The First-Round Conversation

Five NFL teams are stuck in QB limbo — we break down who’s fixing it and who’s doomed. There are a handful of NFL teams with some intriguing quarterback situations as they look beyond the 2025 season, for very different reasons. EJ Snyder of Bootleg Football returns to the show to break down a couple of teams who could give up on young passer after just one season, two more teams with aging stars...

We're about halfway through the 2025 college football season, and we've seen a ton of changes when it comes to stacking the top QB prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class. Some of the biggest names are in the SEC, and there have been a wide range of performances that have their draft stock moving in different directions. Cole Thompson from SEC Unfiltered returns to the show to break down what we've...

The Minnesota Vikings are one of the most intriguing teams in the NFL right now, coming off a 14-win season in 2024, but hitching their championship hopes on a young quarterback who missed his entire rookie season due to injury. Arif Hasan joins the show to break down the results of Minnesota's decision to go with J.J. McCarthy over Sam Darnold, how the Vikings attempts to "quarterback-proof" thei...

We're five weeks into the 2025 NFL season, and we've already seen some impressive rookies come flying out of the gates to make massive impacts for their respective teams right away. Myles Simmons from Pro Football Talk joins the show to talk about a few of the most impressive rookie performances from Week 5, and how the first month of the season could indicate long-term success for those first-yea...

Eagles are 4-0 but far from perfect—can Philly repeat as Super Bowl champions? More NFL and Draft Analysis Here:  After winning the Super Bowl in dominant fashion last year, Philadelphia Eagles are off to a 4-0 start this season, thanks to a masterful team-building job by general manager Howie Roseman. Devin Jackson, who covers the Eagles and the NFL Draft for the Philadelphia Enquirer, joins the...

The BPA Draft Show dives into the Detroit Lions: Have they already missed their Super Bowl window, or can Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell, and Detroit’s 2025 rookie class keep them in contention? Host Luke Easterling is joined by Jeff Risdon (Lions Wire & Draft Wire) to break down injuries, roster building, rookie impact, and the future of Jared Goff, Aidan Hutchinson, and more. Plus: 2026 draft prospec...

Now that we've got a couple of weeks of college football action in the books, it's time to take a look at who's moving up and down the board as we look ahead to the 2026 NFL Draft. Trevor Sikkema from Pro Football Focus returns to the show to highlight a few players who have impressed him out of the gate this season, a handful of prospects who have yet to live up to their preseason expectations, a...

The first full week of the 2025 college football season is officially in the books, and we've got some fresh film to watch from the top prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class. To break it all down, Luke is joined by The Athletic's Dane Brugler, who talks about the mixed reviews from this year's big-name quarterbacks, the marquee names who lived up to the offseason hype in Week 1, and the underrated...

Ever year, football fans expect the big-name rookies who were drafted in the first round to find their way into the starting lineup quickly, there's always a handful of first-year players from the later rounds who are able to make an instant splash and earn starting jobs. In this week's episode, Athlon Sports NFL analyst Doug Farrar returns to the show to highlight his picks for the rookies who co...

The SEC is always loaded with top talent, and this year is no exception. In this week's episode, Athlon Sports NFL Draft expert Luke Easterling sits down with Cole Thompson from SEC Unfiltered to break down which teams in the conference have the most NFL prospects eligible for the 2026 class, who could emerge as the SEC's top QB prospect in 2026 if Arch Manning goes back to Texas for another seaso...

The Carolina Panthers are heading into Year 3 of the Bryce Young experience, but do they even know what exactly they have in the former No. 1 overall pick, and can they finally compete in the NFC South? Athlon Sports NFL Draft expert Luke Easterling is joined by Mike Kaye of the Charlotte Observer to break down realistic expectations for Young this season, how their top-10 pick from this year's dr...

The San Francisco 49ers have gotten oh-so-close to the top of the football mountain multiple times under Kyle Shanahan, but have come up empty. Injuries hit them hard last year, keeping them out of the postseason entirely, and an offseason exodus of key players will make it even harder for them to scale the mountain again. For this week's episode, Athlon Sports NFL Draft expert Luke Easterling sit...

The Green Bay Packers have won a ton of regular-season games under head coach Matt LaFleur, but they've managed just one playoff victory over the past four seasons. They've got a promising roster, but the NFC North promises to be one of the toughest divisions in the NFL in 2025. For this week's episode, Athlon Sports draft expert Luke Easterling is joined by CheeseheadTV's Aaron Nagler to breakdow...

We all know that quarterback is the most important position in football, and there's more pressure than ever on the young passers coming into the league every year via the draft. In this week's episode, Athlon Sports NFL Draft expert Luke Easterling sits down with ESPN's Dan Orlovsky to talk about how young quarterbacks can transcend the variables around them, which traits are vital for their succ...

Not every NFL team is lucky enough to have a superstar franchise quarterback, but there are a couple of fan bases who would be thrilled for a signal-caller who's anything north of average. In this week's episode, Athlon Sports NFL draft expert Luke Easterling is joined once again by Doug Farrar, who returns to the show to evaluate which team has the worst QB room heading into the 2025 season, and...

The Houston Texans have many of the key building blocks it takes to build a consistent contender in the NFL, but can they finally take that next step in 2025? Athlon Sports' Luke Easterling is joined by Stephanie Stradley of the Houston Chronicle to talk about C.J. Stroud's progression and his vast array of weapons, some questionable offensive line decisions this offseason, and how Houston has bui...

It's never too early to look ahead to the next NFL Draft, and next year's class is loaded with top prospects who should put on a show this college football season before making the leap to the pros. Doug Farrar returns to the show to join Athlon Sports draft expert Luke Easterling for a wide-ranging discussion on the biggest names in the 2026 class, including a high-upside group of QBs, another lo...

The 2024 NFL Draft featured an elite class of wide receivers that was dubbed by many as the best in modern draft history, but did it live up to the hype in Year 1, and what does it have in store for 2025 and beyond? Athlon Sports draft expert Luke Easterling is joined by Matt Harmon of Yahoo Sports to break down which pass-catchers shined as rookies last season, who should make a big leap in Year...

As the 2025 NFL offseason turns into a look ahead to training camp and the upcoming season, Athlon Sports draft expert Luke Easterling sits down with Greg Auman of Fox Sports to break down the curious case of the NFC South. After four straight years of the same team at the top, is this the year the division crowns a new champion? How are these four teams positioned for a better 2025 following an o...

Now that the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, it's time to look at how the results impact fantasy managers in dynasty leagues. Athlon Sports draft expert Luke Easterling is joined by Fantasy Life's Thor Nystrom to break down this year's rookie class from a dynasty perspective, looking for sleepers and value picks, breaking down this year's curious QB class, and how to project this year's blue-chip...

You could make a strong case that the NFC North will be the most hotly contested division in the NFL in 2025, and all four teams could have a legit shot at the title. Athlon Sports draft expert Luke Easterling is joined by Carmen Vitali of Fox Sports to break down the top storylines for every team in the division coming out of the 2025 NFL Draft, and how their biggest offseason changes could impac...

The big names always steal the headlines, but we all know that there are plenty of gems flying under the radar in every NFL Draft, and the 2025 class will be no different. Athlon Sports draft expert Luke Easterling is joined by Mike Renner of CBS Sports to break down his favorite sleeper picks coming out of this year's draft, and what kind of impact those underrated players can make at the next le...

The dust is still settling from the 2025 NFL Draft, and it's becoming clear which prospects landed in the perfect spots at the next level. Athlon Sports draft expert Luke Easterling is joined by Bootleg Football's Brett Kollmann to break down the best scheme fits in this year's class, illustrating a handful of players who should have their skill sets maximized by the way their new coaching staff s...

The 2025 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and it's time to break down which teams came away as the biggest winners. Athlon Sports draft expert Luke Easterling is joined by EJ Snyder of Bootleg Football to talk about the clubs that absolutely crushed this year's draft class. Luke also discusses some of the biggest storylines from the 2025 draft, including why Shedeur Sanders has a chance to fl...

Draft week is finally here, and to get you ready for the big event, Athlon Sports draft expert Luke Easterling is once again joined by Doug Farrar for a full preview of all the action that will kick off Thursday night from Green Bay. Luke and Doug give a big-picture overview of the 2025 draft, pound the table for a few of their favorite sleeper prospects, break down a few prospects they'd love to...