The 2024 college football season is officially underway and we've gotten our first chance to see some of the best prospects in the country make a first impression on NFL teams. That includes Colorado superstar prospects Travis Hunter, one of the most versatile players at any level of football, and Shedeur Sanders, who could be the QB1 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Call us prisoners of the moment, but the display we saw from both Hunter and Sanders in their season-opener against North Dakota State definitely got them both off on the right foot as far as their 2025 NFL mock draft projections going forward. We also had the legendary Dane Brugler drop a top 50 players list recently, giving some insight into which players could be the most coveted by NFL teams going into the 2024 season.
To determine the order for this 2025 NFL mock draft, I used the order of teams in my final preseason power rankings before the regular season starts. With that in mind, let's jump into the picks, including an extreme rarity of all 32 teams being included in the 1st round.
2025 NFL mock draft: Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders go 1st and 2nd overall
1. Carolina Panthers: Travis Hunter, WR, Colorado
There is absolutely no denying that Travis Hunter is an electric talent. Even though you expect a team like Colorado to put up numbers against an FCS team (even a powerhouse at that level like NDSU), it’s obvious that Hunter is special. He passes the eye test, he makes ridiculous plays, and he has the look of a future superstar at receiver in the NFL. The Panthers picking 1st overall might consider the QB Shedeur Sanders here, but Hunter could be the best overall talent in the class.
2. Las Vegas Raiders: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
The Las Vegas Raiders have the single worst quarterback situation in the NFL right now. Getting Shedeur Sanders would give them a fighting chance in a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert already established as stars and the Broncos potentially finding their guy in Bo Nix. Sanders has all of the tools to be an effective starter immediately.
3. Minnesota Vikings: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
There are plenty of folks in the NFL Draft community who feel like Will Johnson is the best player in this class overall. Johnson has drawn comparisons to Pat Surtain II when he was coming out of Alabama for his sound technique and elite combination of traits. The Vikings get themselves a premier cornerback prospect and dip their toes back into the Michigan talent pool after taking JJ McCarthy in 2024.
4. New York Giants: Carson Beck, QB, Georgia
The New York Giants need a long-term solution at the quarterback position. Daniel Jones simply isn’t going to cut it anymore. Maybe Jones will come out this season and surprise us all, but what we saw during the preseason for the Giants was pretty ugly. On top of Jones’s iffy abilities, he has lacked availability in recent years due to injury. It’s a pivotal year for this franchise and if Jones plays poorly, they need to get the future in the building STAT or people are going to start getting fired.