Category: Mock Drafts

One rookie QB named ‘ideal fit’ for Browns in NFL draft

One NFL draft analyst has named Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders as a match for Kevin Stefanski

The Cleveland Browns and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders could be destined for one another in the 2025 NFL draft.

With the Browns picking second overall and in need of a quarterback, they could take that swing this season and draft Sanders. That’s exactly what ESPN’s Jordan Reid has them doing in his latest mock draft with the No. 2 overall pick.

Here is what ESPN’s Reid had to say on Sanders:

“Sanders is an ideal fit in Kevin Stefanski’s offense, as his game centers around his polish as a pocket passer. With excellent ball placement, Sanders’ 6.5% off-target percentage was the third-lowest mark in the FBS. Sanders completed 74% of his passes this season for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns to 10 interceptions.”

And he is not wrong. Sanders has proven capable of standing in and stepping through murky pockets. His pocket work still has some drifting tendencies, but his improvements from 2023 to 2024 leave hope that he will continue to grow fearless in the pocket.

Daft on Draft has charted every throw from the big-named quarterbacks in the draft class and has deemed Sanders the most accurate quarterback. Sanders’ Weighted On-Target Percentage, a metric created by Daft on Draft, is 73 percent, while Miami Cam Ward’s is 61 percent.

For perspective from last year’s class, this would have been comparable to Drake Maye, drafted third overall by the New England Patriots, and below only the likely NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Jayden Daniels.

While the Browns could opt to trade down, gather assets, and take a bigger swing next year, Sanders would be the quarterback to take of the top two this year.

Browns upgrade offensive and defensive trenches in new 2-round mock draft

Upgrading the trenches on both sides of the ball is a massive priority for the Browns and that’s just what they do in a new 2-round mock draft

The Cleveland Browns landed Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham and Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou in a new mock draft.

Sitting at 3-12 on the season, many are focusing more on how the Browns can improve in the 2025 NFL draft. Needing to add young talent to their roster, these two players would be a great start.

Daft on Draft published a full two-round mock draft and the Browns did some damage. They selected Graham with the No. 5 overall pick in this exercise and landed Membou with pick No. 37.

Get to know Michigan’s Mason Graham

Graham is a blue chip player and top-five prospect in the 2025 NFL draft. While the Browns may need a quarterback, they are not in the position to take a risky one like Cam Ward from Miami. Taking the best player available at the top of the draft is their best option, which is what they do in this mock draft.

A heavy-handed and nuanced pass rusher, Graham frequents opponents’ backfields. He is also a stout run defender who is hard to move off the spot. He will make a day-one impact at the NFL level.

Get to know the NFL draft riser Armand Membou

Membou is a late riser in the season after a stellar season at right tackle for the Missouri Tigers. He went all season without giving up a sack, facing perhaps the most battle-tested resume in college football.

The Texas A&M duo of Nic Scourton and Shemar Turner could not record a sack against him. Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas, the South Carolina duo, Alabama’s formidable front, and more could not work past Membou in 2024.

Why this mock draft makes sense for the Browns

The Browns need youth in their defensive tackle room. What Jowon Briggs has shown late in the season has been a revelation for a seventh round pick. Second round pick Mike Hall Jr. has been the best defensive tackle on the roster when he is on the field, but given his off-field past he is not a dependable asset to count on.

Assuming Hall Jr. stays on the path, pairing him up with Graham gives the Browns a young and dynamic duo of interior pass rushers with Briggs rotating in as a stout option.

The Browns would leave the top 40 with a dynamite draft if this mock draft came to fruition.

Vikings land defensive piece for Brian Flores in latest 2025 NFL mock draft

A recent 2025 NFL Mock Draft has the Minnesota Vikings landing a defensive player that would fit great in Brian Flores’ defense.

Although the NFL playoffs are quickly approaching us, that doesn’t mean that it’s too early to look ahead at the 2025 NFL draft. This week, Travis May of AtoZSports released a three-round mock draft.

Due to the trades that helped land Dallas Turner last year, the Minnesota Vikings are only slated for one pick through the first three rounds. But May believes the Vikings could land a valuable defensive piece at the end of the first round.

He has them drafting East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. at pick 30. May believes that Revel has the talent to go high in the first round, but the ACL tear he sustained earlier this season will slide him down the board. Here is May’s full write-up of the selection.

Shavon Revel Jr. is a long lean cover cornerback with tons of athletic upside, but the early-mid first projections are probably a bit too optimistic for a Group of Five Conference defender who will miss all of NFL Draft season due to a torn ACL. However, he’s too good a value to let drop out of round one completely as the Vikings hope to bolster their leaky secondary that’s surrendered the fourth most passing yards in the NFL so far this season.

The Vikings will certainly look to get younger at cornerback this offseason. Stephon Gilmore (34) and Shaq Griffin (29) were signed to one-year deals this season. Although they have played well, their age and physical limitations have sometimes held Brian Flores back in terms of how much man coverage he can run.

Revel has the size (6’3″, 193 pounds) and cover ability (PFF gave him coverage grades of 84.7 and 85.2 over the past two seasons) that would fit perfectly in Flores’ scheme. He’s a name to keep an eye on as the draft approaches.

Mock draft roundup: Looking at the latest Lions 1st-round projections

Who is getting projected to the Lions with their first-round pick as we round up the mock drafts from Christmas week

With their success in the regular season, the draft is not what most Lion’s fans are looking forward to as the postseason looms. That being said, Detroit will have the opportunity to continue to load their star-studded lineup in the draft through their first-round pick. The closer it gets, many mock drafts have started predicting what the Lions are looking for.

In the first round, most mock drafts have Detroit going to or winning the Super Bowl, giving them the last two picks in round one. That being said, the consensus on what kind of player the Lions will pick seems to vary between the offensive or defensive line.

Detroit is looking to put the final piece onto their defense, adding another weapon to a defensive line that already has stars Aidan Hutchinson, DJ Reader and Z’Darius Smith.

Ohio State edge Jack Sawyer seems to be a popular pick, as Sawyer has tallied 51 tackles, 6 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and one interception in four years as a Buckeye. Among other mocks, Sawyer was the Lions projection from Ryan Wilson of CBS. He would be another issue for opposing offenses alongside Aidan Hutchinson. Another defensive option, one projected by Chris Trapasso of CBS, is Ole Miss defensive lineman Walter Nolen, who has recorded a career total of 48 tackles and 6.5 sacks in three years. 

In terms of the offense, Detroit may look to add depth to their already successful offensive line. A possible top pick could be Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea, a 6’5 336 pound star who has played 2,418 snaps and only allowed 8 sacks in three years. That was the choice by Curt Popejoy at Draft Wire. 

Overall, first round picks can be the cornerstone of a team or a large regret in the review. It will be up to the Lions on draft day to decide exactly the player they want. 

Browns beef up defensive interior with elite Michigan man in new mock draft

Mason Graham would be a slam dunk pick for the Browns

The Cleveland Browns may turn to another defensive tackle to pair with Mike Hall Jr. early in the 2025 NFL draft, and Michigan’s Mason Graham has been commonly right in their crosshairs in mock draft exercises.

He and Missouri’s Luther Burden III tend to be the most common pairings with Cleveland early on.

That was no different in a new mock draft done at Daft on Draft. In their latest full first round mock draft, the Browns landed Graham to bulk up their defensive interior that consists mostly of aging veterans outside of Hall Jr. Here is what Daft on Draft had to say on the selection with pick No. 7:

“The Cleveland Browns could not have imagined a worse season for having the highest-paid roster in the NFL. Sitting with a top-10 pick with their first first round pick in three years, they somehow get a blue-chip player to fall in their laps.”

Sitting in the top-10, the Browns should not focus on a particular position but rather take a blue chip player if he falls in their laps. Graham is one of perhaps four blue chip players who could get knocked down the board by quarterback-needy teams.

It would be a home run pick if Graham found his way to Northeast Ohio.

Lions attack interior offensive line in Draft Wire’s latest mock draft

Lions attack interior offensive line in Draft Wire’s latest mock draft with West Virginia’s Wyatt Milum

The Lions have one of the better offensive lines in the NFL, a key reason quarterback Jared Goff has been able to do the things he’s done this season and why the Lions are 12-1. But it’s never a bad idea to always try and keep improving the unit and building for the future.

That’s the direction Curt Popejoy of Draft Wire went in for the Lions in his latest mock draft. At pick No. 32 — the spot Lions fans hope the pick actually ends up — the Lions go with Wyatt Milum, guard, West Virginia.

Milum (6-6, 317) has played left and right tackle for the Mountaineers but is being best viewed as an interior option at the next level. The good news is that he can move between center and guard, giving teams flexibility, particularly a team like the Lions that will be looking at guard options with Kevin Zeitler set to be a free agent after the season.

Milum is a strong run blocker, something the Lions will certainly love with their duo of Sonic and Knuckles, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. He has room to grow in pass protection, but the Mountaineers have been a run-heavy team. If he chooses to play in the bowl game, West Virginia is facing Memphis in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl on December 17.

Mock draft watch: Lions address middle of defense in Dane Brugler’s 1st 2025 projections

Mock draft watch: Lions address middle of defense in Dane Brugler’s first 2025 NFL Draft projection

The college football regular season is in the books, which means bowls and All-Star games are right around the corner. That also means draft season is in full swing. With draft season in full swing, one of the greats in the business, Dane Brugler of The Athletic, is back on the prowl after releasing his first mock draft of the season.

This draft is going to be one of the more intriguing drafts in some time. Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter looks to be the favorite to be the first pick, or at least easily be considered the best player on the board. The quarterback class will fascinating to follow, as there is no clear-cut QB1 at the moment.

The Lions certainly don’t need a quarterback and obviously won’t get Hunter. But they’ll have their pick of some good talent at the back end of round one — Lions fans are hoping their pick lands at No. 32. So, which way did Brugler take the Lions in his first mock?

That would Jihaad Campbell, linebacker, Alabama.

With his do-everything skill set, Campbell’s effectiveness will be limited only by a defensive play caller’s lack of imagination. The Lions likely will have greater needs this offseason, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Dan Campbell bangs the table for this type of talent — if the Alabama product is still on the board this late in Round 1.

Campbell has 106 tackles this season along with five sacks and 11.5 tackles for a loss. The six-foot-three, 244-pounder is viewed as having excellent size and speed for an off-ball linebacker and, as Brugler notes, has the talent where Dan Campbell can figure out how to utilize that talent. Draft good players is the name of the game.

It remains to be seen if Campbell will play in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Michigan after Alabama was knocked out of the College Football Playoffs thanks to Clemson winning the ACC championship and SMU getting the last at-large bid. Even if he does, Campbell has posted a solid resume and has made his case for the end of the first day of the draft.

Dane Brugler’s new mock draft gives Myles Garrett a best friend

The Michigan man would be a stellar addition

Could the Cleveland Browns and defensive tackle Mason Graham be a match made in heaven in the NFL draft?

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler submitted his first mock draft of the season on Tuesday. He chose the Browns’ Michigan defensive lineman to pair with Myles Garrett in the pass rush. The Browns are currently slated to pick eighth overall.

For some, it’s a tad early for draft season but for others like the Browns, it’s like an early Christmas as certain teams look to add their next star in April’s draft.

Graham is a disruptive playmaker on the line who doesn’t need to come off the field with the pass rush savvy and lane discipline to clog the run game. On top of being a core piece of Michigan’s 2023 National Championship, he’s also been a first-team All-Big Ten and a second-team All-American. Graham won’t turn 22 until the start of next season, so you’re getting an incredible blend of youth and experience with this selection.

The Browns have needed some firepower alongside Garrett for a while now. They had signed Za’Darius Smith who filled in the pass rush on the opposite side admirably but they would trade him and his contract at the deadline.

Otherwise, Smith had been a part of a trend of finding fill-in pass rushers to compliment Garrett. Over the past five years, this has included names like; Smith, Jadeveon Clowney, Olivier Vernon, and Sheldon Richardson, none of which surpassed double-digit sacks.

Brugler used current draft standings, leading to the Browns taking Graham at nine overall. Notably, the Browns pass on wide receivers like Tetairoa McMillan and Luther Burden in his mock, as well as another Michigan defender in cornerback Will Johnson. If upgrading the pass rush is the goal this draft for the Browns then they’re in luck, Brugler had three edge rushers going right before then which led to Graham dropping. There should be plenty of high-level options to bolster the defensive line.

Assuming the Browns don’t trade out of the first round entirely, this will be their first-round selection since Greg Newsome in 2021. Cleveland currently owns 10 picks next year from several different trades, so we could see an aggressive draft with all the excess ammo they possess.

Mock draft watch: Top takeaways from The Athletic’s latest projections from Dane Brugler

Mock draft watch: Top takeaways from The Athletic’s latest projections from Dane Brugler

Sometimes it’s fun and educational to look around at some prominent mock draft projections as they flow out, even at this early juncture. It’s a good way to see what some analysts might be hearing or anticipating.

One of the most respected draft analysts is Dane Brugler from The Athletic, and he posted his projections from the end of the college football regular season on Wednesday. At this point in the draft cycle, we still aren’t sure who will be declaring or which team will be picking where, but the early insight offers some glimpses as to how the 2025 NFL Draft might shape up in April.

Here’s what I took away from Brugler’s latest mock draft and commentary.

It’s thin at the top

If you follow the NFL Draft community or even the college football season, you already know that the 2025 class isn’t considered very strong relative to recent drafts. Brugler lays that out right away, sharing this from an AFC team staffer,

Outside of Travis Hunter, there is very little consensus about the non-quarterbacks at the top of this draft. “Hunter,” a second AFC scout told The Athletic, “is the only guy this year who would have been a top-10 pick last year — probably in most years.”

Non-traditional No. 1 pick

The No. 1 overall pick has been either a quarterback or a defensive end in every class since the 2013 draft, when offensive tackle Eric Fisher went to the Chiefs with the top pick. There hasn’t been any other position but those three represented with the No. 1 pick since 1996.

That should give an indication of just how special Colorado’s Travis Hunter is as a dual-threat prospect. Brugler projects him No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars, even though nobody is really sure if he’s going to play wide receiver, cornerback or both.

Surprise names

Remember–this is all speculative conjecture about who will come off the board and when they will hear their name called. But there does tend to be the “usual suspects” of about 20-25 names that predominate nearly every mock draft at this time of year. Brugler includes a couple of names outside those usual suspects, at least names that surprised me as I set out to concoct my latest projections.

East Carolina CB Shavon Revel stands out here. He’s certainly talented and has coveted NFL size and athleticism. But Revel hasn’t played against NFL-caliber talent for the Pirates. In fact, he hasn’t played at all; Revel tore his ACL in September and has missed nearly all of the 2024 season. Brugler still projects him as a top-15 pick to the Colts.

Others who don’t normally appear as top-32 projections at this juncture:

Oregon OT Josh Conerly to the Seahawks
Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston to the Steelers; like Revel, Hairston has fallen out of mind thanks to injury.
Purdue OL Marcus Mbow to the Vikings. Mbow just declared this week
Marshall EDGE Mike Green to the Bills. Green still has two years of eligibility but this is more confirmation that the hype around him declaring is real.

Detroit picking 32nd

I know that’s the current draft order based on the NFL standings entering Week 14. But it’s still crazy for this longtime Lions fan to look at a mock draft and see my team picking No. 32 and last in the round.

Brugler’s projection for Detroit with the final pick of the first round is another name that doesn’t currently get a lot of first-round run, Alabama LB Jihaad Campbell. Wouldn’t be my choice, but the draft is still almost five months away…

Mock Draft Monday: Vikings get new defensive pieces from PFF

The focus of the mock draft by PFF was on the Vikings secondary which seems to be a popular trend for the team’s draft plan projections. 

Mock draft Monday is going to look a little different here, in part because PFF dropped their latest piece on Monday. Trevor Sikkema published a three-round mock draft, so we are going to discuss those picks made by him.

PFF focused its mock draft on the Vikings’ secondary, which seems to be a popular trend for the team’s draft plan projections.

With the 28th pick in the mock draft, the Vikings landed Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos. In recent weeks, he has been a popular name and riser who has quickly made his way into the first-round discussion. On Amos, he writes, “Amos deserves more recognition in the 2025 cornerback class. At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, the aggressive outside cornerback combines long arms with physicality in coverage, earning an 81.7 coverage grade and tying for the eighth-most forced incompletions (13) in the FBS. . .”

The final two mock draft picks have the Vikings landing Oklahoma safety Billy Bowman Jr., who could be a long-term play with Harrison Smith getting older. They also land explosive, yet physical, running back Bhayshul Tuten out of Virginia Tech.

Mock drafts are going to be coming in more and more over the next couple of weeks, including every Monday here on Vikings Wire.