NFL Mock Draft: Shedeur Sanders Falls to Steelers, Tet McMillan to Cowboys
Matthew Freedman breaks down his latest NFL mock draft as we officially enter NFL draft week ahead of the 2025 season.
It's officially the week of the draft, so now feels like a good time to update my NFL mock draft and provide my penultimate iteration.
For all previous 20 versions, check out my Fantasy Life author page as well as our Fantasy Life NFL Draft Hub.
Also, every Saturday edition of the Fantasy Life Newsletter is now dedicated to the draft.
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2025 NFL Mock Draft
Here's my "week of" mock, followed by notes.
| Pick | Team | Player | School | Position | Other Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEN | Cam Ward | Miami | QB | WR, EDGE |
| 2 | CLE | Travis Hunter | Colorado | WR | QB, EDGE |
| 3 | NYG | Abdul Carter | Penn State | EDGE | QB, WR |
| 4 | NE | Will Campbell | LSU | OT | EDGE, WR |
| 5 | JAX | Mason Graham | Michigan | DT | OT, CB |
| 6 | LV | Ashton Jeanty | Boise State | RB | CB, EDGE, DT |
| 7 | NYJ | Armand Membou | Missouri | OT | DT, TE |
| 8 | CAR | Jalon Walker | Georgia | EDGE | DT, WR |
| 9 | NO | Will Johnson | Michigan | CB | QB, TE |
| 10 | CHI | Tyler Warren | Penn State | TE | RB, EDGE, OT |
| 11 | SF | Mykel Williams | Georgia | EDGE | CB, OT, DT, EDGE |
| 12 | DAL | Tetairoa McMillan | Arizona | WR | RB, CB |
| 13 | MIA | Kelvin Banks | Texas | OT | CB, S |
| 14 | IND | Colston Loveland | Michigan | TE | OT, G |
| 15 | ATL | Shemar Stewart | Texas A&M | EDGE | S, DT, LB |
| 16 | ARI | Mike Green | Marshall | EDGE | DT, CB, OT |
| 17 | CIN | Derrick Harmon | Oregon | DT | EDGE, S |
| 18 | SEA | Grey Zabel | North Dakota State | OT | WR, G |
| 19 | TB | Jihaad Campbell | Alabama | LB | EDGE, S |
| 20 | DEN | Omarion Hampton | North Carolina | RB | WR |
| 21 | PIT | Shedeur Sanders | Colorado | QB | DT |
| 22 | LAC | Kenneth Grant | Michigan | DT | TE, WR |
| 23 | GB | Jahdae Barron | Texas | CB | EDGE, WR |
| 24 | MIN | Nick Emmanwori | South Carolina | S | CB |
| 25 | HOU | Tyler Booker | Alabama | G | OT, WR |
| 26 | LAR | Matthew Golden | Texas | WR | CB, QB |
| 27 | BAL | Malaki Starks | Georgia | S | EDGE, OT |
| 28 | DET | Donovan Ezeiruaku | Boston College | EDGE | OG, OT |
| 29 | WAS | James Pearce | Tennessee | EDGE | WR, RB |
| 30 | BUF | Maxwell Hairston | Kentucky | CB | S, DT, WR |
| 31 | KC | Josh Simmons | Ohio State | OT | DT |
| 32 | PHI | Walter Nolen | Mississippi | DT | EDGE, TE |
2025 Mock Draft Methodology
Here's an outline of my general process for this mock.
- Identify the 32 players most likely to go in Round 1.
- Order players correctly within their position groups.
- Match teams with positions of need.
- Attempt to mock players within their likely draft ranges.
Accuracy, more than precision, is the priority.
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"Must Include" Prospects in Round 1
Right now, there are 26 players who I think have around an 80% chance (or better) to go in Round 1 (unless something drastically changes in their evaluation between now and the draft).
- QB: Cam Ward (Miami), Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)
- RB: Ashton Jeanty (Boise State), Omarion Hampton (North Carolina)
- WR: Travis Hunter (Colorado), Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona), Matthew Golden (Texas)
- TE: Tyler Warren (Penn State), Colston Loveland (Michigan)
- OT: Will Campbell (LSU), Armand Membou (Missouri), Kelvin Banks (Texas), Grey Zabel (North Dakota State)
- EDGE: Abdul Carter (Penn State), Jalon Walker (Georgia), Mykel Williams (Georgia), Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M), Mike Green (Marshall)
- DT: Mason Graham (Michigan), Derrick Harmon (Oregon), Kenneth Grant (Michigan)
- LB: Jihaad Campbell (Alabama)
- CB: Will Johnson (LSU), Jahdae Barron (Texas)
- S: Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina), Malaki Starks (Georgia)
All of these guys I'm including in this mock.
"Want to Include" Prospects in Round 1
After the "must include" players, I have another seven players with at least a 60% chance of getting in Round 1.
- OT: Josh Simmons (Ohio State), Josh Conerly (Oregon)
- OG: Tyler Booker (Alabama)
- DT: Walter Nolen (Mississippi)
- EDGE: Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College), James Pearce (Tennessee)
- CB: Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky)
Given that I can include only six of them, Conerly is the one I'm cutting: Nolen and Hairston I have slotted for Round 1, Booker is ahead of Simmons and Conerly (although it's close), and I think it's likelier we get seven EDGEs on Day 1 than seven OLs.
Borderline Prospects in Round 1
After the aforementioned players, I considered only eight more guys on the borderline of Rounds 1-2.
- QB: Jaxson Dart (Mississippi), Jalen Milroe (Alabama)
- RB: TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State)
- WR: Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State), Luther Burden (Missouri)
- OG: Donovan Jackson (Ohio State)
- EDGE: Nic Scourton (Texas A&M)
- CB: Trey Amos (Mississippi)
Of these eight, Dart and Egbuka are the two I think have the greatest chance of sneaking into Day 1.
NFL Mock Draft Analysis
In previous versions, I've provided much more in the way of analysis. Here, for the sake of expediency, I provide only cursory notes.
- Picks 1-8: Chalk.
- Pick 9: Saints need QB, but I doubt they take one this early. I need to slot CB Will Johnson somewhere in this range, and Saints also need CB.
- Pick 10: TE Tyler Warren belongs in the top 10.
- Pick 11: 49ers need to rebuild DL.
- Pick 12: Cowboys seem locked into WR, and I still have Tetairoa McMillan ahead of Matthew Golden.
- Pick 13: Dolphins have needs all over, but they really require a replacement for retired LT Terron Armstead.
- Pick 14: Colts need TE, whether that's Warren or Colston Loveland.
- Picks 15-17: DL all the way.
- Pick 18: Seahawks going OL or WR, and I think OL is the bigger need.
- Picks 19-20: Chalk.
- Pick 21: Steelers stop the slide for QB Shedeur Sanders.
- Pick 22: Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh gets a Michigan Man.
- Picks 23-24: Secondary is a need for both the Packers and the Vikings.
- Pick 25: OL is a massive need for Texans.
- Pick 26: Rams get a perimeter speedster in Golden to complement WRs Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
- Pick 27: Ravens pair S Malaki Starks with All-Pro Kyle Hamilton.
- Picks 28-29: Lions and Commanders get needed EDGE help.
- Pick 30: Bills replace departed CB Rasul Douglas.
- Pick 31: Chiefs attempt once again to get a blindside protector for QB Patrick Mahomes.
Pick 32: The Eagles do what they do.
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