It's never too early to start looking ahead to the next crop of talent coming into the NFL. Everyone's 2025 NFL mock draft predictions will change and evolve dramatically over the course of the next 11 months, but it's officially been about one month since the 2024 NFL Draft and the excitement over the 2024 NCAA football season is ramping up.
Especially with EA Sports finally releasing another College Football video game for the first time in forever. As we look ahead to the 2025 NFL Draft, we will be utilizing the NFL Mock Draft Database Simulator as well as their projected order for next season.
2025 NFL mock draft: Full first-round predictions
1. Carolina Panthers: James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
If the Carolina Panthers are really picking in this slot again, it's likely that this team will be looking to make a change at the quarterback position. But after struggling through two years with a former #1 overall pick, there will have to be a clear and obvious candidate for the Panthers to take here in this spot and as of right now, it's just hard to know if there's going to be someone like that in the 2025 NFL Draft.
James Pearce Jr. was an absolute menace last season with 14.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles for Tennessee.
2. New England Patriots: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
Going into this offseason, the New England Patriots had a lot more work to do than just replacing head coach Bill Belichick and getting a new quarterback to replace their failure with Mac Jones. The Pats basically needed an entire overhaul offensively and the offensive line still appears to be a work in progress. They're going to need to keep working to surround Drake Maye with talent.
3. Denver Broncos: Travis Hunter, CB, Colorado
After taking Bo Nix in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos feel like they've got their quarterback situation figured out. If they're picking this high next year, you can't help but wonder if they'd at least consider quarterback again but here they go with Travis Hunter to pair with Pat Surtain II at the outside cornerback position. Having those two guys at cornerback would give the Broncos an elite pair of corners to build around.
4. Washington Commanders: Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas
Just like the Patriots' situation this year, the Commanders just had too many needs to address in a single offseason. They've got the quarterback in place with Jayden Daniels, but getting help for him on the offensive line will be essential. Luckily, this draft class is ripe with offensive and defensive line talent. Kelvin Banks was a second-team All-American at Texas last season.