On the verge of a major pre-draft set piece -- the NFL Scouting Combine -- questions about the 2025 NFL Draft begin, well, at the beginning. And per usual, they revolve around the quarterbacks. Namely, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.
Will everyone's top two signal-callers both fly off the board in the first handful of picks? Will one? Will none?
With so many QB-needy teams lurking, it's hard to see either Ward or Sanders making it out of the top 10 -- at least at this juncture of draft season. The coming week in Indianapolis is sure to shake up the prospect pool in myriad ways, but in the calm before the spandex storm, here is my initial vision of how Round 1 will play out.
Programming note: Tune in for live coverage of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine beginning Feb. 27 on NFL Network and NFL+.
Talk about upward mobility! Ward’s gone from Incarnate Word to Washington State to Miami to ... No. 1 overall? Seems quite feasible, whether or not Tennessee is the team making the pick. The well-traveled 22-year-old offers extensive experience (57 collegiate starts) and the best quarterbacking tools in this class (most notably, a rocket that’s functional from various platforms/arm angles). The question with Ward: Is he too reliant on hero ball to consistently function in the confines of an NFL offense?
If Cleveland honors Myles Garrett’s trade request, this is the replacement. If Garrett and the Browns patch things up, this is the sidekick. Personally, I hope it’s the latter, because it’d be indisputably fun to pair the freakiest edge in this draft class with the freakiest edge in football.
In the hypothetical world of this mock draft, Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll address the quarterback position in the veteran market, allowing New York to take the two-way star out of Colorado. In the real world, longtime beat writer Paul Schwartz says the Giants see Hunter as a cornerback, allowing me to say I’m filling a major need with this pick (... while also knowing Daboll wouldn’t be able to resist giving the Heisman Trophy winner offensive snaps alongside Malik Nabers).
Drake Maye showed great potential last season in spite of a porous offensive line. Giving the new face of the franchise better protection feels like an absolute necessity. Campbell’s arm length will be a measurement of interest at the combine, with some viewing him as a better pro prospect at guard. Our resident scouts don’t see it that way, though, as Daniel Jeremiah touts the tackle as his No. 8 overall prospect and Bucky Brooks calls him “the crown jewel” of an intriguing OT class. Worst-case scenario: Campbell shifts inside, where New England’s thin to begin with.
PROJECTED TRADE WITH JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
In the wake of the Aaron Rodgers era error, the Jets have a talented roster without a quarterback. At the moment, the free-agent crop at the position is headlined by Sam Darnold. Don’t think a Darnold-Jets reunion is on the table, so Gang Green leapfrogs the QB-needy Raiders to snag a signal-caller who certainly wouldn’t shy away from the bright lights of Broadway. New York tabloids rejoice.
After watching the Jets vault right over them to secure Shedeur Sanders’ services, the Raiders shift from passer to pass catcher, landing the big-bodied target who appears to be separating himself from the rest of this WR class. Las Vegas is obviously set at tight end with the highly drafted duo of Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, but the receiver room is headlined by Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker.
PROJECTED TRADE WITH NEW YORK JETS
A whole bunch of mocks have Jacksonville taking a Michigan defensive tackle (Mason Graham), but what if the Jaguars instead opt for a Michigan defensive back? Johnson has the pedigree, production and frame of a top cornerback prospect, but there are questions about his long speed. Consequently, you could reasonably argue Johnson has more money riding on a 40-yard dash than any other human in 2025, with a potential eight-figure difference between a time in the 4.4s and one in the 4.5s.
While the Bryce Young-led offense ultimately came together last season, the Panthers’ defense completely fell apart, comfortably finishing dead last in points and yards allowed. Ejiro Evero’s unit will benefit from the healthy return of Derrick Brown -- who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1 after deservedly receiving a $96 million extension last offseason -- but how about infusing the front with another relentless interior disruptor? The Panthers need more draft hits, and Graham feels like one of the safest prospects in this entire class.
New Orleans needs a fresh influx of edge juice. Cam Jordan, the last Saint to reach double-digit sacks with 12.5 in 2021, is in the twilight of his career, while Chase Young’s heading back into free agency. Carl Granderson can’t do this alone. Now, when it comes to drafting defensive ends, the Saints clearly have a type: big and traitsy. Could a bet on Williams’ rare physical gifts redeem the failed first-round experiments of Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner?
A five-star recruit out of high school, Banks was a Day 1 starter at left tackle for Texas, manning the blind side for 42 of the Longhorns’ last 43 games before declaring early for the draft. Still, some draftniks project him as an NFL guard due to a lack of length. Chicago has offensive line needs inside and out, though, so Banks can get in where he fits in.
With LG Aaron Banks hitting free agency, RT Colton McKivitz entering a contract year and LT Trent Williams approaching his 37th birthday, San Francisco has to reinvest in the offensive line. Membou thrived in the SEC as a right tackle -- he didn’t allow a single sack in 2024, per Pro Football Focus, yielding a grand total of nine pressures in 12 games -- but he also carries length questions that could prompt a move inside. No matter: That’d give the 49ers a stellar guard combo, with this mauler from Missouri joining last year’s third-round steal out of Kansas, Dominick Puni.
Yup. Same as every other mock. You already know all the reasons why.
PROJECTED TRADE WITH MIAMI DOLPHINS
No stranger to trading up in Round 1, Sean Payton vaults up the board for a tight end, though maybe not the one you anticipated. The Broncos coach has been telling anyone who will listen that his offense needs a “joker,” but what kind of joker does he desire? Tyler Warren, who has become the general mockosphere’s TE1, is a traditional “Y,” combining bruising playmaking ability with stout blocking. Loveland, on the other hand, is more of the modern passing-game weapon at the position, running receiver routes in a tight end body. Payton could prefer the latter. Remember all those fantasy points converted hooper Jimmy Graham put up in New Orleans?
Yup. Same as every other mock. You already know all the reasons why.
The Falcons haven’t made the playoffs since the 2017 campaign. In related news -- at least according to me -- they haven’t cracked the top 20 in sacks since that season. (In fact, they've ranked second-to-last or dead last in three of the past four years.) Walker’s a versatile defender, having split time between edge and off-ball linebacker at Georgia, and I think his explosive skill set would transfer well from Athens to Atlanta -- especially with new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich promising outside-the-box thinking in his plan to “create something that's maybe never been done before from a schematic standpoint.”
The last time Arizona spent a first-round pick on a defensive tackle out of Ole Miss, it didn’t work out so well. But I’m here to tell you that Nolen is different from Robert Nkemdiche. Like Nkemdiche, Nolen was a MEGA recruit in high school who carried the clout to rock a single-digit jersey as a collegiate DT. Unlike Nkemdiche, Nolan steadily improved in college, flashing enticing talent in his first two years at Texas A&M before putting it all together in a highly productive, consensus All-American campaign this past fall at Mississippi. While Nkemdiche entered the NFL with character/effort concerns, Nolan inspired this quote from an NFC national scout to our Lance Zierlein: “Nobody questions how talented he is and how hard he plays.”
Trey Hendrickson just led the league in sacks, but he was a one-man army, as Cincinnati tied for 25th in the category as a team. Even if the Bengals retain the first-team All-Pro -- who’s asking to either be extended or traded -- they need more pressure off the edge. Sam Hubbard’s aging out, Joseph Ossai’s on his way out and 2023 first-rounder Myles Murphy has yet to arrive. How about adding college football’s reigning sack king?
Looking to jump-start a moribund ground game, Seattle fills a huge need at guard with a hulking tone-setter. Colleague Brian Baldinger, who has forgotten more about offensive line play than I’ll ever know, is absolutely smitten with the prototypical people mover out of Alabama.
The emerging narrative around Stewart: He’s the biggest boom-or-bust prospect in this draft. Why? Because he’s such an extreme case study for the traits-vs.-production debate. The versatile defensive lineman turned heads at the Senior Bowl and is expected to blow up the combine with athletic feats that shouldn’t be possible for a 6-foot-5, 281-pounder. Despite his eye-popping physical gifts, though, Stewart totaled just 4.5 sacks over three seasons at Texas A&M, logging exactly 1.5 each fall. But Bucs GM Jason Licht has a thing for front-seven freaks ...
PROJECTED TRADE WITH DENVER BRONCOS
Over the past few years, it feels like the NFL has formed an annual tradition of overthinking/underdrafting one versatile DB prospect. Cooper DeJean was that player last year, following in the footsteps of Brian Branch in 2023 and Kyle Hamilton in ‘22. Could Starks be the guy this spring? Early scuttlebutt makes it seem like he could, but in this exercise, let’s give the highly pedigreed safety the top-20 draft slot he deserves.
My favorite prospect-team pairing in this entire rundown. It just feels SO right! George Pickens is wildly talented, but he’s also a true wild card. Complementing the mercurial ball-winner with a polished chain-mover could be just what the doctor ordered for Pittsburgh’s alarmingly thin WR corps. Having just served as a team captain for the national champion Buckeyes, Egbuka's a reliable receiver whose professionalism earns as much praise as his play.
PROJECTED TRADE WITH LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
With Stefon Diggs approaching free agency and Tank Dell recovering from a devastating knee injury that could cost him the entire 2025 season, Houston’s light at receiver. C.J. Stroud undoubtedly would love to reunite with Emeka Egbuka, but in this simulation, Pittsburgh just intercepted the Ohio State wideout. The Texans respond with action, trading up to snag a YAC monster who could fit quite nicely alongside big-bodied Pro Bowler Nico Collins.
Facing attrition in the secondary -- potentially including the departure of Jaire Alexander -- Green Bay’s in the CB market this offseason. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley likes versatility and physicality, so I assume he’d love Barron. The reigning Jim Thorpe Award winner is a sure tackler who made plays all over the field for Texas’ defense.
Minnesota’s on track to lose even more defensive backs than Green Bay, so the Vikings could use this pick on a cornerback like Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison (if his surgically repaired hip checks out in Indianapolis) or Florida State's Azareye'h Thomas (if he carries the Senior Bowl swagger over to the combine). That said, Minnesota was soft on the defensive interior last season, and I couldn’t help but give Brian Flores a freak athlete in a 340-pound frame.
PROJECTED TRADE WITH HOUSTON TEXANS
Last April, with the first pick of the Jim Harbaugh era, the Chargers fittingly took a towering tackle. What will the Baugh Bolts do for an encore in this year’s opening round? How ‘bout a big, bruising, three-down back? As a violent downhill runner with explosive burst through the hole, Hampton feels like a perfect fit for Greg Roman’s gap scheme.
If Simmons hadn’t suffered a season-ending knee injury in October, he very well could have locked himself into the top 10 as this draft’s premier offensive lineman. After that setback, though, the athletic bookend might still be available when the playoff teams are picking. The medicals in Indy loom large, but if Simmons’ road to recovery remains on track, he could wind up as an absolute steal for the OT-needy Rams.
Kyle Van Noy’s Raven rebirth is inspiring. The man just made his first Pro Bowl at age 33, having led Baltimore with a career-high 12.5 sacks. But Van Noy can’t stiff-arm Father Time forever. Not to mention, he’s heading into the final year of his contract -- just like Odafe Oweh, who could be in line for a lucrative extension on the heels of a breakout season. So Baltimore appears due for a talent infusion on the edge, with a cost-controlled rookie contract being an added benefit.
In the wake of Myles Garrett’s trade request, Lions fans dream of the perennial Pro Bowler lining up opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Given Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell’s long view on team building, however, mortgaging the future in a blockbuster deal seems unlikely. But Garrett’s alma mater, Texas A&M, has a fresh offering that could pique Detroit’s interest. Scourton’s the kind of big, powerful, three-down edge this Lions regime favors.
PROTECT JAYDEN DANIELS AT ALL COSTS. The Offensive Rookie of the Year took 47 sacks in the regular season. While that figure pales in comparison to Caleb Williams’ absurd total (68), it’s still disconcerting, especially given Daniels’ slight frame. Third-round pick Brandon Coleman acquitted himself quite well as a rookie left tackle, but Washington would be wise to keep building a wall around the exhilarating new face of the franchise.
In a league that has turned back to the ground game, the Bills’ undersized defensive front is increasingly problematic. So, let’s give them some Grade A beef in this 6-3, 327-pounder out of Ohio State. Williams is a beastly run-stuffer with immense power to push the pocket on pass plays.
In a free-agent class that isn’t exactly teeming with top-end talent, Pro Bowl guard Trey Smith is poised to get PAID on the open market, further debilitating an offensive line that just got manhandled on the game’s biggest stage. Jackson’s a talented guard who deftly transitioned to left tackle as an injury replacement during Ohio State’s national title campaign. He’s built to play inside at the NFL level, though that documented versatility could be an added bonus for an offensive line that’s clearly lacking on the edges.
Another dynamic dog just falls right into the Eagles’ lap, and we all take a familiar posture: bowing at the altar of Howie Roseman. Linebacker is the biggest offseason question mark for the Super Bowl champs. Zack Baun provided first-team All-Pro returns on a one-year, $3.5 million contract, but now he’s set to cash in on the open market. Meanwhile, Nakobe Dean is at the beginning of a long rehab process after tearing his patellar tendon on Wild Card Weekend. Campbell, who is Daniel Jeremiah’s No. 13 overall prospect, is a hybrid defender with sideline-to-sideline range and legit edge-rushing chops. Something tells me Vic Fangio would enjoy such a toy.
