With the 2024 NFL regular season, playoffs, and Super Bowl 59 in the books, the final 2025 draft order has been set!
So, without further ado, let’s dive into our way-too-early edition of the 2025 NFL first-round mock draft.
Who are the top college players that will be selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft?
1. Tennessee Titans: Abdul Carter
The Titans may feel tempted to take Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders here, but the safe pick is to go with can’t-miss pass-rusher Abdul Carter, who’s drawn comparisons to fellow Penn State product Micah Parsons.
Tennessee already has two game-wreckers, Harold Landry and Jeffery Simmons, patrolling the front seven. Add Carter to the mix, and you’ll have the makings of a top-five defense in a short time.
2. Cleveland Browns: Travis Hunter
With Myles Garrett requesting a trade, the Browns can bottom out and take a top QB in next year’s draft. Or, they could even trade back into the 2025 NFL draft first round later on for their Deshaun Watson replacement.For now, Hunter is the best pick. He can form an elite shutdown cornerback duo with Denzel Ward and/or a top-tier receiving duo with Jerry Jeudy. The Browns would welcome both.
3. New York Giants: Cam Ward
With the Daniel Jones era mercilessly over, Brian Daboll finally gets a quarterback he wants — and it’s a dandy.
Ward isn’t a sure thing, but his electrifying dual-threat style and ability to extend plays make him worth the risk. An offense with Ward, Malik Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Tyrone Tracy suddenly gives Giants fans something to get excited about.
4. New England Patriots: Mason Graham
With over $100 million in cap space, we expect the Pats to address their need to receive help from free agency. If that scenario unfolds, they can go to one of Mike Vrabel’s main priorities and address the defensive line.
The Pats haven’t had an all-world interior defensive lineman since Vince Wilfork. Graham is a 320-pound menace with a championship pedigree to help accelerate the Patriots’ rebuild.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Will Campbell
The Jags need to fill a void here after dealing veteran Cam Robinson to the Minnesota Vikings ahead of last season’s deadline.
LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell is the most polished offensive lineman in the 2025 NFL draft and would immediately slot in as the best bookend Trevor Lawrence has ever played with.
6. Las Vegas Raiders: Shedeur Sanders
The Raiders need a quarterback. Tom Brady is now a minority owner. Pete Carroll is the new Raiders head coach. Both are proven big-time winners, making Vegas the perfect landing spot for Shedeur Sanders.
Even if you’re not sold on Sanders as a prospect, remember that Mark Davis tends to worry more about selling tickets than winning. Sanders would further grow the Raiders brand, regardless of performance.
Still, the ceiling is too high for the new-look Raiders to pass up.
7. New York Jets: Kelvin Banks Jr.
We could see the Jets taking another receiver here if Davante Adams follows Aaron Rodgers out the door and/or if Garrett Wilson expresses a desire to leave.
But the Jets’ main priority here has to be the O-line, with Morgan Moses and Tyron Smith both set to become free agents. Pairing 2024 first-rounder Olu Fashanu with the Texas offensive tackle could set up New York nicely long-term at the bookend spots.
8. Carolina Panthers: Tetairoa McMillan
Bryce Young’s improved play in the second half of 2024 left us wondering: What if the Panthers got him a bonafide superstar wide receiver in the 2025 NFL draft?
Enter McMillan, a matchup nightmare at 6-foot-5 and 212 pounds who racked up 26 touchdowns over three seasons at Arizona. With Young, Adam Thielen, and Xavier Legette as his top three receivers, Young would be set up beautifully for a monster 2025 campaign.
9. New Orleans Saints: Luther Burden III
Rookie head coach Kellen Moore will surely want GM Mickey Loomis to upgrade the receiver room around Chris Olave at the 2025 NFL draft. Burden is a safe pick here and could form a potent offensive nucleus with Olave and Alvin Kamara.
10. Chicago Bears: Mykel Williams
Montez Sweat led the Bears with only 5.5 sacks last season, so adding another pass rusher is a priority for GM Ryan Poles.
Georgia’s Mykel Williams is a plug-and-play guy who would produce immediately for first-year head coach Ben Johnson…And believe us, Chicago needs a guy like Williams to defend against Jared Goff, Jordan Love, and JJ McCarthy in the unforgiving NFC North.
11. San Francisco 49ers: Will Johnson
The 49ers need to bolster their secondary and stand to lose Charvarius Ward in free agency. Michigan corner Will Johnson is the best defensive back available in this class and would bring a lot more fuel to a unit that already possesses Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Talanoa Hufanga.
12. Dallas Cowboys: James Pearce Jr.
Wouldn’t be surprised if Dallas goes receiver here, but it’d be tough to pass on Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. if he becomes available in this spot in the 2025 NFL draft.
The Cowboys need another stud pass-rusher to take some of the pressure off of Micah Parsons. A Pearce-Parsons duo would go a long way in helping Dallas’ defense reform into a top-10 unit.
13. Miami Dolphins: Josh Simmons
Austin Jackson and Terron Armstead occupy Miami’s two OT positions, but the latter is always an injury concern and may be an off-season cap casualty. Even if Armstead returns, it doesn’t hurt to draft and groom his successor in Ohio State product Josh Simmons.
Protecting Tua Tagovailoa is Miami’s pressing need right now. Getting Simmons in this spot would be a coup for GM Chris Grier.
14. Indianapolis Colts: Malaki Starks
The Colts had the seventh-worst pass defense last season, and there’s no way they’ll compete in the difficult AFC unless that’s addressed.
Georgia safety Malaki Starks is a do-it-all unicorn who excels in man-to-man coverage and run defense — another department the Colts struggled in. This just feels like the perfect match for all parties.
15. Atlanta Falcons: Jalon Walker
A Falcons player hasn’t hit double-digit sacks in a season since 2016. Embarrassing, we know.
The trade for Matt Judon didn’t help Atlanta’s pass rush, but GM Terry Fontenot will have a wide pool of potent pass-rushing studs to pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Pairing Walker with Grady Jarrett would bolster the defensive line and finally give the Falcons a big-time edge rusher to build around for years to come.
16. Arizona Cardinals: Nic Scourton
Jonathan Gannon’s Cardinals appear set on offense, so it’d be a surprise if the Redbirds didn’t use this pick on defense. The team is still devoid of difference-makers outside of All-Pro safety Budda Baker, with edge rushers being especially a weakness here.
Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton posted 15 sacks over his last two seasons of college ball. He’d be a nice weapon to have to go up against the onslaught of explosive running backs in the NFC West, too.
17. Cincinnati Bengals: Emeka Egbuka
We’re operating with the assumption that Tee Higgins will price himself out of Cincinnati, leaving the Bengals in need of another sidekick to complement Ja’Marr Chase.
Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka has the ideal combination of size and speed to work all over the field and help open up more room for Number 1. Egbuka and Chase could easily become the league’s new No. 1 receiving tandem if all goes well.
18. Seattle Seahawks: Shemar Stewart
The Seahawks used their 2024 first-round pick on defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, but why stop addressing the d-line there in the upcoming 2025 NFL draft? Head coach Mike Macdonald has a defensive background and would value the physicality and toughness that Shemar Stewart brings to the table.
Leonard Williams and Boye Mafe are a nice tandem to work alongside Murphy II, but they don’t have that game-changing factor that Stewart can supply.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Shavon Revel Jr.
The Buccaneers’ pass defense has been terrible over the last two years, and the curious decision to trade Carlton Davis to the Lions a year ago didn’t help matters.
East Carolina corner Shavon Revel Jr. has the ideal 6-foot-3, 193-pound frame to hold his own against opposing No. 1 receiver. A Revel Jr. and Jamel Dean cornerback duo suddenly look a lot better for Todd Bowles and company.
20. Denver Broncos: Colston Loveland
Courtland Sutton led the Broncos with 1,081 yards in 2024. The next-best receiver was Marvin Mims Jr., with only 503 yards on 39 catches.
Time to add another weapon for Bo Nix via the 2025 NFL draft, who had a tremendous rookie year despite lacking playmakers outside of Sutton. Michigan’s Colston Loveland is a red zone nightmare and key third-down security blanket who helped the Wolverines to a national championship a year ago.
Sean Payton’s top offenses in New Orleans usually had a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end. See Jeremy Shockey and Jimmy Graham. HE finally gets his TE here in Loveland.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Ashton Jeanty
Hey, it worked out for Pittsburgh last time they took a running back in round one — with Najee Harris supplying four straight 1,000-yard seasons.
Harris is a goner in free agency, giving GM Omar Khan every reason to take one of the best running back prospects of the 21st century. Regardless of who Pittsburgh’s QB is next season, Jeanty will make their job that much easier.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: Walter Nolen
We all know that Jim Harbaugh loves to build from the trenches. With Khalil Mack a pending free agent and Joey Bosa always an injury concern, it makes sense to dip their feet in the class of stud defensive linemen.
Walter Nolen of Ole Miss had 6.5 sacks last season but is also among the best-run defenders in this 2025 NFL draft class. He’s tailor-made for the Bolts’ bully-ball style that Harbaugh wants to implement.
23. Green Bay Packers: Matthew Golden
Josh Jacobs wasn’t wrong: The Packers need a No. 1 receiver. They haven’t had one since trading Davante Adams to the Raiders in 2022, and it’s long overdue for the front office to address it.
Texas product Matthew Golden could be the final piece to help Jordan Love and the passing game reach that next level. Golden, who averaged 17 yards per catch last season, could immediately take over as the Packers’ new WR1.
24. Minnesota Vikings: Tyler Booker
The Vikings have a strong bookend tandem in Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw, but it’s time to address the interior o-line that was exposed in the ugly Wild Card Round loss to the Vikings.
Alabama guard Tyler Booker is a plug-and-play guy with a well-rounded game as an elite pass and run-blocker. Exactly the guy that can help JJ McCarthy make a smooth transition into the starting role.
25. Houston Texans: Josh Conerly Jr.
Houston’s offensive line was ripped to shreds in the second half of the season…and in their playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Unless GM Nick Caserio makes some big splashes in the trade or free-agent markets, we’d be stunned if he didn’t use his first-round pick on an offensive lineman. Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr., a 2024 First-team All-American, is NFL-ready and would immediately make life easier for CJ Stroud.
26. Los Angeles Rams: Tyler Warren
With Cooper Kupp confirming that the Rams are moving on from him, there’s an urgency for GM Les Snead to find a new No. 2 pass-catcher for Puka Nacua via the 2025 NFL draft.
Penn State tight end Tyler Warren popped off in 2024 with 104 catches for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns. Something tells us that type of production and skill set would be welcomed by Rams head coach Sean McVay…
27. Baltimore Ravens: Kenneth Grant
In this exercise, the Ravens sit patiently and take the best remaining player available. They had the second-most sacks in the regular season with 54, but their last two playoff losses were due to the inability to pressure Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.
Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant could solve that issue as a 6-foot-3, 339-pound menace.
28. Detroit Lions: Mike Green
The Lions’ pass rush and run defense were exposed when Aidan Hutchinson went down with a leg injury. Detroit has to address the defense with this pick, and an in-your-face edge rusher like Marshall’s Mike Green is the perfect fit for Dan Campbell’s scrappy defense.
29. Washington Commanders: Benjamin Morrison
Washington ranked third against the pass in 2024, but a defense-minded coach like Dan Quinn knows the importance of premier shutdown corners. This was the guy who oversaw the peak Legion of Boom in Seattle, by the way.
Morrison’s elite ball-hawking skills and high football IQ could make him the next great shutdown corner in DC. Useful with CeeDee Lamb, AJ Brown, and Malik Nabers residing in the NFC East, too.
30. Buffalo Bills: Jack Sawyer
Gregory Rousseau was the Bills’ leading sacker, with just eight in the year. And with Von Miller likely to be cut or traded, GM Brandon Beane will surely be in the market for more edge rushers in the 2025 NFL draft.
Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer, who played a prominent role in their national championship triumph, has the big-game experience and swagger to take over as the face of this defense.
31. Kansas City Chiefs: Tre Harris
Marquise Brown, DeAndre Hopkins, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman are all free agents. And did you hear that Travis Kelce might retire?
Yeah, KC could use more weapons if Rashee Rice is the only standout pass-catcher on this depth chart heading into the 2025 NFL draft. Think Patrick Mahomes might like the Ole Miss wideout who averaged over 17 yards per catch the last two years?
32. Philadelphia Eagles: Armand Membou
The defending champs have no real weaknesses, so GM Howie Roseman can think long-term with this pick.
Veteran offensive tackle Lane Johnson will likely retire within a couple of years, so this is a good chance to mentor his successor. Missouri’s Armand Membou would benefit from sitting for a year or two before taking on the starting duties.
