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Less than two weeks away from the 2025 NFL Draft, we don't yet know exactly how things will play out.
We have a pretty good idea of who will come off the board first -- University of Miami quarterback Cam Ward. And we're pretty sure that players like two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter will be selected within the first few picks.
But beyond that, a whole heck of a lot is up in the air. When will the second quarterback be selected? Will it be Shedeur Sanders? Who's going to take the plunge on the draft's top running back, Ashton Jeanty? In which order will the top wide receivers be selected, and by whom?
Who's the top tackle: LSU's Will Campbell, Missouri's Armand Membou or somebody else? When will the edge rushers start flying off the board? Which of Michigan's Will Johnson and Texas' Jahdae Barron will be the first cornerback taken?
Those questions and more will be on our mind throughout the night on Thursday, April 24. But we can also make some predictions about how things will go down. And that's why we're here today. To make some ... educated guesses about how the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft will play out, with my first and only mock draft of the cycle.
For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on "With the First Pick" -- our year-round NFL Draft podcast with analyst Ryan Wilson and former Titans general manager Ran Carthon. You can find "With the First Pick" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc.
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 2
Hunter is the best player in the draft, and the Browns are fortunate enough to land him at No. 2 because the team with the top overall pick desperately needs a quarterback.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
Do the Giants already have a good edge rush duo? Yep. Is that enough of a reason to pass on Carter? Nope. He should step in and immediately upgrade an already-strong defensive line.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
New England needs a left tackle as badly as any team in the league needs any specific slot to be filled. There are questions about Campbell's length but he checks every other box.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Graham is an excellent fit for the interior of Jacksonville's defensive line. The Jags need a disruptor between Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, and he can be that guy.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
There's a lot of buzz about Ashton Jeanty here, but the Raiders are in no position to be taking a running back this early -- especially given the paucity of pass-catching talent on hand. T-Mac can be their No. 1 perimeter threat and form a strong duo with Brock Bowers over the middle.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
After landing a left tackle in last year's draft, the Jets find their bookend here. They still need to figure out the quarterback position, obviously, but whomever they land on -- whether it's Justin Fields or somebody else in the future -- will at least be well-protected for a change.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Green is an elite pass rusher and the Panthers are in desperate need of someone, anyone who can get to the quarterback.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
We had this penciled in even before the news about Derek Carr, who was not the long-term answer at the position anyway. The Saints aren't a quarterback away from competing and Sanders might not have the upside to get them where they want to go, but they always operate as though they're one move away and this could be that move (in their eyes).
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Round 1 - Pick 10
With the Bears having fortified their offensive line to make sure Caleb Williams was well protected, and with the team already having a strong pass-catching trio (or quartet, if you include Cole Kmet), it wouldn't be surprising to see Ben Johnson try to replicate what he had with the Lions by sliding Jeanty into a Jahmyr Gibbs-style role.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Not too far removed from NFC title game and Super Bowl appearances, the Niners have a surprising amount of needs. Walker fits one as a guy who can play both on the ball and off it, getting after the quarterback and even making plays in space on the second level.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
With McMillan off the board, the Cowboys opt for a speed-and-separation type of receiver. They desperately need someone next to CeeDee Lamb that can actually draw some defensive attention on his own, as well as capitalize on the attention thrown Lamb's way.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Miami has a big need at the cornerback slot opposite Jalen Ramsey. You could make an argument for going offensive line here, but the temptation to take the top (non-Travis Hunter) cornerback on the board might be too much to pass up.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
The Colts have seemingly been looking forever for a target like Warren at tight end. His versatility and the ability to take advantage of designed touches should be a good fit in the offense.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Atlanta has needed pass rush help for at least a decade at this point. Stewart is not the most productive player at his position coming into the draft, but he is just about as prototype a defensive end as you will find from a traits standpoint, and if he hits, he will hit in a massive way.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Williams should be able to help stop the run, at minimum. And if you put him in more situations where he can align on the edge and get upfield, he might show some surprising upside as a pass rusher, given the relative lack of production in that area in college.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
Zabel should be able to kick inside to guard and help the Bengals fill one of their few remaining holes on offense. And then they can spend the rest of their picks on the opposite side of the ball. (Hopefully.)
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Seattle still needs help on the interior offensive line. Banks played tackle at Texas and could stick there in college but profiles better as a guard. He should be able to step in right away.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Campbell is an outrageous athlete who checked in with a 9.85 Relative Athletic Score, via MathBomb. He can make plays at every level of the defense and the Bucs could really use a replenishment of talent up front.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
The Broncos allowed one former Tar Heel running back to leave in free agency this offseason, and here they replace him with another. Hampton is the next-best back in this class after Jeanty, and Sean Payton will put him in position to be successful early.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
The Steelers once again look to the quarterback position in the mid-to-late first round. It didn't work out with Kenny Pickett, but Dart has better physical traits and therefore might have higher upside.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Pairing Egbuka with Ladd McConkey would be really fun. Just two guys who really know how to get open with short-area quickness and whom Justin Herbert can find for intermediate gains in Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman's play-action passing game.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
Barron is probably at his best in the slot because of his shorter arms but he showed in college that he can hang outside, too. And the Packers could use a high-level corner, especially if they end up parting ways with Jaire Alexander.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
With Cam Bynum having left in free agency and Harrison Smith getting up there in age, figuring out the safety spot is about to be very important. Starks can hang in Brian Flores' defense.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
The Texans remade their offensive line this offseason, but not in a way that is super encouraging for the future. Simmons has a knee injury that needs to heal, but as long as the medicals check out, you could get a steal later in the first round.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Sean McVay wanted to move up for Brock Bowers last year. This year, he gets Loveland falling into his lap and utilizes him the same way he would have last year's star tight end.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
The Ravens are always building from the inside out, and the massive, talented Nolen helps on that front. Let him learn from and play alongside Nnamdi Madubuike and have some fun.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Detroit slots Booker into the spot vacated by Kevin Zeitler. He is a *very* Dan Campbell-esque player given his willingness to ramp up the level of physicality and should be a great fit here.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
The Commies still need to find a way to get some pressure on opposing quarterbacks and Ezeiruaku should help there. He was one of the best pass rushers in the country in 2024.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Buffalo's safety play took a significant step backward last season, and there hasn't been much done yet to address the issue. Emmanwori is an outrageous athlete and Sean McDermott should be able to coach him up and get the best out of him.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
Kansas City could use some help for Chris Jones on the defensive interior. The depth chart is pretty barren beyond him. Enter Harmon, who can help wreck things on the inside.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
The Eagles elected to use their early picks on the secondary a year ago, but they typically build through the trenches. Pearce is someone who was thought to be a top prospect but has seemingly been falling down draft boards, and that's exactly the type of guy Philly likes to nab at the end of the first round.
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The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
