Tag: 2025 NFL Draft

Oregon WR Evan Stewart lands with ‘America’s Team’ in latest ESPN 2025 mock draft

Evan Stewart to “America’s Team” in 2025? The latest mock draft from ESPN has it happening.

It hasn’t even been a week since the 2024 NFL Draft concluded, where a program-record eight Oregon Ducks were selected, but we already have our eyes on 2025 and what that might bring for Eugene.

The Ducks have a five-year streak of having first-rounders selected in the draft, and according to the latest mock from ESPN, that streak will continue with wide receiver Evan Stewart going to the Dallas Cowboys with the No. 26 overall pick.

Outside of CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys haven’t really found a dependable pass-game option on the perimeter. That’s why I like Stewart as a fit in Dallas. He is a sudden route runner with instant acceleration to threaten defenders in a hurry. The Texas A&M transfer lacks play strength, as only 27 of his 514 receiving yards came after contact last season, and he managed three forced missed tackles over eight games. Even so, the flashes suggest big upside and a potential breakout year.

Stewart has yet to play a real game in Eugene, but he did look impressive in the spring game last weekend after transferring in from Texas A&M. In his two seasons at the college level, Stewart has 91 catches for 1,163 yards and 6 touchdowns.

The receiver room in Eugene is stacked with talent, so Stewart is going to have to compete with the likes of Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden, Gary Bryant, and others for targets, but based on the talent that he brings to the table, a career year isn’t hard to project for the Texas native.

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Texans land LSU LB Harold Perkins In ESPN’s 2025 NFL mock draft

It’s early, but the Houston Texans could target a standout SEC linebacker for their front seven in the 2025 NFL draft.

A week ago, Caleb Williams took the stage in Detroit, Michigan, and donned his first jersey as a member of the Chicago Bears. The move was expected for months, but it finally marked the start of the 2024 NFL draft. 

Now, analysts are already preparing for the 2025 draft less than 10 later. Of course, plenty could change from here until Week 18 come next January, but at least pundits have a baseline on what to expect leading up to the regular season. 

For the Houston Texans, they remain a playoff contender entering 2024 after their lucrative offseason spending. Is it enough to send the franchise to New Orleans for the Super Bowl? According to ESPN, not yet. 

Instead, the Texans secure the 24th overall pick in the 2025 draft and select LSU linebacker Harold Perkins, thus bolstering DeMeco Ryans’ front seven at the second level. 

“Perkins is an ideal fit in DeMeco Ryans’ scheme,” wrote ESPN’s Jordan Reid. “He has spent time at the first and second levels of the Tigers’ defense, but he is expected to be a full-time inside linebacker this season. Perkins is an explosive playmaker, with 13 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons, but he has to improve his read-and-react skills.” 

Perkins, a native of Cypress, has been a staple of the Tigers’ defense over the past two seasons. He started as a true freshman and impressed off the edge, leading the team in tackles for loss and sacks while earning first-team All-SEC honors. 

Last season, Perkins’ numbers plateaued. While his rep count grew, his production dipped, totaling just three more tackles and two fewer sacks.

He did finish with an identical 13 tackles for loss in comparison to his freshman year production, though this time it was from the inside linebacker role. 

Perkins’ best asset is his ability to blitz. He’s also been an effective run-stopper, though half of his production came on designed blitzes meant for quarterback hits. 

Far from a finished product, it’ll be interesting to see what new LSU defensive coordinator Blake Baker does to fix the miscues in Perkins’ game. It’ll also be intriguing to see how the Texans view starters Azeez Al-Shaair and Christian Harris following a prominent season in the AFC South. 

Al-Shaair, who played under Ryans in San Francisco, is coming off his best professional season with 163 tackles. He inked a three-year, $34 million deal with Houston this offseason and should be the starting MIKE backer through at least 2025. 

Harris, a former third-round pick out of Alabama, broke out as Houston’s weakside backer en route to a division title. He totaled 101 tackles and two sacks during the regular season.

Harris made headlines with his 36-yard interception returned for a touchdown in the wild-card playoff win over the Cleveland Browns. Should Perkins be the selection, Harris will be entering a contract year and could be viewed as the odd man out. 

A 2025 NFL mock draft from ESPN has the Raiders trading up for Shedeur Sanders (but not at No. 1!)

Is Shedeur Sanders really a first-rounder next year?

With the 2024 NFL Draft over (you can read our ranking of every team’s haul here!), the buzz about who is going to be taken next year has already begun.

Right now, there’s a lot of talk about Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders — the son of coach Deion Sanders — going No. 1 overall as one of the 10 top prospects to watch this season in college football. He went first overall to the Titans in our first 2025 mock draft from Cory Woodroof.

But in a new 2025 mock from ESPN, Jordan Reid has Sanders going No. 5 thanks to a trade up from the Las Vegas Raiders. Here’s his take:

With Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers on offense, the Raiders can set up a young passer really well. And Sanders is a smooth operator whose game centers around his great ball placement (69.3% completion rate last season, eighth in the FBS) and calm demeanor when protected in the pocket. He took 52 sacks in 2023 behind a struggling offensive line, so Sanders’ internal clock must speed up before he gets to the next level; he tends to compound mistakes by holding onto the ball too long. But he has a ton of talent and can certainly be the answer for Las Vegas. I see a lot of similarities in his game to Geno Smith.

There you have it! Make sure to check out our very early 2025 NFL mock draft from Cory Woodroof!

Jalen Milroe selected first overall in 2025 NFL mock draft

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe is the first overall pick in one way-too-early 2025 NFL mock draft.

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe returns for the 2025 college football season and is looking to not just lead the team back to the College Football Playoffs, he wants to work his way into the Heisman Trophy conversation and boost his 2025 NFL draft grade.

While the 2024 NFL draft just recently concluded, experts and analysts have already begun looking ahead to see how the 2025 first round might turn out.

One mock draft done by The Draft Network projects Milroe will be the first player selected, going first overall to the Carolina Panthers, which is interesting for a variety of reasons.

Milroe is not a player that has a unanimous first-round grade for the 2025 draft. Though he has appeared as a Day 1 pick in some mock drafts, he has some improving to do before cementing himself as a clear first-round player.

The Panthers had the first overall selection in the 2023 NFL draft and used it to pick up former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.

Though no rationale is presented with the projection, we are left to assume that The Draft Network believes Carolina is already in a position to move on from the former Heisman winner and could look to replace him with his former backup.

There’s no telling what will happen in just under a year from now, but Milroe could very well play his way into contention to be the first overall pick.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Milroe and other Alabama players as they prepare for the upcoming 2024 college football season.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Deion Burks taken in the first in The Athletic’s first mock draft for 2025

In his first mock draft for the 2025 NFL draft, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler projects Deion Burks to go in the first round.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a ton of talent heading into the 2024 season. Especially at wide receiver. The Sooners are loaded with playmakers, which is part of the reason for optimism despite a first year starting quarterback and massive turnover along the offensive line. Nic Anderson is generating early 2025 NFL draft buzz, coming in at No. 5 in Pro Football Network’s wide receiver rankings. But he may not even be Oklahoma’s best wide receiver this fall.

One of the playmakers that will electrify this fall may only be in Norman one year; [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag]. Burks, who came over from Purdue this offseason, put the college football world on notice with his huge performance in the Oklahoma Sooners spring game, racking up five catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns.

Now, he won’t do that every week, but it looks like he’s got a nice rapport with Jackson Arnold, which will lead to some big days this fall. And before he ever plays a down for the Sooners, NFL draft analysts are already taking notice.

In his early 2025 NFL mock draft for The Athletic (subscription required), Dane Brugler sends Deion Burks to Detroit Lions in the first round.

Another Purdue transfer (the poor Boilermakers), Burks is a playmaking athlete with the ball in his hands. The Belleville, Mich., native returns to his home state in this scenario. – Brugler, The Athletic

Burks will get a lot of attention this fall from SEC defenses and NFL scouts alike because of his speed, athleticism, and agility. As teams look to get more explosive, Burks is a player that can take the ball to the house every time he touches it and can threaten a defense deep.

If he has the season that many expect in 2024, teams will have a hard time passing on him in the 2025 NFL draft.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams

Betting odds for Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel to be No. 1 pick in 2025 NFL Draft

Can Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel go No. 1 overall in 2025? Betting odds have been released for the occasion.

The 2024 NFL Draft just came to a close over the weekend, but that hasn’t stopped any college football fans from looking forward and projecting what the top of the 2025 draft may look like.

While there are a ton of mock drafts that have been released for next year that feature a number of Oregon Ducks who have the chance to extend the team’s first-round streak, it’s a different conversation when it comes to who might be the first overall pick.

In all likelihood, it will be a quarterback who is taken at No. 1 overall since that is the most important position in the sport. So what are the chances that Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel can be the first overall pick next year? That’s a betting line that FanDuel Sportsbook released this past weekend.

According to FanDuel, Gabriel has +12000 odds to be the first pick, which is the 34th highest in the nation. At the top of the list is Colorado Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders, followed by Georgia Bulldogs QB Carson Beck.

While Gabriel enters the 2024 season as one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy, it’s fair to question what his draft stock will be next year due to his size. Standing at just 5-foot-11, 205 pounds, Gabriel is smaller than your typical NFL quarterback, where a prototypical passer is around 6-foot-1 or taller. We have seen smaller QBs succeed at the next level— both Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson are under 5-foot-11 — but they need to be electric at the college level in order to be the No. 1 overall pick, and a Heisman Trophy victory is almost a prerequisite.

None of that is to say that Gabriel can’t be the No. 1 overall pick, but he would need a historic season in order to do so.

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Nic Anderson among Pro Football Network’s top wideouts for 2025 NFL draft

Nic Anderson is receiving early love for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Oklahoma did not have a single skill player drafted in this year’s NFL draft, but Pro Football Network expects that to change for 2025.

We’re not even a week removed from the end of the 2024 NFL draft, but Pro Football Network is already at work crafting its way-too-early rankings for each position for next year’s draft.

After this year’s historic and talent-laden wide receiver group, next year may look underwhelming overall, but there’s still plenty of talent to be had next April. Fortunately, the Sooners have a player that is already considered one of the best at his position a year ahead of the 2025 NFL draft. Nic Anderson.

Redshirt sophomore receiver Nic Anderson checks in at No. 5 in Pro Football Network’s WR rankings. Anderson will be draft-eligible after this season, and the pass catcher is a rising star in college football.

Last season Anderson reeled in 38 catches for 798 yards and ten touchdowns. He was a touchdown-scoring machine and a big play threat every time he took the field.

His excellent speed, long strides, and ability to make things happen after the catch make him an enticing prospect. Size-wise, he stands 6-foot-4 and clocks in at 210 pounds.

Anderskn will likely need to showcase improved route running and an enhanced focus on reeling in routine catches. Still, it’s impossible not to see the tools and why draft analysts may be salivating at what Anderson can become over the next year.

Jackson Arnold will play a pivotal role in how Anderson looks to scouts this upcoming year. The sophomore quarterback is set to enter his first season as the starting quarterback. It will be interesting to see what rapport Arnold builds with Anderson as the season kicks off. Early in 2023, the two seemed to work well together, connecting on a number of deep balls, including this touchdown against Tulsa. They also hooked up for a highlight reel touchdown in Arnold’s first start during the Valero Alamo Bowl.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on X @thatmanbryant.

Saints might get a compensatory draft pick in 2025 after all

The New Orleans Saints might get a compensatory draft pick in 2025 after all. But it’s far from a sure thing, and all things considered, it’s pretty low stakes:

Could the New Orleans Saints finally have a full assortment of picks in the 2025 NFL draft? They rejected temptation and didn’t trade away any of next year’s picks in the 2024 draft, only using a couple of current-year picks to move up in Round 2 for cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.

It’s a good thing, too. The Saints already traded their pick in the seventh and final round of the 2025 draft along with defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson in 2022. That pick conveyed to the Philadelphia Eagles, who sent back a fifth-round pick in 2023 (which was traded to move up for offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri) as well as a sixth-round pick in 2024 (that became defensive tackle Khristian Boyd). So while the Saints own their picks in the first six rounds, that seventh rounder is going to Philadelphia.

But New Orleans just might get another seventh-round selection to make up for it. Over The Cap’s Nick Korte forecasts the Saints to receive a seventh-round compensatory draft pick in 2025 for losing either cornerback Isaac Yiadom or linebacker Zack Baun in free agency this spring. The deadline for comp pick considerations passed on Monday, April 30, so they’re one step closer.

Of course it isn’t that simple. Depending on which player factors into the comp picks formula, how often Yiadom or Baun is on the field (for the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively) will impact the valuations. Baun was previously ranked higher in Korte’s calculations, but now it’s Yiadom slotting in as the qualifier.

It also depends on other players around the league outplaying the Saints’ qualifiers and bumping them down the ranking. Either way, this is pretty low stakes. The comp pick in question would be the second-to-last pick in the 2025 draft. This year, that was No. 256 overall, just nearly Mr. Irrelevant himself. It would be nice for the Saints to get another comp pick in 2025, replacing the selection traded to the Eagles, but no one should lose sleep over the second-to-last pick.

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Texas QB Quinn Ewers linked to Saints in way-too-early 2025 NFL mock draft

Could the Saints select a quarterback once more in 2025? Texas passer Quinn Ewers was cast as a possibility in this way-too-early mock draft:

The New Orleans Saints have been in something of a state of limbo at the quarterback position since the retirement of Drew Brees. From Taysom Hill to Jameis Winston to Derek Carr, things have not worked out to a point of true satisfaction in the quest to replace an NFL legend — or even have someone consistently competent under center.

Now the Saints have drafted a quarterback for two consecutive seasons, taking Fresno State product Jake Haener last year and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler in 2024. While Haener has shown promise at times and Rattler provides reason for optimism after the way he turned things around at South Carolina — despite poor pass-protection and a supporting cast that was nothing to write home about — neither of them should keep the Saints from drafting a quarterback high if they’re picking near the top of 2025’s first round.

Until any of these prospects fully prove themselves as the Saints’ signal-caller of the future, the jury is still out. So much so that Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy has the Saints picking Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers at No. 11 overall in his way-too-early 2025 NFL mock draft.

If the Saints are picking this highly next year, it’s safe to assume things didn’t pan out with Carr at quarterback in 2024, in addition to multiple other areas. Ewers has shown some upside, coming up just short of leading his team to a national title game appearance in December.

Ewers earned praise for his overall accuracy and ball placement, though some scouts have questioned his ability to maintain his mechanics on the run and perform under pressure. How he addresses these things, where his stock ultimately stands on draft day, and if he indeed is a Saint by this time next year will all be things to watch moving forward. There’s a possibility he ends up being a match for New Orleans in 2025.

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UGA’s Mykel Williams, Carson Beck first-two overall picks in 2025 NFL mock draft

NFL analyst projects Mykel Williams and Carson Beck to come off the board first in 2025 NFL draft…

Georgia football sent eight players through the 2024 NFL draft over the weekend, the lowest number of Bulldogs taken since 2021 (9).

Considering the returning talent UGA possesses on its 2024 roster, the 2025 NFL draft is shaping up to possibly contend with Georgia’s own draft record of 15 selections in 2022. More than 20 players will have the opportunity to declare, including underclassmen headed into their third season of eligibility.

Although its very early, one of the most intriguing 2025 NFL mock drafts comes from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. He has Georgia edge defender Mykel Williams as the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers, followed by Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck at No. 2 overall to the Tennessee Titans.

Brugler writes of Williams:

“At this time last year, it was easy to put together the top of my mock, with stars like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. But the 2025 draft class doesn’t have that type of established star power, leaving the No. 1 pick wide-open.

A toolsy prospect, Williams’ 2023 tape doesn’t show consistency, but there are high highs, including what he did in the bowl game against Florida State.”

Brugler writes of Beck:

“If the Titans are drafting this high next April, the organization might be re-examining its quarterback situation.

In his first year as a starter, Beck got consistently better with each performance and put some beautiful throws on tape. He enters the season as the quarterback scouts like the most.”

It’s not crazy to think that Williams and Beck will hear their names called early next spring. However, it would be surprising for Georgia to produce the first two picks of the seven-round event.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker is the last No. 1 overall pick to come out of Athens (2022). The Dawgs have never had the first two overall picks.

Additionally, Brugler has Georgia safety Malaki Starks going No. 12 to the Indianapolis Colts and offensive tackle Earnest Greene II taken by the Cleveland Browns at pick No. 16.

Georgia produced five first-round picks in 2022. We could see a similar mark in the 2025 NFL draft.