2025 NFL Draft: ESPN releases eye-opening mock draft ahead of College Football Playoff

As the 2024 NFL season enters the backstretch, with most fan bases either dreaming of the playoffs or a high first-round pick in next April’s 2025 NFL Draft, ESPN’s NFL expert Field Yates unveiled an overhauled first-round mock draft featuring many of college football’s biggest stars this season.

While the college football world is looking toward the beginning of the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff in two weeks, the NFL world is focused entirely on 2025, including the two quarterback-needy teams currently representing the top two overall picks: the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders. And Yates wastes little time in delivering those two franchises their QBs of the future.

Without further ado, here’s ESPN’s latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft, according to Yates:

1. New York Giants: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Field Yates projects the desperate Giants opt for the son of Colorado head coach and NFL legend Deion Sanders at No. 1 overall to fill its need for a franchise quarterback. New York cut ties with former franchise QB Daniel Jones last month after six years with the organization, and move on with Shedeur Sanders at the helm.

Sanders has been sensational in two seasons in Boulder, currently leading the FBS level with a 74.2 completion percentage and ranking in the top three nationally in touchdown pass (35) and passing yards (3,926). While he has athleticism and can escape the pocket, Sanders is extremely poised in the pocket, flashing an “unflappability (that) bodes well for his NFL future,” according to Yates.

2. Las Vegas Raiders: Cam Ward, QB, Miami

After the Giants go for Sanders at No. 1 overall, Yates expects the QB-needy Raiders to take the safer of the two QBs in Ward, potentially mirroring the situation the Commanders had last year when it landed Jayden Daniels out of LSU at No. 2 overall. And given their issues at quarterback, including injury-plagued seasons from Gardner Minshew (collarbone) and Aidan O’Connell (knee), Las Vegas would welcome whoever the Giants pass on.

Not that Ward is a consolation prize. The Miami quarterback “is an improvisational signal-caller with a hose of an arm and the capacity to throw from many arm angles,” according to Yates. Ward is a Heisman Trophy finalist after leading the FBS with 36 passing touchdowns and ranking second with 4,123 yards through the air this season.

3. New England Patriots: Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado

The Patriots stand pat and land the “most electric player in the class” at No. 3, according to Yates, offering “difference-making ability on both sides of the ball” as both a receiver and cornerback. While New England has needs all over the field, drafting the likely Heisman Trophy winner with superior ability at multiple positions would be a clear win, making Hunter “too good to pass up.”

Yates: “He as rare acceleration and high-end playmaking traits as a receiver, but I also see lockdown cover skills — including elite ball skills and insticts — as a cornerback.”

4. Carolina Panthers: Adbul Carter, EDGE, Penn State

After losing Brian Burns to the Giants in free agency last offseason, the Panthers land his pass-rushing replacement in the physically-gifted Micah Parsons clone from Penn State. Carolina has the NFL’s second-worst pass rush win rate at 28.1-percent and could use a versatile player of Carter’s ilk after moving from a standup linebacker to pass-rush specialist this past season.

The position change paid off as Carter compiled 10 sacks and 20 tackles for loss this season, showing “more juice and a faster get-off than any other pass rusher in the this class,” according to Yates.

5. Cleveland Browns: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas

The first offensive tackle comes off the board at No. 5, according to Yates, landing with a Browns squad with more questions than answers entering a pivotal offseason. But one of the biggest questions revolves around an offensive line that has surrendered the NFL’s second-most sacks (53) so far this season.

The athletically-gifted Banks would be a plug-and-play addition to a Cleveland offensive line that could part with pending free agent LT Jedrick Wills Jr. this offseason. As the top-ranked tackle on Yates’ board, Banks has “excellent footwork, quickness … and anchoring ability” on the edge after allowing pressure on a FBS-best 0.3-percent of dropbacks this season.

6. New York Jets: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

While the Jets’ offseason will be plagued by questions surrounding its coaching/GM situation as well as the future of aging superstars in QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Davante Adams, Yates believes New York will go the safe route and take a sure thing in Graham, one of the the safest picks in the Top 10.

Still, defensive line appears to an issue for the Jets, who could pair the plug-and-play Graham with All-Pro Quinnen Williams to create quite the formidable interior tandem in the middle of its defensive front.

7. Tennessee Titans: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

ESPN slotted the massive 6-foot-5 McMillan to the Titans, a team in desperate need of offensive playmakers for second-year QB Will Levis to throw to next season. Yates believes McMillan would provide Tennessee with the “smooth, big-bodied” wideout with a massive catch radius to compliment former Alabama receiver Calvin Ridley on the outside.

Despite his size, McMillan has the athleticism and exceptional footwork to run the entire route tree and is already a proven commodity as one of three Biletnikoff Award finalists for college football’s best receiver after ranking third nationally with 1,319 yards on 84 receptions and eight touchdowns this season.

8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

Yates went with the 6-foot-2 Michigan cornerback for the beleagured Jaguars over an offensive tackle after the recent extention for left tackle Walker Little. But it’s still a need pick for a Jacksonville defense ranked dead-last in the NFL allowing 396.1 yards per game and a league-worst 6.0 yards per play.

A nagging turf toe injury has limited Johnson’s 2024 season to just six games and forced him to sit out the final five games of the regular season. Still, his playmaking ability in the secondary is unquestioned after returning both his two interceptions this season for touchdowns.

9. Chicago Bears: Will Campbell, OT, LSU

The towering 6-foot-6, 323-pound LSU tackle would provide an immediate boost to a swiss-cheese Bears offensive line that has already surrendered a NFL-high 56 sacks of rookie QB Caleb Williams, the reigning No. 1 overall pick. Campbell more than proved his merit in 2023 when only allowing 2 sacks of former Tigers QB Jayden Daniels, who went No. 2 overall behind Williams last April.

As LSU’s starting left tackle since arriving on campus as a four-star talent, Campbell has a wealth of experience with 37 career starts under his belt, and brings “plenty of polish” according to Yates. While not the most athletic, at least compared to Banks, Campbell has elite footwork and could be Williams’ blindside blocker in Chicago for years to come.

10. New Orleans Saints: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia

Yates cited Williams’ standout play in Saturday’s SEC Championship game, where he sacked Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers twice on the opening possession of overtime, to show his potential at the next level. Describing Williams “as impressive physically as any player in the class,” Yates believes the Georgia defender is a potential Pro Bowl-level pass rusher.

And given the Saints’ porous defense this season, ranking 28th in pass rush win rate, as well as former Ohio State star Chase Young only signed through this season, it’s clear New Orleans is in line for an overhaul to its defensive front, and that could start with Williams.

2025 NFL Draft picks No. 11-32, per ESPN

11. Cincinnati Bengals: James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
12. Dallas Cowboys: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
13. Miami Dolphins: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
14. Indianapolis Colts: Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
15. San Francisco 49ers: Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
16. Arizona Cardinals: Jalon Walker, LB/EDGE, Georgia
17. Atlanta Falcons: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
18. Los Angeles Rams: Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Nic Scourton, EDGE, Texas A&M
20. Washington Commanders: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
21. Denver Broncos: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
22. Houston Texans: Jonah Savaiinaea, OT/G, Arizona
23. Seattle Seahawks: Tyler Booker, G, Alabama
24. Los Angeles Chargers: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
25. Baltimore Ravens: Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
26. Green Bay Packers: Kyle Kennard, EDGE, South Carolina
27. Pittsburgh Steelers: Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
28. Philadelphia Eagles: Cameron Williams, OT, Texas
29. Buffalo Bills: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
30. Minnesota Vikings: Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina
31. Kansas City Chiefs: Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota
32. Detroit Lions: Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State