The much awaited National Football League, or NFL, draft is scheduled to start on Thursday, April 24 and end on Saturday, April 26.
The draft order is determined by the results of the previous season, and the team with the worst record from the previous season gets the first pick.
The order for the draft is as follows: the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears and the San Francisco 49ers.
Then, there are the Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals and the Seattle Seahawks.
College football players from all across America have worked to the bone for a chance to be drafted by any of the 32 NFL teams.
One of those players is Abdul Carter from Penn State University, an edge rusher and defensive end. Carter was a finalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award in 2022.
He appeared in every game that year, starting six of them. He finished the year with 56 tackles, and in 2023, he started all 13 games and ended the season with 48 tackles.
Carter scored a 95 in production and was ranked first in the category. He had an athleticism score of 83 and ranked sixth at the combine.
Some people are worried more about their teams and how they can improve.
“I’m a Dolphins fan,” said Forest Sander, a GCSU maintenance employee. “We need all kinds of help.”
The Miami Dolphins have 10 draft picks this year and are in the market for a defensive tackle, offensive guard, linebacker, offensive tackle and safety. They have the 13th overall pick in the first round, 16th in the second round and 34th in the third round.
The Atlanta Falcons are looking for an edge rusher, safety, defensive tackle, wide receiver and center.
University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward, a projected No. 1 overall pick, has a 92 grade after the combine.
“He [Ward] excels at throwing over the middle and to his right while rolling out to his left,” said Steve Muenich, an NFL Draft analyst. “He still presses at times, but his decision-making has improved over the past three seasons, and he threw 39 touchdowns and only seven interceptions in 2024. He is quick and gets north-south when in a running lane.”
Ward would be the first pick for the Tennessee Titans in many mock drafts.
Many are also looking at University of Colorado Boulder’s Shedeur Sanders, who has a 79 grade after the combine. He was ranked third for the quarterbacks across the combine.
Sanders won the Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in the FCS while playing at Jackson State University. He started all 13 games in his freshman year and was the Conference Freshman of the Year.
In 2024, Sanders was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award. He set a school record for Colorado with 64 career passing touchdowns.
“I’m going to say the Tennessee Titans need a quarterback, and Shedeur Sanders would be a good spot, a good addition to the team,” said Landon Cane, a freshman psychology and Spanish major.
The Arizona Cardinals are looking for an edge, wide receiver, cornerback, offensive guard and defensive tackle. They have six picks in the 2025 draft, and some analysts believe they may pick the University of Michigan’s Kenneth Grant as the team’s new defensive tackle.
The students of GCSU await the draft to see who gets some of the heavy hitters.