21. Pittsburgh Steelers - Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
The Pittsburgh Steelers being able to grab Shedeur Sanders at pick 21 would be the ideal scenario. The biggest threat to the Steelers quest to take Sanders, if that is what they want, is a team leap-frogging them with a trade up to the 20th pick, for example. Well, that did not happen in this mock draft, as Steelers GM Omar Khan is able to stay put and take who they hope to be their franchise QB.
Right now, it could not be more unclear what Aaron Rodgers will do, but at this point, it might be best that the Steelers do not pursue Rodgers and instead work with the QB room that would now feature Sanders and Mason Rudolph. Some have said that Sanders is the most pro-ready QB in the class, but that also might come with a limited ceiling in the NFL.
At this point, Pittsburgh has to take a chance on a QB, and they don’t even have to trade up to get it done in this mock draft.
22. Los Angeles Chargers - Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
The Los Angeles Chargers taking a first-round safety might come as a shock, but with the rugged culture that Jim Harbaugh has instilled, you figure that they want to keep their top defense atop the NFL. LA missed out on signing Evan Engram this offseason, as he ended up choosing to sign with the Denver Broncos.
The Bolts signed Tyler Conklin instead and effectively replaced JK Dobbins with Najee Harris. The Chargers absolutely still need to draft some offensive playmakers with some of their remaining picks in this mock draft, and I bet they end up doing that.
Los Angeles went 11-6 in the first year of the Jim Harbaugh era, but they got blown out in the first round of the NFL playoffs.
23. Green Bay Packers - Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
The Green Bay Packers have so many good players on their roster that it’s almost hard to keep track of them. However, they do not have many elite players, which is a huge reason why this team went 11-6 in 2024 and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
With another elite player or two on either side of the ball, and perhaps one more leap from Jordan Love, this team can be a huge problem in the NFC North. They’ll go with Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon in this NFL mock draft.
However, Green Bay could perhaps use another wide receiver and maybe even a cornerback. Harmon is a very good DT prospect - one of the best in the draft, so this is still a great pick. Being that the Detroit Lions lost both coordinators to head coaching jobs this offseason, and the Minnesota Vikings are essentially returning to a rookie QB, Green Bay could be a team to watch out for as a sneaky candidate to win the division in the 2025 NFL Season.
Derrick Harmon might be able to help that much more in that quest.
24. Minnesota Vikings - Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
With limited capital in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings have to get some of these picks right, but this roster is nearly ready to go. The biggest thing Minnesota did this offseason was saying goodbye to Sam Darnold in free agency and handing the keys over to de-facto rookie, JJ McCarthy.
However, while that may seem like a shaky situation, this Vikings offensive personnel group is outstanding. They bolstered the OL in free agency with the signings of Will Fries and Ryan Kelly, and they also still have, you know, the best WR in the NFL in Justin Jefferson.
Aaron Jones was brought back on a free agency deal, and Jordan Addison is still a huge part of what they do. Minnesota will turn to the defensive side of the ball and take Mykel Williams from Georgia in the first round of this mock draft.