The NFL Draft is complete, and we now head to offseason camps and workouts. The team has already reported for the first OTAs last week, and that will lead to voluntary OTAs at the end of May. They will then ramp up to mandatory minicamp in June, and finally, training camp and preseason at the end of July and into August. The season will be here sooner than you think, and we dive into our first (of many) 53-man roster predictions and some draft analysis sprinkled in to round out our content.
*Rookies in Italics*
Quarterback (3)
Roster Locks- Anthony Richardson, Daniel Jones, Riley Leonard
Roster Cuts- Jason Bean
This is the biggest storyline heading into the 2025 season. You can call this a “quarterback battle,” but it is expected that Richardson will retain the starting spot. I do not doubt there will be true competition, but this entire regime is now under the microscope. If Richardson loses this competition, then he is done with this franchise, and the only way Ballard keeps his job is if Jones shines and leads us to the playoffs.
As for the competition between Riley Leonard and Jason Bean, it’s simple. While I love the talent of Jason Bean and his competitiveness, Riley Leonard was drafted, and Bean was not. I know it’s a late round pick, and it’s essentially a guaranteed reserve spot in the short term. However, Leonard is the more accomplished overall prospect. I think they keep Bean on the practice squad as more of an expendable athlete that can help on the scout team.
Running Back (3)
Roster Locks: Jonathan Taylor, Khalil Herbert, DJ Giddens
Roster Cuts: Salvon Ahmed, Tyler Goodson, Ulysses Bentley IV
There seems to be a small faction of fans that think this Giddens picks spells doom for Khalil Herbert. I completely disagree with this notion. Do I think either running back will substantial snaps if Taylor is healthy? I do not, but Taylor has the tendency to get beat up due to his heavy workload. He is getting older as well, and keeping three competent backs on the roster will allow him to get some in-game rest.
I have written about my affinity with Khalil Herbert, and he is a great reserve running back that can take a starters load if needed. Giddens brings a different element to this backfield. He gets yards in chunks and can catch the ball out of the backfield. I think they will release Ahmed and let him try to latch on somewhere else. Look for Goodson to push for a roster spot because of the familiarity with the offense, and Bentley will most likely make the practice squad.