Even though there has been some movement during the NFL postseason, the most movement and updates come during the NFL draft. The draft consists of college seniors who performed well in their college season and who are chosen to compete at the highest level in the NFL. It is a big step for college players and an honor for them to get the chance to play at the highest level of football.
Of course, though it will come with its positives, there are also some things that aren’t as great for the upcoming NFL stars. Something that is difficult for most college players is the rule changes when they get to the NFL. The rules in the NFL aren’t huge changes, but it is visible enough to see they have issues with it. For instance, in college football, when catching the ball, you only need to land with one foot inbounds. In the NFL, the players need to keep both of their feet inbounds for it to be considered a catch. With the defensive backs, the refs are more strict with the pass interference calls. In college, there’s more leeway when the defensive backs get handsy, but with the NFL, they only have a certain amount of time to grab them, then they have to let go. One of the biggest rule changes, however, is the rules on hitting. In college, there were a lot more “big hits” because there weren’t as many restrictions. In the NFL, they changed a lot of rules to keep the players safer and allow more longevity in their careers. This did cause fans to be upset, but it was for the protection of the players in the league.
Now, with the draft coming this month, the teams that have the first ten picks are most likely the ones benefitting the most. The first teams, especially, are going to benefit the most. The team that is receiving the first pick in the 2025 draft is the Tennessee Titans. The Titans would benefit from picking Cam Ward, Quarter Back for the Miami Hurricanes. The reason this would be the best pick for them is that they need a quarterback desperately. The current starting quarterback is Will Levis. Last season, he was injured for most of the year, and when he did play, he underperformed. With a dual-threat quarterback like Cam Ward, they could be a lot better as a team. The second team is the Cleveland Browns. The second overall pick is projected to be Abdul Carter, an Edge rusher from Penn State. The Browns could benefit from this pick because the Browns’ defense was semi-lacking last season. If their best defense player, Myles Garret, were to get help from a capable athlete like Abdul Carter, they could do better than last season. The third overall pick was given to the New York Giants. The third pick is projected to be Travis Hunter, a defensive back/wide receiver from Colorado State University. The Giants could very well benefit largely from putting him at defensive back because they have a good wide receiver in Malik Nabers and could benefit from having a strong and fast defensive back locking down other teams’ receivers. All in all, though, this year’s draft will most likely help all the teams that are drafting and be a huge opportunity for these college players to prove themselves in the NFL.
