Jim Nagy sees 'tons of reaches' in 2025 NFL mock drafts, could be 'weakest Round 1 in a long time'
In the lead-up to the 2024 NFL Draft, it felt like one of the more intriguing in recent memory. The biggest names were on offense, and that held true as the first defender went off the board at No. 15 overall.
As for the 2025 NFL Draft, it’s shaping up to be a different type of interesting. The early mock drafts suggest quarterbacks could still go off the board early, but the sense is teams could covet defense when the draft heads to Green Bay.
To Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy, the talent level might not be the same in 2025. As he works through the early mock drafts and the film, he sees a weaker group ahead.
“If these way-too-early summer mocks hold true, the 2025 NFL Draft will be weakest Round 1 in a long time,” Nagy wrote. “Tons of reaches IMO based on tape work so far.”
In ESPN analyst Matt Miller’s early mock draft this week, he had three defensive players in his Top 10 picks – and that number could be four if Travis Hunter plays defense at the next level in addition to wide receiver. The top two picks, though, were both quarterbacks in Carson Beck and Shedeur Sanders at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.
However, when On3’s Clark Brooks broke down the Top 100 Players in College Football for this season, he pointed out the differences between last year’s class and this year’s. There was no shortage of offensive line talent a year ago, but this year, it’s the defensive line.
On3’s top player ahead of this season isn’t on the interior, though. That honor went to Tennessee EDGE James Pearce, who came in as the No. 4 overall pick in Miller’s early mock draft and the second defender behind Michigan cornerback Will Johnson.
“If the 2023 class was all about stout offensive tackles, 2024 will be about the return of the big uglies on defense,” Brooks said. “A quarter of the initial Top 100 Impact Players are defensive linemen, with six of the nine five-stars on the interior.
“In April’s draft, half the first round went by before a defender went off the board. That will not happen next spring with Tennessee’s terrific edge, James Pearce, headlining the crop, and a half-dozen impact four-stars at these spots also have first-round upside.”
There are just seven more Saturdays left until college football season begins. It’ll be a new era for the sport, but the NFL Draft conversation will also be worth watching throughout the year.