Welcome to my first NFL Mock Draft of the 2025 process! 

The draft order below is where we sit post-Week 14. With eight teams either at 2-11 or 3-10, that order — particularly at the top of the board — could be wildly shaken-up in the weeks ahead. 

We’ll be back in January with Mock 2.0.

And if this isn't enough for you, check out my colleague Matthew Freedman's 2025 NFL Draft mocks, along with all of our NFL Draft coverage. 

2025 NFL MOCK DRAFT

1. Las Vegas - Shedeur Sanders | QB | Colorado

At a public event in February — video of which surfaced last week —  Colorado HC Deion Sanders told Raiders HC Antonio Pierce that he needs to draft his sons (Shedeur and S Shilo Sanders). The Raiders should listen to Coach Prime, at least with regards to Shedeur. He’s the best quarterback in the class.

2. NY Giants - Cam Ward | QB | Miami

Ward’s game took a big leap forward in 2024. His aDOT and YPA both improved by around two yards. Meanwhile, his PFF big-time throw rate skyrocketed as his turnover-worthy play rate plummeted. Had Ward declared for last year’s draft, he would have been a Day 3 pick. He’s earned his status as a top-five overall prospect.

3. New England - Travis Hunter | WR/CB | Colorado

Great scenario for a team that doesn’t need a quarterback – the Patriots sit tight at 1.3 and get the draft’s best overall talent. With CB Jonathan Jones a free agent, New England would slot Hunter across from Christian Gonzalez on defense. Meanwhile, Hunter would become Drake Maye’s go-to WR for however many offensive snaps Hunter can additionally handle. Hunter has a chance to become football’s answer to Shohei Ohtani.

4. Carolina - Tetairoa McMillan | WR | Arizona

If you’re going to give Bryce Young another year, you need give him some help. McMillan is a 6’5/210 pterodactyl with ludicrous ball skills. A made-in-a-factory NFL alpha WR1, McMillan’s addition would allow Carolina to use Xavier Leggette and Jalen Coker as the complementary pieces they’re destined to be. This selection would give Carolina one of the league’s most enviable young WR corps.

Related: Thor Nystrom's Top WR Prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft

5. Jacksonville - Will Johnson | CB | Michigan

Jacksonville appears to be content with its OTs moving forward after signing Walker Little to a three-year contract extension. Because of this, cornerback might be the team’s biggest offseason priority. Boxed out of Travis Hunter in the 1.5 slot, Jacksonville instead takes your more conventional lockdown CB1 in Johnson.

6. Tennessee - ​​Kelvin Banks Jr. | OT | Texas

Quarterback has dropped on the Titans’ need list with Will Levis showing improvement in recent weeks. If the Titans ultimately decided to pull the plug on Levis, they could also opt to spend some of their projected-8th-most-cap-space on somebody like Sam Darnold. Instead, the Titans, forever looking to solve their OL issues, draft their third-consecutive OL in the first round. Banks is a natural LT. The beauty of this pick is it would allow Tennessee to shift JC Latham back to his natural RT spot, which would instantly improve Latham’s game.

7. NY Jets - Mason Graham | DL | Michigan

If Aaron Rodgers hangs it up, quarterback would obviously move to the top of New York’s offseason needs list. But in this slot they can get more juice for the squeeze by addressing a front-seven that needs it. Former Vikings GM Rick Spielman comps Graham to Quinnen Williams. If the Jets made this pick, it would be to replace Javon Kinlaw – an impending free agent – in the spot next to Williams himself.

8. Cleveland - Jalen Milroe | QB | Alabama

Hear me out. 

I don’t know if Milroe is going to declare, and I have no idea if Cleveland would use their first first-round selection since 2021 on the position they spent their last three R1 picks on via the doomed Deshaun Watson deal. I know that many will vehemently disagree with Milroe – raw at present – being mocked into the top-10. But I think Milroe will go far higher than many currently anticipate. He has all-world physical tools, and the NFL bets big on those every spring. I also think Cleveland is the ideal organization to pick Milroe for circumstantial reasons.

Watson’s jumbo contract is fully guaranteed the next two years. So he’ll be on the roster. The smarter move for Cleveland than tying up an even larger percentage of the team’s cap space to the QB position the next two years in an attempt to replace Watson would be to draft a cost-controlled boom-or-bust prospect like Milroe. You won’t be contending anyway during those two seasons due to what Watson’s contract has done to your books. You have nothing to lose by shooting for the stars. If you whiff, you try again in two years. If you hit, you turbo-charge the rebuild out of the Watson Era.

9. Chicago - Will Campbell | OT | LSU

Chicago may have individual bigger roster holes on paper. But there is nothing more important that this franchise can do this offseason than constructing the best possible OL it can for Caleb Williams. Williams’ freelance-heavy style requires an OL that can protect for extended time. Campbell has been LSU’s starting LT for the last three seasons. In training camp, the Bears could evaluate their options. One option that could improve two OL spots in one swoop: Playing Campbell at RT and kicking Darnell Wright to OG (perhaps to replace impending FA Teven Jenkins). Wright’s game appears so well-suited to OG that many projected him as such two years ago coming out of Tennessee.

10. Cincinnati - Abdul Carter | EDGE | Penn State

Carter played a more-traditional off-ball linebacker role his first two years on campus. This year, transitioning to EDGE, Carter’s game took the leap, with his overall PFF grade spiking from 69.7 to 90.7. A freaky athlete with electric propulsion off the snap, Carter will appeal to any team that wants to generate more heat on quarterbacks.

11. New Orleans - Mykel Williams | EDGE | Georgia

Williams is the next in line of Georgia’s made-in-a-factory EDGE rushers with length and athleticism. Like Travon Walker before him, Williams has shown to be a well-rounded collegiate defender who stops the run in addition to getting after the quarterback. Williams has actually been better at Georgia than Walker was. But Williams is going to face some of the same counting-stat questions that Walker did – a heavily-used rotation player all three years on campus, Williams never played 50-plus snaps in a game until the regular season finale against Georgia Tech (he did so again in the SEC title game against Texas).

12. Dallas - Ashton Jeanty | RB | Boise State

Forgive the cliche, but this one just makes too much sense. In my opinion, Jeanty is a better prospect than Bijan Robinson, who went No. 8 overall to the Falcons a few cycles ago. There is nothing Jeanty can’t do. He has the contact balance of a spinning top, he breaks tackles at a prolific rate, and he’s an exceptional receiver. Here’s a stat for you: Jeanty is averaging 5.5 yards after contact heading into the postseason. Only 18 qualifying FBS RBs are averaging more yards per carry than that.

13. Miami - Malachi Starks | S | Georgia

The Dolphins need help at cornerback and safety (where Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer are both impending free agents). This makes Starks an exceptionally-good fit. You can literally play him anywhere. This season, Starks has logged 385 snaps as a deep safety, 252 as the nickel defender, 190 as an in-the-box off-ball linebacker, nine off the edge, and six as a boundary corner. 

14. Indianapolis - Tyler Warren | TE | Penn State

Let’s get Anthony Richardson more help. Warren is a 6’6/260 do-everything tight end. He’s a matchup nightmare in the slot, and he’s a decent blocker when deployed inline. During Brock Bowers’ three-year career at Georgia, he had 193 rushing yards and five TDs on 10.3 YPC. This season, Warren has 191 rushing yards and four TDs on 8.3 YPC. This specialized usage is indicative of smart offensive staffs working overtime to scheme touches for special playmakers. Earlier this fall, Warren even got a TD pass on a trick play where he began as the center (with everyone else on the line aligned to his right).

15. Atlanta - ​​James Pearce Jr. | Tennessee | EDGE

This is the year GM Terry Fontenot finally helps out his defense… right?! Atlanta has one of the most feeble pass rushes in the NFL. Pearce isn’t for everyone, in that he’s a light edge defender at 6’5/243. Some believe he’ll be a situational pass-rusher at the next level. I see the next Brian Burns. Pearce is extremely disruptive.

16. Arizona - Luther Burden III | WR | Missouri

Burden is coming off a disappointing season, in part due to quarterback injuries at Mizzou this season. But the former five-star recruit is a dynamic playmaker who has a strong catalogue of film going back to 2022. Burden would provide the Cardinals with a perfect stylistic complementary piece to the pass-catching corps of Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Michael Wilson.

17. San Francisco - Aireontae Ersery | OT | Minnesota

San Francisco’s biggest needs are along the OL, both at tackle and along the interior. Ersery manned LT at Minnesota the last three years. But if OG Aaron Banks leaves in free agency, San Francisco could start Ersery at OG as a rookie with an eye on kicking him back outside to tackle the year or two after that, when Colton McKivitz‘s contract is up and/or Trent Williams retires.

18. LA Rams - Shavon Revel Jr. | CB | East Carolina

Revel tore his ACL in practice in September. His draft evaluation will obviously hinge on his medicals. Assuming those check out, he should still be ticketed for the first round. The former track star is a 6’3, long-levered corner with speed to burn.

19. Tampa Bay - Nic Scourton | EDGE | Texas A&M

Scourton is a massive (6’4/285), powerful EDGE presence with long arms. Scourton’s sack total got cleaved in half this fall from the year before at Purdue, but he had the same amount of hurries. 

20. Washington - Cameron Williams | OT | Texas

Williams is the Amarius Mims of this class, an elephantine (6’5/335) ball of clay that has flashed high-level traits in a small sample size. Washington could stand to improve the OL protecting Jayden Daniels, and this would be a literal big step in that direction.

21. LA Chargers - Kenneth Grant | Michigan | DL

According to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, Grant was running sub-5.0 40-yard dashes at 350 pounds coming out of high school. Grant signed to play football at Michigan for a guy named Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh called Grant “just an absolute, absolute gift from the football gods” during Grant’s first offseason in Ann Arbor. In the time since, Grant has developed into a clear Round 1 talent, while Harbaugh has made a home with the Chargers. Los Angeles’ biggest need this offseason is a war-daddy interior defensive lineman. You do the math. 

22. Denver - Colston Loveland | TE | Michigan

Denver needs more weapons for Bo Nix. Instead of reaching for a WR in this slot, they go with the most natural pass-catcher remaining on the board. Loveland would also be a natural fit with the Chargers and former coach Jim Harbaugh. But since we had Harbaugh opting for Grant, Harbaugh will instead have to face off against Loveland two times per season going forward.

23. Seattle - Shemar Stewart | EDGE | Texas A&M

The Seahawks need to continue to improve their front-seven this offseason. Stewart is a huge (6’6/290), powerful, versatile defender who has inside/outside versatility.

24. Baltimore - Benjamin Morrison | CB | Notre Dame

The Ravens have a history of drafting injured prospects at discounted price points. With corner near the top of the team’s offseason needs, they grab Morrison at least 10 slots below where he would have gone had he not suffered a season-ending hip injury in September. That injury, of course, will need to be signed off by the team’s medical staff. The son of former NFL safety Darryl Morrison, Benjamin had six interceptions as a true freshman in 2022 and was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award in 2023.

25. Houston - Derrick Harmon | DL | Oregon

Harmon made the Round 1 leap this fall. Heading into the postseason, he comfortably leads all FBS DL in hurries with 39. HC Demeco Ryans adds a tone-setter to his defensive front.

26. Green Bay - Walter Nolen | DL | Ole Miss

As is typically the case, our assumption is that Green Bay earmarks its first pick for the trenches. Nolen, a former five-star recruit coming off a fabulous three-year career in the SEC, would immediately enter the interior rotational fray. 

27. Pittsburgh - Jalon Walker  | EDGE/LB | Georgia

Walker is a very interesting prospect. He has LB size at 6’2/245, but has shown an exceptional prowess for getting after quarterbacks off the edge. This year, Georgia has maximized his versatility. Walker has 230 snaps on the edge, 283 at off-ball LB, and 60 as a nickel defender(!). The Steelers need to improve their front-seven, and their creative defensive staff may be drawn to Walker’s skillset.

28. Minnesota - Deone Walker | DL | Kentucky

The Vikings are going to be looking to add at least one new starter on the interior defensive line this offseason, and perhaps even two. Walker is a ridiculous physical specimen at 6’6/345. He’s more athletic than T’Vondre Sweat, who went No. 38 overall to the Titans last process. A linebacker’s best-friend in the run game, Walker is also a much better pass-rusher than most 340-plus pounders. He piled up 15 sacks, 76 hurries, and 96 pressures over 965 pass-rush reps the past three years. Walker would take over the NT gig in Minnesota, kicking Harrison Phillips to DE in Minnesota’s 3-4 alignment.

29. Buffalo - Emeka Egbuka | WR | Ohio State

Egbuka doesn’t profile as a flashy alpha WR1 at the next level, but instead an ultra-reliable No. 2. A crafty receiver, Egbuka is one of the best in the nation at immediately denoting zone coverage and finding the open area. With Amari Cooper set to be a free agent this offseason, Buffalo could use a consistent technician across from deep-ball merchant Keon Coleman.

30. Philadelphia - Jack Sawyer | EDGE | Ohio State

With Josh Sweat an impending free agent and Brandon Graham retiring at season’s end, EDGE is at the top of Philadelphia’s offseason shopping list. Sawyer is a model of consistency. He’s posted PFF grades of 89.5-plus in each of the last two seasons, proving to be one of the nation’s best run-defending presences on the EDGE while posting 46 QB hurries over that span.

31. Kansas City - Tyler Booker | iOL | Alabama

If OG Trey Smith’s free agency prices him out of Kansas City’s range, a plug-and-play guard will be needed to replace him in the Chiefs’ starting lineup. Booker, a 6’5/325 powerhouse who has drawn comps to O'Cyrus Torrence, would qualify.

32. Detroit - Landon Jackson | EDGE | Arkansas

Marcus Davenport is going to leave in free agency, Aidan Hutchinson is coming off a season-ending knee injury, and​​ Za'Darius Smith a potential cut (Smith has a convoluted contract that would result in cap hits of $5 million-plus in both 2025 and 2026 if the Lions keep him next season due to a bonus-heavy structure and void years tacked at the end). Long story short: Detroit needs more EDGE help. 

Jackson is a towering 6’7/280 presence with a powerful game. He’s a gifted run defender who sets a hard edge. Jackson isn’t an athletic freak, but he’s turned into a solid pass-rusher because of his length, active hands, variety of pass-rushing moves, and a William Wallace die-on-the-sword motor. The NFL will like that he posted as many hurries in 362 pass-rush reps this year as he did in the 526 over his first two years combined.