NFC luxury picks in NFL Draft: Touted SEC QB heads west

NFL teams sometimes don't draft for need. Instead, even though they may be stocked at a position, they'll make a luxury pick.

Ahead of the NFL Draft in Green Bay (April 24-26), Yardbarker NFL writers identify a luxury pick for each team in the NFC.

NFC East

DALLAS COWBOYS | DE Mike Green, Marshall | The Cowboys rarely shy away from players with off-field concerns, something Green certainly brings to the draft. Micah Parsons may be the most talented edge-rusher in the NFL, but even he would benefit from playing with a 6-foot-4, 248-pound projectile like Green, who quietly led the FBS with 17 sacks in 2024.

NEW YORK GIANTS | DT Walter Nolan, Ole Miss |  The Giants can’t afford to be frivolous with the third overall pick, but if Nolan falls to the second round, they'll have a player Pro Football Focus considers to be among the most physically gifted interior defenders in the draft. At 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, Nolan is an inch shorter and 45 pounds lighter than three-time All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence III, but with his speed and power, the two could create havoc in the middle of DC Shane Bowen’s defense.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | RB Cam Skattebo, Arizona State | Saquon Barkley led the NFL in rushing with 2,005 yards last season, but he needs a break after logging a career-high 345 attempts. At 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, Skattebo would fit as his confidence knows no bounds, especially after putting up 2,316 total yards and 24 total touchdowns for the Sun Devils last season.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | WR Matthew Golden, Texas | Imagine Jayden Daniels throwing to a group of wide receivers that includes Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and Golden, who led the position by running a 4.29 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. The 5-foot-11, 191-pound prospect had 988 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns for Houston from 2022-23 and 58 catches for a team-high 987 yards and nine TDs with Texas last season. — Bruce Ewing

NFC West

ARIZONA CARDINALS | WR Matthew Golden, Texas | The Cardinals don't  need another wide receiver to complement Marvin Harrison Jr. But a duo of Harrison Jr. and Golden would be absolutely dynamic and a great addition for inconsistent QB Kyler Murray. 

LOS ANGELES RAMS | QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama | Matthew Stafford is here for the short term, but the Rams should start thinking about the future. Milroe (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) is a project, but the upside could be All-Pro territory for the speedy QB (4.37 seconds in the 40-yard dash).

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | TE Tyler Warren, Penn State | The 49ers have far more significant needs than another pass-catching tight end, but George Kittle will turn 32 on Oct. 9. Warren (6-foot-5 1/2, 256 pounds) could carry the torch when Kittle retires and give the 49ers two dominant options in the middle of the field. 

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State | The Seahawks have a capable running back duo in Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, but neither is a game-changer. Jeanty (5-foot-9, 215 pounds) has the potential to be that sort of player. Will he fall in the first round to the Seahawks, who pick at No. 18? — Adam Gretz

NFC North

CHICAGO BEARS | TE Tyler Warren, Penn State | The Bears have more work to do on the offensive and defensive lines, but QB Caleb Williams would love having a dynamic weapon like Warren. The 6-foot-5 1/2, 256-pound tight end has a unique blend of size, power and speed, and he can play all over the field for an offense that needs playmakers. 

DETROIT LIONS | WR Matthew Golden, Texas | The Lions need help on defense and have one of the more explosive offenses in the NFL, but how fun would it be to add the lightning-fast Golden (5-foot-11, 191 pounds)? The Texas product ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.29) of any wide receiver at the NFL Scouting Combine, so adding him to Detroit’s offense could make this the highest-scoring team in NFL history.

GREEN BAY PACKERS | RB Bhayshul Tuten, Virginia Tech | The Packers could use lightning to complement Josh Jacobs’ thunder, and Tuten (5-foot-9, 206 pounds) fits that mold as a big-play threat and capable receiver. The Virginia Tech product ran a blazing 4.32 40-yard dash at the combine and would be a fun weapon to deploy on third downs and on special teams. 

MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Safety Malaki Starks, Georgia | Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores loves aggressive safeties who can tackle and blitz near the line of scrimmage, so Starks (6-foot-1, 197 pounds) must be his favorite prospect in the draft. Starks hits hard, has great speed (4.5 seconds in the 40-yard-dash) and can play all over the field. — Jack Dougherty

NFC South

ATLANTA FALCONS | WR Isaiah Bond, Texas | Owner Arthur Blank revealed the team’s draft plans in early April, telling reporters it was “pretty obvious” the team would use the majority (if not all) of its five picks on defense, marking a significant departure from the past four drafts. The Falcons still scheduled a top-30 visit with Bond (5-foot-11, 180 pounds), who would help second-year QB Michael Penix Jr. but at the expense of addressing more pressing needs.

CAROLINA PANTHERS | WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona | How could you not like the idea of the Panthers adding McMillan, who could quickly become QB Bryce Young’s favorite target? However, head coach Dave Canales recently gushed over second-year wide receiver Xavier Legette, telling reporters he believed Legette has WR1 potential, making selecting a WR2, even one as gifted as the 6-foot-4, 219-pound McMillan, at No. 8 overall a stretch.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State | No team loves drafting running backs in the first round more than the Saints, whose five first-round running back selections since 2002, general manager Mickey Loomis’ first year as the team’s lead executive, are the league’s most (h/t Stathead). If Jeanty (5-foot-9, 215 pounds) falls in New Orleans’ lap at No. 9, no one should fault Loomis. But with Alvin Kamara still in his prime, the Saints would be better off using the No. 9 overall pick on defense.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | EDGE Femi Oladejo, UCLA | Oladejo’s stock has soared recently, with the Bucs one of several teams to schedule a top-30 visit with the 6-foot-3, 259-pound 2024 Bruins sack leader. Teams can never have enough pass-rushers, but they’re less of a need in Tampa after the front office signed outside linebackers Haason Reddick (one year, $14M) and Anthony Nelson (two years, $10M) in free agency. — Eric Smithling