Everything you need to know around the NFL for April 9
Happy midweek, everyone! John Breech is busy scouting all the kicker prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft, so today’s Pick Six newsletter is brought to you by Cody Benjamin, with tidbits on all the latest from around the NFL.
Be sure to subscribe right here, to ensure you never miss a daily dose of NFL updates. And keep on reading for everything from draft buzz and seven-round mocks to the latest signal-caller news out of Pittsburgh.
1. Steelers to host QB Shedeur Sanders before draft
Aaron Rodgers may or may not suit up for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025; the veteran remains unsigned and apparently undecided on his NFL future. In the meantime, Mike Tomlin’s squad is doing due diligence on one of the top — and most polarizing — quarterbacks of the 2025 draft class, hosting Shedeur Sanders at team facilities. Pittsburgh doesn’t pick until No. 21 overall in the first round of the draft, so it’s possible the Steelers anticipate the Colorado product slipping within reach. Sanders had previously been projected as a potential top-three pick.
2. Five NFC teams that must ace the 2025 draft
All 32 teams have an opportunity to get better via the draft. Yet some clubs are under more pressure to unearth immediate and long-term help than others. Which NFC squads fit that bill? We identified five:
- Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young appeared to turn a corner as the quarterback of the present and future late in 2024, but the Panthers still have a plethora of needs under coach Dave Canales.
- Dallas Cowboys: Unless guys like Javonte Williams or Miles Sanders or Solomon Thomas suddenly roar back to life, they’re going to need to make good use of their 10 picks, hopefully outfitting Dak Prescott with legitimate support on both sides of the ball.
- New Orleans Saints: As they climb out of perennial salary cap woes, with a veteran quarterback in Derek Carr who’s destined to exit sooner rather than later, this is a prime time to rebuild the foundation.
- New York Giants: Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen could use both more instant playmakers in the mold of Malik Nabers, and a sturdy longer-term arm to succeed veteran stopgaps Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston.
- San Francisco 49ers: They took some serious cost-cutting lumps this offseason in preparation of a big payday for quarterback Brock Purdy. They have an urgent need to get younger after losing so many veteran cogs.
3. Draft profile: Hampton compares to All-Pro playmaker
Our NFL Draft team has been busy sorting through the best prospects of the 2025 class, as well as providing some NFL comparisons for the splashiest soon-to-be rookies. The latest to get a full breakdown: North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton, a widely projected first-round pick who’s been linked to the Denver Broncos among others. His pro comparison? Jonathan Taylor, the Indianapolis Colts All-Pro who once led the league in rushing:
Like Taylor, Hampton runs a bit high but makes up for it with his long strides and breakaway speed. Hampton might be even better than Taylor when it comes to contact balance and creating yardage after first contact. Both players have short-area burst that you don’t always expect from taller backs. Hampton will enter the NFL more refined as a receiver and better in pass protection than Taylor was coming out of Wisconsin.
4. Cowboys’ Overshown first to get No. 0 jersey
DeMarvion Overshown was one of Dallas’ most inspiring stories during the 2024 NFL season, overcoming a rookie-year ACL tear to emerge as a legitimate pass rusher opposite Micah Parsons. Then the Texas product went down with an even scarier injury, tearing his ACL, MCL and PCL in December. The Cowboys aren’t doubting his comeback potential, however, this week assigning the defender the first No. 0 jersey in team history. Overshown, who first wore the digit in college, said he’s aiming to win Comeback Player of the Year honors as “Agent 0.”
5. Seahawks seven-round mock: Darnold insurance?
The Seattle Seahawks are in the midst of one of the NFL’s busiest offseasons, notably resetting their quarterback and wide receiver rooms in free agency. And they might be just as busy in late April, when they’re scheduled to make 10 different picks during the 2025 NFL Draft. Where, exactly, could they look to fill out their new-look lineup? Here’s a look at some of the most notable projections in our seven-round Seahawks mock draft:
- Round 1, Pick 18: S Nick Emmanwori — Seattle’s top need surely lies in the trenches, but Emmanwori is the type of defensive difference-maker who could be uniquely appealing to coach Mike Macdonald. An imposing Kam Chancellor-esque enforcer, he could function as a sort of Swiss Army knife, allowing veteran safeties Julian Love and Coby Bryant to thrive in rotation.
- Round 2, Pick 52: WR Jack Bech — Cooper Kupp’s arrival helps offset the dual departure of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, but Seattle could still use a longer-term running mate for Jaxson Smith-Njigba. While Bech isn’t necessarily an athletic freak, he feels like a prototypical Seahawks wideout with refined fundamentals and jump-ball toughness.
- Round 4, Pick 137: QB Quinn Ewers — A quarterback?! After paying Sam Darnold?! In truth, Darnold’s deal can be discarded after one year without any negative impact on the 2026 salary cap, and we’ve seen Seattle double-dip with a quarterback reset before (see: Russell Wilson, Matt Flynn, etc.). Ewers is a streaky player, but his grit, touch and off-script potential could be the perfect ingredients for Darnold insurance.
6. Travis Hunter wants to play every snap in NFL
Plenty of NFL teams apparently see Hunter, the two-way Colorado star, as a cornerback first. Others see the Buffaloes standout as a wide receiver. And yet Hunter appears determined to continue his multipurpose role in the pros, revealing recently that he’d like to play every single snap from scrimmage — on both offense and defense — if an NFL team permits him to do so. It’s a long shot, to be honest, considering the injury risk, but one thing’s for certain: Hunter is all but a lock to come off the board in the first three picks of the 2025 NFL Draft.
