11. San Francisco 49ers: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Devastating circumstances surrounding the loss of a child could lead to the San Francisco 49ers letting their best cornerback – Charvarius Ward – leave this offseason. Ward and his wife can barely stand it to be in San Francisco with the memories of what transpired there.
As a result, the Niners are going to need to address the cornerback position. It just so happens that a lot of the best players in this class could push some of the top corners down the board, and Will Johnson is one of those guys. The former Michigan Star was every bit as-advertised this past season prior to injury with his outstanding combination of size and ball skills.
He has the size to be able to go up against any type of receiver in the NFL and if he tests well in the offseason circuit, he could easily end up going in the top 10 picks overall. The 49ers would probably love to be able to add him to their defense.
12. Dallas Cowboys: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Try not to pick Ashton Jeanty to the Cowboys in a 2025 NFL Mock Draft challenge.
I guess we failed this round again. Luckily for Dallas Cowboys fans, this is a three-round mock draft, so you get to see more of what your team might do in the NFL Draft beyond just drafting Ashton Jeanty. But the stars have aligned, there’s no question about it.
Regardless of who you are asking, most NFL Draft experts would agree that Jeanty is one of the top 5-10 best overall players in this class. That means that if he lasts to the Cowboys, he’s going to be a value pick no matter what. And with the emergence of offenses that added dynamic running backs in 2024 (Eagles, Packers, Ravens), the Cowboys might view Jeanty as the true missing piece to their offense.
New head coach Brian Schottenheimer is under a ton of pressure this year but not as much as Jerry Jones, who is going to want to prove he made the right decision moving on from Mike McCarthy.