BY: Noah Randall, Production Manager
It’s that time of year again—the NFL Draft is finally upon us. I’ve been looking forward to this day for months, so, without any further ado, here’s my official final mock draft for 2025.
1- Tennessee Titans: QB Cam Ward, Miami
I mean, come on.
2- Cleveland Browns: ATH Travis Hunter, Colorado
Hunter might not be the best pure corner or pure receiver in the class, but the fact that he does both to the level he does and the fact that the Browns possess needs at both WR and CB make this a no-brainer, although he’ll most likely need to pick one position to primarily focus on.
3- New England Patriots (via trade with NYG): EDGE Abdul Carter, Penn State
Let me make this abundantly clear: I could absolutely see the Giants staying put here and taking the best player available, but seeing how defensive line isn’t as big a need for the Giants as their offensive line (Evan Neal’s picture is in the dictionary under the word “bust”) I expect them to trade down from 3 and the Patriots to call up and set up their future defensively with the best defensive lineman who wore number 11 and played at Penn State not named Micah Parsons.
4- New York Giants (via trade with NE): OT Will Campbell, LSU
With the Giants moving back a single pick, they can now take a player that would actually help them to immediately improve. Some have concerns over Will Campbell’s arm length, but in my opinion, anything is better than another year of watching Evan Neal. Of course, he’s a multimillionaire and I’m not, so who’s really the “bust?”
5- Jacksonville Jaguars: DT Mason Graham, Michigan
The Jaguars have allegedly reported major interest in Ashton Jeanty, and while it would benefit them to an extent, I’m calling their bluff. While none of the other tailbacks in the class are to the level of Ashton Jeanty, I think the Jaguars would be okay to ease one of them in alongside Travis Etienne, Jr. if it meant they could solidify their d-line with Mason Graham.
6- Las Vegas Raiders: RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
And finally, the million-dollar man falls squarely into Las Vegas’ collective laps. No long-term answer at QB? No receivers other than Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers? No problem for the Raiders if they get Jeanty behind Kolton Miller, Andre James, and a promising Jackson Powers-Johnson. What is there to say about Jeanty that hasn’t been said already?
7- New York Jets: OT Armand Membou, Missouri
I will sum up this pick like this. Currently, the starting right tackle for the Jets is the one and only Chukwuma Okorafor. After a crisp “who?” rang out in my head, I did some research to find that Okorafor had a hard time getting consistent playing time last year for none other than the Jets’ cross-division rival Patriots. I think that speaks for itself.
8- Carolina Panthers: LB Jalon Walker, Georgia
As much as I would like for the Panthers to select Tetairoa McMillan here and give Bryce Young a true WR1, I think the smarter option would be to select Jalon Walker. After selecting Xavier Legette at the tail end of the first round last year, the Panthers should focus on defense here since, outside of Jaycee Horn and Buffalo Bills legend Boogie Basham, one look at their defensive depth chart is sure to illicit a hearty “I’ve never heard of any of these guys.” The 6’2, 21-year-old should be a nice start to building a standout defense.
9- New Orleans Saints: CB Will Johnson, Michigan
Many think that the Saints will pounce on Shedeur Sanders here, but NOLA reportedly isn’t high on the Colorado signal caller. With that being said, I could see the Saints trading back at this pick, but I’m going to hazard a guess that they fill the hole left by Marshon Lattimore, who they traded to the Commanders during the 2024 trade deadline. If Johnson does end up in New Orleans, however, he’ll have to hope that Mike Evans won’t transfer his beef with Marshon Lattimore over to the former Wolverine.
10- Chicago Bears: OT Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
Despite their record, the Bears looked quite promising last season with Caleb Williams at the helm. Entering this offseason, Bears GM Ryan Poles seemed poised to rebuild and retool an offensive line that allowed 68 sacks last year, good for most in the NFL. Moves have already been made, including trades for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, and in my eyes, a Kelvin Banks pick here would complete the Bears o-line rebuild and set them up perfectly for the new year.
11- San Francisco 49ers: EDGE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
While it’s a little earlier than anyone not named or related to Shemar Stewart would like to see him go, the 49ers have a laundry list of holes to fill this year, primarily defensively. Almost anyone they could pick here would be a hit. Why not get a stud to line up opposite Bosa and maybe even eventually replace him?
12- Dallas Cowboys: WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
CeeDee Lamb simply cannot be the only target for the old Cowpokes heading into 2025. Sending T-Mac, my favorite prospect in this entire draft, over to Dallas would give Dak Prescott a big body and a soft set of hands to throw to. The Cowboys arguably have bigger needs defensively, but there’s simply nobody better on the board for them to pass T-Mac up for.
13- Miami Dolphins: S Malaki Starks, Georgia
The ‘Phins lost Jevon Holland in free agency, ripping a bigger tear through the sails of the already-sinking Dolphins Secondary ship. They need help BAD in their secondary and Starks is a well-rounded guy who can play in the slot, in the box and up top. For the Dolphins’ sake, hopefully this pick will help Storm Duck, one of the team’s starting cornerbacks, to be less of a sitting duck.
14- Indianapolis Colts: TE Tyler Warren, Penn State
When you have a tight end room comprised of Drew Ogletree and Mo Alie-Cox, you have a struggling quarterback in desperate need of a safety blanket, and the next Gronk falls into your lap at pick 14, you absolutely take Tyler Warren. Great pick by the Colts here.
15- Atlanta Falcons: EDGE Mike Green, Marshall
The Falcons taking defensive line at pick 15 is as certain as death and taxes. The question lies in “which one” with the sheer amount of d-line talent available. Questions about the strength of the opponents Mike Green faced at Marshall in the Sun Belt conference en route to leading the NCAA in sacks last season could lead the Falcons to choose otherwise here, but for now, I’ll say they take a chance on Mike Green and hope he can prove those who underestimate him wrong.
16- Arizona Cardinals: CB Jahdae Barron, Texas
The Cardinals could definitely go the offensive line route here, but with the group of DoorDash drivers they have in their secondary, outside of Buddha Baker and Sean Murphy-Bunting, I say they try to build their defense with Barron. Maybe when he gets an interception, you could call him a robber Barron?
17- Cincinnati Bengals: EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia
While Tyler Booker could be the move for the Bengals here—Joe Burrow has infamously had terrible offensive line play throughout his career—the Bengals offense last year was, at worst, serviceable. At their best, Joe Burrow looked like an MVP, and they were one of the best offenses in the NFL. The Bengals defense, on the other hand, even at their best, looked god awful. With the threat of losing Trey Hendrickson, Mykel Williams is my favorite pick to the Bengals at 17.
18- Seattle Seahawks: G Tyler Booker, Alabama
This is where I see Booker more likely going, and with the recent signings of Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp, I think the Seahawks solidify their new-look offense. If Tyler Booker falls to pick 18–past the traps of both the Dolphins and Bengals–the Seahawks should be running a 4.2 40 time up to Selection Square to lock in this pick.
19- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
With the Bucs’ pass rush aging outside of Calijah Kancey and the Bucs’ secondary looking far from stellar outside of Antoine Winfield Jr., Jihaad Campbell is the perfect pick for Tampa Bay here, who plays primarily as an edge rusher but has a lot of talent in pass coverage.
20- Denver Broncos: RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
The Broncos have one of the best defenses in football, so that need can be majorly crossed off their list, at least in terms of their pick at 20. They could go a multitude of ways, including picking a WR to line up alongside Courtland Sutton or beefing up their offensive line. However, I think it would be wise for them to take Hampton here after losing Javonte Williams in the offseason and add a second dimension to their sneakily dangerous offense.
21- Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
The slide for Shedeur finally stops and the Steelers should be jumping for joy with this pick. Pittsburgh is the perfect spot for a quarterback like Sanders to land, as he would have no shortage of weapons now with the trade for DK Metcalf earlier this year and would excel in a “game manager” type of role.
22- Los Angeles Changers: TE Colston Loveland, Michigan
The Chargers go some form of pass catcher here. Outside of Ladd McConkey, the Chargers pass catching room looked pretty dreadful. If you personally think the Chargers should go Matthew Golden or Emeka Egbuka here, I will not disagree with you. But personally, I think there is no better fit in LA than getting the Michigan tight end with his former coach in Jim Harbaugh and getting a soft set of hands for Justin Herbert to throw to.
23- Green Bay Packers: WR Matthew Golden, Texas
The Packers finally release their curse of only being able to roster WR2s and pick a player I fell in love with at first sight, even as a Vols fan. Golden’s pro comp looks to be a Chris Olave of sorts, and as long as he stays healthy, Golden could be even better in the long run. He’s an absolute stud and I will be buying a jersey of his, regardless of which team he ends up on.
24- Minnesota Vikings: DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
The Vikings currently have Harrison Phillips listed as their starting defensive tackle, a guy who’s been playing since what feels like the Mesozoic Era. Harmon is a stud at both rush and pass defense. This honestly feels like a no-brainer if he falls this far.
25- Houston Texans: OT Josh Simmons, Ohio State
The Texans desperately need offensive line help, especially after the somewhat head-scratching decision to trade Laremy Tunsil. Josh Simmons is one of the best tackles in the class, which makes this, to me, another no-brainer pick.
26- Los Angeles Rams: EDGE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
The Rams take another swing at defensive line here and they land big with the 257-pound yet to be 21-year-old. Between Jared Verse, Byron Young, and Nic Scourton, the Rams might have one of the scariest defensive lines in the league.
27. Baltimore Ravens: DT Walter Nolen, Ole Miss
The Ravens will go defense here. Despite a few drops plaguing their playoff run last year, the Lamar Jackson and King Henry connection showed that their offense is and will continue to be a powerhouse. Baltimore could absolutely take a swing at James Pierce Jr. here, but to me, their more immediate need on the d-line is on the interior. With Nnamdi Madubuike on the edge, I think the Ravens take the 296-pound Rebel and continue to wreak havoc on the AFC North.
28- Detroit Lions: EDGE James Pierce Jr., Tennessee
Pierce entered the year as a number one pick contender, but a lukewarm season paired with some alleged character concerns has led him to drop off some boards. Despite these concerns, Pierce could still be an incredible contributor, and the Lions should be ecstatic to plug him into a d-line that fell apart towards the latter half of the season last year. At worst, he should be a phenomenal depth piece. At best, he could end up winning defensive rookie of the year.
29- Washington Commanders: S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
Once again, the “who?” that rang out when I looked at the Commanders’ safety room was more than enough for me to say Washington goes Emmanwori here, and with a sub 4.4 40-yard-dash standing at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, you could do a whole lot worse than this stud from South Carolina.
30- Buffalo Bills: DT Kenneth Grant, Michigan
The Bills needed defensive line help last year, and after signing Joey Bosa and a few other defensive line pieces in the offseason, they sure got it. However, this mainly came in the form of edge rusher, and they still need interior help–not to mention the fact that two of the new Bills will be suspended through the first 6 games. Kenneth Grant would be the perfect addition to this defense, bringing a unique size and a unique pass rushing ability to a team hopeful to move into their new stadium with a Lombardi.
31- Kansas City Chiefs: OG Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
After losing Joe Thuney, the Chiefs are in need of an offensive lineman and Grey Zabel would fit that mold perfectly to play opposite Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith. I think the Chiefs would love to have the 6-foot-6 agribusiness major dominating the trenches, much to the rest of the league’s dismay.
32- New York Giants (via trade with PHI): QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
The one thing I’m absolutely certain of this draft is that Philly will not pick in the first round. It simply doesn’t make sense when they could trade back and still land a player like Donovan Jackson. The Giants want to take a quarterback this draft, and they’re reportedly interested in trading up to take Jaxson Dart. While there are some concerns that Lane Kiffin’s system was the only reason Dart succeeded at Ole Miss, I think the Giants will end Thursday night hoping that Dart can follow in the footsteps of another Rebel-turned-Giant gunslinger: Eli Manning.
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