There are a lot of great prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. But some of them, like Ashton Jeanty and Tyler Warren, don’t necessarily come at “premium” positions.

That complicates the 2025 NFL Draft to some degree as NFL front offices factor in more than just talent. Contract value, positional scarcity, and immediate impact all come into play. That said, I’ve done my best to provide you with the below 2025 NFL Mock Draft how I see it playing out!

 

 

 

NFL Draft Order 2025 (First Round)

 

 

 

First Round 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Do I think Cam Ward is the best prospect in this draft? No. Do I think Cam Ward is the best prospect at the most important position in football? Yes. If the rumors are true, the debate between Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders might have been settled at the combine. 

Not on the field, mind you, as neither participated, but Cam Ward received glowing reviews on his demeanor during the interview process. And that can mean all the difference at a cerebral position like quarterback. 

Luckily for us, free agency comes before the NFL Draft. That can give us some context clues as to how teams expect the draft to progress. As of this moment, the starting QB for the Cleveland Browns is set to be Kenny Pickett. 

Meanwhile, the New York Giants who sit at pick 3, went out and signed both Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson. The Browns have a decent team on paper with a nightmare situation at QB so they might not have the luxury of picking at 2 overall again in the near future. The time is now.

Abdul Carter offers the best combination of top prospect and premier position. His already-polished combination of moves and speed make him a guy that can pressure the quarterback for any defense from Day One. 

He hasn’t worked out this offseason with a shoulder injury and foot issue but that shouldn’t deter teams. A guy like Jeffrey Simmons actually tore his ACL in February before the draft in 2019 and the Titans still made the correct decision to make him their first-round pick. Teams might let him slide but that would be a mistake.

The Patriots have their quarterback. They have a new coaching staff. But they lack superstar talent. Regardless of where you play him, Travis Hunter is simply on another level. The Patriots just so happen to have a history of playing guys both ways like Troy Brown, Julian Edelman, and Marcas Jones. 

I mean, their head coach, Mike Vrabel, is a linebacker who caught 10 touchdown passes on offense. If the Pats don’t take him, I could see Jerry Jones falling in love with a guy like this and trading up. But New England really should take the best player and then figure out where to play him in camp.

It used to be that edge rushers always went before defensive tackles. But teams like the Eagles, Rams, and 49ers have shown how disruptive pressure up the middle is not only crucial but it’s also rare to find. 

Guys like Dexter Lawrence don’t just grow on trees and the Panthers know that. Some mocks have him sliding to 8 so the Panthers could get him there, but I wouldn’t risk it if the chance to move up is there.

Raiders new general manager John Spytek was obviously joking around when he told reporters that his son â€śthreatened to leave the family” if the Raiders passed on Ashton Jeanty at 6. But Spytek’s son has a point. If the very best prospects of all time at their position, like Saquon Barkley or Calvin Johnson, are graded as an A+, Ashton Jeanty is an A. Or at least an A-. 

He has rare contact balance that allows him to virtually never get tackled in one-on-one situations at the second level. And it’s a glaring position of need for Las Vegas. 

The 49ers lost some key pieces as part of their bid to pay Brock Purdy. But they still have George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall with Brandon Aiyuk returning later in the season. 

They need to beef up the offensive line and per Pro Football Focus, Membou was top 10 in college football in snaps in outside zone situations which should make him a perfect scheme fit for the 49ers. He can start at right tackle right away though it’s hard to say if he’s good enough to be the eventual successor to Trent Williams at left tackle. 

Folks might be confused by this one after they just hit on Brian Thomas last year. But Liam Coen can immediately transform this offense by recreating a younger version of the combo he had in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. They already jettisoned Christian Kirk and Evan Engram to clear out that Chris Godwin slot role for Brian Thomas 

Tet McMillan is the top prospect in this draft to play the Mike Evans split end role. If you can pick up Brian Thomas Jr’s fifth year option without him holding out, you’d have both players on an affordable deal through 2028 at one of the league’s most expensive positions. The Jaguars roll the dice by trading back but still get their guy.

 

 

 

Mickey Loomis and the Saints love two things - being in salary cap hell and trading up in the draft. In this case though, they don’t need to trade up, they just need to stay put and reach a little bit. Derek Carr sticking with the team on a restructure is more of a necessity than it is a plan for the future. And Dart can take time to learn before the veteran QB. 

It’s easy to forget that Patrick Mahomes sat behind a serviceable professional in Alex Smith for a year which Andy Reid claims was invaluable for his evolution. Dart has gotten as much steam as anyone over the last month and the Saints can’t wait around and risk the Steelers moving up.

This could be viewed as a luxury pick for the Chicago Bears. And, in many ways, it is. But the Lions signing David Montgomery then drafting Jahmyr Gibbs at 12 overall was also seen as excessive. And that turned out just find. The 6’0”, 220-pound Hampton is the perfect candidate to play that David Montgomery role with D’Andre Swift operating as their version of Gibbs. The prudent play might be to select lineman Will Campbell here, but they traded for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson in the offseason while signing Drew Dalman, so they used free agency to beef up the trenches already. 

When was the last time a difference-making tight end naturally made it to free agency? Jonnu Smith and Evan Engram were released for scheme reasons, but they weren’t free agents whose contracts expired. Even if we include Engram this tweet below lists the highest paid free agent tight ends over the last 3 years to change teams. 

Tight end is becoming an important yet scarce position vs. modern defenses utilizing cover 6 and cover 8. Tyler Warren was the “main character” at Penn State lining up inline, at wide receiver, and even wildcat QB. 

The Jets know the 49ers aren’t taking a TE when they make the trade, they know the Saints just extended Juwan Johnson, and they know the Bears have Cole Kmet under contract at 3 years $33M so they can take this risk knowing that one of Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland will be there. 

Everyone wants Jerry Jones to make a big splash. Our own Howard Bender has been touting a trade up to 4 for Travis Hunter which would certainly be a Jerry World move. But Jerry has also done the right thing in the past, like when he passed on Johnny Manziel to select Zack Martin. 

And that’s what you are doing here. Zack Martin just retired, and that offensive line is not what it once was. Whether Campbell plays tackle or moves to guard, you are getting a guy with an incredible floor who will start for you for a long time somewhere. 

The Dolphins have Jalen Ramsey. But he’s 30 years old at a position where you really cannot afford to lose a step. Opposite him it’s pretty bleak after failing to address the position in free agency. 

There are arguments that Jahdae Barron might be the better overall player but Johnson with his length can play outside corner for Miami from Day 1. His long frame has some comping him to guys like Christian Gonzalez and Jaycee Horn.

If Loveland went to the Jets and Warren to the Colts, I would not be surprised either. Both teams need a tight end. The Colts have essentially been patching the position together with a rotation for the last seven years. The three snap leaders last year were blocking tight ends Mo Alie-Cox (475) and Drew Ogletree (439) with pass-catching option Kylen Granson. 

Alie-Cox and Granson are now gone so they can add Loveland as their primary pass-catching tight end with Drew Ogletree as a blocking option. Loveland is deadly from a “big slot” or wing spot if you want to operate that way. 

Sometimes picks just line up perfectly. There is no real consensus on Walker as folks like NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah have him as a top 5 talent while Pro Football Focus views him outside of the top 25. 

Jeff Ulbrich has historically run a lot of 3-4 but he claims he plans to do something that’s maybe never been done before scheme-wise”, per The Athletic. That sounds like something that will require versatile athletes on the edge which is exactly what Walker is. You also get bonus points with the fans since he’s a Georgia Bulldog. 

Many think that Kyler Murray scrambles a lot. And, to some degree, he does. But was also a top 3 QB in terms of throwing the ball in under 2 seconds, as we wrote in our recent piece on MHJ. 

Basically, he’s either throwing it quickly or bailing on the play. That doesn’t allow the play to develop or for him to get through his reads. They have the weapons so now they need an offensive line that can hold up. 

 

 

 

Whether or not they figure things out with Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals need help on defense. With Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Mike Gesicki, they invest plenty of money in the offense - now it’s time to invest draft capital on the other side of the ball. 

Mike Green can make an immediate impact and, if they can convince Hendrickson to stay, now their pass-rush is looking pretty formidable. 

It’s not often that teams trade with division rivals but I could see the Rams paying a pretty penny to move up and get a guy that some believe is the best defensive back in the draft. Les Snead has never been shy about trading away picks. 

Barron is a versatile player that can play safety, corner, or nickel which fits perfectly with what the Rams want to do on the backend. Seattle fans might be disappointed with the decision, and they’ll probably also be disappointed with who I project them to draft.

After convincing Chris Godwin to say and hitting on Bucky Irving last year, the Buccaneers are set at weapons on offense. They are certainly a trade candidate but Jihaad Campbell sliding to this spot would be too good to give up on. 

Like every position, Alabama was loaded with edge rushers with guys like Will Anderson Jr., so Campbell had to learn to play some off-ball linebacker. That was a blessing in disguise as he still has great pass-rushing tools but is a much more versatile player. 

This is one of the best RB classes we’ve seen since 2017. Not only are the Broncos lacking at the top of the running back depth chart, but TreVeyon Henderson is the perfect fit for what they like to do. 

With Courtland Sutton, Evan Engram, TreVeyon Henderson, and their field-stretchers in Marvin Mims and Troy Franklin, the Broncos have the weapons they need for Bo Nix. Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi absolutely LOVES throwing it to the running back.

The Steelers reportedly met with Milroe multiple times, including taking him out to dinner the night before his Pro Day. Right now, they are set to start Mason Rudolph at quarterback, and they may still do that, but this gives them a guy to develop. 

They are candidates to trade back here as there aren’t many teams that need QB late but, with 3 QBs off the board and their next pick not being until 83 after the DK Metcalf trade, they might just stand pat and get their guy. 

A lot of folks love guys like Luther Burden and Emeka Ebuka - as do I. But they have too many overlapping traits with what Ladd McConkey does. 

Los Angeles already has a slot/flanker in McConkey and big-bodied split end options on the outside in Quentin Johnston and Mike Williams so Golden offers them the element of field-stretching speed as a flanker.

The order that these EDGE players go in this draft is fairly uncertain. So, Mykel Williams could be long gone by now. But Georgia played the stiffest of competition in college football and Williams managed two sacks in the SEC title game against a line that featured Kelvin Banks Jr, who we have going earlier in the first round. 

Many want Green Bay to select a wide receiver here but, with Jayden Reed manning the slot, there’s just too much overlap with the top guys on my board. They can take a stab on an outside wide receiver like a Tre Harris or a Jayden Higgins later on.

Safety is not a premium position - otherwise guys like Malaki Starks and Nick Emmanwori would be going earlier. Both are great players and great options for the Vikings, but they already have Josh Metellus as the hard-hitting strong safety which is what Emmanuel Wori brings to the table. 

Starks spent time at both nickel and safety so he could start out in a hybrid role before eventually taking over at free safety for a 36-year-old Harrison Smith.

 

 

 

Sometimes with a mock draft you have to listen to the rumors and projections from those close to the team. And the word is that they love Josh Simmons. They could certainly use a wide receiver with Stefon Diggs gone and Tank Dell set to miss the season. 

But this wide receiver class is relatively “flat” so I think they can get one in subsequent rounds in a similar tier to what they would have taken here. There are only so many offensive linemen in the top tier, so Simmons is harder to replicate with later picks.

A lot of people want the Seahawks to take a wide receiver here. But the scheme that Klint Kubiak runs uses the fullback and multiple tight ends. So, the WR3 really doesn’t play anything close to a full-time role. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, it’s not a huge priority. 

The Seahawks have already tracked back in my mock and the smart move is to take the best available player which is interior offensive lineman Tyler Booker. Klint Kubiak and Rick Dennison want to pound the rock, and Booker will be a part of that zone run scheme right from the rip.

The Baltimore Ravens are pretty strict about their value based drafting system. If there is no one left in their top tier, they won’t be afraid to trade out of the first. 

The Tennessee Titans, after adding QB Cam Ward, make a bold play here and trade back in to get Luther Burden. With Calvin Ridley operating on the outside, Burden can play slot in 3 WR sets and flanker in 2 WR sets where he can do a lot of damage with his explosive ability. 

There are a lot of defensive line options here so I would not be surprised to see them take someone like James Pearce or Derrick Harmon. 

But Ezeiruaku out of Boston College best fits their needs in terms of size plus pass-rush combo. With Za’Darius Smith gone, they will need someone opposite Aiden Hutchinson. 

The Commanders were a surprise last year going as deep as they did. They made moves on defense during the season grabbing Marshon Lattimore and they made a move this offseason to get Deebo Samuel. 

They really could use some help along the offensive line so taking the best available option in Gray Zabel makes a lot of sense. 

Pass rush from the interior is trendy at the NFL level, especially after the way the Eagles got to Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. 

All the reports on Harmon suggest that he has a nonstop motor and keeps fighting to make a play regardless of whether it’s a double team or a run to the far side. There are a few good defensive interior guys that could help the Bills, but Harmon is the best of what is left in my rankings.

It’s a copycat league. The Eagles just beat the Chiefs with a devastating front seven. The Chiefs could improve their own front seven with a number of great options on the interior in this year’s class. 

If the Bills take Derrick Harmon at 30 as I have projected, I could see the Chiefs coming right back and taking Nolan. Or vice versa. 

Despite the attempts by the Bills and Chiefs to block the Eagles from finding a Milton Williams replacement, they find one anyway. Grant is a big fella and a monster in the run game but hasn’t been as dominant against the pass. 

The Eagles have had so much success developing guys into pass-rushers that I think they could take a shot on the big guy with hopes they can turn him into a super star. 

 

 

 

When Is The NFL Draft? 2025 Date

The 2025 NFL Draft is scheduled to occur from April 24 to 26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, specifically in the Titletown District adjacent to Lambeau Field. 

The first round will commence on Thursday, April 24, followed by rounds two and three on Friday, and concluding with rounds four through seven on Saturday.