We are approaching my favorite time of the NFL offseason, draft season. With free agency largely in the rearview mirror, fans and pundits alike turn their attention to the 2025 NFL Draft, which will take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field.
The location isn’t the only thing that makes this year’s rendition of the draft unique. As of me writing this, all 32 teams hold their first round picks. We’ve grown accustomed to there being at least a couple teams with multiple first round selections and others with no picks on the first night of the draft.
If everybody stays put, it will be the first time in the 32-team era (since 2002) that every franchise makes a first round pick. While it’s highly unlikely that there aren’t trades during the first night of action in Green Bay, all 32 fan bases have a reason to be invested on April 24.
Like any draft, this one has its strengths. The 2025 batch of prospects boasts several first-round caliber pass rushers, while also being one of the deeper groups at running back we have seen in recent years.
Quarterbacks will always headline the draft process; we saw this last spring when six signal callers were taken in the first 12 picks. We have two QBs who appear to be first-round locks in Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. There is some buzz that Jaxson Dart could hear his name called on night one, however, I see many potential suitors addressing other needs with their respective first round selections.
Farbolin Mock Draft 1.0
1.Tennessee Titans- Cam Ward, QB Miami- The Titans have an obvious need at quarterback, making Ward all but certain to be the first player taken off the board. Ward’s combination of good velocity on his throws and the ability to move in the pocket gives him the potential to be a top ten QB at the next level.
2.Cleveland Browns- Shedeur Sanders, QB Colorado- Kenny Pickett is the only healthy quarterback on Cleveland’s roster. The Browns look to find their franchise QB with Sanders, who has a fairly high floor assuming he gets decent protection.
3.New York Giants- Travis Hunter, CB/WR Colorado- The Giants address two needs with Hunter, a rare two-way player on the gridiron. Hunter can step in and be the G-Men’s top corner, while also providing Russell Wilson or Jameis Winston a second option at wide receiver alongside Malik Nabers.
4.New England Patriots- Abdul Carter, EDGE Penn State- The Pats’ could go tackle or wide receiver here; however Carter is too good to pass up. Mike Vrabel bolsters his defense and adds a potential All-Pro pass rusher alongside Milton Williams and Harold Landry III.
5.Jacksonville Jaguars- Will Johnson, CB Michigan- The Jaguars had the worst pass defense in football in 2024, so they take Johnson, who projects as a lockdown corner on the outside in the NFL.
6.Las Vegas Raiders- Tetairoa McMillan, WR Arizona- Vegas needs a true number one option at WR for Geno Smith. McMillan is your prototypical X-receiver that combines good route running with strong contested catch abilities.
7.New York Jets- Armand Membou, OT Missouri- Morgan Moses left for divisional foe New England in free agency, creating a need at right tackle. Membou is an excellent run blocker who should fit the Jets’ offensive identity with a dual-threat QB in Justin Fields.
8.Carolina Panthers- Mason Graham, DT Michigan- Carolina had the worst run defense in the NFL by a country mile last season. Graham is the top interior defensive lineman in this class and paired with Derrick Brown returning from injury, should help dramatically improve the Panthers’ defensive front.
9.New Orleans Saints- Jalon Walker, EDGE Georgia- The Saints appear to be sticking with Derek Carr under center for the time being, so they use the ninth pick to improve defensively. With Cam Jordan getting up there in age and an overall need for more pass rushers, New Orleans takes Walker, who boasts incredible upside.
10.Chicago Bears- Ashton Jeanty, RB Boise State- Chicago rebuilt its offensive line while improving the defensive front through trades and free agent signings. This gives the Bears the luxury to take Jeanty who had the best season I’ve ever seen from a college back. The Heisman runner-up will help take pressure off of Caleb Williams.
11.San Francisco 49ers- Will Campbell, OT LSU- Trent Williams is approaching the end of his career and San Francisco could improve its offensive line overall. Campbell is a steal at this pick and can contribute at guard before eventually replacing Williams at left tackle.
12.Dallas Cowboys- Matthew Golden, WR Texas- Dallas needs to find a reliable target not named CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys stay in the Lone Star State by selecting Golden, whose speed threatens any defense vertically.
13.Miami Dolphins- Jahdae Barron, CB Texas- Make it back-to-back Longhorns off the board with Miami focusing on improving its secondary. Barron is a versatile corner who can play both outside and at nickel.
14.Indianapolis Colts- Tyler Warren, TE Penn State- Warren was the best tight end in the nation last season and the Colts need one to round out its skill positions. Anthony Richardson is entering a make-or-break third season and a reliable option underneath will help him be more consistent.
15.Atlanta Falcons- Mike Green, EDGE Marshall- The Falcons have had a woeful pass rush for, well, a very long time. Atlanta needs more sack production, so it takes Green, who led the nation with 17 in 2024.
16.Arizona Cardinals- Tyler Booker, G Alabama- Arizona needs to improve at the guard position, fortunately the top interior lineman is still available. Booker was a standout on the Alabama line while facing the best competition in the country.
17.Cincinnati Bengals- Mykell Williams, EDGE Georgia- The Bengals defensive struggles cost them a playoff spot in 2024. Between Sam Hubbard retiring and Trey Hendrickson’s future still up in the air, Cincy adds Williams, who can have an impact at various spots along the defensive line.
18.Seattle Seahawks- Donovan Jackson, G Ohio State- Seattle is banking on Sam Darnold matching his production from a breakout 2024 campaign. Improving the interior offensive line will go a long way in that happening, so the Seahawks take Jackson to protect what they hope is their franchise quarterback.
19.Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Malaki Starks, S Georgia- Tampa Bay won a fourth consecutive division title despite its pass defense ranking 30th in the NFL. The Bucs take Starks as an upgrade on the back end of their defense. Starks is a versatile DB who has incredible ball skills.
20.Denver Broncos- Omarion Hampton, RB North Carolina- Hampton is one of the great prospects in this draft that hasn’t been talked about enough. That’s probably because Ashton Jeanty exists, but regardless, Hampton has incredible contact balance and is a strong addition for the upstart Broncos.
21.Pittsburgh Steelers- Emeka Egbuka, WR Ohio State- This pick doesn’t make much sense if you look at the Steelers’ roster at this very moment. However, Aaron Rodgers to Pittsburgh feels inevitable and I also wouldn’t be surprised if George Pickens is traded. The Steelers take Egbuka to get a productive Z-receiver while DK Metcalf fills the role of an X-receiver.
22.Los Angeles Chargers- Colston Loveland, TE Michigan- L.A. gets Justin Herbert another pass catcher and one that Jim Harbaugh is more than familiar with. Loveland adds to the passing game while also being a good run blocker.
23.Green Bay Packers- Shemar Stewart, EDGE Texas A&M- The Packers take a high-upside pass rusher in Stewart to complement Rashan Gary on the defensive line.
24.Minnesota Vikings- Nick Emmanwori, S South Carolina- Minnesota had the 29th ranked pass defense in 2024 and franchise cornerstone Harrison Smith is likely departing in the near future. Like Tampa Bay, I have the Vikings taking a top safety prospect in Emmanwori who has similar ball skills to Starks.
25.Houston Texans- Kelvin Banks Jr., OT Texas- Houston gets lucky as Banks could be long off the board by the time the 25th pick comes around. In this scenario, Houston runs their draft card to the podium to get C.J. Stroud a new blindside blocker after trading away Laremy Tunsil.
26.Los Angeles Rams- Jihaad Campbell, LB Alabama- The Rams loaded up their defensive line by drafting Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse, along with his college teammate Braeden Fiske. This year, Los Angeles improves the second level of its defense with Campbell, a versatile linebacker that can contribute from various spots.
27.Baltimore Ravens- Grey Zabel, G North Dakota State- The only noticeable area of potential improvement I could find on Baltimore’s roster was the guard position. With that being the case, I have them selecting Zabel who, alongside Tyler Linderbaum, should fortify the interior offensive line for many years to come.
28.Detroit Lions- James Pearce Jr., EDGE Tennessee- Even with Aidan Hutchinson returning from injury, Detroit drafts another productive pass rusher in Pearce to take opposing offenses attention away from Hutchinson.
29.Washington Commanders- Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M- The Commanders made a surprise run to the NFC Championship in spite of having the second worst run defense in football. Washington improves in that department by drafting Scourton, a strong run defender who can play both on the edge and on the interior of the defensive line.
30.Buffalo Bills, Shavon Revel, CB East Carolina- Former first-round pick Kaiir Elam didn’t pan out the way Buffalo had hoped, resulting in a trade to Dallas. Buffalo takes Revel who has experience as a boundary corner that should pair well alongside Christian Benford.
31.Kansas City Chiefs- Josh Simmons, OT Ohio State- Anyone that watched the Super Bowl knows Kansas City’s priority should be the offensive line, especially with Joe Thuney now gone. Simmons should provide an instant upgrade up front and can either stay at tackle, or move to left guard to replace Thuney.
32.Philadelphia Eagles- Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE Boston College- The reigning champs lost Milton Williams and Josh Sweat in free agency. Ezeiruaku will help fill the void of those departures, as he can play as both a 4-3 edge and a 3-4 outside linebacker.