2025 Official Super Duper Mock Draft Thread - Opinions On Mocks | Pundit Mocks

[Boltjolt]

I disagree, but even conceding they are correct, picking a 32nd ranked prospect at 22 is a reach, at a risky position, that isn't a premium position.

Additionally, I don't think either of them believe he will be a game changer and at TE that's the only thing that matters. You can get a Hunter Henry, Gerald Everett, Evan Engram, Tyler Conklin, etc. every year in FA and often they will be cheap. A game changing TE (Kelce, Gronk, Gates, Kittle, etc.) has a huge impact on winning or losing. The guys even one tier below that don't. I just don't see the potential in Taylor to become that to use a 1st round pick on him (or probably a second). I'd rather take a gamble on an athlete later in the draft and just keep signing the Conklins of the world until they hit.

I can see a world in which Warren and Loveland hit the elite, game changing TE group and I'd be fine with either of them in round 1.

If the team is going to gamble in the first, I'd rather have it be at a premium position on a better athlete.

There is no guarantee on any player in this draft. Look at QJ at #21. 40% of round 1 drafted players wont pan out. So maybe we trade down from 22 to 28 or 30 and get Taylor but then you give time for KC at 31 to trade up ahead of us IF they like him as well.

IF you feel that could happen when you like a player a lot, drafting him at 22 is your only sure recourse of landing them....or maybe you only trade down a couple spots with a team that calls. It all depends how they feel about the players.

Some here kept saying Bowers wasnt worth the #5 pick because he was a TE. Turns out they were wrong.

[Eurobolt]

That doesnt really bother me that much as Fergusons drop rate was half that the season before. Circumstances are real and no, i dont buy the excuse of a right handed QB vs Left. Its just the spin and you still use your hands or body to catch it. Ive never heard of a reciever say anything about it either.

Ferguson had a 62% catch rate so if he had a 10% drop rate, he would of had to have 7 drops in his 69 targets. Did he have 7 drops?
I dont know where some are finding those as some players its very hard to find a drop stat.

Got it from podcast I am kind of building inspector so I drive in between sites everyday while listening NFL draft related podcast

Just heard that beloved Loveland has like 40% contested catch success.

[eaterfan]

There is no guarantee on any player in this draft. Look at QJ at #21. 40% of round 1 drafted players wont pan out. So maybe we trade down from 22 to 28 or 30 and get Taylor but then you give time for KC at 31 to trade up ahead of us IF they like him as well.

IF you feel that could happen when you like a player a lot, drafting him at 22 is your only sure recourse of landing them....or maybe you only trade down a couple spots with a team that calls. It all depends how they feel about the players.

Some here kept saying Bowers wasnt worth the #5 pick because he was a TE. Turns out they were wrong.

No one is saying it is, but some positions are riskier than others and TE is among the riskiest and unless you hit a HR, the risk isn't worth it IMO.

If they have Mason Taylor as their number 32 player they have 31 players they like better. There are 8 better players they could take there by their own evaluations. If they have him as their best player available, I question their evaluations since they would appear to be the highest on him of any major public evaluators.

The Chargers won 7 more games than the Raiders did last year taking a premium position in OT. The TE impact on winning isn't very high. Is it a little disingenuous to say this, yes. But so is comparing Brock Bowers to Mason Taylor in this context.

[Jack Burton]

4.63 vs 4.65? lol, thats splitting hairs quite finely.

I like Fergie, I have read some question his drop rate earlier in his college career but he seemed to sort it in 2024. Tayler has mega-hands, really good. I prefer Taylor, but I think they would have to nab him by #28 and I'm always skeptical of the trade-down expectations popular here. Fergie in the 3rd would be a great s********, word.

Egbuka in 1 for skill - dude is the most pro-ready WR in the class (jmo) and life is short. forget the slot vs X - he can line up anywhere and he can beat press cover at the LOS. Or go fast with Golden but I think he will have some growing pains and take time to develop. Higgins in Rd2 would be a tasty treat, but he won't last to 55 so it requires another patented Joe Jump. I would rather have Henderson, he is special but I think also will be gone before 55 (Jump, Joe, Jump!).

I still am hunching big time that JH2 will take a big body at 22. no idea why but its gnawing at me every time I get excited about some tasty hot sizzle ... BookerBros have worn me down and brought me around (almost), and I've longed for a dominant NT for well over a decade.

I'm thinking JH2 take BPA among the small set of key positions at 22 (OG, NT, WR, TE), then trade up in Rd2 to get a second coveted higher value piece. Sacrifice some Day 3 roster filler picks, those guys can be signed after the draft and we just build that depth a bit slower. Playmakers matter in the NFL, we need more playmakers - whether its trench or ball skill or both. How about:

Booker
Henderson (Trade up)
Ferguson

There’s a bunch of ways to skin this cat…..


22 TE MASON TAYLOR LSU
55 DT ALFRED COLLINS TEXAS
86 RB DYLAN SAMPSON TENN
124 DL TY ROBINSON NEBRASKA
158 EDGE JOSAIAH STEWART MICHIGAN
181 G JACK NELSON WISCONSIN
199 WR KEANDRE LAMBERT-SMITH AUB
209 WR DEONT’E THORNTON TENN
214 TE JACKSON HAWES GEORGIA TECH
256 C WILLIE LAMPKIN N CAROLINA

[Jack Burton]

Happy to entertain you, even tho you're missing the point! Whats laughable is for you to label Taylor a franchise TE two weeks before the draft!

No, the many “experts” and as you even requested, a pro “who was drafted” said he was a franchise TE and a 1st rounder.

You can’t even remember what you originally demanded.
And it was provided making your demand look even more ludicrous..
lol

[Topcat]

Agree, Brugler is a lot like Jeremiah except Jeremiah has actually been a scout. I like Brugler but he isnt for me anywas, some gospel confirmation on a player. Just another one i respect his takes to take into account.

The real question is.....where does Mel Kiper have Taylor?

Speaking of Kiper, he has Jaxson Dart going to the Rams in round 1 in his final mock:

image.png

[dmac_bolt]

Yeah, I agree. Last year, right after we drafted Alt, Harbaugh said he would like to have five tackles on his starting offensive line. Right now he has three, with Slater, Alt, and Becton (he was drafted 11th overall as a tackle in 2020). Banks might be the fourth.

Press: "Coach, why are you starting one of your OTs from last year at OG"
Jim: "shoot, I love OTs. i'd start an OT at every position"
Press, later that night:

"Jim Harbaugh told us today that he has a focused intentional strategy to start OTs at every position on the OL"

I remember when he said it - I still don't know that he wasn't just supporting the plan to move Pipkins to OG, vs a grand universal truism that he always wants OTs everywhere.

[sonorajim]

No one is saying it is, but some positions are riskier than others and TE is among the riskiest and unless you hit a HR, the risk isn't worth it IMO.

If they have Mason Taylor as their number 32 player they have 31 players they like better. There are 8 better players they could take there by their own evaluations. If they have him as their best player available, I question their evaluations since they would appear to be the highest on him of any major public evaluators.

The Chargers won 7 more games than the Raiders did last year taking a premium position in OT. The TE impact on winning isn't very high. Is it a little disingenuous to say this, yes. But so is comparing Brock Bowers to Mason Taylor in this context.

There's a risk with any player drafted. Evaluations by the team regards characteristics and team fit are huge and everybody misses occasionally, at least to some degree.
We're just having fun guessing. Hortiz trained to do this under the legendary Ozzie *******, among others.
My vision for Hortiz is that he may trade up or down, but probably stays at 22 and takes the best player remaining on his checklist.
I'd probably take Booker or Zabel unless a surprising talent has dropped to us. Could be anybody not QB or OT.
Regards Taylor, I like him but suspect that he will not be the best player we can draft at 22. Maybe trade up in the 2nd.

[CanadianBoltFan]

No one is saying it is, but some positions are riskier than others and TE is among the riskiest and unless you hit a HR, the risk isn't worth it IMO.

If they have Mason Taylor as their number 32 player they have 31 players they like better. There are 8 better players they could take there by their own evaluations. If they have him as their best player available, I question their evaluations since they would appear to be the highest on him of any major public evaluators.

The Chargers won 7 more games than the Raiders did last year taking a premium position in OT. The TE impact on winning isn't very high. Is it a little disingenuous to say this, yes. But so is comparing Brock Bowers to Mason Taylor in this context.

What is disengenious it to try to make a statement that TE's are not important to winning because the Los Angeles Chargers won more games than the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024.

Far and away, the 2 most elements to winning in the NFL are HC and QB. The Chargers had Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert last year...the Raiders had Antonio Pierce and Gardner Minshew, Aiden O'Connell, Desmond Ridder.

I am going to push back on this nonsense every time I read it. Joe Alt was drafted by a better football team than Brock Bowers. That is why he won more games plain and simple. I think Bowers did his part as he broke numerous TE records and was a first team ALL PRO as a rookie in the NFL. A rare feat.

[gzubeck]

Happy to entertain you, even tho you're missing the point! Whats laughable is for you to label Taylor a franchise TE two weeks before the draft!

I think he can become a franchise TE like Kelce. He's been mentally prepared by a football family for a decade. His ceiling is very large and at worst he's a second rounder talent that goes no where but sideways. If he's clutch like he wants to be then winning close games in the playoffs could be his forte. Beathard lost it for me with his Ryan Leaf pick. Drafting now is tampered with player psychology and they can kind of guess if a player is a risk headcase or a true solid player in todays draft.

[Formula 21]

Screenshot_20250415_074842_Chrome.jpgThought Id try one with Booker...if only it turned out this way...

Booker, Taylor and Giddens would change the face of this offense. This would be dream draft.

[Jack Burton]

I think he can become a franchise TE like Kelce. He's been mentally prepared by a football family for a decade. His ceiling is very large and at worst he's a second rounder talent that goes no where but sideways. If he's clutch like he wants to be then winning close games in the playoffs could be his forte. Beathard lost it for me with his Ryan Leaf pick. Drafting now is tampered with player psychology and they can kind of guess if a player is a risk headcase or a true solid player in today’s draft.

How many balls did Mason Taylor drop last year?