“Take A Look at Sr. NFL Analyst Justin Mark’s 2025 NFL Mock Draft for Round 1”
It’s mock draft season! There will be plenty of people out there trying to guess which team will pick which players. While there’s sure to be first round trades, this mock is assuming no trades. This is also who I think the team should pick, not who I think they will pick. Let’s take a look at the 2025 NFL Mock Draft for Round 1!
1. Tennessee Titans: QB – Cam Ward – Miami
It’s becoming more and more obvious that the Tennessee Titans are going to select quarterback Cameron Ward out of Miami. They whiffed when they picked Will Levis a couple of years ago but they get it right this time. In my 2025 NFL 1-round mock draft, he’s the first pick.
Ward has been compared to Ben Roethlisberger. He’s very confident and has great playmaking ability and escapability. Last year, Ward threw for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. He was graded by PFF with a 95 deep grade, 93.7 intermediate grade, and a 91.7 overall.
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2. Cleveland Browns: CB/WR – Travis Hunter (Colorado)
The Cleveland Browns fill two needs by drafting multi-faceted Travis Hunter. He played both cornerback and wide receiver for the Colorado Buffalo. Whether he can keep up that pace at the NFL level is unknown.
However, he’s an excellent athlete who plays hard. The Browns could end up selecting Abdul Carter here, but edge rusher isn’t exactly their biggest need. Therefore, they take Hunter.
In reality, this is a pick that may be targeted by a quarterback hungry team to trade up and select a quarterback at. However, this 2025 NFL mock draft doesn’t contain trades.
3. New York Giants: ED – Abdul Carter (Penn State)
With the third pick in the 2025 NFL 1-Round mock draft, the New York Giants take the best player available in Abdul Carter. With questions surrounding both Shadeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart, the Giants decide to ride with Russell Wilson.
Carter is said to be a generational edge rusher who draws comparisons to Micah Parsons. He’s explosive, athletic, and has both speed and power. Last year in 350 pass rush snaps, Carter had 13 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and 43 quarterback hurries. That’s including times when he was double-teamed.
4. New England Patriots: WR – Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona)
With the fourth round of my 2025 NFL 1-round mock draft, the New England Patriots take Tetairoa McMillan. I know they just signed Stefon Diggs. However, Diggs is a 32-year-old wide receiver on his fourth team, rehabbing from a torn ACL.
McMillan gives Drake Maye a true number one receiver to develop chemistry with and throw to for years to come. His pro comparison is A.J. Green, back when Green was good. At 6-5, he’s got difference-making size. However, he moves well for his size and has good route-running IQ.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: DI – Mason Graham (Michigan)
With the fifth pick of my 2025 NFL 1-round mock draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars not only take the top available player but they fill a big team need. Their defensive line needs help, especially on the interior, and drafting Michigan defensive linemen Mason Graham is a huge help.
His pro comparison is Tommie Harris. He has an elite first step, powerful hands, and he can play all over the line due to his incredible athleticism. PFF graded him 92.6 in run defense last year and a true pass set pass rush grade of 86.8. In both pass rush win rate and run-stop win rate, he was over 10%.
6. Las Vegas Raiders: RB: Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)
With the sixth pick in the mock draft, the Las Vegas Raiders select running back Ashton Jeanty out of Boise State. Jeanty is a beast of a back that will make Raiders fans reminisce about the days they dominated the run game with Lynch or Jacobs, depending on their era.
Jeanty finished 2024 with a 6.9-yard per carry average on his way to 2,595 yards and an incredible 29 rushing touchdowns. His elusive rating is off the charts. He was 1st in yards after contact, 1st in missed tackles forced, and first in carries of 15+ yards.
Oh, and not to mention, he’s going to be a top fantasy football player for your team after you draft him.
7. New York Jets: OT – Armand Membou (Missouri)
The next pick in my 2025 1-round mock draft may not be a sexy one. However, the Jets fill a huge need by drafting Armand Membou. They have a new quarterback in Justin Fields, someone who likes to move around. He’ll have to move around less with protection from Membou.
Many have Will Campbell going before him, but I think Membou is a better all-around player who will help pass block better. He was graded an 86.6 in pass blocking in 2024 by PFF and 87.6 in run blocking.
In the last two years, he’s played 850 pass-blocking snaps and allowed only two sacks. This year he allowed 0 sacks, 0 quarterback hits, and only eight quarterback hurries.
8. Carolina Panthers: QB – Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)
The Panthers pull off a bit of a shocker in this 2025 NFL 1-Round mock draft by taking Shedeur Sanders out of Colorado. It marks the beginning of the end of the Bryce Young days, a quarterback I said they shouldn’t draft in my mock the year they drafted him.
This year, I’m telling them they should draft Sanders. PFF graded him 90.5 overall with a 92.8 intermediate grade and a 94.8 deep grade. He’s unflappable with the pass rush and athletic. His pro comp is Teddy Bridgewater, but he’s a better athlete than Bridgewater. He’s mentally and physically tough.
Last year, he threw for 4133 passing yards and 37 touchdowns to go along with a 116 passer rating. He was fourth overall in deep yards thrown (1,184) and second in adjusted completion percentage (81.8%).
9. New Orleans Saints: CB – Jahdae Barron (Texas)
The Saints’ current cornerbacks have a PFF grade of 66.1 and 45. In this 2025 NFL 1-round mock draft, they draft Jahdae Barron out of Texas. He had a grade of 90.7 last year after having 0 touchdowns and five interceptions. He allowed an average passer rating of 34.2.
Barron can come in and help the Saints’ defense right away. He’ll be a Day 1 starter and could be a great IDP fantasy football player.
10. Chicago Bears: S – Malaki Starks (Georgia)
Had the Bears not overhauled their offensive line in free agency this pick may look different. They still have plenty of needs, but safety is towards the top. Therefore, in this 2025 NFL 1-round mock draft, they take safety Malaki Starks out of Georgia.
Starks was a playmaker in the SEC for three straight seasons. The Bulldogs coach their defensive players really well. He has a high football IQ, and his pro comp is Kevin Byard. The Bears have Kevin Byard on their roster now, so a guy that plays like him and is compared to him is too much to pass up.
11. San Francisco 49ers: OT – Will Campbell (LSU)
The 49ers take advantage of the fact that Will Campbell is still around. He has respect for the position, a really high football IQ, and competitive toughness. He’ll fit in perfectly with what Kyle Shanahan likes to do on offense.
Campbell has been compared to Ryan Ramczyk. I have him falling to 11, and not the first tackle off of the board due to some negatives. He has shorter arm length and lacks some flexibility. He’s also not the best at run blocking and will need to improve that for Shanahan’s offense.
12. Dallas Cowboys: ED – James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee)
The Cowboys have a lot of needs, but my 2025 NFL 1-Round mock draft has them taking edge rusher James Pearce Jr. out of Tennessee. Pearce is equally good at pass rushing and run defense and can automatically step in as an every-down player for the Cowboys.
Last year, Pearce had eight sacks, four quarterback hits, and 43 quarterback hurries on 254 pass rush snaps. His pass rush win rate is 23%, and he has been compared to former Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory.
13. Miami Dolphins: DI – Kenneth Grant (Michigan)
Kenneth Grant becomes the second Michigan defensive lineman to come off the draft board as the Dolphins add him to their interior defensive line. His pro comp is B.J. Raji, and he has a rare combination of quickness and size.
He’s 339 pounds but moves much quicker. He has the strength to hold up against double teams and can be an imposing player. PFF graded his run-stopping ability as 87.5 in 2024.
14. Indianapolis Colts: TE – Tyler Warren (Penn State)
The Colts have a need at tight end and Tyler Warren is a great player. Recently, we have seen a tight end go in the first round and come in and completely dominate the league. This year, that guy is Tyler Warren.
He had 1,230 receiving yards for Penn State last year and eight touchdowns. He notched a contested catch rate of 61.9% and was second in missed tackles forced among tight ends. His pro comparison is former Indianapolis Colts tight end Dallas Clark.
15. Atlanta Falcons: LB – Jihaad Campbell (Alabama)
The Falcons have a tough decision at this point in my 2025 1-round NFL mock draft. They could take an edge rusher or a linebacker. I have them taking a linebacker who can play both as an edge rusher and linebacker.
Jihaad Campbell has great size for an off-ball linebacker. He has long arms for batting passes and has a very low missed tackle percentage. He was ranked first among linebackers in coverage stops in 2024 and scored great pass rush, run defense, and coverage grades.
16. Arizona Cardinals: ED – Mike Green (Marshall)
The Arizona Cardinals select edge rusher Mike Green out of Marshall. We didn’t get to see him perform against a lot of top competition. However, he dominated on the field either way. His pass rush win rate in 2024 was 20.2%.
Mike Green has drawn comparisons to Robert Quinn. He finished last year with 17 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and 32 hurries on 354 pass rush snaps. He’ll step in and immediately be the top pass rushing option for the Cardinals.
17. Cincinnati Bengals: OT – Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas)
Protecting Joe Burrow through the whole season should be a top priority for the Bengals. To emphasize that, I have them taking offensive tackle Kelvin Banks out of Texas in my 2025 NFL mock draft.
Banks has played the last three years as the starting left tackle for a very good Texas Longhorns offensive line. In those three years, he’s allowed only four total sacks in over 1500 pass-blocking snaps. That’ll help protect the Bengals’ top asset.
18. Seattle Seahawks: CB – Will Johnson (Michigan)
The Seattle Seahawks are trying to get back to the Legion of Boom. They start that by drafting Michigan cornerback Will Johnson. His pro comp is Darius Slay, and he’s drafted with the 18th pick, becoming the third Michigan Wolverine defender off the board.
He’s got a nice change-of-direction and can shadow WR1s. He may not have had as many interceptions as some of the other guys, but that’s because quarterbacks only threw his way 26 times. That’s the type of shutdown corner he is.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: ED – Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College)
The Bucs need an edge rusher so in this 2025 NFL 1-round mock draft, they take Donovan Ezeiruaku out of Boston College. He was expected to be a Day 2 pick, but the Bucs couldn’t help but jump up and take him. He’s got a good size and is a great tackler.
Last year, he had a 90.5 pass rush grade from PFF with an 18.2% pass rush win rate. He had 14 sacks, 20 quarterback hits, and 26 quarterback hurries. He joins an already good Bucs’ defense and is an early favorite for defensive player of the year.
20. Denver Broncos: WR – Luther Burden III (Missouri)
With a lot of different directions they could go in the 2025 NFL 1-round mock draft, the Broncos decide to get Bo Nix more weapons. They do that by drafting a swiss army knife in Luther Burden out of Missouri.
Burden has a pro comp to Deebo Samuel because he can do so much. He’s a great athlete and natural playmaker. He’s elusive and can line up everywhere from the X, flanker, and slot receiver. He’ll be used on Jet Sweeps, end around, reverses, and more.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: QB – Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss)
The Steelers address their biggest current need by drafting quarterback Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss with their first pick in my NFL mock draft. Their current starter is…Mason Rudolph? Not anymore as Jaxson Dart steps in to help lead the team.
His pro comp is former Steelers’ draft pick Kenny Pickett. This will give some fans some pause on getting excited. However, he’s much better than Pickett, plus he doesn’t have small hands. His PFF passing grade in 2024 was 91.9, with a deep grade of 92.6.
Last year at Mississippi, he threw for 4,276 yards, 29 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. He was first overall in deep yards with 1,517 yards. He can escape pressure as well.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: RB – Omarion Hampton (North Carolina)
In a somewhat surprising pick in my 2025 NFL Mock draft, the Chargers take running back Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina. They signed Najee Harris in free agency, but head coach Jim Harbaugh wants to add somebody he can work into his game plan for years to come.
Hampton has a great NFL build and has all the physical aspects of the game. He’s explosive and has elite power. He’s also able to catch passes out of the backfield. Hampton’s pro comp is Rashard Mendenhall. Last year, Hampton ran for 1,660 yards, 15 touchdowns and had 373 receiving yards. He was second in yards after contact.
23. Green Bay Packers: OT – Josh Simmons (Ohio State)
Josh Simmons in this NFL mock draft may be surprising. Many think he could go sooner, while some think coming off his 2024 ACL tear, he could go later. The Packers take a shot on the offensive tackle who has experience on both sides but is mainly a left tackle.
He’s a competitive player whose pro comp is Christian Darrisaw. If he’s healthy, his high football IQ will make him a starter right away. In the last two years, he’s played 601 pass-blocking snaps at left tackle and only allowed one sack.
24. Minnesota Vikings: DI – Walter Nolen (Ole Miss)
The Vikings take interior defensive lineman Walter Nolen out of Mississippi. They could use some help on the defensive line, and the 6-3, 305-pounder gives them that right away. He’s a versatile defensive tackle who is an excellent run-stopper.
Last year, he had six sacks from the interior of the line as well as four quarterback hits, 25 hurries, and two batted passes. His run defense was also graded at 91.6 by PFF. His pass run win rate and run-stop win rate are both over 10.9%.
25. Houston Texans: WR – Matthew Golden (Texas)
In my 2025 NFL mock draft I love the Texans taking wide receiver Matthew Golden out of Texas with their first round pick. Nico Collins is their WR1, but Tank Dell will open the season still recovering from injury. Stefon Diggs is gone now as well.
Good news for the Texans, Golden’s pro comp is Stefon Diggs, minus the negative effect and age. He’s got return ability and can play inside as a slot receiver or outside as a flanker. Last year he averaged 17 yards per catch.
26. Los Angeles Rams: WR – Xavier Restrepo (Miami)
This will be an unpopular pick in my NFL mock draft to some of you. However, I think replacing Cooper Kupp’s production should be a top priority for Sean McVay and the Rams. There are higher ranked wide receivers above him on some people’s lists, but Restrepo has a nice blend of strength and quickness.
Rams take Xavier Restrepo out of Miami due to his precise route running and the way he creates separation. He played the majority of his snaps out of the slot last year and finished the year with 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns. His grade versus man coverage from PFF was 87.6, and despite only being 5-10, his contested catch rate was 61.5%.
27. Baltimore Ravens: ED – Jack Sawyer (Ohio State)
There are a lot of good edge rushers still available in my 2025 NFL mock draft. However, I think the Ravens go with the pedigree of an Ohio State edge rusher and a guy who has a really high ceiling in Jack Sawyer.
His pro comp is Rob Ninkovich. Sawyer has great timing and a nice first step. He’s also a good enough athlete that he can drop back in coverage when asked to do so. His grades across the board are higher, per PFF, than the other available edge rushers.
He had an 89.4 pass rush grade, 82.5 run defense grade, and a 90.5 overall last year. In 2024, Sawyer had 10 sacks, 16 QB hits, 38 hurries, and six batted passes. That’s disruptive. He had a 17.6% pass rush win rate and will help elevate the Ravens’ defense.
28. Detroit Lions: LB – Jalon Walker (Georgia)
The Lions are the 28th selection in the 2025 NFL mock draft and take linebacker Jalon Walker out of Georgia. Walker’s pro comp is Devin White. He’s an off-ball linebacker who is both physically and athletically gifted.
Coming from such a good defense like Georgia’s is going to help his draft stock. He also has the size and versatility to play inside or outside linebacker and is a natural pass-rusher off the edge. As teams try to stop Hutchinson, it’ll free Walker up to blitz quarterbacks often.
29. Washington Commanders: DI- Derrick Harmon (Oregon)
The Commanders have needs all along their defensive line, but in this NFL mock draft they end up taking Oregon standout interior defensive lineman, Derrick Harmon. He may only have one year of notable production, it was enough production for teams to like what they saw.
Harmon is a 6-5, 310-pound beast who can control the interior of the defensive line. He’s not just a big run-stopping body, he can also pass rush very well. Last year he had five sacks and 43 quarterback hurries from the interior line, notching a 17.6% pass-rush win rate.
30. Buffalo Bills: LB – Demetrius Knight Jr. (South Carolina)
The Bills have several needs, but they address a big one in this NFL mock draft by taking linebacker Demetrius Knight out of South Carolina. Their top-rated linebacker, per PFF, is Matt Milano with a grade of 50.1.
Knight’s pro comp is Bobby Okereke. He’s a physical linebacker who has long arms, is a strong tackler, and has a very fast processor. Knight is a really good athlete and should fit this defense well. He’s versatile and can rush the passer, help in coverage, and is a great run-defender.
31. Kansas City Chiefs: OT – Grey Zabel (North Dakota State)
The Kansas Chiefs take a chance on FCS standout, offensive tackle Grey Zabel. In the real draft, they need offensive line help, so in my 2025 NFL mock draft, they get it with Zabel. There will be conversations on whether he’ll be able to perform as well at the NFL level, but the Chiefs have no doubts.
Zabel has played snaps at left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, and right tackle. His versatility to play any line position makes him a very valuable player. He’s very good at both pass blocking and run blocking. In the last two years, starting 864 pass-blocking snaps at left tackle, left guard, right guard, and right tackle, he only allowed three sacks.
32. Philadelphia Eagles: ED – Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss)
You probably expected the Eagles to take a Georgia Bulldog here, given their history for drafting Georgia players. However, in my 2025 NFL mock draft, with the last pick of the first round, they draft edge rusher Princely Umanmielen.
I don’t think he’s getting enough respect coming into the draft, yet. He’s 6-4, but has longer arms than you’d expect. He also has the speed to chase down running backs. Oh, and let’s not forget he’s a great pass-rusher. He had a 22.8% pass-rush win rate last year and notched 11 sacks.
Don’t forget to check out our other great Fantasy Football and NFL Betting content before you go! Thanks for reading my 2025 NFL 1-Round Mock Draft article!
