Finally, after weeks and months of mock drafts and prospect rankings, draft week has finally arrived, with Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft taking place on Thursday with a highly anticipated first round.
As we’re only days away from the draft, I’ve broken down this year’s class in a variety of ways — ranking the top quarterbacks, skill position players, defensive players and the top 50 overall players. I’ve also done two mock drafts as I prepare to join the NFL Network desk for the first two nights of the draft once again.
So, how about one more mock draft before the festivities get going in Green Bay on Thursday?
Here’s my final first-round projection for the 2025 NFL Draft.
I think we all know what the Titans are going to do at this point. Tennessee addressed its hole at left tackle by bringing in Dan Moore Jr. with the purpose of protecting Ward. Those who follow me know how I feel about Ward. He’s got a live arm and can stretch the field. He’s a bit of a gunslinger, and that’s really the only thing that gets him in trouble. He thinks he can make every single throw, which can put the ball in a precarious spot. Other than that, I’m a huge fan.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry called Hunter a “unicorn” recently, and I don’t think they’re going to put a limit on the number of snaps he’ll play on each side of the ball. Cleveland can get substantially better on both sides of the ball with this pick. I think Hunter is the best wide receiver and cornerback in this draft. When you talk about value, there’s no better value than drafting the player who I have at No. 1 on my big board.
Carter is phenomenal, and I think he could have an even bigger impact in the NFL than Micah Parsons, partly because he’s a bit longer and more raw on the edge. He can go back and play the second level. He can go to the edge. He really only played out there one year, and he was a monster. I really love what the Giants could build with Carter, as they’d play him alongside Brian Burns Jr., Kayvon Thibodeaux and Dexter Lawrence, mimicking what the Eagles have done.
This is the worst possible scenario for New England. The Patriots are going to be desperate for either the Browns or the Giants to pick Shedeur Sanders, because that would leave Hunter or Carter for them. I don’t know if anyone’s going to want to trade up to this pick with neither Hunter nor Carter available. So, I think New England’s going to be stuck and overdraft Campbell. I really like Campbell. He’s an excellent player, but this is a high spot for him, as I think they could still get him in the back half of the top 10. Still, this is an easy selection to help protect Drake Maye.
The first big surprise of my mock draft. The new regime in Jacksonville needs to put playmakers around Trevor Lawrence, and everyone I’ve talked to around the league loves Jeanty. Rightly so, the guy was running around that blue turf like he had Vaseline all over. He was like the greasy chicken in “Rocky.” He’s got balance, vision and receiving ability. Travis Ettienne is entering the final year of his rookie contract, so watch out for this possibility here.
In a division that includes Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and now Bo Nix, I think having a dominant defensive lineman (particularly in the interior) is advantageous. I think Graham’s going to be an outstanding player. In my time evaluating college football, Graham has been the most disruptive defensive lineman since Ndamukong Suh.
I don’t have a ton of confidence in this projection. Membou is getting a lot of chatter in draft circles. You can play him at right tackle, where he played in college. Doing that would pair him with last year’s first-round pick Olu Fashanu, giving the Jets both their starting offensive tackles for the foreseeable future. You’d also be protecting Justin Fields, which wouldn’t be a bad idea.
The Panthers had the worst scoring defense in the NFL last season. Walker is a do-it-all linebacker. He can play on the inside and make a lot of tackles. He’s also an explosive player who you can put on the edge as a pass rusher. Considering where the Panthers are defensively, Walker’s versatility would make a lot of sense for Carolina here.
This is where the draft starts to get interesting. The Browns, Giants and Steelers will all likely need to address their QB situation with one of their first couple of picks. The Saints need to address their issue with Derek Carr‘s shoulder injury as well. So, I think the Saints will take Sanders here. I’ve got Sanders as my No. 1 QB in this draft because of his ability to make impressive throws from the pocket and extend plays. This would be a great landing spot for him.
NFL Draft: Is Jaxson Dart challenging Shedeur Sanders for QB2 in this draft? | Joel Klatt Show
Joel Klatt and Daniel Jeremiah discuss if Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart is threatening Colorado Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders. They debate if Jaxson Dart will go in the first round or fall to the second round. Joel and Daniel analyzed if Jaxson Dart gets drafted before Shedeur Sanders will Sanders fall in the draft?
The Bears need offensive line help. Outside of one and a half games against Georgia, Banks would probably be viewed as the No. 1 offensive tackle in this draft, but he — along with many other Longhorns — struggled against the Bulldogs, so he moved off the perch as the top offensive tackle in this draft. Still, he’s a great player, and I can see new head coach Ben Johnson wanting to continue to bolster the offensive line after adding veterans in the interior.
The Niners need to rebuild all over their roster after losing a ton of guys in free agency. I think that allows them to take the best player available, which I believe is Johnson at this point in the draft. I thought Johnson would be a top five or six pick, but his turf toe issue has caused him to slip. Johnson is the perfect 49er and fits what general manager John Lynch wants to do. He’s long and tough with great instincts and ball skills. This guy’s a dog.
I had Jeanty going here in my previous mock drafts, but he’s off the board in this one. So, the Cowboys will have to look elsewhere to help Dak Prescott. They also need another wide receiver to take some pressure off CeeDee Lamb. McMillan, a big-bodied receiver, can make plays downfield, and Dallas can get some running back help later. It’s a good draft to do that.
Chop Robinson was terrific as a rookie a year ago, but Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips have dealt with severe knee injuries over the last couple of seasons. So, while the Dolphins might not need an edge rusher, it wouldn’t hurt to get Williams. His versatility, ability and overall measurables are off the charts. Why not draft a guy that you think has a lot of potential?
The Colts have to figure out what they’ve got with QB Anthony Richardson. Warren makes a ton of sense in helping to answer that question. He’s a solid third-down option. I also don’t think anyone exploits space in the middle of the field like Warren. He does it all as well. Penn State used him in a variety of ways this past season, and he was sensational. The Colts could use a player like him.
This is a production over traits selection. Green won’t blow you away with his traits, but no edge rusher was more productive than him in college football last season. He led the nation with 17.0 sacks and was terrific against Ohio State. His coach at Marshall, Charles Huff, told me that Green could’ve started at Alabama when he was an assistant on Nick Saban’s staff. That’s how good he is.
The Cardinals made a big free-agent acquisition on the edge with Josh Sweat, so that should allow Arizona to add to the backend with Barron. That would cap off a nice offseason for the Cards to get the reigning Thorpe Award winner.
The Bengals took care of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but they’re still in an awkward situation with Trey Hendrickson. So, their pass-rushing situation is still unclear. Stewart didn’t have great production, but he has got great talent and potential. Potential can get you fired in the NFL. However, when you watch Stewart and see how he tested, the potential is there.
Mike McDonald sees the Michigan guy here and says, “Yup, give me Loveland.” Seattle’s offense will look different this year with Sam Darnold at quarterback. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are out at wide receiver, but Cooper Kupp is in to play alongside Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Loveland can create his own space and is a very good route runner. He’s very versatile in how you can use him as a wide receiver.
Campbell is a very versatile and quality player. This is a good fit and would easily allow the Bucs to get better on defense. Versatility is the name of the game on defense, especially at linebacker. Campbell can play off the ball and rush the passer.
Sean Payton is used his first-round pick on a running back twice before, with the Reggie Bush and Mark Ingram selections paying dividends during his time in New Orleans. I actually have the two Ohio State RBs ranked higher than Hampton on my big board, which isn’t a knock. Hampton does everything well, and I think if you pair him with Payton, he can really help Nix. From what I’ve heard in NFL circles, Hampton is the consensus No. 2 running back.
I think it’s a little too rich to use this pick on Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart. I think Emmanwori oozes what the Steelers want to do. He’s a downhill safety that’s big, physical, doesn’t shy away from contact and can run.
There’s no doubt in my mind that the Chargers will draft Grant if he’s still on the board. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter both love this guy. They have both told me ever since Grant was a young player at Michigan that he’s going to be the best out of all those Wolverines defensive linemen and that he’ll be dominant in the NFL. He’s just scratching the surface of his potential.
Another production player here. Ezeiruaku had 16.5 sacks in 12 games last year, which gave him an edge over Mike Green for the most sacks per game in the country. He might not have the traits of a Shemar Stewart, but this is good value for a Packers team that could use it.
The Vikings strengthened the interiors of their offensive and defensive lines in free agency, giving them the opportunity to add a player outside the line of scrimmage. I think Starks is undervalued at this point in the draft. He started right away for Kirby Smart at Georgia, and he could help a defense that struggled to stop the pass last season.
C.J. Stroud was sacked the second-most times of any quarterback last season, and that was before the team traded Laremy Tunsil this offseason. So, the Texans need offensive line help. Simmons is coming off a patella injury, but everything I’ve heard is that the medicals are positive. Had he stayed healthy, Simmons would’ve been an All-American and in the running to be the first offensive lineman drafted.
I don’t know where the Rams are going to go with this pick, so this is more of what I’d like to see them do. Egbuka is my favorite player in the draft. He’s one of the greatest people I’ve ever covered in my career. He’s a great leader, an excellent route runner, reliable at catching the football, a technician, and everybody that comes from Ohio State’s wide receiver room is excellent.
The Ravens could use some help on the interior of their offensive line after losing Patrick Mekari in free agency. Zabel is an excellent player and played a ton of football at NDSU. He’s farm tough.
There’s a lot of potential with Pearce, as this is a traits over production pick. Pearce had the production a couple of years ago, recording 10.0 sacks in 2023. Some of us thought he could’ve been one of the top picks in this year’s draft because of that entering the 2024 season. You pair him with Aidan Hutchinson, though, and you’ve got something cooking.
Washington doesn’t have a third-round pick, and I don’t think it would mind moving back a few picks here because the board isn’t dramatically different. The Browns, meanwhile, passed on a quarterback at No. 2, so they still need one and jump back into the first round to do so. Dart is very talented, but he’s going to need to grow a little bit from a playing standpoint because of all the things that were schemed and scripted for him at Ole Miss.
The Bills have to beef up the defensive line and this isn’t a bad option for a team that has to beat Mahomes at some point. Harmon is disruptive in the middle and powerful.
Mahomes needs more protection. The Chiefs traded away Joe Thuney to the Bears after he slid over to left tackle late in the year last season. They signed Jaylon Moore in free agency, but it’s evident that offensive tackle is the Chiefs’ top need. Conerly would be a good fit.
I like the idea of this match. There’s some rebuilding that the Eagles have got to do on the defensive line, losing Milton Williams and Sweat both in free agency. Howie Roseman has bet on talent in the draft in recent years, and that has paid off huge for them. Drafting Nolen would be another high-talent addition.
Joel Klatt is FOX Sports’ lead college football game analyst and the host of the podcast “The Joel Klatt Show.” Follow him at @joelklatt and subscribe to the “Joel Klatt Show” on YouTube.
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