NOTE: This mock does not reflect what I would do as Steelers GM, but rather my best guess at what the team will actually do if the draft goes in a predictable way.
I Smell A Trade But Won’t Predict One
The Steelers gave up their Round 2 pick to Seattle as part of the price for DK Metcalf. So why has the front office focused on so many prospects who should be drafted between Picks 30-60? It only makes sense if Omar Khan sees a decent chance that he’ll end up with a replacement pick in that range.
My #1 theory would be this: the Steelers have a very limited short list of prospects for whom they’d stick and pick and have trade-down scenarios in place if both of those are gone at pick #21. Perhaps a transaction with the Chiefs, who have the ammunition and could use an offensive tackle? The Texans? Or the Saints? The #2 possibility would be that George Pickens has insisted on a trade rather than sharing the spotlight with Metcalf. The front office may also have some scheme involving an exchange of future picks for an extra one in 2025, which might make sense since we expect to have extras because of the compensatory system.
I like the just-in-case approach. It’s both cautious and professional. I’d be disappointed to lose Pickens, and to give up trade capital for the much-anticipated QB pick in 2026. But In Khan We Trust.
So yes, there is trade smoke in the air. But it won’t happen if the right prospect is there at 1:21, and that prospect would be…
ROUND 1 (#21 OVERALL) – DT DERRICK HARMON, OREGON. 6-5, 310 LBS.
Derrick Harmon has been my guy since early January. He is everything we’ve been searching for in the years since Cam Heyward hit the big 3-0 and searched for urgently since Stephon Tuitt retired. Every year the process has started with the same question. “Is there anyone someone built like an extra-large 5-tech, with good pass-rushing chops? Every year the answer has been either a resounding “no,” or “sure, if you have a top-5 pick to spend.”
This draft offers the solution, so this is the man I want, and the man I think the Steelers will target. The second stick-and-pick option would be Michigan’s DT Kenneth Grant, who gets a similar all-teams grade but doesn’t fit as cleanly into Pittsburgh’s defensive scheme. After that I think we’re looking at Mr. Trade Back.
All the speculation becomes moot if Harmon is there at Pick #21; he is, and now it’s time to celebrate.
| DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon by way of Michigan St. (RS Junior). 6-5, 310 lbs. with long 34⅜” arms and big 10⅜” hands. Born Oct. 9, 2003 (21 years old). [Mtg. at Combine, Visit] Derrick Harmon is one of those rare prospects who fits the Steelers mold in every aspect: size, strength, length, production, attitude, and upside potential. He flat out looks and plays like a Steeler. Solid (if inconsistent) pad level made Derrick Harmon a real force against the run in college, and he’s flashed some decent pass rush moves. The ever-hot motor, high level experience, and intangible factors also match up. Watch film and you’ll see some eye-popping moments when Harmon knifes through an OL in a manner we haven’t seen for quite some time in the Burgh. FWIW, he seems to have had a light bulb moment in 2021-2022, when he suddenly got in shape, dropped 50 lbs. and doubled his measurable strength. Daniel Jeremiah emphasized a set of spectacular interviews during the Combine coverage, and highlighted Harmon’s “quick hands”; a talent that enhances both pass rush and block shedding. Harmon’s physical lookalike on the numbers was Chris Jones! Jeremiah also ended the predraft process with this young man at #23 on his Top 50 list, which was DT2 behind only Mason Graham. |
| DERRICK HARMON CONTINUED: Alex Kozora’s Depot scouting profile from January triggers eerie flashbacks to Cam Heyward’s draft profile: A long, strong, power player who backs it up with good athleticism but doesn’t rely on being quicker than OL opponents, with a very high floor, questions about the ceiling, and enough technical gaps to really need 2-3 years of NFL coaching to refine his game. Readers should remember that Heyward famously went at the very end of Round 1, and was widely considered a reach back in 2001. Alex acknowledged the strong Heyward echo, but instead went with Leonard Williams as the comp. Okay, that will do too. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile (Round 1 grade, #3 of the class) quotes a scout who says the same thing: “the tape… reminds me of a young Cam Heyward but bigger.” Kyle Crabbs’ 33rd Team scouting profile from late November (fringe 1st grade) prefers a DaQuan Jones comp based on all the same assets with perceived limitations on lateral mobility that could limit the ceiling. “Harmon is likely a rotational defender early in his NFL career before developing into a high-volume snap taker by the end of his rookie contract.” The Bleacher Report scouting profile (strong Round 2 grade) says, “Harmon’s ability to take on double teams is a big part of what sets him apart as a run defender,” and projects him “as an impact starter who can contribute on all three downs.” |
Also considered: NT Kenneth Grant.
ROUND 2 – DK METCALF, obtained in trade with the Seattle Seahawks
ROUND 3 (#83 OVERALL) – QB WILL HOWARD, OHIO STATE. 6-4¼, 236 LBS.
I spent a lot of skull sweat on this pick and would like to walk you through the process. It began with the list of Pittsburgh’s top-30 visits:
- nine (9) running backs,
- eight (8) defensive tackles,
- four (4) quarterbacks,
- four (4) wide receivers,
- four (4) defensive backs, and
- one (1) edge rusher.
I accept that as a pretty good indicator of how the team views its wants and needs.
Round 1 went to a defensive lineman, and the WR and DB visits were almost all spent on Round 1-2 prospects. So that limits the targets to RB and QB. Here is the list of all the prospects at those positions who have a Round 2-3 grade on our Big Board:
|
|
Then I deleted RB Omarion Hampton, QB Shedeur Sanders, and QB Jaxson Dart from the list, since I can’t see any of them falling this far. QB Jalen Milroe took more time to rule out.
The “Quarterback Premium” is a real thing. Every year it causes starry-eyed reaches that convert top-20 QB grades into top-5 picks; top 30s into top 10s, and top-60 talents into QB picks by desperate teams willing to trade up into the end of Round 1. But the power of that premium peters out quickly from that point on. This is why Round 3 picks are so much more common than Round 2; the top half of Round 2 prospects get picked in the end of the 1st. My objective grade for Jalen Milroe stands right on that border in the middle of Round 2.
I did some research for this article and found that 2025’s Jalen Milroe is a physical, athletic, and testing clone for 2022 prospect Malik Willis, right down to identical 4.37 times in the 40-yard dash. They present the same boom-or-bust issues too, with numerous flashes of greatness, absurd athletic talent, cannon arms, and wildly erratic passing that seems to get worse as the throws get easier. The difference between the two is experience and intangibles. Willis came out of Liberty with very little high-level experience, and we only heard about his admirable character during the pre-draft process. Milroe was a two-year captain at Alabama who’s been described for years as the world’s #1 prospect in the Future-Son-In-Law Draft. The one gets an intangibles “A-” and experience “D;” the other an intangibles “A+” and an experience “B” (since Alabama faltered badly in those years).
Willis got picked in Round 3, at #86 overall, which is only three picks after the 3:83 spot we’re looking at now. I put Milroe’s grade significantly higher. But is it high enough to drag him into the trade-up-to-Round-1 vortex? If not, there is a real chance he could slide down well into Round 3 as teams begin to focus on the rich vein of Round 2 positional talent. But all the way to #83? That’s hard to imagine. The Steelers might seriously consider trading up if Milroe falls into the 60s or 70s, but at that point we’re talking about pure speculation. This is a predictive, no-trades mock, not another what-if scenario. Thus Jalen Milroe is also off the board.
The top quarterbacks still on the board are Will Howard and Tyler Shough, with TreVeyon Henderson and Kaleb Johnson as the top two running backs since Judkins did not come in for a visit. We have to assume that all four (five) of them will be gone by the Round 4 pick at #123 overall.
Picking a RB here would be good value but would leave very few QB options in Round 4. By contrast, I fully expect at least one or two of the Round 3 RBs to be available at 4:123 if the team goes with a QB. I predict that Omar Khan will bow to that reality and choose one of the quarterbacks.
Most people have a higher grade on Shough, but I have been convinced that Howard has the firmer floor due to better experience (Ohio State and a Natty, versus Louisville and a healthy year), an extra 600 college snaps, and his relative youth (23 years old versus 25). Pittsburgh can’t expect a Round 3 pick to start as a rookie and can only dream that he’ll mature into a next franchise QB. This selection has a more limited goal, just like the Round 3 (#76 overall) pick on Mason Rudolph in 2018: to fill out the QB room with solid depth and a cupcake frosting dream of surprising the world. Will Howard’s floor fits that description better than Tyler Shough’s ceiling. By a smidge. But that’s enough to make him the Round 3 pick.
| QB Will Howard, Ohio State (RS Senior). 6-4¼, 236 lbs. with 9” hands. Born Sep. 24, 2001 (23 years old). [Mtg. at Combine, Pro Day Dinner] Howard had a great start to 2024. And he had a tremendous end of 2024, when things began to click, and he led Ohio State first to the college playoffs, and then a national championship. The time in between was less impressive. But the bottom line is this: Will Howard pulled his own bacon out of the fire and deserves the credit for getting that done. Alex Kozora’s Depot scouting report starts by emphasizing Howard’s “prototypical frame [and] elite-level downfield touch… [and skill at] throwing good YAC balls that hit receivers in stride.” Howard also features a nice, compact release and, and the ability to rise up and play better in the clutch. All good. But he’s a pocket passer, not a high-quality athlete (“awkward and clunky”), his arm can fail him at times, and he played in a QB-friendly offense that covered his shortcomings with a lot of extraordinary weapons. Alex views him as QB3 in the weak 2025 class. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile (Round 4-5 grade) ends in a comp to Blake Bortles, who disappointed after being picked in Round 1. Kyle Crabbs’ 33rd Team scouting profile (Round 4 grade) uses Kyle Trask as the comp. Trask got picked in Round 2. The Bleacher Report scouting profile (Round 3 grade) relies on Mason Rudolph as the comp. See the pattern? No one thinks Will Howard has good odds to be That Guy, but everyone compares him to some darned good backups who all got drafted much higher than the grade he receives. |
Also considered: QB Tyler Shough, RB TreVeyon Henderson, RB Kaleb Johnson, and RB Quinshon Judkins. Plus CB Jacob Parrish, whom I just plain like.
ROUND 4 (#123 OVERALL) – RB BHAYSHUL TUTEN, VA. TECH. 5-9¾, 206 LBS.
My actual projection is a little broader than just the one name. I predict the pick will be “whichever of Giddens, Sampson, or Tuten falls to 1:23.” But it’s got to be one, and so I will go with Bhayshul Tuten.
We at Steelers Depot have a higher grade on Tuten than most others. Giddens and Sampson have broad appeal. Tuten is a home run hitter, but only on teams with an outside zone running attack. I.e., exactly what we expect Pittsburgh to adopt. This makes Bhayshul Tuten the most likely of the three to still be on the board in the middle of Round 4. His nasty fumbleitis is enough to make me wince, but Dr. Tomlin’s at the top of the pack for figuring out a cure. There are also the bloodlines to consider. Tuten’s older cousin is former Steeler Isaac “Red Zone” Redman, the man for whom we named the training camp phenom award. Give me a Redman heart with 4.38 speed, and I’m sold.
| RB Bhayshul Tuten, Va. Tech. by way of junior college (Senior). 5-9¾, 206 lbs. with 29½” arms and 9” hands. Born Feb. 4, 2003 (22 years old). [Mtg. at Visit] Isaac Redman’s much-younger cousin. Subtract the fumbleitis infection, an ugly but treatable affliction, and Bhayshul Tuten would be a model outside-zone back. He runs with patience, good vision, and then an explosive one-cut style that quickly hits superb top-end speed, with good contact balance to finish getting through the initial defensive layer. Good return chops too. TBH, he might even grade higher if the tape wasn’t full of running lanes far bigger than he’s ever going to see at the next level. Does he have contact balance and elusiveness in the hole that Pittsburgh will require? Tuten compiled an impressive 93rd-percentile RAS at the Combine based on awesome leaps to prove his explosiveness, and 4.32 speed in the 40-yard dash. Unlike his peers, Tuten did almost every test there was at the Combine (missing only the bench and 3-cone). Tom Mead’s Depot scouting report (Round 4 grade) makes for a very interesting read because the descriptions make Tuten sound like a Round 2 prospect for an outside zone running scheme, but lowers the final grade significantly because (a) he can’t be a bell-cow back outside of that limited role, (b) he has fumbling problems to overcome, and (c) the ridiculous depth of the 2025 class. “Overall, Tuten has good size and elite speed… can make a guy miss anywhere on the field… runs with patience…and can accelerate in a blink. [He also runs] with good pad level, [contact balance]…is a solid receiver out of the backfield…and is a willing pass protector [who] shows good technique while taking on blitzers.” Kyle Crabbs’ late-February scouting profile (Round 3 grade) puts it plainly: “The wide zone systems are going to love Tuten. The speed to the edge, the contact balance, the explosive run ability, the pass protection profile – these are core pillars of [outside zone] runners…and Tuten offers them in abundance.” Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile (Round 2-3 grade) has him as RB6 of the class, saying “Tuten could become a starting-caliber back with three-down value.” This goes to a good-looking scouting profile from March. This early-March scouting profile ends in a Round 4 grade. According to this brief but balanced scouting profile (Round 4 grade) “With speed and burst to burn, Tuten is a big-play threat every time he touches the ball…[but is] more effective as a straight-line runner [because he] doesn’t have the same burst when he’s moving laterally.” |
Also considered: RBs DJ Giddens, Dylan Sampson, RJ Harvey, Devin Neal, and Ollie Gordon.
ROUND 5 (#156 OVERALL) – JAMAREE CALDWELL, OREGON. 6-2⅛, 332 LBS.
Let’s consult the top-30 visits list again, to see how it’s been changed by the first three picks.
- nine (9) running backs [FILLED]
- eight (8) defensive tackles [FILLED BUT A DOUBLE DIP MAKES SENSE]
- four (4) quarterbacks [FILLED]
- four (4) wide receivers
- four (4) defensive backs
- one (1) edge rusher
I keep wanting to pencil in an offensive lineman, but staying true to what the Steelers have shown forbids that. So it has to be a second defensive lineman, a receiver, a defensive back, or a Round 1 EDGE who falls into Round 5. Let’s write off the last one, shall we? I also doubt the relevance of these WR visits, because they (A) took place right around the March 13 Metcalf trade, (B) would have been arranged beforehand, and (C) involved prospects who won’t make it out of Round 2. I’ll include a list of Round 5 receiver grades for the sake of full disclosure, but there is a light finger on the scale in favor of a DB or DT.
| Wide Receivers | Defensive Backs | Defensive Tackles |
|
|
|
Those breadcrumbs make for an easy choice. I like the receivers well enough, and I wouldn’t hate either DB, but the defensive linemen on that list blow both positions away. Pegues, Caldwell, and Phillips might all go as high as Round 3 in a typical year! But don’t press that BS button just yet because 2025 is anything but typical. Caldwell and Phillips are tied for DT14 on the 2025 big board. Fourteen! The next prospect is DT17.
Here’s the list for you doubting Thomas types: Mason Graham, Derrick Harmon, Kenneth Grant, Walter Nolen, Darius Alexander, T.J. Sanders, [puff] Tyleik Williams, Shemar Turner, Alfred Collins, Joshua Farmer, [puff puff] Omarr Norman-Lott, Ty Robinson, and Jordan Burch; thirteen names without even considering an equally extensive list of 4-3 defensive ends.
Round 5 of the 2025 NFL draft will offer a DT steal of this magnitude. I both hope and believe the Steelers will take advantage of it. So get your finger off that button.
Deciding between the three prospects will come down to interviews in real life, but we can’t access those. So I will default to the Depot grades. Caldwell got a 7.8, Phillips a 7.6, and Pegues (my personal favorite) a 7.4. Caldwell it is. Time to jump for joy.
FWIW, my favorite thing about Jamaree Caldwell is the potential for things we haven’t yet seen. Weight issues held him back in college and it’s hard to guess by how much. But they appear to be in the rearview mirror. Ross McCorkle interviewed the young Mr. Caldwell during Senior Bowl week and learned that he planned to shed the unproductive bulk. He’d already lost 10 pounds of his college playing weight before the interview. Another 10 had vanished when he measured in at the Combine. You could actually see the loose skin hanging off as he went through the drills. Fifteen pounds more would drop him to around 315, which I estimate as a just about ideal playing weight for the NFL. Losing three dozen pounds of flab has to restore some of his natural burst and mobility, right? And it shouldn’t hurt his anchor at all since flab has nothing to do with either strength or leverage. So I think it is fair to project that Jamaree Caldwell will be a better professional athlete than he ever was in his Round 3-worthy college career.
I also want to acknowledge that weight loss of this magnitude impresses me as much as the on-field potential. It speaks to personal discipline, and that all-important drive to be great. And there’s even a cherry on top of this lo-cal sundae: Caldwell’s skill set fits right in at nose tackle, which would free up Keeanu Benton for a move outside to defensive end. So let the stories begin! The Pittsburgh Steelers have selected two of Oregon’s starting linemen.
One final point: I am 100% on board the double-dip train for a personal reason too, though it hasn’t driven the pick. How many years have we watched the Steelers scavenge among the defensive line leavings because the draft had so few options to fit their specifications? It feels like forever, and I’m sick to death of explaining the problem. Derrick Harmon in Round 1 and Jamaree Caldwell in Round 5 will end that long frustration. Build. The. Trenches. You hear that, Omar?
| NT Jamaree Caldwell, Oregon by way of Houston and tiny Independence Community College (RS Senior). 6-2⅛, 332 lbs. with 32” arms and 9⅜” hands. Born Aug. 30, 2000 (24 years old). [Mtg. at Visit] A huge, squatty, and immensely powerful Nose Tackle with a bit of added intrigue. Caldwell looked surprisingly explosive during his 2024 run at close to 350 lbs. This dropped to 342 for an excellent Senior Bowl where he flashed “a bull rush that is almost unfair” and also told Steeler Depot’s Ross McCorkle that he plans to lose a good bit more. A month later, Caldwell came into the Combine at 332 (another 10 lb. drop), performed well in all the drills even though his testing numbers were poor (3.49 RAS). You could see the loose skin hanging off from the noticeably smaller girth. I estimate that he’s aiming for the 315-320 range, which would do nothing to harm his anchor, but should add some extra pop to his pass rush. If that happens, he will be firmly on the Steelers’ Round 3-4 watch list. |
| JAMAREE CALDWELL, CONTINUED: Jim Hester’s Depot scouting report (Round 3 grade) starts with these revealing lines: “Jamaree Caldwell is a testament to perseverance, work ethic, and finding a way to succeed.” That’s exactly what you want to read about a Round 3-4 pick, because it guarantees the floor while leaving room open for the ceiling. “Caldwell is a girthy, twitchy, and strong nose tackle who offers a lot of flexibility for a team. He’ll most likely be a two-gapping monster in the middle, but he’s a guy you don’t necessarily have to bring off of the field on third downs because he gives you plenty of flashes as a pass rusher. His power, low center of gravity, and short-area quickness make him a very unique nose tackle prospect.” Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile (Round 3-4 grade, #14 DT overall) describes the 2024 version of Caldwell as “a classic nose tackle…athletic enough to take snaps at either tackle spot in an even front. He can eat blocks against double teams or hog gaps as a read-and-react two-gapper… He plays with heart and has a strong win rate at the point. He’s a hustle rusher with the potential to dent the pocket when singled up…Struggled creating interior rush opportunities without help.” The 33rd Team scouting profile by Kyle Crabbs (Round 4) concludes that the 340+ version of “Caldwell projects best as a 2-gapping nose tackle at the NFL level. He offers pleasant upside as a supersized A-gap rusher, but his marquee role is that of a space-eater in base defense and on short-yardage down and distance opportunities.” The 325 lb. version? That’s the debate. |
Also considered: DT JJ Pegues, NT Jordan Phillips, and the WRs listed above.
ROUND 6 (#185 OVERALL) – CB JUSTIN WALLEY. 5-10⅛, 190 LBS.
The Steelers have pined for a true nickel DB since Mike Hilton left. I can’t say that Justin Walley will be the answer, but he could be, and he will at the very least create genuine competition for the role. Someone is sure to step up between CB Walley, CB Beanie Bishop, free agent CB Brandin Echols, S Ryan Watts, and free agent S Juan Thornhill. Take that winner, add the speed and athleticism of ILBs Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, and the returning Cole Holcomb, and… OMG. The midfield gaps might finally be closing!
Justin Walley is one of the only players on the visitors list with a chance to fall this far, and the odds aren’t bad that he will. Let’s just assume that and get the pick done.
| CB Justin Walley, Minnesota (Senior). 5-10⅛, 190 lbs. with 30¾” arms and big 10” hands. Born Sep. 22, 2002 (22 years old). [Mtg. at Visit] Walley played on the outside in college but may profile better as a slot CB. The Bleacher Report scouting profile (Round 5 grade) paints a good picture: “Justin Walley is a competitive and aggressive cornerback from Minnesota, whose game is defined by his tenacity and ability to stick with receivers in the short and intermediate areas of the field.” He’s also an effective puzzle piece in run support, has a high football and skills IQ, and has excellent ball skills. 4.40 speed at the Combine only helps his cause. Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile (Round 5ish grade) calls Walley a “highly experienced cornerback with good size, speed and ball production. Walley has good mirror-and-match footwork in the early stages of the route but… is irritating at the catch point but… is willing in run support but… [and] played an overwhelming majority of his snaps outside, but…” Get the theme? Walley doesn’t project well if you’re looking for the avatar CB with starting potential, but he’s a fine football player who should contribute valuable snaps for a long time on both defense and special teams. Alex Kozora’s Depot scouting report (Round 4 grade) sort of provides two grades: a Round 3 and a Round 6 depending on the system. “In coverage, Walley makes plays in off-man and zone coverage. He reads the quarterback well and drives on the ball… Negatively, he struggled in tight man coverage… allow[ing] too much separation at the break point. That could limit his scheme-value to man-heavy teams at the next level. [NOTE: That describes the Steelers] Overall, Walley is a solid zone/off-man cornerback with aggression, tackling ability, and plus ball skills… There’s a lot to like [including]… a skillset to have success in the slot… but he’s scheme-specific and lacks the high-end tools to be an every-down corner.” |
Also considered: WR Jordan Watkins.
ROUND 7 (#229 OVERALL) – TE CJ DIPPRE, ALABAMA (SENIOR). 6-4⅞, 256 LBS.
Tom Mead made a very good argument when he pointed to TE Thomas Fidone II as a favorite sleeper in the 2025 NFL draft:
“Tight end may not be an obvious need for this team, but they are one injury away from it being a very big need. If Pat Freiermuth goes down, they have no threat as a receiver. If Darnell Washington is injured, they don’t have a viable blocker. Fidone is capable of bridging that gap. He is a high-effort blocker who plays to the whistle and has room to add 10-15 pounds of muscle.”
We all know the team wants to add more offensive spark. Why not a superior TE3 since Arthur Smith’s the best in the world at turning TEs into offensive weapon?
I thought about slipping in Fidone to reinforce the point. And why not? I’m entitled to a little wishful thinking, and it isn’t hard to imagine because the 2025 TE class is almost as deep as the RBs and DTs. Our Steelers Big Board lists 15 TEs who should be drafted, a few more who could, and I haven’t studied the perimeter for fringe-draftable types the Depot team might have missed. The total number of draftable TE prospects could be as high as 20. Typical years offer more like 10-12. Thomas Fidone II is in the TE7-9 cluster, with TEs 10-13 very close behind. He had serious knee problems in 2022 and 2023, which could easily make him tumble further than his skills alone would justify. And if not Fidone, what about his cluster-partner TE Terrance Ferguson, who would add some extra spice by turning this into a mock with three Oregon Ducks? Tempting. Very tempting.
But this is a predictive mock, not a fantasy piece, so instead I will pick one of the prospects tied for TE11-12. A bargain, not a steal, and one the Steelers would seriously consider.
| TE CJ Dippre, Alabama (Senior). 6-4⅞, 256 lbs. with 32” arms and 9⅝” hands. Born April 29, 2003 (21 years old). From Scranton Pa., Dippre is a likeable TE who blocks, has good hands, and plays the game the way a TE should. A good, solid TE2 or TE3 with the potential to someday compete for starter snaps. Ross McCorkle’s Depot scouting report (Round 5 grade) describes Dippre as “a blocking tight end with upside to be an all-around contributor.” Lance Zierlein’s NFL.com scouting profile (Round 5-6 grade) calls Dippre a “combination tight end who can help here and there as both a blocker and pass catcher… [He] won’t stand out in either phase, but he’s adequate in both and has traits that should give him a chance to make a team.” The 33rd Team scouting profile by Kyle Crabbs (Round 7 grade) knocks Dippre down by a few rounds for being a limited receiver, but TE steals usually present as good blockers with low production as pass catchers, who then surprise the world with excellent athletic testing. Dippre put together a well-rounded 8.71 RAS that includes superior speed. The NFL Draft Buzz scouting profile (Round 6ish grade) calls Dippre “a dependable complementary piece who won’t be overwhelmed by the physicality of the NFL game,” and ends with the same TE2 or TE3 comparison to Payne Durham that Ross McCorkle used. |
Also considered: TE Thomas Fidone II, TE Terrance Ferguson, TE Oronde Gadsen, TE Gavin Bartholomew, TE Jake Briningstool, TE Luke Lachey, and TE Ben Yurosek.
RECAP
- Round 1 – DT Derrick Harmon
- [Round 2 – Pre-spent on DK Metcalf]
- Round 3 – QB Will Howard
- Round 4 – RB Bhayshul Tuten
- Round 5 – DT Jamaree Caldwell
- Round 6 – CB Justin Walley
- Round 7 – TE CJ Dippre
The toughest pick in the bunch had to be choosing a QB in Round 3 and then going with Will Howard over Tyler Shough. After that it all falls into place if you treat Bhayshul Tuten as “whoever is available between Giddings, Sampson, and Tuten.”
Every one of the picks is realistic, including Round 5 selection Jamaree Caldwell. (Ye who skipped to the end better go up and read the text!). Every player would make the team happy. And I would be content.
The End.
Thanks go out to all the readers who’ve followed my work in the 2025 draft season. It’s been a pleasure to write for you, and to share your thoughts in the comments.
