It is 2025 NFL Combine week! The Underwear Olympics are here, and I wanted to make sure I got another mock draft in before everyone starts dramatically overreacting to the workouts.
On a serious note, the Combine will shake up the consensus a bit as we add some information to the prospect profiles. It will be fun to compare this pre-Combine mock with the one I do after. I have now watched over 200 prospects and scored 160+, so I have a pretty good feel for the class as a whole. Let me take a brief minute to explain how I use the Combine in my evaluation process and why things may change afterward. Like most, the Combine is a big part of my evaluation process.
I use a numeric scoring system that produces a score for each prospect on a 0-100 scale. That score calculates four weighted buckets – film/traits, production/data, athleticism, and intangibles. Obviously, the Combine mostly has to do with the athletic profiles of each player. As I evaluate a player, I start to sort them into positional archetypes based on their physical traits (size and athleticism). Those archetypes have “athletic benchmarks.” The benchmarks were created using the work of data scientists on what correlates with NFL success, blended with my own track record evaluation of each position.
I use the Combine to check boxes on these benchmarks. If the benchmarks are met, we move on with minor movement in the player's score. If they aren’t met, we address the issue accordingly. I also look for extreme outliers—for example, a player whom I thought looked slow on tape running a 4.35 40-yard dash or vice versa.
For this mock, I am blending how I see things going with a little influence from my board. If I am unsure of a pick, I rely a bit on my evaluations and take the opportunity to plant a flag. But, for all intents and purposes, consider this mostly predictive.
To make these selections, I have carefully considered each team's needs, evaluated the positional value of available prospects, and weighed each player's talent against the specific fit for each team.
Let's get started!
2025 NFL Mock Draft 2.0
1) Tennessee Titans: Travis Hunter, CB, Colorado
In this scenario, I assume the Titans are a landing spot for Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, or Sam Darnold. Therefore, they will happily pass on the quarterback position to grab arguably the best player in the draft: Hunter. From Mock Draft 1.0: “In Hunter, they are getting a shut-down coverage defender with excellent ball skills and can thrive in both man and match coverages. This also allows them to move L’Jarius Sneed to the nickel, where they should be able to get the most out of him and salvage a large investment.
Given my evaluation, it goes without saying, but I’d play the Heisman winner primarily at CB and let him dabble at WR, which is easier than the other way around.”
2) Cleveland Browns: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
If I had to bet on a Kirk Cousins landing spot, this would be it. It feels more and more that he will be a one year stop gap for the Browns, similar to how Russell Wilson landed with the Steelers a year ago. This allows the Browns to prepare for life without Myles Garrett and take Carter, who has the highest upside as a pure pass-rusher in the class.
3) New York Giants: Cam Ward, QB, Miami
While I like Ward’s game a lot, I wouldn’t have him as the first quarterback off the board. However, the match here just makes sense based on what Brian Daboll looks for in a quarterback. While Ward certainly isn't Josh Allen, he has a lot of similar tools that Allen has and should be able to finally unlock Daboll’s system in New York, something we have yet to really see, minus a brief stretch from Daniel Jones in 2022.
4) New England Patriots: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
Combine week is a huge week for Campbell and evaluators, as we will finally get his official arm-length measurement. Campbell’s draft position likely hangs in the balance. Anything over 33”, and he probably still lands in the top 10. Anything at 33 or below, and all bets are off — short arms often lead to a move inside to guard, which is a less premium position. This entire offseason for the Patriots needs to be about improving the ecosystem around Drake Maye. Tetairoa McMillan and Tyler Warren could also be options here.
5) Jacksonville Jaguars: Mason Graham, IDL, Michigan
The Jaguars add to a talented defensive line room with my #1 player in the draft. Graham is a prospect of similar caliber to Jalen Carter, who was my #1 player in the 2023 class (and we see how that’s worked out).
6) Las Vegas Raiders: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
The Raiders land their QB of the future in Sanders. There are red flags in Shedeur’s profile but he is the most accurate QB in the class (by a healthy margin) and has the toughness that would garner Tom Brady’s approval.
7) New York Jets: Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
All three of the top QBs scored very similarly for me, but in a vacuum, Dart would be my preference as QB1. When it comes to all the QB-centric traits, Dart is best-in-class. He also is the most competent in attacking the deep and intermediate parts of the field. As the cherry on top, he is a good athlete. Dart can extend with his legs and keep the chains moving as a runner.
8) Carolina Panthers: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
The best WR prospect in this class by a mile falls to the Panthers, who are looking for a legit WR1 for the resurgent Bryce Young. It’s an easy pick here — McMillan scores similarly to me as Drake London and Brian Thomas Jr. of recent drafts.
9) New Orleans Saints: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
I believe Stewart will be the biggest artificial “riser” of the combine. He is an absolute freak show, and Saints GM Mickey Loomis has a track record of chasing unicorns on the EDGE (Marcus Davenport).
10) Chicago Bears: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Non-Newtonian liquid alert! Slotting nonpremium positions like running back and tight end in mock drafts is always tough for me. Here, I can’t help but think the Bears' new offensive guru Ben Johnson will want to recreate some of the magic he had in Detroit with a backfield game-changer like Jahmyr Gibbs. Jeanty fits the bill.
11) San Francisco 49ers: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
The most league-ready offensive lineman in the class is Membou. Whether Trent Williams returns or not wouldn’t sway me here, as the 49ers really need to invest in their OL of the future. Membou could play guard (or right tackle) now while being the heir apparent at left tackle.
12) Dallas Cowboys: Kelvin Banks Jr., OL, Texas
With the retirement of Zack Martin, the Cowboys stay in their home state and grab Banks to solidify their offensive line. If Jeanty were here, he would definitely be in consideration.
13) Miami Dolphins: Kenneth Grant, IDL, Michigan
Grant is one of my personal favorites in the class. There are very few men in the world at his size capable of moving the way he moves. Massive injection of youth, talent, and raw ability on the Dolphins' defensive line.
14) Indianapolis Colts: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
This is one of my favorite player/team fits of this draft cycle. Johnson is a long, physical corner with rare instincts in zone coverage. He will fit the Colts' defense like a glove and really raise the floor of an inconsistent group.
15) Atlanta Falcons: Walter Nolen, IDL, Ole Miss
The Falcons need pass-rush help, and while most fans probably prefer EDGE here, I just don’t see a fit that makes sense. Nolen, however, gives them some game-changing disruptive juice on the interior that should make everyone around him better.
16) Arizona Cardinals: James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
Pearce is a freak athlete with alignment versatility similar to Haason Reddick, with whom Jonathan Gannon had great success with the Eagles. Pearce is a major upgrade to the Cardinals pass-rush situation.
17) Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
The Bengals should probably go offensive line here, but I have a hard time seeing them pass on a weapon like this. Warren gives Joe Burrow another elite YAC threat to make life easier for him. He also is an ideal inline blocker for their outside-zone-heavy scheme, upgrading the run game.
18) Seattle Seahawks: Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State
I love the idea of the Seahawks grabbing an uber-polished Swiss army knife offensive lineman. Zabel would be a candidate to start at any of the three interior spots while also providing depth at tackle, where they have had trouble staying healthy the past couple of years.
19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
The draft community seems higher on Green than I am. With that said, he is a very good prospect and has a ton of juice and linear explosiveness, something the Bucs desperately need on the EDGE.
20) Denver Broncos: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
Sean Payton has mastered getting the most out of pass-catchers like Loveland, and while he is a tight end, he can be used similarly to how Marques Colston and Michael Thomas were used in the same offense. An upgrade at pass-catcher is also by far the biggest need the Broncos have and Loveland is better than any of the other WRs available.
21) Pittsburgh Steelers: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
A repeat from my first mock. The Steelers are another team that needs WR hel,p but this fit is just too good for them to pass up. Barron and Joey Porter Jr. would form the nastiest CB duo in the NFL.
22) Los Angeles Chargers: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
The run game is such an important part of what Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman want to do, so having an absolute stud in the backfield should be important to them. Hampton gives them vision, elite ability to create beyond blockers, and gas.
23) Green Bay Packers: Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
Simmons feels like such a Packers pick — a versatile OL who they only have access too because of injury. The rich get richer on the OL here.
24) Minnesota Vikings: Derrick Harmon, IDL, Oregon
I could see the Vikings going CB here or even with a back like TreyVeon Henderson, but with Harmon falling beyond where I expected, grabbing the best player available at the biggest position of need should be easy.
25) Houston Texans: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
The Texans will be desperate to upgrade their WR unit behind Nico Collins, and with this class a little light in the pants, I am not sure I would be comfortable waiting until pick 58 to address it. Stefon Diggs is set for free agency (and is coming off an ACL tear), while Tank Dell could miss all of the 2025 season, leaving the cupboard quite bare. Golden provides an excellent complementary skill set to Collins.
26) Los Angeles Rams: Josh Conerly, OT, Oregon
The Rams are staring down the barrel of a bizarre offseason with the likely trade of Cooper Kupp and the up-in-the-air Matthew Stafford situation, so figuring out the direction here is interesting. Either way, they have pending free agents in Alaric Jackson and Joseph Noteboom at offensive tackle and need to get better at protecting the QB, regardless of who it is. Conerly is a fluid mover who is a pass-pro specialist.
27) Baltimore Ravens: Jalon Walker, LB/EDGE, Georgia
I am inclined to believe Walker goes way earlier than this, but someone has to fall — it happens every year. Walker’s slide stops here, and this is the most Ravens pick ever. Walker played mostly off-ball at Georgia, but his best football to come might be on the edge as a pass-rusher.
28) Detroit Lions: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
The Lions have a major need to add a legitimate long-term solution opposite Aidan Hutchinson. We also know they like size and heavy hands in their edge defenders, and Williams will surely bring that to the table. Williams is unrefined, as the production (or lack thereof) highlights. While many will think this is absurdly low for him, he is a strong candidate to see his consensus standing in the community fall a bit after the Combine — for no other reason than guys like Stewart, Pierce, Green, and Walker will all test like mutants.
29) Washington Commanders: Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
Scary Terry McLaurin isn’t “young” anymore, and I feel the same way about the situation as I do about the Patriots — the offseason priority has to be improving things around Jayden Daniels. Upgrading the talent at outside WR while getting someone to take the load post-McClaurin is a great outcome for the Commanders in the first round.
30) Buffalo Bills: Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State
The Bills might bring back Amari Cooper, but until then, I will mock them WRs. Noel gives them another separator and YAC threat who can line up all over the offense and also be the top motion man in a motion-heavy system.
31) Kansas City Chiefs: Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa
The Chiefs have holes all over the place so this pick wouldn’t be my favorite of the first round. I just feel like Andy Reid won't be able to help himself with a playmaker as good as Johnson sitting there. At least, it would be a much better pick than the last time they selected a running back in the first round.
32) Philadelphia Eagles: Darius Alexander, IDL, Toledo
New mock, same pick. If I have learned anything from my draft coverage the last few years, it's that Howie Roseman will find a way to get the steal of the first round, and getting Alexander at pick 32 would definitely live up to that expectation. There isn’t a better Milton Williams replacement in this draft than Alexander. Plus, we know Howie isn’t scared of the small school Toledo jersey, as he plucked Quinyon Mitchell from the Rockets a year ago.
