Richard Silva's final 2025 NFL mock draft: A top-5 surprise; Lions get productive defender
The 2025 NFL Draft has all but arrived, marking the end of mock draft season.
Some looming questions remain about this draft class β much of them have to do with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders β but we also received some clarity over the last couple of months. Miami's Cam Ward seems like a lock at No. 1 overall, for example, and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty has seen his stock rise after the Las Vegas Raiders addressed their need at quarterback and the Chicago Bears added three starting offensive linemen.
It's impossible to confidently say what the Detroit Lions are going to do at No. 28 overall, but here's my best (and final) shot at predicting how the board shakes out, and who the Lions end up adding to their roster in the back end of the first round Thursday night.
1. Tennessee Titans β Cam Ward, QB, Miami
The Titans worked this offseason to upgrade their offensive line. Assuming they do take Ward, those acquisitions will be helpful for a rookie quarterback (or for Will Levis, if Ward begins his career on the bench) looking to reinvigorate a franchise that's gone 16-35 over the last three seasons.
2. Cleveland Browns β Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
Browns general manager Andrew Berry isn't opposed to Hunter playing both ways, but he does see the Heisman Trophy winner as a receiver first. Hunter displayed ridiculous conditioning at Colorado last season, averaging nearly 120 snaps per game. His numbers β 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns on 96 catches to go along with four interceptions and a passer rating against of 39.9 β were plain silly.
3. New York Giants β Abdul Carter, edge, Penn State
This selection would be a bit redundant when the Giants already have Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, but there's nothing wrong with stockpiling pass rushers. Carter was elite for the Nittany Lions in 2024, turning in 66 pressures and 12 sacks. He also had an FBS-leading 24 tackles for loss, and his pass-rush win rate (22.6%) ranked ninth among qualified defenders.
4. New England Patriots β Will Campbell, OT, LSU
There's some concern about Campbell's measurables β his arm length (32β
inches) was shorter than all but three of the offensive tackles at the combine β but he performed well as a three-year starter in the SEC, on the hook for just four sacks across 38 games at left tackle.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars β Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Here's the first curveball, though I'm unsure how surprising it really is. Jeanty carried the Broncos to the College Football Playoff on the back of his 152 missed tackles forced, and his 2,601 rushing yards yards came narrowly short of breaking the NCAA's single-season record set by Barry Sanders in 1988 (2,628).
6. Las Vegas Raiders β Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
A four-man front of Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce, Christian Wilkins and Graham would be strong heading into head coach Pete Carroll's first year. Graham was one of the best players in college football last season, evidenced by his 34 pressures and 25 run stops.
7. New York Jets β Armand Membou, OT, Missouri
New head coach Aaron Glenn, formerly the defensive coordinator in Detroit, knows how important it is to invest in the offensive line. Expecting anyone to be on the same level of Penei Sewell would be foolish, but Membou can be one of Glenn's core pieces to build around.
8. Carolina Panthers β Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
Bryce Young showed promise over the last 10 games of the regular season, tallying 2,104 passing yards and 20 total touchdowns while turning the ball over eight times. One way to ensure a young quarterback continues ascending? Give him a tight end who is a threat in the passing game.
9. New Orleans Saints β Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
The health of Derek Carr's shoulder is reportedly in question, opening the door for New Orleans to pick Sanders, who started his collegiate career at Jackson State before transferring to Colorado. Sanders completed 71.8% of his passes in two seasons with the Buffaloes. That's an all-time career FBS record.
10. Chicago Bears β Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
Warren or Jeanty would've been the pick here had they been available, but the Bears instead land on an offensive lineman capable of playing both tackle and guard. Banks was the starting left tackle at Texas for three seasons, and he's only credited with allowing four sacks on 1,544 career pass-blocking snaps.
11. San Francisco 49ers β Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
A turf toe injury cost Johnson the second half of his last season at Michigan, but he was a shutdown cornerback when on the field β he posted a passer rating against of 49.83 in 32 games with the Wolverines β and could come in as a replacement for Charvarius Ward, who in March signed with the Indianapolis Colts.
12. Dallas Cowboys β Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Receivers Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin are solid complements to CeeDee Lamb, but McMillan would give the Cowboys another downfield threat who can go up and win in contested catch situations. McMillan, at 6-foot-5, racked up 2,721 yards and 18 touchdowns on 174 receptions over the last two seasons.
13. Miami Dolphins β Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
The Dolphins already needed help on the offensive line, and that became even more true after Terron Armstead's retirement. There are some injury concerns with Simmons, but this pick is made under the assumption his medical evaluations come back clean.
14. Indianapolis Colts β Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
Getting a talent like Warren in the middle of the first round is the dream for Indianapolis, but I don't think he makes it past all three of the Jets, Panthers and Bears. Loveland, though, is still a good get. On an offense that struggled to throw the ball last season, he notched 582 yards and five touchdowns on 56 catches.
More: Talent at the top: Grading the Lions' 2022 draft as players hit 3-year benchmark
15. Atlanta Falcons β Mykel Williams, edge, Georgia
The Falcons don't have to leave the state if they want to address their need on the edge. Williams has the physical tools at 6-5 and 260 pounds to be a stout defender, and his production (85 pressures on 773 pass-rush snaps for his career) is encouraging enough to take a chance on.
16. Arizona Cardinals β Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State
Will Hernandez can still be brought back in free agency, but the Cardinals currently have a hole at right guard. They fill it here by selecting Zabel, who was a left tackle at North Dakota State but projects as an interior piece at the next level. Zabel, getting work at left guard, right guard and center, impressed at the Senior Bowl in February.
17. Cincinnati Bengals β Mike Green, edge, Marshall
The nation's leader in sacks joins the Bengals, who need to add cheap talent to their defense after they poured more than $275 million (approximately $153 million guaranteed) into receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Green had 17 sacks and was Pro Football Focus' highest-rated defender last season.
18. Seattle Seahawks β Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Marquez Valdes-Scantling is a fine vertical threat, but his presence on the roster shouldn't preclude the Seahawks from taking someone like Golden, who flew up draft boards after his 987-yard campaign in 2024. Golden caught seven of his 11 targets that came at least 15 yards down the field, recording 256 yards and three touchdowns on those plays.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers β Jalon Walker, OLB, Georgia
Here's where Walker's slide ends, as the Buccaneers seek a replacement for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka. Walker, somewhat of a tweener between a linebacker and a pure pass rusher, collected 60 pressures and 11Β½ sacks at Georgia over the last two seasons.
20. Denver Broncos β TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State
This is the mock draft's biggest surprise. The Broncos could certainly take a running back, but most would predict them picking North Carolina's Omarion Hampton. I predict teams to value the big-play ability and explosive nature of Henderson, who led the Big Ten with 7.1 yards per carry.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers β Malaki Starks, DB, Georgia
Outside of quarterback, the Steelers don't have many (if any) glaring needs. They end up with one of the best players still available in Starks, the former five-star recruit who, similar to Detroit's Brian Branch, can play safety or in the slot in nickel packages.
22. Los Angeles Chargers β Kenneth Grant, DL, Michigan
A reunion for Grant and former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who is now leading things in Los Angeles. The Chargers lost Poona Ford in free agency β he inked a three-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams β and they replace him with one of the draft's best defensive tackles.
23. Green Bay Packers β Shemar Stewart, edge, Texas A&M
If there's one thing Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst likes to do, it's betting on physical upside. He's done it recently with Edgerrin Cooper (2024), Lukas Van Ness (2023) and Quay Walker (2022), and he does it again here with Stewart.
24. Minnesota Vikings β Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
The list of defensive coordinators I'd trust more than Brian Flores to get the most out of Emmanwori isn't long. Emmanwori tested spectacularly at the combine, showing the athleticism that helped him post 88 total tackles and four interceptions at South Carolina in 2024.
25. Houston Texans β Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon
Houston's offensive line was a mess last season, and the front office has done its best to overhaul the unit by bringing in left tackle Cam Robinson, left guard Laken Tomlinson and right tackle Trent Brown. Robinson and Brown are both on one-year deals, so Conerly can develop for a season (or maybe even play guard) before taking over at one of the tackle spots in 2026.
26. Los Angeles Rams β Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
What value this would be for the Rams. Campbell has an argument for being the most versatile player in this draft, as he impressed at Alabama mostly as an off-ball linebacker but also as a pass rusher off the edge. He racked up 117 total tackles (12 for loss), 20 pressures and five sacks last season.
27. Baltimore Ravens β Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama
After losing Patrick Mekari to the Jaguars in free agency, the Ravens replace him by selecting Booker. The Alabama standout doesn't appear to be the best lateral mover, but he plays with a mean streak and would fit right in paving running lanes for Derrick Henry.
28. Detroit Lions β Derrick Harmon, DL, Oregon
There are both immediate and long-term reasons to draft Harmon, who stuffed the stat sheet at Oregon in 2024 with 55 pressures, 17 run stops, 11 tackles for loss and five sacks. He was one the best interior defenders in the country last season, posting a pass-rush win rate of 17.6%, which ranked fourth among the 480 defensive linemen who saw 100 or more pass-rush opportunities.
With the early-season availability of Alim McNeill looking doubtful following his torn ACL in December, Harmon would come in and have a chance to contribute on Day 1. He'd also be in line to, in the future, replace Levi Onwuzurike, who broke out with 45 pressures in 2024 but will enter free agency again next offseason. Onwuzurike returned on a bargain (his cap hit is about $4.2 million) this time, and you can't expect that to happen again.
Harmon, who began his collegiate career at Michigan State (2021-23) before he transferred to Oregon, isn't an edge rusher, the position so many want the Lions to leave Day 1 with. But he would still bring some juice to Detroit's pass rush, and he just might be the best player available this deep into the first round.
29. Washington Commanders β James Pearce Jr., edge, Tennessee
Similar to what the Ravens did, the Commanders use their first-round pick to backfill a position that was hurt in free agency. Dante Fowler Jr. had 10Β½ sacks for Washington last season, but he's now a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Pearce, who had 7Β½ sacks in 2024 after having 10 in 2023, steps in as Fowler's replacement.
30. Buffalo Bills β Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky
A receiver like Emeka Egbuka might make sense here, but Hairston is the pick. He doesn't have to start right away (Christian Benford and Dane Jackson are projected to do that), but he could unseat Jackson at some point and give the Bills a solid tandem on the outside.
31. Kansas City Chiefs β Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss
Drafting an offensive tackle should be the priority for the Chiefs, but the best options β Campbell, Membou, Banks, Simmons, Zabel and Conerly β have already been scooped up. The trenches are helped by taking Nolen, but OT has to be at the front of Kansas City's mind on Day 2.
32. Philadelphia Eagles β Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
Two players were in consideration for this pick: Barron, who is replacing Darius Slay, and Boston College pass rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, who would've stepped in for Josh Sweat. Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean and Barron is a fun, young trio with upside to grow at cornerback.
rsilva@detroitnews.com
@rich_silva18
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Richard Silva's final 2025 NFL mock draft: A top-5 surprise; Lions get productive defender
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