NFL Draft watch: Best bet in first round for each NFC team

After months of mock drafts and mind-numbing speculation, the NFL Draft is upon us.  

The first round is Thursday (8 p.m. ET, NFL Network, ESPN, ABC, ESPN Deportes), followed by rounds 2 and 3 on Friday (7 p.m. ET, NFL Network, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes). The draft will conclude with the final four rounds on Saturday (noon ET, ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, NFL Network).

Ahead of the first pick in Green Bay, Yardbarker NFL writers identify the best bet in the first round for each NFC team. (First-round draft position is in parentheses.)

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS (12) | WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona | With a host of talented running backs available in later rounds, the Cowboys can finally give CeeDee Lamb help by making McMillan their No. 2 receiver. A consensus All-American in 2024, Arizona’s all-time leading receiver averaged 1,141 receiving yards and 8.7 touchdown catches in three seasons as a Wildcat, and at 6-foot-5 and 212 pounds, he’d tower over most NFC East defenders.

NEW YORK GIANTS (3) | DE Abdul Carter, Penn State | If Cleveland, which has the second overall pick, plans on drafting QB Shedeur Sanders and CB/WR Travis Hunter, as former Browns receiver Josh Cribbs suggests, Carter should be the obvious choice with the third overall pick. The 6-foot-3, 259-pound All-American led the FBS with 24 tackles for loss in 2024 and set career marks with 68 tackles and 12 sacks in a breakout season.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (32) | Safety Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina | No safety scored higher at the NFL Scouting Combine than Emmanwori, an exceptional athlete who impressed by running 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds and finished the weekend with a perfect 10.00 RAS (Relative Athletic Score). He still needs work, but the Eagles can let him grow behind second-year cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, especially in the absence of C.J. Gardner-Johnson, whom they traded to the Texans.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (29) | CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky | A shoulder injury limited Hairston to seven games in 2024, but he had 89 tackles, six interceptions and three forced fumbles in three years at Kentucky. (Five interceptions, two returned for touchdowns, and 68 tackles came in 2023.) At 6-foot-1 and 186 pounds, Hairston must bulk up, but with 4.28 speed (fastest among cornerbacks at the combine), his presence would allow the team to move Mike Sainristil to the slot and play Marshon Lattimore on the other side. — Bruce Ewing

NFC West

ARIZONA CARDINALS (16) | DL Kenneth Grant, Michigan | The Cardinals could go in a lot of directions here, but even after some upgrades in free agency, they need more help on their defensive line. Head coach Jonathan Gannon, a former DC with the Eagles, knows the importance of a great, deep defensive line. Grant (6-foot-4, 331 pounds) — a "freaky tester," per NFL.com — would be an excellent pick.

LOS ANGELES RAMS (26) | Safety Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina | The Rams need more playmakers in their secondary and Emmanwori is one of the best athletes available on defense in this class. He also has the versatility and size (6-foot-3, 220 pounds) to play close to the line of scrimmage and make an impact all over the field.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (11) | OL Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas | Tackle Trent Williams is nearing the end of a Hall of Fame career, so the 49ers must upgrade their offensive line. Banks Jr. (6-foot-5, 315 pounds) can play guard or tackle, and could step into the lineup and help upgrade one of the bigger weaknesses on the roster.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (18) | Guard Tyler Booker, Alabama | The offensive line has been a massive need for the Seahawks for years, and that is especially true on the interior. Booker (6-foot-5, 321 pounds) could step into their starting lineup and help make a big impact on the running game. — Adam Gretz

NFC North

CHICAGO BEARS (10) | OT Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas | The Bears have placed an emphasis on fortifying the offensive line for second-year QB Caleb Williams this offseason, and Banks (6-foot-5, 315 pounds) could be the final missing piece at left tackle. The Texas product is light on his feet and has a high ceiling because of his excellent athleticism. 

DETROIT LIONS (28) | EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia | If Williams falls to the end of the first round, the Lions should take a page out of Eagles GM Howie Roseman’s book and rebuild the defensive line with a Georgia Bulldog. Williams (6-foot-5, 260 pounds) has incredible upside as a pro, and he would be a great complement to Aidan Hutchinson on a defense that needs more athleticism in its pass-rush.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (23) | WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State | An injury-plagued receiver corps sidetracked the Packers in the playoffs last season, making Egbuka a great pick. Egbuka (6-foot-1, 202 pounds) is NFL-ready after recording 24 touchdowns and a school- record 205 catches at Ohio State. 

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (24) | Safety Malaki Starks, Georgia | DC Brian Flores will love the pick of Starks (6-foot-1, 197 pounds), who could patrol the back line of his defense. The impressive defensive back has great ball skills and loves to blitz. The Vikings must invest in a safety because Cam Bynum left in free agency and Harrison Smith is close to retirement. — Jack Dougherty

NFC South

ATLANTA FALCONS (15) | EDGE Mike Green, Marshall | The 6-foot-3, 251-pound redshirt sophomore soared during the predraft process and is widely considered among the best edge-rushers in this year’s class. In 2024, Green had 54 total pressures and led FBS with 17 sacks, making him a potentially valuable asset for the pass-rush-deficient Falcons.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (8) | LB Jalon Walker, Georgia | The Panthers must solve their defensive issues after ranking 32nd in total defense (404.5 yards allowed per game) last season. Walker (6-foot-1, 243 pounds) has the positional versatility — he can play on the line or as an off-ball linebacker — to play a significant role in the unit’s revival.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (9) | QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado | With few logical fits for Sanders (6-foot-1.5, 212 pounds) ahead of the Saints, this year’s QB2 could fall in their lap at No. 9 overall. New Orleans has enough holes that it can hardly go wrong with its first-round pick, but landing a potential franchise QB would be a major coup.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (19) | LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama | The Bucs might be in a prime position to select the heir apparent to 13-year veteran inside linebacker Lavonte David, 35. Per SumerSports, Campbell ranked third among nine off-ball linebacker prospects in tackles for loss rate (1.9 percent) and posted the second-lowest missed tackle rate (5.2 percent) last season.  — Eric Smithling