The top of 2025 NFL Mock Drafts are beginning to look identical, and that’s because elite talent is easily identifiable. However, as the offseason chapter of the college football calendar turns to August and games begin to kick off, all bets are off.
Who are the top 2025 NFL Draft prospects entering the peak of summer scouting?
2025 NFL Mock Draft | Round 1
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1) Carolina Panthers: James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
As a true sophomore, James Pearce Jr. generated 14.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles in the SEC.
If you only have time to watch one of his games, turn on the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Iowa. That contest fully encapsulates Pearce’s destructive tendencies and points to a player worthy of the first-overall selection.
2) Tennessee Titans: Carson Beck, QB, Georgia
If Tennessee is selecting No. 2 overall, then the Will Levis train completely derailed. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the former Kentucky QB coming out, and if I were the general manager of the Titans, as I am in this 2025 NFL Mock Draft, I’d look for a new face of the franchise.
Carson Beck has his detractors, but he completed 72% of his passes for the most passing yards among returning QBs (3,941), 24 TDs, and just six INTs last year. He completes passes other collegiate signal-callers simply can’t due to his anticipation and quick release. He’s QB1 in the 2025 NFL Draft, and it isn’t particularly close.
3) New England Patriots: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
The Patriots got their QB of the future in Drake Maye; now they need to protect him.
Will Campbell has started at left tackle since his true freshman season in 2022 and has been elite. The 6’6″ and 325-pound OT is a mauler in the ground game and didn’t allow a sack in 2023. He’s balanced, has strong hands, and is explosive off the ball with the range to pull in the run game and mirror twitchier edge rushers.
4) Denver Broncos: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
A Heisman candidate entering his true junior season, Luther Burden III has all the tools of a premier pass-catching weapon. After displaying his playmaking ability as a true freshman, LBIII torched SEC defenses to the tune of 1,212 yards and nine scores in 2023.
Before the catch, at the catch point, or after the catch, Burden can win at every level.
5) Las Vegas Raiders: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
After a brief benching early in the 2023 campaign, Jalen Milroe rattled off 10 straight wins and showed an emphasis on taking care of the ball.
Now with Kalen DeBoer and his QB-whispering ways in place as head coach, there’s reason to believe Milroe will take another leap as a passer. And don’t forget about his lethality as a rusher at 6’2″ and 220 pounds.
6) New York Giants: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Off-the-field antics aside, Shedeur Sanders is a deadly QB, compiling 3,230 yards, 27 TDs, and only three INTs last year.
The pass rush got in his head at times, but Sanders has the effortless mobility, arm talent, and accuracy to dot up defenses, even in the Big 12. The Buffaloes have immense outside and inside pressure to perform in 2024, and much of it rests on Sanders’ shoulders. How he responds will go a long way on his scouting report.
7) Arizona Cardinals: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
Mason Graham is the best returning defensive tackle in the entire nation. In fact, he’s arguably the best defensive player hitting the field in 2024, right up there with Pearce, Deone Walker, and Abdul Carter.
Graham’s heavy hands, lateral quickness, and first-step explosion make him a nightmare to handle as a run defender and pass rusher — exactly what the Cardinals need.
8) Washington Commanders: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Will Johnson could’ve been a Day 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and another standout season could propel him into the top 10. His 6’2″, 200-pound frame comes equipped with the athleticism of a smaller corner, allowing him to stick to his opponent’s hip all over the field.
Add in Johnson’s competitiveness, patience, and high football IQ, and you have the top CB in the country.
9) New Orleans Saints: Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
There are plenty of talented EDGEs to tab as your EDGE1 in the 2025 NFL Draft class, and Nic Scourton is one of them. He unleashed his vast array of pass-rush moves on Big Ten teams while with Purdue last season, but they’ll mean more with Texas A&M.
With an explosive get-off and a nauseating spin move, Scourton deserves early recognition.
10) Minnesota Vikings: Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky
No SEC DT, even including Texas’ duo of Byron Murphy II and T’Vondre Sweat, came close to Deone Walker‘s pass-rush dominance last season. Walker also played by far the most snaps of any interior defender in the conference. That’s impressive on its own, but he’s 6’6″ and 348 pounds!
A massive human with excellent conditioning, Walker can blow up a run and then sack the quarterback the next play.
11) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan formed one of the best QB-WR duos in the nation last year, combining for 1,402 yards and 10 scores.
MORE: Top 100 Prospects To Watch in the 2025 NFL Draft
At 6’5″, 210 pounds, McMillan comes with obvious contested-catch appeal, but he’s also flexible for his size as a route runner.
12) Seattle Seahawks: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
Abdul Carter has been a force to be reckoned with at linebacker, but a full-time move to EDGE this offseason will result in widespread paranormal activity in the Big Ten. The 6’3″, 250-pound defender puts offensive linemen in a blender with his combination of power, speed, and bend.
13) Indianapolis Colts: Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
Benjamin Morrison put his name on the map with six INTs as a true freshman in 2022. Even though coverage numbers are usually volatile year over year, he came right back and put up 10 pass breakups and three interceptions in 2023.
At 6’0″ and 185 pounds, Morrison doesn’t win with brute strength or suffocating length; he wins on his movement skills and instincts to erase wide receivers.
14) Pittsburgh Steelers: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
There are no guarantees when it comes to the NFL Draft, but Malaki Starks is as close to a first-round lock as you can find from a safety prospect. He isn’t just another playmaker on Georgia’s star-studded defense; he’s the leader of the unit.
Starks checks all the boxes (tackling, run defense, coverage) and is versatile enough to line up wherever an NFL team needs him, much like the Steelers’ Minkah Fitzpatrick.
15) Jacksonville Jaguars: Travis Hunter, CB, Colorado
Travis Hunter has been college football’s version of Shohei Ohtani, locking down receivers as a cornerback and burning cornerbacks as a wide receiver. Hunter’s smooth athleticism and body control make him dangerous in both phases, but his skill set best translates on the defensive side of the ball.
16) Cleveland Browns: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
At 6’5″ and 265 pounds, Mykel Williams began his career as a defensive end for Georgia but has since moved to outside linebacker.
He’s long and powerful enough to set the edge against the run, with the violence to shed blocks before linemen know what happened. Shooting off the line with a blazing first step, Williams has the physical gifts to develop into a first-round prospect.
17) Los Angeles Rams: Jonah Savaiinaea, OT, Arizona
Although he stands at 6’5″ and 330 pounds, Jonah Savaiinaea moves incredibly well. Due to his length and overall girth, some teams will pigeonhole him as a guard. Nevertheless, he has the athleticism, footwork, and size to be a scheme-versatile starting tackle.
18) Los Angeles Chargers: Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State
Quinshon Judkins posted 1,567 yards and 16 scores as a true freshman in the SEC. His numbers took a minor hit last season, but he still broke innumerable tackles and maximized the space he was given.
Jim Harbaugh loves to run the ball, and he’ll need a new RB1 in Los Angeles next year. Who better than the guy about to run all over his former employer this season?
19) Chicago Bears: Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Ole Miss
Princely Umanmielen and Florida’s relationship seemingly turned toxic toward the end, but he’ll have a fresh start with Ole Miss.
Umanmielen’s fluidity, bend, and first-step quickness resulted in career-highs in TFLs (11.5), sacks (seven), and QB hurries (17) last season, and he’s another productive year away from a first-round selection.
20) Atlanta Falcons: Tacario Davis, CB, Arizona
Scheme translatability is a significant factor in scouting, and Arizona’s Tacario Davis is the quintessential Cover 3 corner. At 6’4″ with rare mobility, he has no issue completely enveloping WRs, registering 16 pass deflections in 2023.
21) Miami Dolphins: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
At 6’3″ and nearly 340 pounds, Kenneth Grant is a massive man similar to former Texas DT T’Vondre Sweat. While he can simply drive centers and guards five yards into the backfield, Grant is a more fluid mover with a more refined pass-rush arsenal.
22) Green Bay Packers: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
Kelvin Banks Jr. stepped off the plane in Austin and immediately shined at left tackle, particularly in pass protection. The former five-star recruit has lived up to his billing and then some.
Banks’ run-blocking prowess trails his mastery as a pass blocker, but he’s shown flashes over the last two years, especially at the end of the 2023 campaign.
23) New York Jets: Kevin Winston Jr., S, Penn State
Ladies and gentlemen, meet the next secondary member fresh off the Penn State-to-NFL conveyor belt.
The 2023 season was Kevin Winston Jr.’s first as a starter, but you couldn’t tell based on his performance. He led the team with 61 tackles and added two fumbles recoveries, an interception, and five pass breakups to his résumé.
However, KWJ offers much more than what can be shown on the stat sheet. He is a constant communicator, an immaculate tackler, and a heat-seeking missile from the second and third levels of defense.
24) Houston Texans: Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU
Pass-rush threat? Check. Elite athlete? Check. Able to cover? Check. There truly isn’t much Harold Perkins Jr. can’t do.
At 6’1″ and 220 pounds, he’ll never be a dominant box defender, and longer/beefier offensive linemen can drive him out of run plays. Nevertheless, what Perkins brings in coverage and as a pass rusher isn’t replicated by anyone in the SEC.
25) Dallas Cowboys: Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State
The reigning Doak Walker Award winner and 2,000-all-purpose-yard back, Ollie Gordon II is the definition of a workhorse. His flexibility, contact balance, and vision consistently gain every inch possible.
Gordon presses holes, manipulates defenders, and turns plays behind the LOS into home runs.
26) Philadelphia Eagles: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Injuries slowed Emeka Egbuka in 2023, but as the new WR1 — at least while Jeremiah Smith gets his feet wet — he is next off the Ohio State WR pipeline. Egbuka knows how to get open and has the strong hands to reel the ball in and turn upfield.
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With Chip Kelly calling the plays, Will Howard throwing the ball, and Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson forcing defenses to stack the box, Egbuka is primed for an eye-popping season.
27) Cincinnati Bengals: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
Taking a tight end in the first round is frowned upon in the analytics community, but Colston Loveland isn’t just a TE — he’s a pass-catching savant. He served as J.J. McCarthy’s safety net, often receiving looks on key downs.
Michigan knows how to use their height/weight/speed threat, often lining him up in the slot and allowing him to devour smaller DBs and slower LBs.
28) Buffalo Bills: Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State
Denzel Burke burst onto the scene with a one-INT, 12-PBU true freshman campaign before suffering a sophomore slump in 2022. He produced a bounce-back performance in 2023, recording one INT, eight PBUs, and a forced fumble in two fewer games than his freshman year.
The Ohio State CB is a willing run-support defender and a gnat in man coverage, understanding when to swivel his head around to find the ball in phase.
29) Detroit Lions: Evan Stewart, WR, Oregon
Despite possessing a slight frame (6’0″ and 175 pounds), Evan Stewart routinely separated from defensive backs while at Texas A&M. And now paired with QB Dillon Gabriel and WR Tez Johnson, Stewart should explode statistically, cementing his place in the first round of 2025 NFL Mock Drafts.
30) Baltimore Ravens: Emery Jones Jr., OT, LSU
Like fellow LSU bookend Campbell, Emery Jones Jr. has started since stepping onto campus in 2022. Jones showed immense growth last year, and if he continues that developmental trajectory, he should hear his name called early in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Jones’ tone-setting strength and mentality in the ground game pop on film, as do his core strength and flexibility in pass protection when recovering.
31) San Francisco 49ers: Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson
Barrett Carter fits the modern LB mold to a tee. He has the size, speed, and power to be a chess piece on defense. Blitz him off the edge, have him cover from the slot, or send him to fill gaps in the run game from the box — Carter can do it all.
Last year was Carter’s first full-time season playing at the second level, and there were some growing pains. Yet, linebacker is an experience-heavy position, so he should only improve in 2024.
32) Kansas City Chiefs: Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo
Chris Jones finally gets the partner in crime he has longed for. What Darius Alexander brings as a pass rusher just isn’t easily replicable on the interior. His four sacks from 2023 don’t seem impressive, but that’s why you have to turn on the tape.
Alexander has powerful knockback hands and an imposing lower half, bullying linemen into the quarterback’s lap. But he isn’t just raw power — Alexander has showcased several pass-rush moves (club rip, arm over, etc.) en route to the backfield.