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Make sure to check out our first mock draft of 2025.
Here’s my first 2025 NFL mock draft. Be sure to check our NFL Draft Central page for the rest of our mocks, player scouting reports, and post-draft analysis of every key pick relevant to fantasy football.
In a Super Bowl Sunday mock draft, the Cardinals gran DL Walter Nolen in Round 1 and OL Wyatt Milum in Round 2.
It is Super Bowl Sunday, but the Arizona Cardinals aren’t playing in it, so for the fans of 30 of the 32 teams not competing for the world championship, Draft Wire managing editor Jeff Risdon has a new two-round mock draft to consider.
The top pick in the draft is Miami quarterback Cam Ward, who lands with the Tennessee Titans, and the New York Giants take Colorado quarterback Shadeur Sanders third overall.
The Arizona Cardinals pass on a talented and productive pass rusher with the 16th pick to select Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen.
Nolen’s ability to win dynamically in multiple gaps in both the run and pass game make a nice potential fit in coach Jonathan Gannon’s defensive front. Kenneth Grant is among several other options here.
This selection might bring up a little bit of past trauma for Cardinals fans, who will remember the last time the Cardinals selected a Mississippi defensive lineman in the first round, Robert Nkemdiche.
However, Nolen is different. He isn’t the athletic freak that Nkemdiche was and, per his NFL.com draft profile, “Nobody questions how talented he is and how hard he plays.”
Nolen is a high-effort player.
He is 6-foot-3 and 293 pounds. He played two seasons for Texas A&M before transferring to Ole Miss, and he had his most productive season, logging 6.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss.
The Cardinals have a solid group of four defensive linemen returning with veterans Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols, third-year player Dante Stills and 2024 first-round pick Darius Robinson. Adding a player of Nolen’s talent would never be a bad thing.
However, in taking Nolen, they pass on promising edge rusher Mike Green out of Marshall, who had massive production last season, leading the nation with 17 sacks, and looking great at the Senior Bowl. Green gets selected with the very next pick.
In the second round, the Cardinals get West Virginia offensive lineman Wyatt Milum.
The 6-foot-6, 317-pounder played tackle for the Mountaineers. However, his shorter arms (under 33 inches) might make him a better guard. That is no matter. The Cardinals need guards, as Will Hernandez, Evan Brown and Trystan Colon all will be free agents next month.
Would the Cardinals be better off addressing the edge with one of the two picks, especially with a player like Green on the board in Round 1? Perhaps, but getting offensive or defensive line help would never be a bad thing.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
The Tennessee Titans draft for need and value in the first mock draft by Cynthia Frelund.
As fans prepare to watch the Super Bowl, the new Tennessee Titans front office is laying out their offseason priorities.
After finishing work at the East-West Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl, the team is well on its way to building their draft board in preparation for the 2025 NFL draft. With the Titans holding the No. 1 pick, the same names keep popping up in mock drafts across the media spectrum, but no one really knows what any of them mean.
Cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, edge Abdul Carter and quarterbacks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders seem to be the favorites as we turn the page toward the scouting combine.
NFL Network analyst Cynthia Frelund took a different, more analytic, approach, weighing many different factors in her latest mock draft and had the Titans going against the grain with this selection.
Pick 1 – Tennessee Titans – Travis Hunter – Colorado – WR/CB – Junior
Hunter’s upside and overall value in the 2025 class are too hard to ignore. If the Titans lock in on Hunter at No. 1, they have the benefit of addressing other needs — like quarterback — in free agency (as well as later in the draft). As of now, Hunter comes off the board no later than third overall in 81 percent of one million simulations by my model.
President Chad Brinker has stated the team is looking for generational talent and Hunter might be that player. A dynamic athlete, he has proven to be a weapon on both sides of the ball at wide receiver and cornerback.
While the Heisman Trophy winner may not be dominant at either position, he is still a top prospect at each and could help the Titans in many ways as they rebuild their roster. At wide receiver, he could step on the field early and add an explosive weapon opposite Calvin Ridley. On defense, he could join 2024 rookie Jarvis Brownlee to add young chess pieces to the secondary.
What do you think? Would you draft Travis Hunter or go a different direction? Let us know what you think as the Titans continue to prepare for the NFL Draft in April.
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Commanders add help for Jayden Daniels in this new mock draft.
The Washington Commanders picked second overall in last year’s 2024 NFL draft. One year later, last season’s No. 2 pick, quarterback Jayden Daniels, led the Commanders to 12 wins, two playoff victories and an appearance in the NFC championship game.
While the Commanders ultimately fell short of the Super Bowl, Washington’s future has never been brighter. That success comes with consequences. Due to their appearance in the NFC championship game, the Commanders will pick 29th overall in the 2025 NFL draft.
While that’s not ideal, general manager Adam Peters hopes he’ll pick at the bottom of the first round for many years to come.
Now that Super Bowl weekend is upon us, the NFL’s focus will soon turn to the combine. From there, it will be free agency and the draft.
That means mock drafts. In a new mock draft for CBS Sports, Tom Fornelli has the Commanders adding help at wide receiver, choosing Matthew Golden of Texas.
We know who the quarterback will be here for a long time; now the job is surrounding him with what he needs. Perhaps that’s an offensive lineman, or perhaps it’s another weapon in the passing game. Terry McLaurin is criminally underrated across the league, but the Commanders could use upgrades behind him. Golden’s stock skyrocketed during Texas’ playoff run as Isaiah Bond dealt with injuries. A lot of the things Golden was asked to do in Texas’ offense translate to what the Commanders do in theirs.
Golden played his first two seasons at Houston before spending his final collegiate season at Texas, where he caught 58 passes for 987 yards and nine touchdowns. Golden would be an ideal complement opposite Terry McLaurin. Golden’s elite speed often overshadows the other things he does well, too. He can line up at any receiver spot and produce.
What’s interesting is that CBS has Golden as its 74th overall player but predicts he will go in the first round. Draft analysts expect Golden to really shine at the NFL combine later this month.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid released his top 50 prospects for the 2025 NFL draft and has Golden at No. 25.
This is a good mock draft for the Steelers but this draft needs to be great.
Pro Football Focus is putting out a series of seven-round mock drafts for all 32 NFL teams. We decided to take a look at the Steelers edition and while we see where they were going with the picks, there was so much more that could have been done with the choices.
Here’s how the picks broke down:
First round: CB Azareye’h Thomas – Florida State
We like Thomas as a prospect but not in the first round. There’s a real possibility he does sneak into the bottom of the round but there are far more pressing needs to address here.
Second round: WR Xavier Restrepo – Miami
We don’t see enough from Restrepo to differentiate him from Roman Wilson as a player. The Steelers need a dynamic guy for the outside but if they want a guy to line up in the slot, he needs to be a bigger body.
Third round: DE Rylie Mills – Notre Dame
Defensive tackle is one of the team’s two biggest needs but Mills is more of an outside guy in the Steelers 3-4 and they need someone who can consistently line up inside and clog the middle against the run.
Fourth round: QB Will Howard – Ohio State
Howard in the fourth round is a great value pick here. If the Steelers re-sign Justin Fields, Howard is in a great spot to learn behind him.
Fifth round: RB Kalel Mullings – Michigan
Mullings is a plodding power back and while this is what the Steelers run game has been, it’s not where this run game needs to go in the future.
Seventh round: WR Efton Chism III – Eastern Washington
Chism is an interesting guy but if you spend a second on Restrepo, what are you going to do with Chism?
Seventh round: IOL Luke Newman – Michigan State
Solid interior player who would make for some nice depth if James Daniels leaves.
I know this sounds like none of the picks are good but that’s not true at all. This would be a well-received draft. And many of these players are very talented.
However, this draft has to be a home run. Starters, franchise guys and players who will be great which this draft is lacking at several positions.
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In this mock draft roundup, we can see experts are mostly targeting one position for the Rams in Round 1
There’s a lot of time between now and the 2025 NFL draft and plenty will change before the big event. The Los Angeles Rams, for one, will determine which positions are their biggest needs in the draft this year, mostly based on which players leave in free agency and whether Matthew Stafford is back under center.
It’s still relatively early in the draft process but one position is clearly becoming popular among experts when it comes to predicting what the Rams will do in April. Here’s a mock draft roundup from various outlets showing who they expect Los Angeles to take at No. 26.
Williams would make logical sense for the Rams, given their needs at both left and right tackle.
If the Rams trade away Cooper Kupp they are confident in their offensive skill players so we opt for a top-tier pass blocker and run blocker to go with them.
Ersey brings great size and length to the position at 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds. D’Andrea notes that his floor might be lower than some other prospects but his ceiling is high, especially if he takes on a role as a swing tackle initially.
Ersery has the chops to be a long term solution. He’s a massive (6-foot-6, 330 pounds) tackle who has improved throughout his college career. He’s got quick feet and sound technique along with experience playing both tackle positions. While his floor may be slightly lower than other blockers available, he could hang out as a swing tackle for a year before growing into his enormous ceiling as a pro.
Conerly is one of the best left tackle prospects in the draft and would fill an immediate need if Alaric Jackson leaves in free agency.
A young OT with good upside who still needs development, Conerly would have the chance to come in and learn behind the Rams’ veteran tackles before taking over a starting spot in 2026.
Another pick for Conerly at No. 26, who’s quickly becoming the most popular prospect for the Rams in Round 1.
I’m still getting used to seeing the Rams make picks in the first round after their seven-draft gap from 2017 to 2023! The team pored resources into the defensive line in the last draft. They flip the script and take care of the offensive line in the first round this year.
Brugler likes the fit with Conerly heading to the Rams after the big improvements he made as a junior in 2024.
It’s hard to say how many more years Matthew Stafford will play, But investing in the offensive line, helping to keep him healthy and maximizing his final years with the organization would be a logical plan. After becoming a starter in 2023, Conerly took a big jump as a junior — he didn’t allow a pressure in 10 of Oregon’s final 12 games.
Count Kiper as someone on the Conerly bandwagon for the Rams. Here’s part of what he wrote about the Oregon tackle after nearly mocking a quarterback to Los Angeles at this spot.
Conerly has fantastic movement traits and maintains a clean pocket for his quarterback. He gave up just two sacks over three seasons in Eugene. He started two of those seasons and has been a consistent blindside wall.
Armand was excellent as both a pass protector and run blocker last season, earning a 90.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
With Alaric Jackson set to test free agency and Rob Havenstein entering his age-33 season in the final year of his contract, the Rams will undoubtedly prioritize offensive tackle in this draft.
Membou, who earned a 90.4 overall grade in 2024, graded in the 87th percentile or better as both a run and pass blocker. His athleticism and versatility would provide the Rams with a flexible, high-upside option on the outside.
Finally, someone other than an offensive tackle. Thomas is one of the best cornerback prospects in the draft, boasting great size and athleticism to play on the outside.
Thomas is a press cornerback with easy movement ability and the reach at 6-foot-2 to line up across from WR1 types. He had one interception this season, but he also allowed only 12 receptions and 94 yards in coverage. Plus, Thomas was the best cornerback during practices at the Senior Bowl, showing off his press coverage ability and answering any questions scouts had about his ability to run with receivers down the field.
The Chargers add a disruptive interior defender and two pass-catching weapons.
Draft season is officially upon us, as the East-West Shrine Bowl and Reese’s Senior Bowl ushered the football world into February with a week of all-star showings. With intel beginning to circulate and players rising and falling based on their performance, things will only reach a fever pitch as the NFL Combine approaches at the end of this month.
Let’s take a moment to evaluate what the Chargers might do when the draft rolls around in April.
Round 1, Pick 22: Michigan DL Kenneth Grant
A different Wolverine – tight end Colston Loveland – has been the most popular pick for the Chargers in this spot, but the rising stock of Penn State’s Tyler Warren could pull Loveland above the 22nd spot. Grant attended the Shrine Bowl but only participated in interviews, where he told at least one media member that he’d love to reunite with head coach Jim Harbaugh, defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, and defensive line coach Mike Elston in LA.
A disruptive pass rusher from 1-technique, Grant would add a much-needed pass rush presence from the interior. Poona Ford and Teair Tart are free agents this offseason, which could magnify the need for a presence on the inside.
Round 2, Pick 54: Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins
Higgins was arguably the best receiver at this year’s Senior Bowl, as he showed a routine ability to run past defensive backs down the field and make tough catches. He finished the 2024 season with one of the lowest drop rates in the country as the Cyclones’ primary target.
The Chargers need a bona fide threat on the outside, with Ladd McConkey set in stone in the slot. Joshua Palmer is a free agent and Quentin Johnston has still not risen to the level LA thought he would when he was drafted 21st overall in 2023.
Round 3, Pick 87: LSU TE Mason Taylor
Another attendee of the Senior Bowl, Taylor looked smooth as a route runner in Mobile, consistently beating linebackers with quickness and defensive backs at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds. The son of Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor, the LSU product also comes with an NFL pedigree.
While not an overly dynamic vertical route runner, Taylor fits nicely into a Greg Roman scheme that wants tight ends to find soft spots in zones underneath. A well-rounded player who will also be a solid blocker, Taylor could easily step in as a rookie starter despite his Day 2 landing spot.
In Draft Wire’s new mock draft, the Cardinals land a pass rusher who led the Big Ten in sacks in 2023.
The Senior Bowl was over the weekend, which has led to some changes in player draft evaluations and rankings. With this new information to consider, Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy has given us a new first-round mock draft.
Miami quarterback Cam Ward goes first overall to the Tennessee Titans and Colorado quarterback Shadeur Sanders goes sixth overall.
But what about the Arizona Cardinals?
They have the 16th pick and their greatest need this offseason is at the edge, where they lack a productive pass rusher.
They are in luck, as this mock draft has them selecting Texas A&M edge defender Nic Scourton.
Scourton is a fluid mover at 280 pounds with a powerful punch and sneaky athleticism.
After two seasons in the Big Ten with Purdue, he transferred to A&M last season, where he had five sacks and 14 tackles for loss.
The previous season, he had 10 sacks, leading the Big Ten, and 15 tackles for loss.
He has size and length. Will he be too big to play the edge for the Cardinals in their 3-4 scheme?
We will see what sort of performance he puts on at the NFL combine later this month to see what sort of athleticism he has.
He certainly would address the Cardinals’ biggest deficiency on the team. The question will be how much of an impact he can make.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
In ESPN’s latest 2025 NFL mock draft, the 49ers have a clear agenda of what they want to improve.
In the latest 2025 NFL mock draft for ESPN, the San Francisco 49ers have a clear direction in which they want to head.
ESPN’s Matt Miller shared his latest two-round mock draft following the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl all-star events. It has the 49ers looking to the trenches for help.
In Miller’s two-round mock, the 49ers select Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons at No. 11 overall and then North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel in the second round with pick No. 43.
San Francisco would have to weigh injury concerns with Simmons. The 6-foot-5, 310 pound offensive tackle had a season-ending knee surgery that ended his 2024 college football season.
Despite the injury, Simmons is currently ranked as ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper’s No. 3 offensive tackle in this draft class.
Christian McCaffrey‘s injury issues were the headline for the 49ers’ offensive woes this season, yet their offensive line was a mess and will be a priority fix for general manager John Lynch. The 49ers made a great selection on guard Dominick Puni in the third round of the 2024 draft, but a plug-and-play right tackle who could eventually take over for All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams could be the next step. – Miller, ESPN.
The 49ers bolstering their offensive tackle group with their first selection and perhaps finding Williams’ eventual successor at left tackle has been a common idea among draft analysts.
Doubling down up front hasn’t necessarily been as common, though. Miller came away impressed with what he saw from former NDSU offensive lineman Zabel at the Senior Bowl.
Zabel played left tackle for North Dakota State as he helped guide the Bison to an FCS national championship this past season. The 6-foot-6, 316 pound offensive lineman has played all over though throughout his collegiate career.
Zabel appeared in 62 games with NDSU during his college career and also made starts at left guard, right guard and right tackle.
During the Senior Bowl, Zabel got in a drive at center as well. The center position is where Miller sees Zabel slotting in for the 49ers.
The 49ers could address the offensive line again to try to further fix that problem unit. Zabel has played tackle, guard and center, but I think he fits best inside, where his toughness and awareness could make him a star. He turned heads during Senior Bowl practices. – Miller, ESPN.
Zabel’s positional versatility would certainly be a welcome sight for San Francisco.
Zabel was named the Senior Bowl Overall Practice Player of the Week in a poll by 32 NFL executives for his performances in Mobile, Ala.
Addressing its offensive line to create running lanes for star running back Christian McCaffrey and to help keep quarterback Brock Purdy clean is a draft avenue that most 49ers fans could support.
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One part no one forgets about during the offseason is the NFL draft, with that comes mock drafts.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have needs at several positions as the 2025 offseason cycle heats up. Of course, we still have the Super Bowl to be played on Sunday before everyone joins the fun, but the Bucs front office has to know where they will go in the coming weeks.
One part no one forgets about during the offseason is the NFL draft, with that comes mock drafts.
One of the latest mock drafts published was by NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein. The longtime draft analyst published his first mock draft of the 2025 draft cycle. With the Bucs’ first pick at 19 overall, the Bucs were attached to edge rusher Nic Scourton. The Texas A&M defender has been seen by many as a great fit for the team, and if you look at Zierlein’s analysis, you will see that he would be a welcome addition to the defense.
“Scourton doesn’t seem to be getting much buzz these days, but he’s a three-down edge defender who rushes the passer with a good plan and has the skill to get home.”
Scourton transferred to the Aggies after starting his college career at Purdue. His film in the Big Ten was filled with more explosive plays but Texas A&M had his add some weight and it slowed him down but his instincts still had him in position to make plays.
Scourton would be a welcome addition to the Bucs edge rushers group if they decide to go his route.
