Albert Breer’s Mailbag: Predictions for the Top of the NFL Draft

Filing this after returning from over international waters—returned from Phoenix to meet my family at the airport in Boston on Tuesday, and now am making my way to Paris with the kids for a few days. But I did find some time for your questions …

Jeremiyah Love

From Daily Dolphins Draft (@JAYFIEDLERSTAN): What are the chances that Jeremiyah Love falls out of the top 10? I don’t see a ton of landing spots outside of picks 4 and 5

Daily, I’d say it’s unlikely. Love is up there with the backs who’ve gone in the top 10 in the last dozen or so years—Todd Gurley, Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette, McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson and Ashton Jeanty make up the group. The question then becomes whether there’s a team with a need that values the position that way. You’re right to look at the Giants and Titans at 4 and 5. Love would make sense for the Commanders at 7, as well, and the idea of him in the Bengals offense, with Cincinnati picking 10th, is interesting too.

So, sure, I guess anything is possible. But I’d be surprised if he fell very far.

Kenyon Sadiq

From kcchiefsjunky (@kcchiefsjunky): Should Kenyon Sadiq be in the conversation for KC at #9? Seems like the perfect match.

Chiefs, I actually really, really like the idea of Kenyon Sadiq at No. 9 to Kansas City—he’s not a prototype from a size perspective, and isn’t really even a true tight end (though he does show effort as a blocker), but the role Travis Kelce has played for Andy Reid for 13 years with the Chiefs is tailormade for a guy like Sadiq coming in.

Now, the issue, to me, would be it might be a little challenging to use the two of them on the field at once, which would probably only be a 2026 problem. And obviously, how the Chiefs see Sadiq versus top receivers like Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson or USC’s Makai Lemon will help to determine his value at pick No. 9 (with those guys easier for-now fits alongside Kelce). But my answer is yes … Sadiq would make a lot of sense.

Cleveland Browns

From JJ (@Flint521466): Where was Monken during the HC picture today?

Getting his haircut … for the picture.

San Francisco 49ers

From 9's (@JLK7299): How does this Aiyuk Saga end?

The only thing I feel comfortable saying is that he won’t be a 49er.

How the offloading happens is interesting because there’s still a lot of talent there, and the contract isn’t outrageous—he’d make $27 million this year, if he were to avoid being cut and play it out. Aiyuk hasn’t cooperated with much of anything over the last year, but there would be motivation to work with the Niners in this case, because it’s hard to imagine him getting anywhere close to that number if he winds up being cut and has to find a new home.

So I’d say there’s a remote, remote chance of a trade, with the likelihood remaining that he’ll be cut, because teams that might be interested in bringing him in know the Niners would eventually be forced to let him go (and they can easily do so whenever after his guarantees for 2026, which encompassed the full $27 million, were voided last year).

Since they haven’t done it yet, it probably makes sense to hold on to him through the draft, then cut him if they can’t trade him then in early May.

Australia

From Caleb Patterson (@CalebPatterso18): Why are people acting like the game in Australia is worse than a game in Europe? For west coast teams, it’s only a 5 hr body clock adjustment where Europe is 8+ hours.

Caleb, I assume you’ve never been on a 19-hour flight?

Meddling owners

From Danburi Tabata (@AR58440224): Why aren't owners able to grasp the intricacies of football—leaguewide personnel, scheme, college personnel, etc.? I'm an executive at a massive company and can speak encyclopedically about the draft and every NFL roster. It's beyond laughably easy yet these guys seem clueless.

Danburi, I think some are more knowledgeable than others. I’d also say there’s a difference between the knowledge you might have—and I’m sure you have a lot—and what a head coach or a general manager brings to the table. That naturally creates a divide, and an interesting dynamic in which the people ranking below the true stakeholders know a lot more about the product everyone’s selling than their bosses do.

In my opinion, the best owners are able to apply their own expertise to what their GM and coaches and football people in general are doing, offer them help in that way, and let those guys do what they do best. Obviously, if you’re investing as much into something as the owners do in their teams, you want to be kept up with everything, and maintain a seat at the table. But if you want to win big consistently? Knowing where the lines are is much more important than trying to know as much as the actual football people do.

Brock Purdy

From ViktorAkadra (@ViktorAkadra): What is realistic chance Brock Purdy is an MVP candidate again with the new weapon additions?

Love Purdy, and I think it’s possible if the Niners get healthy, and Ricky Pearsall develops, and Mike Evans, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle maintain their accustomed levels, and Trent Williams does the same and gets through a contract impasse … and, yes, that’s a lot of if’s. It’s an older group around Purdy, for sure, and that’s a thorny variable to manage.

But he's a really good quarterback on a team that knows how to win, and I think he’s going to keep ascending. So while winning MVP might be a bit of a stretch, it’s not unattainable.

New York Jets

From Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25): Is there any chance the Jets consider a tag and trade with Breece Hall? There were rumors that the Broncos were ready to pounce in free agency—Darren Mougey was in Denver for 13 years. They seem like an aggressive team that is thinking about the right now, while the Jets are thinking of the future.

I’d be surprised, Paul. I just don’t think you can get the sort of value for a running back on a franchise tag that would make it worth everyone’s while to lose another of your best players. My sense is they’ll make a real run at extending him. And maybe if those talks don’t go well, and the team’s struggling in midseason, you look at dealing him at the deadline.

Minnesota Vikings

From Chris (@CBrightheart): What's the latest on Jonathan Greenard? I saw that KO said he expects him to be a Viking. Are they still entertaining trades? Do they plan to give him a raise? Where is this going?

Chris, bottom line, a trade would happen because someone swoops in to give him a real raise, and forks over a Day 2 pick. I don’t know that anyone’s gotten close to that yet. But this all started because Greenard reached the end of the guaranteed portion of his contract and is making “only” $19 million this year, and $19 million next year, which is a fraction of what the top edge rushers make.

So he wanted a raise. Minnesota wasn’t in a position to give it to him. And I don’t think his camp has found a suitor who was willing to do that, and give up a high-end pick or two.

NFL Draft

From Milly Mills (@ShopChopa): In your opinion what’s the strongest position group in this year’s draft class? Just talking rounds 1–3. Any chance you and Conor would both be on an upcoming episode of HTC?

Milly, I’d say edge rusher and receiver are the two positions with the sort of depth you’re referencing—there’s not a Myles Garrett or Julio Jones in the bunch, but you’ve got guys who can help you at both spots throughout the top 100 or so picks.

Washington Commanders

From Deuce_Redzone (@redzoneinthelab): Do you think the #Commanders will host the Super Bowl in 2031 in new stadium? If not, what’s your best guess for when they might?

Deuce, we know it’s Inglewood next February, Atlanta in February 2028, Las Vegas in February 2029 and my guess would be Nashville in February 2030. That fall, the new Commanders stadium is slated to open, and usually a venue doesn’t get its first Super Bowl until after its second full season. So my guess would be February 2031 is probably Miami or New Orleans, and then D.C. very well could host Super Bowl LXVI in February 2032.

18-game schedule

From Geoffrey (@frizzaud): When the league goes to 18 games and 2 byes, can the league schedule a bye before every Wednesday or Thursday game to make it so rest is never an issue again on the short week games?

I personally think that would be pretty tricky, especially when you’re trying to expand the league’s global footprint and some teams play multiple Thursdays while others play none. But there will have to be creativity if they’re going to keep encroaching on weekdays in scheduling games out.