It's going to seem a little strange this April when the Kansas City Chiefs are not making the last pick of the first round, but that's where we're at with the complete 2025 draft order finally set. The Philadelphia Eagles earned the "honor" of the 32nd pick by demolishing those Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday night, relegating the Chiefs to 31st, a spot they last occupied after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat them in Super Bowl LV. (Just thought I'd throw that in there.)
Here at Buccaneers.com, we've always treated the completion of the Super Bowl as our signal to dive into MCK DRFT SZN. (Did I do that right?) We're a little late to the party compared to the gangs over at NFL.com and CBS Sports and Pro Football Focus, etc., but there's still plenty of time to drop a series of mocks before the real thing begins on the evening of Thursday, April 24.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to pick 19th in the first round, the same spot from which they landed Calijah Kancey, who looks as if he'll be a fixture in the middle of the team's defense for a long time, in the spring of 2023. If you want to see who our first prediction for the Bucs' pick is, go ahead and scroll down the page right now. Otherwise, you can take a look at all 32 mock selections, including what Tampa Bay's NFC South rivals are going to do at picks eight (Carolina), nine (New Orleans) and 15 (Atlanta).
So, without further ado, here is our first Mock Draft of 2025; I get first crack at it but Staff Writer/Reporter Brianna Dix will also be contributing as the weeks go on (note, we will not be making trades in this one):
- Tennessee Titans: QB Cam Ward, Miami
The Titans also have needs at tackle, edge and cornerback, and there's a blue-chip prospect at all of those positions, so they could go in a variety of directions. In fact, once we get to the point where we're including trades, they could be in a great position to move down a little bit and still get someone like tackle Will Campbell. But I don't expect the Titans to give Will Levis another extended shot and the only other quarterback under contract for 2025. It's not a fertile market for veteran quarterbacks this year beyond, I guess, Sam Darnold, so the Titans do what teams picking first usually do and grab their top-rated quarterback.
- Cleveland Browns: EDGE Abdul Carter, Penn State
If Myles Garrett succeeds in forcing his way out of Cleveland, the Browns are going to have an obvious need at pass-rusher, and Carter is drawing comparisons to the last great Penn State edge, Micah Parsons. I do think that it's quite likely that the Deshaun Watson has played his last game for the Browns, but count me among those who think the Coach Prime influence is ultimately going to prevent a Browns-Shedeur Sanders marriage.
- New York Giants: QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
The Giants didn't wait until the end of the season to part ways with quarterback Daniel Jones, but they did choose to move forward with the GM-Coach duo of Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll. Those two could lengthen their runway for a rebuild to take off if they get another rookie quarterback in the building. Sanders is a polished quarterback who should be able to start in Week One.
- New England Patriots: CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado
The Patriots already have their quarterback of the future in Drake Maye, and it would make a lot of sense to go for LSU tackle Will Campbell to improve his environment, but athletes like Hunter don't come along often, especially when you're picking fourth. The Patriots just can't pass up on the best overall prospect in the league and welcome the "problem" of deciding what his primary position should be. Maye could certainly use a dynamic target on offense.
- Jacksonville Jaguars: CB Will Johnson, Michigan
Don't assume the Jaguars will automatically go offense here after hiring Liam Coen as their new head coach. With all of the attention on quarterback Trevor Lawrence not yet ascending into top-five status in the NFL, the Jacksonville defense quietly finished 31st in the NFL, including dead last against the pass. The 6-2, 202-pound Johnson has great size and length as well as a nose for the football.
- Las Vegas Raiders: WR Tetairoa McMillan
The Raiders would be my first choice to trade up to get a quarterback if I were doing trades, but in this case the top two are gone and no others are expected anywhere near the first round. Las Vegas hit a home run in last year's draft with tight end Brock Bowers and could really make life easy for whichever veteran passer they bring in by pairing him with McMillan, who has Mike Evans' size and catch radius and great run-after-catch ability.
- New York Jets: DL Mason Graham, Michigan
Javon Kinlaw is a pending unrestricted free agent and the Jets could use another force in the middle of their defensive front to pair with Quinnen Williams. Graham can hold his own against double teams in the run game but has a quick get-off and some good pass-rush skills, as well. He and Williams could be a scary duo.
- Carolina Panthers: EDGE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
After tagging and trading Brian Burns, the Panthers signed Jadeveon Clowney and D.J. Wonnum to man the OLB spots and got a combined 9.5 sacks out of them. Not bad, but they could still use more juice off the edge after ranking 29th in sacks per pass play on defense last year. It's hard to find blue-chip edge rushers outside of the first 15 or 20 picks, so even though this is considered a deep edge class I still think they have to prioritize that over, say, safety or wide receiver.
- New Orleans Saints: S Malaki Starks, Georgia
Will Harris is a pending UFA and Tyrann Mathieu turns 33 just after the draft. The Saints' defense is a bit long in the tooth overall and it finished 30th overall and 27th against the pass last year. The 6-1, 205-pound Starks is both extremely athletic and instinctive, and he holds up well in run support while also making plays on the ball in the passing game.
- Chicago Bears: T Will Campbell, LSU
Getting the top offensive tackle off the board at the 10th pick is a bit of a coup. The first tackle has been picked no lower than seventh in any of the previous five drafts. Caleb Williams, the intended franchise quarterback picked first overall last year, was sacked approximately (/checks notes) 6,000 times as a rookie. The Bears used a first-round pick last year on tackle Darnell Wright and put him on the right side with 2023 fifth-round pick Braxton Jones staying at left tackle. Even if Campbell doesn't prove to be an upgrade on Jones, he is considered a prime candidate to move inside at the NFL level and all three of Chicago's interior starters are pending free agents.
- San Francisco 49ers: DL Walter Nolen, Mississippi
The 49ers love to invest top draft capital in their defensive front, and their more dominant defenses in recent years have coincided with that group performing well across the board. Javon Hargrave missed 14 games due to injury last year and 49ers GM John Lynch has already stated that the veteran defender to be released (and possibly then re-signed, but not definitely). Nolen is an early riser on some draft boards and offers quickness, the ability to get penetration into the pocket and versatility to move around the line.
- Dallas Cowboys: RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
I really wish I had mocked Jeanty to some team in the top 11 (I strongly considered him to the Raiders at seven), because this pairing with the Cowboys is so obvious and popular. I feel a real lack of imagination here. But given the output that Dallas got from its backfield last year, this feels like a pick Jerry Jones would give the thumbs-up to. Jeanty rushed for 2,601 yards and scored 30 touchdowns in 2024!
- Miami Dolphins: T Kelvin Banks, Texas
Former Saints star Terron Armstead has been a good player for three years in Miami, but he has battled injuries and has never played a full season in his 12-year career. He's a potential cap casualty or he could retire before his age-34 season. Either way, the Dolphins could use a young blocker like Banks, who excelled in a Texas offense that, like Miami's, uses a lot of motion and quick-game passes.
- Indianapolis Colts: TE Tyler Warren, Penn State
After he was benched briefly in his second season, Anthony Richardson looks like he's going to get at least one more shot at locking down the starting quarterback job for the long term. Let's get him some help. Warren would shoot right to the top of a Colts' tight end depth chart currently headed by Mo Alie-Cox, who's never had more than 394 receiving yards in a season, and that was five years ago. Warren eats up yards with his long strides, is good at finding soft spots in zones and can create more yards after the catch.
- Atlanta Falcon: EDGE Mike Green, Marshall
Matt Judon could end up being a one-year rental after the Falcons shipped a third-round pick to the Patriots for him right before the start of the season. He's a pending free agent. Atlanta has seemingly been in the search for outside pass rush help forever. Arnold Ebiketie, a 2022 second-round pick, has contributed 6.0 sacks each of the last six seasons but the Falcons need more production off the edge and Green led the FBS in sacks last year. Green has great speed and acceleration and already has a fairly well-developed toolkit of moves.
- Arizona Cardinals: EDGE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Arizona needs a lot of help on defense but edge rusher is high on the list and quickly becoming scarce. Stewart is rising up draft boards after a dominant performance during the Senior Bowl week. Stewart isn't a 240-pound speed-rush specialist; he stands 6-5 and 281 pounds and has a wingspan of 83.5 inches. He moves very well for a man that size and can convert speed to power, but he also has the strength to hold the edge against the run.
- Cincinnati Bengals: EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia
We officially have a run! The third straight edge rusher off the board, Williams is already considered a very good run defender, with the tools to also develop into a productive pass rusher. If the Bengals can retain Tee Higgins to keep their trio of him, Ja'Marr Chase and Joe Burrow, the offense should be fine. The defense needs a lot of work, however, and a poor showing in 2024 has already cost defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo his job. (Don't worry about Big Lou; he already landed the DC job in Indy.)
- Seattle Seahawks: T Josh Simmons, Ohio State
Injuries have weakened Simmons' draft stock a bit but he could rise higher than this as medical reports come in over the offseason. The Seahawks seemed to hit the jackpot with tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas n the 2022 draft, but the results haven't been as good over the past two years. I think they could find a way to fit all three of them into the lineup and the group needs help overall.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
The Buccaneers found out first-hand in 2024 how quickly a team's cornerback depth can be tested by injuries. (To be fair, they already knew that, but the injury luck in the secondary was particularly bad last season.) Speaking of injuries, Morrison missed most of his final season at Notre Dame with a hip injury, but that may be why he's available in the second half of the round. At six-feet tall, he brings the height and length that Todd Bowles covets in cornerbacks, and he also can play outside or in the slot, something that can come in handy when those injuries do require some shuffling of personnel. Morrison is quick and agile and can change direction on a dime.
- Denver Broncos: WR Luther Burden, Missouri
Many were surprised by how competent rookie quarterback Bo Nix was in 2024. (Sean Payton was not among those who were surprised.) Courtland Sutton had a nice bounce back season with 1,081 yards and eight touchdowns, but Nix could use a better option than Marvin Mims, DeVaughn Vale or Troy Franklin. Burden is excellent out of the slot and is a very good creator with the ball in his hands. He can also make plays down the field.
- Pittsburgh Steelers: WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Egbuka would be a nice complement to George Pickens for whomever is throwing passes in Pittsburgh next fall. Pickens is a circus-catch, big-play specialist and Egbuka, who is a very fluid and precise route-runner can keep the chains moving. While a highly-productive pass-catcher at Ohio State, Egbuka also stood out with his enthusiastic and effective work as a run-blocker. I feel like that would play well in Pittsburgh, especially in an offense coordinated by Arthur Smith.
- Los Angeles Chargers: TE Colston Loveland, Michigan
Jim Harbaugh did exactly what everyone expected him to do in his first Chargers draft, prioritizing the line of scrimmage and taking tackle Joe Alt over wide receiver Malik Nabers. The strategy paid off when the Chargers were also to land wideout Ladd McConkey early in the second round. With 2023 first-round Quentin Johnston showing signs of life, Los Angeles could try to help Justin Herbert out by landing a more dynamic tight end like Loveland. Loveland played basketball in high school, and Chargers fans will love to hear that after seeing Antonio Gates get his Hall of Fame call last week. The Michigan product is a high-level athlete who can create mismatches all over the field.
- Green Bay Packers: CB Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina
Is Jaire Alexander a potential cap casualty this offseason? He's still one of the NFL's best (and highest-paid) cornerbacks in the league when healthy but he has missed 34 games over the past four seasons, including 10 in each of the last two years. Either way, it's a position of need for the Packers, who tend to use their first-round picks on the defensive side of the ball.
- Minnesota Vikings: DL Kenneth Grant, Michigan
The Vikings road Brian Flores' selective aggression to strong defensive results in 2024, but they could use an infusion of young talent on the interior line. Jerry Tillery may be a one-year rental as a pending free agent and Grant could step right in as a starter next to Harrison Phillips. Neither player is a high-level pass-rusher, but Grant would help keep the Vikings' second-ranked run defense strong. The 6-3, 342-pound Michigan product can tie up double teams and is downright immovable when blocked one-on-one.
- Houston Texans: C/G Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
Zabel may have elevated himself into the first round with his incredible performance during the Senior Bowl week. Though he only played left tackle at NDSU, he took easily to the guard and center spots in Mobile and showed he could play all over the line. The Texans need a lot of help between the tackles but might initially view Zabel as a center. If Houston wants proof of concept that North Dakota State left tackles can convert to guard or center in the NFL and start right away, they should give Jason Licht a call. He could tell them about Cody Mauch.
- Los Angeles Rams: T Armand Membou, Missouri
The Rams fixed their defensive front a year ago with the back-to-back picks of Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, so this year they turn to the other side of the trench. The 6-4, 332-pound Membou moves very well in pass protection to deny lanes to speed rushers. He's a tone-setter on the offensive front and likes to bring the action to his opponents.
- Baltimore Ravens: EDGE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
It's been a minute since the Ravens used a first-round pick on an edge rusher (Odafe Oweh 31st overall in 2021), and maybe it's time to do so now. The seemingly ageless Kyle Van Noy had 12.5 sacks last year and Oweh had 10.0, but Van Noy is soon to turn 34 and is going into the last year of his contract. Scourton had 5.0 sacks last year for the Aggies and 10.0 in 2023 for Purdue, and has the combination of quickness, size and athleticism that suggest he could be even better at the next level.
- Detroit Lions: EDGE Jack Sawyer, Ohio State
The Lions impressively held together their defense for most of the season despite an incredible run of injuries, but in the end it kept them from realizing their Super Bowl dreams. It was an especially tough blow to lose Aidan Hutchinson just five games (and 7.5 sacks!) into the season. Hutchinson will be back to wreak havoc in 2025 but the Lions would love to bookend him with another young and athletic pass rusher. Enter Sawyer, who may not be as freakishly athletic as some of the edges who came off the board before him but is a high-motor player who can generate a lot of power.
- Washington Commanders: WR Matthew Golden
Among his many talents, Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels can extend plays and fire pinpoint passes deep downfield. So how about a wide receiver with the speed and acceleration to make those big plays down the field. Daniels was so historically good as a rookie that it's exciting just to think about surrounding him with even more explosive weapons. Terry McLaurin could use a running mate like Golden.
- Buffalo Bills: DL Tyleik Williams, Ohio State
Buffalo's defense could stand to be a bit more stout up the middle, and Williams would give them a 327-pound player with impressive strength to hold up blockers, plus some pass-rushing upside based on his impressive athleticism. While he had some issues with inconsistencies from down to down and game to game at OSU, he could quickly develop into an impact player in the NFL>
- Kansas City Chiefs: T Josh Conerly, Oregon
Just as it was four years ago at this time, the Chiefs' top need was laid bare in a lopsided Super Bowl loss. Joe Thuney did an admirable job after his late season move from left guard to left tackle, but the Chiefs would surely love to move him back inside, where he was an All-Pro each of the last three seasons. Getting a plug-and-play left tackle would improve two positions, with Mike Caliendo going back to a reserve role. Conerly is more advanced as a pass blocker than in the run game, but the Chiefs would probably take that deal after Patrick Mahomes was sacked six times and hurried frequently on Sunday night.
- Philadelphia Eagles: LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
The Eagles may have made the signing of last offseason by taking a flyer on linebacker Zack Baun, who was used as a rotational pass rusher in New Orleans. Philadelphia let Baun play off-ball linebacker and he flourished in the role while also having the flexibility to occasionally come off the edge. The thing is, Baun's prove-it deal in Philly was only for one season and he may now be able to cash in on a much bigger deal elsewhere. If so, Campbell could have a shot at filling the same type of role. At 6-3 and 244 pounds he has the size to play linebacker and has the necessary acceleration and play-diagnosis skills to close on running plays. He can also drop into coverage or take some reps rushing off the edge.
