The 2025 NFL Draft remains nearly six months away. There is absolutely no point trying to accurately predict what we’ll see in April. The draft order and team needs will change as the season progresses and we hit the offseason.
Many of the names we see on mock drafts over the winter months won’t even declare. Others won’t hear their names called until Day 3 of the draft come April. Some may even end up going undrafted.
With so much unknown, it’s best to highlight names and pound a table or two for players we believe need more attention. Early mocks should be about expanding a fan’s NFL Draft Rolodex so they’re not surprised by names appearing in April mocks.
The draft order is from Pro Football Network’s free Mock Draft Simulator, where you can create your own mock drafts with trades and draft alongside your friends with the multi-user draft experience.
1) Carolina Panthers
Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
The Carolina Panthers must find their future quarterback, but it’s impossible to imagine David Tepper doesn’t seriously consider the possibility of drafting Hunter.
Aside from being arguably the best cornerback in the class and a top-five wide receiver, Hunter possesses an almost unheard-of amount of marketing gravity. Playing both ways in a large capacity at the NFL level likely isn’t a viable option.
We just saw a 22-year-old quarterback tap out of an NFL game. We can expect a cornerback, who must mirror and match some of the most agile human beings on the planet, to be successful if they’re also playing 40 offensive snaps a game.
However, Hunter has the potential to immediately bring eyeballs and dollar bills to the Panthers in a way no other player could. His two-way potential could result in the top-ranking jersey sales early in his career.
2) Tennessee Titans
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
This particular scenario marks the first time since 1967 that college teammates were the first two to hear their names called in Round 1 of the NFL Draft. Michigan State defensive tackle Bubba Smith went first, and RB Clint Jones was next.
Sanders doesn’t have the natural arm talent or athleticism Cam Ward boasts. However, where he lacks physically, he excels mentally. Sanders attacks the middle of the field, navigates continuously tricky pockets (his offensive line is terrible), and gets through full-field reads like it is second nature.
Sanders is the most accurate passer in the class, all while playing behind a paper-mâché offensive line. That obstacle has crushed many a QB over the years. However, surviving in that environment in college should actually be a green flag for NFL evaluators.
Many college quarterbacks aren’t forced to operate under an NFL timeline. Meanwhile, Sanders has been thrown to the wolves, and he currently has Colorado in a position most believed impossible in their first season competing in the Big 12.
3) New England Patriots
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
While the league still seemingly shifts toward rewarding more and more speed, there are more than a few big-bodied “X” receiver prototypes finding success. The closest comparison to McMillan in the NFL is Drake London, but even that is grasping at straws.
The Arizona wide receiver has the wingspan of a Wandering Albatross, and he maximizes his catch radius in a way we haven’t seen before. In other words, he literally finishes catches that nobody else in the world could.
McMillan is a fantastic route runner with more than enough juice to provide consistent separation despite lacking the natural agility potential of pass catches six inches shorter. But he’s also improved his post-catch creativity in 2024. Despite having a higher aDOT in 2024, his YAC-per-reception has also improved.
4) New York Jets
Cam Ward, QB, Miami
It’s fair to say that no player in college football toward the top of the rankings is as valuable as Ward is to Miami. Although he’s played his part in the Hurricane’s need to come back from deficits, he’s been nearly the sole reason they’ve clawed back to remain undefeated.
Ward’s arm is a rubber band that generates unbelievable levels of velocity to all three levels of the field. His athleticism allows him to extend plays within the pocket and outside it. He is a passer first who does a fantastic job keeping his eyes downfield.
The only thing keeping Ward from being the first pick in the draft is his post-snap process and his lack of structural integrity as it pertains to the offense. In short, he makes more decisions too often, and he doesn’t thrive within that 2.5-second NFL timeline.
5) Jacksonville Jaguars
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
If it weren’t for Hunter’s unbelievable accomplishments this season, Johnson would have seen much more publicity by now. The Michigan cornerback has the more prototypical build. He also probably has just as much long speed and is a better pure man-coverage defender. He’d be a quality CB1 candidate in most classes.
But Hunter’s unprecedented zone coverage instincts and ball skills make him a legitimate defensive weapon that gives him legendary potential. Johnson’s frame and reactive athleticism could make him one of the most dominant defensive backs in the league, especially in a man-heavy coverage scheme.
6) New Orleans Saints
Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
We all know the New Orleans Saints have long had a “type” when it comes to pass rushers. They like big, long, explosive players to put a hand in the dirt. It doesn’t get much bigger than 290 pounds for an edge rusher, but miraculously, Stewart looks the part and more.
Keion White is likely the nearest comparison to Stewart. However, the Texas A&M pass rusher will likely be a far more explosive athlete. The only player of that size in recent memory like that is the incomparable J.J. Watt. Stewart still needs refinement in his hands, but his athleticism and size make him an immediate mismatch at the NFL level.
7) Las Vegas Raiders
Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
The Raiders likely do not want to head into 2025 with their current crop of quarterbacks, but this draft class bears little fruit when looking at the draftable quarterbacks. With Burden’s skill set on the outside, the quarterback’s job becomes just a bit easier.
Burden isn’t quite Deebo Samuel with the ball in his hands, but he’s nothing short of mesmerizing when he’s bouncing off and shaking would-be tacklers. At 5-foot-11, 208 pounds, Burden has the density of a running back with the route running and spectacular catch ability to garner top 10 recognition in this class.
8) Cleveland Browns
Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
Admittedly, it’d be hard to justify this selection without seeing Williams play much more football in the second half of the season. With that said, what we’ve seen from Williams when he’s on the field has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Despite being used primarily as a designated pass rusher, Williams flashes outrageous potential as a run defender at 265 pounds. Video evidence shows him absorbing a double team from the Texas RG and OC as if he were a 330-pound nose tackle.
With prototypical size and length that makes coaches drool, a big run to the college football playoff and beyond should skyrocket Williams into this general range.
9) New York Giants
Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
There is not a more terrifying player-team fit on this mock draft. In fact, a more devastating duo might not be possible at any position in the league. Dexter Lawrence makes a great case as the best defensive weapon in the league. Meanwhile, Graham possesses density, length, explosiveness, and violence that we haven’t seen since Jeffery Simmons.
Graham is an explosive 320-pound player with enough bend to be a legitimate threat rushing off the edge and being used as a looper behind a crashing end. He can also anchor against double teams as a nose tackle and dissect a blocker’s hands for instantaneous pressure on the quarterback.
10) Miami Dolphins
Will Campbell, OG, LSU
Nobody enjoys drafting NFL tackles to play guard more than Miami. It’s practically a prerequisite to play tackle in college if you’re going to play guard for the Dolphins.
Could Will Campbell play tackle at the NFL level?
Yes, probably in a similar manner to what Jonah Williams did coming from Alabama. However, tackles with 32-inch arms rarely exist at the NFL level, and it’s even rarer that they succeed. Campbell’s sore spot as a blocker is against speed to capture the arc and length to dictate the tempo.
At guard, those sore spots aren’t a problem. Campbell is an excellent communicator. Although he’s athletic and technical enough to thrive in a zone scheme, his true gifts shine brightest working downhill blocking duo. His torque strength is impressive, and he possesses a natural feel for sealing rushing lanes with his backside as the runner approaches.
11) Cincinnati Bengals
Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
Scourton has been taken for a ride on the Campbell train on a duo run in the Aggies win over the Tigers. But Scourton also flashed his calling cards against Campbell as a pass protector. The Scourton spin should be trademarked, and his floating cross-chop is a beautiful way of winning the arc.
Scourton has the best tape of any edge rusher, but he carries some bad weight around the midsection and could probably stand to gain some explosiveness from shedding 15 pounds or so to play at his best in the NFL.
At 20, he would be one of the youngest players in the draft if he declared. But his advanced hands and impressive college production make the idea of a leaner, more explosive Scourton all the more terrifying.
12) Los Angeles Rams
Cam Williams, OT, Texas
A few weeks ago, it looked like Cam Williams would eventually run away and hide with the OT1 crown. Georgia’s true sophomore pass rusher, Damon Wilson II, had other plans. Wilson took Williams’s lunch money multiple times throughout the Bulldogs’ win.
The behemoth offensive tackle needed a resume game because of his relative inexperience as a starter. Although he couldn’t manage to solidify his status, he did more than enough to keep his name in the conversation.
At 330 pounds, Williams has the explosiveness, agility, and length that is coveted for bookend blockers. His hands still need some refinement, but the tools are all there to be a successful NFL right tackle. That, unfortunately, is not something the rest of the top of the class can boast.
13) Dallas Cowboys
Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
Demarcus Lawrence is nearing the end. Micah Parsons is in line to become the most expensive defensive player in the NFL, and his contractual kerfuffle will last years while being explosively public. There is at least some possibility that the Cowboys refuse to pay one of the league’s most dominant forces, citing the quarterback and wide receiver contracts as to why.
Carter is not Micah Parsons. With that said, Parsons wasn’t Parsons at Penn State. He rushed a little bit off the edge and as a blitzing linebacker, but he was a linebacker for the Nittany Lions. Until this season, Carter split his time between the two.
Like Parsons and so many Penn State prospects, Carter is a blur when pumping at full chap. He closes on ball carriers like he’s teleporting to their location. If he’s disruptive enough, Jerry and Stephen Jones could, and would, use it as a negotiating tactic against Parsons.
14) Indianapolis Colts
Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
With Julian Blackmon’s contract expiring at the end of the season, the Colts could be looking toward the back end of their defense in the NFL Draft. Although it seems they could always use another cornerback, they decided to take the best defensive back remaining on their board here with the 14th pick.
Starks is a do-it-all safety who can survive in the box, compete in the slot as a man coverage defender, and thrive on the back end as a split or single-high safety. Admittedly, this felt like a perfect Shavon Revel Jr. fit before the ACL tear.
15) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina
But even with that tear, it was early enough in the college football season that we should get the “all clear” regarding his knee before or shortly after the draft. There’s even a chance that Revel could be back to working out during the draft cycle. Although he almost certainly won’t test, he could do some private workouts with teams to prove his recovery status.
The Buccaneers have needed help at cornerback since trading away Carlton Davis. Revel fits their mold of vertically athletic and long cornerbacks like a glove.
16) Seattle Seahawks
Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
Banks has been outstanding for the Longhorns in 2024. While many in the NFL Draft world believe he’s a shoo-in to be the top tackle or two drafted, there is also a chance that teams see Banks as a guard at the next level.
The Texas left tackle has been incredibly efficient this season. But there is context missing there. Banks had a few hiccups against Georgia and, overall, looks far less comfortable in true passing sets than he does in the rest of the Longhorns’ quick-natured passing attack.
Nevertheless, Banks enters the Seahawks’ facility with the opportunity to win the starting right tackle job. One would certainly hope he wins that job, but this could also be a situation where he slides inside for a year if Abraham Lucas can return, be healthy, and play well. That remains to be seen, though.
17) San Francisco 49ers
Jonah Savaiinaea, OT, Arizona
The 49ers have needed a right tackle for an eternity now. While they’ve survived just fine as an organization until now, adding Savaiinaea gives them an added bullying element at tackle. Although many labeled the Arizona tackle as a guard at the next level, that appears unnecessary relative to the rest of the class.
Savaiinaea doesn’t struggle with length or speed up the arc. Despite a burly frame, he might actually possess more juice in his passing sets than anybody else in the class. He’s explosive, has adequate length, and his 2024 tape has displayed technical improvements from 2023.
Savaiinaea also has positional flexibility. He’s split time between left and right tackle this season, and he’s played guard in the past as well.
18) Chicago Bears
Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
The statistical profile on Williams likely keeps him from commanding this kind of draft capital in April, but he’s an important name to know for the future. The Ohio State defensive tackle is arguably the best run-defending interior player in the nation. The 6-foot-2, 325-pound player has outstanding first-step explosiveness in any direction he’s sent.
That allows him to reset the line of scrimmage by working vertically while almost never being reached by an off-gap offensive lineman in outside zone looks. He possessed the technique and flexibility to consistently occupy two blockers and the playmaking prowess to disengage and attack ball carriers.
However, his two-gapping nature in the Ohio State defense doesn’t allow him to pin his ears back often enough as a pass rusher. So, while the potential is there for a more punishing role at the next level, it is a lofty projection. Still, his play against the run and his athletic profile should make him one of the first interior names off the board.
19) Arizona Cardinals
Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas
It would be disrespectful to call Marvin Harrison Jr. to call him “thunder” because the connotation there would be that he’s slow and powerful. However, “lightning” could certainly be used to describe Bond. The former Crimson Tide receiver stepped into the Xavier Worthy role seamlessly.
Bond is a sturdier player, but the 5-foot-11, 180-pound WR will almost certainly run in the 4.3x range. He doesn’t possess the same amount of gravity in the Texas offense as Worthy did, but the vision for him in Arizona would be as a dominating No. 2 in the same way that Tee Higgins has been for Ja’Marr Chase… when he’s been on the field.
Arizona paid Kyler Murray a lot of money. Although there were a few defensive players to consider here, Murray’s success is ultimately the main goal, and defenses can be built by mercenaries by a competent pro personnel department and coaching staff in free agency.
20) Los Angeles Chargers
Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
Before losing the rest of his season to an ACL tear, Morrison was having a very strong season statistically for the Fighting Irish. He allowed fewer than 50% of his targets to be completed. Despite not securing a single interception in his six outings, he allowed a 58.4 quarterback rating on 27 targets.
Although Morrison is only 6 feet tall, he has noticeably long arms, which he uses well to attack the catch point. As long as his knee injury is coming along nicely, he should be ready for the start of his rookie season, and there’s a chance he still goes on Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
21) Atlanta Falcons
Will Lee III, CB, Texas A&M
There is no greater troll in the college football game. No player drips confidence bordering on arrogance the way a defensive back must do the way that Lee does. Although there are conflicting reports about who sent the blanket to Theo Wease Jr. before the Missouri game, Lee stepped up and knocked that performance out of the park.
The former JUCO product has helped transform the Texas A&M back seven with his ability to thrive on an island as their boundary cornerback. At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Lee has all the length in the world to compete at the catch point and to REALLY exaggerate the seatbelt celebration.
He’d make a great pairing with A.J. Terrell on the other side of the Falcon’s defense.
22. Denver Broncos
Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame
Watts is another name that almost certainly will not hear his name called in Round 1 come April, but who deserves recognition for his production and tape. Safety is not a high priority for most teams. In fact, despite consistently seeing the importance of a strong defensive spine, safety remains the most underpaid position on that side of the ball.
The senior has 10 INTs over the past two seasons. While some are a stroke of luck, there is nothing lucky about being in the right place at the right time on the defensive side of the ball. At the safety position, being assignment sound, intuitive, and, yes… lucky… are all traits that seem to spill over into the NFL.
So, although Watts probably waits to hear his name called, his prowess on the back end provides confidence that he will be a long-time starter at the next level.
23. Baltimore Ravens
Emery Jones Jr., OL, LSU
After a strong start to the season, rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten has struggled at right tackle. To his left, Daniel Faalele has been f(a)lailing around at right guard all season after failing inside as a former tackle.
Jones entered 2024 with OT1 potential but has also been pegged as a guard at the next level by others. Considering that his game somewhat mimics Tyler Smith’s from his Tulsa days, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Jones slide inside to right guard and find success early at the next level.
Jones’ calling card is the same as Smith’s. They possess s-tier flexibility that allows them to recover from power through their chests to mitigate power in a way other players couldn’t dream.
24. Philadelphia Eagles
Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
Dallas Goedert has an out in his contract and only one year remaining after this season. Health has been a struggle for the well-compensated tight end, and the Eagles already have a lot of mouths to feed. Warren has been Penn State’s best (only) legitimate pass-catching threat. He’s actually used in a similar manner to how Goedert was used in the Shane Steichen days.
Warren can be force-fed production via screens, and the Nittany Lions have even used him at his former position, quarterback, for wildcat purposes. He’s even completed a pass this season.
But at 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, Warren is built like an old-school in-line blocker with modern pass-catching athleticism. Unfortunately, he is still learning how to use that massive, explosive frame to be an actual blocking threat on the line of scrimmage. However, Warren could spend his time as a rookie focusing on that part of his game while Goedert starts a final season with the Eagles.
25. Minnesota Vikings
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Jeanty has a ton of well-earned buzz for his historically strong start to the 2024 college football season. What he did against the Oregon Ducks defense almost single-handedly took down the top team in the nation. He’s a 5-foot-8 bowling ball with impressive vision, burst, and lateral agility.
However, his athletic profile doesn’t necessarily match those taken at the very top of the NFL Draft. Although Jahmry Gibbs was a bit of an outlier, considering his weight, he also was one of the most explosive players in the entire draft class.
Jeanty’s athletic ceiling isn’t at the level of Ezekiel Elliott, Saquon Barkley, or Bijon Robinson. He also did not attend a blue-blood program as they did. While we’ve seen Jeanty do it against the best, he’s largely fed on Mountain West competition in his three-year career for Boise State.
It wouldn’t be foolish to draft him higher if your team has the right recipe for running success. However, nobody, including Jeanty, is talented enough to run through holes that don’t functionally exist.
26. Buffalo Bills
Evan Stewart, WR, Oregon
The Buffalo Bills need Keon Coleman to continue to come along as the team’s ball hog on the outside. Khalil Shakir has proven a viable option as the team’s third target, and Amari Cooper was a rental that Buffallo likely won’t have any interest paying this offseason.
Think of Stewart as the Jameson Williams to Coleman’s Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown and Williams have proven to be on a different tier, but Coleman and Stewart are young.
The Oregon wide receiver and Texas A&M transfer is an electric downfield weapon with slick flexibility. That flexibility is often used on film as evidence that Stewart can be a dangerous route runner at the NFL level if he hones in on his consistency and attention to detail.
During the Ohio State game, he single-handedly led an assault on Denzel Burke, who likely lost his chance of being a Day 1 pick because of what Stewart did to him in that game when they were matched up.
27. Pittsburgh Steelers
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Speaking of Ohio State, it might be time for the Steelers to change their strategy for drafting wide receivers. Roman Wilson was a good start, but he’s not been good enough or healthy enough as a rookie to deter Pittsburgh from going this route in Round 1.
The Ohio State offense hasn’t had top-notch quarterback play since Egbuka was a sophomore, and it’s shown in their passing attack’s relative inefficiency. Although Egbuka has thrived in the slot during his college career, he possesses the frame density and strength to play on the outside at the next level.
However, route running is his calling card, and having a two-way go from the slot makes him a tougher target for defenses to nail down. In many ways, his game is similar to St. Brown’s in Detroit.
Hopefully, Ohio State starts throwing him in the backfield more often because his two carries against Oregon were schematically intriguing wrinkles that also highlighted that Egbuka is more dangerous with the ball in his hands than we’ve given him credit for throughout the years.
28. Green Bay Packers
Shemar Turner, DT/EDGE, Texas A&M
The Green Bay Packers seem to have a type. Although they’ve transitioned to more four-down defensive personnel groupings, it hasn’t changed their love for big, physical edge rushers who have outside-in versatility.
Through Week 10 of the college football season, Turner has played 177 A-gap snaps, 569 B-gap snaps, 185 snaps over the tackle, and 535 snaps outside of the tackle during his career at Texas A&M. The addition of Scourton this past offseason led the staff to transition Turner to a defensive tackle role this season, and he’s continuously improved his consistency as a full-time interior player.
But he hasn’t forgotten how to play the edge, either. At 290 pounds, he possesses the burst and bend to survive on the outside while having enough density and length to survive as a run defender on the interior. Devonte Wyatt hasn’t been what Green Bay had hoped for. Turner could be what the Packers have been searching for since drafting Wyatt in 2022.
29. Washington Commanders
Jalon Walker, EDGE/LB, Georgia
Dan Quinn welcomes new Micah Parsons with open arms here with the 29th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It’s not easy to assign a position to Walker. Through 10 weeks, he’s played 123 snaps on the defensive line, 144 in the box, and 23 in the slot. Granted, some of those box snaps are him playing as a spy or interior blitzer, but he legitimately plays off-ball linebacker and EDGE for the Bulldogs.
Standing at 6-foot-2, he is a sawed-off pass rusher. But he possesses adequate length for a full-time pass rusher, eye-popping closing speed, and a well-proportioned frame. Quinn was around for Parsons as a rookie. He knew exactly how to get him into the right spots for pass-rushing success as a rookie while he developed into a full-time role on the defensive line.
If the NFL teams see Walker as a pass rusher, his ceiling could be much higher than that of pick 29. But even if they want to completely ignore his pass-rush abilities, as foolish as that would be, Walker should still be selected around here as a full-time linebacker. He’s a first-rounder at two positions, and there is no better fit for him than in Washington.
30. Houston Texans
Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama
We’re all watching the same Houston Texans… right? Booker has the burst and fluidity to get moving as a lead blocker on the outside while also providing the anchor and hands of a high-end pass protector on the interior.
The Crimson Tide interior blocker has never truly relinquished his title as the best interior blocker in the class. However, to his dismay, NFL evaluators and decision-makers alike have great imaginations and see the tackle-to-guard route as viable for some in the class.
Shaq Mason is a 10-year veteran with a ton of miles, and the left guard spot, where Booker plays, has long been in flux because of underwhelming performance and injuries.
31. Detroit Lions
Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas
Jackson inked an NIL deal with the WWE, and Dan Campbell is the Detroit Lions head coach. These two meatheads might tie the knot during Combine interviews. This could be love at first sight!
Although Jackson is listed at 6-foot-7, 270 pounds, the database I personally use for NFL Draft purposes has him listed at 6053, which is just three-eights of an inch taller than 6-foot-5. In the world of natural leverage, that’s a good thing. He also allegedly has 33.5-inch arms, which he uses to his advantage on the edge as a run defender.
But at 270 pounds, Jackson is a legitimate arc-rushing weapon. He won’t test as explosive, agile, or fast as Aidan Hutchinson, but their overall games aren’t too dissimilar, which also in not a bad thing for the Lions’ defense.
32. Kansas City Chiefs
Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
I am warning the entire world about this simulated selection: Do not, under any circumstance, allow the Kansas City Chiefs to draft Colston Loveland. He’ll sit and learn behind Travis Kelce for a year (if Kelce doesn’t retire) before continuing the cycle of 1,300-yard big slot receivers in Kansas City that Pat Mahomes finds in his sleep.
Loveland is modern TE size but moves more like a receiver than a tight end. He possesses natural separation ability and creativity post-catch. Despite suffering from Michigan’s quarterback play in 2024, he is still on pace for nearly 700 yards, which is an impressive number for a TE at the college level, no matter the level of QB play on the team.
He can’t survive as an in-line blocker, but that’s what veteran TE2 types are for. The Chiefs don’t pay Kelce to block and the Lions don’t pay LaPorta to either. Andy Reid will put the Michigan product in a position to dominate.