Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe explains how he’s preparing for the NFL
Jalen Milroe talks about how he’s preparing to play in the NFL and where he’d like to play at the next level. He also talks about his partnership with Autotrader.
NFL fans are shifting into offseason mode with Super Bowl 59 now well into the rearview mirror. For many, that means focusing on potential free-agent acquisitions their teams can make in March.
For others, it means looking ahead to the 2025 NFL draft.
While the draft may feel like it’s around the corner, it’s still over two months away. That means there’s very little certainty about what will happen, as there’s plenty of time for teams to shuffle their big boards based on the NFL combine results, prospect interviews, pro days and more.
The 2025 draft class is also considered a slightly weaker class than usual, especially atop it. That makes it a bit more difficult than usual to figure out exactly how the top 10 picks will play out, especially with the Tennessee Titans undecided about selecting a quarterback No. 1 overall.
How could the 2025 NFL draft play out? Here’s how the first round could go as the 2025 NFL combine approaches.
No trades are included in this mock draft.
The Titans aren’t guaranteed to take a quarterback with the No. 1 pick despite needing one. Tennessee’s president of football operations, Chad Brinker, said the team “won’t pass on a generational talent with the first pick in the NFL draft,” so unless they fall in love with Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, Carter, and Travis Hunter may better fit the bill.
Carter is a great athlete with very good burst off the line of scrimmage, but he also holds up well in coverage, as he demonstrated while playing off-ball linebacker in his early years at Penn State. He should only get better as he continues to develop on the edge at the pro level, much like his fellow Nittany Lion, Micah Parsons.
The Browns are another team that needs quarterback help, and they need it to be cheap because of Deshaun Watson’s albatross contract. That puts them in play to draft a quarterback here if they can’t land a veteran like Kirk Cousins.
Hunter is neck-and-neck with Carter as the best overall prospect in this draft class. He is the top cornerback available in 2025 and showcased a starting-caliber skill set working with Shedeur Sanders at receiver. The Browns can figure out where best to utilize him as they retool their roster around the constraints of Watson’s contract.
Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen need to win – or at least show significant progress – in 2025 to keep their jobs. Do they really want to hitch their wagon to a veteran starter like Derek Carr, Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold or Aaron Rodgers to achieve that goal?
Like those veterans, Ward comes with risks, but he has significant upside thanks to his big arm and good mobility. Ward is also pro-ready, having made 57 college stats at three different schools, so he will be ready to make a more immediate impact than most his age (23 in May).
The Patriots would probably like to land Carter or Hunter here. If they don’t, they may be best served adding to an offensive line that was one of the NFL’s worst during the 2024 season.
Campbell was rock-solid at left tackle for LSU and could man the position in the pros too, thanks to his good technique and athleticism. His arm length is a concern for the position, but he can always kick inside to guard if needed. The Patriots have needs all over the line, so they can quickly find the best fit for him.
The Jaguars need a starting cornerback across from Tyson Campbell and next to slot-man Jarrian Jones. Johnson has great size (6-2, 203 pounds) and possesses the physicality and instincts needed to be a quality NFL starter. Johnson has a wide draft range because of questions about his overall speed, but so long as he quells those in the pre-draft process, he should be a top-10 pick.
Tom Brady is helping the Raiders reshape their organization as a minority owner in the team. He helped the team start that process by bringing in Pete Carroll as the head coach and Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator. Sanders’ toughness and arm talent should endear him to Brady and put the Colorado product on Las Vegas’ radar as a pro-ready starter.
The Jets are undergoing another changing of the guard at quarterback, as they are parting with Aaron Rodgers. They are also unlikely to bring back Davante Adams, so they will need a receiver to serve as a long-term complement to Garrett Wilson.
McMillan has a massive 6-5, 212-pound frame and could be a matchup nightmare at the next level. His contested-catch abilities will pair well with Wilson’s speed.
The Panthers spent last offseason upgrading their offense. Now, they will focus on revamping their defense. Walker is a great option for them, as he is a multi-positional threat who can play at linebacker and on the edge. The Panthers need help in both areas, and Walker’s versatility will give Ejiro Evero a weapon around which to build his defense.
Carl Granderson was a good pass rusher for the Saints last year but Cameron Jordan, 35, is starting to slow down. The Saints need a successor for him and to add depth on the edge, as Payton Turner and Chase Young are set to be free agents.
Williams never had more than five sacks in a season at Georgia but he has immense athletic upside and could be a fearsome pass rusher at the next level. Kellen Moore’s staff can be patient in developing Williams into a top-tier threat.
Banks didn’t have the best final season at Texas, but he still has the makings of a quality offensive lineman. It’s just a matter of whether he will be a long-term fit at tackle. Chicago needs to find a bookend for Darnell Wright so they can take Banks and try him at left tackle. If that doesn’t work out, he can kick inside to guard, as the Bears’ entire starting interior offensive line is hitting free agency.
Could Graham actually fall this far? It’s possible. He’s a top-tier run stuffer, but teams will need to be convinced he can develop as a high-end pass rusher at the NFL level to be worthy of a top-10 selection.
San Francisco would probably represent Graham’s floor though. They need to bolster the trenches on both sides of the ball, and Graham would be a natural replacement for free-agent-to-be Javon Hargreave.
Jeanty to the Cowboys has been a popular mock draft pick for months. Brian Schottenheimer becoming Dallas’ head coach will only add fuel to the fire, as his offenses have ranked top-three in rushing attempts four times during his 14 years as an offensive coordinator.
The Cowboys ran for a league-low six touchdowns last year and only have Deuce Vaughn under contract at running back for next season. Jeanty would instantly give them a bell-cow and is among the best players left on the board.
Spending a top-15 pick on a guard isn’t always popular, but Booker looks like a plug-and-play mauler at the NFL level. The 20-year-old is 6-5, 324 pounds and put together strong, consistent tape at Alabama. He would be a significant upgrade for Miami’s offensive line and an impact starter from Day 1.
The Dolphins could also look at Ohio State’s Josh Simmons here if they want a tackle type instead. Their interest in that possibility may be based on whether left tackle Terron Armstead returns to the team in 2025.
This pick is starting to become like the Jeanty-to-the-Cowboys selection. The Colts have gotten decent production out of Kylen Granson and Mo Alie-Cox, but there’s little doubt Warren would be a big-time upgrade.
Warren, the 2024 John Mackey Award winner, led the FBS with 104 catches and has the versatility needed to line up at several different positions, including quarterback in the Wildcat formation. Expect him to be a strong, well-rounded weapon immediately as a rookie.
The Falcons had just 31 sacks during the 2024 NFL season, good for the second-fewest in the league ahead of only the Patriots. They need to add a proven, productive edge rusher to the rotation.
While James Pearce Jr. and Shemar Stewart may have the more intriguing physical tools, Green led the FBS with 17 sacks last season. His performance at the Senior Bowl showed he can hold up against higher-level competition, so that could allow him to rise into the first half of the first round.
No Cardinals player had more than five sacks during the 2024 NFL season. Pearce had 19.5 sacks during his three seasons at Tennessee, including an SEC-leading 10 during the 2023 college football season. Jonathan Gannon could sell himself on developing the long-armed athlete into a double-digit sack artist at the next level.
The Bengals need all the help they can get on defense. Benjamin Morrison played for new defensive coordinator Al Golden at Notre Dame, but Barron, who led the SEC with five interceptions in 2024, seems like a great replacement for pending free agent Mike Hilton at nickel. Barron is an instinctive playmaker who can play any position in the secondary, similar to Detroit Lions cornerback/safety Brian Branch.
Aside from left tackle Charles Cross, the Seahawks need to revamp their offensive line. Simmons allowed just one hurry and no sacks in 306 snaps for Ohio State in 2024. He may have become a top-10 prospect had he not gotten hurt midway through the Buckeyes’ season.
The Seahawks could try Simmons as a right tackle replacement from the oft-injured Abraham Lucas or use him as a guard to solidify the left side of the offensive line next to Cross.
The Buccaneers get a great interior pass rush from Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea. They need to improve their edge rushing capabilities, especially with two of the team’s three top edge rushers – Anthony Nelson and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka – set to hit free agency.
Stewart posted just 1.5 sacks in each of his three college seasons, but the combination of size, length and athleticism should intrigue NFL teams. He was excellent at the Senior Bowl, so the Buccaneers may believe they can mold him into a better sack artist at the NFL level, much like the Ravens did with 2021 first-round pick Odafe Oweh.
Starks was better in 2023 than in 2024, but he remains one of the top talents in the 2025 NFL draft. The only questions are about whether teams will be willing to select him early given the devalued nature of the safety position and whether Nick Emmanwori will overtake him on draft boards ahead of the event.
Sean Payton always had good safety play in New Orleans and will be happy to add a high-flying playmaker like Starks to Denver’s already top-tier defense.
The Steelers don’t have much across from George Pickens at receiver. Egbuka had a lot of experience at Ohio State and figures to be a strong No. 2 receiver at the NFL level. His well-polished route-running skills would pair well with Pickens, a contested catch threat, and the speedy duo of Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson.
Jim Harbaugh has his choice of a couple of Wolverines here: Grant and tight end Colston Loveland. A case can be made for Loveland considering how much Justin Herbert loves throwing to his tight ends. That said, Grant’s combination of size (6-3, 340 pounds) and power may endear him more to Harbaugh’s hard-nosed style. The Chargers also ranked just 14th in rushing yards allowed per game last season (117.5), so Grant fills a need as a big-bodied run-stopper.
Jaire Alexander has played just 14 combined games over the last two seasons. The Packers have held up admirably in his absence but could use a true No. 1 cornerback to pair with Keisean Nixon and slot-man Javon Bullard.
Revel has excellent size at 6-3 and may have been the second cornerback taken in the draft if not for a season-ending ACL tear he suffered in practice. He had two interceptions in 2024 despite his limited playing time (three games), so if he checks out fine medically, he could be a great fit for Green Bay.
Morrison is in a similar boat to Revel. The Notre Dame product would probably go earlier if he didn’t suffer a hip injury early in his final collegiate season. His combination of size and ball skills will intrigue Brian Flores, who will need to revamp Minnesota’s cornerback room with four of the team’s top five snap-getters at the position set to hit free agency.
C.J. Stroud was sacked 38 times as a rookie. That figure ballooned to 52 in his second season. Houston needs to protect its franchise quarterback better and Jackson looks like a plug-and-play guard at the NFL level. He also filled in admirably at left tackle for Ohio State after Josh Simmons’ injury, so his positional versatility should intrigue new offensive coordinator Nick Caley.
The Rams have informed Cooper Kupp that he will be traded during the 2025 offseason. The only other receivers the team has under contract for 2025 are Puka Nacua, Jordan Whittington and Xavier Smith. That will leave Los Angeles searching for a true No. 2 receiver to help replace Kupp and some depth at the position.
Burden is a big-time playmaker with the ball in his hands and has a nice combination of elusiveness and speed that should make him an explosive threat in the NFL. Sean McVay will relish putting him in motion and getting him into open space often, so this seems like a perfect fit for the player and team.
The Ravens are set to have starting left tackle Ronnie Stanley and starting left guard Patrick Mekari hit free agency. Membou doesn’t have great size at 6-3, so he may profile more as a guard or right tackle at the NFL level. Even so, he possesses the athleticism Baltimore typically seeks in its early-round picks and produced good tape at Missouri.
This feels like a great fit, doesn’t it? Zabel was one of the top performers at the Senior Bowl and enters the NFL with plenty of experience from his time at North Dakota State. He will likely move from tackle to the interior at the NFL level, but that aligns perfectly with Detroit’s needs.
The Lions need a short-term replacement for right guard Kevin Zeitler and a potential long-term replacement for center Frank Ragnow. Zabel has sound technique and could become a decade-long, kneecap-biting starter for Dan Campbell’s team.
The Commanders have just two receivers under contract in 2025: Terry McLaurin and Luke McCaffrey. They may bring Dyami Brown back after he performed well during the team’s postseason run, but Washington still needs a true No. 2 receiver to complement McLaurin long-term.
Golden impressed in his lone season at Texas, racking up 987 receiving yards and nine touchdowns while overtaking Isaiah Bond as Quinn Ewers’ favorite target. His speed and separation skills could get him open often across from McLaurin while allowing Jayden Daniels to build upon his stellar rookie year.
The Bills long had one of the best safety duos in the NFL when Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer were on the team. They need to add star power to replace those veterans, and Emmanwori can provide that. He is a rangy but physical playmaker who will add some needed toughness and athleticism to Buffalo’s defense.
Many will mock an offensive lineman to the Chiefs here after their Super Bowl 59 debacle against the Eagles. Josh Conerly Jr. could be an option, but Kansas City may prefer to find a veteran Band-Aid at left tackle (perhaps Ronnie Stanley?) after failing to get quality reps out of young draft picks Wanya Morris and Kingsley Suamataia last season.
The Chiefs also need help at defensive tackle, as Chris Jones is the only player under contract at the position for 2025. Nolen is a great athlete and former top overall recruit who was an All-American and generated 6.5 sacks in his lone season at Ole Miss.
Ezeiruaku may not have great size at 6-2, 237 pounds, but he generated 16.5 sacks and 21 TFL during his final season at Boston College. Howie Roseman loves productive pass-rushing prospects and Ezeiruaku could be an ideal replacement for Josh Sweat as the Super Bowl 59 star prepares to hit free agency. Vic Fangio would certainly find the best way to use Ezeiruaku, even if it’s mainly as a designated pass rusher.
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