2025 NFL Mock Draft: Titans punt on taking QB in first round; Patriots, Raiders select skill players in top 10

There has been buzz that Tennessee could pass on a quarterback in favor of a different position group. If it is not sold on Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, but love Abdul Carter, then that is the direction that it should go rather than forcing a situation.

Cleveland may or may not be interested in one of the top quarterbacks, either. I believe it would be more inclined to consider Cam Ward at this stage of the process than Shedeur Sanders. Ward becomes the heir apparent to Deshaun Watson.

The Giants are desperate for a quarterback addition. They probably would take whichever option was left over. In this case, Shedeur Sanders returns to the Big Apple where he attended the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Sanders is a prospect who has dealt with pressure his whole life and has experience captaining a rebuild.

Colorado gets a two-way talent to support Drake Maye entering his second season. Travis Hunter may not be evaluated as highly as last year’s top wide receivers, but his versatility to play both ways makes him more valuable.

There are teams with worse rosters that had better seasons than the Jaguars, but they still have needs to fill. Mason Graham fills a position of need for new head coach Liam Coen. A front with Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, Arik Armstead and Graham would be formidable.

Las Vegas is not able to land its quarterback of the future in the first round, but there is still an opportunity to address other areas of need. Tetairoa McMillan is a ball-winner who can turn some of those quarterback mistakes into wins.

Olu Fashanu replaced Tyron Smith at left tackle, and the thought here is that Will Campbell replaces Morgan Moses at right tackle. New York obviously has a quarterback situation to figure out this offseason as well.

In the past, I have given Carolina either Will Johnson or Mykel Williams, dependent upon who was available. In the spirit of mixing things up, the Panthers take Jalon Walker, adding a player capable of applying pressure from the second level.

Chase Young is scheduled to hit free agency in a few months. New Orleans does not yet have a head coach so it is unclear which direction the organization will take in the future, but Mykel Williams is a good, young talent to develop.

Ben Johnson may want Ashton Jeanty to give them an explosive trait in the run game, but none of what Detroit was able to accomplish offensively this season was possible without a fortified offensive line. Chicago has to fix that unit before worrying about the rest.

With the return of defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, San Francisco needs to re-invest in its interior defensive line to return to the glory years. Walter Nolen is one of the most talented in this class.

There are ways to take pressure off CeeDee Lamb being the only consistent outlet in the pass game without addressing wide receiver. There is plenty of time to supplement the pass-catchers, but Ashton Jeanty is a dynamic runner, as well as a net positive in the pass game.

There are a few defined needs for Miami this offseason and safety is near the top of the list. Malaki Starks is the best example of a rangy, ball-hawking safety in the class whereas Nick Emmanwori has more size and versatility.

Will Johnson has the potential to be the best cornerback to come out of this class. I think there is a bit of fatigue among media, similar to what happened with Derek Stingley Jr., when it comes to Johnson. Based on how he played in 2023, before the injury, he had a Patrick Surtain II-type outlook.

Tyler Warren is going to come as a surprise for some Falcons fans, but Sean McVay had been interested in Brock Bowers a year ago. I think about the type of player that Zac Robinson would want in that offense and Warren comes to mind quickly. I wonder if Kyle Pitts could be available in a trade this offseason.

Arizona had a bottom-10 pressure rate in the league this season, according to TruMedia, and that figure is propped up heavily by a game against the Bears. James Pearce Jr. has great first-step quickness and is explosive off the edge.

The conversation around Cincinnati and Buffalo is similar: both teams have quarterbacks who allow them to compete with Patrick Mahomes and the other top offenses in the league. If they build more formidable defenses to slow those other teams down, that will give them the best chance to slay the beast in the AFC.

Nick Emmanwori to Seattle is one of my favorite pairings in the first round. Head coach Mike Macdonald had Kyle Hamilton in Baltimore and now gets his big, versatile defender in the Pacific Northwest.

The competition to be the first true off-ball linebacker taken is wide open. Jihaad Campbell has been in my personal top-50 overall for quite some time, but makes the leap into the first-round projection. He is young, has been well-coached and has the size NFL teams will be looking for at the next level.

Sean Payton gets a quality tight end for Bo Nix. New Orleans’ offenses often had a receiving threat at the tight end position and now the Broncos do as well with Colston Loveland.

Emeka Egbuka would be a great complement to George Pickens in Pittsburgh if Pickens is still around. The long-term quarterback situation would still need to be addressed, but at least that player would have a few competent outlets in the pass game.

Offensive guard is probably not at the top of the list of Los Angeles’ needs, but it was a problem area down the stretch. Tyler Booker is the fourth former first-round pick on that offensive line and a stabilizing presence.

The expectation is that Jaire Alexander is not a part of next season’s roster. If Carrington Valentine is starting in one of those boundary spots, then the Packers can plug and play Jahdae Barron in the slot.

Minnesota has way more talent on offense than they do on defense. It sounds as though defensive coordinator Brian Flores will be back for another season despite taking some head coaching interviews, so the goal is to give him some talent to keep the defensive trajectory pointing upward.

The run on defensive tackles continues with Houston’s pick. Head coach DeMeco Ryans comes from a situation in San Francisco that heavily invested in the defensive line. By continuing to build out the defensive front, there should be more 1-on-1 opportunities for the likes of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.

Los Angeles drafts Josh Conerly Jr. to step in at left tackle with Matthew Stafford returning for another season. He is still a bit rough around the edges, but was playing his best ball at season’s end.

Ronnie Stanley had battled injuries until this season and looked more like vintage Stanley. His representation is probably seeking a lot of money in free agency and his situation is a bit tricky with the injuries. The Ravens could theoretically move on from him and draft a left tackle, such as Josh Simmons.

Perhaps this is an instance of being a prisoner in the moment, but Nic Scourton is good value at this stage of the first round for a franchise that really struggled with depth as a result of injuries. The Lions will not be in that position next year with Za’Darius Smith, Josh Paschal, Aidan Hutchinson and now Scourton.

If Brandon Coleman is the future at left tackle, then the hope is that Armand Membou is the future at right tackle. One question I had about him was length because 6-foot-3 is below average for an NFL right tackle, but his 34-inch arm length makes up for that at the point of attack.

Josh Allen has shown on more than one occasion that he can keep pace with Patrick Mahomes or any other quarterback, so Buffalo has to address the defensive side of the ball in the first round. Tyleik Williams allows them to be more stingy at the point of attack.

Jahan Dotson has not made the impact that Philadelphia had hoped when it acquired him over the summer. Luther Burden III gives them another dynamic weapon in the pass game and ultimately gives them some flexibility in a top dollar position group.

Shavon Revel Jr. may have been taken higher had it not been for his injury. He has the length Kansas City covets, and few franchises can afford to bring Revel back at his own pace the way the Chiefs can. Patrick Mahomes will keep that team’s postseason hopes alive long enough for Revel to make his long-anticipated debut.