NFL NationFeb 3, 2026, 06:25 AM ETCloseNFL Nation is made up of 32 team-specific reporters who cover the NFL year-round across ESPN.com, ESPN television shows, ESPN Radio, ESPN+ and social media platforms. It was established ahead of the 2013 season.Multiple Authors
play0:54Schlereth: Seahawks the better all-around team in Super BowlMark Schlereth explains why the Seahawks have the edge over the Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
play1:41Why are the Eagles having a hard time finding a new OC?Taylor Lewan and Will Compton weigh in on the Eagles’ offensive coordinator search.
play0:39Why Marcus Spears is intrigued by George Pickens’ free agencyMarcus Spears explains why he’s interested in George Pickens’ free agent market this offseason.
Schlereth: Seahawks the better all-around team in Super BowlMark Schlereth explains why the Seahawks have the edge over the Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Why are the Eagles having a hard time finding a new OC?Taylor Lewan and Will Compton weigh in on the Eagles’ offensive coordinator search.
Why Marcus Spears is intrigued by George Pickens’ free agencyMarcus Spears explains why he’s interested in George Pickens’ free agent market this offseason.
What if every NFL team had the chance to change their Round 1 and Round 2 picks from the 2025 draft?
Our NFL Nation reporters redrafted the first two rounds of last April’s draft — all 64 picks — with the benefit of hindsight, making their selections as if they were the general manager for the team they cover. We asked them to explain their reasoning for each pick. The order is the same as when the draft began last April, and our reporters were not allowed to make trades.
Last year, quarterback Cam Ward was the undisputed selection at No. 1 for the Titans. But does he still have the edge over Tyler Shough or Jaxson Dart after their rookie seasons? Plus, how high would Cam Skattebo, Harold Fannin Jr. and Xavier Watts — each of whom was drafted in Round 3 or later — move up?
Ward showed tremendous signs of improvement after Tennessee’s Week 10 bye. Only one of his seven interceptions came in the final eight games, and he threw 10 of his 15 touchdown passes in that stretch. It’s clear Ward has the potential to be the franchise quarterback the Titans have desperately needed. — Turron Davenport
Original pick: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado (JAX traded up) New pick: Tyler Shough, QB, Louisville
The Browns find themselves in a similar spot after failing to hit on either quarterback — Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders — they drafted. Shough’s sample size (nine starts) is still small, and there’s no knowing how he would have performed with Cleveland’s supporting cast. But he impressed in less-than-ideal circumstances in New Orleans. — Daniel Oyefusi
No time to wait for a quarterback. Ward and Shough were already off the board, which could be looked at as a fortuitous twist for the Giants. Dart led all rookie quarterbacks with 24 total touchdowns in only 12 starts. He also had the highest QBR at 57.6. Carter would have been a good pick again, but New York needed a quarterback in this scenario. — Jordan Raanan
Campbell had some struggles against top-tier edge rushers in the postseason, but the Patriots saw promising signs overall with his play and culture-setting. He was a starter upon arriving in the spring and should only benefit from a full offseason in the team’s strength program. — Mike Reiss
Original pick: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan (CLE pick from JAX trade) New pick: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
This is a dream scenario for the Jaguars, who got the player they coveted without having to give up any picks (including a 2026 first-rounder). Hunter’s rookie season ended after seven games because of a knee injury, but the Jaguars are still committed to him being a two-way player. — Michael DiRocco
Jeanty showed he has the potential to be a solid player in this league. But the Raiders’ biggest issue in 2025 was the offensive line, and taking Membou would have been beneficial for the unit long term. The running back class was pretty strong in 2025, so going with Membou here and adding a running back later is a win-win situation. — Ryan McFadden
The Jets’ brass was happy with Membou, who started every game. But they are forced to pivot here, so the obvious choice is Carter, who finished strong after an uneven start to his rookie season. The Jets’ pass rush disappeared in 2025, ranking next-to-last with 26 sacks. Carter would have changed that. — Rich Cimini
As much as the Panthers still need an elite pass rusher, McMillan has been vital as quarterback Bryce Young’s No. 1 receiver. With McMillan, the Panthers had the firepower to keep pace with opponents offensively and make comebacks (see: Young’s six fourth-quarter/OT victories) that they didn’t have the year before. — David Newton
With Shough already off the board, the Saints stick with their original first-round pick as a foundational player. Since they didn’t land Shough, the Saints would likely aim to pick a QB in the 2026 draft, and they would need someone to protect him. — Katherine Terrell
At the time, many questioned why the Bears drafted Loveland over Tyler Warren, who had significantly more receiving production at Penn State. That feeling lingered until Loveland’s breakout performance against the Bengals in Week 9, which proved he was the right pick for Ben Johnson’s system. The former Michigan tight end finished as Chicago’s leader in receptions (58) and receiving yards (713) and was tied for the team lead with six touchdowns. — Courtney Cronin
The 49ers had strong interest in McMillan around the draft, but he’s off the board. And though Williams showed promise, Egbuka would have helped stabilize a position that has a lot of question marks. Although Egbuka’s fast start turned into a slow finish, he’d be the best and most proven wideout under contract for the Niners right now. — Nick Wagoner
Some eyebrows were raised when the Cowboys took Booker here, but he answered every question while replacing a future Hall of Famer in Zack Martin. Booker’s strength and surprising athleticism helped the Cowboys have a 4,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard receivers and a 1,000-yard running back. He is a cornerstone player for their future, just like Martin was. — Todd Archer
It’s odd to see back-to-back guards picked midway through the first round, but both were simply that good. The Dolphins took Jonah Savaiinaea in the second round, but Zabel was much better this season. He could have given them a legitimate core of offensive linemen, joining Patrick Paul, Aaron Brewer and Austin Jackson. Fifth-round pick Jordan Phillips outplayed Grant, so Miami doesn’t have to lock on to a defensive tackle this early again. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Warren’s performance declined in conjunction with quarterback Daniel Jones’ injuries in the second half of the season. But Warren’s ability to hurt defenses at every level was immediately apparent. Meanwhile, his versatility as a receiver, runner, blocker and even passer added a fresh element to the Colts’ offense that defenses had to take into consideration. — Stephen Holder
The biggest priority for the Falcons last offseason was boosting an anemic pass rush. They traded back into the first round to snag Pearce after taking Walker, and he responded with 10.5 sacks, the most from a rookie since Micah Parsons in 2021. With Pearce still on the board here, drafting him (and not giving up a future first-round pick to do so) is a no-brainer. — Marc Raimondi
In theory, Nolen was a pick that made sense. He was quick, powerful and violent and going into a veteran defensive line room that would mentor him. But injuries derailed his rookie season and Arizona ended up needing help on the offensive line. Conerly would have addressed that need, especially at right tackle. Adding him opposite Paris Johnson Jr. would have given Arizona a pair of a bookend tackles to build around. — Josh Weinfuss
Stewart could still pan out after an injury-filled rookie season. But Starks would have been an immediate starter for Cincinnati. The free safety out of Georgia had two interceptions and four pass deflections as the nearest defender in 2025, per NFL Next Gen Stats. He could have been a young replacement for Geno Stone, who is set to enter free agency. — Ben Baby
As much as it would hurt the Seahawks to lose Zabel, they’d be thrilled to see their talented nickelback still on the board. After an early-season ankle injury, Emmanwori developed into a key part of coach Mike Macdonald’s defense. His coverage and tackling ability allowed Seattle to keep at least five defensive backs on the field no matter the offensive personnel. He looks like an All-Pro in the making. — Brady Henderson
Schlereth: Seahawks the better all-around team in Super Bowl
Mark Schlereth explains why the Seahawks have the edge over the Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
With Egbuka gone, let’s pivot to inside linebacker, as the Bucs need a successor for 14-year veteran Lavonte David. Schwesinger led the league with 146 tackles and is the favorite to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Coach Todd Bowles asks a lot of his inside linebackers, making Schwesinger’s instincts and sure tackling an ideal fit. — Jenna Laine
Although a running back like Ashton Jeanty or TreVeyon Henderson would have warranted a long look, coach Sean Payton had targeted RJ Harvey weeks out before the draft. So, Barron is still the pick, even with the entire RB class still on the board here. Barron played less than 20% of the defensive snaps this season in a unit with three All-Pros in it, but the Broncos see an emerging role for him as a cornerback, safety and dime linebacker. — Jeff Legwold
It was a toss-up between Harmon and Graham because fortifying the defensive line is still the best use of the Steelers’ pick. Though Harmon made a noticeable difference when healthy, Graham, a PFWA All-Rookie team selection, would have been a slight upgrade after starting 17 games for the Browns. He had seven tackles for loss and 49 total tackles this season. — Brooke Pryor