2025 NFL writers’ mock draft: Browns take QB at No. 2; three receivers go top 10

It’s mock draft season. 

With all 32 teams still holding a first-round pick, we had our NFL experts play general manager for the teams they know best and identify who they would take in the corresponding spots.

*Trades were not allowed in this exercise. 

1. Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami

If the Titans stay here, quarterback makes the most sense. And between the top two passers, Ward appears to have the most upside. His poise in the pocket and escapability stand out. He can drive the ball into tight windows downfield. His footwork and decision-making improved throughout his college career. He has a rare ability to throw from various arm slots, too. All those attributes give him a chance to be a legitimate franchise quarterback. Shedeur Sanders may actually be the better fit for Brian Callahan’s offense on paper, but Ward’s talent is impossible to ignore. He’d be “plug and play” in Tennessee, as he said himself at the Combine. — Ben Arthur

2. Cleveland Browns: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Sanders is a pocket passer who might someday play the game like Joe Burrow. Burrow was a more polished prospect coming into the NFL, but I think that’s because he came out of an LSU program that had elite talent at every position. Sanders, meanwhile, had to overcome a crappy offensive line during his Colorado tenure. And that created some bad habits, including his propensity to hold onto the ball and take big-yardage sacks — rather than simply throwing the ball away. But Sanders has the processing abilities and requisite arm strength to play QB at a high level in the NFL.

The Sanders mentality and star qualities shouldn’t scare Cleveland. In fact, that aura should elevate a no-personality Browns team that is unfortunately weighed down by Deshaun Watson’s contract for the foreseeable future. That shouldn’t stop Browns GM Andrew Berry from snagging his QB of the future when he’s on the board. — Henry McKenna

3. New York Giants: Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State

Getting a quarterback is their priority, but if the top two are off the board, they better not reach for the third. They also should pass on Travis Hunter, the best player in the draft, because they shouldn’t build a defense around a corner (especially one who wants to play receiver, too). The Giants know from their history that the best defenses are powered by the pass rush, which makes Carter a tantalizing choice for a team that already has Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux. It also might finally make up for the fact that they traded down in the 2021 draft rather than stay put and take Micah Parsons. Now, four years later, they can take his clone. — Ralph Vacchiano

4. New England Patriots: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado

Hunter is the WR1 in this year’s class. He’s also the CB1. He said at the Combine he wants to play 100% of snaps on both sides of the ball. That’s a stretch. But maybe New England will be desperate enough to let him give it a try. The Patriots certainly need help at every position on their roster. And Hunter’s versatility should make him all the more appealing. The Patriots would help get Hunter on the field in a sizable two-way role for 2025. Drake Maye would be throwing Hunter touchdowns. And Tua Tagovailoa would be throwing Hunter interceptions. — McKenna

5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

New coach Liam Coen’s No. 1 priority should be getting Trevor Lawrence back on track, but the Jaguars have the opportunity here to address the league’s worst pass defense from a year ago. Johnson, who would slot in at outside cornerback alongside Tyson Campbell, fits the profile of big and fluid at his position coupled with strong production. He’s shown great instincts, too. Despite playing just six games this past season, he was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press, which speaks to his talent. He was the defensive MVP of the 2023 national championship game. Johnson is the best corner not named Hunter in this draft. — Arthur

6. Las Vegas Raiders: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

The Raiders’ top priority is finding a quarterback, but that will have to wait until Day 2 at this point of the draft with Ward and Sanders off the board. In McMillan, Las Vegas adds a playmaker who can get it done on the perimeter of the offense to complement dynamic tight end Brock Bowers. — Eric D. Williams

7. New York Jets: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

Considering Quinnen Williams is the only major player along the Jets front that is under contract as of next week and the defense is supposed to be a strong suit of the now-Aaron Glenn-led Jets, let’s, uh, make Q happy? Draft the best interior guy to play next to Williams. Spoiler alert: that’s Graham. — Carmen Vitali

8. Carolina Panthers: Jalon Walker, Edge, Georgia

It would have been tempting had Graham lasted one more pick, but the obvious match here is for Carolina to upgrade its outside pass rush. Some see Walker as an inside linebacker, but he’s quick enough to be a disruptive presence in opposing backfields. There isn’t a huge difference between Walker, Mykel Williams and Mike Green, all strong second-tier options in the top half of the first round behind Carter at the top of this class. I’d be very surprised if this pick isn’t on the defensive side for the Panthers. — Greg Auman

9. New Orleans Saints: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

The Saints might be intrigued if they can have their pick of the offensive linemen in this class at No. 9, but having seen what Brock Bowers did for Las Vegas, they do well to land Warren, who had 104 catches for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns last year. This pick makes even more sense if Juwan Johnson leaves in free agency. The Saints could easily look at corner, but they’d likely trade down if Johnson is gone and that’s where they’d like to go with their top pick. — Auman

10. Chicago Bears: Kelvin Banks, OL, Texas

Sure, Will Campbell is still on the board from LSU. I’m not docking him because of his short arms, because that would be silly. He knows his leverage points. If anything, I’m docking him because of all the penalties he costed the Tigahs last season. But that’s still not why I chose Banks over Campbell. Banks has position flexibility. He has experience both outside and inside. With the way the Bears have had terrible luck along their front, injury and otherwise, they need guys that can move around. That’s not usually a recipe for success on a unit that thrives off continuity, but if you can get a guy who has the skill set to do it, it can’t hurt. — Vitali

11. San Francisco 49ers: Mykel Williams, DE, Georgia

Nick Bosa is one of the best defensive players in the league, but the 49ers have struggled to find a bookend to consistently create pressure opposite him. In Williams, the 49ers grab an explosive athlete with good traits to develop into an elite pass-rusher. — Williams

12. Dallas Cowboys: Will Campbell, OL, LSU

It’s going to be real trendy to put RB Ashton Jeanty at this spot during mock draft season, or the best available receiver. But, do either of those options really sound like something Jerry Jones would do? It might make more sense for this team to look to the trenches, particularly at defensive tackle. But if an offensive tackle like this 6-6, 319-pounder falls this far, they have to jump. They know their best teams have been powered by strong lines, which is why they started their youth movement up front last April. They’ll continue it here with arguably the top tackle in the draft, especially since his apparently short arms might make him a natural to take over for the retired Zack Martin at right guard. — Vacchiano

13. Miami Dolphins: Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M

I’ll be honest, my front office was not pleased to see the two best offensive linemen and the best tight end come off the board right in front of them. Given the state of their roster, that’s probably where the Dolphins would rather go. Since that’s not possible, let’s get creative. Edge rusher doesn’t look like a need right now, but you never know. Bradley Chubb could be a salary-cap casualty in the coming weeks, and Jaelan Philips is coming off another season-ending surgery. The Dolphins should want a pass-rush partner for Chop Robinson, and Stewart offers them a superfreak athlete with sky-high upside who could turbocharge their defense in the coming years. — David Helman

14. Indianapolis Colts: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan

The Colts haven’t had reliable pass catching out of the tight end spot in years. In fact, their tight ends last season combined for just 467 yards, second-to-last among all teams. After missing out on Brock Bowers in the last draft, it’s paramount that Indianapolis shores up this spot to support Anthony Richardson, or whoever else the quarterback ends up being.

Loveland registered 1,466 receiving yards in three years for the Wolverines. That includes 56 catches in 2024, which is a single-season program record for tight ends. If the board falls this way and Warren is off the table, Loveland makes a lot of sense. — Arthur

15. Atlanta Falcons: Mike Green, Edge, Marshall

They really, really need to help their outside pass rush, and they’ll be happy if Green falls to them at 15. After three straight years of using a top-10 pick on offensive skill-position talent, this is a much-needed boost for the defensive front, which has struggled for years to create consistent pressure. Either of the Georgia edge rushers would also make sense — if the Falcons really liked one more than the others, it wouldn’t be terrible to give up a third-round pick and move up a few spots to get the one they prefer. — Auman

16. Arizona Cardinals: Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss

The Cardinals could use help at all three levels of their defense, but adding an interior defensive lineman fills their most obvious need. Nolen finished with 6.5 sacks his final season for the Rebels and will infuse Arizona’s defense with a much-need interior pass-rusher. — Williams

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Nic Scourton, Edge, Texas A&M

The Bengals need help all over their defense, which made this selection difficult. Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron was tempting. Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant looked appealing. But let’s take Scourton. He appeared to put on weight after transferring from Purdue to Texas A&M and, given that his sack total fell from 10 to five, it was no surprise to see him lighter for the NFL Combine. For the Bengals defense, which has uncertainty on the edge, Scourton would be an undersized, high-motor type in the vein of George Karlaftis. That’ll be a big addition for a woeful Cincy defense. — McKenna

18. Seattle Seahawks: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

Yes, the last time Seattle selected a running back in the first round it didn’t go so well with Rashaad Penny at No. 27 overall in the 2018 draft. However, Mike Macdonald wants to run the football, and Jeanty is one of the most explosive playmakers available in this year’s draft. — Williams

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama

I’m confident it will be on the defensive side of the ball — linebacker should be a priority whether Lavonte David returns for a 14th season or not. Campbell is a versatile player who is solid in coverage but can also blitz the quarterback, and Todd Bowles likes positional flexibility in terms of disguising blitzes in packages. If any of the top four edges were to fall to 19, the Bucs could look there as well, but that’s trusting overall positional value more than what they need on the actual depth chart right now. A corner with good size wouldn’t be a surprise as well here. — Auman

20. Denver Broncos: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

Keep a strength a strength. The Broncos had arguably the best defensive front in football last year, but the key to sustaining that success is to keep feeding it. Adding another inside guy after getting so much pass-rushing success from your edge guys and linebackers will make the pass rush that much more fluid (and menacing). — Vitali

21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon

The Steelers gave up 299 rushing yards to the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs, which isn’t indicative of how their run defense was during the season, but it was definitely a sign that it needs some work. They are not deep up front and need to take advantage of a strong class of defensive tackles, especially since Cam Heyward is about to turn 36. The 6-4, 313-pound Harmon is a really strong run-stuffer who can help when they’re facing backs like Baltimore’s Derrick Henry, and will learn a lot playing with Heyward for the next year or two. — Vacchiano

22. Los Angeles Chargers: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina

J.K. Dobbins had a nice, bounce-back year for the Bolts, but head coach Jim Harbaugh needs to add a young, physical back to a Greg Roman offense still built on running the football. At 6-foot and 221 pounds, Hampton packs a punch and can also contribute as a pass-catcher. — Williams

23. Green Bay Packers: Shavon Revell Jr., CB, East Carolina

I can’t say for certain whether Jaire Alexander will still be a Packer in April. But general manager Brian Gutekunst should be planning for the future at corner, regardless. Alexander has appeared in only 52% of Green Bay’s games over the past four years, and he hasn’t played more than seven games in a season since 2022. Enter Revell, who has a case as the draft’s best corner. He did tear his ACL in September, which will give some teams pause. But when have the Packers ever let the short-term future get in the way of a great long-term decision? — Helman

24. Minnesota Vikings: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas

The Vikings have four cornerbacks slated to hit free agency, including three starters (Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, slot Byron Murphy Jr.). Addressing the spot is a must, and Barron is the best corner left on the board. He tied for fourth in the FBS last season with five interceptions, and would bring versatility to Minnesota’s secondary as well. He played more than 100 snaps in the slot and the box last season, on top of nearly 700 snaps at outside cornerback. — Arthur

25. Houston Texans: Jonah Savaiinaea, OL, Arizona

The Texans have needs at receiver — Stefon Diggs is scheduled to be a free agent, while Tank Dell’s status for 2025 is uncertain — but addressing the offensive line should be the top priority. C.J. Stroud was one of the NFL’s most pressured quarterbacks last season. Savaiinaea played significant snaps at three different positions at Arizona (RG, RT, LT), which would be particularly valuable to a team like Houston, which has had to shuffle players on its OL the past couple of years. — Arthur

26. Los Angeles Rams: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State 

The Rams are likely moving on from veteran Cooper Kupp, creating a need for a No. 2 receiver opposite Puka Nacua. In Egbuka, Los Angeles gets a cerebral player with excellent route-running skills who can make contested catches and would fit in nicely with Sean McVay’s detailed approach to offense. Egbuka also offers versatility, with an ability to play all three receiver positions. — Williams

27. Baltimore Ravens: Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State

The ravens have two good young pieces on their offensive line in Tyler Linderbaum and Roger Rosengarten, but Zabel would make sense, especially if they lose Patrick Mekari in free agency. Offensive line feels like a position somewhat neglected in the first round this year, but Zabel is a small-school standout who continues to impress and has played both guard and tackle in college, so there’s some flexibility and debate as to where he fits in best on an NFL line. — Auman

28. Detroit Lions: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College

Greg sniped me with Zabel. An offensive lineman from North Dakota State just screams Detroit, but alas, I went to the other side of the trenches. Aidan Hutchinson will be coming off his injury and should be ready to go next season, but it makes his job a heck of a lot easier if there’s someone on the other side of the front forcing offenses to make some tough decisions. Ezeiruaku, with some coaching up, will do that. — Vitali

29. Washington Commanders: James Pearce, Edge, Tennessee

The Commanders are going to have to restock their defensive front, especially if they trade DT Jonathan Allen. So a defensive tackle is possible here, too. But an edge rusher is a bigger need, even though they got good production from a middling group on the edge last season. Pearce could give them a potentially dominant element, especially if he develops like some scouts think he might. He’s got a long frame (6-5, 245), terrific speed and explosiveness, and he had 17.5 sacks over the past two seasons. He could give the Commanders defense the dimension it was missing last year. — Vacchiano

30. Buffalo Bills: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas

Receivers? In back-to-back years? I think Bills GM Brandon Beane would love to take a defensive player, but the board doesn’t have as much to offer on that side of the ball. And frankly, Golden is a perfect fit for this offense. Keon Coleman looks to me like a unique wideout — but maybe one who is trending toward a WR2 that scores a lot of touchdowns. Khalil Shakir owns the middle of the field as a slot option. Buffalo’s tight ends (Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox) aren’t focal points of the game plan. That’s what I think Golden could someday be: an offensive centerpiece. He has traits to be a No. 1 guy. He might finish the draft process as WR2 on many big boards. He has the chops to get the most out of Josh Allen’s arm. I love this marriage, and I think it’s too good to pass up, even if it feels like they’re overinvesting draft capital in one place. — McKenna

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Josh Simmons, OL, Ohio State

His knee injury knocked him down the board. If not for that, he might be in the conversation as the top tackle in this class. So, he’s here for the Chiefs to take. Ideally, they would want to give more time to Kingsley Suamataia, their 2024 second-rounder. But he was a total whiff and the Chiefs can’t afford another season of uncertainty at that spot. Look at the Super Bowl. The biggest reason they lost was their left tackle spot, which was a mess all year. The Chiefs need to address this position again. And I don’t think they’ll spend what it takes in free agency to improve at the position. Simmons is a good choice. — McKenna

32. Philadelphia Eagles: Alfred Collins, DT, Texas

Jalen Carter is a monster in the middle for the Eagles, but the rest of their line is about to be in transition. DE Josh Sweat and DT Milton Williams are both free agents and might not be back. And the Eagles might decline the fifth-year option on former first-round pick Jordan Davis, which could make 2025 his last year in Philly. In other words, they’ve got to restock the defensive side of the trenches — something GM Howie Roseman loves to do. The 6-6, 332-pound Collins is a big, solid player who some think was an underachiever in college. In the hands of the right coaching staff, his upside could be huge. — Vacchiano

The following writers contributed to this story: Ben Arthur (@benyarthur); Greg Auman (@gregauman); David Helman (@davidhelman_); Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis); Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano); Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV); Eric D. Williams (@eric_d_williams).

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