2025 NFL mock draft: QBs Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders fly off the board with the first two picks

The Titans seem to be signaling that they are leaning toward selecting the 2024 Davey O’Brien winner, awarded to college football’s best quarterback, with the No. 1 overall pick. They made some notable deals in free agency to bolster their offensive line with the additions of Steelers offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. (four years, $82 million, $50 million guaranteed) and Lions Pro Bowl guard Kevin Zeitler (one year, $9 million). There’s no way head coach Brian Callahan wants to ride the Will Levis rollercoaster again in his second season in charge. Cam Ward, you are a Tennessee Titan.

The Browns desperately need a new quarterback with how historically awful the Deshaun Watson trade and extension turned out for them. That’s why they take college football’s 2024 completion percentage leader in Shedeur Sanders (74% in 2024) to right the ship. Plus, his addition will give head coach Kevin Stefanski a few years of leeway as Sanders develops.

After missing out on the two first-round QB prospects in this class, the Giants settle for the 2025 class’ top edge rusher. Carter, the 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year who led college football in tackles for loss (24) in 2024, could be a long-term replacement for Kayvon Thibodeaux should New York opt to decline his fifth-year option and let him walk in 2026.

The Patriots could still use some help at wide receiver even after the signing of Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs. Their wide receiver position group’s collective 1,723 yards receiving ranked dead last in the NFL, so they grab Hunter and make him a full-time receiver, a move that could increase his productivity simply by decreasing the workload of being a two-way player. Drake Maye gets a No. 1 wideout to grow alongside.

The Jaguars defense was one of the worst in football a season ago, ranking bottom five in the league in numerous metrics. Jacksonville has two solid edge rushers in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, but it needs a difference-maker in the middle of the defensive line. New general manager James Gladstone knows how crucial that is after coming over from the Los Angeles Rams. That’s why unanimous All-American defensive tackle Mason Graham is the pick here.

New Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is recreating the Seahawks in Las Vegas. Geno Smith is his quarterback once again after the Raiders sent a 2025 third-round pick the Seahawks’ way. Now, he drafts his new Marshawn Lynch in Jeanty, a true bell cow fresh off rushing for the second-most yards in Division I history (2,601, just 28 yards behind Barry Sanders’ all-time record).

The Jets have an opening at right tackle with Morgan Moses signing with the Patriots in free agency, and they decide to fill it with perhaps the draft’s most athletic offensive line prospect in Missouri’s Armand Membou. They used their first-round pick last year (11th overall) on Penn State left tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu, but now New York has two bookend tackles to support new starting quarterback Justin Fields. That’s why the Jets take Membou, who tested off the charts at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Yes, the Panthers had the NFL’s worst defense in 2024. However, head coach Dave Canales bangs the table to give Bryce Young a true No. 1 wide receiver, so they select Tetairoa McMillan, the draft’s top full-time prospect at the position.

The Saints defense struggled mightily in 2024, ranking 30th in total defense (379.9 total yards per game allowed) and 31st in rushing yards per game allowed (141.4). Drafting the 2025 class’ No. 2 edge rusher prospect, Georgia’s Jalon Walker, who won the 2024 Butkus Award as college football’s best linebacker, should provide some much-needed juice to this unit.

A critical factor of new Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s success as the Lions’ offensive coordinator was having a dominant offensive line. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams needs help after getting sacked 68 times as a rookie, tied for the third-most sacks ever taken in a single season. Yes, they’ve traded for Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney as well as signed free agency’s top center in Drew Dalman, but here they still add at OL. That’s why the Bears take Campbell, a 2024 consensus All-American, to complete Chicago’s offensive line with youngsters at the two tackle spots with Campbell at left tackle and Darnell Wright at right tackle.

Top cornerback Charvarius Ward signed with the Colts in free agency, so the 49ers need a legit CB1 with all the receiver talent out in the NFC West, namely Puka Nacua, Marvin Harrison Jr., Davante Adams and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, among others. Will Johnson, whose 31.0 passer rating when targeted was the second best in college football since 2022 (minimum 100 targets), fills a big need.

The Cowboys finally spring for a real WR2 for All-Pro quarterback Dak Prescott and All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. He led a Texas squad that reached the College Football Playoff’s final four in both receiving yards (987) and receiving touchdowns (nine), the latter of which co-led the entire SEC in 2024. Golden also raised his stock at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine when he ran a 4.29-second 40-yard dash, the fastest of all wide receivers. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones also loves his Texas connections, and he gets one for new head coach Brian Schottenheimer.

Tyler Warren could help boost the Dolphins’ offense in both the run game as a blocker and in the passing game as a target over the middle for Tua Tagovailoa. He’s the 2024 John Mackey Award winner as college football’s top tight end, and he is the only college football player since 2017 with at least 30 snaps at tight end, out wide, in the slot, in the backfield and at quarterback in a season, per CBS Sports Research. Head coach Mike McDaniel could have his own George Kittle down in South Florida.

The Colts need a tight end who can make a real difference in the passing game for Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones in 2025. The franchise hasn’t really had a true pass game weapon at the tight end spot since Jack Doyle retired. Colston Loveland accounted for 34.7% of Michigan’s team receiving yards last season, the highest among Power 4 tight ends. He can be that guy for Indianapolis.

Atlanta racked up the second-fewest sacks (31.0) and generated the third-lowest quarterback pressure rate (28.6%) in the entire NFL last season. The acquisition of Matt Judon (5.5 sacks in 17 games) was a bust. Time for the Falcons to shore up their defensive front. Shemar Stewart is a physical marvel at 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds, and his mobility at that size creates a major advantage for him. He tested comparably to fellow Aggie Myles Garrett at the combine, which boosted his draft stock. He possesses elite power as a result and a nice get off at the snap. That’s why he’s going to be a Falcon.

The Cardinals need a difference-maker on the front line of their defense, and selecting college football’s 2024 sacks leader in Mike Green (17.0 sacks) should help.

The Bengals need to address their defensive line with Trey Hendrickson given permission to seek a trade. That’s why they beef up that unit with Georgia’s two-time second-team All-SEC defensive lineman Mykel Williams.

The Seahawks offensive line struggled mightily last season. That unit surrendered a quarterback pressure rate of 39.4%, the third-highest in the entire NFL, while also allowing 54 sacks, tied for the third-most in the league. New quarterback Sam Darnold was last seen melting under pressure in the postseason with the Vikings, taking an NFL single-game playoff record nine sacks. Seattle invests in Kelvin Banks Jr. here to fix that as he can play at either tackle or guard. As a tackle at Texas, he had the lowest QB pressure rate (1.9%) of any tackle in college football in the span of his career (minimum 1,000 snaps played), per CBS Sports Research.

Buccaneers defensive pillar Lavonte David is 35 years old. Yes, he did re-sign on a one-year deal, but Tampa Bay drafts his replacement. The 2024 first-team All-SEC linebacker’s 117 tackles last season were the most in a season at Alabama since current Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans’ 126 in 2003.

The selection of Grant beefs up what’s already a dominant, top-five defense in Denver. He’s disruptive as a pass rusher with 10 passes defended across the last two seasons, tied for the most by a collegiate defensive lineman since 2023. This selection allows for the Broncos to even better emulate the Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles’ model of building through the trenches.

North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton crushed the combine and firmly established himself as this draft’s RB2 behind Ashton Jeanty. He registered a 9.93 Relative Athletic Score out of a possible 10.00, which is the 14th best out of 1,909 running back prospects from 1987 to 2025. Pittsburgh let Najee Harris walk in free agency, so it selects Hampton to be the new lead back.

With Josh Palmer joining the Bills, the Chargers replace him with their first-round pick to give quarterback Justin Herbert a trio of young receivers to develop alongside. The Buckeyes’ all-time leader in catches (205) has dependable hands and a full route tree, so he should provide another capable pass-catcher for a Chargers offense that needs more consistency at the wide receiver position.

The Packers need cornerback help. No. 1 corner Jaire Alexander could easily be on another team by the end of the month, and 2021 first-round pick corner Eric Stokes didn’t pan out and is set to become a free agent. Barron won the 2024 Jim Thorpe Award as college football’s best defensive back, and he had a 91.3 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, the second best by a cornerback in the nation. He’ll help patch up Green Bay’s secondary in a hurry.

Harrison Smith is 36, and Cam Bynum left for the Colts in free agency. The Vikings need an injection of youth at the position, so why not the 2025 class’ best at the position?

The Texans have completely overhauled their offensive line this offseason, but the new additions aren’t incredibly inspiring. That’s why Houston reunites quarterback C.J. Stroud with one of his Buckeyes teammates in Josh Simmons. Simmons had a torn patellar tendon that cut his 2024 season short after starting six games at left tackle for Ohio State last season. If not for the injury, he could have been selected higher. Simmons allowed just one QB pressure and no sacks on 152 pass-blocking snaps last season, which was good for the lowest pressure rate allowed (0.7%) by any tackle with at least 100 pass block snaps. The Texans get a steal here.

The Rams came up just short against the Eagles in the playoffs, so they continue to beef up their defensive line in an effort to keep up with the champs. Harmon was one of the best at pressuring the quarterback from the defensive tackle spot at the FBS level, and he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.95 seconds. That will work alongside 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse.

Baltimore upgrades it defensive line to better harass the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow. That’s why it picks 2024 consensus All-American defensive tackle Walter Nolen. Many teams will try to mimic the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles’ build-through-the-trenches model, and that’s what Baltimore does here. Nolen’s 91.6 PFF run defense grade was the second highest by a defensive tackle in college football last season.

The Lions were absolutely decimated by injuries along their defensive line in 2024, so they select Ezeiruaku, the 2024 ACC Defensive Player of the Year whose 16.5 sacks were the second most in the nation. He showcased a steady dose of explosion off the ball at the combine. The consensus All-American will fit in nicely with the NFC North champs.

With Dante Fowler Jr., Washington’s 2024 sacks leader with 10.5, returning to the Cowboys, the Commanders need to acquire a young edge rusher. Enter Nic Scourton. He’s 6-4 and 285 pounds with a strong spin move while also being solid against the run. His 29 tackles for loss since 2023 are tied for the eighth most in the country, and he’ll be 20 years old on draft night. He’ll fit well with the NFC runner-ups.

The Bills need more juice on the back end of their defense, so that’s why they select electric South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori. He hit a perfect 10.0 out of 10.0 in the Relative Athletic Score after he ran 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash while recording 43 inches in the vertical jump and 11-foot-6 in the broad jump with a stature of 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds.

The Eagles exposed the Chiefs’ offensive tackles in Super Bowl LIX. The 2024 first-team All-Big Ten left tackle allowed the lowest quarterback pressure rate (1.6%) in the conference in 2024 (minimum 400 snaps) and surrendered just two sacks on 1,032 career pass block snaps. Kansas City takes care of Patrick Mahomes here.

Josh Sweat is now with the Cardinals, so Philadelphia selects his successor in James Pearce. He is a two-time first-team All-SEC player who led the conference in tackles for loss (28) and quarterback pressures (107) across the last two seasons. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman loves his Georgia Bulldogs, but this time he goes with one of their archrivals in one of the Tennessee Volunteers’ finest.