It's Week 12, so we're just about two-thirds of the way through the NFL regular season.

With that in mind, this feels like a good time to update my 2025 mock draft.

Here are previous versions, in case you're curious.

• Version 1: Way-too-early version (May 2024)
• Version 2: Midseason version (Nov. 2024)

I plan to do more mocks and draft content moving forward, so be sure regularly to check out our Fantasy Life NFL Draft Hub.

Specifically, I recommend perusing Thor Nystrom's early thoughts on the top of the draft board at each skill position.

• Top-five QBs
• Top-five RBs
• Top-five WRs
• Top-five TEs

Over the past six years (since I started submitting mocks in competitions), I’m the No. 2 mocker for accuracy, and I'm a lifetime 484-424 (+102.6 units) betting on the draft.

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In 2024 I was a terrible 38-49 (-10.4 units) thanks largely to a heavy fade of QB Michael Penix, but I was at least the No. 5 mocker.

2025 NFL Mock Draft Methodology

I've determined draft order by projecting out the rest of the season and assigning picks based on expected win totals for each team. Each week, you can access my team projections in our Fantasy Life Game Models (accessible with a FantasyLife+ subscription).

Generally, here's what I want to accomplish with this draft.

• Maximize the number of likely first-rounders.
• Match teams with positions of need.
• Order players correctly within their positions.
• Mock players within their probable draft range.

In a roundabout way, I believe that I will be most accurate if I strive for sufficiency instead of perfection.

Here's what I mean: If I were to take a pick-by-pick approach and try to match each player with his exact team or in his precise draft position, I might end up making some subpar decisions with significant and unfortunate cascading consequences.

But with a more holistic approach that focuses less on any given pick and more on the overall board and position groups, I probably minimize the impact of any given mistake.

And let's face it: It's a mock draft—there will be mistakes.

That's fine. Remember, the goal is not to be perfect. The goal is to be as accurate as reasonable.

With that in mind, I don't do any trades in my mocks. The NFL draft can be pure chaos. Stacking madness and randomness on top of it by trying to project trades feels like a great way to have the world's least actionable and accurate mock.

Maybe one day I'll do a one-off "trade around and find out" mock.

But today is not that day.

Updated 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Once we have an official draft order and we get closer to the event, I'll provide notes for each pick.

Right now, though, I'll provide notes only for the top five and then the various positions.

Here's my "two-thirds of the way through the regular season" mock.

Borderline Prospects - Players On The Border of Rounds 1 and 2

These are the players I currently view as residing on the borderline of Rounds 1-2.

• QB Garrett Nussmeier (LSU), Carson Beck (Georgia)
• RB Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State)
• TE Tyler Warren (Penn State)
• OTs Aireontae Ersery (Minnesota), Emery Jones (LSU), Josh Simmons (Ohio State)
• OG Donovan Jackson (Ohio State)
• EDGEs Princely Umanmielen (Mississippi), Harold Perkins (LSU), Landon Jackson (Arkansas), Jack Sawyer (Ohio State)
• DT Derrick Harmon (Oregon), Omarr Norman-Lott (Tennessee)
• CB Tacario Davis (Arizona), Jahdae Barron (Texas)
• S Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina)

Top Five Picks of My 2025 NFL Mock Draft

1.01: Browns - QB Cameron Ward (Miami)

If the Browns have the top pick it's hard to imagine them deciding to stick with QB Deshaun Watson.

Last week I wrote a piece with my Round 1 QBs projections, so check that out for more analysis, but I currently (and just barely) have Cameron Ward as the No. 1 QB in the class.

Right now, Ward has nation-best marks with 3,494 yards and 32 TDs passing. 

He needs to be in the 1.01 discussion, at a minimum.

I haven't bet on him yet at +750 (FanDuel) to be the No. 1 pick. It feels too early in the process for that. But I'm thinking about it more than just a little bit.

1.02: Titans - QB Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)

Shedeur Sanders is a +200 favorite to be the No. 1 pick. He's also the No. 1 QB in Thor's Fantasy Life QB rankings.

He feels almost certain to go in the top five, given how electric and hyped he has been since last season.

And it wouldn't surprise me if eventually I flipped Ward and Sanders in my positional rankings. They are close.

1.03: Raiders - QB Jalen Milroe (Alabama)

I see a massive tier drop from Ward and Sanders in the top two to Jalen Milroe.

Still, demand at the position will push Milroe up the board. Hence, the No. 3 pick.

With his dual-threat ability (9.7 AY/A for career, 120-608-17 rushing year), Milroe will entice NFL decision makers.

1.04: Patriots - WR/CB Travis Hunter (Colorado)

Travis Hunter is probably not the best WR in this class. And he's also probably not the best CB.

But he plays both positions at a high level and might end up being the NFL's first full-time two-way player in decades.

Given his overall talent and skill set, I bet that someone will draft him with a premium pick even without a precise plan for how to use him.

And the Patriots could use help at both WR and CB.

1.05: Giants - QB Quinn Ewers (Texas)

With his benching this week, the Daniel Jones era is almost certainly over in New York.

Ewers was the No. 1 recruit and QB in the 2021 high school class.

Guys like that still tend to go high, and he has probably done enough at Texas to draw interest.

NFL Mock Draft Positional Analysis

Running Backs

The chalkiest pick in almost every mock I've seen is Ashton Jeanty to the Cowboys. The fit is almost too perfect, and it's easy to imagine GM Jerry Jones not being able to resist.

Wide Receivers

I finally got five WRs in a mock.

Hunter is a lock for Round 1, as is Tetairoa McMillan and probably Luther Burden.

And I now think that Emeka Egbuka and Isaiah Bond are greater than 50% to go in the top 32.

This is a decent WR class.

Tight Ends

I also finally got a TE in Round 1. Picking a landing spot for the onesie positions is tough … but I can imagine an AFC West team investing at the position.

Right now, I have Colston Loveland slotted to the Chiefs as the presumptive heir to Hall-of-Famer Travis Kelce, but the Chargers and Broncos could also look to upgrade at the position.

Offensive Linemen

Last year's OL class was loaded. This year's, not so much.

My biggest mock-over-mock change: Removing an OT and adding an OG.

Defensive Linemen

This is the strength of the class.

I have 11 DLs in Round 1 and another six on the borderline.

In 2025, we could see an all-time number of DLs in the top 32.

Linebackers

No offball LBs went in Round 1 in 2024. I project the same for 2025.

Secondary

Four CBs and one S. Typical.

Kickers

Get a life.

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