NFL: 2025 NFL Mock Draft 3.0: Two QBs Picked In The Top-Three

The new league year officially began on March 12th, and many trades and free agency signings have altered the landscape of the NFL. Though there are some moves still left to be made, most of the top-tier free agents are now off the board, which means teams can begin finalizing their draft strategy for April.

Let’s take a look at picks one through 32 and determine which prospects will be going where.

1. Tennessee Titans – QB, Cam Ward. Miami

Last time, I had them picking Abdul Carter. This time around, I believe they get their franchise quarterback with the first overall pick. They’ve already signed four offensive linemen this off-season, which tells me that they’re invested in protecting their quarterback of the future.

2. Cleveland Browns – WR/CB, Travis Hunter. Colorado

Now that Myles Garrett has re-signed, the Browns can focus on improving their 32nd-ranked scoring offense. With Deshaun Watson still under contract and the team reportedly interested in Russell Wilson, I think they’ll skip on a quarterback and get Heisman Winner Travis Hunter. He’ll lead to improvements on both sides of the ball.

3. New York Giants – QB, Shedeur Sanders. Colorado

I think the reports that Shedeur Sanders didn’t interview well are just a smokescreen to lower his draft stock. The Giants need a franchise quarterback and finally get one in Sanders. With the quarterback free agency market all but dried up, this appears to be the only move the Giants have left in their arsenal besides signing Aaron Rodgers, who will retire in a year or two anyway.

4. New England Patriots – EDGE, Abdul Carter. Penn State

Even though the Patriots have spent a lot of money on their defensive line, I think Abdul Carter is too good of a prospect to pass over. Defensive-minded head coach Mike Vrabel won’t be able to resist drafting Carter if he falls to the fourth pick. With this choice, the Pats complete their defensive line rebuild.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars – CB, Will Johnson. Michigan

This has been my most consistent pick across the mock drafts I’ve done, and for good reason. The Jaguars have bolstered their offensive line, so they won’t take a tackle here, in all likelihood. Meanwhile, they’ve only signed one cornerback in free agency, which isn’t enough to improve their 32nd-ranked pass defense. Adding Will Johnson will be the final piece in the secondary puzzle.

6. Las Vegas Raiders – RB, Ashton Jeanty. Boise State

Making Pete Carroll the head coach and trading for Geno Smith tells me the Raiders are in win-now mode. Adding an elite running back to take pressure off of Geno Smith will be crucial, especially after Vegas finished dead last in rushing last season.

7. New York Jets – OL, Armand Membou. Missouri

Following the Justin Fields signing, the Jets have a short-term answer at the quarterback position. They need to shore up the offensive line after losing Morgan Moses to free agency. They are set at the left tackle spot with Olu Fashanu. Now, they find their franchise right tackle in Membou, who can play multiple positions along the offensive line.

8. Carolina Panthers – TE, Tyler Warren. Penn State

Quarterback Bryce Young showed a lot of promise to close out the 2024-25 campaign. To aid in his progression, Carolina selects the best tight end prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. He will be a big target and a reliable safety blanket for Young.

9. TRADE: Green Bay Packers – EDGE, Shemar Stewart. Texas A&M

The Packers move up to pick the best available edge rusher prospect one spot before the defensive-line-needy Bears. Stweart is an athletic freak who fits the mold of defensive linemen that GM Brian Gutekunst loves. If he can hone his skills, then the Packers will have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL a few years from now.

10. Chicago Bears – OL, Will Campbell. LSU

Chicago has already spent a lot of money and draft capital to improve the offensive line. I think their final addition comes with the tenth overall pick when they select one of the best offensive tackle prospects in the draft. He can play anywhere along the offensive line, which will be beneficial for the Bears.

11. TRADE: Indianapolis Colts – OL, Tyler Booker. Alabama

The Colts need interior offensive line help just like the Cowboys, so they trade up to take the best available interior offensive lineman one pick before Dallas. With Will Fries leaving in free agency, they find his immediate replacement in Booker, who never missed a game in his college career.

12. TRADE: Denver Broncos – WR, Tetairoa McMillan. Arizona

One spot ahead of the Dolphins, Denver trades up to take the second-best wideout in the draft. McMillan is a big-bodied receiver who can be an effective pass catcher to play on the opposite side of Courtland Sutton. McMillan will pair well with Sutton and newly acquired tight end Evan Engram, giving second-year quarterback Bo Nix a complete corps of weapons.

13. Miami Dolphins – DT, Mason Graham. Michigan

As much as they need interior offensive line help, the best guards have already been taken off the board. Therefore, they take the best interior defensive lineman in this draft, which also addresses a huge need they have along the defensive front. They kill two birds with one stone by selecting Graham.

14. San Francisco 49ers – EDGE, Mykel Williams. Georgia

After failing to land an elite edge rusher in free agency, the Niners pick one up in the draft. Williams played in a 4-3 defense in college, so he will fit right in along the 49ers’ defensive front. He has a ton of upside as a prospect, so this is a smart decision for San Fran because if he works out, then they’ll have two game-wrecking pass rushers.

15. Atlanta Falcons – EDGE, Mike Green. Marshall

Jalon Walker could go here, but I think Atlanta takes a pure edge rusher in Mike Green. He led the nation in sacks and had an excellent performance at the Senior Bowl. After finishing as the second-worst pass-rushing team in the NFL last season, the Falcons’ defense will look very different with Green and Leonard Floyd coming after opposing quarterbacks.

16. Arizona Cardinals – LB/EDGE, Jalon Walker. Georgia

Jalon Walker is, by definition, a linebacker, but make no mistake, he is an amazing pass-rusher who can put his hand in the dirt and get after opposing QBs. His hybrid playstyle will pair well with newly-signed edge rusher Josh Sweat and defensive head coach Jonathan Gannon.

17. New Orleans Saints – CB, Jahdae Barron. Texas

The Saints move back up after initially trading their pick away to Green Bay. They’ve signed Justin Reid, but New Orleans still needs to find a new starting cornerback to replace Marshon Lattimore, who was traded during the regular season. New Orleans lands Lattimore’s replacement by picking Barron, who has been rocketing up people’s draft boards.

18. Seattle Seahawks – OL, Donovan Jackson. Ohio State

Jackson is technically a guard, but he has experience at the left tackle spot when he filled in for an injured Josh Simmons. His versatility will make him an incredibly valuable asset along the Seahawks’ offensive line, which lost four players to either free agency or retirement in the case of Jason Peters.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – LB, Jihaad Campbell. Alabama

With Chris Gowdin returning to the team, the Bucs can focus on the defensive side of the ball. Campbell has great pass-rushing skills, which will make him an important contributor along Tampa’s defensive front. And when Lavonte David retires, he’ll be able to fill his shoes nicely.

20. Dallas Cowboys – OL, Kelvin Banks Jr. Texas

Banks is battle-tested with plenty of experience against current and future NFL defensive linemen. More importantly, he has shown an ability to play at the guard position, which will be crucial now that Zack Martin has called it a career. Plus, Jerry Jones loves his Texas guys, so this is a match made in heaven for the Cowboys’ owner/general manager.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers – QB, Jaxson Dart. Ole Miss

The Steelers will probably start either Aaron Rodgers (41) or Russell Wilson (36) as their quarterback. Neither one of those guys is the long-term answer, so Pittsburgh selects Dart, who I view as the third-best quarterback in this class. He’ll get a chance to learn behind an excellent QB before taking over in a season or two. This is a pick that could be a home run in a few years.

22. Los Angeles Chargers – WR, Emeka Egbuka. Ohio State

We all saw how underwhelming the Chargers’ wide receivers were in the playoffs outside of Ladd McConkey. By bringing in Egbuka, LA finds a reliable wideout that can either be the number-one or number-two guy on the team depending on who quarterback Justin Herbert likes more.

23. Cincinnati Bengals – DB, Malaki Starks. Georgia

If Trey Hendrickson really is staying in Cincinnati, then the Bengals need to add some more support in the secondary because they allowed the fourth-most passing touchdowns in the NFL last season. Starks can play every secondary position, which will help Cincy cut down on those passing TDs.

24. Minnesota Vikings – S, Nick Emmanwori. South Carolina

The Vikes had arguably the best free agency class of any team in the league this off-season. They don’t have any immediate needs they have to address, so they use this pick to plan for the future. Harrison Smith is 36 and will likely retire soon. Emmanwori can be his successor when that time comes and serve as an excellent backup safety or nickel corner in the meantime.

25. Houston Texans – OT, Josh Simmons. Ohio State

The Texans have already added three wide receivers this off-season, which makes me think they might not pick another one in the first round of the NFL Draft. Now that they have parted ways with offensive linemen Laremy Tunsil and Kenyon Green, I think they address the trenches with this pick. They need a new franchise left tackle, and Simmons can be that guy.

26. Los Angeles Rams – WR, Luther Burden III. Missouri

They did sign Davante Adams, but he won’t be able to play forever. Plus, Tutu Atwell is only under contract for one year. They need another long-term receiving option to pair with Puka Nacua. I think Luther Burden III will be a good addition and their slot receiver of the future.

27. Baltimore Ravens – DT, Derrick Harmon. Oregon

I think the Ravens draft the best player available with this selection, and that’s Oregon’s Derrick Harmon. His production was fantastic last year, and he showed off his athleticism by running a sub-five-second 40-yard dash. Baltimore also needs to bolster its pass rush, so this move also eliminates another off-season need.

28. Detroit Lions – EDGE, James Pearce Jr. Tennessee

The Lions had a productive off-season and answered the questions they had at the cornerback position, but they still need another edge rusher after letting Za’Darius Smith walk. James Pearce Jr. has the production and athleticism to come in and potentially overtake Marcus Davenport as the team’s other starting defensive end.

29. Washington Commanders – CB, Maxwell Hairston. Kentucky

The Commanders added seven defensive linemen to the roster through free agency, so I don’t think they’re going to use their first-round pick on another pass rusher. They’ll add Hairston who has the speed to be a nickel corner or even Washington’s number-two cornerback behind Marshon Lattimore.

30. Buffalo Bills – DT, Walter Nolen. Ole Miss

With defensive linemen Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht both suspended for the first six games of the season, Buffalo takes Nolen to fill in while those guys are out. This is also a smart long-term move because Ogunjobi is only under contract for one year. Nolen will take over for him after next season.

31. Kansas City Chiefs – OL, Grey Zabel. North Dakota State

Though KC needs to find Travis Kelce’s successor, the offensive line is a more pressing need at the moment after they traded away All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. Zabel is a versatile player who can line up anywhere along the offensive line. He will be a nice new piece in the trenches regardless of what his position ends up playing.

32. Philadelphia Eagles – EDGE, Donovan Ezeiruaku. Boston College

With Brandon Graham’s retirement and the losses of Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, Philly has some work to do rebuilding its defensive front. Ezeiruaku, who had a whopping 16.5 sacks last season, will fit in nicely as a defensive lineman or a pass-rushing outside linebacker.