The 2025 NFL Draft looks to be one of few blue-chip players with only one quarterback debatably being among them and a wide second tier creating an interesting dynamic. We’re unlikely to see any trades at the top of the draft because the lack of elite prospects leaves teams with no real reason to trade back.

We could see many more teams staying in place and making their pick than we’re used to. Still, the draft has plenty of intrigue. With the second tier of players being so wide, it’s harder to predict which way teams will go. Let’s see how many I can get right with my first round NFL Mock Draft for 2025.

 

 

 

NFL Draft Order 2025 (First Round)

  1. Tennessee Titans
  2. Cleveland Browns
  3. New York Giants
  4. New England Patriots
  5. Jacksonville Jaguars
  6. Las Vegas Raiders
  7. New York Jets
  8. Carolina Panthers
  9. New Orleans Saints
  10. Chicago Bears
  11. San Francisco 49ers
  12. Dallas Cowboys
  13. Miami Dolphins
  14. Indianapolis Colts
  15. Atlanta Falcons
  16. Arizona Cardinals
  17. Cincinnati Bengals
  18. Seattle Seahawks
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  20. Denver Broncos
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers
  22. Los Angeles Chargers
  23. Green Bay Packers
  24. Minnesota Vikings
  25. Houston Texans
  26. Los Angeles Rams
  27. Baltimore Ravens
  28. Detroit Lions
  29. Washington Commanders
  30. Buffalo Bills
  31. Kansas City Chiefs
  32. Philadelphia Eagles

 

 

 

First Round 2025 NFL Mock Draft

The easiest pick to make. The Titans desperately need a quarterback after the failed Will Levis experiment. Cam Ward may not be as good as other number one overall picks but he’s still a very good quarterback prospect and worth a top pick. Ward has good athleticism for the position and is capable of making every throw using different arm angles. The Titans may as well announce the pick now. 

The Browns would love to be able to draft a quarterback but after Cam Ward the others are frankly not worth being drafted this high even with positional need. Travis Hunter is a true generational prospect (unlike how that word normally gets thrown around). He could be truly special at either wide receiver or cornerback in the NFL. With the Browns he’ll likely be a wide receiver first especially after Browns’ GM Andrew Berry saying that’s how he views him. 

Like the Browns, the Giants need a quarterback and probably wish there was one worth taking here. So instead they take the best edge rusher in the draft who early on in the process was considered for the first overall pick. Abdul Carter is part of the new breed of pass rushers like Micah Parsons. A little small for a traditional edge rusher but extremely athletic and productive as well as strong for his size. 

The Patriots likely found their franchise quarterback in Drake Maye last year. Now the mission is to surround him with as much talent as possible. The Patriots’ offensive line is especially in need of an upgrade. Will Campbell is everything you could ask for in a left tackle except having shorter than ideal arms. But Campbell has made it this far without it being an issue. I doubt the Patriots care. 

The Jaguars could actually go in a lot of different directions with this pick. They have plenty of positions to address and the draft is wide open at this point. Mason Graham is a combination of fit and best player available. Graham is a great all around defensive tackle with a quick first step and is technically sound. He will be a force in the middle of the Jaguars defense helping their edge rushers get free. 

Not many running backs deserve to go this high especially in today’s NFL, but Ashton Jeanty is worth it. Pete Carroll, Chip Kelly, and the Raiders won’t be content with a traditional rebuild. They want to be competitive now. Jeanty is a bowling ball as a runner with incredible contact balance and is a great receiver out of the backfield as well. The Raiders can build their offense around Jeanty and rely on his dynamic playmaking ability. 

The Jets have a good number of holes but perhaps none greater than their offensive line. Armand Membou is an athletically gifted tackle in a guard's body who just needs to be coached up a little bit. Membou played right tackle in college which is a perfect fit for the Jets who selected Olu Fashanu at left tackle in last year’s draft. Worst case scenario Membou moves inside to be a top notch guard.

Another combination of best player available and fit matching up here for the Panthers who could go in a few different directions. Bryce Young needs a sure handed wide receiver who can beat press coverage and that’s exactly who Tetairoa McMillian is. In addition, McMillan can play across the formation and is dynamic after the catch. McMillan will be Dave Canales’ chess piece in the passing game and Young’s new best friend. 

 

 

 

At some point the Saints have to figure out a succession plan and off ramp for Derek Carr. They still owe him a lot of money but perhaps the injury situation is enough impetus for the Saints to finally make a move. Shedeur Sanders is NFL ready due to his accuracy and decision making. Sanders is a divisive prospect due to ceiling concerns, but he can help the Saints turn over a new leaf. 

After bolstering their offensive line during free agency, the Bears are likely looking to add to the defense now. Jalon Walker is a bit of a hybrid between off ball linebacker and edge rusher. He’s a bursty player who attacks the football at all times. He’s also reportedly a huge locker room guy and should be a leader on the defense from day one. The Bears will be happy to have him.

The 49ers struggled a bit in 2024 and a lot of that had to do with the offensive line. They could use a guard more than a tackle but Banks is the best offensive linemen remaining at this point and they could be looking for a successor for Trent Williams who’s 36 years old. Banks is an all around talented tackle who’s good as both a pass blocker and run blocker. For the time being, Banks will have to make the switch to right tackle or kick inside to guard but he's too good for the 49ers to pass up.

The Cowboys desperately need another weapon to compliment CeeDee Lamb. Matthew Golden has drawn a lot of buzz after his blazing 40 time and shot up draft boards. He excels working down the field and on the boundary making acrobatic catches using his excellent movement skills to create separation. This will work hand in hand with Lamb’s domination of the middle of the field. 

Cornerback was already a need for the Dolphins and after the news Jalen Ramsey is looking to be traded it’s even more important. Will Johnson is a rangy and instinctive corner that can step right in for a team. Athleticism is a bit of a concern for Johnson but he makes up for it with his football IQ. Johnson will start for the Dolphins from day one.

The Colts have a glaring need at tight end and Tyler Warren who has great size and athleticism makes perfect sense. Warren also fits the Colts needs schematically twofold. First, he’s a monster after the catch which none of the current Colts receivers can claim. Second, he can play in-line and help in the run game as a blocker. Warren would be a gift for the Colts. 

It’s no secret the Falcons have been one of the worst teams at creating pressure on quarterbacks for a long time now. It seems almost like a guarantee that the Falcons will draft and edge rusher early. Mike Green has average size but is explosive and has a relentless motor. Green’s determination makes him likely to find success early in his career as he helps the Falcons’ pass rush. 

Jahdae Barron will fit right into the Cardinals zone heavy defense at a position of need for the team. Barron primarily played in the slot in college but has the size and speed of an outside corner. It’s possible Barron’s athletic traits along with ball skills will make it so he can play multiple positions in the defense as well. Slot corner or not, Barron is just a very good defensive back and would be a big help for any defense.

 

 

 

With almost all of their resources used on the offense, the Bengals need all the defensive help they can get. Jihaad Campbell is an athletic and rangy linebacker who is capable of playing multiple roles. He’s a good blitzer and is able to cover receivers better than the average linebacker as well. With the Bengals needing help everywhere, a flexible player like Campbell makes a lot of sense. 

The Seahawks could use a lot of help in the trenches on both sides of the ball. James Pierce Jr. is a tall, explosive, and linear edge rusher still growing into his body and refining his game. The potential is very high for Pierce Jr. though if he doesn’t develop, he could end up as just a situational pass rusher. The risk is worth the reward for the Seahawks here. 

After back-to-back good years and great drafting the Buccaneers are in full best player available mode without any glaring needs. Malaki Starks is an aggressive and versatile safety who can help in all areas of defense. Sometimes his aggressiveness can get him in trouble but it also helps him create big plays. Pairing Starks with Antoine Winfield will create a formidable safety duo for the Buccaneers. 

Immediately turning things around in one year, Sean Payton and the Broncos are now looking to improve their offensive weapons to put them over the top. Running back is an obvious need after getting little from the position in 2024. Omarion Hampton has size, athleticism, and can play on all three downs. He can step in on day one and do whatever the Broncos need. 

The Steelers are desperate for a quarterback so much so that they’re entertaining bringing in Aaron Rodgers who seems more likely to retire than not. Jaxson Dart is a perfect match for Arthur Smith’s offense. He’s got good size, is athletic, a capable scrambler, and excels working off play action to attack deep down the field. He’d fit right in for Smith.

This is a match made in heaven. The Chargers need another weapon next to Ladd McConkey and tight end is a position of need. Loveland is a wide receiver in a tight end’s body and is a better blocker than given credit for. Also, Loveland played for Jim Harbaugh when he was the coach at Michigan so there's familiarity. This one just makes sense.

While the Packers have a group of good receivers, none have stepped up to be a true target earner so far. Emeka Egbuka is a polished wide receiver with good size and athleticism who is ready to play right away. Egbuka will play mostly out of the slot but is able to play on the outside if need be and will use his sure hands to become the number one target. 

The Vikings are likely going to look to trade down and accumulate more picks but if they stay put, they’d be looking to add in the trenches. Mykel Williams a good sized edge rusher with great athleticism for his size who's still developing. As Williams develops as a player and improves his strength, he could be formidable as a run defender in addition to as a rusher. 

 

 

 

The Texans are desperate for offensive line help, especially at left tackle since trading away Laremy Tunsil. Josh Simmons has good size, athleticism, and technique. He just needs to improve his play strength a little bit. If it wasn’t for a season ending knee injury in 2024 he’d get drafted much higher than this. Simmons is a gift for the Texans at this point in the draft and can protect C.J. Stroud’s blindside for years to come.  

After a great 2024 draft class the Rams roster is pretty well built so they could go a lot of directions. Perhaps the biggest weakness they actually have is at right tackle. Grey Zabel is a technical offensive lineman with great size and has experience playing every position on the line including two seasons in which he played right tackle for the majority of it. Zabel’s experience and technical ability means he can step in right away and at worst be a great depth piece across the line.

Donovan Ezeiruaka is a slightly undersized edge rusher who uses his agility and burst to maneuver around opposing offensive linemen. He’s best suited as a 3-4 linebacker in the NFL where he can use his athletic gifts but smaller frame to his advantage. This just so happens to be exactly what the Ravens could use after losing Kyle Van Noy this offseason.

The Lions have one of the more complete rosters in the NFL allowing them to be a “best player available” team. Walter Nolen is an explosive defensive tackle who gets up the field quickly to cause havoc for opposing quarterbacks. With Aidan Hutchinson being the Lions only real threat as a pass rusher Nolen will be a great addition next to him and pairs well with run stuffer DJ Reader.

With the Commanders hitting on Jayden Daniels as their franchise quarterback the next step is to fill in any holes around him. Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler are solid options in the backfield but neither is a playmaker like TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson is one of the most explosive backs in the class, is a great receiver out of the backfield, and possibly the best in pass protection. Henderson can create big plays consistently next to Daniels.

The Bills have been trying to find help getting to the passer for a while now. They did add Joey Bosa this offseason but he’s on the backend of his career and has had a lot of trouble staying on the field. Shemar Stewart is the ultimate traits vs product edge prospect. He had trouble actually picking up sacks in college but is extremely gifted athletically. With the right coaching and determination from Stewart, he could turn into a serious pass rusher.

The Chiefs are in best available player mode here. Kenneth Grant is a top-notch nose tackle who moves surprisingly well for his size. He’s actually a good pass rusher for his size as well. Grant will be able to eat up blockers for the Chiefs defense which will free up Chris Jones even more to get after opposing quarterbacks. If TreVeyon Henderson happens to be here at this pick though don’t be surprised if they go that direction.

The reigning Super Bowl champs come into the draft without any real needs. They could go in a lot of different directions but adding a dynamic after the catch threat like Luther Burden III could add another layer to their offense. Burden may have some questions about his ability to run a full route tree but that won’t be a worry for the Eagles since they have AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. Burden can be used as a manufactured touch receiver and on short routes while he refines his game.