ESPN's Matt Miller released his latest seven-round NFL mock draft on Monday as we approach just three weeks until April's draft. It's a thorough accounting of every team's needs and wants, but nailing each of the 257 selections is, of course, harder than it looks.
Miller objectively placed college football's best prospects with what could be their best fits, but accounting for the unpredictability of a general manager who panic-picks the best available player without real justification will inevitably result in some head-scratchers. Here are our favorite selections and a few that probably really shouldn't happen on draft night.
4 great picks in ESPN's latest mock draft
RB Jeremiyah Love - Tennessee Titans (Rd. 1, Pick 4)
There's been too much speculation swirling around Notre Dame's Heisman Trophy finalist landing with a certain team just because he's the shiniest object on the board (ahem, looking at you, Giants). Love is 100-percent worthy of a top-five pick, though, and Miller found a logical solution to making sure he's taken at an appropriate spot.
The Titans are currently running Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears in their backfield. Both are solid options but haven't quite emerged as home-run hitters. Pollard, to be fair, is a capable workhorse as a four-time 1,000-yard rusher, but he's approaching age 30 and will need a worthy successor. Love could end up being a usurper right away; he's that good.
TE Kenyon Sadiq - Baltimore Ravens (Rd. 1, Pick 14)
After losing Isaiah Likely to the New York Giants in free agency, Baltimore is leaning on Mark Andrews at 30 years old. With his injury history and waning production over the last two seasons, Andrews may be forced into a role in red-zone packages by new head coach Jesse Minter.
Sadiq is going to be gone in the first round, that's a given. The Ravens should jump on him because he doesn't have to be their TE1 from the jump. However, he has the capability to fill the Likely-sized hole on the roster and compliment Andrews by forcing defenses to make a decision on which deadly pass-catching, run-blocking hybrid they want to key in on.
RB Jadarian Price - Minnesota Vikings (Rd. 2, Pick 49)
Love's backfield partner in South Bend could be a Cam Skattebo-level gem in this draft. Miller has him going a round earlier than the Giants took the Arizona State product last year, but that's just fine considering he has much higher upside.
Minnesota restructured the final year of Aaron Jones' contract, and it's unlikely once he departs Minneapolis that backup Jordan Mason can handle a starting workload. Price will have time to develop, learn head coach Kevin O'Connell's offense and hopefully be ready to step up into the RB1 role with QB Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy or someone else to receive handoffs from.
WR Ja'Kobi Lane - New England Patriots (Rd. 4, Pick 131)
This could end up being the steal of the draft in time. New England is desperate for receiving help, and the USC product could find himself in a Jordan Addison-esque role as soon as midseason.
All the attention is on his classmate, Makai Lemon, in the first round, so that would account for this kind of significant drop. But don't be surprised if Ja'Kobi Lane becomes a household fantasy football name after a year or two. He caught 49 balls for 745 yards and four touchdowns last season in Los Angeles, but he reeled in a healthy dozen scores in 2024.
4 terrible picks in ESPN's latest mock draft
WR Makai Lemon - Miami Dolphins (Rd. 1, Pick 11)
Speaking of Lemon, the USC star deserves to be selected in the first round — but there's no way the Miami Dolphins can justify picking him after committing to a tank this season. Just because you have a Jaylen Waddle-sized hole on the roster (that you created, by the way) doesn't mean it needs to be filled with the first college star that comes around.
Miami's most pressing needs are at offensive line and EDGE. Given Miller's projections, this selection would mean the team is passing up Utah's Spencer Fano (OT), Georgia's Monroe Freeling (OT), Penn State's Olaivavega Ioane (G), Alabama's Kadyn Proctor (OT), Texas A&M's Cashius Howell (EDGE), Miami's Akheem Mesidor (EDGE), Utah's Caleb Lomu (OT) and Clemson's Blake Miller (OT) before selecting again at No. 30.
WR Jordyn Tyson - New York Jets (Rd. 1, Pick 16)
See the same analysis for the Dolphins when it comes to the Jets' folly here. Trading for QB Geno Smith of all players was the clearest signal the team is waving the white flag on the 2026 season — at least. Nobody has been able to give WR1 Garrett Wilson any help yet, so what makes anyone in that front office believe Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson will make things any better?
The 21-year-old is coming off multiple injuries that shortened the last two seasons for him, so there's baked-in risk for a franchise that can't afford much more. Prioritizing the offensive line so Smith has time to actually throw the ball and not be the most-sacked QB in the league again should be New York's priority. See the above list of prospects they'd miss out on (and even more) between pick No. 16 and No. 103 when they select next.
CB Keith Abney II - Green Bay Packers (Rd. 2, Pick 52)
The Packers famously have strict size requirements that inform their draft board process. Abney meets those measurements, but his role at Arizona State may not fit what the team needs. He measures at 6-foot, 187 pounds, which isn't terrible — but he's played more on the inside, compared to the Packers' need for an outside playmaker. His lack of upside there means he isn't worth a second-round pick for Green Bay, which needs Week 1 starters.
TE Will Kacmarek - New York Giants (Rd. 6, Pick 186)
The Giants already have four tight ends on their roster and had to let Daniel Bellinger go in free agency as a result. Why in the world would general manager Joe Schoen add another, especially so late in the draft when the kid probably won't make the cut in August?
Kacmarek caught just 15 balls for 158 yards and two touchdowns with Ohio State last year, a career high while in Columbus. But he was clearly a block-first, catch-maybe kind of asset, and auditioning for that type of role in the NFL results in less castings than you might think. No shade to Kacmarek, but this would be a waste of a pick for the Giants.