2025 NFL mock draft: Titans take Abdul Carter at No. 1 overall, Cowboys bolster backfield with fan favorite

The Titans said they won’t pass on a “generational talent” at the top of the draft, which feels like they won’t be going quarterback with the first overall pick. Carter, the 2024 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year who led college football in tackles for loss (24) in 2024, could check that box. Dallas Cowboys All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons, also a Penn State alum, told CBS Sports he trained with Carter last offseason. Tennessee decides to take a player it feels could be the next Parsons.

The Cleveland Browns desperately need a new quarterback with how poorly the Deshaun Watson move turned out for them. That’s why they take the 2024 Davey O’Brien winner, awarded to college football’s best quarterback, second overall.

Yours truly witnessed New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, general manager Joe Schoen, assistant general manager Brandon Brown and assistant director of player personnel Dennis Hickey go out of their way to chat with Sanders in the lobby of the player hotel after the opening practice of the East-West Shrine Bowl. Either it’s the greatest smokescreen ever, or the Giants are infatuated with Sanders. At this stage of the draft process, let’s go with the latter as they look to find some stability at the QB position post-Daniel Jones.

The New England Patriots could use some help along their offensive line and wide receiver positions. Their wide receiver position group’s collective 1,723 yards receiving ranked dead last in the NFL, so they scoop up 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 wide receiver 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.

The wide receiver market in both free agency and the draft are thin, so the Raiders scoop up the draft’s top option at the position in an effort to create a more QB-friendly ecosystem in Las Vegas.

The Jets have an opening at left tackle with Tyron Smith hitting free agency, and they decide to fill it with the draft’s best offensive line prospect in LSU’s Will Campbell. Yes, they did use 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 the team’s next QB.

The Carolina Panthers were the worst defense in football in 2024. They were dead last in scoring defense (31.4 points per game allowed), total defense (404.5 total yards per game allowed), rushing defense (179.8 rushing yards per game allowed), and yards per play allowed (6.0). Here, they get the draft’s second-best edge rusher in Jalon Carter, who won the 2024 Butkus Award as college football’s best linebacker.

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). Selecting college football’s 2024 sacks leader in Mike Green (17.0 sacks) should help.

A key factor of new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s success as the Detroit 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 taken ever in a single season. That’s why the Bears take Banks, arguably the most physically gifted offensive lineman in this year’s class.

Top cornerback Charvarius Ward is set to become an unrestricted free agent, and the 49ers need a legit CB1 with all the receiver talent out in the NFC West: Puka Nacua, Marvin Harrison Jr., DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba come to mind. Will Johnson, whose 31.0 passer rating when targeted was the second best in college football since 2022 (minimum 100 targets), fill a key need.

The Dallas Cowboys will likely wait to re-sign All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons and slow-play free agency for another inactive offseason. That means they’ll be desperate to make a splash in the draft, so they’ll pick Frisco, Texas native Ashton Jeanty, the best running back prospect available to give their fans something to celebrate.

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 out 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 could have a void at right guard with Will Fries set to become a free agent, so they select Armand Membou, a 2024 second-team All SEC right tackle who could slide inside to guard.

The Falcons have never drafted someone out of the University of Georgia in the first round, but they do so out of necessity here. 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, 290 pounds, and his mobility at that size creates a major advantage for him. He possesses elite power as a result and a nice get off at the snap. The Cardinals need a difference-maker on the front line of their defense, and now they have one.

The Bengals are about to likely spend a massive chunk of change to re-sign both wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and wide receiver Tee Higgins. Naturally, that means they likely need to allocate draft resources for their defense. 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 beef up Cincy’s secondary quickly.

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald fortifies his defensive line alongside Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II with 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 Seattle does here. Nolen’s 91.6 PFF run defense grade was the second highest by a defensive tackle in college football last season.

Buccaneers defensive pillar Lavonte David is 35 years old and a pending free agent, so 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 replace pending free agent defensive tackle D.J. Jones.

The Pittsburgh Steelers need another threat at wide receiver outside of George Pickens, and Luther Burden III is an off-the-charts athlete at the position. He can leap well for contested catches and explode into open space for tons of yards after the catch underneath. Whoever the quarterback of the Steelers is in 2025 will be delighted with this pick.

With Joshua Palmer becoming a free agent, 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.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst loves to throw resources in bunches at positions of need, and the pass rush is a blinking red light for Green Bay. That’s why edge rusher Nic Scourton makes sense. He’s 6-4, 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. A young, athletic edge with untapped potential is a Gutekunst classic.

Harrison Smith is 36, and Cam Bynum is set to become a free agent. The Vikings need an injection of youth at the position, so why not the 2025 class’ best at the position?

Stefon Diggs is off to the market and fresh off a torn ACL. Houston drafts another local product in Golden, who starred at University of Houston before transferring to Texas for 2024. His nine receiving touchdowns co-led the SEC this past season, and he’ll be a fine addition to C.J. Stroud’s arsenal.

Grey Zabel, a 2024 FCS All-American, could start at multiple spots thanks to his 6-6, 304-pound build. His strong showing at the Senior Bowl puts him on Les Snead’s map with starter Alaric Jackson heading toward free agency.

The Ravens could use reinforcements on their offensive line with Ronnie Stanley and Patrick Mekari set to become free agents. Tyler Booker is the draft’s top guard prospect, and he doesn’t even turn 21 until Apr. 12. Only allowing two career sacks at Alabama in 38 games, 27 starts, Booker could protect Lamar Jackson for a long time.

The Detroit Lions were absolutely decimated by injuries along their defensive line in 2024, so they grab Pearce, 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.

The Commanders could use a new strong safety with Jeremy Chinn set to hit the open market, so Dan Quinn and Co. bolster their defense with 2024 first-team All-American Nick Emmanwori. He’s someone who brings the boom on a consistent basis, something that Quinn values highly.

Yes, Revel tore his ACL in October, but his length allows him to cover a lot of ground. He blends that size with a physical play style off the line, which is how he allowed just a 38% completion rate, the third best in college football since 2023, minimum 70 targets faced, per CBS Sports Research. Buffalo is set to lose Rasul Douglas in free agency, and the Bills can replace him with even greater size.

The Philadelphia Eagles exposed the Kansas City 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 he surrendered just two sacks on 1,032 career pass block snaps. Kansas City takes care of Patrick Mahomes here.

It’s going to be hard for the Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles to retain both Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, so they draft a reinforcement in Darius Alexander. The Eagles struck gold with one of Alexander’s college teammates in the first round last year, corner Quinyon Mitchell. They go back to the well here.