2025 NFL Draft: Trades, free agency moves shake up latest NFL.com mock

With the NFL Scouting Combine and many of the Pro Days already in the rearview mirror, and free agency all-but-over, the NFL world has officially turned its attention to the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24-26. And with that comes a new round of mock drafts, as draft prognosticators shake things up after teams filled some needs in free agency.

NFL.com lead draft writer Eric Edholm unveiled his second mock of the offseason, this time including three intriguing trades, including a Top 5 team trading back into the middle of the first round to save a sliding Shedeur Sanders. Edholm also projects the Dallas Cowboys will resolve their rushing woes by landing a talented running back at No. 12 and the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles trading up to land another talented Georgia Bulldogs defender.

Check out Eric Edholm’s 2025 NFL Mock Draft 2.0 below:

1. Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami

While a trade is certainly still possible if another team like the Giants is ready to sell the farm, Edholm reads the tea leaves and believes the Titans’ free agent moves point to them moving on from Will Levis at quarterback and taking the talented Hurricanes QB at No. 1 overall.

Edholm suggests Ward “reasonably could have Bo Nix-like production in Year 1″ after powering the Hurricanes NCAA-best offense with a FBS-leading 39 passing touchdowns and 4,313 yards on 67.2-percent passing in 2024.

2. Cleveland Browns: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State

While quarterback remains a big need (more on that in a second), Edholm knows the elite Penn State pass rusher is too good to pass up at No. 2 overall to pair opposite aging superstar Myles Garrett. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Carter led the FBS with 23.5 tackles for loss while also adding 12 sacks in 2024.

Fear not, Browns fans, Edholm has Cleveland’s front office moving back into Round 1, trading the first pick in Round 2 (No. 33) plus picks No. 67 and 104 (in Round 3 and 4, respectively) to the Atlanta Falcons to nab sliding Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders at No. 15 overall.

3. New York Giants: Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado

Welcome back to the Big Apple, Travis Hunter. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner returns to New York City five months after winning college football’s top individual award as the Giants go best-available player after adding veteran QBs Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency.

Edholm believes Hunter could start at both CB and WR in New York after the two-way superstar finished last season with 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense and four interceptions, 11 passes defended and 36 total tackles on defense in 2024.

4. New England Patriots: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri

A year after landing sophomore starting QB Drake Maye at No. 3 overall, the new-look Patriots nabs the fast-rising Membou out of Missouri one pick later to become Maye’s blindside blocker for years to come.

The massive 6-foot-4, 332-pound Membou turned heads at the NFL Combine by posting the best broad jump (9-foot-7) and second-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.91 seconds) among all offensive linemen in Indianapolis.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

Edholm goes a little off the reservation at No. 5, believing the rebuilding Jaguars will target a true playmaker for first-time head coach Liam Coen to utilize offensively.

The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Warren, winner of the John Mackey Award as college football’s top TE, certainly fits that mold after leading the Big Ten with 104 receptions for 1,233 yards and 13 total touchdowns (including four rushing and one passing) in 2024.

6. Las Vegas Raiders: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

This remains a buzzy pick for mock drafters everywhere, but Edholm was among the first to propose it in his first mock, believing the dynamic Jeanty could be the second-coming of Marshawn Lynch in new Raiders coach Pete Carroll‘s Vegas offense.

The powerful 5-foot-8, 210-pound Jeanty came within 30 yards of eclipsing Barry Sanders‘ 1988 NCAA single-season rushing record last season after leading the NCAA with 2,601 rushing yards, 29 touchdowns and 126 missed tackles in 2024.

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

After the Jets resolved their quarterback concerns by signing former Bears and Steelers QB Justin Fields in free agency, Edholm sees the other New York team focusing on its defensive front with its first-round pick.

The powerful 6-foot-3, 320-pound Graham would pair nicely beside veteran Jets DT Quinnen Williams after racking up 52 tackles, 26 pressures, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks as the heart of the Wolverines’ defense in 2024.

8. Carolina Panthers: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia

While many mock drafts project Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker here to the Panthers, Edholm instead opts for a more physical edge rusher from the Bulldogs’ loaded defense in the 6-foot-5, 260-pound Williams.

Despite some injury concerns, Edholm likes Williams’ potential at the next level after coming up huge in some of Georgia’s biggest games last season with four of his five sacks coming against Texas and its loaded offensive line.

9. New Orleans Saints: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M

With Carter and Williams off the board, the defensively-inept Saints go for the next-best option in the 6-foot-5, 267-pound pass rusher out of Texas A&M, who has a similar frame to another talented former Aggies defender in Myles Garrett.

Stewart is a physically-imposing presence who has all the traits to be special, even if his college production never quite lived up to the hype as a Five-Star Plus+ signee in the 2022 recruiting class.

10. Chicago Bears: Will Campbell, OT/OG, LSU

A year after landing its franchise quarterback of the future in former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams, the Bears stand pat and still end up with one of college football’s most reliable blindside blockers.

The 6-foot-6, 323-pound Campbell is a first-team All-American after allowing just two sacks over the past two years in Baton Rouge, including blocking for former Tigers QB Jayden Daniels in 2023.

Eric Edholm’s NFL.com Mock Draft 2.0 pick Nos. 11-32:

11. San Francisco 49ers: Jalon Walker, EDGE/LB, Georgia
12. Dallas Cowboys: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
13. Miami Dolphins: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
14. Indianapolis Colts: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
15. Cleveland Browns (projected trade with ATL): Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
16. Arizona Cardinals: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
17. Cincinnati Bengals: Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
18. Seattle Seahawks: Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
20. Denver Broncos: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
22. Los Angeles Chargers: Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
23. Green Bay Packers: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
24. Philadelphia Eagles (projected trade with MIN): Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
25. Houston Texans: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT/OG, Texas
26. Kansas City Chiefs (projected trade with LAR): Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
27. Baltimore Ravens: Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
28. Detroit Lions: Gray Zabel, OG/C, North Dakota State
29. Washington Commanders: Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas
30. Buffalo Bills: Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State
31. Los Angeles Rams (projected trade with KC): Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
32. Minnesota Vikings (projected trade with PHI): Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
Round 2 bonus pick
33. Atlanta Falcons (projected trade with CLE): Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss