NFL Mock Draft: New No. 1 Pick Emerges

There's a new top option available with the first part of the draft order set.

Dec 28, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) warms up prior to the game against the Iowa State Cyclones at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

Congratulations to 18 NFL fan bases! The 2024 season is over for you and the offseason is in full effect, meaning it’s time to enjoy some 2025 NFL Draft mocks at their full potential!

Some fans are happier than others to see the season end, but it’s time to put away your feelings and start preparing for an offseason that will hopefully change your franchise for the better. The upcoming 2025 NFL Draft has plenty of game-changers ready to start from day one and if you need defense then you’re in luck!

If you need a quarterback, then hopefully you’re picking inside the top three picks…

But whoever you are and whatever team you support, I am here to give you a fresh mock draft with the official draft order from picks 1-18. Picks 19-32 are sorted out according to Tankathon.com.

But that’s enough formalities. Let’s get to why we’re all here already!

The Tennessee Titans are officially on the clock…

1.  Tennessee Titans

The pick: Cam Ward, Quarterback, Miami

Quarterback is the top need for the Titans and head coach Brian Callahan can’t wait to pick his new guy. The options are between Ward and Sanders (pending Penn State’s Drew Allar being sweet-talked into declaring early after stating he wants to return to Happy Valley next season), and Ward appears to be the favorite.

Ward isn’t everyone’s cup of tea as a true gunslinger, but it’s what makes him most exciting. The NCAA’s all-time leading touchdown passer (FCS and FBS combined) is a thrilling player who can make the Titans bearable in 2025 after this dreadful season. With some weapons around him, Tennessee could make some noise quickly in their rebuild.

2. Cleveland Browns

The pick: Travis Hunter, Wide Receiver/Cornerback, Colorado

The Browns could take Shedeur Sanders here, but Deshaun Watson is almost guaranteed back for 2025, and Cleveland will surely get more veterans to push him. In the meantime, the Browns need a distraction – someone who can ignite the fan base and puts butts in seats by himself… and none can do it better than the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.

Hunter is coming off a 1,200-yard receiving season and picked off four passes as a full time cornerback. The two-way superstar is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before and the Browns would be dying to add him to this franchise and give fans a reason to buy in for what could be another rough season in 2025.

3. New York Giants

The pick: Shedeur Sanders, Quarterback, Colorado

Sanders going to the Big Apple is a media relations dream come true, but it also fulfills the fantasies of Giants fans eagerly awaiting their quarterback of the future.  You can not be a fan of Sanders’ attitude or maturity level, but he’s a damn good quarterback who can make every throw with confidence.

There will be growing pains, but Sanders will have Malik Nabers to grow with, and those two could quickly become a dynamic duo.

4. New England Patriots

The pick: Kelvin Banks, Offensive Tackle, Texas

Protect Drake Maye at all costs. The offensive line stinks and there’s an elite offensive tackle prospect here for them in the former of Banks, the reigning Outland Trophy winner for the Longhorns. Banks’ value is as good as any in this class thanks to his position and his high-level of play. Toss him in at left tackle and let him protect Maye’s blindside for years to come.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars

The pick: Mason Graham, Interior Defensive Lineman, Michigan

The Jaguars need help on defense that isn’t off the edge or a linebacker. I see two Michigan defenders who can be instant starters, and I opted to go for the one who I think is simply better.

Graham is arguably the best player in the draft class and throwing him on a defensive line featuring Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker makes that unit a fearsome one. With Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd behind them at linebacker, this front seven becomes a young and borderline elite group.

6. Las Vegas Raiders

The pick: Ashton Jeanty, Running Back, Boise State

We saw how successful some of the league’s best teams were this year with elite running backs, including the Packers who poached former Raiders’ running back Josh Jacobs. The Raiders likely won’t want to be on the outside looking in for 2025 and with no clear quarterback option currently here, they’ll take their own superstar running back.

Jeanty has the Heisman Trophy runner up this year and turned in one of the greatest single seasons in college football history. Jeanty makes more yards after contact than before and catches the ball at an elite level. This is the type of running back that takes teams over the top and while the Raiders search for their future behind center they can entrust their offense to Jeanty.

7. New York Jets

The pick: Abdul Carter, Edge Rusher, Penn State

Jermaine Johnson is coming off an ACL injury, but he’s a star when he gets back to 100% health. Will McDonald also turned in a great season. Maybe adding another edge rusher seems excessive or maybe even like a luxury, but rushing the passer is top priority in the AFC and quite frankly neither Johnson nor McDonald are what Carter can be.

A near clone of Micah Parsons, another Penn State alum, Carter embraced a full-time move to edge rusher and became arguably the best in the nation. He’s only just getting started, too, and the right coach could get that Parsons’ impact from Carter even in his rookie season.

8. Carolina Panthers

The pick: Tetairoa McMillan, Wide Receiver, Arizona

Bryce Young came alive in the last two months of the season, and it should give Panthers’ fans a lot of confidence moving forward. To continue building off the success, Carolina should add more weapons at his disposal. Xavier Legette was a good start this past season, but McMillan can be the true no.1 receiver for this offense. The lazy comparison for McMillan is Mike Evans, but he’s truly a unicorn with his size, speed, athleticism, and catch radius. 

9. New Orleans Saints

The pick: Will Johnson, Cornerback, Michigan

The Saints are in disarray right now and a very old and expensive roster simply needs to get younger and more talented. Replacing former Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore is a top priority, so adding the draft’s top cover man is a no-brainer. Williams had a “down year” by some standards, but he’s still a rockstar and a future All-Pro.

10. Chicago Bears

The pick: Will Campbell, Offensive Tackle, LSU

Caleb Williams completed a rock-solid rookie season, but my goodness was his offensive line bad. All five spots could be upgraded, so let’s spare no expense. Some like Campbell inside at guard and some say he should stay at tackle. I say who cares? Plug him in somewhere and help Williams stay upright.

11. San Francisco 49ers

The pick: Josh Simmons, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State

The 49ers' offensive line is bad with or without Trent Williams. The soon-to-be 37-year-old future Hall of Fame tackle is slowly but surely declining and he needs his eventual replacement and certainly someone opposite him to help protect Brock Purdy.

Simmons is an important pieces for the Buckeyes and he’s subsequently seen his draft stock skyrocket. I had Simmons around this pick last time around and I don’t anticipate he’ll be dropping anytime soon.

12. Dallas Cowboys

The pick: Nic Scourton, Edge Rusher, Texas A&M

The Cowboys can rush the passer as well as anyone, but Demarcus Lawrence’s days in Dallas are likely done and they need an ace across from Micah Parsons – especially if God forbid, they move on from him… Insert Scourton, who competed with the SEC in his lone season in College Station after dominating the Big Ten last year with Purdue.

Scourton’s profile has him becoming a pass rushing deviant if everything goes right. Given Dallas’ recent track record at the position, I’d put some faith in Scourton being a Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite.

13. Miami Dolphins

The pick: Luther Burden, Wide Receiver, Missouri

Tyrek Hill has publicly said he wants out of Miami and unless he walks back his statement, I am ready to find his replacement. Burden didn’t blow up this year like we hoped he would, but he’s still an elite player with game-changing abilities once you put the ball in his hands. Burden is a terrific fit for this Dolphins offense and should give head coach Mike McDaniel flashbacks to his days as the offensive coordinator with the 49ers when he had Deebo Samuel at his disposal.

14. Indianapolis Colts

The pick: Malaki Starks, Safety, Georgia

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Starks has been mocked to the Colts for months now by seemingly everyone including myself. It’s hard to argue against considering how elite he is. Starks is a step behind Kyle Hamilton in terms of day one potential, but he’s still a plug-and-play player in the secondary who will challenge to be the top defender in this draft class.

In a Colts secondary dying for better play, Starks is an oasis in the desert.

15. Atlanta Falcons

The pick: Walter Nolen, Interior Defensive Lineman, Ole Miss

My persistence of placing Nolen in the first round of all my mock drafts has paid off as now he is almost the consensus IDL2 in the class behind mason Graham and a slam dunk round one pick. Yay, me!

Beyond me patting myself on the back, Nolen realized his former number one recruit potential at Ole Miss with a 6.5 sack season. There’s a high chance he outperforms his draft position and a Falcons team that simply cannot rush the passer will race to the podium to turn in his name and finally get some validity to their defensive line.

16. Arizona Cardinals

The pick: James Pearce, Edge Rusher, Tennessee

If it were up to me, Pearce would be a top five pick at worst, but he’s not seen universally the way I see him. The Cardinals should have no complaints landing an SEC superstar to upgrade their pass rush. 41 team sacks is deceptive and credited more to scheming than anything else, but Pearce enters the fold and immediately threatens to be a double-digit sack machine.

17. Cincinnati Bengals

The pick: Mykel Williams, Edge Rusher, Georgia

Trey Hendrickson has consecutive 17.5 sack seasons, but the Bengals have difficult decisions to make in whether to re-sign him or Tee Higgins along with a looming extension for Ja’Marr Chase. It’s unlikely that everyone gets paid, but even in an event where Cincy pulls it off, they need help rushing the passer. Take away Hendrickson and the Bengals compiled just 18.5 sacks. Former first-rounder Myles Murphy has been a bust through two seasons, too.

Williams’ potential is better than anyone in this class for my money’s worth, but he needs further development and some luck staying healthy. When he’s on the field, he’s nearly unstoppable, and Cincinnati can get tricky and move him inside and outside to terrorize opposing offensive lines.

18. Seattle Seahawks

The pick: Cameron Williams, Offensive Tackle, Texas

Mike Macdonald had a solid debut season as the Seahawks head coach, but they just missed the playoffs even as a 10-win team. Serious questions will be had regarding the future of the quarterback position, but I think Seattle will bring someone in to compete with Geno Smith this offseason and instead focus their draft capital on improving he roster.

Charles Cross has been a stud at left tackle, but Abe Lucas cannot be trusted on the right side with his injury history. Williams is a gamble as a young and inexperienced player, but he’s shown quickly in his first season starting how incredible he can become. Patience with Williams could yield an All-Pro level tackle on the right side.

19. Houston Texans

The pick: Derrick Harmon, Interior Defensive Lineman, Oregon

The Texans have slumped to the finish line this season and a talented team needs upgrades throughout the roster to seriously contend in the AFC. The defense has several cornerstones like Will Anderson and Derek Stingley Jr and under defensive minded head coach DeMeco Ryans it makes sense to commit to that defensive identity.

Harmon was a huge reason that Oregon had the remarkable season they had and his efforts will reward him with a day one selection.

20. Denver Broncos

The pick: Tyler Warren, Tight End, Penn State

Warren is one of my favorite prospects in the entire draft class and pairing him with Bo Nix sounds like a dream come true. Nix has led the Broncos to the playoffs for the first time since their Super Bowl win in 2015 thanks to an Offensive Rookie of the Year caliber season.

His connection with Courtland Sutton powered this offense, but a true number two target is much needed despite intriguing role players. Warren is that second option and could be the next rookie tight end to have major success in his first season.

Plus, we all know how much head coach Sean Payton values a good tight end in his offense.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The pick: Shavon Revel, Cornerback, East Carolina

Who comes off the board first between Revel and Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison? I haven’t been able to consistently decide, but as of January 2025 I am rolling with Revel, who I anticipate will retake the field sooner than Morrison.

Tampa Bay is fine on the backend, but they made their Super Bowl run in 2020 thanks to a deeper cornerback room. Jamel Dean is the only noteworthy guy here, so a running mate is needed. Once Revel is healthy, he will quickly ascend to stardom in Tampa and become a household name.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers

The pick: Elic Ayomanor, Wide Receiver, Stanford

I went back and forth between Ayomanor and Jalen Milroe before deciding to stick with Ayomanor. Until I see the Steelers commit to drafting a young gun, it’s hard not to think the team wants to continue trying veterans while building up the rest of the roster.

Wide receiver is a hole on this team and even George Pickens isn’t good enough to do it himself. Ayomanor is a young and raw player, but his ceiling could be Drake London. Pittsburgh has a track record of developing receivers, making this a perfect dice roll.

23. Los Angeles Rams

The pick: Benjamin Morrison, Cornerback, Notre Dame

Morrison could be just fine as he recovers from a hip injury, but until I see him on the field again, I just have a hard time mocking him inside the top 12-15 like I did a while ago. Instead, he’s back with the Rams in this mock, this time in the 20's.

If Morrison is healthy, he’s a no.1 cover man and a great one a that. The Rams could use someone like him patrolling to boundary in an NFC West division loaded with wide receivers.

24. Green Bay Packers

The pick: Shemar Stewart, Edge Rusher, Texas A&M

The Packers’ pass rush has gotten the job done, but I still feel like they need more depth and certainly another star opposite Rashan Gary. Lukas Van Ness hasn’t gotten it going through two seasons and there’s no one else who feels like a true starter opposite Gary.

I’ve seen Stewart as high as being the first defensive player off the board in some mock drafts, but I’m not ready to commit that highly just yet. However, Stewart has some flashes of Darius Robinson to his appearance and his low sack numbers don’t do justice to the potential he has to become a star.

25. Los Angeles Chargers

The pick: Colston Loveland, Tight End, Michigan

I’ve been hot and cold on Loveland this season, but I’m all-in on his fit with the Chargers, who have found a terrific rhythm offensively thanks to JK Dobbins powering the run game and Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston doing their parts at wide receiver.

Will Dissly did just have a breakout season, but a younger and more talented tight end like Loveland would be a wonderful addition to this blossoming offense.

26. Washington Commanders

The pick: Aireontae Ersery, Offensive Tackle, Minnesota

The Commanders have shocked the world with a 12-win season and a playoff appearance in year one of the Jayden Daniels era. If they want to keep the momentum going into 2025, they must continue building around their young star.

It all starts up front with keeping Daniels upright. Ersery has gone up and done the last few weeks, but I still like him on day one to be a starting tackle. Washington would be happy to get a starting tackle in the late-20s.

27. Baltimore Ravens

The pick: Jahdae Barron, Cornerback, Texas

The Ravens’ secondary was among the worst in the NFL this season statistically, but they did perform much better in the second half of the season. The team will likely look to replace Brandon Stephens at corner and Marcus Williams at safety. Their heirs apparent, Nate Wiggins and Ar’Darius Stewart respectively appear ready, but let’s give them Barron for added depth behind both.

The reigning Jim Thorpe Award winner played lots of safety in Austin before moving to outside corner recently. He’s as decorated, and battle tested as they come.

28. Minnesota Vikings

The pick: Trey Amos, Cornerback, Ole Miss

Amos is another prospect who is making waves as the season ends and the draft process begins. After a journey from Louisiana Monroe to Alabama, Amos found a home this season in Oxford where he found an identity as the Rebels’ top cornerback. The senior exploded for 13 pass breakups and three interceptions.

The Vikings don’t have much at cornerback right now and have been searching for answers for the past 10-plus years. Amos is a great option late in round one who could see the field quickly.

29. Buffalo Bills

The pick: Emeka Egbuka, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

Josh Allen had an MVP-caliber season with Khalil Shakir, Mack Hollins, and the ghost of Amari Cooper at wide receiver. Rookie Keon Coleman showed flashes, but the Bills need much more to make sure Allen stays at the top of his game. Egbuka has proven to be an elite complimentary receiver and his after the catch ability is second-to-none in this class. The RAC machine will feast in Buffalo.

30. Philadelphia Eagles

The pick: Jalon Walker, Edge Rusher, Georgia

Something about the Eagles and Georgia football players, amirite? In all seriousness, the Eagles must get back to their old ways of rushing the passer at an elite rate following consecutive seasons of fall off since former defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon took the head coaching job with the Cardinals.

Walker is a linebacker by trade, but a move to the edge full time could see him become a Micah Parsons-like pass rusher.

31. Kansas City Chiefs

The pick: Mike Green, Edge Rusher, Marshall

The nation’s reigning leader in sacks has all the buzz right now and a great draft process could shoot him up the board quickly. Until then, the Chiefs will seize his services to boost a pass rush that was underwhelming at best this year. Aside from George Karlaftis, KC has no consistent or standout pass rushers. Green will at least give them more depth at worst.

32. Detroit Lions

The pick: Princely Umanmielen, Edge Rusher, Ole Miss

The Lions’ pass rush will be revitalized upon the return of superstar Aidan Hutchinson, but we’ve seen how big of a drop off there is after going most of the season without him due to injury. Umanmielen was highly productive in college and capped off his career with a 10.5 sack season with the Rebels after four years at Florida. The high upside pass rusher gets a great opportunity to grow and see one-on-one matchups with Hutchinson opposite him.