Nyanatee Bailey
April 24, 2025
With the 2025 NFL Draft right around the corner, teams are finalizing their boards. Here’s my 1st-round mock, based on team needs, scheme fits, and draft momentum. Let’s dive in:
🔷 TENNESSEE TITANS
Pick: Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Ward’s dual-threat upside and arm talent give Tennessee a fresh start post-Levis. He can extend plays and light it up downfield.
🟤 CLEVELAND BROWNS
Pick: Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
Hunter’s elite versatility and ball skills are too good to pass up. Stefanski gets a unicorn who can contribute on both sides.
🔵 NEW YORK GIANTS
Pick: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
Carter is a terror off the edge with a rare burst. He and Brian Burns will terrorize pass protection schemes.
🔴 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Pick: Will Campbell, OT, LSU
A plug-and-play left tackle, Campbell brings size, intelligence, and a mean streak — the new Pats’ building block. They don’t care about arm length like that in that building. They just have to protect Drake Maye at all costs.
🐻 CHICAGO BEARS (projected trade with JAX)
Pick: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
A shocker? Maybe. But Jeanty is a home-run hitter with vision and toughness. This is a scary Bears offense.
⚫ LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
Pick: Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas
Banks is a foundational piece at tackle — massive, mobile, and nasty in the run game. That is exactly what the Raiders need, with uncertainty at both tackle spots.
🟢 NEW YORK JETS
Pick: Armand Membou, IOL, Missouri
Aaron Glenn and Tanner Engstrand are bringing over that Lions mentality. That starts with a dominant and athletic offensive line. Membou is the most athletic of the top 3 tackles.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (projected trade with CAR)
Pick: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
Graham is a relentless interior disruptor. Saleh’s defense needs a disruptor at 3 tech in his scheme, like Quinnen Williams or DeForest Buckner from when Saleh was last in DC. Graham fits the bill.
⚜️ NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Pick: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
Explosive, powerful, and still ascending, Williams fits the Saints’ prototype for edge defenders. I’m not believing the Jaxson Dart hype this high.
🟧 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Pick: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
Loveland is a matchup nightmare with elite body control. Easily TE1. Everyone thinks the Jaguars might trade down for Tet McMillan, but I have a hunch it might be for Loveland.
🔵 CAROLINA PANTHERS
Pick: Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
Ejiro Evero will make great use of Walker. He is fast, instinctive, and physical, and reports are that he may be the strongest character player in the Draft.
⭐ DALLAS COWBOYS
Pick: Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama
Booker is a bulldozer inside. He fits Dallas’ power run identity and helps stabilize an aging line. I know people think they are going receiver, but I think they rebuild the line.
🟢 GREEN BAY PACKERS (projected trade with MIA)
Pick: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Packers covet this kid, and he brings an entirely new dimension to their offense. T-Mac brings length, strong hands, and body control. Love gets a 6’5″ weapon who can win downfield.
🔵 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Pick: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
Power, burst, and upside — Stewart fits the Colts’ mold of long, explosive pass rushers. Thy love traits, and nobody has crazier athleticism than Stewart.
🔴 ATLANTA FALCONS
Pick: Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss
Nolen brings raw power and interior penetration — exactly what Atlanta’s defense needs. I wanted to give them an edge, but Nolen was the best player available.
🔴 ARIZONA CARDINALS
Pick: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
Grant is a 340-pound wrecker with rare quickness. He’ll clog lanes and collapse pockets. they have a lot of veterans on their line that will likely be cut next offseason so Grant can learn from them for a year.
🟠 CINCINNATI BENGALS
Pick: Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
Mike Green has some off-field baggage, but his tape is elite. I think he’s the second-best edge player in the draft. Teams will have to vet those concerns.
💙 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Pick: Josh Conerly, OT, Oregon
📷 [SEA logo]
Seattle doubles down on offensive line strength. Conerly is smooth and athletic with room to grow.
🔴 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Pick: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
📷 [TB logo]
Johnson is solid in man and elite in zone — a No. 1 CB with shutdown potential. Tampa Bay plays the most zone in the NFL, but they play it aggressively, which fits Johnson to a tee. He would go a lot higher than this if not for his medicals and concerns about his top-end speed.
🔶 DENVER BRONCOS
Pick: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
Electric and explosive, Henderson gives Denver a much-needed spark in the backfield. Sean Payton can potentially turn Henderson into a more explosive version of Alvin Kamara.
🟡 PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Pick: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
The Steelers make a splash. Shedeur brings poise, accuracy, and a chip on his shoulder to Pittsburgh. It was close here between Shedeur and Harmon, but I think Mike Tomlin believes in this kid. And I think he’s a solid fit for Arthur Smith’s offense, which does not require a big arm.
⚡ LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
Pick: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
Warren is a big, athletic target who excels in the red zone. The only thing that Jim Harbaugh values more than offensive and defensive linemen are tight ends.
🐬 MIAMI DOLPHINS (projected trade with GB)
Pick: Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
Harmon transformed from a heavy-handed space-eater to an elite interior lineman after transferring from Michigan State. He would go a lot higher than this if not for his medicals.
⚜️ NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (projected trade with MIN)
Pick: Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
Now this I can believe. Dart has a live arm and moxie. His tape is actually super impressive. Concerns will revolve around if he can adapt to a more pro-style offense, but he has the arm talent to drive the ball down the middle of the field. He’s also very mobile. He’s probably QB2 in this draft and would not surprise me if the Steelers took him instead of Shedeur.
🔴 HOUSTON TEXANS
Pick: Grey Zabel, IOL, North Dakota State
Zabel is a technically sound center/guard. He fits the Texans’ zone-heavy scheme perfectly. They are rebuilding that entire offensive line from scratch (for good reason).
🔵 BUFFALO BILLS (projected trade with LAR)
Pick: Jahdae Barron, DB, Texas
Versatile and feisty, Barron can play nickel or safety. He has tremendous instincts and great ball skills and would be a great fit for Sean McDermott’s heavy zone looks.
⚫ BALTIMORE RAVENS
Pick: James Pearce, EDGE, Tennessee
Explosive bend and speed off the edge, fits what Baltimore looks for in edge rushers. Some character concerns, but the Ravens have the locker room to handle that. Between him, Odafe Oweh, and David Ojabo, the Ravens would have some freaks of nature on the edge.
🟡 DETROIT LIONS
Pick: Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
High motor, great hands, and twitch. Ezeiruaku fits Detroit’s blue-collar identity. Also, big-time football character. Fills a huge need as a pass rusher opposite Aidan Hutchison.
🔴 WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
Pick: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Egbuka’s smooth routes and sticky hands give Washington another weapon. They must get Jalen Daniels more weapons. I’m tempted to go with Omarion Hampton here as well since they do need a bellcow RB to really take the offense to the next level, but I’ll stick with Egbuka.
⚪LOS ANGELES RAMS (projected trade with BUF)
Pick: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
A bit of a shocker. But not really when you think bout it. A developmental pick with sky-high ceiling. He can sit behind Stafford for the next few years. Milroe does need work, but he’s less of a project than Anthony Richardson was. He needs to clean up his accuracy in the intermediate and work on his pocket presence. In the meantime, Sean McVey will find creative ways to deploy him to supplement that offense.
❤️ KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Pick: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
Campbell is long, athletic, and rangy. A true three-down linebacker who can rush the passer on 3rd down. Would have gone much higher in my mock, except he has a ton of medical questions.
🦅 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Pick: Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
Hairston has elite speed and excellent tape playing in zone coverage, which is what Vic Fangio brought in to make the Eagles defense elite. Has some nickel versatility to mix and match with last year’s picks, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, at CB/NK/SAF. The Eagles don’t select corners this high, so them doing it in back-to-back drafts is unlikely, but I could not ignore the fit.
This was a fun year for Mock Drafts. Looking forward to seeing things unfold!
The Smartest Guy in the Room 