We are nearing the end of our first 2025 NFL Mock Draft. There was a run on offensive and defensive linemen last time around with seven of the last eight picks being used on guys in the trenches. Today, we have a little more variety.
Let’s take a look at picks 17 through 24 and determine which prospects will be going where.
📰 Table Of Contents
- 1 17. TRADE: Kansas City Chiefs – OL, Donovan Jackson. Ohio State
- 2 18. Seattle Seahawks – OL, Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
- 3 19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – WR, Luther Burden III. Missouri
- 4 20. Dallas Cowboys – DL, Walter Nolen. Ole Miss
- 5 21. Pittsburgh Steelers – DB, Shavon Revel Jr. East Carolina
- 6 22. Los Angeles Chargers – EDGE, Jalon Walker. Georgia
- 7 23. Green Bay Packers – DB, Benjamin Morrison. Notre Dame
- 8 24. Minnesota Vikings – DB, Malaki Starks. Georgia
17. TRADE: Kansas City Chiefs – OL, Donovan Jackson. Ohio State
I have a feeling that the Chiefs will make the Bengals a pretty sweet offer that will be hard to pass up. If the Bengals can land the 31st overall pick while adding a second-rounder or a pair of third-rounders this year and next year, I don’t see how they say no to that deal.
Super Bowl LIX showed that the Chiefs need to do some major re-tooling along the offensive line. Prior to the Super Bowl, Patrick Mahomes’ single-game career high in sacks taken was five. That didn’t stop the Eagles from sacking Mahomes six times even though they didn’t blitz the former MVP once. When you’re giving up that many sacks against only four pass-rushers, you have some problems along the offensive line.
They don’t need to upgrade the center position. Creed Humphrey is the best center in the NFL in my opinion. While they could slide Joe Thuney back to his natural position of guard, I think it would be better to keep him at tackle and find a replacement for Mike Caliendo, who was Pro Football Focus’ third-lowest-graded guard in the postseason. Jackson could be that replacement after being described by NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein as a starting guard “for any scheme.”
18. Seattle Seahawks – OL, Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
Geno Smith will be turning 35 years old this coming season. While it could serve Seattle well to use this pick on his eventual successor, I don’t have any other QBs with a first-round grade at this moment. Therefore, the Seahawks use this pick to give Geno Smith some extra protection.
The ‘Hawks have decent tackles in Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas, but they need more depth. Starting guard Laken Tomlinson is set to become a free agent. Also, Sataoa Laumea, Christian Hayes, and Anthony Bradford have not yet proven their worth in the NFL.
Kelvin Banks Jr. turned heads as a freshman when an AFC scout said that he had “maybe the best game of his career” against Houston Texans standout defensive end Will Anderson Jr. More importantly, Banks Jr. is a versatile player who could be a “long-time NFL starter at either tackle or guard,” according to Lance Zierlein.
They can take Kelvin Banks Jr. and basically start him at four of five offensive line positions. His natural position is tackle, but he has shown the versatility to play guard. That type of output will be important for a Seattle team that might only have one or two more years left with Geno Smith under center.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – WR, Luther Burden III. Missouri
One would think that the Bucs don’t need any wide receiver help, but the team could look completely different next off-season. Slot receiver Chris Godwin, who is coming off a season-ending ankle dislocation, is scheduled to become a free agent this Spring. Even though he has been a key part of Tampa’s recent success, it’s risky to pay a wide receiver a lot of money coming off of an injury. Additionally, Mike Evans turns 32 this summer, meaning he is in the twilight years of his career.
I love the idea of bringing in an incredibly talented former five-star athlete in Missouri’s Luther Burden III. Not only can he learn from a future Hall of Famer in Evans, but he can also be an immediate producer with Evans and Jalen McMillan serving as distractions opposite him.
Burden III is a gadget player who can be used by offenses in several ways. He had 115 rushing yards and two rushing TDs last season as well as 676 receiving yards and six touchdown catches. He can even make things happen in the return game with one punt return touchdown on 23 attempts.
If he can hit the gym and bulk up a little, then he could be what Deebo Samuel was for the 49ers or what Xavier Worthy was for the Chiefs. Picking Luther Burden III also gives Tampa a successor for Mike Evans whenever he chooses to retire.
20. Dallas Cowboys – DL, Walter Nolen. Ole Miss
After trading back from the 12th pick following Ashton Jeany being drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders, Dallas is once again left with a tough decision to make. Do they trade back again and accumulate more picks, or do they stay put and draft the best available player? This time around, I think they draft the best available player, who also happens to fill a need along the Cowboys’ defensive line.
Though a little undersized for a defensive tackle (6’3″ and 293 lbs.), he’s an excellent prospect. Walter Nolen is ESPN’s second-ranked defensive tackle and its ninth-ranked prospect overall. He is also highly skilled, with one NFC scout saying, “Nobody questions how talented he is and how hard he plays.”
The statistics also show how good he is. He had five solo sacks and 6.5 total sacks last season, both the most in the country amongst pure defensive tackles.
Nolen has a high upside, and some think that his pass-rushing abilities could be cleaned up a little. Putting him on the same team as Micah Parsons will give him a mentor who is one of the best pass rushers in the league.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers – DB, Shavon Revel Jr. East Carolina
Drafting a quarterback would be a smart move here. But, I still don’t have a lot of faith in the other QBs in this draft outside of the top two guys (Colorado’s Shedeuer Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward). I think Pittsburgh might trade up in the second round to take a project quarterback like Jaxson Dart or Quinn Ewers. Before they make that choice, they need to shore up their secondary.
One of Pittsburgh’s starting cornerbacks (Donte Jackson) is scheduled to become a free agent. The same also goes for nickel back Cameron Sutton and backups James Pierre, Zyon Gilbert, and C.J. Henderson. While Pittsburgh is normally known for its defensive prowess, they were 25th against the pass last season (228 yards per game). With that in mind, I don’t think the Steelers are going to break the bank to retain several guys who failed to meet expectations when defending the pass.
I like Shavon Revel Jr. with the 21st pick in the first round. Joey Porter Jr. will probably be the Steelers’ first cornerback, so Revel Jr. can come in and be the number two corner right away.
He’s got good size (6’3″ and 193 lbs.) and the speed necessary to go stride-for-stride with NFL-level talent. I have a feeling that Shavon Revel Jr. would be much higher on people’s draft boards if he had played at a bigger school. Either way, this is a steal for Pittsburgh.
22. Los Angeles Chargers – EDGE, Jalon Walker. Georgia
The Chargers need to add some more bodies along the defensive line. It’s unclear if Khalil Mack will return to LA as he is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. Meanwhile, Joey Bosa is under contract through the end of next year, but Cheryl Bosa (Joey’s mother) is suggesting that he reunite with his brother Nick in San Francisco next off-season. With Khalil Mack’s future uncertain and Joey Bosa appearing to have one foot out the door, I think LA will use this pick to add another young stud to the front seven.
He’s slightly undersized at 6’4″ and 245 lbs., but that just means he will be a hybrid player who either puts his hand in the dirt along the defensive line or rushers passers from the linebacker spot. Walker could step in right away as a replacement for either Bosa or Mack.
Walker can also drop back into coverage when called upon. He had two passes defended this past season, which is pretty good for a linebacker/edge hybrid. Plus, Jim Harbaugh likes leaders, and Lance Zierlein said his “leadership is famous” in Georgia.
23. Green Bay Packers – DB, Benjamin Morrison. Notre Dame
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, there are “strong indications” that the Packers plan to release cornerback Jaire Alexander. Green Bay will need somebody to step in right away and be the team’s new number-one corner. Benjamin Morrison can be that guy.
Morrison was an imposing defender who was rarely thrown at last season (27 targets on 168 coverage snaps through the first seven weeks of the 2024 season), so his stats aren’t all that impressive. Keep in mind that he did miss a large part of last season due to injury. Still, Morrison was excellent in 2023 with three interceptions and ten passes defended. He was even better as a true freshman (six INTs and five passes defended).
Depending on how free agency goes, the Packers could also draft an edge rusher here. They need more bodies along the defensive line after trading away Preston Smith. If they don’t like Morrison, a guy like Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton could be selected here.
24. Minnesota Vikings – DB, Malaki Starks. Georgia
Some secondary help is absolutely necessary for the Vikes. They’ll have to pay cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. after he was elected to the Pro Bowl, which means they probably won’t have the cap space to retain other impending free-agent DBs like Stephon Gilmore, Shaquill Griffin, and Fabian Moreau. They will almost certainly add some defensive backs through the draft.
Malaki Starks isn’t a cornerback, but he would still be a valuable addition to Minnesota’s defense. Starting safety Harrison Smith is still a leader in the Vikes’ locker room, but he’s 36 years old and will probably hang up his cleats next off-season. By drafting Starks, they have a succession plan in place for when Smith does retire.
In the meantime, Starks can get some reps as a nickel back and a backup corner. Hell, they could even try him out as the second cornerback if they’re so inclined. At 6’1″ and 205 lbs., he has the size and range of coverage to make meaningful contributions to a secondary that could end up looking very different In 2025.
