Way-Too-Early 2025 Mock Draft

With the 2024 draft now in the books, scouts and evaluators can fully turn their attention to the 2025 class. We have a full season of college football to play before these guys are finish putting their work on tape, but we have plenty to analyze already.

This far out, team needs are almost impossible to predict outside of the quarterback position. Therefore, way-too-early mocks usually have a tough time trying to pin down specific prospect-to-team fits. Instead, this is better viewed as a rough list of prospects to watch, matched to teams based on a broader sense of weak areas on each roster.

• Draft order based on Super Bowl odds

 

Way-Too-Early 2025 Mock Draft

1 — Carolina Panthers: Tennessee ED James Pearce Jr.

Pearce Jr. is a freaky athlete at edge rusher, with choppy hands and a quick bend. He needs to learn some true pass-rush moves to take the next step, but so far, he’s beaten up on SEC tackles just off his athleticism alone at 6-5 and over 240 pounds. It also doesn’t hurt for this particular exercise that he’s from Charlotte. In a down quarterback class, Pearce Jr. may very well be the first overall pick.

2 — New England Patriots: LSU OT Will Campbell

Campbell started as a true freshman at LSU in 2022 and has excelled ever since. He’s dominated the competition he’s faced. It’s taken the likes of Dallas Turner and Jared Verse — both top-20 picks in the 2024 draft — to even make it competitive in an individual matchup. The Patriots get their cornerstone left tackle.

3 — Denver Broncos: Michigan DT Mason Graham

Graham checks every box you could want in a defensive tackle prospect. He’s athletic, well-built and strong enough to take on double-teams in the run game while still being quick enough to shoot gaps and rush the passer. If he continues on the trajectory he’s paved for himself in college, he’ll be the best interior defender prospect since Quinnen Williams.

4 — Tennessee Titans: Michigan CB Will Johnson

As a former 5-star recruit, Johnson had a lot to live up to coming into college. He hit the ground running, immediately cementing himself as one of the best defensive backs in the college game as a true freshman. He held his own against 2024 top-10 picks in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze in 2023 and has the potential to keep getting better. He possesses outstanding size for the position at 6-2 and is expected to run in the 4.4-second range in the 40-yard dash. The ball skills are there too with seven interceptions in his first two seasons.  

5 — New York Giants: Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders

The first quarterback comes off the board here to the Giants. Sanders has never let his smaller stature slow him down. He has incredible vision, both from the pocket and on the run, and can make plays with his arm and his legs. He picks defenses apart from the pocket and makes them pay if they lose contain when he starts moving. He doesn’t have elite arm strength, which is the biggest knock on his game so far.

6 — Washington Commanders: Texas OT Kelvin Banks Jr.

A smooth mover with quick feet, Banks Jr. stonewalled some of the best pass rushers in football last season. He’s an eraser in pass protection, and while he has to work on his consistency in run blocking, he’s put some special moments on tape there as well.

7 — Arizona Cardinals: Kentucky DT Deone Walker

Walker is a true specimen at defensive tackle. Elite size and pass-rush capabilities characterize his game, as Walker recorded 7.5 sacks at 6-6 and 350 pounds. He plays with surprising quickness and finesse for a man his size. If he comes anywhere close to repeating that production in 2024, watch out. 

8 — Minnesota Vikings: Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter

Hunter is an odd eval. He’s incredibly athletic and versatile, drawing comparisons to his current head coach’s playing days with his ability to be one of the best wide receivers and cornerbacks in college football simultaneously. Cornerback is likely his better fit in the NFL, though some organizations could draw up packages for him on offense.

9 — Las Vegas Raiders: Alabama QB Jalen Milroe

This is probably the highest you’ll see Milroe projected in a mock draft this summer. He’s certainly raw, but the tools are all there. Big-bodied with a cannon for an arm and game-breaking speed, Milroe is a dynamic runner and quality passer. If there’s a quarterback who could make a massive jump this season to the top of the NFL draft discourse, it’s Milroe.

10 — Seattle Seahawks: Missouri WR Luther Burden III

Burden is a menace after the catch. He’s not the biggest receiver at only 5-11 and 208 pounds, but he’s physical in his play and electric with the ball in his hands. In 2023 at Missouri, Burden racked up over 1,200 yards receiving and nine touchdowns. He needs to improve his route running to justify a pick this high, but he has all the tools to do so.

11 — New Orleans Saints: Georgia QB Carson Beck

Beck is a precise passer who operates with good timing. He’ll be a redshirt senior with only two years of starting experience and limited athleticism, so his ceiling remains a question mark. Despite this, he’s the early top quarterback in 2025 for many evaluators due to his efficiency at Georgia. 

12 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Texas A&M ED Nic Scourton

Scourton transferred to A&M from Purdue this offseason after recording 10 sacks and is poised to dominate the SEC. He has a nasty spin move he likes to use frequently, leaving even readied tackles in the dust. He’s a quick-twitch athlete who can rush from a stand-up position or with a hand in the dirt. Toolsy edge rushers with refined moves don’t last very long on Day 1.

13 — Indianapolis Colts: Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison

Morrison is a fantastic single-coverage corner. He’s got fluid hips and excellent click-and-close ability to play from off-coverage, as well. He has the best ball skills for a defensive back in this class. Morrison needs to clean up his tackling form, but he has the makings of a shutdown corner in the NFL.

14 — Pittsburgh Steelers: Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan

McMillan has a massive frame (listed at 6-4) and soft hands, a great combo for professional receivers. He’s a twitched-up athlete, especially for his size, with some serious route-running chops. He’s more of a possession/contested-catch wideout than someone who will make you pay with the ball in his hands, but that still plays.

15 — Los Angeles Rams: Arizona CB Tacario Davis

Davis’s length is a major boon on the football field. Listed at 6-4, Davis consistently contests at the catch point, bothering receivers with his height and wingspan. He recorded 15 pass deflections in 2023, though he has just one career interception in two seasons. Davis moves well, able to flip his hips and mirror receivers down the field. Davis adds to a strong 2025 cornerback class.

16 — Jacksonville Jaguars: Penn State ED Abdul Carter

Carter draws comparisons to Micah Parsons, and not just because he wears No. 11 in the Penn State defense. Like Parsons, he’s moving to edge rusher from off-ball linebacker, but this time the Nittany Lions made sure he made the switch while he’s still in college. Carter isn’t quite the athlete Parsons was coming out, but he’s blazingly fast and knows how to use his speed and frame to win on the edge.

17 — Cleveland Browns: Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka

Egbuka struggled through an inconsistent 2023 after entering the year as a projected top receiver in the 2024 draft. He elected to return to school and should be the focus of Ohio State’s passing attack this year. He’s an excellent route runner who catches everything thrown his way. He can play on the outside but projects best to the slot in the NFL.

18 — Los Angeles Chargers: Georgia S Malaki Starks

Starks flies around the football field, putting up elite numbers in both coverage and run defense. He’s a safety built for the modern NFL with the size and length to cover tight ends down the field and the speed and agility to hang with slot receivers and running backs. He’s a sure tackler with the range to play in both two-high and single-high schemes.

19 — Chicago Bears: Ohio State ED J.T. Tuimoloau

A former top-5 recruit, Tuimoloau made a somewhat surprising decision to return to school despite being projected as a borderline first-round selection in the 2024 draft. Tuimoloau is a big edge defender at 6-4 and 277 pounds, with a strength profile that stands out on tape. He’s not stiff, despite his size, with good bend and lateral movement ability. He just needs to get more consistent. Tuimoloau has taken over games in the past but his career high for sacks is just five. 

20 — Houston Texans: LSU LB Harold Perkins

Perkins plays with wild speed and controlled aggression that immediately jumps out on his tape. In two years at LSU, he’s stuffed the stat sheet with 26 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, seven forced fumbles, seven pass deflections and two interceptions. Listed at 6-1 and 220 pounds, Perkins is likely too small to be a full-time edge defender in the NFL, but his production is hard to ignore. Playing more off-ball assignments in 2023, he became one of the best coverage linebackers in college football. He’s versatile, but not homeless, in the NFL. He needs to get better at his run fits if he wants to be a top-15 pick.

21 — New York Jets: Michigan TE Colston Loveland

While there isn’t a tight end in this class as elite a prospect as Brock Bowers and Kyle Pitts were, Loveland is a phenomenal player in his own right. At 6-5 and 245, Loveland has crazy movement skills. He’s a versatile route runner with good hands and the ability to make acrobatic catches. And you don’t get on the field at Michigan if you can’t block.

22 — Atlanta Falcons: Ohio State ED Jack Sawyer

While he doesn’t have the name recognition of his teammate Tuimoloau, Sawyer was arguably the better pass rusher of the pair in 2023. Long and powerful, Sawyer can set the edge in the run game and pursue the quarterback with a relentless motor. He needs to add more moves to his pass-rushing bag, but he can be a solid value pick even in the middle of the first round.

23 — Miami Dolphins: Ohio State CB Denzel Burke

Burke likely would have been a second-round pick had he elected to come out this past season. Instead, he chose to return to school to continue to refine his game and chase a title along with a plethora of other Ohio State juniors. Burke has good size and excellent tools for the cornerback position, but his technique needs refinement. If he can learn to anticipate better, he’s got the skills to be a quality NFL starter.

24 — Green Bay Packers: Penn State S Kevin Winston Jr.

A year after no safeties are taken in the first round, two go off the board in our 2025 projections. Winston Jr. is a sound tackler with one of the lowest missed tackle rates ever recorded, per PFF. He’s fluid in coverage with great range and excellent run fits. He’ll be coveted as an eraser on the back end.

25 — Dallas Cowboys: Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II

Gordon isn’t an elite speed threat, but everything else he does is sensational. Working behind a poor Oklahoma State offensive line, he used his burst and vision to gash defenses for huge gains on a weekly basis, racking up more than 1,700 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. He’s a capable pass-catcher as well, with over 300 receiving yards in 2023. He’s the kind of well-rounded back with NFL traits that sometimes gets drafted in the first round.

26 — Philadelphia Eagles: LSU OT Emery Jones

Turns out the other tackle from LSU is a pretty great prospect as well. Jones has quick feet and a long wingspan he uses to stop defenders in their tracks. He plays with an excellent anchor and fluid movement, using his hands effectively to dissuade rushers. He has a tendency to stop his feet too often, but he’s a surefire first-round tackle prospect.

27 — Cincinnati Bengals: Ole Miss ED Princely Umanmielen

Umanmielen is a toolsy prospect who started to produce last season at Florida. Now at Ole Miss, he’ll look to continue building his profile. He’s got great size and length for the position, with great burst and bend. He’ll be an older prospect after returning for a fifth year but still has a chance to get drafted higher than this.

28 — Buffalo Bills: Oregon CB Jabbar Muhammad

Despite being a smaller corner at 5-10 and 175 pounds, Muhammad doesn’t let his size get in the way of his play. He’s a twitchy athlete with a fiery streak defensive coordinators will love. He’s competitive at the catch point, with a high forced incompletion rate, and knows how to use his average length to disrupt receivers. Muhammad came back for another season at Washington to try and raise his draft stock. 

29 — Detroit Lions: Louisville ED Ashton Gillotte

Another edge defender comes off the board in Gillotte, a bursty athlete with a serious power profile. He’s one of the more refined pass rushers in the class, with a serious repertoire that can threaten almost any tackle. Gillotte’s first step lacks the quickness to bend the edge against fast tackles, but his strength and intelligence as a rusher makes up for it. He’s racked up 18 sacks over the past two seasons. 

30 — Baltimore Ravens: Arizona OT Jonah Savaiinaea

A tank in the run game, Savaiinaea uses his big frame and quick first step to bully defenders off the snap. He gets to the second level quickly and sustains downfield blocks better than most 6-5, 330-pound linemen. He doesn’t have the fastest feet in pass protection, but he knows how to counter edge rushers and handle a variety of moves. It’s incredibly difficult for defenders to get through his chest.

31 — San Francisco 49ers: Michigan DT Kenneth Grant

Pass-rushing three-techs will always have value. That’s what Grant brings to the table even as the lesser-heralded Michigan interior defender. He’s got quick feet and active hands, able to shed blocks and cut off escape angles with regularity. His length is limited, but he knows how to create his own leverage and utilize his strength against opponents. Michigan’s defense is loaded once again this year.

32 — Kansas City Chiefs: Oregon WR Evan Stewart

Another small receiver, Stewart nonetheless has reliable hands over the middle of the field. He accelerates extremely fast, able to surprise corners with his burst and ability to stop and start on a dime. He doesn’t create a ton of separation, but he runs precise routes and will be valued as having WR1 potential.