2025 NFL mock draft 3.0

It’s Super Bowl week! To celebrate, here’s my mock draft 3.0. A gift for fans of the other 30 teams in the league, who’s looking towards the future.

1. Titans: Abdul Carter, EDGE

There’s been ten Quarterbacks selected first overall since 2010. Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, Jameis Winston, Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Bryce Young and Caleb Williams. Excluding Caleb Williams (since he’s just in year one) and the early retirement of Andrew Luck, only Newton, Goff and Burrow made a Super Bowl out of the group. Needless to say, new Titans GM Mike Borgonzi might not view selecting a quarterback (especially in a weaker QB class) first overall as an advantageous way to find success. Matter of fact, selecting one first overall probably starts the clock to yourself getting fired if that player doesn’t find success by the time he’s up for an extension. I can see the Titans looking to move down with a QB needy team, but I just don’t see them finding a partner at this point. Abdul Cater is the best player in this year’s draft in my opinion and will revitalize their defensive front.

2. Browns: Travis Hunter, CB

If Abdul Carter is the best overall prospect in the draft, then Travis Hunter has to be the most skilled or talented player. Both can be true. Although Deshaun Watson re-ruptured his Achilles, I don’t necessarily think Cleveland will be in the market for a rookie Quarterback in this year’s class given their financial commitment to him. However, with his familiarity with head coach Kevin Stefanski, I can see the team bringing in Kirk Cousins on a cheap deal for next season. Continuing the trend of teams not wanting to move up for these QB’s, I have Cleveland selecting the best player available here in Hunter, who would be a massive help in their secondary.

3. Giants: Cam Ward, QB

If I’m New York, I’m banking on one of Tennessee or Cleveland to not take a Quarterback and at the very least, one of the top two Quarterbacks will be available to them here at pick three overall. With teams like Las Vegas simply too far down the draft board to warrant a move all the way up to the top for this year’s crop of talent at the position, I’m firmly believing that New York will have their pick of the litter at QB. When deciding between Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, I elected New York to select Ward due to the upside he brings to the position. Brian Daboll will covet his comparable intangibles to Josh Allen, a player he had great success with during his time in Buffalo.

4. Patriots: Will Campbell, OT

In one of his first interviews since becoming head coach, Mike Vrabel listed the offensive line as an area of importance and improvement for the Patriots moving forward. Oddly enough, LSU’s Will Campbell is a prospect I compared to Peter Skoronski in my mock draft 1.0, a prospect Vrabel had a hand in selecting during his tenure in Tennessee. This selection should be made with Drake Maye’s future in mind.

5. Raiders (Jaguars): Shedeur Sanders, QB

Las Vegas was patient enough to sit on their hands and let things unfold in the beginning of the draft, but I have them moving up one spot to prevent teams like the Jets in New York, or New Orleans from moving up ahead of them to nab Deion Sanders son. It wouldn’t surprise me if the deeper we got into the draft process, more teams emerged as potential QB landing spots and candidates to move up in the first round.

6. Jaguars (Raiders): Tetairoa McMillan, WR

Jacksonville fired GM Trent Baalke for new head coach, Liam Coen. So naturally, it makes sense that the front office will continue to invest in their offensive minded head coach and use their first round selection on the offensive side of the ball. With Cam Robinson being traded to Minnesota mid season, it makes sense to mock a Tackle here. However, I’m going to get a little bold and buy into the fact that not only is McMillan a better prospect than someone like Kelvin Banks, but that Coen will look at his success with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and try to re-create that in Jacksonville, with Brian Thomas Jr & McMillan moving forward.

7. Jets: Jaxson Dart, QB

I’ve only had two QB’s selected in each of my first two mock drafts, but decided to throw another name in the hat here with the fast rising, Jaxson Dart. Like JJ McCarthy last year, Dart is a bit undersized, but can make every throw from different platforms, multiple arm angles, rolling out from each side and is a gifted runner as well (although not as explosive of an athlete as McCarthy is). New York I believe will select a QB no matter what the future holds for Aaron Rodgers, although I believe it’s best for Dart to spend most of his first season on the bench, to develop.

8. Panthers: Jalon Walker, LB

I’ve had some long winded and hard hitting analysis with my first seven selections, but this one is easy for Carolina. Simply draft the best defensive prospect available and that is this year’s Butkus award winner, in Georgia’s Jalon Walker. His versatility to impact the game not only in coverage, but also by getting to the Quarterback will be HUGE for a Panthers defense that gave up the most yards per game in 2024.

9. Saints: Mason Graham, DL

New Orleans could become a real wild card in this years draft, but their immediate needs to me are pass catchers and pass rushers. With how this team is set up contractually, they’re going to have to draft for need and if they don’t trade up, will settle for Mason Graham, who’s the best player available at this point in the draft.

10. Bears: Kelvin Banks Jr, OT

Bears GM Ryan Poles has proven to take a “best player available” approach to drafts in the past and with newly named Ben Johnson as head coach, it makes sense to select Kelvin Banks from Texas here to solidify an offensive line that allowed Caleb Williams to be sacked 68 times this season, the third most in NFL HISTORY. Not only does Banks fill a massive need, but he also is my highest ranked prospect on the board as well.

11. 49ers: Shemar Stewart, DL

With San Francisco recently bringing back Robert Saleh to be their defensive coordinator, I would assume he and the front office wants to build that defensive line back up to where it used to be in their recent Super Bowl appearances. In my mock draft 1.0, I mentioned Shemar Stewart as a prospect that I believe could go higher than many expect due to his impressive frame, paired with his elite explosiveness. In a traits driven league, he’s going to be a popular name after the combine festivities.

12. Cowboys: Ashton Jeanty, RB

A lot of people are making this connection as well, but I can’t ignore it any longer after the Cowboys hired Brian Schottenheimer to be their next head coach. Dallas has always had their success on the backs of great RB’s and Schottenheimer’s run heavy approach to the game will mesh well with College Football’s second ranked all time single season rusher (2,601 yards last season).

13. Dolphins: Malaki Starks, S

Malaki Starks appears to be a top ten overall consensus prospect even at Safety, similar to the likes of Minkah Fitzpatrick and Kyle Hamilton from years past. Although not as physically demanding as those two, Starks is arguably more versatile than the pair and would slot in immediately for a Dolphins team that’s projected to lose Jevon Holland in free agency. Simply put, he’s a best player available selection.

14. Colts: Jahdae Barron, CB

Even if Starks is gone, I still think Indy will look to improve their leaky secondary no matter what here at pick fourteen overall. Will Johnson is still on the board, but rumors are swirling of Jahdae Barron potentially surpassing him on many draft boards, due to questions about Johnson’s long speed at the position & other key testing metrics. The Jim Thorpe award winner capped off an amazing Senior year for the Longhorns by blanketing Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith (College football’s best WR) in the College Football Playoffs, only allowing one reception for a mere three yards.

15. Falcons: Will Johnson, CB

Will Johnson’s slide stops here! If he went the pick before them, I’d say Atlanta would take the best pass rusher available and move on, but a player of Johnson’s caliber is too good to pass up on here at pick 15 overall. He will solidify the opposite side of AJ Terrell in the secondary, something defensive minded head coach Raheem Morris will covet.

16. Cardinals: Jack Sawyer, EDGE

Arizona has to address the trenches on both sides of the ball in the draft and I think a player like Jack Sawyer is going to go higher than many mock drafters will think. I’m under the assumption that he will test better than expected and he’ll check a lot of boxes Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort looks for, when it comes to his testing metrics, experience, collegiate accolades and the fact that he was a five star prospect coming out of High School.

17. Bengals: Kenneth Grant, DL

Kenneth Grant is an explosive menace along the interior of the defensive line, who I believe could go much higher than where I have him going here in this mock draft. He’s a best player available selection for Cincinnati and fills a need along their defensive line.

18. Seahawks: Josh Conerly Jr, OL

Everyone is going to see his Senior Bowl rep against Mike Green and think his draft stock has lowered, but Conerly has been one of the most consistent offensive tackles in attendance and is garnering heavy momentum into being a first round selection. We all know that Seattle LOVES Senior Bowl standouts and would relish in the opportunity to select themselves some offensive line help, who just so happens to also be from Seattle, Washington. Although Conerly is projected to play tackle at the next level, something has to be said about selecting the best prospect & fielding the best five offensive linemen possible. Like the Dallas Cowboys and Tyler Smith in 2022, I believe Conerly could compete to start opposite of Charles Cross at RT, but he could also turn into a Pro Bowl level guard, which might be more of a pressing need at a position that’s growing in popularity and importance at the next level.

19. Buccaneers: Luther Burden, WR

Mike Evans will stop getting 1,000 yards eventually and Tampa Bay is likely to let Chris Godwin walk as he hits free agency this offseason, meaning Tampa Bay will likely be looking to address the WR position early on in the draft. Tampa Bay needs to make it a priority to continue to surround Baker Mayfield with proper weapons to ensure his success moving forward, especially with his offensive coordinator, Liam Coen headed up North to Jacksonville.

20. Broncos: Tyler Warren, TE

Bo Nix had a great rookie season, but Denver has to use their first round selection to build off of that success. Luther Burden would’ve likely been the selection had Tampa Bay not taken him the pick before, but Penn State’s Tyler Warren is thought to be the consensus TE1 and will be a key safety valve for Nix at a position Sean Payton likes to utilize in his offense.

21. Lions (Steelers): James Pearce Jr, EDGE

Pittsburgh needs to address their WR room, as I had them selecting Luther Burden in my mock draft 2.0. Since he went before their selection, I had them moving down with an aggressive Lions team to tackle the position later on in the draft. For Detroit, their defense was in shambles after Aiden Hutchinson went down with injury, as the team desperately needs to add depth to their pass rush. Especially considering they don’t know how Hutchinson will return from his broken tibia and fibula in his right leg. James Pearce was considered to be a prospect selected first overall in many early mock drafts, as he is an immense value at this point in the draft. It makes sense for a team to come up to get him.

22. Chargers: Mykel Williams, EDGE

Similar to Pearce, Georgia’s Mykel Williams was once considered to be a top prospect in this year’s class, who failed to put together a complete season in college. Due to that however, he’s dropped and is now considered a great value here at pick 22. With the future of Khalil Mack with the Chargers looking murky, it makes sense for the team to select his replacement early on in the draft.

23. Packers: Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE

Cornerback is probably the more pressing need in Green Bay, but I just don’t see the value in the CB options at this point. Especially with health concerns of Shavon Revel Jr. & Benjamin Morrison. With Rashan Gary (7.5) and Lukas Van Ness (3) both barely combining for over double digit sacks, the Pack could use a more dominant presence at the position. Ezeiruaku was the only pass rusher in the FBS & FCS last season with 15 plus sacks and 60 plus pressures on the season, as his relationship with current Packers defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley (Former head coach at Boston College) should make this an easy selection.

24. Ravens (Vikings): Mike Green, EDGE

You might be thinking, “But Trenton, Baltimore was second in the league in sacks last season?” You’d be correct, but behind Kyle Van Noy (who’s 33) and Odafe Oweh who both had double digit sack seasons, Baltimores depth behind them is lack luster. Especially with the lack of development from David Ojabo. In fact, in their playoff loss to Buffalo, Baltimore only got to the Quarterback ONE time. Not a recipe for success. That’s where Marshall’s Mike Green comes in. His Senior Bowl performance I believe solidifies himself in the first round, not to mention he led the FBS in sacks (17), tackles for loss (22.5), sack yardage (144) and tackles by a defensive lineman (84) last season. We see positional runs happen all the time in the draft, and with three going off the board before this selection, Baltimore gets aggressive for one of the drafts fastest risers.

25. Texans: Tyler Booker, IOL

CJ Stroud was sacked an AFC most 52 times this season and was ravaged by the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round loss as well. Simply put, it might not be sexy, but Houston HAS to improve their offensive line this offseason. Booker is the drafts best guard prospect in my opinion and has the ability to start day one for the Texans. He reminds me of O’Cyrus Torrence as a prospect.

26. Rams: Isaiah Bond, WR

Is Xavier Worthy’s 40 yard dash record in jeopardy? Isaiah Bond has scouts BUZZING about his speed potential in the league, but he has a tendency to run himself into coverage & needs to learn to throttle down in zone coverage situations. Although he’s raw, I can see a coach like Sean McVay being confident that he can get the most out of him. For LA, the odds are high that they will lose Cooper Kupp this offseason and with Matthew Stafford announcing his intentions to return next year, the Rams front office needs to do whatever it takes to surround him with the proper weapons to make another deep playoff run.

27. Vikings (Ravens): Shavon Revel Jr, CB

With how few of draft picks Minnesota has there’s almost a 100% certainty that they move down in the draft, unless there’s a MASSIVE value available for them at pick 24. With five of their top six players in their secondary potentially needing replaced as well (Josh Metellus only one under contract), you can also guarantee that this selection will be made in some way, shape or form with the secondary in mind. Revel checks just about every combine box there is to check, but his lack of experience and recent ACL injury has him falling here at 27.

28. Steelers (Lions): Emeka Egbuka, WR

After Luther Burden was selected just before them at pick 19 overall, it made sense for Pittsburgh to move down in the draft and target the position later. Especially in a weaker class at the position, where the value would be better near the back end of the first round. Emeka Egbuka is Ohio State’s all time receptions leader and reminds me of former Steeler, Juju Smith-Schuster as a prospect.

29. Commanders: Josh Simmons, OT

A prospect like Josh Simmons is what I believe the transfer portal is for. He transferred to Ohio State from San Diego State and quickly inserted himself into being the teams starting Left Tackle and would’ve been in the running to be a top three OT in this years class if it wasn’t for his knee injury during Ohio State’s loss to Oregon earlier on in the season. His versatility on both sides of the line, size, length and athleticism would be considered a value for Washington here at pick 29, considering they allowed the 7th most sacks last season.

30. Bills: Azareye’h Thomas, CB

Buffalo’s secondary needs some major re-tooling this offseason, as proof of that was in how much worse their secondary was once former 6th round pick Christian Benford went down with injury and Kaiir Elam had to step in for him in the AFC Championship game against Kansas City. Thomas and his impressive frame turned heads during the Senior Bowl festivities, as he now could potentially be a first round prospect after his performance.

31. Eagles: Landon Jackson, EDGE

Philadelphia we know will target either sides of the line of scrimmage in the first round of the draft and with OT Josh Simmons going just above them at pick 29, it makes sense for the team to look towards adding youth and depth along their defensive line. Landon Jackson had a great Senior Bowl weekend, as his blend of length, explosiveness and a relentless motor will make him become a first round selection somewhere, in my opinion.

32. Chiefs: Colston Loveland, TE

I’m going to go ahead and call my shot here that Kansas City wins their third straight Super Bowl & that Travis Kelce announces his retirement immediately after and rides into the sunset with Taylor Swift in hand. This leads me to thinking KC could target Michigan’s Colston Loveland at the end of the first round. He’s a big framed weapon in the offense, with great YAC ability for the position. His versatility as not only a willing blocker, but also as a TE prospect who can split out wide or in-line, should allow Andy Reid to run the offense similarly moving forward, potentially without a hall of fame TE.