NFL: 2025 NFL Mock Draft 4.0: Shedeur Sanders Falls Out Of The Top Five

There have been lots of interesting moves and trades that have been made since the last time we published a mock draft.

The Giants appear to have found their short-term answer at quarterback with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Also, the Vikings are passing on signing Aaron Rodgers, the Patriots added a number-one wide receiver, and so on.

As teams continue to evolve and change, let’s take a look at picks one through 32 in the 2025 NFL Draft and determine which prospects will be going where.

1. Tennessee Titans – QB, Cam Ward. Miami

At this point, this is the pick the Titans will make. As I progressed through this mock draft series, I thought Tennessee could opt for Penn State’s Abdul Carter. Now, the choice is clear. The Titans will take Cam Ward with the first-overall pick and find their franchise quarterback for the next decade.

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

The temptation to select a quarterback here will be high, but I think the Browns would be better served taking a generational talent like Travis Hunter. He can be a great number-two wideout or even overtake Pro Bowler Jerry Jeudy as the team’s number-one receiving threat. Hunter will also be an excellent number-two cornerback to go with Pro Bowler Denzel Ward, giving Cleveland one of the best secondaries in the NFL.

3. New York Giants – EDGE, Abdul Carter. Penn State

I think the Giants’ leaders (head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen) are trying to win right now to save their jobs. They can’t do that by drafting a quarterback with the third overall pick. However, they can help their chances by choosing arguably the best prospect in this draft, Abdul Carter. Pairing him with Dexter Lawrence II will be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.

4. New England Patriots – OL, Will Campbell. LSU

After spending a ton of money to beef up their defensive line, the Pats will use the fourth overall pick to draft a player who could easily be considered the best offensive line prospect in the 2025 class. He is battle-tested with starts against numerous future NFL stars at the college level. More importantly, he fills a massive need for New England, which must do everything in its power to keep Drake Maye healthy.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars – CB, Will Johnson. Michigan

After mulling it over and creating a few of these mock drafts, I always have the Jags either drafting Will Johnson or Mason Graham. As tempting as it would be to draft Graham, I think Johnson addresses the bigger need they have for a shutdown cornerback in the secondary. As bad as they were rushing the quarterback (28th in sacks), they were even worse defending the pass (31st in opposing quarterback rating allowed). Will Johnson can fix that problem.

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

I am standing firm in my belief that the Raiders will take Jeanty. Not only were they the worst rushing team in the NFL last season, but their running back room currently consists of Raheem Mostert (who just turned 33), Sincere McCormick (who has 183 career rushing yards), Zamir White (who averaged 2.8 yards per carry last year), and Dylan Laube (who has one career rushing attempt). I would be shocked if Vegas doesn’t take Jeanty.

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

Gang Green lost both of their starting offensive tackles from last season to free agency. They have the left tackle spot nailed down after drafting Olu Fashanu with the 11th pick in last year’s draft. This time around, they will secure the right tackle spot by picking Membou, who is one of the more versatile linemen in this class.

8. Carolina Panthers – DT, Mason Graham. Michigan

The NFL Scouting Combine solidified Mason Graham as the best interior defender in this draft, so this is a huge steal for the Panthers because I originally predicted Graham would be a top-five pick. Lining him up next to rising star Derrick Brown will create a lethal combination for the Cats. More importantly, Graham will improve Carolina’s 32nd-ranked run defense.

9. New Orleans Saints – QB, Shedeur Sanders. Colorado

Sanders’ free fall stops at the ninth pick in the draft. Though he could’ve gone in the top three, I think the Saints can bide their time and wait for him to fall into their lap. Whether he starts right away or sits on the sidelines until fans start calling for Derek Carr to be benched has yet to be determined. Either way, Sanders is the best quarterback prospect the Saints have had since Drew Brees retired.

10. TRADE: Atlanta Falcons – EDGE, Shemar Stewart. Texas A&M

Shemar Stewart is one of the most gifted edge-rushing prospects we have seen in recent years. According to his Relative Athletic Score (RAS), he ranks first out of 2,012 defensive end prospects from 1987 to 2025. With Leonard Floyd on the other side, he can come into Atlanta and find his footing as a pass rusher without feeling pressure to be the defense’s number-one producer right away.

11. TRADE: Indianapolis Colts – TE, Tyler Warren. Penn State

One pick ahead of the tight end-needy Cowboys, the Colts move up three spots to draft the best tight end prospect in this draft. Anthony Richardson needs to show some progress this season, and a reliable tight end like Warren will give him a safety blanket pass catcher to whom he can dump the ball off to when things get dicey.

12. Dallas Cowboys – OL, Tyler Booker. Alabama

Drafting a wide receiver could be the move here, but I think the Cowboys are desperate to improve their interior offensive line after Zack Martin announced his retirement. Booker is the best offensive guard prospect in this draft class and would be a day-one starter for Dallas. Then again, selecting Tetairoa McMillan could be tempting to owner and general manager Jerry Jones.

13. Miami Dolphins – WR, Matthew Golden. Texas

Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan made an alarming comment when he said he doesn’t watch football or enjoy watching game film, which will cause his draft stock to slide. Couple that with several cryptic social media posts from wide receiver Tyreek Hill suggesting he wants out of Miami, and I think the ‘Phins end up taking Texas’ Matthew Golden.

14. San Francisco 49ers – EDGE, Jalon Walker. Georgia

Though a natural linebacker, Jalon Walker is one of the most polished pass rushers in this draft. As a hybrid between a defensive end and a linebacker, I think the Niners will take a gamble on him and use the off-season to figure out how to deploy him in their defense. With Nick Bosa already commanding so much attention, it’ll be easy for Walker to get one-on-one reps as a pass rusher.

15. Chicago Bears – OL, Grey Zabel. North Dakota State

I think the Chicago Bears will complete the rebuild up front by drafting one of the most versatile offensive line prospects in this draft class. He has played every position along the offensive line besides center, so he will be able to fill a variety of needs along Chicago’s front. He could end up being the franchise’s right tackle for many years to come.

16. Arizona Cardinals – WR, Tetairoa McMillan. Arizona

McMillan claiming he doesn’t watch film is obviously worrisome, but it’s possible he was just saying that to manipulate his stock draft so that he falls to a better team later in the first round. Even if his claims are 100% true, he’s still an insanely talented wide receiver who will likely be a good player in the NFL. If the Cards see what I see, then they’ll make this selection and pair McMillan with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride.

17. Cincinnati Bengals – EDGE, Mike Green. Marshall

Let’s assume Cincy is able to work out a deal with star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson. In that case, they should still draft a defensive end because Hendrickson was responsible for almost half of the team’s sacks. Adding Mike Green, who led the country in sacks last season, would give the Bengals two certified studs along the defensive front.

18. Seattle Seahawks – OL, Kelvin Banks Jr. Texas

After making some meaningful additions to the wide receiver room, the Seahawks can now focus on improving the offensive line, which allowed 54 sacks last season (tied with the Texans for the third-most in the league). Kelvin Banks Jr. can be an excellent guard or offensive tackle, giving Seattle some flexibility about where to line him up while providing new quarterback Sam Darnold with a reliable blocker.

19. TRADE: Los Angeles Chargers – WR, Emeka Egbuka. Ohio State

After working out a deal with Tampa, the Bolts move up three spots to take Egbuka one pick before their divisional rival, the Denver Broncos. Egbuka could come in and be the number-two or maybe even the number-one receiving option on this team, depending on whether or not Ladd McConkey takes a step back after exceeding expectations last season. With Egbuka playing on the other side, I don’t believe that will happen.

20. TRADE: Los Angeles Rams – LB, Jihaad Campbell

With another good receiver off the board, the Broncos trade back and swap first-rounders with the Rams. After adding Davante Adams, LA no longer needs to spend premium draft capital on a wideout. Instead, they will address their linebacker room by drafting Campbell. He has good pass rushing skills and shows strong abilities as an off-ball linebacker, which will be important since they lost three linebackers this off-season.

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

Though I still believe that Aaron Rodgers will sign with the Steelers, he’s cutting it very close to the draft. Pittsburgh needs to have a backup plan in case Rodgers doesn’t sign because their only other quarterbacks are Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. Even if Rodgers does sign, they’ll have a succession plan in place when he retires in a year or two with Dart.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – CB, Jahdae Barron. Texas

This guy is experienced playing at almost every cornerback position on the field. In fact, he even took some snaps as a linebacker and showed some potential as a safety. The Bucs need to add another playmaker in the secondary since six of their defensive backs will be allowed to test free agency next off-season. Who knows, he could fill the hole left by the departure of safety Jordan Whitehead.

23. Green Bay Packers – CB, Maxwell Hairston. Kentucky

Jaire Alexander’s future with the Pack is definitely up in the air. On top of that, they only added one cornerback this off-season despite losing three in free agency. GM Brian Guetkunst loves athletes with high RAS scores, which Hairston has (9.62 out of 10.00). Drafting Hairston fills a need and provides the Packers’ defense with another strong defender.

24. TRADE: Kansas City Chiefs – OL, Josh Simmons. Ohio State

One pick ahead of the Texans, who also need to shore up their offensive line, the Chiefs select the best available offensive tackle on the board. He can play on both sides of the offensive line at the tackle spot, which makes him very valuable in KC’s offense. Had he not gotten hurt six games into the season, there’s a chance he could’ve been a top-ten pick, so this is a steal for the Chiefs.

25. TRADE: Washington Commanders – EDGE, Mykel Williams. Georgia

Even though they signed/re-signed seven defensive linemen, I think it’ll be incredibly difficult for head coach Dan Quinn to pass on a prospect like Williams. He played basically the whole season, even though he suffered an ankle injury in Georgia’s first game, so he’s clearly tough. And, he has the size to line up as a linebacker or a defensive lineman. This kid will be beloved in D.C.

26. Denver Broncos – RB, Omarion Hampton. UNC

With little need for a slot receiver like Luther Burden III, the Broncos fill an immediate hole by drafting Omarion Hampton, who would’ve been the best running back in this draft class if he wasn’t being compared to an all-time college football great in Ashton Jeanty. Hampton has great size (6’0″, 221 lbs.) and the speed to match (4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash). It also doesn’t hurt that he’s a reliable pass-catcher, which will benefit second-year quarterback Bo Nix.

27. Baltimore Ravens – DT, Derrick Harmon. Oregon

With the retirement of Michael Pierce and their best pass rusher from last season turning 34 years old, Baltimore needs to add some more bodies along the defensive front, regardless of whether they’re tackles or ends. Harmon is a jack-of-all-trades defensive tackle who can come in and be the Ravens’ day-one starter. With that being said, don’t be surprised if they go with an edge rusher here instead.

28. Detroit Lions – EDGE, Donovan Ezeiruaku. Boston College

The Lions still need to bring in another edge rusher to alternate snaps with Marcus Davenport. With 16.5 sacks last season, Ezeiruaku was the second-most productive pass rusher in the country behind only Marshall’s Mike Green. With Aidan Hutchinson garnering the attention of opposing offensive lines, Ezeiruaku can step in and make an instant impact.

29. Houston Texans – OL, Josh Conerly Jr. Oregon

Even though they moved back, the Texans will still end up finding their new franchise left tackle after they traded Laremy Tunsil to the Commanders. Josh Conerly Jr. got better as the season went on and even put up some impressive game tape against Penn State’s Abdul Carter. At the very least, he can be moved inside to play guard, which is a need the Texans also have after they lost both of their starters from last season.

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

Two of the Bills’ newly-signed defensive linemen have been suspended for the first six games of the season. Plus, they have three other guys whose contracts expire at the end of this coming season. Drafting Walter Nolen gives Buffalo a long-term replacement for Larry Ogunjobi, who is one of those guys on a one-year deal.

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

Emmanwori scored a 10.00 out of 10.00 on the RAS test, making him the second-highest-rated safety prospect athletically over the last 38 years. That type of athleticism will allow him to be an effective defensive back anywhere on the field. Before eventually being the successor to Harrison Smith, he can spend some time playing on Minnesota’s defense as a nickel corner.

32. Philadelphia Eagles – S, Malaki Starks. Georgia

Though they may choose to fill holes along their defensive line, I think the Birds instead opt to add another player to their secondary, which saw five meaningful contributors leave via free agency. Starks can split time playing as a safety and a nickel cornerback, which is the type of versatility this defense will need next season. And, it helps that Philly loves former Georgia Bulldogs.