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Bryan Fischer

Post-NFL Combine Mock Draft: First-Round Predictions for Every Team

Ward, Sanders and Hunter are all projected to be top-10 picks in the 2025 NFL draft. | Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Network (Ward); Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Network (Sanders); Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Network (Hunter)

Mock draft 1.0 | Mock draft 2.0 | Mock draft 3.0 | Mock draft 4.0 | Mock draft 5.0 | Mock draft 6.0

The 2025 NFL scouting combine has come and gone, and the NFL draft has come into much clearer focus for all 32 teams as they leave Indianapolis to take the next step on the road to Green Bay this April.

Thanks to a full set of medical checks, a slew of fresh testing numbers and the biggest wave of formal interviews with over 300 players, every draft board is starting to take shape and general managers are sorting players.

As a result, here’s a look at how the first round could play out after a week’s worth of combine conversations.

1. Tennessee Titans 

Pick: Cam Ward, QB, Miami 

Although they would ideally move down a few spots to add some more capital to fuel this rebuild, the injury concerns about Abdul Carter’s foot that popped up during the combine could be good cover for the Titans to address their biggest need at the most important position on the field. Ward ticked off all the boxes he needed to in Indy, and while he may not be the “generational” prospect the team is looking for, he’s just the kind of pick that can finally get some juice back in the franchise a few years before they open their new stadium.


2. Cleveland Browns 

Pick: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

One of the bigger storylines at the combine was the Browns being more open to taking a quarterback atop the draft than even previously believed, and there seems to be a comfort factor in grabbing either Ward or Sanders when the time comes around to turn in the card. With the Buffs star, the franchise would get a rookie who is ready to contribute right away and would have no issues holding up in the AFC North given the pounding he took the past two years in college behind a subpar offensive line. It almost assuredly has crossed ownership’s mind that there could be an opportunity to hire Sanders’s namesake college coach if things go poorly during the 2025 campaign, too.


3. New York Giants 

Pick: Travis Hunter Jr., WR/CB, Colorado

It’s no secret that the front office has heavily scouted quarterbacks for much of the past year but it seems increasingly likely that they wind up addressing the position via free agency (Russell Wilson? Aaron Rodgers?) first—particularly if they don’t pony up to trade up in the draft. In Hunter, they instead get a unicorn that should be a big boost on both sides of the ball and is someone who the franchise would be thrilled to have as a new face that can thrive in the unique environment that is New York.


4. New England Patriots 

Pick: Abdul Carter, edge, Penn State

The Pats will naturally be making it a priority to find help around Drake Maye, but there’s little chance they will waste more than a few seconds before calling in Carter’s name should he be available. Not only would he boost a sub-par pass rush in a big way, but he’s just the kind of piece that Mike Vrabel would love to move around and coach with his elite get off and ability to take over a game.


Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham
Graham would be a great addition for the Jaguars to add to their defense. | Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

5. Jacksonville Jaguars 

Pick: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan 

New coach Liam Coen joked a few times last week that he was paying attention to the defensive guys at the combine for the first time, and while there may be some inexperience at the top when it comes to that side of the ball, the Jags can make it easier on the new regime by snagging Graham. He might be the highest floor guy on defense available and could form quite the tandem with Travon Walker up front.


6. Las Vegas Raiders 

Pick: Will Campbell, OL, LSU 

Pete Carroll was no stranger to bucking conventional wisdom when he was involved with the draft in Seattle, so it will be interesting to see how much sway he has in the rejiggered operation in Vegas that features a general manager making his first pick. The Raiders won’t reach for a quarterback as long as Tom Brady is around advising, so landing Campbell would be a huge boost up front opposite Kolton Miller. 


7. New York Jets 

Pick: Armand Membou, OL, Missouri 

Membou boosted his stock significantly at the combine where he was already earning some buzz as potentially being the first offensive lineman drafted. He has the tools to be starting as a rookie at right tackle in the Big Apple and could be part of a more steady rebuild before a long-term option gets figured out at quarterback.


8. Carolina Panthers 

Pick: Jalon Walker, edge, Georgia 

It would be a big surprise if Carolina gave any thought to going offense atop the first round given all their issues on the defensive side of the ball. Walker is just the kind of impactful pass rusher who could become a cornerstone for the franchise as a vocal young leader. 


9. New Orleans Saints 

Pick: Mykel Williams, edge, Georgia 

Kellen Moore just got a Super Bowl ring after seeing how a team should be built in the trenches. He puts that lesson to use with his initial first-round pick in New Orleans. Williams isn’t a finished product, but has all the traits you look for in a player who can learn from Cam Jordan for a season before taking over for him long-term.


10. Chicago Bears 

Pick: Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State 

Simmons’s knee injury late in the season zapped any momentum he had in becoming an elite tackle atop the draft, but it sounds like teams are very confident he can get back to the kind of form he was trending toward at OSU. With him in the fold, a free agent addition on the interior and perhaps a guard drafted on Day 2, Caleb Williams could see his protection issues fade away after one offseason.


11. San Francisco 49ers 

Pick: Jahdae Barron, DB, Texas 

The Thorpe Award winner solidified himself as an early pick after running a 4.3 40-yard dash at the combine and is good enough to start right away for a 49ers secondary that needs upgrades. Texas teammate Kelvin Banks Jr. is tempting with Trent Williams entering Year 15, but it’s hard to find corners this polished.


12. Dallas Cowboys

Pick: Kelvin Banks Jr., OL, Texas 

You could pencil in five question marks up front for the Cowboys, who can help protect Dak Prescott by nabbing Banks. He could slide into the spot vacated by Zack Martin at guard initially in his career before kicking back outside.


13. Miami Dolphins 

Pick: Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss

There are not many defensive linemen who can move like Nolen can at his size. Scouts are in love with his upside and even in a deep draft at the position, he has rare traits that he is just beginning to capitalize on. 


Penn State tight end Tyler Warren
Warren could be an incredible weapon for Richardson, who has struggled in his first two seasons. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

14. Indianapolis Colts 

Pick: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

In what seems like a make-or-break year for a lot of folks around Indianapolis, Warren adds an incredible weapon to the mix on offense for the Colts as they look to see whether Anthony Richardson is the long-term answer, or if there will be a franchise reset in 2026.


15. Atlanta Falcons 

Pick: Shemar Stewart, edge, Texas A&M

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Falcons move around in the first round as they try to revamp their defense. But Stewart was one of the players expected to test well at the combine and lived up to the high billing. While his production is concerning to some, he won over a ton of critics in Indy and could fill a big hole for an Atlanta side that has been searching for a dynamic pass rusher for ages.


16. Arizona Cardinals 

Pick: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama

The front seven is set to get a big overhaul in the desert, and Campbell could be a marquee piece to add to the fold. The Alabama product should likely contribute early on as a dedicated pass rusher before developing into an all-around linebacker that Arizona can build around to lead the defense.


17. Cincinnati Bengals 

Pick: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan 

If the front office does live up to its words of re-signing the team’s two star wideouts, that might result in Mike Gesicki heading out of town as a free agent. Loveland would be a perfect replacement as a tight end who contributes a ton in the passing game and would benefit from plenty of the concepts Cincinnati runs.


18. Seattle Seahawks 

Pick: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan 

Mike Macdonald once recruited Grant to Michigan, and now finally gets a chance to coach him as he looks to solidify Seattle’s run defense with another big athletic body up front. He’s not close to a finished product, as he needs to be more consistent, but he’s a potential All-Pro down the line who should fit in nicely.


19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Pick: James Pearce Jr., edge, Tennessee 

The Bucs have been trying to find a good solution in the draft to their pass rush problems, and Pearce could be the answer. He underscored his athleticism at the combine and understands how to get to the quarterback with an elite burst and can really benefit the team with his versatility in lining up at a number of spots.


20. Denver Broncos

Pick: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

Getting Bo Nix some more weapons is paramount for the Broncos, and what better way to help the quarterback than getting the best running back in the draft. Jeanty could slot in nicely in Javonte Williams’s place and would offer Sean Payton an option who can take it 90 yards on top of being an asset in the passing game for more than just a swing route.


21. Pittsburgh Steelers

Pick: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan 

The Steelers are no stranger to grabbing a great talent who somehow falls in their laps, and that’s the case with Johnson, who is a big corner that can instantly help shore up that questionable pass defense that gave up too many big plays last season. There are some concerns about the Michigan product’s high end speed, but he could be a great fit in Mike Tomlin’s defense where less will be asked of him than in college.


22. Los Angeles Chargers

Pick: Mike Green, edge, Marshall

Green seemed to assuage concerns teams had surrounding his transfer to Marshall at the combine and remains one of the higher upside prospects among the deep class of edge rushers. The Chargers have to get younger at this position and Green could benefit from learning behind a few veterans before being handed the starting role.


23. Green Bay Packers

Pick: Derrick Harmon, DL, Oregon

Harmon’s size and quickness bursting through the line is right in line with the Packers’ type, and he could form quite the duo with Kenny Clark wreaking havoc on the inside. There’s a sense out of the combine that the Packers are not sold on staying at No. 23, so they could be a key inflection part in the back of the first round.


24. Minnesota Vikings

Pick: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina

There will be some consternation about the Vikings using an early pick on a tailback given the pressing needs in the secondary, but Hampton is a home run hitter who could help elevate the offense further. Teams love his ability to contribute on every down and he could be in line for a healthy amount of carries even if the franchise decides to bring back pending free agent Aaron Jones.


25. Houston Texans

Pick: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas 

The Texans can reinforce their offensive line on Day 2 as Golden provides a ready-made replacement for Stefon Diggs while also providing a bit of cover for the injury-prone Tank Dell as somebody who defenses will have to account for down the field.


North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel
Zabel can play every position along the offensive line. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

26. Los Angeles Rams

Pick: Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State

With Matthew Stafford back in the fold, it’s paramount for the Rams to reinforce the offensive line to keep him upright. Zabel’s ability to play everything from guard right away to eventually becoming a tackle for the Rams will be viewed as a big plus for a team that seems to be constantly shuffling its line.


27. Baltimore Ravens

Pick: Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon

Out goes Ronnie Stanley, in comes a carbon copy of the veteran offensive tackle. The youngster is adept at handling speed rushers off the edge even as he continues to develop physically, and is athletic enough to fit in well holding blocks a touch longer to allow Lamar Jackson to scramble around. 


28. Detroit Lions

Pick: Tyler Booker, OL, Alabama

This just feels like a Dan Campbell kind of guy, between his leadership qualities to his ability to clear out a gap and then get to the next level with a vengeance. Detroit will have plenty of options to replace Kevin Zeitler, and Booker could be a Pro Bowl-caliber player available in the first round that is plug-and-play.


29. Washington Commanders

Pick: Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina

Adam Peters may have to consider trading up in the first round in order to ensure he lands Emmanwori after the latter was one of the biggest head-turners at the combine. He’s basically an upgraded version of Jeremy Chinn and has the swagger to become a key player in Dan Quinn’s defense.


30. Buffalo Bills

Pick: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

Josh Allen is likely to get at least one key weapon out of this draft, and McMillan represents tremendous value late in the first round with his ability to post up and snag those balls Allen throws up for grabs.


31. Kansas City Chiefs

Pick: Donovan Jackson, OL, Ohio State

After tagging Trey Smith and trading Joe Thuney to the Bears, Jackson could be slotted in right away at guard. Showcasing his ability to kick outside in a pinch during Ohio State’s national title run will only enhance Jackson’s value as a potential option if they move on from Jawaan Taylor after next year, too.  


32. Philadelphia Eagles

Pick: Donovan Ezeiruaku, edge, Boston College

Howie Roseman has a wealth of options at the bottom of the first round and can be content to have another good player fall to him if he stays put without trading up. Ezeiruaku is able to contribute right away on the Eagles’ defense as a polished pass rusher and could help cushion the blow if Josh Sweat leaves.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Post-NFL Combine Mock Draft: First-Round Predictions for Every Team.

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