Tag: 2025 NFL mock draft

Browns land local explosive wide receiver in new 2025 NFL mock draft

The Browns could add even more firepower next year

The Cleveland Browns have one of the best rosters, from top to bottom, in the NFL heading into the 2024 season. A local wide receiver like Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka could surely help with that.

The team will likely extend Amari Cooper and has high hopes for the rest of the wide receiver room to grow and develop. However, with little proof in this group, they could still add more as they finally pick in the first round again next April. In the latest mock draft from Sports Illustrated, Cleveland lands the Ohio State star Egbuka in the first round.

“Looking at the roster, it is hard to match fit, need, and value in the middle of the first round. Offensive tackle could be a need, but the top-three are already off the board. Here, they make Emeka Egbuka their newest wide receiver instead. Amari Cooper is in the last year of his deal and holding out, the Browns just traded for and extended Jerry Jeudy. However, after those two names there is not a proven player in the room. They need more offensive firepower that Egbuka can provide.”

Some of his incredibly talented teammates have overshadowed Egbuka, but he is the real deal. One of the best route runners and a great athlete, the sky is the limit to what Egbuka could become in the NFL.

Colts address tight end and safety in early 2-round 2025 mock draft

In an early two-round 2025 mock draft from Pro Football Network, the Colts address the tight end and safety positions.

In an early two-round 2025 NFL mock draft from Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network, the Indianapolis Colts address the tight end and safety positions–two potential big needs for them.

At pick No. 12 overall, Cummings has the Colts taking top tight end Colston Loveland from Michigan. Here is what Cummings had to say about the pick:

“The Colts have a lot of names at TE but not much long-term security. It stands to reason that they could be a suitor for Michigan’s Colston Loveland, who’d be a devastating force in Shane Steichen’s vertical scheme with his size, burst, bend, and separation ability.”

Cummings summed the state of the tight end room fairly well–the Colts have a number of options at the position this season that makeup a diverse group of skill sets. However, next offseason, Kylen Granson and Mo Alie-Cox will be free agents, while Jelani Woods and Drew Ogletree will be entering the final year of their rookie deals.

Loveland is a very good athlete, standing 6-5 and weighing 246 pounds, and would add another pass-catching threat to the tight end position for the Colts, which is the part of his game he is known for.

In 2023, Loveland caught 45 of his 62 targets for 14.4 yards per catch with four scores. He played nearly half of his snaps from the slot, with almost 20 percent coming lined up out wide.

Loveland’s 649 receiving yards were the fifth-most among all tight ends last season. He also ranked fourth in average yards per catch and third in yards per route run, an efficiency metric from PFF.

With the Colts’ second selection at pick No. 44, they took Iowa safety Xavier Nwankpa.

The safety position was a perceived need for the Colts this offseason and will likely be so once again. Julian Blackmon will be hitting free agency in 2025, and there will be the potential need to find an upgrade, or at least added competition, for Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas.

Listed at 6-2 – 210 pounds, the majority of Nwankpa’s snaps in 2023 came playing closer to the line of scrimmage, with 357 in the box and 243 from the slot.

In coverage, he held opponents to a completion rate of 54 percent on 26 targets and only 9.8 yards per catch. Nwankpa recorded two pass breakups and one interception. He ranked 59th out of 200-plus safeties in PFF’s run defense grade as well.

For more on Nwankpa’s game, here is what Cummings had to say:

“You rarely come across a complete three-level safety with a center-fielder’s range, but the 6’2″, 210-pound Nwankpa might just fit that profile. His playmaking ability is an obvious plus, but he also has exciting role versatility and presence in the support phase.”

Bucs land stud CB in early 2025 NFL mock draft

See which top cornerback prospect the Tampa Bay Buccaneers land in this early first-round forecast for the 2025 NFL draft

It’s never too early to look ahead to the next NFL draft, and that’s exactly what our friends at Draft Wire have done this week, with a brand new first-round projection for 2025.

In this early mock for next year’s draft, the Bucs are selecting 12th overall, meaning they would miss the playoffs for the first time in five seasons, which would obviously be a disappointment.

But on the bright side, this projection has them using that pick on Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison, one of the top cornerback prospects in college football. Morrison has the size, length and coverage skills to be an ideal fit in Todd Bowles scheme, and a stellar 2024 campaign could easily make him a top-10 pick.

After trading away Carlton Davis III this offseason, the Bucs have tons of question marks at corner outside of Jamel Dean, who himself has even struggled to stay healthy and consistent. Spending a first-round pick on a top prospect like Morrison next year would be an ideal scenario for Tampa Bay to shore up a huge need at a premium position.

To check out Draft Wire’s full mock draft, click here.

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Bengals tackle key area of defense in new 2025 NFL mock draft

An early mock draft has the Bengals adding to a premium spot.

The Cincinnati Bengals have a complete-looking roster heading into the 2024 season, provided a few things pan out.

Things, meaning details like Dax Hill making the switch to corner, etc.

But that won’t stop looks ahead to the 2025 NFL draft.

In a new mock from Draft Wire’s Jeff Risdon, the Bengals pick 28th and stay rather local with Louisville pass-rusher Ashton Gillotte:

Last season, the 6-foot-3, 275-pound Gilotte had nine sacks and 58 total pressures, with three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles against the run. For his size, Gilotte brings impressive speed to the pocket, and he also has an El Destructo series of techniques, from bull-rush to swim moves, that allow him to create further havoc. Gilotte also brings positional versatility to the table; two of his sacks and 13 of his pressures came when he was aligned inside the tackles.

The defensive line and pass-rush is one of those areas that could indeed need some help roughly a year from now. Not only did the front seven lose DJ Reader, Myles Murphy will have to step up big if Sam Hubbard doesn’t bounce back from a down season after playing through an injury.

Even if Murphy breaks out and things remain calm between Trey Hendrickson and the Bengals, there’s no such thing as too many good rushers on a defense — especially in a versatile front that lets coordinator Lou Anarumo get creative.

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Indianapolis Colts get help in secondary in early 2025 NFL mock draft

In an early 2025 mock draft from Doug Farrar, the Colts get help in their secondary, selecting Arizona DB Tacario Davis.

In an early 2025 NFL mock draft from Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, he has the Colts addressing the secondary in the first round, selecting Arizona defensive back Tacario Davis at 13th overall.

Listed at 6-4 – 195 pounds, Davis has excellent size, which we know the Colts covet at the cornerback position. The 2023 season was Davis’ first as a stater and he put together an impressive year, with almost all of his snaps coming as an outside corner.

Davis would miss only two of his 27 tackle attempts and in coverage, allowed a completion rate of just 42.6 percent on 54 targets. He held opponents to 12.6 yards per catch and had one interception and his 15 pass breakups were the most in the Pac-12.

Davis was also named a member of the AP Second-Team All-Pac-12.

“Davis still has a few things to work out regarding staying in phase all the way through the route,” wrote Farrar, “but that’s not uncommon with bigger defenders who have more to move. The upside to Davis’ game is that when everything’s in sync, he is an extremely oppressive pass defender who can just wipe receivers off the stat sheet.”

The cornerback position was considered by many to be a top need for the Colts this offseason. However, the only outside additions made came on Day 3 of the draft, telling us that internally, the Colts are bullish about the current room that they have.

Contributing to what is expected to be improved play from the unit this season is health, with both JuJu Brents and Dallis Flowers able to participate in OTAs and minicamp, along with the experience that was gained by a young unit in 2023.

Outside of Kenny Moore in the nickel, defensive coordinator Gus Bradley mentioned earlier this offseason that the battle for the two starting boundary cornerback positions was “wide open.”

Throughout offseason programs, it appeared that Brents had a firm grasp on one of those starting spots, while Jayon Jones and Flowers will be competing for the opening opposite of Brents. In the early going, it has been Jones taking those reps.

“I think all those guys, obviously, we drafted two young guys, but I think with Jaylon Jones, Dallis, and JuJu, they’re long, rangy guys that are physical when they get up and press,” said Shane Steichen during minicamp.

“They got good vision. I love those guys. It’s a good room. A good competition there. It’s going to be a good competition, obviously, in minicamp and OTAs, but going into training camp is going to be big for all those guys.”

The Colts believe that the skill sets and potential are there in the cornerback room, but the defense now needs that to translate into production if they’re going to improve in 2024. Last season, Indianapolis ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in explosive pass plays allowed and pass breakups.

Colts take top TE Colston Loveland in 2025 NFL mock draft

In an early look ahead to the 2025 NFL draft, one mock draft has the Colts taking top tight end Colston Loveland from Michigan.

The mock draft machine never stops, and in a recent mock from Pro Football Network’s Oliver Hodgkinson, he has the Indianapolis Colts selecting Michigan tight end Colston Loveland at 13th overall.

At 6-5 – 246 pounds with excellent athleticism, Loveland would add another pass-catching threat to the Colts’ offense via the tight end position.

Last season, during Michigan’s National Championship run, Loveland caught 45 of his 62 targets at 14.4 yards per catch with four touchdowns. He played almost half of his snaps from the slot, and 19 percent came lined up on the boundary.

Loveland’s 649 receiving yards were the fifth-most among tight ends in 2023, along with ranking fourth in average yards per catch and third in yards per route run, an efficiency metric from PFF.

Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network notes that Loveland already has “an extremely impressive route tree” and an “otherworldly blend of explosiveness, short-area agility, fluidity, and bend.” Cummings does add that blocking is an area where he can still improve.

Here is a snippet of what else Cummings had to say in his scouting report:

“Loveland has the ability to be a mismatch generator and impact starter at the TE spot, with uncommon gravity and schematic value as an independent separator.”

Over the years we’ve seen GM Chris Ballard invest into the tight end position through the draft, but he very well may have to do so once again in 2025, whether that be in search of depth, high-end talent, or both.

Mo Alie-Cox is currently entering the final year of his deal, as is Kylen Granson. The opportunity for Jelani Woods to thrive in Shane Steichen’s offense as a pass-catching threat is there, but after missing the 2023 season with injuries, he is still largely unproven.

Not to be forgotten about either, but the draft is about planning ahead, and the 2025 season is also the final year of Woods and Drew Ogletree’s rookie deals.

The Colts will enter the 2024 season with a tight end room made up of a diverse group of skill sets. How this season and free agency unfold will be key in determining how early the Colts draft a tight end next April.

Bengals go with surprise position in new 2025 NFL mock draft

The Bengals go a new route in an early 2025 mock.

While the NFL calendar slows down, now is a good time to look ahead to next offseason and the 2025 NFL draft for the Cincinnati Bengals.

To do so, we can look at the latest two-round mock draft from Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy.

The leaguewide effort has the Bengals going with a surprise position in the first round:

Round 1 — LB Barrett Carter – Clemson

Round 2 — TE Mitchell Evans – Notre Dame

When one thinks about the Bengals a year from now, the interior of the defensive line and the offensive line stick out as spots that might need help.

Yet the Bengals can be stubborn about sticking to the board sometimes, so grabbing Carter and his 170 tackles, nine sacks and three interceptions so far isn’t impossible.

As for Evans in Round 2, adding a 6’5″ target who could have a breakout season this year might be a great value if Mike Gesicki is the latest veteran name to use Joe Burrow’s offense to go get a lucrative deal elsewhere.

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Browns move on from Deshaun Watson in new 2-round 2025 NFL mock draft

A new mock draft has the Browns looking for a new quarterback…

For the first time in three years, the Cleveland Browns will have a first round pick. And in a new 2-round 2025 NFL mock draft, the Browns use that pick to replace Deshaun Watson (the player they used their previous three first rounders to acquire) for Georgia quarterback Carson Beck.

Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy mocked Beck to the Browns at the midway point of the first round. There is no doubt that Watson enters a make-or-break year, but the Browns will realistically have to ride it out at least one more season with him to avoid a crippling cap hit to move on.

In his first season as the starting quarterback at the University of Georgia, Beck racked up nearly 4,000 yards passing, 24 passing touchdowns, and just six interceptions. Returning to school, Beck has the current claim as the best quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft class at this point.

Popejoy then had the Browns taking Iowa safety Zavier Nwankpa in the second round. Nwankpa is coming off of a campaign with two passes defended, an interception, and two tackles for loss for the Hawkeyes.

We are a long way out from the 2025 NFL draft, but it is at least nice to have a first round pick again.

Browns land explosive Texas WR in way-too-early 2025 NFL mock draft

It’s early, but this 2025 NFL mock draft has the Browns selecting a wide receiver early.

With the 2024 NFL draft long gone, there are a handful of maniacs who are already writing way too early 2025 NFL mock drafts. Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy is one of them as he has the Cleveland Browns selecting Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond with their first first round pick in three years.

Bond has not yet taken a snap for the Longhorns, transferring from the University of Alabama this past offseason. Seeing his first significant action with the Crimson Tide in 2024, Bond racked up 668 yards and four touchdowns on 48 catches.

The Browns need a wide receiver, even after trading Day 3 picks for Jerry Jeudy and selecting Jamari Thrash in the fifth round at the end of April. Both Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore are slated for free agency, so the selection of a wide receiver makes a great deal of sense.

However, hopefully, they select one with a bit more production and proven playmaking ability than Bond has at this point.

Three Longhorns land in first round of way-too-early 2025 NFL mock draft

Texas is likely to have another good showing for the 2025 NFL draft.

Texas is likely to have another good showing for the 2025 NFL draft. Continue reading “Three Longhorns land in first round of way-too-early 2025 NFL mock draft”