Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin will be on the road for back-to-back nights, starting Tuesday in Boston, as he continues his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record.

The Capitals captain scored his 890th career goal Sunday afternoon and now needs five goals to top the 894 that the Hall of Famer Gretzky scored from 1979-99. Washington will play in Carolina on Wednesday night after visiting Boston.

Ovechkin will be facing the Bruins for the second time this season. He missed the teams’ first meeting with a broken leg and was held without a goal in the other game.

Here’s what to know about Tuesday’s game between the Capitals and Bruins:

When is Alex Ovechkin’s next game? Capitals vs. Bruins start time

The Capitals play the Bruins at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday at TD Garden in Boston.

Where to watch Capitals vs. Bruins game

The game is not being aired on television nationally. It will be shown on NESN in Boston and on Monumental Sports Network in Washington. 

How to stream Capitals vs. Bruins game

The game can be streamed via ESPN+ outside of the local markets.

Alex Ovechkin goals vs. Bruins

Ovechkin has 29 goals in 68 regular season games against the Bruins. He was held to no points on three shots in a December game against Boston.

PALM BEACH, Florida – Break up the champs.

Or at least burn a page in the Philadelphia Eagles playbook.

That possibility sums up the hottest topic of debate during an otherwise mellow round of meetings this week for NFL owners, with passion flowing all across the swanky resort.

Sure, you may have thought the question of whether Philadelphia’s signature “tush push” short-yardage play should be allowed was vetted a couple of years ago. It was. Yet with a proposal by the Green Bay Packers to ban the play apparently gaining steam, NFL owners are expected to vote Tuesday on whether or not the play stands.

Memo to NFL owners: Don’t ban it. Just beat it.

It will take 24 votes to scrap the play where teammates push Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts from behind in a rugby-style mashup that has become pretty automatic for securing first downs or touchdowns for the defending Super Bowl champs.

It’s tough to predict how the votes will fall, especially with the Packers’ proposal gaining some support among competition committee members, according to ESPN.com.

Yet it’s easier to gauge certain sentiments among some coaches.

“There’s a lot of different plays that you have to defend that the offense does well, and that particular play you have to defend it,” New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said during his media breakfast session on Monday.

“It’s also tough to defend Lamar Jackson when he runs the ball. So, I’m all in favor of getting rid of those plays that are tough to defend,” Vrabel added with his tongue in cheek.

Although other teams have tried variations of the play, the Eagles and Buffalo Bills are the only two teams that used it for more than five plays last season. And the Eagles used it a lot more – converting for first downs or touchdowns on 39 of the 48 plays (81.3%) they ran last season.

So, it’s undoubtedly an anti-Philly proposal…which can make you wonder if it’s boosted by some old-fashioned jealousy.

The Packers (whose season ended in January with a loss at Philadelphia in the NFC divisional playoffs) and other proponents of banning the play point to health and safety concerns. That’s always a good way to move the needle when it comes to changing a rule in the NFL.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is more than happy to wait for quarterback Aaron Rodgers

Yet in this case, the data just doesn’t support that the “tush push” presents an excessive injury risk. There were zero injuries sustained last season – as in none or nada – on “tush push” plays. Of course, the play looks awkward, with linemen often pushing from prone positions that expose the backs of their necks. And defenders have tried to stop it by jumping over the pile, sometimes landing on their head.

“It’s two things,” Bills coach Sean McDermott maintained on Monday as he doubled down on previously expressed concerns that puts him on the side of banning the play. “It’s added force, number one. And the posture of the players being asked to execute the play. That’s where my concern comes in.”

That McDermott has been such a vocal supporter of the proposal is striking when considering his team has used the play more than any team besides the Eagles over the past three years. McDermott, though, realizes that the Bills use other short-yardage plays that utilize his strapping quarterback, Josh Allen, as a power runner.

Yet still: Zero “tush push” injuries. Doesn’t that key stat diffuse the argument?

“It’s just not a large enough sample size in terms of the number of plays executed, whether it’s in 2024 or just in general,” Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

In other words, with the “tush push” used for such a small percentage of plays — 101 of the 35,414 plays league-wide in 2024, according to ESPN research – it is difficult to draw conclusions.

Tomlin, like McDermott, is a member of the league’s competition committee with a deeper perspective than most on matters involving rules. Tomlin said Monday that he is still “open-minded,” but pointed out that similar techniques on field goal attempts have been banned.

“The first time I saw it, I couldn’t believe it was legal,” Tomlin said of the play the Eagles installed in 2022. “You know, you hate to be against it because people are innovative. You want to respect that. And so there’s certainly been some teams that have been more innovative than the rest of us…and you hate to penalize them for that.”

That point resonates with a number of coaches. Although it’s the owners who will actually vote on the proposal, some will be heavily influenced by their coaches and GMs.

Count Aaron Glenn, the new New York Jets coach, in the camp that doesn’t favor the proposed ban.

“They’ve done a good job creating a play that’s unstoppable,” Glenn, previously the Detroit Lions defensive coordinator, told reporters. “In my defensive coaching mentality, my job is to stop that play. Our job is to stop that play.”

Conversely, Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris was adamant during the NFL combine a few weeks ago with his belief that the play should be outlawed with a not-so-brotherly shove.

The votes will be counted soon enough.

“We’ll see where it goes,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said, at least partially joking during an NFL Network on Sunday as he pondered the influence of three former coordinators. “All I will say about it is (Jonathan) Gannon, (Shane) Steichen and (Kellen) Moore better vote for it. They are in the (head coach) position right now because of that play. So, all three, I better have those three votes right there and the Eagles’ vote. I at least know we have four.”

With a debate that will probably rage on regardless of the vote.

Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @JarrettBell

Yet for as much as players and fans and managers are conditioned not to assign undue import to the start of a season, there’s never been a five-game start as astounding – statistically, and circumstantially – as Rafael Devers’ grim 2025 beginning.

Monday afternoon, as the Baltimore Orioles rolled out their orange carpet and heralded their home opener, Devers and the new-look Boston Red Sox aimed to find the individual and collective rhythms that eluded them in losing three of their first four games at Texas.

Instead, nine innings later, the Red Sox were left with another defeat and Devers fell deeper into a hole of historic futility.

He struck out three more times on Monday, leaving him 0-for-19 on this young season, with 15 strikeouts. No batter in major league history has struck out as much in the first five games of their season than Devers, who surpassed the Chicago Cubs’ Ian Happ (14 strikeouts in his first five games of 2018) for most punchouts to start a season.

But at least Happ had a base hit to his name. Devers has outdone both him and former Houston Astros slugger Evan Gattis, who in 2017 set the previous high for strikeouts – 12 – in a five-game hitless stretch to start a season.

Devers’ downslide follows switch to DH, Bregman signing

Happ and Gattis certainly didn’t have a cloud of spring training controversy pass over their heads like Devers, who famously was shifted to designated hitter after the Red Sox’s February signing of Alex Bregman to take over third base.

It was a move that challenged Devers’ pride, since the Red Sox did not sign him to a $313.5 million contract extension to swing the bat four or five times a game. But Devers got on board by the end of spring training and assumed his customary No. 2 spot in Boston’s deeper, daunting lineup.

And then proceeded to swing and miss. A ton.

He punched out 12 times in four games against the Texas Rangers, part of an 0-for-16 start during which the Red Sox lost three of those games. Monday, in a ballpark he’s practically owned (13 homers, an .868 OPS in 55 career games), perhaps things might have been different.

Instead, Baltimore’s No. 5 starter, Cade Povich, walked him in the first inning and came back to strike him out in the second. And then caught him looking at a sinker on the outside corner in the fifth, before lefty reliever Keegan Akin got him to flail at a changeup in the seventh.

Devers did draw walks in the first and ninth, the latter plate appearance giving some hope to Red Sox manager Alex Cora, simply because Devers had an encouraging-looking foul ball, down the left field line, against Orioles closer Felix Bautista.

Yeah, it’s to the point they’re trying to find some daylight in a hopefully predictive foul ball.

The rhythm of baseball’s early-season schedule will allow Devers to think about his 0-for-19 a little more, with an off day Tuesday. Or not think. Or relax. Or get mad.

Something.

“I never change the way I hit. I’m still aggressive,” says Devers through a translator after the Orioles held on for an 8-5 victory, dropping Boston to 1-4. “Maybe I’m thinking too much on the plan, on what the pitcher might throw. Otherwise, I feel very good.”

Grinding for answers in the cage also isn’t Devers’ MO.

“I’m trying to not hit that much. I try to focus on the game,” he says. “I feel like when I hit too much, I tend to think even more, so I’d rather simplify things, pay attention to the game and do my hitting during the game.”

And, preferably, get some hits.

Red Sox manager downplays Devers’ slump

It’s certainly out of character: Devers is a career .278 hitter with a .344 OBP, and has hit between 27 and 38 homers the past five full seasons, inspiring the Red Sox to lock him into that extension.

He was slowed during spring training by pain in both his shoulders and unwittingly stole some headlines with the position flap. Cora and Devers insist neither are factors now.

“It’s not the shoulder. It’s not the DH thing,” says Cora. “He was very vocal about it a few days ago. The shoulder is fine. Now, it’s a matter of keep working hard and getting to the point of hitting the ball out in front. It’s a little behind.

“As you know, Raffy’s superpower is left center. He’s never been a pull hitter, except in certain venues. When he drives the ball to left center, that’s when you know he’s locked in.

“He’s going to keep playing. He’s going to hit second for us. He will hit, there’s no doubt about it. It’s just a matter of when.”

Of course, that’s what they said before leaving Texas. Typically, Devers is the most feared dude in the lineup when his name’s in there. Monday, there was a grim sense of inevitability to Devers’ plate appearances, as Orioles pitchers sped him up and slowed him down.

Devers the third baseman never opened a season like this. Devers the DH is still emerging, not that he feels extreme adjustments are in order.

“I feel comfortable with the routine I’m doing right now,” he says. “This is not a position I’ve done in the past so I need to get used to it. I feel good, I feel the team is playing good baseball.

“It’s just things aren’t going our way. I think those things are going to change, for sure.”

With just a few days scratched off the season calendar, Cora isn’t about to consider drastic measures, such as a lineup switch, a day off or a come-to-Alex session. Yet he’s open to anything that might get his slugger off the schneid.

“It’s like kids, right?” he says. “Sometimes you leave them alone so they can think about it, other times you call them into the office. Sometimes we eat, have a drink or something like that.

“There were some positives today.”

Yet still a .000 on the scoreboard.

The 2025 WNBA draft has just received a huge shakeup. 

Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles was projected to be the No. 2 overall pick in USA TODAY Sports’ latest mock draft, following UConn’s Paige Bueckers, the consensus No. 1 overall pick, but Miles is reportedly holding off on turning pro. Miles will forgo the 2025 WNBA draft and instead enter the NCAA’s transfer portal using her final season of eligibility, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Monday.

Miles, 22, teamed up with Hannah Hidalgo to form one of the best backcourt duo in the country at Notre Dame this season, nearly two years removed from a season-ending knee injury. Miles averaged a career-high 15.4 points, an ACC-leading 5.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 34 games this season. However, the All-ACC First Team guard struggled to get much going on offense or defense in the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament, which marked her first since 2022.

Miles averaged just 6.6 points in three March Madness games this season and was regularly sidelined during defensive crunch time. She scored two points in No. 3 seeded Notre Dame’s first-round win over No. 14 seed Stephen F. Austin, but suffered a sprained ankle in the process. Miles played through the injury and had eight points in the Fighting Irish’s second-round win over No. 6 seed Michigan and 10 points in Notre Dame’s loss to No. 2 seed TCU in the Sweet 16. 

‘At the end of the day, my goal coming to Notre Dame was to leave Notre Dame better than I found it and I think I did a pretty good job of that,’ Miles said Saturday after her season ended. ‘I love all my teammates in that locker room. We’ve stayed together. We’ve grown so much through this entire season. We are very proud of the work we’ve done, and ultimately we have had fun. That’s really what this is all about. You sign up as a kid because it’s fun to throw a ball in a hoop and look where it’s gotten us to at this point?’

Olivia Miles stats at Notre Dame

Miles enrolled early at Notre Dame and joined the team in January 2021 for the 2020-21 season, where she averaged 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in six games. In the 2021-22 season, Miles increased her average to 13.7 points per game, and she recorded an ACC-leading 7.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game. She became the first freshman in NCAA tournament history, women’s or men’s, to record a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in Notre Dame’s 89–78 first-round victory over UMass.

Miles averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 rebound and an ACC-leading 6.9 assists her sophomore year in the 2022-23 season. She surpassed Skylar Diggins-Smith and Jackie Young for the most triple-doubles in Notre Dame history with the third of her career on Dec. 10, 2022 vs. Merrimack. Miles’ season ended prematurely, however, after she suffered a season-ending knee injury during the team’s regular-season finale.

She missed the 2023 NCAA Tournament and the entire 2023-24 season as a result of her knee injury.

‘I wouldn’t wish that injury on my worst enemy,’ Miles said Friday following news of USC superstar JuJu Watkins’ ACL tear in the No. 1 seeded Trojans’ second-round win over No. 9 seeded Mississippi State. ‘My heart breaks for anyone that goes through that.’

Miles returned to the lineup this season and made a statement in her first game back with another triple-double (20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists) vs. Mercyhurst to open the season on Nov. 4. She became the first player in ACC history to record consecutive triple-doubles a month later against Loyola (Mayrland) and Virginia. Miles’ three triple-doubles led the nation this season and her six career triple-doubles is tied for 7th all-time in women’s college basketball.

‘They will always have a special place in my heart, because they believed in me when I took over this program and being a first-time head coach’ Notre Dame’s Niele Ivey said on Saturday, referring to Miles and Sonia Citron being part of her first recruiting class as head coach. ‘It just speaks to their loyalty, the vision that they were looking for, for the institution of their choice, being Notre Dame, and the vision I had with them being my premiere guards. I’m just grateful that they trusted in that and, again, there is a bond that I will always have with both of those two.’

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Days after making his first start for Boston, pitcher Garrett Crochet and the Red Sox agreed on a six-year, $170 million contract extension, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation.

The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t yet been announced.

Crochet’s new contract goes into effect in 2026, what would have been his final year before free agency. The 25-year-old has an opt out after the 2030 season, the fifth year on the new deal.

Coming off an All-Star campaign with the Chicago White Sox, Crochet was sent to Boston in a blockbuster trade in December. The lefty racked up 209 strikeouts in 146 innings and was the subject of trade deadline rumors as his team struggled to the worst record in MLB history. But Chicago chose to wait to move him until the winter with potential summer suitors worried about Crochet’s load management in a pennant race.

The 11th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Crochet made his big-league debut months later with no minor-league season due to COVID. In 2021, his first full season, Crochet made 59 relief appearances with 73 strikeouts and a 2.54 ERA. Crochet had to undergo Tommy John surgery early in 2022 and missed the whole year, returning to the mound in 2023 before joining the rotation in 2024.

Crochet was Boston’s opening-day starter, giving up two runs in five innings in the Red Sox’s eventual win over the Texas.

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Profar, 32, signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Braves after a career season with the San Diego Padres that resulted in his first All-Star appearance. He established career highs with 24 home runs and an .839 OPS, and the Braves signed him this winter to be their starting left fielder. 

MLB announced that Profar tested positive for chorionic gonadotrophin, or hCG, a fertility drug popular as a masking agent in PED use. Its use in MLB dates as far back as 2009, when slugger Manny Ramirez served a 50-game suspension after testing positive for hcG. The drug is commonly used by athletes to start a body’s natural testosterone production after PED use. 

The MLB Players Association released a statement on behalf of Profar.

‘Today is the most difficult day of my baseball career,’ says Profar. ‘I am devastated to announce that I have been suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball and the Commissioner’s office, for testing positive for a banned substance this offseason. This is especially painful for me because anyone who knows me and has seen me play knows I am deeply passionate about the game. There is nothing I love more than competing with my teammates and being a fan favorite.

‘I want to apologize to the entire Braves organization, my teammates, and the fans. It is because of my deep love and respect for this game that I would never knowingly do anything to cheat it. I have been tested my entire career, including eight times last season alone, and have never tested positive. I would never willingly take a banned substance, but I take full responsibility and accept MLB’s decision.

‘I am devastated that I won’t be on the field with my teammates for the next 80 games. I look forward to competing again at the highest level this season upon my return.’

We’re still three weeks away from the 2025 NFL draft, but mock drafts across the internet expect former Miami (Fla.) quarterback Cam Ward will hear his name called first on April 24 at the Green Bay Packers’ Lambeau Field in Wisconsin.

Unlike the 2024 draft class, Ward is not the consensus No. 1 pick, but it’s still a rare mock draft that doesn’t put him ahead of edge rusher Abdul Carter or two-way phenom and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

By combining the collective insights from 16 first-round, mock drafts created by USA TODAY, NFL.com, ESPN and Pro Football Focus, or PFF, we hope to provide similar clarity for fans of all 32 teams. The drafts range from the final day of the 2024 regular season to the most recent days of free agency.

NFL draft order 2025

A handful of players dominate the top of the draft board. With later first-round picks, you learn more about the positions these draft experts predict teams will try to upgrade.

Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them.

Top draft prospects in the 2025 NFL draft

A few trends stand out from the mock draft predictions so far:

Offense vs. defense: Not unlike previous drafts, teams with earlier picks appear more likely to select offensive player while teams later in the first round may tend toward defensive picks.

Travis Hunter: He might play cornerback and/or wide receiver in the NFL. Wherever he ends up playing on the field, no draft expects he’ll fall below the Jacksonville Jaguars at fifth. Most have Hunter going to the Cleveland Browns with the second pick.

Abdul Carter: A quarter of the mock drafts predict the Penn State edge rusher and Big Ten’s top defensive player will be the Tennessee Titans’s first pick. Drafts by USA TODAY and PFF show its possible he could fall as low as eighth to the Carolina Panthers.

The biggest needs for each of the teams below are based on an NFL.com analysis published just after the Super Bowl. Players heights and weights are those recorded at the NFL Combine.

1 | Tennessee Titans

The mock-draft hive mind has landed on Ward as the Titans’ most likely pick. All of the most recent mock drafts by USA TODAY, NFL.com, ESPN and Pro Football Focus have Ward going first.

Biggest needs: Quarterback, wide receiver, edge rusher, offensive tackle and safety.

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2 | Cleveland Browns

Will the Browns still consider selecting Shedeur Sanders with the second pick, considering they traded with the Eagles for quarterback Kenny Pickett? Both USA TODAY’s and NFL.com’s most recent mock drafts point toward Carter instead, but Hunter has been the No. 2 pick in the most mock drafts.

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, quarterback, offensive tackle, wide receiver and running back

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3 | New York Giants

All but PFF’s most recent mock draft have the Giants selecting Sanders, but each of those mock drafts were posted before the Giants signed Russell Wilson last week. It could be a crowded quarterback room with Wilson, Sanders, Jameis Winston and Tommy DeVito, but none of the three NFL veterans have been the answer for their respective teams in recent years.

Biggest needs: Quarterback, offensive tackle and guard, cornerback and safety

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4 | New England Patriots

Recent mock drafts are split as to whether Hunter will fall to the New England Patriots, or they will end up strengthening their offensive line with tackle Armand Membou.

Biggest needs: Offensive tackle, wide receiver, edge rusher, cornerback and interior offensive line

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5 | Jacksonville Jaguars

Most mock drafts expect the Jacksonville Jaguars will bolster their defense with their first pick. Most recently USA TODAY added another vote for defensive tackle Mason Graham from Michigan.

Biggest needs: Cornerback, safety, interior offensive line, wide receiver and quarterback

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6 | Las Vegas Raiders

Four in five of mock drafts expect the Las Vegas Raiders will look to add an offensive weapon. While USA TODAY has been stedfast expecting wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan will be the Raiders pick, others have pushed running back Ashton Jeanty up the board in recent drafts.

Biggest needs: Quarterback, wide receiver, running back, cornerback and defensive tackle

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7 | New York Jets

Are the New York Jets satisfied that they’ve addressed one of their biggest needs at quarterback by signing Justin Fields to a two-year deal? NFL.com’s latest draft suggests they might still consider former Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart. Otherwise, they might focus on their offensive or defensive lines.

Biggest needs: Quarterback, defensive tackle, offensive tackle, safety and cornerback

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8 | Carolina Panthers

While the Panthers have areas to upgrade on offense, all but one mock draft predict the Panthers will select a defensive player with the eighth pick. In their most recent drafts, USA TODAY, NFL.com, ESPN and PFF all circled Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker as the Panthers’ likely selection.

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, defensive tackle, wide receiver, center and quarterback

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9 | New Orleans Saints

About 70% of the mock drafts expect the New Orleans Saints will try to bolster their defense with the ninth pick. In their latest drafts, USA TODAY and NFL.com have them picking Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, while ESPN and PFF have Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams.

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, defensive tackle, wide receiver, center and quarterback

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10 | Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears made two big moves to improve their offensive line at the start of free agency. That hasn’t fixed everything on offense in the eyes of the experts. In the most recent mock drafts, ESPN’s was the only to propose a defensive player while two suggest running back Jeanty.

Biggest needs: Offensive guard and tackle, center, edge rusher and wide receiver

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11 | San Francisco 49ers

Earlier in the year, San Francisco 49ers’ mock drafts leaned toward defensive players. But since free agency started, USA TODAY, NFL.com and PFF expect the 49ers will try to improve their offensive line with tackle Will Campbell from LSU.

Biggest needs: Cornerback, defensive tackle, edge rusher, linebacker and offensive guard

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12 | Dallas Cowboys

All but two of the mock drafts predicted that the Dallas Cowboys will select an offensive player. Running back Jeanty had been a favorite earlier in the year, but subsequent drafts have predicted he’ll go higher. The focus now has turned to wide receive prospects for the Cowboys.

Biggest needs: Running back, offensive guard, defensive tackle, cornerback and linebacker

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13 | Miami Dolphins

Previous mock drafts suggested the Miami Dolphins might pick the best player available on either side of the ball. Following free agency, all but one draft expert thinks the Dolphins will pick an offensive lineman. Both USA TODAY and PFF suggest tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. of Texas could be good fit.

Biggest needs: Safety, defensive tackle, offensive guard, linebacker and quarterback

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14 | Indianapolis Colts

About 70% of the mock drafts expect the Indianapolis Colts will pick an offensive player – most likely a tight end. After free agency, USA TODAY, ESPN and PFF all predicted Tyler Warren from Penn State might be the pick.

Biggest needs: Interior offensive line, tight end, cornerback, linebacker and safety

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15 | Atlanta Falcons

Just one of the 16 mock drafts suggest that the Atlanta Falcons will use their first pick on offense. Edge rusher Mike Green from Marshall has shown up most frequently as the Falcons’ selection.

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, safety, cornerback, center and wide receiver

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16 | Arizona Cardinals

A narrow majority of mock drafts speculate the Arizona Cardinals will choose a defensive player first, and since free agency has started, the draft experts below are split between a few offensive and defensive options.

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, defensive tackle, wide receiver, offensive guard and offensive tackle

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17 | Cincinnati Bengals

Since free agency started, mock drafts have seen the Cincinnati Bengals potentially using their first pick on an edge rusher. Might that change if they find a way keep Trey Hendrickson who they’ve allowed to seek a trade? Hendrickson has 35 sacks during the past two seasons.

Biggest needs: Wide receiver, tight end, offensive tackle, cornerback and offensive guard

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18 | Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks may have addressed one of their biggest needs by agreeing to a three-year, $100.5 million deal with quarterback Sam Darnold. Now mock drafts expect the Seahawks will try to improve their offensive line or add another wide receiver for Darnold.

Biggest needs: Offensive guard, quarterback, linebacker, defensive tackle and offensive tackle

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19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Three-quarters of the mock drafts expect the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will attempt to improve their defense with their first pick. Both USA TODAY and PFF speculate that cornerback Jahdae Baron from Texas would be a good fit.

Biggest needs: Wide receiver, offensive guard, linebacker, edge rusher and offensive tackle

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20 | Denver Broncos

Mock drafts have predicted the Denver Broncos will look for an offensive player in the first round. That trend didn’t change following the start of free agency. After turning in a strong performance at the NFL combine, running back Omarion Hampton from North Carolina has risen up the draft board, and USA TODAY and ESPN suggest he might be a good fit for the Broncos.

Biggest needs: Tight end, wide receiver, linebacker, safety and defensive tackle

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21 | Pittsburgh Steelers

The majority of the mock drafts predict the Pittsburgh Steelers will choose an offensive player with their first pick. If the Broncos don’t take Hampton at No. 20, perhaps the Steelers would be interested. Quarterback could also be area of need, considering Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson are currently their two options.

Biggest needs: Quarterback, cornerback, running back, wide receiver and offensive tackle

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22 | Los Angeles Chargers

The mock drafts seem spilt on which side of the ball the Los Angeles Chargers will address with their first pick, but if they choose offense, USA TODAY and ESPN see tight end Colston Loveland from Michigan as potentially a good fit.

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, defensive tackle, center, safety and tight end

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23 | Green Bay Packers

Since free agency began, mock drafts are spilt on which side of the ball the Green Bay Packers will address with their first pick. If they choose offense, NFL.com and PFF agree the Packers will take a receiver. If they decide defense, drafts have speculated on a wide range of positions and players.

Biggest needs: Cornerback, edge rusher, defensive tackle, center and wide receiver

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24 | Minnesota Vikings

Most of the mock drafts predict the Minnesota Vikings will use their first pick on a defensive player. After a strong performance at the combine, safety Nick Emmanwori from South Carolina could be that player, according to USA TODAY’s, NFL.com’s and PFF’s latest mock drafts.

Biggest needs: Cornerback, defensive tackle, running back, offensive guard and safety

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25 | Houston Texans

Most of the mock drafts predict the Houston Texans will look to upgrade their offensive line at either the guard or tackle position for quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Biggest needs: Wide receiver, offensive guard, defensive tackle, cornerback and offensive tackle

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26 | Los Angeles Rams

Previous mock drafts have predicted the Los Angeles Rams are most likely to focus on offense in the first round. Following the start of free agency, mock drafts have been split on which side of the ball the Rams will try to upgrade.

Biggest needs: Offensive tackle, wide receiver, cornerback, linebacker and tight end

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27 | Baltimore Ravens

Previous mock drafts have predicted the Baltimore Ravens will lean toward defense in the first round. That trend continues after the start of free agency. Both USA TODAY and PFF speculate in their most recent drafts that edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku from Boston College might be a good fit.

Biggest needs: Offensive tackle, wide receiver, edge rusher, offensive guard and safety

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28 | Detroit Lions

Previous mock drafts have predicted the Detroit Lions will lean toward defense in the first round, but following free agency, the experts are split. If the Lions decide to bolster their offense, NFL.com and PFF think the Lions will look for a guard. They also might consider any number of positions on defense.

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, cornerback, wide receiver, offensive guard and defensive tackle

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29 | Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders have traded several of their 2025 draft picks for veteran players in the past few months, which could lead them to trade back into later rounds to gain at least one more pick. If they don’t, the mock drafts predict they will select the best available edge rusher.

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, offensive tackle, wide receiver, linebacker and cornerback

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30 | Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills may have improved their defense with a one-year, $12.6 million deal for linebacker Joey Bosa, although mock draft experts hadn’t seen linebacker as one of the team’s top needs. Following the start of free agency, mock drafters think the Bills might focus on cornerback – especially Azareye’h Thomas from Florida State, according to USA TODAY’s and NFL.com’s mock drafts.

Biggest needs: Defensive tackle, wide receiver, edge rusher, cornerback and safety

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31 | Kansas City Chiefs

Mock drafts have been largely split about which side of the ball the Kansas City Chiefs will address with their first pick. Following the start of free agency, most predict they’ll focus on defense.

Biggest needs: Defensive tackle, offensive guard, offensive tackle, wide receiver and edge rusher

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32 | Philadelphia Eagles

Previous mock drafts predicted the Philadelphia Eagles will lean toward defense in the first round. That expectation hasn’t changed since free agency started. But what position or who is far from settled, considering they have the final pick of the round.

Biggest needs: Edge rusher, wide receiver, linebacker, offensive guard and kicker

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Want to see more detail about any of the mock drafts used for this story:

Drafts at the end of the regular season:USA TODAY | ESPN | NFL.com | PFF

After the Super Bowl:USA TODAY | ESPN | NFL.com | PFF

Following the NFL combine: USA TODAY | ESPN | NFL.com | PFF

First weeks of free agency:USA TODAY | ESPN | NFL.com | PFF