2025 NFL mock draft: Early 1st-round predictions with Jalen Milroe on top

It's still early enough in the 2024 NFL and college football seasons that none of us really has any idea what the 2025 NFL Draft is going to look like, which is what makes exploring different possibilities so much fun. Even with the college season well underway at this point, there is still plenty of time for prospects to make noise and rise up the board in 2025 NFL mock draft predictions as we get closer and closer to Spring.

One of the players who has a real shot to make a name for himself among the NFL Draft community is Alabama's Jalen Milroe, who has been working his way into the QB1 discussion since the offseason. Not many projections have Milroe going that high at this point, but it does seem as though the QB1 race is still wide open at this point and teams are always starving at the position.

With every team still owning a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, let's take a look at our latest early first-round predictions and get another look at some ascending players, team needs, and possible matches in next year's class. We will be using our latest Week 4 NFL Power Rankings to determine the draft order.

Early 2025 NFL mock draft: Full 1st-round projections

1. Tennessee Titans: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama

The Tennessee Titans still have a long season ahead of them, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see this team as a trade deadline seller and moving on from Will Levis in the 2025 offseason. You can kind of already see the writing on the wall there. Brian Callahan, with his first head coaching gig in the NFL, isn’t going to stake his job to multiple years of Levis at this rate.

Jalen Milroe is an extremely dynamic playmaker at the QB position who would require patience but may be the most talented overall QB with the highest upside in this class, even if he may not be the most NFL-ready (Carson Beck, Shedeur Sanders). He has a great matchup to showcase his skills against Georgia this week.

2. New England Patriots: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

The New England Patriots are kind of in a brutal situation here. The top needs they might have on the roster right now wouldn’t exactly be satisfied by the players available in this draft class. We’ll see how the year progresses, but a lot of the buzz right now indicates that neither Will Campbell Jr. nor Kelvin Banks would be worth a pick like this, so the Patriots go after the best overall player on the board in Michigan’s Will Johnson, who has been absolutely dominant so far this season.

He's picked off six passes since the start of the 2023 season, and three of those (including both of his interceptions this season) have been returned for touchdowns. The guy is just so impressive with his combination of overall size, instincts, athletic ability, and ball skills.

3. Miami Dolphins: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Nobody wants to see Tua Tagovailoa continue to struggle with injuries the way he has dating back to his time at Alabama, and the concern over his concussions in the NFL has gotten to the point that he might legitimately need to consider whether or not he can actually continue his NFL career beyond this season.

Regardless of what Tagovailoa decides, the Dolphins will also need to make longer-term decisions after this season and I wouldn’t be shocked to see them bring in a viable option with their 1st-round pick. If they lose a lot of games this season, they could be in prime position for someone like Shedeur Sanders who could start Day 1 if needed, and thrive with the duo of receivers the Dolphins have to offer.

Not to mention, having a running game like the Dolphins have would be something Sanders has really never known. There will always be pressure on QBs, but with Mike McDaniel signed to a long-term deal in Miami, there might not be a better landing spot for a young QB if the Dolphins are actually in the market next year.

4. Las Vegas Raiders: Carson Beck, QB, Georgia

I don’t know that there is a worse overall quarterback situation in the NFL right now than the Raiders’ situation. The Raiders have Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell, and even Davante Adams is speaking out loud about how badly the team would have wanted Jayden Daniels to get to their pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

The Raiders get Georgia’s Carson Beck in this 2025 NFL mock draft, and the possibility exists that they could wind up taking him 1st overall if they earn that pick. Beck has been dealing to start this season with seven touchdowns compared to no interceptions.

5. Carolina Panthers: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado

The Carolina Panthers usually are taking a quarterback in our NFL mock draft scenarios, and rightfully so. Bryce Young has officially been benched and Andy Dalton has taken over, and it remains unclear whether or not head coach Dave Canales is going to hitch his wagon to Young beyond this season.

I don’t know that the Panthers are committed to Young at all, and I would be surprised if he wasn’t traded before the 2025 NFL Draft. But the Panthers may opt for a more veteran fix if they are unable to land one of the top 2-3 guys on their board, and in this scenario, they get arguably the best player in the entire draft. Travis Hunter is versatile and ridiculously talented, and no matter what his NFL projection is, I think he’s going to be a stud.

If I were the Panthers in this situation, I think Hunter would probably be starting out for me as the #1 receiver for whoever my quarterback was going to end up being.

6. Jacksonville Jaguars: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State

What in the world are the Jacksonville Jaguars going to do? This team paid a boatload of money to Trevor Lawrence under the assumption that he would be able to raise all the boats in the harbor and keep the Jaguars in contention in the AFC South.

Early on this season, Lawrence is looking like a bit of a bust and the Jaguars are struggling badly. They have needs all over the defensive front but getting more production off the edge is definitely not a bad idea. Abdul Carter has a chance to be the next in a long line of big-time edge prospects out of Penn State.

7. Chicago Bears: James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee

The Chicago Bears struck gold with their trade acquisition of Montez Sweat last year, and they clearly have been motivated to add even more to the pass rush after being involved in Matthew Judon trade talks before completing a deal with the Seattle Seahawks for pass rusher Darrell Taylor, who has been a nice pickup.

Still, this remains a longer-term position of need for the Bears and if they are picking in the top 10 next year, they might actually be able to get a steal with the top of this draft likely being more heavily loaded on receivers, quarterbacks, and possibly cornerbacks. James Pearce Jr. has appeared in the top three of many mock drafts and could be the best EDGE from this class when all is said and done. Another cornerstone piece for Ryan Poles and the Bears.

8. Cleveland Browns: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

The Cleveland Browns might have other needs more significant than the wide receiver position on paper, especially on the offensive line and potentially at quarterback, but their needs don’t exactly line up with the board here and they take the best player available in Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan.

McMillan is a big-bodied receiver who could end up pairing really well with Jerry Jeudy and allow the Browns to potentially move on in the offseason from veteran Amari Cooper. McMillan has been arguably the most dominant playmaker in all of college football and looks like he’s going to be an instant hit at the NFL level with his dominance at the catch point as well as after the catch.

The question with a pick like this is undoubtedly going to be – who is throwing McMillan passes in Cleveland next year?

I don’t know how much longer the Browns are going to put up with Deshaun Watson’s inability on the field. Everyone’s been waiting for him to shake the rust off now since 2022.

9. Indianapolis Colts: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia

The Indianapolis Colts are likely going to look to add to their secondary in the 2025 offseason both at the cornerback position and at the safety position as Julian Blackmon is slated to hit NFL free agency next year and a number of other players are in the midst of make-or-break seasons right now.

Malaki Starks has been a top-tier playmaker for Georgia’s star-studded defense ever since he got on campus and looks like he is going to be one of the easiest transitions to the NFL thanks to his instincts and range on the back end. He’s already got an interception for the Dawgs early this season and could be one of the rare exceptions as a safety reaching top-10 status in next year’s draft class.

10. New York Giants: Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas

Daniel Jones has looked better than many expected so far in the early goings of the 2024 season and the Giants may not be completely off base in expecting him to play well given an improvement in the supporting cast around him. We’re already seeing some evidence of that with the production of Malik Nabers and the fact that the Giants have been in the mix in their first four games for the most part.

Quinn Ewers would be a long-term maneuver at the position, obviously, meaning Daniel Jones would likely get shipped off to the highest bidder. Heck, maybe a return to the Carolinas could benefit Jones and the Giants could ship him to the Panthers. I am still torn on Ewers with his NFL projection but you have to appreciate his gamer mentality and the overall talent is there.

With a touchdown percentage of 10.1 so far this season, Ewers is on pace for the best season of his collegiate career despite the fact that we’ve seen quite a bit of Arch Manning early on this season.

11. Washington Commanders: Mason Graham, DL, Michigan

I said I was just using the Week 4 NFL power rankings to make this NFL Draft order but I had to made an editor’s change with the Washington Commanders playing as well as they did on Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. You have to tip your cap to Jayden Daniels and Kliff Kingsbury for the outstanding progress we’ve seen here in the first handful of weeks of the season.

As an overall roster, the Commanders still need plenty of work, and they would get a huge boost here from arguably the top defensive lineman in the class. Mason Graham finally had his coming out party for the Wolverines this year in recent weeks and looks like he’s going to project as an every-down stud at the next level.

The Commanders might have a tough time passing on whoever ends up being the best offensive tackle prospect on their board here, but they would lose even more sleep about potentially passing on the chance to take the best interior defensive lineman in this class.

12. Los Angeles Rams: Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame

If Matthew Stafford continues playing beyond this season, the Los Angeles Rams might be able to just continue adding pieces elsewhere on the roster. They have added some major pieces in the last two years to both the offensive and defensive lines, but the cornerback position has to be addressed soon for the Rams. 

Luckily for them, Benjamin Morrison was still available in this mock draft and he’s a pretty easy pick given their situation. The Rams rank 29th against the pass early on this season and have already given up seven touchdown passes through their first three games. A top-flight prospect at corner like Benjamin Morrison would be just what the doctor ordered.

13. Denver Broncos: Luther Burden, WR, Missouri

If there’s one thing we can clearly see that the Denver Broncos lack early on this season, it’s skill position talent offensively. The Broncos used their 1st-round pick this year on quarterback Bo Nix, and Nix needs some serious help.

Josh Reynolds is Denver’s leading receiver through three games.

The Broncos traded away Jerry Jeudy in the offseason and haven’t gotten the type of production out of 2nd-round pick Marvin Mims that they would have hoped. Luther Burden is a great creator after the catch and could be the go-to threat in the passing game that Sean Payton’s offense currently lacks.

14. Los Angeles Chargers: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan

Get used to this pick in 2025 NFL mock draft projections. It just makes way too much sense not to happen, at this point.

The Los Angeles Chargers are committed to Jim Harbaugh and the way he likes to do things. We saw Harbaugh go after a number of his brother’s former players with the Chargers becoming California’s version of the Baltimore Ravens this offseason. And we know Jim is going to want former Wolverines on his roster as well.

With an identity of running the ball first, Harbaugh will have a tight end in Colston Loveland who knows his offense, brings that toughness to the table, and can also give Justin Herbert a dynamic weapon in the passing game.

15. Dallas Cowboys: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

There are other key positions on the roster the Dallas Cowboys could target here, but if Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty is going to buck NFL trends and be drafted in the first round next year, the Dallas Cowboys are probably one of his best potential landing spots.

The top back right now for the Dallas Cowboys is Ezekiel Elliott, who is on his second stint with the team. Behind Elliott, Rico Dowdle has made a handful of plays for the Cowboys.

With Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb having lined up long-term contracts, this is a “luxury” pick that the Cowboys can actually afford. And getting the running game going might be more than just a luxury at this point. Jeanty could have Rookie of the Year potential if he lands in Dallas.

16. Arizona Cardinals: Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M

It's only been a few weeks so far this season, but the Arizona Cardinals actually have the single worst pass rush win rate out of any team in the NFL.

And you know that must be torturous for head coach Jonathan Gannon, because when he left the Philadelphia Eagles, he left a team that borderline had five different guys who could rack up 10 sacks. The Cardinals need an infusion of talent off the edge, and this could be the NFL Draft class to provide exactly that.

Nic Scourton is not a traditional edge bender but he's definitely an effective pass rusher from a number of alignments up front, something else Gannon will value highly.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia

Well, where do we even start with the Cincinnati Bengals right now? The Bengals will be moving way down this list going forward, but when I made last week’s power rankings, I was assuming they’d get a win at home against the Commanders and at least improve to 1-2 on the season.

I assumed wrong.

The Bengals, if they keep this up, could end up being sellers at the NFL trade deadline and proverbial heads could roll after the season. For this team to miss out on the playoffs with a healthy Joe Burrow would be catastrophic news for Zac Taylor.

The Bengals need help off the edge going forward defensively, especially if they move on from Trey Hendrickson in the 2025 offseason. Mykel Williams would be a great pickup for them almost regardless of where they end up selecting.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made a number of investments in the wide receiver position recently, so taking one in the first round of next year’s draft feels like a bit of a stretch, but Isaiah Bond might be the best overall player on the board here and the Bucs are in position to take the best player on their board.

We’ve seen this team really prioritize keeping its own players around, so there’s no reason at this point to believe Chris Godwin will leave in 2025 free agency, but the possibility exists after the Bucs just re-signed a bunch of their own guys in 2024, including veteran receiver Mike Evans.

Bond gives them a speedy weapon and another young playmaker for Baker Mayfield.

19. Detroit Lions: Jonah Savaiinaea, OL, Arizona

This player-team fit has been one of my favorites for a long time and I still believe the Detroit Lions could be one of the most likely teams in this year’s draft class to end up taking an offensive lineman whenever they are on the clock.

Losing Jonah Jackson to the Rams was a big one, but the Lions have also been dealing with an injury to center Frank Ragnow and they are getting older at guard with both Graham Glasgow and Kevin Zeitler in the starting lineup.

Jonah Savaiinaea is a tackle right now but he projects well to the guard position going forward and has the nasty disposition the Lions will love.

20. New Orleans Saints: Will Campbell, OL, LSU

Typically, we have seen Will Campbell going much higher in our 2025 NFL mock drafts due to the position he plays and perhaps the lack of top-end talent overall in this class. There are a number of folks in the NFL Draft community who feel like Campbell’s limitations and issues this season (penalties, pass protection) could end up dropping him down boards overall.

But there is likely still a starting NFL left tackle there, and the Saints capitalize on his fall in this mock scenario. The Saints could be moving on from Trevor Penning – a 2022 first-round pick – after this season or at least giving him some tough competition. They brought in Taliese Fuaga in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and they could dip into the offensive line well once again here.

21. Philadelphia Eagles: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

Howie Roseman went against his typical NFL Draft strategy by taking a cornerback in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft (Quinyon Mitchell). Because it’s been a year since he took a defensive front-seven player in the first round, I hesitated to make this selection but the Eagles seem to really struggle every year with depth at wide receiver.

They’ve tried everyone from Julio Jones to Jahan Dotson and it might be time to just figure out the best receiver on their board early in next year’s draft and bring him in.

Emeka Egbuka would honestly be a great third option to go along with AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith as he can work from the slot and provide the Eagles with a desirable upside option at one of the game’s most valuable positions.

22. Atlanta Falcons: Deone Walker, DL, Kentucky

The Atlanta Falcons invested so heavily in the offense in 2024 that they almost have no choice but to “overcorrect” on the defensive side of the ball in 2025. Projecting the Falcons to finish with this low of a pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is obviously a pretty big vote of confidence in Kirk Cousins and this Falcons team.

As far as what players they could be interested in at this juncture of the 2025 NFL Draft, I don’t know how you can look past Deone Walker. Walker is one of the most physically impressive players in the class at 6-foot-6 and over 340 pounds with the athletic talent and overall range as a player to line up as a nose tackle or stand-up edge rusher.

Walker was wildly productive last year for Kentucky and while his production behind the line of scrimmage would be hard to duplicate, I still think his impact is going to be significant at the next level.

23. Houston Texans: Shavon Revel, CB, East Carolina

The Houston Texans have not been good defensively to start this season, which has contributed a little bit of concern into an otherwise exciting 2-1 start to the season. The Texans were torched against the Minnesota Vikings last week with Sam Darnold throwing four touchdown passes.

The turnovers by CJ Stroud and a missed field goal didn’t help in terms of overall field position, but the Texans are going to need reinforcements in the secondary. They also might be one of the teams that is uniquely positioned to be patient with Shavon Revel, a big-time playmaker at corner out of East Carolina who just recently suffered a torn ACL.

Revel was on pace to be picked in the top 10 prior to his injury, so this could end up being a really nice overall value for a team like Houston.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kenneth Grant, DL, Michigan

The Pittsburgh Steelers would probably love to have a known long-term option at the quarterback position right now, and we’ll see how well Justin Fields progresses as the season goes along, but there’s no secret sauce with this team beyond head coach Mike Tomlin. The Steelers simply win with dominant defense year in and year out.

And they win with dominant defense because they know how to identify personnel on that side of the ball, and they are opportunistic in the NFL Draft.

The Steelers have also shown a willingness to take some chances on players in recent years like Broderick Jones, one of the most raw players at his position coming out of Georgia. Kenneth Grant is far from a finished product but the athleticism he has for a big man defensively is rare and the Steelers could definitely get the most out of him.

25. San Francisco 49ers: Harold Perkins, LB, LSU

The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the most snake-bitten teams in the NFL so far this season, but they are still obviously one of the most talented and well-coached teams in the entire league. The 49ers’ injury woes offensively right now overshadow some of the team’s personnel issues defensively, where there are currently only two draft picks (Nick Bosa, Fred Warner) contributing to this team’s defensive front seven.

The 49ers signed free agent De’Vondre Campbell this offseason from the Green Bay Packers, even though the Packers couldn’t wait to get rid of him. Campbell has proven to be a liability for the 49ers at the linebacker position and they need reinforcements there.

Harold Perkins is an athletic, versatile playmaker at the linebacker spot, capable of playing off-ball or rushing the passer. He could be a great addition for the Niners.

26. Baltimore Ravens: Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas

I think I make some kind of mention of this in every mock draft that I do, but the Baltimore Ravens just have a way of getting one of the best values in the draft every year, don’t they? And that’s not even limited to the first round…

We’ve had Kelvin Banks routinely going off the board within the top 15 or so picks of just about every 2025 NFL mock draft, so to have him last to this point is kind of wild. The Baltimore Ravens wouldn’t be complaining as we’ve seen this team’s offensive line issues rear their ugly head early on this season.

Banks would have to come in and play some right tackle right away for the Ravens, but that wouldn’t be out of the question at all. He presents great value here, plays a premium position, and fills a need. Arguably the perfect pick.

27. Seattle Seahawks: Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota

At this point, Geno Smith has played at a sustainably high level long enough for us to stop wondering when the clock is going to strike midnight on the Cinderella story, right? The Seahawks have even changed offensive systems a couple of times, and Geno is still playing great.

We’ll see how the season progresses from this point forward, but the idea of the Seahawks being cooked over the longer-term with Smith at QB is probably an overplayed narrative at this point. But Seattle does need to potentially address the offensive line even though Charles Cross still looks like a long-term fixture at left tackle.

Aireontae Ersery could potentially come in and start right away over former third-round pick Abe Lucas at right tackle and give Seattle a great pair of first-round bookends.

28. Buffalo Bills: Kevin Winston Jr., S, Penn State

Say what you want about the Buffalo Bills and Damar Hamlin, but seeing Hamlin pick off a pass in a game after the journey he’s been through over the last couple of years? Well, that was awesome. 

As great of a story as Hamlin is, the Buffalo Bills do still potentially have some long-term questions to answer at the safety position. Perhaps he can be a fixture for them along with 2024 second-round pick Cole Bishop, or perhaps the Bills will fall in love with one of the safety prospects from this year’s draft class who look like they could have 1st-round talent.

That includes Penn State’s Kevin Winston Jr., who is one of the biggest game changers at the position when healthy.

29. New York Jets: Cameron Ward, QB, Miami

First, let’s just talk a bit about Miami’s Cam Ward. As we discuss this year’s quarterback class potentially being a bit more wide open than in years prior, Ward is one of those guys who has to be in the mix right now for not just the first-round discussion but potentially a lot more than that. 

Okay, so what about the New York Jets making a quarterback selection? Well, the Jets got rid of their “future” option when they traded Zach Wilson to the Denver Broncos for next to nothing. How much longer are they going to have Aaron Rodgers around? Can Rodgers sustain the play we saw from him last Thursday against the Patriots?

The Jets may be in a great position here if someone they like – such as Cam Ward – is still sitting on the board late in round one.

30. Green Bay Packers: Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma

I have traditionally given the Green Bay Packers a cornerback in the first round of my 2025 NFL mock draft predictions, but I wonder if linebacker is going to be on the table for this team again next offseason.

That wouldn’t be ideal, because the Packers already have guys they’ve selected in the first round (Quay Walker), second round (Edgerrin Cooper), and third round (Ty’Ron Hopper) on the roster. We’ll have to monitor this position as the year goes along, but the Packers haven’t gotten as much out of their young linebackers as they may have hoped for, and with defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley running a 4-3 base defense, having good players at this position is essential.

Danny Stutsman has been an absolute tackling machine at Oklahoma the last few seasons and could bring that type of instinctive play the Packers need alongside some of their other young guys.

31. Minnesota Vikings: Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State

If you’re a Minnesota Vikings fan right now, how can you not be excited about the future of the team?

The Vikings have proven themselves to be exactly what we thought they could be this offseason, which is the ideal landing spot for a young quarterback. The Vikings obviously believed the same as they not only used a 1st-round pick on JJ McCarthy in 2024 but they spent $10 million on Sam Darnold.

While that decision was somewhat scoffed at due to Darnold looking like he might just be an NFL Draft bust, the Vikings have seen him turn in MVP-caliber numbers early this season. So what’s the thinking in adding a running back here? You were already a dream spot for a quarterback this year, why not make that situation even better?

Aaron Jones may not be around for the long haul and Quinshon Judkins is the type of playmaker at the position who could keep the Vikings’ offense absolutely humming.

32. Kansas City Chiefs: Tacario Davis, CB, Arizona

The Kansas City Chiefs are one of those NFL teams that really loves bigger cornerbacks. Under Steve Spagnuolo, you have to be able to win one-on-one matchups in man coverage and one of the ways young players can compensate early on is if they’ve got a lot of size, and Tacario Davis has that in spades.

Listed at 6-foot-4, Davis has an outstanding combination of size, athletic traits, and ball skills. His size is definitely unconventional for the position but after breaking up 15 passes last year, he’s proven that his length can be a major asset for him.

And he would be a near-perfect fit for the Kansas City Chiefs, who are going through a transitional period at the cornerback position this year with L’Jarius Sneed being shipped off to the Titans in the offseason.