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NFL free agency officially began Wednesday, but most of the work had been done in the days prior. Some of those moves have left clear needs on the table for certain teams that will likely be addressed early in the 2025 NFL Draft.
For example, the Texans traded away offensive linemen Laremy Tunsil and Kenyon Green. It is unlikely that both roles will be addressed with the remaining available talent in free agency, so the draft will serve as an opportunity to fill either or both. The Broncos filled needs at linebacker and safety while retaining most of the talent that saw them finish the regular season 10-7. In doing so, they kicked open the door that will likely see them add either a tight end or running back in the first round.
Comparatively, the 49ers have parted with several key pieces on its roster. They now have needs at cornerback, edge rusher and along the offensive line.
Without further ado, let's kick this off!
The draft order below was determined using the current 2025 NFL Draft order. For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on "With the First Pick" -- our year-round NFL Draft podcast with analyst Ryan Wilson. You can find "With the First Pick" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Listen to the latest episode below!
NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
To this point in the pre-draft cycle, I have not been convinced that Tennessee is going to take a quarterback No. 1 overall. However, I am starting to sense the winds blowing in that direction, which will quickly allow us to ascertain whether or not Shedeur Sanders is actually falling with a few QB-needy teams in the draft order.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
If Cam Ward is off the board, then Shedeur Sanders will be part of the conversation at No. 2 overall. I do not believe the gap between Sanders and that perceived next group of quarterbacks is wide enough for Cleveland to pass on an opportunity to add a blue-chip talent across from Myles Garrett.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
The debate of best player available boils down to Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter Jr., in my opinion. With Carter off the board, New York goes in the direction of Travis Hunter Jr., who could fill either or both cornerback and wide receiver roles for that organization.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
New England signed Morgan Moses in free agency, but still have a hole at left tackle. Will Campbell will be given an opportunity to stick at his natural position despite a lack of ideal length.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Liam Coen's first pick as head coach of the Jaguars is made on the defensive side of the ball. There is room for improvement on offense, but Mason Graham is certainly one of the best prospects available. Jacksonville is stacking talent on the defensive line with Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker and now Graham.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Las Vegas made an aggressive move to acquire veteran quarterback Geno Smith, but the collection of pass catchers leaves a lot to be desired. Tetairoa McMillan is a bigger body that does offer some ability to play in the short to intermediate as well.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Morgan Moses departed in free agency. They set Olu Fashanu at left tackle, Armand Membou at right tackle and hopefully forget about having to address the position for a decade.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
Pat Jones II, D.J. Wonnum and Jadeveon Clowney are a fine group, but there is no high end talent and odds are they will have to address the position again in a year or two anyway. Mykel Williams offers that upside they are seeking.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Derek Carr is back and that contract is awful, but the Saints may have to cut its losses and embrace the future with Shedeur Sanders next year.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Chicago has made wholesale additions to its roster, which could allow them to make what would have been considered a luxury selection just a few weeks ago. Ashton Jeanty is a net positive in both the run and pass games, which should take pressure off of young quarterback Caleb Williams.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Most expected Joey Bosa would sign in San Francisco with his brother, but he chose the Bills instead. After releasing Leonard Floyd, pass rusher is one of several needs that have materialized for this franchise.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Dallas continues stockpiling offensive tackles that could also play offensive guard along its offensive line. Zack Martin retired, which creates a need at guard. Kelvin Banks Jr. will not be Martin in Year 1, but the hope is that he provides stability in that role.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Safety Nick Emmanwori was a top 1% performer at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. Emmanwori is a bigger body who can play down in the box, but also has the athleticism and range to excel in coverage. Jevon Holland signed a lucrative free agent contract with the Giants.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Indianapolis has made it known that Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones will compete for the starting quarterback position. They have invested heavily in that wide receiver room, but make Colston Loveland the face of a newly-renovated tight end room.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Atlanta signed Leonard Floyd in free agency, but double dip at the edge rusher spot as they add the quick, but undersized Jalon Walker.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
Arizona continues its investment into the defense with the selection of Walter Nolen. All eyes will be on the former 5-star recruit at his Pro Day after electing not to test in Indianapolis. His draft stock could soar with a strong athletic performance. The Cardinals are hopeful to have two building blocks up front with last year's first-round pick, Darius Robinson, and now Nolen.
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Round 1 - Pick 17
Cincinnati re-signed defensive tackle B.J. Hill and then signed T.J. Slaton. They drafted Kris Jenkins on Day 2 a year ago. The end result of Trey Hendrickson's trade request will likely be a trade, so the organization needs more opposite Myles Murphy. Mike Green gives them some much needed juice.
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Round 1 - Pick 18
Seattle released Tyler Lockett and is allowing DK Metcalf to pursue trade opportunities. The future of the Seahawks' wide receiver room lies with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but it is clear that an overhaul of the room is underway.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Jihaad Campbell is the future of the linebacker position in Tampa Bay. He can learn a lot from Lavonte David in the meantime.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
Everything that Denver has done this offseason has been setting up the possibility of drafting either a tight end or a running back in the first round. Tyler Warren is plucked from a pool that theoretically includes Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
As of writing this, Pittsburgh has no answer at the quarterback position. They will almost certainly add some level of veteran presence, but desperation could drive them to get in front of other quarterback-needy teams in Round 1.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
Los Angeles retained Bradley Bozeman but that will not stop them from adding a fourth first-round draft pick to its offensive line. The Chargers signed Najee Harris this offseason and now turn their attention to filling out the offensive line.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
Green Bay's recent first-round draft history heavily skews to the defense outside of Jordan Love. With T.J. Slaton moving on to Cincinnati, the Packers make a move to maintain functional depth along the defensive line.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
To this point, I have maintained that Will Johnson Jr. will answer all concerns teams have of him, but the alternative must be addressed. If he runs a 4.5 seconds 40-yard dash or worse, then Jahdae Barron could overtake him in the cornerback hierarchy, which results in Johnson being available later.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
Houston taking an offensive lineman in the first round feels like one of the greatest certainties in the draft after trading both Laremy Tunsil and Kenyon Green. The Texans now must reconstruct an offensive line that has been depleted.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Los Angeles has a very young roster, but cornerback remains a position of need. Jahdae Barron is a great player and nickelback is essentially a starting role in today's NFL. However, teams have not yet shown they are comfortable taking a nickel in the top half of the first round.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
There have been several rumblings about James Pearce Jr. off-the-field, but Baltimore has a standard and the culture in the locker room makes the Ravens a good landing spot for Pearce.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
Za'Darius Smith is gone. Aidan Hutchinson will be returning from a torn ACL. Detroit makes the move to add depth at a premier position after seeing the unit decimated by injuries in 2024.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Washington has addressed multiple needs this offseason, but others remain. Running back may be a luxury pick, but it takes some of the pressure off Jayden Daniels to produce. They no longer have to worry about complementary skillsets to pair with the collection of hammerheads assembled in that room.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Buffalo will almost certainly use its first-round pick on the defensive side of the ball. Kenneth Grant is a good complement to Ed Oliver and gives the Bills much needed depth at an important position.
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Round 1 - Pick 31
Kansas City signed Kristian Fulton to play on the boundary, but in an ideal world, they would still add another body to enable Trent McDuffie to move back into the slot full-time. The presence of Fulton allows the franchise to bring Shavon Revel along slowly as he recovers from a serious injury.
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Round 1 - Pick 32
Philadelphia is almost certain not to use its first-round pick on a safety, but there is an outside chance because he is a Georgia Bulldog. Malaki Starks should not be available this late in the first round. He significantly upgrades that room in the wake of the Chauncey Gardner-Johnson trade.
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The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.
