The 2025 NFL Draft is shaping up to be one of the more unpredictable drafts in recent memory. Outside of blue-chip prospects like Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter, many players carry similar draft grades—creating the potential for surprise picks throughout the first round. In my final mock of the year, I take a swing at projecting some of those unexpected moves.
Among the biggest surprises: the Chicago Bears make a bold move up the board to secure an elite defensive talent, three quarterbacks come off the board in the top ten, and the first tight end selected may not be the one most expected.
Top 10 NFL Mock Draft
One of the safest predictions in the 2025 NFL Draft is the Titans selecting Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick. With no viable starting quarterback currently on the roster, Tennessee is in desperate need of a franchise signal-caller, and Ward—widely viewed as the top quarterback in this class—fits the bill perfectly.
The Browns make a smart, high-upside move by selecting Colorado’s Travis Hunter, a dynamic two-way player who will primarily line up at wide receiver in Cleveland, according to GM Andrew Berry. With limited weapons beyond Jerry Jeudy, Hunter would immediately upgrade the pass-catching group and give the Browns' future quarterback—whether drafted in the second round this year or in 2026—a true playmaker to build around.
With fewer holes to fill after addressing the offensive line in free agency, the Bears package picks 10, 39, and 41 to trade up with the Giants and select Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter at No. 3 overall. One of the rare blue-chip talents in the 2025 class, Carter would provide Chicago with the dominant pass rusher they’ve been missing and elevate their defense.
Abdul Carter is just too good 🔥
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 2, 2024
He picks up his 6th sack of the season for @PennStateFball 😤
(Brought to you by @ATTBusiness #ATTBusiness #NextLevelNetwork) pic.twitter.com/q874kAswHa
If the Patriots want Drake Maye to succeed, protecting him has to be the top priority—and they take a big step in that direction by selecting LSU left tackle Will Campbell. A proven pass protector who allowed just two sacks last season and earned an 80.6 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, Campbell would help shore up a New England offensive line that surrendered 52 sacks and ranked 31st in pass block win rate (50.9%) in 2024.
After allowing 133 rushing yards per game last season, the Jaguars bolster their defensive front by selecting Michigan’s Mason Graham, who was Pro Football Focus’s highest-graded run defender among defensive tackles in 2024. Graham’s impact goes beyond just stopping the run—Bleacher Report also ranked him as both the top run-stopping and top pass-rushing defensive tackle in college football, giving Jacksonville a disruptive and versatile force in the trenches.
New head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly want to establish a dominant ground game, and to do that, they need to upgrade a unit that finished dead last in rushing yards last season. They address this need by drafting Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, one of the top overall prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. Last season, Jeanty became just the second FBS player to surpass 2,600 all-purpose yards in a season, including an eye-popping 1,882 yards after contact. He also brings value as a receiver, having led all running backs with 569 receiving yards in 2023.
One of the biggest surprises in the 2025 NFL Draft comes when the Jets select Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with the seventh overall pick. While many analysts have Penn State’s Tyler Warren ranked as the top tight end, the Jets see Loveland’s higher upside. His athleticism consistently creates separation in the passing game, and when paired with his reliable hands, he becomes a dangerous mismatch against linebackers and safeties in coverage.
In my latest NFL Draft Notebook, I projected the Carolina Panthers to take Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker with the eighth overall pick—and I’m sticking with that call. The 2024 Butkus Award winner is exactly what this defense needs after a disastrous season that saw them allow the most points (31.4), most passing touchdowns (35), and most yards per play (6.0) in the NFL. Carolina also ranked 31st in pass rush win rate and finished tied for third worst in total sacks (32). Walker would bring an immediate boost to the Panthers’ pass rush with his 6.5 sacks, 29 pressures, and 7 tackles for loss last season, while his versatility to play inside or outside linebacker makes him one of the most complete defenders in this draft.
New head coach Kellen Moore kicks off a new era in New Orleans by selecting his quarterback of the future in Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart. With Derek Carr potentially missing the entire 2025 season due to a shoulder injury and 2024 fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler not being Moore’s handpicked guy, it makes sense for the Saints to invest in a long-term solution. Dart is an impressive athlete with natural passing ability and intriguing upside, and while he may need time to adjust to the pro game, Moore has a track record of building offenses around his quarterbacks. This pick also ends the Saints’ 53-year drought without a first-round quarterback—dating all the way back to Archie Manning in 1971.
The Giants make a savvy move by trading down from the No. 3 spot, picking up extra draft capital while still landing their quarterback of the future in Shedeur Sanders. Sanders brings toughness, poise, and high-level accuracy to New York, making him a strong fit in Brian Daboll’s offense. His timing and ball placement should pair nicely with first-round wideout Malik Nabers, giving the Giants a young QB-WR duo to build around—similar to the connection Sanders had with Travis Hunter at Colorado.