23. Cincinnati Bengals (via GB) - Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
Another trade! This one is our second big-time wide receiver trade in this first round mock draft, and the details for this one are below:
The Green Bay Packers are sending what was their 23rd overall pick to the Cincinnati Bengals, but in return, they are getting Tee Higgins and the 154th overall pick. The Packers have a ton of 'good' players on their team, but are lacking some top-end playmakers on offense. Tee Higgins has been in a shadow of Ja'Marr Chase for years now but has still produced at a 1,000-yard level for them for a couple of seasons.
Jordan Love would have a go-to guy on offense alongside Josh Jacobs in what could turn out to be a sneaky team to win the division in 2025. The Bengals use this pick, their second first-rounder, on the hyper-athletic Nick Emmanwori, the top safety from South Carolina. Cincy applied the franchise tag on Tee Higgins, but that does not guarantee he will remain with the team for the 2025 NFL Season.
24. Minnesota Vikings - Shavon Revel, CB, East Carolina
The Minnesota Vikings have multiple secondary needs, so them taking a first-round cornerback should not be a surprise at all. They go with Shavon Revel from East Carolina here in this mock draft. Revel tore his ACL at the beginning of the 2025 college football season, so that could be something to monitor.
However, the Vikes simply need multiple starters at both cornerback and safety this coming offseason. Their most notable free agent on the backend is their talented safety, Cam Bynum. Another huge story with this team is how they approach their QB situation - does Sam Darnold return for a second season, or do they hand the keys over to de-facto rookie JJ McCarthy? Only time will tell in what could be one of the biggest moves of the 2025 offseason.