2025 NFL mock draft: Giants, Raiders trade up for QBs; Chiefs plan for life after Travis Kelce

This team has needs up and down the roster — including offensive tackle — but Travis Hunter is not only the best two-way player in recent memory, but he’s also the best player in this class. The Jags could use upgrades at both cornerback and wide receiver, so Hunter checks two boxes for one of the most disappointing teams in the league.

The Daniel Jones experiment is almost certainly over after his benching, so the Giants decide to trade up, leapfrog the Raiders and get their next franchise QB. And while Sanders’ father has made it known he will (understandably) have a say on where his son lands, New York feels like a natural fit. In part because it’s the biggest media market in the country, and in part because of Brian Daboll’s track record with helping to develop Josh Allen.

Jameis Winston has been fun, at times, but he’s not the long-term answer in Cleveland. And now that they have the No. 3 overall pick, there are no concerns, perceived or otherwise, that Shedeur Sanders would be inclined to pull an Eli Manning instead of heading to northern Ohio for his first job out of college. That means Cam Ward could very well be the Browns’ QB of the future. No player has improved more throughout his career than Ward. He’s gotten better playing on time and trying to minimize unnecessary hero ball, has a big arm and is incredibly athletic, both in the pocket and in the open field.

The Raiders lose out on a QB, but they have a dire need to upgrade the WR room after shipping Davante Adams off to New York. Brock Bowers is already one of the best tight ends in the league, and Tetairoa McMillan gives them a Drake London-like threat on the outside. Now Vegas just needs to find that quarterback.

Banks is a junior who’s going to keep getting better. LSU’s Will Campbell has been more consistent over the course of the season, but we love Banks’ upside. And if the Titans are rolling with Will Levis for another year, they need to continue to stock the offensive line with dudes.

Credit to Drake Maye, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and an offensive line that has been held together with chicken wire and duct tape; all parties involved have exceeded expectations, but after neglecting the offensive tackle position in recent drafts, it certainly feels like the time is now, especially if Campbell is staring them in the face at No. 6.

It certainly sounds like Aaron Rodgers has every intention to play in 2025, but with each passing loss, we’re of the opinion that if Ward or Sanders is still on the board, it probably behooves the Jets to draft Ward or Sanders. With both players gone, however, New York beefs up a defense that has gone from the best unit in the league to one with questions. Mason Graham has a chance to be special, and we love the idea of him lining up next to Quinnen Williams.

A freakish athlete who moved to edge rusher for the 2024 season, Carter is not Micah Parsons — not yet, anyway — but he’s just scratching the surface on what he can do.

Woo boy. In the span of two months, this team has gone from division favorites and playoff contenders… to whatever they’re putting on the field now. Who knows what this group looks like by the NFL Scouting Combine, but with four pass rushers, including Demarcus Lawrence, headed for free agency after the season, adding Pearce makes sense.

Johnson was our top-rated player coming into the season, and he’s been as good as advertised in 2024. The Saints shipped Marshon Lattimore to Washington and have needs at cornerback, and Johnson feels like a steal at No. 10.

Is this a vanity pick? Yeah! The Bengals defense has been invisible for large parts of the season, and the offensive line is perpetually in need of fixing… BUT, Jeanty is special, Cincy has depth concerns at running back, and in case we didn’t make it clear, Jeanty is SPECIAL. He’s in the same class as Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson, who went No. 12 and No. 8, respectively, in 2023.

Walker is listed as an off-ball linebacker but can line up anywhere … and wreak havoc from anywhere.

WR is near the top of the to-do list, but the Bucs have eight front-seven players in the final year of their current deals. Scourton feels like a Todd Bowles-type pass rusher, and he’s had an impressive season for Texas A&M through 12 weeks

We would love to give the Bears an offensive lineman here, but this isn’t the 2024 class. Instead, they get a twitched-up edge rusher who can be damn-near unstoppable when he’s healthy. Love the idea of Williams bookend-ing Montez Sweat.

Offensive line could be a consideration here, but again, there isn’t a ton of depth at tackle after Banks and Campbell, and it would be a surprise if any interior offensive lineman went off the board this early. Walker, meanwhile, might play with the strongest hands of anyone in this class; he consistently wins early in the rep and causes problems as a pass rusher because of his length, power and twitch.

The Seahawks defense has been a liability against both the run and the pass, and Starks’ versatility and athleticism make him a special talent; he can play in the box, in the slot or deep centerfield and be a game-changer at all three levels.

This might sound familiar: offensive line would be a consideration … but there’s not much value at this point in the round. Instead, the Rams keep stockpiling playmakers on defense. Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Braden Fiske and Jared Verse were all drafted in the last two years, and Grant has quietly been really good in the middle of Michigan’s defense this season.

Revel is a long, athletic corner who moves like he’s a much smaller, shiftier nickel back. He suffered an ACL injury earlier this fall, but he should be good to go by next season

Luther Burden III was an option here, but the Broncos offense, as currently constituted, is about getting the ball out of Bo Nix’s hand as fast as possible, so Loveland feels like a perfect fit. He’s a big middle-of-the-field target who also has legit YAC ability

Barron flashes every week for the Longhorns, and we get Brian Branch vibes when we watch him. Branch was a secomd-round pick because he ran in the 4.5s in the 40-yard dash; he plays much faster than that, should’ve been a first-rounder all day long, and is an example of overthinking what is staring you in the face.

Nolen lines up inside and over the tackle for Ole Miss, and while he’s a twitched-up 290 pounds, he’s also as strong as an ox.

Yes, the Cardinals just drafted Marvin Harrison Jr., and Trey McBride has blossomed into one of the best young tight ends in the game, but Greg Dortch, Zay Jones and Zach Pascal are all on the the final year of their current deals. That, and Burden is a game-breakefr who feels like the perfect compliment to what Harrison and McBride bring to the passing game.

With the addition of Marshon Lattimore, the secondary is less of a need. But with Dyami Brown, Noah Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus all on expiring deals, adding Egbuka would make a lot of sense. He does everything well and is a beast after the catch, reminding me a little of Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Savaiinaea has split time between right and left tackle this season for Arizona, but his NFL future is likely inside, which would fit exactly what ails the Ravens O-line.

Stewart plays all over the defensive line, and at 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, he reminds me of a first-rounder pick from a year ago: Mizzou’s Darius Robinson, who had a great Senior Bowl week and was drafted by the Cardinals.

The Raiders currently have the 35th pick and will have an additional third-rounder as part of the Davante Adams trade. The point: the team likely won’t have to give up a future first-rounder to move up nine spots. Either way, this is a gamble because after Ward and Sanders — both of whom would’ve likely been no better than QB4 or QB5 in the 2024 class — there’s a lot of projection, even by QBs-graduating-to-the-NFL standards. But the Raiders desperately need a QB, so much so that general manager Tom Telesco, who never trades up … does just that here.

The Steelers have real needs at pass catcher behind George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth, especially looking ahead to 2025. Royals is an under-the-radar talent whose season was cut short at Utah State because of injury. He may not end up going this high, but I see a lot of Jayden Reed in his game.

Igbinosun is still rough around the edges, but he’s physical, plays with an edge and has the length and athleticism to consistently make plays on the ball at the next level.

Williams has some twitch in his giddy-up. He plays with heavy hands, and his low center of gravity allows him to win the leverage battle early in the rep against interior offensive linemen. He plays with an incredibly active motor, too.

Emmanwori is a tone-setter both in the secondary and coming downhill. He’s an imposing physical presence who has a nose for the ball, including four interceptions through 12 weeks for South Carolina.

We don’t think Travis Kelce can play forever, and even if he can, Tyler Warren has accounted for roughly 75% of Penn State’s offense (we’re ballparking that, don’t quote us), as a receiver, passer and runner. And with not much depth in this WR class, why not get one of the most productive offensive players in college football?

The Lions could go with defensive tackle or edge rusher here, and when he’s locked in, Tuimoloau can be unstoppable at times. We’d like to see him play with more consistency, but he has a hair-on-fire approach to playing the position, which fits right in with what Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn are looking for.