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It's finally draft week in the NFL, as teams are just days away from convening in Green Bay to select 257 prospects to join the league over the three-day event. The first four picks seem all but assured based on the latest odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, with Cam Ward (-20000), Travis Hunter (-900), Abdul Carter (-650) and Will Campbell (-450) all heavy favorites to be selected with the first, second, third and fourth picks, respectively.
The intrigue begins at No. 5, where Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham is down to a -115 favorite to be the pick while Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has steamed from being a severe longshot down to +250 as of Monday morning. We piled aboard that move in the middle of last week when we tabbed Jeanty as one of our NFL Draft prop longshot plays to lock in at SportsLine while he was still +700 to be the fifth pick, and we're locking him into that spot as part of this updated mock draft based on how the first round appears to be trending a few days out from Tennessee officially going on the clock.
Conventional wisdom says the fifth overall pick is too high to draft a running back, and in this class in particular, it seems counterintuitive with some believing the number of starting-worthy backs could run into the double digits. Our reasoning for selecting Jeanty over Graham is that there is also an enviable amount of depth at defensive line in this class, so which player makes the most sense comes down to how much above the median of this class you believe each prospect gives you; Jeanty earns the edge there. Graham is an incredibly skilled technician at his position, but his underwhelming measurables puts him at risk of being outmatched by the size of NFL interior offensive linemen too often to be taken over a potential blue-chipper at another position.
Jeanty probably isn't a top-five talent in most classes, but the 2025 NFL draft class appears to be relatively weak compared to recent classes, at least at the top of the draft. Jeanty is the best bet to find an impact player with the fifth overall selection, and the Jaguars can then dip into the depth of this class on the defensive line on Day 2.
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For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis on "With the First Pick" -- our NFL Draft podcast with analyst Ryan Wilson and former Titans general manager Ran Carthon. You can find "With the First Pick" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Listen below!
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
The Titans appear locked into taking Ward at this point, though it's certainly not a pick without risk. In fact, there's some sentiment that Ward would've been behind all six first-round quarterbacks a year ago were he to be available in the same draft. I'd prefer they went Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter here (with my preference leaning toward the edge rusher) and then grab a QB on Day 2 that wouldn't prevent them from going back to the QB well in 2026 if needed.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
It sounds like the Browns are going to use Hunter at both receiver and cornerback for as long as he can prove he's up to the task, but it'll be interesting to see if he has to settle into one or another as his NFL career develops and which position that ends up being. My gut tells me he's going to look better at corner early on just due to the nature of the surrounding talent on the Browns roster on both sides of the ball.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
While it's not reflected in the betting market yet, there appears to be at least some uncertainty about what the Giants do here, with some in the organization eyeing Shedeur Sanders. It may be worth a small play on Sanders going No. 3 at +750, but ultimately I believe it's too difficult to pass on Carter here. Note that my draft pick value chart has the Giants' next two picks getting them only as high as No. 21 in a move-up scenario -- which is where the Steelers currently appear to be the floor for the Colorado quarterback.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Here's where the overall talent of the class starts to become apparent, as it's a bit surprising a prospect of Campbell's caliber with shorter arms and questions about whether his long-term fit is better inside is so locked into being the fourth pick as the Patriots' sorely-needed franchise left tackle. I think there's an argument for going with Kelvin Banks Jr. instead, even though that doesn't seem to be an option for New England.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Running back isn't a "need" for the Jaguars, but you're not drafting for need this high when you have the chance to land a blue-chip talent, and Jeanty is the one player in this class who has the best chance of living up to that distinction alongside Hunter and Carter. If the Jaguars really are locked in to taking a defensive lineman, I'd love to see them engineer a move down to the teens to take Walter Nolen instead.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
With Jeanty off the board, this comes down to Graham versus an edge rusher for the Raiders, and I think there are more reasons to be excited for Walker as a chess piece for Patrick Graham's defense than the interior defensive lineman. He has shades of Khalil Mack to his game, which is all Mark Davis should need to hear to be sold on his potential in Silver and Black.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
The Graham slide ends in the Big Apple, with the Jets passing on a tackle prospect in order to land the Michigan defender. He should provide a strong presence next to Quinnen Williams up front and figures to provide slightly more value versus the D-lineman available on Day 2 than the gap between Armand Membou and the tackles who should be available later.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
With Jalon Walker gone, the Panthers pivot to the other edge rusher out of Georgia in whom they've shown a lot of interest. Williams has better size than Walker and should be less of a worry to play base end on a regular basis as a rookie, where he'll be expected to immediately boost the Panthers' woeful pass rush.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
I'm buying into the sentiment that the Saints aren't going to drastically change their boards due to the Derek Carr injury, but if the board falls in a particular way it's possible he's their top option at No. 9. I'd expect them to prefer the right tackle here to turn the page on Trevor Penning once and for all, giving the team a set of young bookends to build around on the offensive line.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
I know Tyler Warren is widely considered the best tight end in this class, but that's been repeated so much that I'm afraid the average NFL draft fan thinks there's this big gap between him and the next guy when I think it's close to a coin flip, with the preference largely hinging on the team selecting a tight end first. And there's too much Sam LaPorta in Loveland's game for the new Bears head coach to ignore here.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
The Dolphins feel like Banks' floor, but I think he's an even better fit in San Francisco, where he can immediately slot in at left guard while developing as the team's left tackle of the future in Kyle Shanahan's offense. It's the type of selection that gives Shanahan both short-term and long-term help, especially as his team may not be in position to select a franchise left tackle very often should the 49ers quickly rebound from last year's disaster.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
There's an argument for Matthew Golden being a better prospect at receiver than McMillan, but it's hard to ignore the fit in the offense for the Arizona pass-catcher playing across from an established No. 1 talent in CeeDee Lamb. I have a small play on Golden being the first receiver drafted (not counting Hunter) from a few weeks ago but don't feel great about it at this point.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Barron's stock doesn't appear to be this high, and it would surprise many people if he went ahead of Johnson. I just think he's a better fit for Miami due to his versatility to move around the defensive backfield while also having the potential to match up with a premier receiver being featured in the slot by an opposing offense. While the general draft smoke makes me think he's still available in the 20s, I'm not ruling him out as a top-10 option.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
It tends to be pretty hard to find landing spots for tight ends in mock drafts as the position typically isn't among the top "need" for many teams, but most prognosticators have circled the Colts as a tight-end team this year. Due to the nature of the position, it wouldn't be surprising if they had their pick of tight ends here, but in this class where Warren and Loveland may be top-10 overall talents, they could also wind up shut out.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Stewart is a ridiculously good athlete with ridiculously bad collegiate production, and depending on what NFL front offices value most, he could make sense anywhere from the top 10 to Day 2. His clean off-field evaluation sets him apart from more proven players with high ceilings at the position, and that's something the Falcons have prioritized in the past.
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Mock Trade from
Arizona Cardinals
Round 1 - Pick 16
The Cardinals will likely be looking to move down from this pick, and that should allow someone picking later in the first round to get aggressive for an edge rusher or cornerback. Here, it's the Bills giving up No. 30, 56 and 177 to leap high enough for a cornerback who can lock into a starting outside role opposite Christian Benford long-term, potentially giving the team (along with Taron Johnson) the best set of corners in the league.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
This could certainly be an edge rusher as well, but at some point a team that needs help anywhere on the defensive line is going to see Nolen as the best player available. He's someone I think could be better than Mason Graham as a pro, and if you believe Graham does go fifth to Jacksonville, I wouldn't hate a sprinkle on Nolen at +2200 to be a top-10 pick for a team that was hoping he would slide.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
I've been pretty locked in to the Seahawks taking Grey Zabel here as an immediate starter on the interior of the offensive line, but that's also an area that can be addressed with one of Seattle's four Day 2 picks. Golden is the type of receiver with No. 1 potential who is much harder to find on Day 2, and his downfield potential is sorely lacking in the current Seahawks receiver room.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Jihaad Campbell is a popular option here, but it's more likely to me that the Bucs go with an edge rusher here and have some good options available. I expect they'll prioritize Ezeiruaku's profile over the high-ceiling edge rushers with off-field question marks, and I think he's going to go earlier than people expect.
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Mock Trade from
Denver Broncos
Round 1 - Pick 20
We teased this possibility earlier, and now both sides of the Giants' internal debate on Sanders vs. Carter get their way. This deal involves giving up Nos. 34, 65 and 105 while also getting No. 122 back from Denver along with this pick, and the Broncos move down and secure TreVeyon Henderson early in the second round.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
Maybe the Steelers go with Jaxson Dart as they reportedly have a first-round grade on the Ole Miss quarterback, but I expect they'll have multiple players available at defensive lineman and running back who have a higher grade than Dart, and ultimately one will be the pick. With no second-round pick, I believe they'll prioritize the D-lineman here and then circle back for a running back on Day 3 if they can't find a way to get Dart.
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Mock Trade from
Los Angeles Chargers
Round 1 - Pick 22
With Green slipping outside the top 20, the Lions get aggressive to get a difference maker on the edge to pair with Aidan Hutchinson, though they could also stand pat and hope off-field issues push him even further down the draft. Depending on how he checks out with different teams, I think there's a decent chance he goes in the No. 10-15 range, so trading the No. 102 pick to move up six spots for him is solid value for Detroit.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
The Packers pass on the receiver position in the first round once again to pick a mammoth nose tackle who nonetheless has the athletic profile they covet. While there is good depth at defensive lineman in this class, Grant is the last one I have as a surefire first-round talent, so I like taking him in this spot and then circling back for a receiver on Day 2.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Safety is a bit like tight end as there are two first-round talents available in this class but not many teams you'd make the position the highest priority in Round 1. But Minnesota is one team who should definitely be looking safety, and at this point Emmanwori is one of the best players available anyway. I could see him going to most of the teams picking in the teens and like the value here.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
The Texans need offensive line help in the worst way, and they have a few guys available who could work at different spots on the offensive line, including Grey Zabel and Tyler Booker. We're going with Jackson here as a potential left tackle to replace Laremy Tunsil, as it seems likely Zabel is a better fit inside while Jackson may be able to stick outside.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Some might call this a reach, but while Taylor definitely isn't on the level of Warren or Loveland, I consider him a fringe first-rounder who could work for the right team. Daniel Jeremiah noted the Rams as one such team last week, and while Jihaad Campbell is still on the board and fits a bigger need, the Rams are like the Eagles in that they typically haven't prioritized off-ball linebacker in the draft.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
The Ravens are always content to sit back and let the draft come to them, and here they have their pick of interior offensive linemen if they want to go in that direction versus going with one of the solid defensive backs available. With center locked up in Tyler Linderbaum, I think Booker makes plenty of sense to start at guard.
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Mock Trade from
Detroit Lions
Round 1 - Pick 28
The Chargers have options at left guard and center, so they're willing to trade down with the top interior lineman on the board, but Zabel still makes a ton of sense as a long-term starter at one of those positions. He's a versatile piece in an area we know Jim Harbaugh prioritizes in building a team.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
The Commanders have several options at running back but none are potential difference-makers at this point of their careers like Hampton can be. The Commanders saw what a difference Saquon Barkley made in leveling up the Eagles offense, and while no one thinks Hampton is at that level, he provides a chance to increase the upside of an offense led by a young franchise quarterback.
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Mock Trade from
Buffalo Bills
Round 1 - Pick 30
The Cardinals could stay at No. 16 and take Campbell and casual fans likely wouldn't bat an eye, but it seems like his stock is slipping to the point where I wouldn't be surprised if he falls out of the first round altogether. Getting a few picks from the Bills, including a second-rounder, and still getting him here would certainly earn "A" grades in the consensus.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
The Chiefs have gambled on players with character concerns in the past and had it work out tremendously (hello, Tyreek Hill), and adding a pass rusher of Pearce's caliber at the end of the first round would be a boon. I think the board is going to set up better for them to select a DL/edge at this spot instead of an offensive lineman.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
The Eagles are expected to focus on replenishing their defensive front after offseason losses, but this is incredible value for a player at another position of need. Plus, playing at Georgia doesn't hurt in matching up the team with the prospect.
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The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
