Post‑free agency mocks shifting boards
Early post‑free‑agency mock talk is heavy — one social mock suggests the Titans target a game‑changing RB, the Chiefs trade up for an edge rusher, the Saints take a WR1, the Rams go offense at pick 13, and the Dolphins add help for Malik Willis. Analysts are reordering boards as signings change team needs ahead of April’s draft. (x.com) (espn.com)
Mel Kiper Jr. said he updated his Round 1 projections after the first wave of free‑agency signings and three draft‑order moves, noting the Rams sent No. 29 to Kansas City and the Broncos sent No. 30 to Miami as part of recent deals. (espn.com)) Kiper also highlighted the Raiders’ April 23 first‑round timing and pointed to Las Vegas’ big free‑agent add — center Tyler Linderbaum’s three‑year, $81 million deal — as a roster change that reshaped early draft needs. (espn.com)) Miami’s signing of Malik Willis was reported as a three‑year, $67.5 million contract with roughly $45 million guaranteed, a move that immediately altered the Dolphins’ draft calculus at quarterback. (sportingnews.com)) That quarterback decision dovetailed with the draft order shift: ESPN traced the Broncos‑to‑Dolphins swap of the No. 30 pick to a trade tied to Jaylen Waddle, a transaction Kiper said shifted several teams’ boards. (espn.com)) Tennessee still holds the No. 4 pick, and a cluster of post‑free‑agency mocks has elevated Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love into the top‑five conversation for that slot. (auburnwire.usatoday.com)) Love’s 2025 season — 1,372 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns for Notre Dame — plus recent pre‑draft visits to Tennessee and New York have fed those projections. (espn.com)) The Chiefs’ sudden receipt of the Rams’ No. 29 pick has intensified chatter that Kansas City will move up for an edge prospect, a stance echoed after reports the team’s DE depth was thinned by recent roster moves. (espn.com)) Across the board, post‑free‑agency mock surveys show teams like New Orleans now more frequently projected to take a true WR1 in Round 1 — a trend that appeared in half of the mocks surveyed and in multiple individual projections picking Ohio State’s Carnell Tate for the Saints. (saintswire.usatoday.com)) Los Angeles’ front office publicly framed pick No. 13 as discretionary after adding Trent McDuffie and re‑upping safety Kam Curl, and most post‑free‑agency mocks have the Rams using 13 on offensive help such as a top WR or tight end. (therams.com)) Draft analysts say the combined effect of big‑money free‑agent deals, a handful of trades and pro‑day drills forced widespread board reshuffles in the last two weeks, a pattern documented in updated commentaries and mock‑draft databases. (on3.com))
