“Hello to all members of the possum community out there. In my inaugural article for IDP+ on behalf of the Offensive Podcast, I appreciate you stopping by!”
Josh, Billy, and I have been excellent friends and fantasy football competitors for over fifteen years now. We have a ton of fun hosting the podcast and providing top-end information in a fun and often combative way.
In this article, I will do my best to summarize our final mock draft before the real NFL draft on Thursday night. We will be hosting a live show with instant reactions at 7 p.m. CST and want to invite you to join us for what will be a Fireball-Bet-filled event with special guests and lots of traditional OP chaos. Also, please join me in a quick séance to ask our ancestors to guide Ashton Jeanty to Halas Hall.
LET US BEGIN….
This AI-generated article, based on a recent @IDP Plus Podcast transcript, and not a complete representation of the entire discussion. And as such, for even deeper insights and finer details, please consult the following IDP+ video presentation featuring the highlighted advice from the podcast.
Don’t Miss The OP’s First Round NFL Draft Party! 🔔
There are no trades in this mock draft, which is highly unlikely come draft night. We used the free version of the PFF mock draft simulator, and we are a frugal bunch at Offensive Points. Ultimately, we believe there will be plenty of movement in this draft as teams like New England, Washington, and the Giants could get a king’s ransom for moving back from their spots. Josh points out that aggressive GMs like Howie Roseman could vault to the top few picks to land a blue-chip talent.
Quote of the night (Billy): “Nothing else can go on for me because I have to watch this—first-round night is my Super Bowl.”
More Fantasy Football And Draft Advice
2025 NFL Rookie Mock Draft (1st Half)
| Pick | Team | Selection | POS/SCH | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee Titans | Cam Ward | QB, Miami | This is a “Swing for ceiling” reboot after the Levis era stalls. Cam Ward’s arm and creativity are something that Tennessee simply cannot afford to pass up. |
| 2 | Cleveland Browns | Travis Hunter | WR / CB, Colorado | If you have an opportunity to take someone who won the Bednarik, Biletnikoff, and Heisman trophies, you draft them. The Browns should play hunter mainly at wide receiver where his talent is better than any in this class and the browns need real help. Hunter had a 136 passer rating when thrown to. |
| 3 | New York Giants | Abdul Carter | EDGE, Penn State | The signings of Russ and Jameis open the door for the Giants to land the best player in this draft. Pairing Carter with Burns and Thibedeau is nasty work and will set the next coaching staff up well. |
| 4 | New England Patriots | Will Campbell | LT, LSU | Protect Drake Maye first; weapons later. Josh made the case for Tet here, which is a real possibility, but that line was BADDDD. |
| 5 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Mason Graham | IDL, Michigan | Graham is every analyst’s pick here and it makes complete sense. Keep Walker and Allen on the outside, sure up the middle with Graham who is as pro-ready as one can be. Sneaky Jeanty spot as Josh points out. |
| 6 | Las Vegas Raiders | Ashton Jeanty | RB, Boise State | Josh & Billy are confident that Pete gets his rusher here. I argue that taking Jeanty here makes no sense for this team. In a division with Mahomes/Reid, Herbert, and Nix/Payton this team is in dire need of receiver and cornerback help. They can grab a back at 37 – Will Johnson or Tet make more NFL sense here. |
| 7 | New York Jets | Tetairoa McMillan | WR, Arizona | Air McMillan goes to the Jets to help Fields reach his potential. With a 79-inch wingspan and YAC ability, Fields doesn’t have to be super accurate. |
| 8 | Carolina Panthers | Jalon Walker | LB/EDGE, Georgia | Walker’s versatility immediately impacts this defense. Trevin Wallace and Walker can provide the young core that this team needs. The speed at which he closes from the middle of the field could make him a tackle stacking big play machine that IDP players salivate over. |
| 9 | New Orleans Saints | Sheduer Sanders | QB, Colorado | With Carr’s shoulder scare, New Orleans is put in a bad position here. Sanders has all of the tools needed to succeed in the NFL. |
| 10 | Chicago Bears | Tyler Warren | TE/OW, Penn State | This is the real Jeanty landing spot, but in this exercise Ben Johnson gets a Swiss-army knife. |
| 11 | San Francisco 49ers | Armand Membou | OT, Mizzou | Long-term Trent Williams successor. On a team that seems destined for a bad 2025 season – this makes sense. |
| 12 | Dallas Cowboys | Matthew Golden | WR, Texas | Ceedee and Dak need help, Jerry! I think that Golden’s lack of production last year was due to Texas’s strange offense and Ewers missing reads. As Billy puts it, Cooks is gone, and Tolbert was never the answer. |
| 13 | Miami Dolphins | Jahdae Barron | CB, Texas | Ramsey trade-rumors make this a necessity. Anthony Weaver lands a Ramsey-esque corner with similar versatility. |
| 14 | Indianapolis Colts | Walter Nolen | IDL, Ole Miss | Interior havoc next to Buckner who turns 32 next year. Nolen is a grown ass man who shouldn’t be able to move like that at that size. |
| 15 | Atlanta Falcons | Will Johnson | CB, Michigan | I wouldn’t allow Will Johnson to slip any further. This team needs pass rush help and Mykel Willaims or Mike Green Make a ton of sense. However, Will Johnson gives the Falcons a potent CB duo. Mike Hughes is the incumbent and just signed a big contract. He is a good tackler but allowed a passer rating of 118 last year. Johnson has Pro Bowl potential. |
2025 NFL Rookie Mock Draft (2nd Half)
| Pick | Team | Selection | POS/SCH | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Arizona Cardinals | Josh Simmons | OT, Ohio State | Parris Johnson Jr. has been fine at LT, Jonah Willams battled injuries last year and is a free agent next offseason. Josh Simmons can lock down RT for the foreseeable future. |
| 17 | Cincinnati Bengals | Mike Green | EDGE, Marshall | Contingency for a possible Hendrickson exit and very real Hubbard retirement. Mike Green could be a rare instant impact rookie IDP edge. |
| 18 | Seattle Seahawks | Kelvin Banks Jr. | OT, Texas | Bookend with Cross; Banks kicks inside early if needed. |
| 19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Jihaad Campbell | LB, Alabama | Levonte David heir in Bowles’ scheme. Excellent IDP landing spot. |
| 20 | Denver Broncos | Omarian Hampton | RB, North Carolina | Payton’s hammer: He has receiving ability and could be a monster behind this line. I would make the argument that Henderson is a better fit – but no denying the need for this team. |
| 21 | Pittsburgh Steelers | Jaxson Dart | QB, Ole Miss | MASON RUDOLPH IS NOT THE ANSWER. Dart is underrated and could have the highest ceiling in this class. |
| 22 | Los Angeles Chargers | James Pearce Jr. | EDGE, Tennessee | Joey Bosa is a Bill and Khalil Mack is 34 years old. If Pearce can return to his 2023 form, the Chargers might not miss a beat. Loveland is trendy, but Harbaugh doesn’t do trendy. |
| 23 | Green Bay Packers | Shemar Stewart | DL, Texas A&M | Everyone’s RAS darling from the combine. One could argue that CB is a bigger need for this team, but Stewart should give an immediate boost to an already strong group. |
| 24 | Minnesota Vikings | Nick Emmanwori | S, South Carolina | Harrison Smith is under contract through the 2026 season, at 36 years old it is time they add reinforcements, |
| 25 | Houston Texans | Emeka Egbuka | WR, Ohio State | C.J. Stroud reunion. You would have to imagine that Kirk is a short term solution for a team who desperately needs another playmaker outside of Nico. Egbuka is the most pro ready option in this draft and had his best collegiate season with Stroud. |
| 26 | Los Angeles Rams | Jalen Milroe | QB, Alabama | Succession plan as Stafford clock ticks. Sean McVay could do some fun things with Milroe. |
| 27 | Baltimore Ravens | Shavon Revel Jr. | CB, ECU | Fills Brandon Stephens vacancy on boundary. All reports suggest he will be ready for the 2025 season after suffering a torn ACL in September. |
| 28 | Detroit Lions | Nic Scourton | EDGE, A&M | High-motor freak of nature athlete and bookend for Hutchinson. |
| 29 | Washington Commanders | TreVeyon Henderson | RB, Ohio State | My #2 back in this class – Giving Daniels a reliable missile threat at RB is paramount to this team’s success. No one in this draft compares to his big play ability. |
| 30 | Buffalo Bills | Maxwell Hairston | CB, Kentucky | Not sexy, but Buffalo missed on Elam and lost everyone else. |
| 31 | Kansas City Chiefs | Colston Loveland | TE, Michigan | It is time Andy! The Chiefs need a regular season tight end. |
| 32 | Philadelphia Eagles | Malaki Starks | S, Georgia | The QB of Georgia’s defense. The Eagles have the best young DB core in the league now. |
Notables
- Three RBs, four QBs in Round 1—panel insists “running backs are back.”
- No trades in this mock, but the hosts expect Browns and Steelers to move up Thursday.
- Chiefs’ Loveland pick officially signals the beginning of the post-Kelce plan.
- Eagles continue drafting Bulldogs; Lions double-down on pass-rush.
Thanks for reading! This article was constructed from the Offensive Points Podcast video transcript using AI and edited by The Offensive Points, @OPJoe. Thank you again for joining us, and don’t forget to check the IDP+ often for more fantasy football advice!
