Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
It’s Super Bowl week, which means the NFL draft is getting closer and mock drafts are giving fans an idea of where collegiate stars might land.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein released the first version of his mock draft on Monday. Zierlein had Miami star quarterback Cam Ward going to the Tennessee Titans with the first pick, followed by Penn State edge Abdul Carter to the Cleveland Browns at No. 2.
Zierlein also had Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter to the New York Giants at No. 3 and his teammate, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, going to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6.
Zierlein tabbed Boise State standout running back Ashton Jeanty as the No. 7 pick to the New York Jets.
There has been plenty of debate over whether Ward or Sanders should be the first pick, and both quarterbacks have strong cases.
Ward was a Heisman finalist after he threw for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He added 204 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Sanders had another outstanding year as he collected 4,134 passing yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for the Buffs.
Carter had a strong case to be a top pick already, but the recent news of star edge-rusher Myles Garrett requesting a trade could push the Browns to take him as early as No. 2. The junior is coming off a season in which he racked up 43 tackles, 12 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.
Hunter has been tabbed by some as a player worthy of going No. 1 in the draft, but even if he isn’t the first player off the board it won’t take long for his name to be called. The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner had an unprecedented season with 1,258 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns to go with 35 tackles, four interceptions and a forced fumble.
It’s somewhat rare to see a running back selected inside the top 10 these days, but if there was ever a player to be selected that high, it’s Jeanty. He had one of the best seasons by a running back in recent memory, collecting 2,601 yards on the ground and 30 t
Read the full article here
