Predictions heading into the NFL draft
Senior sports staff makes predictions for Trojans and other prospects.
By SENIOR SPORTS STAFF
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for NFL fan bases that never see the playoffs: the NFL draft. Teams — ranging from the back-to-back Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs to the 2-15 Carolina Panthers — look to make selections that will set their franchises up for success in the upcoming seasons.
Thankfully, the Daily Trojan has a plethora of eligible general managers in its senior sports staff. Here are some of our predictions for USC prospects and bold takes on the draft as a whole.
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Leila MacKenzie — Sports Editor
USC Prediction: Caleb Williams will sport all-black nail polish at the draft
Oftentimes, players paint their faces with large blotches of eye black, but the projected No. 1 overall pick is known for painting his nails. Whether it’s emojis, plain text or flashy colors, Williams has decorated his fingertips with messages directed toward his opponents for the last three seasons and so Thursday night, he’s going to opt for a sleek black to match his “very classy” navy blue and silver outfit.
Bold Overall Draft Take: The Patriots do not select a quarterback at No. 3
With two Heisman winners, two Heisman finalists, a national champion and one very special Drake Maye, this draft is loaded with quarterback talent, which is wonderful news for a team like New England that is in dire need of a franchise savior. Unfortunately for the Patriots, they are terrible at scouting quarterback talent. That’s why the Krafts are going to get a little crafty and use their top pick on somebody who plays a less bust-prone position.
Joshua Sacher — Sports Editor
USC Prediction: Brenden Rice will be selected in the fourth round and live up to his last name (as much as he can).
Brenden Rice has had to live up to his last name his whole life as his father is Jerry Rice — only the greatest wide receiver of all time. While Rice is not a generational talent, his 791 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns last season for USC prove he is an NFL talent. He is projected to be selected in the fourth round and I think his 6-foot-3 frame will make him a deep threat in the pros.
Bold Overall Draft Take: Several quarterbacks will be drafted above their ranking, which will hurt franchises in the long run.
Every year when the draft comes around, one position is always under the spotlight: the quarterback. Don’t get me wrong, it’s the most important position in football, but it appears teams in this year’s draft will be reaching on players just because they are quarterbacks. It is obscene that there are five quarterbacks — Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, J.J. McCarthy, Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr. — projected to go in the first eight picks, according to CBS Sports. Guys like McCarthy (20th-ranked prospect) and Penix Jr. (31st-ranked prospect) have no business being selected that high and I think at least three of these QBs will be busts.
Darren Parry — Assistant Sports Editor
USC Prediction: The first Trojan taken, not named Caleb Williams, will come from the defensive side of the ball.
Coming into the 2023 season, Calen Bullock was projected to go in the late first round of the draft, but a subpar defensive season for the Trojans pushed him back to the third or fourth in some mock drafts. However, given his lengthy frame at 6-foot-3 and his lateral quickness, I believe teams will take the chance on him at safety, going earlier than fellow Trojans Brenden Rice and MarShawn Lloyd.
Bold Overall Draft Take: The best pick of the draft will be wherever Jayden Daniels goes.
No matter if it is the Washington Commanders at No. 2, the New England Patriots at No. 3 or if a new team trades up for Daniels, stats don’t lie and Daniels is legit. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is arguably the most-improved player in the draft class, going from throwing 6,024 yards and 32 touchdowns in his first three seasons at Arizona State to throwing for 6,725 and 57 touchdowns in only two seasons in Baton Rouge. We’ll see in a couple of years that Daniels is the next Lamar Jackson.
Dana Hammerstrom — Assistant Sports Editor
USC Prediction: Tahj Washington will bake a victory cake after he is drafted in the fourth round.
Washington’s size will be his downfall for being a top-round pick. However, once he makes an appearance on the NFL’s official turf, speed will make him a bigger threat. Washington will also probably bake a victory cake after the draft and post it to his YouTube channel, “Chef Tahj.”
Bold Overall Draft Take: The 49ers will not draft any players from USC for fear of them being a little high-maintenance.
The Niners played a scrappy 2023-24 season. With their first and second-string quarterbacks falling to injury early in the season, the San Francisco team needs stability next season. USC is also known as the University of Spoiled Children, and their football facilities aren’t helping to prove that statement false. The 49ers won’t succumb to the flashy stars and top recruits; they’ll stick to tried and true players who won’t abruptly fumble after a season of success.
Thomas Johnson — Assistant Sports Editor
USC Prediction: Solomon Byrd will make an NFL roster.
The redshirt senior rush end is older than the ideal NFL prospect, as he started his collegiate career at Wyoming in 2018, but Byrd was effective with the Trojans across two seasons. Byrd tallied 10 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss across the past two years as part of a putrid USC defense, but an NFL team will take a flier on him — either through the draft or free agency — and he will make a roster at some point.
Bold Overall Draft Take: Offensive players will dominate the top-10 picks.
This year’s quarterback class is one of the best in NFL history, but the wide receiver and offensive line classes are just as potent. While a defensive-needy team will certainly draft a defensive end in the top 10, expect as many as nine of the top-10 picks to be offensive players.
Kasey Kazliner — Assistant Sports Editor
USC Prediction: MarShawn Lloyd will instantly be a starting-caliber running back if selected.
Lloyd is coming off his best season — with 820 rushing yards and nine touchdowns — and is touted to be one of the top tailback prospects in the draft. In the NFL’s current age, running backs are being cycled through at a high rate; so adding a three-year player that has shown a combination of athleticism and power, especially on a USC team that struggled to protect its backfield, should be exciting. He won’t get picked early by any means, but he could be an NFL-ready name in the latter half of the draft. He’s indisputably an explosive back with plenty of upside and would be a tandem player to learn under a more experienced runner in the NFL.
Bold Overall Draft Take: Caleb Williams will have a familiar face join him in Chicago.
Assuming Williams is selected No. 1 overall, the Bears will surely look to add weapons to his arsenal right out of the gate. Chicago also owns the No. 9 pick — and will have star-level options — so I see them taking Washington wideout Rome Odunze, Williams’ former Pac-12 opponent. Adding Odunze’s wide 6-foot-3 frame and College Football Playoff pedigree to the receiving core of DJ Moore and Keenan Allen will set up the Bears’ offense for success. Odunze is already bigger than the two Chicago receivers and is used to catching balls from a strong-arm gunslinger in Michael Penix Jr.
