The 2025 NFL Draft is just three weeks away, which means it's time to start exploring some even crazier 2025 NFL mock draft scenarios than we've seen already.
And we don't even need trades...
As of right now, all 32 teams still own their own first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, which would be basically unprecedented as long as I've been doing this. That might change during the actual draft itself, but it also could pave the way for some truly stunning developments in round one, including quarterbacks landing in shocking situations.
Which teams could shock and take quarterbacks? This mock draft will explore that as well as what teams will take advantage of the ridiculous depth at running back, tight end, and along the defensive line.
2025 NFL Mock Draft: Shedeur Sanders falls out of top 10 of new mock draft
1. Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami
The Titans have basically put themselves in this situation. They do still have Will Levis available, but new general manager Mike Borgonzi seems convinced that he’s going to be getting a potential franchise quarterback from this year’s draft class. Cam Ward might have only been the fourth or fifth quarterback among last year’s class (at least going into the process) but he proved this past year at Miami that he’s got NFL starter qualities.
2. Cleveland Browns: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
The Cleveland Browns’ plans are coming together now that the organization has seemingly decided to move on from the disaster that was the Deshaun Watson trade. The only way to come back from something like that is to start rebuilding brick by brick. Getting Kirk Cousins soon (hopefully) will help keep the ship afloat, and adding another pass rusher like Abdul Carter to pair with Myles Garrett will give the Browns a dominant duo off the edge.
3. New York Giants: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
In a worst-case scenario, it feels like either Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston would just be able to drop back every snap and be like, “F it. Travis Hunter down there somewhere. Malik Nabers down there somewhere.” This is how you set up a quarterback for success before your quarterback is even actually on the team. The Giants would be able to get something good going offensively with the combo of Hunter and Nabers out wide.
4. New England Patriots: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
There seems to be some growing steam toward the idea of Armand Membou being the first offensive lineman off the board in this draft, not LSU tackle/guard Will Campbell. Armand Membou may have played on the right side at Missouri, but he could slide to the left side in the NFL just like Tristan Wirfs did once upon a time coming out of Iowa.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Mason Graham, DL, Michigan
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been the most boring team in the top five of most 2025 NFL Mock Draft scenarios, so that means they’re automatically going to do the craziest thing on draft night, right? I think James Gladstone, seeing how transformative a strong defensive front can be in Los Angeles with the Rams, is going to emphasize building in the trenches. Mason Graham is a clean prospect and an easy first selection for Gladstone as an NFL GM.
6. Las Vegas Raiders: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
The Las Vegans Raiders want to run the ball under Pete Carroll, and set Geno Smith up for as much success as possible. Raiders GM John Spytek has already put it out there that his son basically vowed to disown him if he doesn’t take Jeanty with this pick. It makes a ton of sense for the Raiders, and getting two guys like Jeanty and Brock Bowers in the fold offensively is going to help keep this team relevant in the AFC West.
7. New York Jets: Will Campbell, OL, LSU
The New York Jets could go a variety of different directions here, including going after a top quarterback on their board. But we don’t often explore the idea of this team taking Will Campbell and that could make a lot of sense. Campbell would be an instant plug-and-play starter at either guard or tackle for the Jets, and they need it with both Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses moving on this offseason.
8. Carolina Panthers: Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
It’s not a foregone conclusion that the Panthers will go defense with this pick, but that is the area of this roster that needs the most attention. There’s part of me that wants to put on my greedy GM hat with the Panthers in my mock drafts and go offense to more directly support Bryce Young, but getting one of the best pressure players in the class can help Young as well. Can Ejiro Evero maximize a talent like Walker? I think he absolutely can.
9. New Orleans Saints: Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
We’ve had Mike Green going as high as the top 10 of some mock drafts and he dropped to the 20s in another recent one. I don’t know exactly what to make of his stock right now because we don’t really have a fly on the wall in NFL buildings where they will be discussing his off-field situations in more detail. Teams will need to clear Green as a person before using a premium pick on him, but he might have the highest ceiling of any rusher in this class.
10. Chicago Bears: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
I still believe that Ben Johnson is going to attempt to put together the same type of dominant running game in Chicago that we saw from his Lions teams. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Bears take two backs from this class, even. D’Andre Swift wasn’t good enough for Johnson in Detroit, and I don’t know how long he’ll be for Chicago either. Omarion Hampton is being extremely over-hyped right now but his talent and athletic makeup could work well in this offense.
11. San Francisco 49ers: Jahdae Barron, DB, Texas
After losing Talanoa Hufanga and Charvarius Ward in NFL Free Agency, the 49ers are down bad in the secondary. They need some dawgs for that group and there is no question that Jahdae Barron’s got that dawg in him. Playing safety, slot, outside corner, and dime linebacker at Texas, he’s one of the most versatile and smart players in this class, regardless of position. He would be an instant hit in San Francisco.
12. Dallas Cowboys: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
This has become a bit more of a popular pick in 2025 NFL Mock Draft predictions lately, and I can see why. Matthew Golden is capable of coming into the NFL and being a highly effective slot player immediately, and while his game is not exactly the same coming out, it’s possible he could be used in a very similar way in year one as what we saw from Ladd McConkey with the Chargers last year.
13. Miami Dolphins: Derrick Harmon, DL, Oregon
One of the most underrated losses suffered by any team last year was the Miami Dolphins losing Christian Wilkins to the Raiders in free agency, and they never really recovered from that. This year’s defensive line class is absolutely loaded and the Dolphins take the second one off the board in this mock draft in Derrick Harmon out of Oregon. The Dolphins get an immediate upgrade in their run defense and overall toughness on the interior.
14. Indianapolis Colts: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Here we have our first big surprise quarterback selection of this mock draft with the Colts going after Shedeur Sanders, who fell out of the top 10 picks overall. Whether you feel that’s realistic or not at this point, the NFL Draft is always unpredictable. The Colts have started giving us early indicators that they are unhappy with the progress being made by Anthony Richardson and Shane Steichen’s not going to sit on his hands.
15. Atlanta Falcons: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
The Atlanta Falcons have one job in this draft: Get a pass rusher in the first round. This team’s inability to get after the quarterback really ended up costing them a chance to win their division this past year. The Falcons have one of the best collections of offensive weapons in the NFL right now and absolutely nothing to show for it. They need to start stacking dudes on that defensive front, and Mykel Williams will be an impact player in Raheem Morris’s defense.
16. Arizona Cardinals: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
I thiink Jonathan Gannon would absolutely love to take a Georgia Bulldog pass rusher with this pick to go back to his Philadelphia Eagles roots, but Shemar Stewart and his 10/10 on the RAS scale will have to do. Stewart was a tremendous impact pass rusher at Texas A&M without racking up a ton of sacks, which has caused quite a stir in the NFL Draft community. He had a ton of pressures and should be a double-digit sack player at the next level.
17. Cincinnati Bengals: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
The Cincinnati Bengals sort of missed out with the run on pass rushers here in this mock draft, and they end up going a different direction than we’ve had them going in most mock scenarios. Malaki Starks is one of those guys who is going to be beloved by coaches and Al Golden will be very familiar with his game. Golden needs players who can help turn around that Bengals defense and they don’t need to just take the top EDGE guy on the board here. Starks will make a difference right away.
18. Seattle Seahawks: Tyler Booker, OL, Alabama
You don’t always want to go into the NFL Draft having to pick for need, but the Seattle Seahawks won’t be making any apologies for going interior offensive line and telegraphing it the whole way. This is a team that signed Sam Darnold to a big-money deal in the 2025 offseason, and they need to do everything they possibly can to protect him. You don’t want those ghosts he was seeing in New York following him to Seattle.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
More and more, I’m loving the projection of Jihaad Campbell to the NFL. He’s a pressure player at off-ball linebacker that some teams will view as a full-time EDGE at the next level. I think Todd Bowles can maximize his talent and use him in a variety of ways. Lavonte David can show him the ropes in Tampa Bay and let him play fast and free, attacking the line of scrimmage and matching up with players in coverage at times.
20. Denver Broncos: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
I don’t know if this is even possible or even legal for a mock draft at this point in the game, but the Broncos can’t leave Tyler Warren on the board if he’s somehow still there. Warren could go as high as 5th overall to the Jaguars and it would be a shocker to see him outside the top 10, much less the top 15. Even with the addition of Evan Engram, a talent like Warren could give the Broncos a deadly duo at the position and someone to build around with Bo Nix for the long haul.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
I’m going to die on this hill. I have planted my flag in the “Jalen Milroe is perfect for the Steelers” camp, and even though it’s not a guarantee to happen, I still love the scenario. Milroe is so fast and so dynamic at the position, teams will talk themselves into the idea that he can be the next Lamar Jackson. That’s a lofty comparison, so let’s settle down, but Milroe has legit sub-4.4 speed and uses it exceptionally well. He needs a good situation to develop and the Steelers (with Aaron Rodgers soon, it seems) can provide it.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
At this point, I almost wish I could copy and paste previous blurbs. This has been one of my most popular mock draft picks for months, even dating back to in-season mock drafts last year. The Chargers’ top need offensively right now is at tight end, and Colston Loveland knows the Jim Harbaugh offense already. He would fit the culture because he was already hand-picked for it by Harbaugh at Michigan.
23. Green Bay Packers: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
There is likely not a better overall scenario in the first round for the Green Bay Packers than Will Johnson, Kenneth Grant, and Donovan Ezeiruaku all still being on the board. Not to mention Tetairoa McMillan. The Packers’ most desperate need defensively might be for an edge, but they already passed on cornerbacks in last year’s draft and they can’t do it again this year. Johnson is just too good of a value, though passing on the Donovan Ezeiruaku-Jeff Hafley (Packers DC) connection is tough.
24. Minnesota Vikings: Kenneth Grant, DL, Michigan
Even after adding Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen in NFL Free Agency, the Minnesota Vikings might not be done adding big men to the defensive front. Kenneth Grant is the ideal nose tackle type and would work perfectly with those veteran players the Vikings added. Neither Hargrave nor Allen is a long-term fixture for this team, but both are very worthwhile short-term risks. Grant is a wide body with the ability to not only hold up at the point of attack and take up space but get in the backfield and make plays.
25. Houston Texans: Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State
The Houston Texans decided to hire an HGTV crew to come in and “demo” their offensive line, but now we need the true “reno”. They brought in a bunch of veterans with recognizable names to hold down the fort, but I would still be expecting some early investments in the 2025 NFL Draft. How can you mess around so significantly with CJ Stroud’s protection after the down year he just had? The Texans are not playing games and Grey Zabel would give them an instant starter pretty much anywhere they’d ask him to play.
26. Los Angeles Rams: Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
Our next big surprise quarterback pick in this mock draft is the Los Angeles Rams selecting Matthew Stafford’s eventual replacement after giving Stafford the renewed contract he desired. At some point, the Rams are going to have to go young at the position, and they need someone to come in and master the Sean McVay offense. Jaxson Dart would be a great fit and a nice risk/reward proposition at this stage of round one. There was a rumor that the Rams wanted Bo Nix (whose dad has a connection to Rams GM Les Snead) last year. So they may be getting the itch.
27. Baltimore Ravens: Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
Hear me out – pairing up Nick Emmanwori with Kyle Hamilton? That would give the Baltimore Ravens more unicorns than the Unicorn Academy itself. Having those two guys to deploy in the same defense would be unreal for the Ravens and might be exactly what they need to get past the Kansas City Chiefs in January. Emmanwori and Hamilton are two ridiculously athletic safeties with range, man-to-man cover abilities, and great ball skills.
28. Detroit Lions: Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
The injury to Aidan Hutchinson last year was the true kill shot to the Detroit Lions’ playoff hopes. It was game over right then and there. They played so well for stretches last season, but teams that can’t get to the quarterback consistently just aren’t going to excel when the games matter. Even if Hutchinson returns at full strength, the Lions need more help on the defensive front and Donovan Ezeiruaku was one of the most productive pass rushers in college football last season.
29. Washington Commanders: Trey Amos, CB, Ole Miss
The Washington Commanders absolutely nailed the 2024 NFL Draft with Jayden Daniels and MIke Sainristil looking like absolute stars going forward. On the defensive side, they need more help in the secondary. Getting Marshon Lattimore in a trade with the Saints was a great move, and Noah Igbinoghene was better than expected, but an athletic option like Trey Amos with good size could help this team recover from the Emmanuel Forbes debacle.
30. Buffalo Bills: Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
Is there some trouble brewing in paradise with so many extensions being handed out by the Buffalo Bills and nothing for James Cook (yet)? The Bills have been cutting checks all year but one of their most valuable offensive players is feeling left out. Maybe they become a darkhorse team for the running back position here. For now, they get one of the top playmakers in the secondary in this class, Maxwell Hairston, who has had a bunch of pick-sixes over the last two years.
31. Kansas City Chiefs: Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas
The Kansas City Chiefs have question marks at both the left tackle position and the left guard position. The left tackle spot has been a revolving door for them basically since Patrick Mahomes became the full-time starter. The left guard position was just vacated by perennial All-Pro Joe Thuney. Kelvin Banks could come in and be an effective starter at either spot right away.
32. Philadelphia Eagles: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
The Philadelphia Eagles are typically assigned a player for the defensive front in these exercises, but every once in a while, you’ve got to make an exception. If a player like Tetairoa McMillan falls to the 32nd overall pick, I can’t help but feel like Howie Roseman wouldn’t be able to pass it up. It would be far too good of value. The general consensus is very low on McMillan right now, but he’s a playmaker with great size.
2025 NFL Mock Draft: Full 2nd-Round Predictions
33. Cleveland Browns: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
34. New York Giants: Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
35. Tennessee Titans: Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
36. Jacksonville Jaguars: Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
37. Las Vegas Raiders: Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina
38. New England Patriots: Azaraye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State
39. Chicago Bears: James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
40. New Orleans Saints: Kyle McCord, QB, Syracuse
41. Chicago Bears: Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota
42. New York Jets: Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
43. San Francisco 49ers: Walter Nolem, DL, Ole Miss
44. Dallas Cowboys: Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
45. Indianapolis Colts: Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
46. Atlanta Falcons: Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA
47. Arizona Cardinals: Darius Alexander, DL, Toledo
48. Miami Dolphins: Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame
49. Cincinnati Bengals: Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
50. Seattle Seahawks: Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State
51. Denver Broncos: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
52. Seattle Seahawks: Donovan Jackson, OL, Ohio State
53. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
54. Green Bay Packers: Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State
55. Los Angeles Chargers: JT Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State
56. Buffalo Bills: Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas
57. Carolina Panthers: Trey Harris, WR, Ole Miss
58. Houston Texans: Tyleik Williams, DL, Ohio State
59. Baltimore Ravens: Princely Umanmeilen, EDGE, Ole Miss
60. Detroit Lions: Tate Ratledge, OL, Georgia
61. Washington Commanders: Jack Bech, WR, TCU
62. Buffalo Bills: Alfred Collins, DL, Texas
63. Kansas City Chiefs: Marcus Mbow, OL, Purdue
64. Philadelphia Eagles: Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State
The placement of wide receivers in every 2025 NFL mock draft I make is one of the toughest parts to come to grips with. I could very easily see both Emeka Egbuka and Luther Burden in the first round of the draft. There are also plenty of folks out there who seem to think they are anything but first-round locks.
And yet nobody would be surprised if either guy went 18th to the Seahawks, 20th to the Broncos, etc. I love the value the Browns and Titans would be getting here in the second round.
We have the Saints making a quarterback selection again in this mock draft, but unlike the last mock, it’s not happening with the 9th pick. One player whose name keeps on circulating as a fast riser for NFL teams behind the scenes is Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord. McCord sat behind CJ Stroud for two years at Ohio State before getting the starting gig for the Buckeyes, then transferring to Syracuse and setting the ACC passing record.
This round might end up being the sweet spot for running backs, especially if both Ohio State backs – Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson – end up going in the second. Those guys are going to be so good in the pros.