The NFL Conference Championships are here, and we just had the College Football Playoff Championship, so now feels like a great time to update my 2025 NFL mock draft.

Here are previous versions, in case you're curious.

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.

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I plan to do more draft content moving forward, so be sure regularly to check out our Fantasy Life NFL Draft Hub, where you can see my NFL prospect big board, Thor Nystrom's most recent mock, and his early thoughts on the top of the draft board at each skill position.

Updated 2025 NFL Mock Draft

The 2025 NFL draft order is set for the top 28 picks. For the remaining four, I'm using a combination of consensus odds to win the Super Bowl and my own personal postseason projections.

Every week, you can access my team projections in our Fantasy Life Game Models (accessible with a FantasyLife+ subscription).

Here's my post-CFB Championship mock, followed by notes.

PickTeamPlayerSchoolPosition
1TENCameron WardMiamiQB
2CLEShedeur SandersColoradoQB
3NYGJalen MilroeAlabamaQB
4NETravis HunterColoradoWR
5JAXWill JohnsonMichiganCB
6LVTetairoa McMillanArizonaWR
7NYJMason GrahamMichiganDT
8CARAbdul CarterPenn StateEDGE
9NOMykel WilliamsGeorgiaEDGE
10CHIWill CampbellLSUOT
11SFJalon WalkerGeorgiaEDGE
12DALAshton JeantyBoise StateRB
13MIAMalaki StarksGeorgiaS
14INDTyler WarrenPenn StateTE
15ATLJames PearceTennesseeEDGE
16ARIKenneth GrantMichiganDT
17CINLuther BurdenMissouriWR
18SEAKelvin BanksTexasOT
19TBJihaad CampbellAlabamaLB
20DENColston LovelandMichiganTE
21PITEmeka EgbukaOhio StateWR
22LACWalter NolenMississippiDT
23GBBenjamin MorrisonNotre DameCB
24MINShavon RevelEast CarolinaCB
25HOUTyler BookerAlabamaG
26LARJosh SimmonsOhio StateOT
27BALJosh ConerlyOregonOT
28DETNic ScourtonTexas A&MEDGE
29WASShemar StewartTexas A&MEDGE
30BUFDerrick HarmonOregonDT
31PHIMike GreenMarshallEDGE
32KCAireontae ErseryMinnesotaOT

 

“Must Include" Players in Round 1

I'm not saying that these players are Round 1 "locks", but I entered into this specific exercise determined to include these 26 guys in my mock.

These are the ones I feel most confident (right now) will be in Round 1.

  • QB: Cameron Ward (Miami), Shedeur Sanders (Colorado), Jalen Milroe (Alabama)
  • 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), Josh Simmons (Ohio State), Josh Conerly (Oregon)
  • OG: Tyler Booker (Alabama)
  • EDGE: Abdul Carter (Penn State), Mykel Williams (Georgia), Jalon Walker (Georgia), James Pearce (Tennessee), Nic Scourton (Texas A&M)
  • DT: Mason Graham (Michigan), Kenneth Grant (Michigan)
  • CB: Will Johnson (LSU), Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame), Shavon Revel (East Carolina)
  • S: Malaki Starks (Georgia)

Borderline Round 1 NFL Prospects

These are the players I currently view as residing on the borderline of Rounds 1-2.

  • OT: Armand Membou (Missouri) & Jonah Savaiinaea (Arizona)
  • OG: Donovan Jackson (Ohio State)
  • EDGE: Landon Jackson (Arkansas), J.T. Tuimoloau (Ohio State), Princely Umanmielen (Mississippi) & Jack Sawyer (Ohio State)
  • DT: Tyleik Williams (Ohio State) & Shemar Turner (Texas A&M)
  • CB: Jahdae Barron (Texas) & Trey Amos (Mississippi)
  • S: Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina)

The Perfect NFL Mock Draft

Here's what I like specifically about this mock.

  • QB Jalen Milroe: The Browns might opt for a veteran to replace QB Deshaun Watson (Achilles), but I wanted to try out a mock with them taking a rookie … and if Ward and Sanders go Nos. 1-2 to the Titans and Browns … then that means (I think) that Milroe could go as high as No. 3 to the Giants. I expect there to be a wide range of opinions on him entering the draft, but Milroe's dual-threat skill set gives him a good chance to go high in Round 1.
     
  • WR Travis Hunter: I doubt that we'll actually see three players selected ahead of Hunter, but I like his fit with the Patriots, and I still have him as the top non-QB taken.
     
  • WR Tetairoa McMillan: If the Raiders are unable to get one of the top QBs in the class, then I (tentatively) expect them to go with the best available pass catcher (as they did last year with TE Brock Bowers). That said, I was tempted to mock them with …
     
  • RB Ashton Jeanty: The fit with the Cowboys is still too perfect to ignore, but increasingly I can imagine him going No. 6 to the Raiders or No. 10 to the Bears. He's a top-10 talent.
     
  • S Malaki Starks & TE Tyler Warren: I continue to look for ways to move them up the board.
     
  • Four WRs: I dropped from five to four WRs in this iteration, which I like, because that allows me to move down the board …
     
  • WR Luther Burden: He's not quite a top-10 talent, but I previously needed to force him there because of the positional surplus. The drop from five WRs to four also gives me the flexibility to add in another defender, such as …
     
  • LB Jihaad Campbell: He's not a "must include" player, but he's got a shot at Round 1, I wanted an iteration with him in it, and the Bucs could definitely use a middle-of-the-field defender.

I like a lot about this version.

And yet …

Still Not the Perfect NFL Mock Draft

No mock is perfect. Here are ideas I have for future versions.

  • CB Jahdae Barron: I'm yet to include him in a mock, and I feel like I should. He played well in the CFB Playoff and is live for Round 1.
     
  • OT Armand Membou: He wasn't on my radar a month ago, but he has gotten some serious hype over the past two weeks, and I wouldn't be surprised if in another two weeks he were viewed as a top-five OT. Then again, he might need to kick to OG in the NFL, which might put a cap on his draft stock.
     
  • S Nick Emmanwori: I haven't yet had a mock with two safeties, but there are enough teams (Dolphins, Colts, Bills) that need one that I should probably have a version that includes Emmanwori, whom some draftniks actually have ahead of Starks.
     
  • Seven EDGEs: I've had seven EDGEs in my most recent mocks … but I think eight might be the right number. This class is just so loaded on the DL.

Eventually, we'll find the perfect mock.

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