2025 NFL Mock Draft: Is Jalon Walker Destined For Carolina?

The NFL combine is in full swing this week in Indianapolis, with the following schedule for on-field workouts.

• Yesterday (Thu. 2.27): DLs, LBs
• Fri. 2/28: DBs, TEs
• Sat. 3/1: QBs, WRs, RBs
• Sun. 3/2: OLs

Given that, now's a great time to update my 2025 NFL mock draft. For previous versions, check out my Fantasy Life author page as well as our Fantasy Life NFL Draft Hub.

Also, every Saturday edition of the Fantasy Life Newsletter is now dedicated to the draft. Subscribe, if you know what's good for you.

Over the past six years (since I started submitting mocks in competitions), I’m the No. 2 mocker for accuracy, and I'm a lifetime 484-424 (+102.6 units) betting on the draft. Subscribe to our free Betting Life Newsletter for regular guidance, best bets, and more.

2025 NFL Mock Draft

Now that the 2025 NFL draft order is fully set, here's my intra-combine mock, followed by notes.

2025 Mock Draft Methodology

Here's a reminder of my general mock process, in case this is your first time reading my work.

1. Identify the 32 players I think are most likely to go in Round 1.
2. Match teams with positions of need.
3. Order players correctly within their position groups.
4. Attempt to mock as many players as possible within their likely draft ranges.

I don't strive to be perfect or precise. Instead, I seek to minimize massive errors. I want to hit the ball as far as I reasonably can, but the priority is hitting the ball down the middle of the fairway.

"Must Include" Players in Round 1

Right now, there are 25 players I think have around an 80% chance (or better) to go in Round 1 (unless something drastically changes in their evaluation between now and the draft).

• QB: Cameron Ward (Miami), Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)
• RB: Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)
• WR: Travis Hunter (Colorado), Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona), Luther Burden (Missouri), Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State)
• TE: Tyler Warren (Penn State), Colston Loveland (Michigan)
• OT: Will Campbell (LSU), Kelvin Banks (Texas), Armand Membou (Missouri)
• OG: Tyler Booker (Alabama)
• EDGE: Abdul Carter (Penn State), Jalon Walker (Georgia), Mykel Williams (Georgia), Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M, Mike Green (Marshall), James Pearce (Tennessee)
• DT: Mason Graham (Michigan), Walter Nolen (Mississippi), Kenneth Grant (Michigan)
• CB: Will Johnson (LSU), Jahdae Barron (Texas)
• S: Malaki Starks (Georgia)

After them, I have another four players with at least a 60% chance of getting in Round 1.

• OT: Josh Simmons (Ohio State), Josh Conerly (Oregon)
• DT: Derrick Harmon (Oregon)
• LB: Jihaad Campbell (Alabama)

And then I have seven more guys right on the borderline of Rounds 1-2.

• WR: Matthew Golden (Texas)
• OG: Donovan Jackson (Ohio State)
• EDGE: Nic Scourton (Texas A&M)
• CB: Azareye'h Thomas (Florida State), Shavon Revel (East Carolina), Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame)
• S: Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina)

In this iteration, I ultimately settled on Golden, Scourton, and Thomas.

With Golden, I get back to a five-WR mock, which I generally like, and Golden has gotten enough hype over the past month that I think it makes sense to include him in a version.

Scourton has been a staple of my mocks since the beginning, and although I've experimented behind the scenes with only six EDGEs in Round 1, I don't feel too comfortable with that build.

Thomas, Revel, and Morrison are all in the same tier for me, but Thomas has gotten the most recent hype, and I think we see three CBs (instead of just two) in Round 1, so Thomas is the guy I'm going with as the No. 3 CB for now.

Emmanwori was close: If I'd have gone with him, then Scourton would've been the guy I'd excluded. And it's very possible that after the combine Emmanwori will be a no-doubt first-rounder.

Borderline Round 1 NFL Mock Draft Prospects

These are the guys I didn't include in my mock but whom I currently view as residing near the borderline of Rounds 1-2.

• QB: Jaxson Dart (Mississippi)
• OT: Grey Zabel (North Dakota State), Aireontae Ersery (Minnesota), Jonah Savaiinaea (Arizona)
• OG: Donovan Jackson (Ohio State)
• EDGE: J.T. Tuimoloau (Ohio State), Jack Sawyer (Ohio State), Donovan Ezeiruaku (EDGE)
• DT: Tyleik Williams (Ohio State), Alfred Collins (Texas), Jordan Burch (Oregon)
• CB: Shavon Revel (East Carolina), Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame)
• S: Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina)

NFL Mock Draft Top Eight Analysis

1.01: Titans - EDGE Abdul Carter (Penn State)

I have a position logged in our free Fantasy Life Bet Tracker for Carter to go No. 1 (+220, FanDuel).

Titans President of Football Operations Chad Brinker has said that the team "won't pass up on a generational talent" at No. 1. While the team needs a passer, QBs Cameron Ward and Shedeur Sanders are not once-a-decade prospects.

Given his age (21 years old), pedigree (unanimous All-American), and production (12 sacks and nation-leading 24 tackles for loss as a junior), Carter might be the rare defensive player who deserves to go No. 1.

1.02: Browns - WR/CB Travis Hunter (Colorado)

I have Hunter as the No. 1 player on my top 50 big board. In terms of all-around skill set, he's the most talented prospect in this class.

The prevailing sentiment among draft analysts is that Hunter in the NFL will be a full-time perimeter corner who rotates as a situational receiver. 

Maybe … but Hunter is too good (in my opinion) not to be used heavily on offense, given that last year he won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the most outstanding receiver in college football with 96-1,258-15 receiving.

Of course, he's also a total stud on the other side of the ball: Last year, he won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the defensive player of the year.

If any guy can step into the NFL and right away play significant snaps on both offense and defense, it's Hunter—and the Browns need help all over the roster.

1.03: Giants - QB Cam Ward (Miami)

Ward is the front-runner to go No. 1 (-140, FanDuel), and I personally have him ranked as the No. 1 QB in the class.

Last year, he won the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best QB with 4,313 yards and 39 TDs passing to just seven INTs with 60-204-4 rushing (including sacks).

I expect him to be a Week 1 starter in the NFL.

Thor's Prospect Profile: Cam Ward

1.04: Patriots - WR Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona)

The Pats could go in a lot of directions at No. 4. 

If Abdul Carter happens to be available, I imagine new HC Mike Vrabel would love to have him as a foundational piece for his defense.

If the Pats decide to do all they can to protect second-year QB Drake Maye, they could select an OT. I seriously considered putting OT Will Campbell (LSU) in this spot.

But I keep thinking that the Pats should get a pass-catching weapon for Maye, who had little receiving assistance last season as a rookie. Plus, I prefer how my mock looks overall with a WR here instead of an OT.

In some scenarios—if two of the top three teams in the draft select QBs—Hunter could fall to the Pats at No. 4, but if he happens to be gone, then the team could still opt to take McMillan, who might end up being the superior NFL pass catcher.

With 90-1,402-10 receiving as a sophomore and 84-1,319-8 as a junior, McMillan has legitimate top-eight talent in this class, so it's not much of a reach for him to go in the top five.

1.05: Jaguars - DT Mason Graham (Michigan)

I've previously mocked CB Will Johnson (Michigan) to the Jags at this spot, but in most mocks the Jags go with a DT instead of CB, and Graham usually goes higher than Johnson.

So for at least this iteration, I'm capitulating.

The Jags need help all over the defense, and Graham is a unanimous All-American who has the power to anchor against the run and the athleticism to rush the passer.

1.06: Raiders - QB Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)

The Raiders get a gift with Sanders falling to them at No. 6.

As a true freshman at Jackson State, he passed for 3,231 yards and 30 TDs to eight INTs, and then as a sophomore he improved upon those numbers with 3,752 yards and 40 TDs to six INTs.

As a junior, he passed for 3,230 yards and 27 TDs to just three INTs in his first year at Colorado, and then as a senior he had a nation-best 74.0% completion rate while slinging it for 4,134 yards and 37 TDs to 10 INTs and winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the nation's top upperclassman QB.

Sanders might not be a true difference-making QB in the NFL, but he might be, and he's a definite improvement on what the Raiders have had over the past two seasons.

Thor's Prospect Profile: Shedeur Sanders

1.07: Jets - CB Will Johnson (Michigan)

The vast supermajority of mocks I've perused have Johson as the No. 1 CB, and the Jets could need help in the secondary given that CB D.J. Reed is a free agent.

Blessed with elite size (6-2, 202 lbs.) and pedigree (five recruitment stars), Johnson will have a great chance to go in the top 10 as long as he checks the boxes with his athletic testing at the combine.

1.08: Panthers - EDGE Jalon Walker (Georgia)

It's almost a coin flip as to which Bulldogs EDGE will be drafted first: Walker or Mykel Williams.

I'm partial to Walker, who won the 2024 Butkus Award as the nation's top LB. While I expect Walker to play primarily on the edge in the NFL, I do think he has the athleticism a la Micah Parsons to line up off the ball as well, and that added versatility could make him attractive to the Panthers.