The 2025 NFL Draft may be months out, but it’s never too early to take a closer look at who teams could select. Let’s take a look at which prospects were mocked to each NFC team in Pro Football Network’s latest mock draft.
Projecting Who All 16 NFC Teams Will Select in 2025 NFL Draft
1) Carolina Panthers: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
If the Panthers are here again, it’s likely because the upgrades at the skill positions weren’t enough to help elevate Bryce Young. I wouldn’t rule out a quarterback or offensive tackle here, but I have a higher view of Ikem Ekwonu than many and I don’t love the quarterback class. So, the Panthers are in full rebuild mode to upgrade the roster before taking a quarterback (Arch Manning?) in 2026.
Luther Burden III is probably going to end up in the Ja’Marr Chase or Marvin Harrison Jr. range of prospects by the time we’re done. He’s that good. He excels after the catch and should end up as a true No. 1 in the NFL.
6) New York Giants: Cameron Ward, QB, Miami (FL)
Speaking of dual-threat risers… The Giants have historically targeted “safer” quarterback prospects with higher floors in the past. Still, assuming Daniel Jones continues his below-average-but-not-terrible trajectory, the front office might opt to switch it up.
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In my opinion, Cameron Ward has the highest upside of any quarterback in the class and played in an offense that wasn’t tailored to his strengths in 2022 and 2023. His average depth of target was down significantly at Washington State compared to his time at Incarnate Word. Let’s see if Miami has him push the ball down the field more in 2024.
7) Arizona Cardinals: Deone Walker, IDL, Kentucky
As a South Carolina fan, there isn’t a player on the schedule that scares me more than Deone Walker, who has been outright dominant despite playing slightly out of position on the Wildcats’ front. Walker is 6’6″, 350 pounds, and still lined up outside the guard 269 times in 2023, a testament to his ridiculous athleticism and explosion.
8) Washington Commanders: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
Listen, I have some reservations about Travis Hunter‘s ability to play over 1,000 snaps in nine games as he did in 2023. However, he has legitimate talent, even if he wins on both sides of the ball off of pure athleticism more than refined technique. He needs some molding and is probably a long-term corner, but I’m not counting out his ability to contribute on both sides of the ball in the NFL.
9) New Orleans Saints: James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
If all the edge rushers fall this far, I’ll be shocked, but it happens that way here, to the benefit of the Saints. James Pearce Jr. is my early favorite as the top edge rusher and fits well in New Orleans’ traditional 4-3 front. Pearce has put on nearly 30 pounds since enrolling at Tennessee, so he’s still honing his craft as a traditionally-sized edge rusher. The upside here is tremendous.
10) Minnesota Vikings: Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
The Vikings have had about 20 swings-and-misses on corners in the last decade, so it’s time to finally find them a high-floor, athletic corner to add to a struggling secondary.
Benjamin Morrison is one of several Fighting Irish defenders who could go early in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he’s probably the best of the bunch.
11) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Tetairoa McMillan isn’t likely to fall this far, but getting him to replace an aging Mike Evans would be a coup for the Buccaneers. He’s extremely fluid for a 6’5″ receiver and excels at the catch point at that size. A strong 2024 season could push him even further up draft boards.
12) Seattle Seahawks: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
Abdul Carter doesn’t have a ton of film on the edge because, until the 2024 preseason, he was almost exclusively an off-ball linebacker. This season, James Franklin plans to deploy him “Wherever he helps us the most.” Make no mistake, he’s an explosive edge rusher at the next level.
17) Los Angeles Rams: Carson Beck, QB, Georgia
Many speculated that the Rams would be a dark-horse candidate to pick a quarterback in the loaded 2024 class. That never materialized as the Rams neglected to take 36-year-old Matthew Stafford’s eventual successor.
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Los Angeles is too good to get its pick of the litter, and rather than letting it all collapse first, taking the high-floor Carson Beck could be a solution if he falls this far.
19) Chicago Bears: Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Ole Miss
I’m not ready to anoint the Bears as playoff-ready in Year 1 of the Caleb Williams era, so I think they might be picking earlier in the draft than the current odds have them. But at this spot, they’ll likely want another elite pass-rushing prospect. Princely Umanmielen has almost limitless upside after moving from Florida to Ole Miss. His hyper-quick first step is one of the best you’ll see.
20) Atlanta Falcons: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
Teams have recently been a bit scared of taking safeties this early in the draft, but if there’s a single first-round safety this April, it will be Malaki Starks. If you were to create-a-player in College Football 25 or Madden to play safety, he’d look a lot like Starks, whose combination of explosiveness and football IQ make him a tantalizing prospect.
22) Green Bay Packers: Walter Nolen, IDL, Ole Miss
A former top recruit, Walter Nolen was disruptive, but not elite at Texas A&M. Now with the Rebels of Ole Miss, a strong junior season would propel him into the first-round conversation, where he has elite upside as a power-first interior pass rusher.
25) Dallas Cowboys: Evan Stewart, WR, Oregon
I think Evan Stewart will have a huge year in Eugene this season, which would only stand to heighten the buzz around him in the first round. Dallas’ window is closing and the Cowboys have to find a second elite receiver to pair with CeeDee Lamb and take some of the pressure off Dak Prescott.
26) Philadelphia Eagles: Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
Nic Scourton has surprising twitch for a bigger edge rusher, and the Eagles need to get younger at the edge position. This could be a match made in Heaven as Philadelphia tends to favor high-pedigree prospects with elite college production. Scourton had 10 sacks at Purdue as a sophomore. Just 19, Scourton is still years away from reaching his ceiling.
29) Detroit Lions: Joey Slackman, IDL, Florida
If you’re looking for a name to rise from the relative unknowns to the first round, look no further than Joey Slackman, who transferred to Florida from Penn in the offseason. Slackman is ridiculously strong. He racked up 99 tackles in two seasons at Penn, even as an interior defensive lineman.
31) San Francisco 49ers: Tyleik Williams, IDL, Ohio State
It’s possible that Tyleik Williams would have been in the first-round conversation in 2024, had he not decided to return to the Buckeyes. He’s the type of two-gapping run-stopper you’d expect from a guy his size but has interesting pass-rushing upside, too, making him a nightmare on San Francisco’s defensive front.
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