This time, we're going with the "no duplicate" mock draft 2.0, where all 32 teams will get a completely different projection from my first mock. Not that I hated that mock or anything. I actually loved it. And that's the problem. People fall in love with their own ideas. Pathways get entrenched in the mind like railroad tracks. Blind spots grow, and we lose the ability to augur the NFL draft future. As Aldous Huxley once wrote, "There are things known and there are things unknown and in between are the doors of perception." 

And if all of that sounds like nonsense, fair enough. Another way to look at this "no duplicate" idea is: I don't want to write the same mock four times in a row, and you don't want to read it. Strap in; things could get weird! 

Also see:

• 2025 NFL Mock Draft (with Trades) by Alfredo Brown
• 2025 NFL Mock Draft by Dave Kluge

2025 NFL Mock Draft Round 1

This mock will not project trades. 

1. Tennessee Titans - Shedeur Sanders (QB - Colorado) 

The NFL quarterback draft market operates by its own physics. Some years, a player like Sam Darnold is the presumptive first-overall pick for months, and then, at the last minute, it shifts to Baker Mayfield. This could happen with Sanders, who has the calm self-assurance of a man who knows he's going at least top three.   

2. Cleveland Browns - Cameron Ward (QB - Miami)

Sometimes, the draft can be obvious in hindsight. Would anyone really be surprised if a former zero-star recruit (Ward) went one slot lower than the son of Deion Sanders? The Browns currently have Kenny Pickett and not much else at the quarterback position. 

3. New York Giants - Abdul Carter (ED - Penn State)

Many sources have Carter as the most talented overall prospect. And for whatever reason, perhaps the historical connection to Lawrence Taylor, the Giants' franchise keeps making that bet on premium edge rushers high in the draft.

4. New England Patriots - Ashton Jeanty (RB - Boise State)

New Head Coach Mike Vrabel had fantastic success with an offense built around Derrick Henry. He looks at Jeanty and wants to replicate the model. It's questionable from a positional scarcity point of view to draft a running back high, but it has happened many times before.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars - Travis Hunter (CB - Colorado)

This would actually be a nice fit for everyone involved. The Jaguars have a ton of talented targets on offense and won't need Hunter to be heavily involved on that side of the ball right away (or at all). If focusing mostly on defense, he has the talent to make the Pro Bowl every season.  

6. Las Vegas Raiders - Mason Graham (DT - Michigan)

Besides the need, there's an obvious connection between new minority owner Tom Brady and his old college, Michigan. Graham is a dynamic three-tech who took over the game against Ohio State. He deserves to go really high on merit alone. But that strong alumni network really comes in handy, too. 

7. New York Jets - Jaxson Dart (QB - Mississippi) 

I know I said this mock won't project trades. But maybe the Jets (who don't have a third-rounder from the Davante Adams debacle) drum up demand for Tyler Warren with the Colts or the Rams, trade down a few spots, and still get Dart. Or maybe they don't trade down at all. It's QB hunting, and there are no rules.

8. Carolina Panthers - Jalon Walker (ED/LB - Georgia)

The Panthers still need pass rush, and there's more momentum for Walker's draft stock among league insiders than among the mock draft crowd. Several players have better measurables but it would be a surprise if anyone but Walker was EDGE2 after Abdul Carter.

9. New Orleans Saints - Matthew Golden (WR - Texas)

Golden ran a 4.29 forty-yard dash on a slow Indy turf and was legit in route running drills. This is all I really need to know about his draft stock. Troy Williamson got to 7 overall with less of a resume. Plus, his name literally has the word gold in it, which is good marketing department synergy.  

10. Chicago Bears -  Will Johnson (CB - Michigan)

Remember that corner who celebrated the hail mary pass against Washington too early, taunting the crowd? Tyrique Stevenson is this infamous player's name. And he's very replacable. The Bears rebuilt their offensive line in free agency, and with this pick, they address the defensive football IQ.   

11. San Francisco 49ers - Jahdae Barron (CB - Texas)

New old defensive coordinator Robert Saleh has several bad needs on defense, but the lack of a true CB1 is as dire a problem as any. They have obvious need at guard and center, but if they can't trade down, they might have to look to future rounds to solve those problems.   

12. Dallas Cowboys - Mykel Williams (ED - Georgia)

With all the right measurables, including age, Williams is still more of a projection than a finished product. But this pick is purely Jerry Jones looking around at his NFC East neighbors, the Eagles, seeing how many Georgia Bulldogs they have up front, and saying, "Yes, please." 

13. Miami Dolphins - Armand Membou - (OL - Missouri)

Membou is a player I've gone back and forth with in my mind several times. Yes, he's dominant on film. But he's also small-ish on that film. The planet theory is about size and rare feet together. Can there be an Aaron Donald of the offensive line? The Dolphins need help at several spots and, eventually, a Terron Armstead replacement.

14. Indianapolis Colts - Tyler Warren (TE - Penn State)

I got lucky here, not projecting Warren to Indy in my first mock. It is a natural landing spot and a real value for the last blue chip player in the crop. In my eyes, Warren should go 5 or 7, but I at least half understand why that doesn't make sense from a salary cap and franchise tag perspective.   

15. Atlanta Falcons - Mike Green (ED - Marshall)

Even after free agency, the Falcons still need an edge, and Green has insane production coupled with a hugely impressive Senior Bowl. James Pearce Jr. and Shemar Stewart are other real possibilities here. Picks like this often come down to the whims of decision-makers, the people in the room where it happens.  

16. Arizona Cardinals - Will Campbell (OL - LSU) 

By mock draft standards, this is low for Campbell, who had a wonderful career at LSU. But if, due to his arm length, he is really more of a guard than a tackle, a small drop in draft stock from the top ten to the teens is historically the result. Still, Campbell plays with an edge, and teams are always on the lookout for leaders. 

17. Cincinnati Bengals - Kelvin Banks (OL - Texas)

This is another pick in the teens of an undersized college tackle who might make a huge difference at guard. There are several very useful players in this draft, and Banks is one of them. Whoever the Bengals take should be able to unseat Cordell Volson right away. 

18. Seattle Seahawks - Gray Zabel (OL - North Dakota State)

The Seahawks have changed regimes, but this scouting department has historically marched to the beat of its own drum. Zabel can be a difference-maker at all three interior positions. Olusegun Oluwatimi is decent at center but the guard positions are in flux. 

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jihaad Campbell (LB - Alabama)

Lavonte David has had an excellent career, but at 35, it's fair to look to a succession plan. Haason Reddick is another free agent signing that could amount to very little. Campbell is walking around with a sling during draft season, which is hurting his stock, but it's fair to expect instant success at linebacker and pass rusher.  

20. Denver Broncos - Omarion Hampton (RB - North Carolina)

Hampton is a unique prospect, and the Broncos have perhaps the worst running back room in the league. And unless that changes through trade, a pick like Hampton, or a trade down for the next best guy if Hampton is gone, seems very feasible. 

21. Pittsburgh Steelers - Malaki Starks (S - Georgia)

The Steelers can go in a ton of different ways here, including some wild quarterback trade-up for Dart, but this Starks pick also makes sense. In a copycat league, they look at the Ravens and realize their defense lacks a middle-of-the-field dominator like Kyle Hamilton. 

22. Los Angeles Chargers - Colston Loveland (TE - Michigan)

This is kind of a lazy projection in the sense that the Chargers' coaching staff has first-hand experience with Loveland. Also, I like the fit here at wide receiver with McMillan and Ebuka still on the board. But the word around the campfire is the Chargers love Loveland and only signed Tyler Conklin as insurance. We'll see.  

23. Green Bay Packers - Tetairoa McMillan (WR - Arizona)

I'll be honest: this player is the one I think about the most when making these mocks. McMillan is projected in the top 10, making him like a Mike Evans or Plexico Burress type of prospect. And I can see that outcome; he's a jump ball specialist. But I wonder if the league sees the same thing as the internet.    

24. Minnesota Vikings - Nick Emmanwori (DB - South Carolina)

Emmanwori has a literal perfect RAS score of 10 out of 10. This has only happened a handful of times in recent history. Emmanwori doesn't have a position and is not known as a physical dominator on tape, but NFL coaches are lining up around the block for a chance to develop this specimen. 

25. Houston Texans - Josh Simmons (OT - Ohio State)

This is another where there's smoke there's fire situation, with many mock drafters projecting either Simmons or fellow Buckeye Emeka Egbuka to the Texans. The offensive line certainly is in a state of flux after the trade of Laremy Tunsil, so Simmons makes a ton of sense at this point in the round. 

26. Los Angeles Rams - Emeka Egbuka (WR - Ohio State) 

Davante Adams is an exciting addition, but he is 32 years old and cannot be considered a long-term solution for the Rams' receiving room. The Rams have an outstanding scouting department, and I could also see them trading up for a difference-maker like Tyler Warren.  

27. Baltimore Ravens - Shemar Stewart (ED - Texas A&M)

I like the fit between Baltimore and Pearce, but in this no-duplicate mock, the Ravens luck into Stewart, who is position-versatile and has an almost perfect RAS score. His production wasn't great, but a playoff team can ease this player into the rotation and develop him over time.

28. Detroit Lions - Luther Burden (WR - Missouri)

There's no real reason why Luther Burden is falling down the board other than various team needs. He's a really good player. Perhaps he goes 12 or 20, but that feels more like a best-case scenario for his draft stock. In Detroit, he can form a super trio with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.  

29. Washington Commanders - James Pearce Jr. (ED - Tennessee)

The Commanders need edge production, and all their free agency moves point toward an immediate Super Bowl window. Pearce has an impressive arsenal of moves and absolutely could go higher in the round, as early as 15 to Atlanta. This is his floor, and the Commanders get lucky. 

30. Buffalo Bills - Maxwell Hairston (CB - Kentucky)

It feels wrong to leave Trey Amos out of the first round. But that was my projection last time, and this is a no-duplicates mock. Still, though, would it really be surprising if Hairston went earlier than Amos? This league is built on speed, and Hairston can run with anyone. 

31. Kansas City Chiefs - Kenneth Grant (DT - Michigan)

Grant is a freakish athlete for his size. The problem with putting him higher in the round is he's a 1-tech nose tackle, and the ghost of Mazi Smith (another Michigan DT freak) might make teams gunshy on using their first rounder on such a profile.  The Chiefs would gladly take Grant and place him next to Chris Jones. 

32. Philadelphia Eagles - Josh Conerly Jr. (OT - Oregon)

Lane Johnson will be 35 this season, and the Eagles lost their swing guy Fred Johnson to free agency. It's very tempting to write in Tyler Booker's name here, as there's a vacancy at guard, but the coaches probably want to see what Tyler Steen and Trevor Keegan have first. 

One player from each position group who isn't a first-rounder in this mock but is among my favorites: 

• QB Will Howard (Ohio State)
• RB Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State)
• WR Jayden Higgins (Iowa State)
• TE Harold Fannin Jr. (Bowling Green)
• OL Ozzy Trapilo (Boston College)
• ED Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College)
• DT Darius Alexander (Toledo)
• LB Carson Schwesinger (UCLA)
• CB Shavon Revel Jr. (East Carolina)
• DB Xavier Watts (Notre Dame)