Simmons, Ohio State

Torricelli  Simpkins III, South Carolina

Jackson Slater, Sacramento State

Marcus Tate, Clemson

Branson Taylor, Pittsburgh

Ozzy Trapilo, Boston College

Jalen Travis, Iowa State

Xavier Truss, Georgia

Carson Vinson, Alabama A&M

Clay Webb, Jacksonville State

Cameron Williams, Texas

John Williams, Cincinnati

Jared Wilson, Georgia

Grey Zabel, North Dakota State

Defensive Linemen

Tommy Akingbesote, Maryland

Darius Alexander, Toledo

Tyler Baron, Miami

Tyler Batty, BYU

Zeek Biggers, Georgia Tech

Yahya Black, Iowa

Warren Brinson, Georgia

Vernon Broughton, Texas

Jordan Burch, Oregon

Jamaree Caldwell, Oregon

Abdul Carter, Penn State

Alfred Collins, Texas

Howard Cross III, Notre Dame

Fadil Diggs, Syracuse

Ethan Downs, Oklahoma

Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College

Joshua Farmer, Florida State

Ashton Gillette, Louisville

Mason Graham, Michigan

Kenneth Grant, Michigan

Mike Green, Marshall

Eric Gregory, Arkansas

Ty Hamilton, Ohio State

Derrick Harmon, Oregon

Jared Harrison-Hunte, SMU

Ahmed Hassanein, Boise State

Tonka Hemmingway, South Carolina

Cam Horsley, Boston College

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Georgia

Jared Ivey, Mississippi

Cam Jackson, Florida

Landon Jackson, Arkansas

Sai’vion Jones, LSU

Jay Joyner, Minnesota

DeAndre Jules, South Carolina

Kyle Kennard, South Carolina

Steve Linton, Baylor

Sean Martin, West Virginia

Rylie Mills, Notre Dame

Walter Nolen, Mississippi

Omarr Norman-Lott, Tennessee

Oluwafemi Oladejo, UCLA

Payton Page, Clemson

James Pearce Jr., Tennessee

Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech

JJ Pegues, Mississippi

Jordan Phillips, Maryland

Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech

Jahvaree Ritzie, North Carolina

Elijah Roberts, SMU

Que Robinson, Alabama

Ty Robinson, Nebraska

Kaimon Rucker, North Carolina

T.J. Sanders, South Carolina

Jack Sawyer, Ohio State

Nic Scourton, Texas A&M

Elijah Simmons, Tennessee

Tim Smith, Alabama

Barryn Sorrell, Texas

Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia

Josaiah Stewart, Michigan

Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M

Bradyn Swinson, LSU

Junior Tafuna, Utah

Jay Toia, UCLA

JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State

Shemar Turner, Texas A&M

Princely Umanmielen, Mississippi

David Walker, Central Arkansas

Deone Walker, Kentucky

CJ West, Indiana

Mykel Williams, Georgia

Tyleik Williams, Ohio State

Linebackers

Eugene Asante, Auburn

Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon

Carson Bruener, Washington

Teddye Buchanan, Cal

Jihaad Campbell, Alabama

Barrett Carter, Clemson

Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Kentucky

Power Echols, North Carolina

Jay Higgins, Iowa

Shemar James, Florida

Kobe King, Penn State

Jack Kiser, Notre Dame

Demetrius Knight Jr., South Carolina

Cody Lindenberg, Minnesota

Nick Martin, Oklahoma State

Bam Martin-Scott, South Carolina

Francisco Mauigoa, Miami

Jalen McLeod, Auburn

Kain Medrano, UCLA

Smael Mondon Jr., Georgia

Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State

Chris Paul Jr., Mississippi

Tyreem Powell, Rutgers

Karene Reid, Utah

Carson Schwesinger, UCLA

Cody Simon, Ohio State 

Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma

Jalon Walker, Georgia

Jackson Woodard, UNLV

Defensive Backs

BJ Adams, UCF

Zy Alexander, LSU

Trey Amos, Mississippi

Jahdae Barron, Texas

Billy Bowman Jr., Oklahoma

Cobee Bryant, Kansas

Denzel Burke, Ohio State

Sebastian Castro, Iowa

Alijah Clark, Syracuse

Kitan Crawford, Nevada

Mello Dotson, Kansas

Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina

O’Donnell Fortune, South Carolina

Zach Frazier, UTSA

Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky

Jordan Hancock, Ohio State

Jamari Harris, Iowa

Marcus Harris, Cal

Tommi Hill, Nebraska

Maxen Hook, Toledo

Travis Hunter, Colorado

Alijah Huzzie, North Carolina

Will Johnson, Michigan

Bilhal Kone, Western Michigan

Rayuan Lane III, Navy

Robert Longerbeam, Rutgers

Jason Marshall Jr., Florida

Mac McWilliams, UCF

R.J. Mickens, Clemson

Malachi Moore, Alabama

Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame

Jabbar Muhammad, Oregon

Andrew Mukuba, Texas

Jacob Parrish, Kansas State

Darien Porter, Iowa State

Caleb Ransaw, Tulane

Lathan Ransom, Ohio State

Jaylen Reed, Penn State

Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina

Quincy Riley, Louisville

Jonas Sanker, Virginia

Marques Sigle, Kansas State

Jaylin Smith, USC

Malaki Starks, Georgia

Upton Stout, Western Kentucky

Dorian Strong, Virginia Tech

Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State

Dante Trader Jr., Maryland

Malik Verdon, Iowa State

Justin Walley, Minnesota

Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

Isas Waxter, Villanova

Nohl Williams, Cal

Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State

Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin

Craig Woodson, Cal

Specialists

Andres Borregales, K, Miami

James Burnip, P, Alabama

Jeremy Crenshaw, P, Florida

Ryan Fitzgerald, K, Florida State

Tyler Loop, K, Arizona

Ben Sauls, K, Pittsburgh

NFL Head Coach And General Manager Churn

It took about a month but this year’s version of the annual NFL Head Coach Churn has finally come to an end. The Jacksonville Jaguars are still interviewing General Manager candidates. As the only team left in the General Manager Churn, they can take their time and it looks like they will. One would think that there’d be some urgency as the NFL offseason waits for no one. It’s the Jaguars. They employed Trent Baalke. There’s no telling what’s skipping through the minds of the team’s decision-makers. The 2025 offseason and season will have seven new head coaches and eventually four new general managers. 

Here’s a summary of the NFL Head Coach and General Manager Churn.

Chicago Bears

Former Head Coach: Matt Eberflus 

New Head Coach: Ben Johnson

Dallas Cowboys

Former Head Coach: Mike McCarthy

New Head Coach: Brian Schottenheimer

Jacksonville Jaguars

Former Head Coach: Doug Pederson

New Head Coach: Liam Coen

Former General Manager: Trent Baalke

New General Manager: Who Knows?

Las Vegas Raiders

Former Head Coach: Antonio Pierce

New, yet old, Head Coach: Pete Carroll

Former General Manager: Tom Telesco

New General Manager: John Spytek

New England Patriots 

Former Head Coach: Jerod Mayo

New Head Coach: Mike Vrabel

New Orleans Saints

Former Head Coach: Dennis Allen

New Head Coach: Kellen Moore

New York Jets

Former Head Coach: Robert Salah

New Head Coach: Aaron Glenn

Former General Manager: Joe Douglas

New General Manager: Darren Mougey

Tennessee Titans

Former General Manager: Ran Carthon

New General Manager: Mike Borgonzi

Minnesota Vikings Draft Dreams

The Athletic’s draft expert, Dane Brugler, recently released his ranking of the Top 100 Prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. As one of the best evaluators on the media side of things, it’s always an interesting list. It’s also easy to get dreamy about the draft possibilities of the Minnesota Vikings. This is the time for that. As things stand now, the Vikings have significant needs at a few positions.

Interior Offensive Line

Interior Defensive Line

Cornerback

Running Back

What the Vikings do in free agency will alter those needs. Until then, I’m stuck prioritizing the above four positional needs. Plucking players from Brugler’s Top 100 that play the above positions give us this.

1.   Travis Hunter, CB, Colorado

4.   Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

5.   Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

9.   Shemar Stewart, DL, Texas A&M

12. Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

18. Tyler Booker, G, Alabama

19. Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon

26. Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

29. Walter Nolen, DT, Mississippi

32. Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina

35. Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa

36. Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina

38. Grey Zabel, IOL, North Dakota State

40. Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas

42. Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State

47. Alfred Collins, DT, Texas

49. TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State

52. Jonah Savaiinea, G, Arizona

54. Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky

55. Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame

56. Shemar Turner, DT, Texas A&M

60. T.J. Sanders, DT, South Carolina

62. Jordan James, RB, Oregon

66. Marcus Mbow, G, Purdue

67. Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo

69. Tate Ratledge, G, Georgia

70. Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State

73. Jordan Phillips, DT, Maryland

76. Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky

77. Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville

78. Omar Norman-Lott, DT, Tennessee

80. Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee

83. Jared Wilson, C, Georgia

86. Jacob Parrish, CB, Kansas State

88. Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State

91. Nohl Williams, CB, Cal

93. Trey Amos, CB, Mississippi

95. R.J. Harvey, RB, Central Florida

96. Cobee Bryant, CB, Kansas

99. Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State

It’d sure be nice to just grab Travis Hunter, Mason Graham, Ashton Jeanty, Tyler Booker and insert them in the Vikings starting lineup. The NFL Draft doesn’t work like that. An unfortunate thing about this draft is that the Vikings are only scheduled to have four draft picks. That number includes an expected Compensatory third-round pick that they have yet to be awarded. With that Compensatory assumption, only two of the four picks (#24 and #97) are expected to be swings at players in Brugler’s Top 100. 

Perhaps:

24. Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

97. Darien Porter, CB, Iowa State

Adding Kenneth Grant to the Vikings defensive line would be brilliant. Darien Porter is a nice cornerback addition. His length reminds me of what the Vikings were targeting in Khyree Jackson last year. 

If the Vikings could trade back a bit and add another swing at Brugler’s Top 100, perhaps they have this improved three-round draft haul.

35. Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa

67. Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo

97. Darrien Porter, CB, Iowa State

Kaleb Johnson would be an outstanding addition. Darius Alexander isn’t quite the immense interior presence that Kenneth Grant is but he’s an active, versatile player that should boost interior pressure. Alexander is a player that intrigues me more each time I look at him. 

It’s a good year to need defensive tackles and running backs. There will be talent at both positions into Day 3 of the draft. If they can fill their offensive line needs in free agency, the Vikings should be able to address their remaining needs with their very limited number of draft picks. 

2025 NFL Offseason Schedule

With the Philadelphia Eagles demolition of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, all 32 teams are in the 2025 NFL Offseason. 

February 18: First day to designate franchise and transition tags

February 24 - March 3: Scouting Combine in Indianapolis

March 4 (4pm ET): Franchise/transition tags deadline

March 10 - 12: Negotiating period pending unrestricted free agents

March 12 (4pm ET): Free agent deals can signed, trades official

March 30 - April 2: Annual league meetings in Palm Beach, Florida

April 7: Teams with new head coaches can begin offseason conditioning

April 18: Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets

April 21: Remaining teams can begin offseason conditioning 

April 23: Deadline for clubs to exercise right of first refusal on RFAs

April 24 - 26: NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin

May 1: Deadline for clubs to pick up fifth-year options for 2021 first-round picks

May 2 - 5/May 9 - 12: Clubs can hold rookie minicamps

May/June: Clubs can hold OTAs and mandatory minicamps

July 15: Deadline to sign a franchise-tagged player to multi-year deal

Mid-late July: Training Camps open

***

The NFL cycle continues….

First Flea Flicker Mock Draft

Draft season is open. Here’s the first Flea Flicker Mock Draft of the season. 

1.   Tennessee Titans: Shadeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

2.   Cleveland Browns: Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State

3.   New York Giants: Cam Ward, QB, Miami

4.   New England Patriots: Travis Hunter, CB, Colorado

5.   Jacksonville Jaguars: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

6.   Las Vegas Raiders: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

7.   New York Jets: Will Campbell, OT, LSU

8.   Carolina Panthers: Jalon Walker, Edge, Georgia

9.   New Orleans Saints: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

10. Chicago Bears: Armand Membou, OL, Missouri

11. San Francisco 49ers: Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State

12. Dallas Cowboys: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

13. Miami Dolphins: Tyler Booker, G, Alabama

14. Indianapolis Colts: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan

15. Atlanta Falcons: Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia

16. Arizona Cardinals: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama

18. Seattle Seahawks: Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

20. Denver Broncos: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas

21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Walter Nolen, DT, Mississippi

22. Los Angeles Chargers: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri

23. Green Bay Packers: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College

24. Minnesota Vikings: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

25. Houston Texans: Shemar Stewart, DL, Texas A&M

26. Los Angeles Rams: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas

27. Baltimore Ravens: Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon

28. Detroit Lions: James Pearce Jr., Edge, Tennessee

29. Washington Commanders: Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon

30. Buffalo Bills: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia

32. Philadelphia Eagles: Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State

Until the next one. 

2025 NFL Draft Order

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Eagles. With Super Bowl LIX in the books, the NFL Draft order is finally set.

1.   Tennessee Titans

2.   Cleveland Browns

3.   New York Giants

4.   New England Patriots

5.   Jacksonville Jaguars

6.   Las Vegas Raiders

7.   New York Jets

8.   Carolina Panthers

9.   New Orleans Saints

10. Chicago Bears

11. San Francisco 49ers

12. Dallas Cowboys

13. Miami Dolphins

14. Indianapolis Colts

15. Atlanta Falcons

16. Arizona Cardinals

17. Cincinnati Bengals

18. Seattle Seahawks

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

20. Denver Broncos

21. Pittsburgh Steelers

22. Los Angeles Chargers

23. Green Bay Packers

24. Minnesota Vikings

25. Houston Texans

26. Los Angeles Rams

27. Baltimore Ravens

28. Detroit Lions

29. Washington Commanders

30. Buffalo Bills

31. Kansas City Chiefs

32. Philadelphia Eagles

For all 32 teams, the season is done and draft season has begun. 

Flea Flicker Super Bowl LIX Prediction

In September, 32 teams hoped to be playing football in February. For 30, that didn’t happen. The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles play today in Super Bowl LIX. Here’s a guess at the big game.

Super LIX

Kansas City Chiefs “@“ Philadelphia Eagles

Pick: Chiefs

The Chiefs make it a three-peat. I couldn’t stand seeing Eagles fans celebrate a title eight years ago. They were unbearable in Canton at the 2018 Hall of Fame Inductions. I can’t stand the thought of seeing them celebrate a second title. So, I’m going with the Chiefs. 

Next Year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Class

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 was announced Thursday night at NFL Honors. 

Jared Allen

Eric Allen

Antonio Gates

Sterling Sharpe

With Jared Allen finally making it to Canton, it’s a beautiful class. Thanks to a revised voting process, it’s a remarkably small class. The revisions weren’t necessary. There were problems that needed to be corrected. Those problems weren’t with the process. Those problems were and continue to be with the voters. Some voters have admittedly shut the door on players, coaches, and contributors that played, coached, and contributed before their time. The voters are tasked with honoring professional football’s past. All of it. If they can’t do that, they shouldn’t be voters. 

Congratulations to the new Hall of Famers.

As soon as a new Hall Class is announced, attention turns to the next one. That attention is initially focused on the players that are in their first year of eligibility. Next year’s list of newbies is loaded.

Drew Brees

Larry Fitzgerald

LeSean McCoy

Frank Gore

Jason Witten

Maurkice Pouncey

Geno Atkins

Stephen Gostkowski

Philip Rivers

Greg Olsen

Todd Gurley

Julian Edelman

Thomas Davis

Mike Iupati

Dez Bryant

David DeCastro

Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald can immediately get measured for their spiffy gold jacket and sit for their bust. They will headline the Class of 2026. After that, who knows? With these voting revisions, I fear another small Class and a growing backlog of players deserving of a Hall call. In predicting the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, I’m going with the way I see it. I’m ignoring the idiotic revisions.

Drew Brees

Larry Fitzgerald

Luke Kuechly

Torry Holt

Willie Anderson

For the Hall voters that actually respect pro football’s past, here’s a stab at a couple seniors and a coach to round out the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

Seniors

Verne Lewellen

Al Wistert

Coach

Buddy Parker

That would be a beautiful Hall of Fame Class. 

 

An Honorable Minnesota Vikings Night

The NFL held their annual awards pageant last night in New Orleans. Appropriately named NFL Honors, the Minnesota Vikings had an honorable night. Two players and two coaches were up for awards.

Comeback Player of the Year: Sam Darnold

Walter Payton Man of the Year: C.J. Ham

Assistant Coach of the Year: Brian Flores

Coach of the Year: Kevin O’Connell

From the start, it was a stretch for Sam Darnold to be up for Comeback Player of the Year. The award is intended to recognize a player that’s overcome some sort of setback. That setback is supposed to be a significant injury or an unfortunate tragedy. Darnold’s setback was a disappointing start to his career after being selected with the third pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. He had a fantastic season in quarterbacking the Vikings to a 14-3 record. If there was an award for Most Improved Player of the Year, that award was his. Comeback Player of the Year was not his. It deservedly went to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Congratulations. 

Darnold came in third. 

As for the Walter Payton Man of the Year, any of the 32 players nominated is worthy of winning it. That’s true every year. They, and many other players across the league, are doing fantastic things in their communities. All deserve recognition for all the great things that they do. The deciders could simply pull a name from a hat and do the award justice. This year, C.J. Ham’s name wasn’t pulled. Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead’s name was. Congratulations. 

For some reason, The Assistant Coach of the Year was announced before NFL Honors got started. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson won the voting. He did a great job and it got him a head coach opportunity with the Chicago Bears. Congratulations. Brian Flores did a great job with the Vikings defense. He was runner-up in the voting. He didn’t get the head coach opportunity that he greatly deserves. Fortunately for the Vikings, he returns for a third season in Minnesota. 

As for Coach of the Year honors, that went to Kevin O’Connell. Perhaps I’m more than a bit biased, this is very much deserved. O’Connell is a fantastic head coach and he did a fantastic job coaching the Vikings this season. Preseason expectations had his team winning about six games. The Vikings more than doubled those win expectations. None of the talking heads and slappy pundits had them finishing 14-3 and taking the NFC title chase to a Week 18 battle with the Detroit Lions. No one. O’Connell has become a coaching fixture in Minnesota and he has a new contract and a shiny trophy to prove it. Congratulations Coach!

The league even brought the spectacular celebrations of Cam Bynum and Josh Metellus to the NFL Honors stage. Perhaps the highlight of the program’s entertainment portion was the re-enactment of their White Chicks celebration. With the help of Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Kobe Turner and a couple other players, they even took a swing at a Dirty Dancing routine. Not since Kirk Cousins sang a duet with Kelly Clarkson have Vikings players been such a fun highlight of NFL Honors. 

The greatest Vikings moment of the evening came with the announcement of Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025. After waiting four years too long, Jared Allen is finally getting his much deserved bust and spiffy gold jacket. He’s going to be honored in Canton next summer for his fantastic playing career. 

Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025:

Jared Allen

Eric Allen

Antonio Gates

Sterling Sharpe

The Hall of Fame used a revised voting process this year. It resulted in the smallest Hall Class in about two decades. The changes were intended to make it a little more difficult to get into Canton. What it really did was build the logjam of deserving players. There’s a growing receiver problem among the Modern Era candidates. There are a load of players stuck in the Senior pool that deserve a bust. A few should’ve made it decades ago. Unfortunately, too many voters have shut the door on players that played before their time covering the game. Voters that refuse to acknowledge football’s past shouldn’t be tasked with honoring it. Anyway, these arguments are for another day. Last night was all about Jared Allen finally getting the Hall of Fame recognition that he deserves. Congratulations Jared Allen. I hope to see you in Canton in August. 

Minnesota Vikings Lose A Coach

With only one remaining head coach vacancy and nearly all of the coordinator positions filled, it was beginning to look like the Minnesota Vikings were going to keep all of their coaches. Those hopes were dashed yesterday when the Jacksonville Jaguars hired Vikings assistant coach Grant Udinski to be new head coach Liam Coen’s offensive coordinator. 

In three years, Grant Udinski had emerged as one of the Vikings most interesting and most important assistant coaches. Prior to joining the Vikings, he was an assistant coach for the Carolina Panthers (2020-21) under Matt Ruhle. As the Vikings new head coach in 2022, Kevin O’Connell hired Undinski as an assistant to the head coach/special projects. Udinski started his time in Minnesota as a bit of mystery as his picture on the team’s website throughout his first season was a silhouette. Who was this coach? Was he some sort of secret weapon? It took no time for him to make a quick progression up the Vikings coaching ladder. In 2023, he was the assistant quarterbacks coach. In 2024, assistant offensive coordinator was added to his title and his responsibilities. I can’t recall ever seeing a coach with the title of assistant offensive coordinator. O’Connell was forced to create titles and add responsibilities. Undinski’s growing importance and competence forced a promotion to something. 

Udinski may have started his time in Minnesota as a secret weapon. After three seasons, his coaching was no longer a secret. He’s been a popular offensive coordinator candidate this offseason. Over the past few weeks, he interviewed with the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars. I actually thought that all those positions had been recently filled and was breathing sighs of relief. I only had to worry about the head coach-less New Orleans Saints. I was clearly mistaken about the Jaguars and Liam Coen having their offensive coordinator. That job now belongs to Grant Udinski. It’s a great thing for Udinski. It isn’t so great for the Vikings but it was inevitable. This is a coach that will be a head coach soon. He’s only 29. He’s going to be a very young head coach. 

The Vikings are going to miss Grant Udinski. Kevin O’Connell is going to miss him. Wes Phillips, Josh McCown, all of the assistant coaches are going to miss him. Unfortunately, quarterback J.J. McCarthy is probably going to miss him the most. Udinski was the coach designated to take late-night questions from the rookie quarterback. I doubt that Udinski had to be designated. He lives and breathes football. He probably welcomed all questions at all hours. The end of this coach-player relationship is probably the aspect of Udinski departing that worries me most. 

It’s incredibly selfish to not want Vikings coaches to advance their careers elsewhere. I can’t help it. I’m selfish about coaches that I want to stay in Minnesota. In the 1990s, I didn’t want Tony Dungy to leave. In the 2000s, I didn’t want Mike Tomlin to leave. I don’t want Brian Flores to leave. I didn’t want Grant Udinski to leave. These coaches deserve the opportunities to reach their career goals. Despite being selfish about them, I am happy for them. I’m happy for Udinski. I just wish that the Vikings and J.J. McCathy had another year with him. 

Ranking The 58 Super Bowls

In a rematch of Super Bowl LVII, the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs have emerged as the participants in Super Bowl LIX. The first was a pretty good game. Hopefully, this rematch is a pretty good game. The following is a ranking of the fifty seven Super Bowls. Hopefully, Super LVIII finds a high spot in next year’s ranking. 

58. Super Bowl IV-Kansas City Chiefs 23, Minnesota Vikings 7

57. Super Bowl VIII-Miami Dolphins 24, Minnesota Vikings 7

56. Super Bowl IX-Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Minnesota Vikings 6

55. Super Bowl XI-Oakland Raiders 32, Minnesota Vikings 14

54. Super Bowl XXIV-San Francisco 49ers 55, Denver Broncos 10

53. Super Bowl XLVIII-Seattle Seahawks 43, Denver Broncos 8

52. Super Bowl XX-Chicago Bears 46, New England Patriots 10

51. Super Bowl XXXV-Baltimore Ravens 34, New York Giants 7

50. Super Bowl XXIX-San Francisco 49ers 49, San Diego Chargers 26

49. Super Bowl XXXVII-Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48, Oakland Raiders 21

48. Super Bowl XXII-Washington Redskins 42, Denver Broncos 10

47. Super Bowl XXVII-Dallas Cowboys 52, Buffalo Bills 17

46. Super Bowl XII-Dallas Cowboys 27, Denver Broncos 10

45. Super Bowl XXXIII Denver Broncos 34, Atlanta Falcons 19

44. Super Bowl XVIII Los Angeles Raiders 38, Washington Redskins 9

43. Super Bowl XXVI-Washington Redskins 37, Buffalo Bills 24

42. Super Bowl XV-Oakland Raiders 27, Philadelphia Eagles 10

41. Super Bowl I-Green Bay Packers 35, Kansas City Chiefs 10

40. Super Bowl VI-Dallas Cowboys 24, Miami Dolphins 3

39. Super Bowl XL-Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Seattle Seahawks 10

38. Super Bowl XLI-Indianapolis Colts 29, Chicago Bears 17

37. Super Bowl II-Green Bay Packers 33, Oakland Raiders 14

36. Super Bowl XIX-San Francisco 49ers, 38, Miami Dolphins 16

35. Super Bowl V-Baltimore Colts 16, Dallas Cowboys 13

34. Super Bowl VII-Miami Dolphins 14, Washington Redskins 7

33. Super Bowl XXVIII-Dallas Cowboys 30, Buffalo Bills 13

32. Super Bowl XXI-New York Giants 39, Denver Broncos 20

31. Super Bowl LV-Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31, Kansas City Chiefs 9
30. Super Bowl XXXI-Green Bay Packers 35, New England Patriots 21

29. Super Bowl XXX-Dallas Cowboys 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
28. Super Bowl L-Denver Broncos 24, Carolina Panthers 10
27. Super Bowl XVII-Washington Redskins 27, Miami Dolphins 17

26. Super Bowl XLIV-New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17
25. Super Bowl LIII-New England Patriots 13, Los Angeles Rams 3
24. Super Bowl XXXIX-New England Patriots 24, Philadelphia Eagles 21

23. Super Bowl XLV-Green Bay Packers 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 25

22. Super Bowl XLVI-New York Giants 21, New England Patriots 17

21. Super Bowl XXXII-Denver Broncos 31, Green Bay Packers 24

20. Super Bowl III-New York Jets 16, Baltimore Colts 7

19. Super Bowl XLVII-Baltimore Ravens 34, San Francisco 49ers 31
18. Super Bowl XXXIV-St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16

17. Super Bowl XXXVI-New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17

16. Super Bowl XIV-Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Los Angeles Rams 19

15. Super Bowl LIV-Kansas City Chiefs 31, San Francisco 49ers 20

14. Super Bowl XVI-San Francisco 49ers 26, Cincinnati Bengals 21

13. Super Bowl LVI-Los Angeles Rams 23, Cincinnati Bengals 20

12. Super Bowl LII-Philadelphia Eagles 41, New England Patriots 33

11. Super Bowl LVII-Kansas City Chiefs 38, Philadelphia Eagles 35
10. Super Bowl X-Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Dallas Cowboys 17

  9. Super Bowl XXIII-San Francisco 49ers 20, Cincinnati Bengals 16

  8. Super Bowl LVIII-Kansas City Chiefs 25, San Francisco 49ers 22

  7. Super Bowl XXV-New York Giants 20, Buffalo Bills 19

  6. Super Bowl XXXVIII-New England Patriots 32, Carolina Panthers 29

  5. Super Bowl XLII-New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14

  4. Super Bowl LI-New England Patriots 34, Atlanta Falcons 28
  3. Super Bowl XLIX-New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24
  2. Super Bowl XLIII-Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Arizona Cardinals 23

  1. Super Bowl XIII-Pittsburgh Steelers 35, Dallas Cowboys 31

All - Time Super Bowl Team

Just thinking about the Super Bowl and some of the great players that played in the big game.

Offense

Quarterback

Tom Brady, New England Patriots/Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Running Back

Franco Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers

Fullback

Larry Csonka, Miami Dolphins

Receivers

Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers

Lynn Swann, Pittsburgh Steelers

Tight End

Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots/Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

Tackles

Art Shell, Oakland Raiders

Erik Williams, Dallas Cowboys

Guards

Russ Grimm, Washington Redskins

Larry Little, Miami Dolphins

Center

Mike Webster, Pittsburgh Steelers

Defense

Ends

Charles Haley, San Francisco 49ers/Dallas Cowboys

L.C. Greenwood, Pittsburgh Steelers

Tackles

Alan Page, Minnesota Vikings

Randy White, Dallas Cowboys

Linebackers

Chuck Howley, Dallas Cowboys

Jack Lambert, Pittsburgh Steelers

Jack Ham, Pittsburgh Steelers

Cornerbacks

Mel Blount, Pittsburgh Steelers

Ronnie Lott, San Francisco 49ers

Safeties

Jake Scott, Miami Dolphins

Ronnie Lott, San Francisco 49ers

NFL Head Coach And General Manager Tracker

It’s Super Bowl Week. While the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles are getting ready for Super Bowl LIX, the other 30 NFL teams are firmly in the offseason. Seven teams started that offseason looking for a new head coach. Four teams were looking for a new general manager. The New Orleans Saints are the lone team still looking for their next head coach. The Jacksonville Jaguars are the lone team still looking for their next general manager. Here’s a summary of this year’s version of the NFL’s annual head coach and general manager churn. 

Chicago Bears

Fired Head Coach Matt Eberflus midseason

Head Coach:

Hired Ben Johnson, Lions OC

After interviewing about 20 candidates, the Bears went with coach they had probably targeted all along. 

Dallas Cowboys

Head Coach Mike McCarthy’s contract was not renewed

Head Coach:

Hired Brian Schottenheimer, Cowboys OC

Jacksonville Jaguars

Fired Head Coach Doug Pederson after the season. General Manager Trent Baalke was finally fired yesterday. 

Head Coach:

Hired Liam Coen, Buccaneers OC

General Manager

The Jaguars are just getting started. With no other team looking for a GM, they can be patient. A good-natured possum would be an improvement over Trent Baalke. 

Las Vegas Raiders

Fired Head Coach Antonio Pierce and General Manager Tom Telesco

Head Coach

Hired Pete Carroll, former Seahawks HC

General Manager:

Hired John Spytek, Buccaneers Assistant GM

New England Patriots 

Fired Head Coach Jerod Mayo

Head Coach:

Hired Mike Vrabel, former Titans HC

The Patriots fired one of their own so they could hire one of their own. 

New Orleans Saints

Fired Head Coach Dennis Allen midseason

Head Coach Interview Requests:

Joe Brady, Bills OC

Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Mike Kafka, Giants OC

Kliff Kingsbury, Commanders OC

Mike McCarthy, former Packers and Cowboys HC

Kellen Moore, Eagles OC

Darren Rizzi, Saints Interim HC

David Shaw, former Stanford HC

Anthony Weaver, Dolphins DC

The one remaining head coach opening looks like it’s heading to Kellen Moore. 

New York Jets

Fired Head Coach Robert Saleh and General Manager Joe Douglas midseason 

Head Coach

Hired Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Like the Bears, the Jets interviewed nearly 20 coaches and hired the one they probably targeted all along. Seeing as Glenn was drafted by the Jets in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft, this feels right. 

General Manager

Hired Darren Mougey, Broncos Assistant GM

Tennessee Titans

Fired General Manager Ran Carthon

General Manager:

Hired Mike Borgonzi, Chiefs Assistant GM 

Minnesota Vikings Offensive Line Options

In what’s expected to be an active offseason, the Minnesota Vikings will prioritize improving the offensive line. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell pretty much said as much the last few times they’ve spoken to the media. Anyone that’s watched Vikings play over the past decade would say the same. In particular, the interior of the offensive line must be improved. The team is just fine at the tackle spots. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill are one of the best tackle pairings in the league. The interior has been mediocre at its best and horrible at its worst. No more! The interior of the Vikings offensive line must be improved. This is the offseason to finally do it. 

With significant salary cap space and limited draft resources, the needed improvements are expected to come in free agency. The Vikings will have options. Here’s a look at some that have dominated my early offseason thoughts. 

The only option I haven’t considered, and won’t consider, is doing nothing at all to improve the interior of the offensive line. 

Minnesota Vikings Offensive Line Options

1. One Big Swing:

Sign Trey Smith. 

With about $60 million in salary cap space, and the ability to create much more, the Vikings will be able to bid with anybody for the signature of the clear #1 guard, and one of the best players, that could be available. Trey Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs. In the range of $20-25 million, his next contract will likely make him the highest-paid guard in the league. Just like the signing of Steve Hutchinson nearly 20 years ago, the signing of Smith would transform the offensive line, the offense, and the team. 

The Vikings new offensive line:

LT  Christian Darrisaw

LG Blake Brandel

 C  Garrett Bradbury

RG Trey Smith

RT Brian O’Neill 

There’s been some recent mentions that the Vikings see Walter Rouse as an option at guard. Drafted as a tackle in the sixth round last year, Rouse is an intriguing player. Who knows, in this option, maybe a training camp battle between Brandel and Rouse for the left guard job. The only known here is that adding Smith would do wonders for the Vikings offensive line. 

2. A Big swing and a modest swing:

Sign Trey Smith and Robert Jones

I’m not sure if Miami Dolphins guard Robert Jones is an improvement over Blake Brandel. When he had Christian Darrisaw next to him, Brandel was playing well. After Darrisaw was lost for the season, Brandel’s play started to be a little inconsistent. Maybe signing a guard like Teven Jenkins of the Chicago Bears or Will Fries of the Indianapolis Colts would be a better route. Signing Smith and Jenkins/Fries might be outside the realm of the Vikings salary cap space. Improving the offensive line might be the team’s biggest need but it’s not their only need. 

The Vikings new offensive line:

LT  Christian Darrisaw

LG Robert Jones

 C  Garrett Bradbury

RG Trey Smith

RT Brian O’Neill 

3. A big swing and a draft pick:

Sign Trey Smith and use one of their few draft picks on a guard

If the Vikings can find a small school sleeper with one of their fifth-round picks (Jacksonville State’s Clay Webb), I like this option a lot. I doubt that Webb makes out of Day 2. Maybe the Vikings can trade their first-round pick for a couple Day 2 picks. If the Vikings can manufacture the draft resources to add a promising guard and still address their other needs, I’d love this option. I’m just favoring free agency as the best way to improve the offensive line. 

The Vikings new offensive line:

LT  Christian Darrisaw

LG Clay Webb

 C  Garrett Bradbury

RG Trey Smith

RT Brian O’Neill 

4. Two modest swings.

Sign Teven Jenkins and Will Fries

If the Vikings lose the bidding for Trey Smith, this will be the best option. 

I’ve thought about this option a lot. I believe the Bears will be very interested in Smith. Maybe they should just re-sign Teven Jenkins and stay out of the Smith bidding. The Bears have more salary cap space than the Vikings. Will the Vikings pay any price for Smith? I suppose we’ll see. Jenkins and Fries won’t be cheap either but each will probably be $6-7 million less than Smith. With that modest discount, maybe the Vikings could afford both.

The Vikings new offensive line:

LT  Christian Darrisaw

LG Teven Jenkins

 C  Garrett Bradbury

RG Will Fries

RT Brian O’Neill 

None of the above options include replacing center Garrett Bradbury. Many followers of the Vikings want him gone. I get that. His lack of size and strength against the league’s growing number of impactful defensive tackles has been a problem. His quickness and smarts are his assets. So is his experience in Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Those attributes will be helpful as the Vikings enter the J.J. McCarthy era. Bradbury was selected in the first round for clear reasons. He’s a skilled center. Unfortunately, he’s a small center. I’ve often wondered if we’d see the best of him if he was playing between better guards. He’s been with the Vikings for six years. The list of guards that have played next to him is frightening. I’d like to see what he can do with better talent finally around him. 

Which option? My preference is any option that includes the signing of Trey Smith. I’ve become so smitten with that possibility that anything else would be seriously disappointing. If the Vikings could manage their limited draft resources to add Clay Webb (or more ambitiously North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel) and still address their other draft needs, #3 would be my favorite. Otherwise, I’m a firm believer in #1. 

Flea Flicker Top 5 Draft Prospects By Position

With the Minnesota Vikings in the offseason and a week of Senior Bowl practices the draft has been on my mind. Here’s an early look at some of the top prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. This will change a lot in the coming weeks. 

Quarterbacks

1. Cam Ward, Miami

2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

3. Kyle McCord, Syracuse

4. Jaxson Dart, Mississippi 

5. Will Howard, Ohio State

Running Backs

1. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

2. Omarion Hampton, North Carolina

3. Kaleb Johnson, Iowa

4. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State

5. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State

Wide Receivers

1. Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona

2. Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

3. Luther Burden III, Missouri

4. Matthew Golden, Texas

5. Xavier Restepo, Miami

I have Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter at corner. As a receiver, he’d easily be in the Top 5. Perhaps at WR1.

Tight Ends

1. Tyler Warren, Penn State

2. Colston Loveland, Michigan

3. Elijah Arroyo, Miami

4. Mason Taylor, LSU

5. Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green

Offensive Tackles

1. Will Campbell, LSU

2. Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas

3. Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon

4. Josh Simmons, Ohio State

5. Marcus Mbow, Purdue

Interior Offensive Line

1. Tyler Booker, Alabama

2. Armand Membou, Missouri

3. Grey Zabel, North Dakota State

4. Donovan Jackson, Ohio State

5. Tate Ratledge, Georgia

Edge

1. Abdul Carter, Penn State

2. Jalon Walker, Georgia

3. Mykel Williams, Georgia

4. James Pearce Jr., Tennessee

5. Mike Green, Marshall

Defensive Tackles

1. Mason Graham, Michigan

2. Kenneth Grant, Michigan

3. Walter Nolen, Mississippi

4. Derrick Harmon, Oregon

5. Joshua Farmer, Florida State

Linebackers

1. Jihaad Campbell, Alabama

2. Carson Schwesinger, UCLA

3. Barrett Carter, Clemson

4. Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon

5. Lander Barton, Utah

Cornerbacks

1. Travis Hunter, Colorado

2. Will Johnson, Michigan

3. Jahdae Barron, Texas

4. Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina

5. Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame

Safeties

1. Malaki Starks, Georgia

2. Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina

3. Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

4. Andrew Mukuba, Texas

5. Malachi Moore, Alabama