As we begin to wind down the NFL season, teams are either beginning to prepare for the NFL Playoffs, or the NFL Draft. Today, this analyst begins a series of articles looking at every team, division by division and looking at:
- The top 3 needs for each team
- One player in the NFL Draft who can help fulfill one of those needs, whether in the first round or the 7th round.
- We’ll also factor in draft positioning, but not to an exact science (for example, if a team is projected to pick 8th, we’ll look at top ten talent, but not top 5 talent, as they likely won’t be available.)
- We’ll focus on the top three needs as projected by this analyst, but not in any specific order, as this article focuses more on value than positional needs.
We’ll start in the AFC East, where one team is in the thick of the playoff hunt (Buffalo), but the other 3 are likely planning for the NFL Draft as of this article (New York Jets, Miami, New England). Without further ado, let’s start in Foxborough with a former dynasty that’s fallen on hard times.
New England Patriots
Biggest needs: Offensive Tackle, Cornerback, Wide Receiver
Draft Selection: Round 1 – Travis Hunter, CB/WR, University of Colorado
For New England, their biggest focus has to be on getting talent to protect Drake Maye as well as talent to supplement him on offense. Considering that they’ll be selecting within the top 3 to 5 selections of the NFL Draft, Offensive Tackle would be a reach at that selection for this analyst.
Instead, New England opts to fill two needs with one selection, selecting Travis Hunter from the University of Colorado. The biggest question would be if the Patriots play him on both sides of the ball, but with Christian Gonzales locking down one of the cornerback spots, I’d lean with the Patriots playing him full time at wide receiver and he becoming Drake Maye’s WR1 moving forward.
New York Jets
Biggest Needs: Defensive Line (Including Edge), Cornerback, Offensive Tackle
Draft Selection: Round 2 – Wyatt Milum, OT, West Virginia University
For the New York Jets, getting protection for Aaron Rodgers (or whoever the QB may be for gang green next year) is probably one of the most important factors to hit in this draft. However, there isn’t likely to be an offensive tackle at their first round selection worthy of the pick that can play tackle, as guys like Will Campbell are better suited to be guards at the next level.
With that being said, the Jets would likely turn to offensive tackle at the top of round 2, and select the West Virginia product Wyatt Milum to play LT for the Jets in 2025. A former 4 year starter at West Virginia, who also happens to be one of the best run blocking tackles in this class, Wyatt will not only protect the QB of the future, he’ll also open up some serious run lanes for Breece and Co next season in the run game.
Miami Dolphins
Biggest Needs: Safety, Offensive Line, Defensive Tackle
Draft Selection: Round 2 – Nick Emmanwori, S, University of South Carolina
For the Dolphins, I fully expect them to attack offensive line with their first round selection to bolster the protection in front of Tua for next season. However, Safety is just as big a need for the dolphins, as they need a quarterback for their defense, who can also patrol the deep third of the field on defense.
With Nick Emmanwori, he can do both of those things, as he is an elite tackler in this safety group, as well as has very impressive ball skills in the secondary. However, his biggest trait is his size/speed/athletic profile (6-3, 225 lbs, with a 4.3 40 yard dash time), and with those traits, he has a sky high ceiling and could be a potential star for this south beach defense.
Buffalo Bills
Biggest Needs: Defensive Line (Including Edge), Wide Receiver, Safety
Draft Selection: Round 3 – Jack Bech, WR, TCU
For the Bills, they likely attack the defensive side of the ball early, but there is a need for wide receiver in the latter parts of their draft (which likely increases if Amari Cooper dosn’t resign.) With excellent size (6-2, 215 lbs), Jack profiles to be a perfect complement to what this team currently has at wide receiver.
Jack is a savvy route runner, who can move the chains for this Buffalo offense, and is versatile enough to play both inside and out, giving added value for him in round 3. My comp for him may be a little lofty, but this is an Anquan Boldin type of receiver, that just does the right thing and moves the chains for his offense.
There you have it folks, the first in a series of articles covering the NFL Draft for all 8 divisions! If you like what you read, feel free to check out my content over on “X” @sparkscouting, as well as you can also see my podcasts with the draft professor on YouTube here!
