• Abdul Carter can be excellent for the New York Jets: Carter can be a fantastic edge defender to pair with Will McDonald IV.
• Dallas Cowboys discover a operating mate for CeeDee Lamb: Luther Burden III can be a fantastic choice to pair with the veteran star receiver.
• Draft and commerce for your self: Try PFF’s mock draft simulator. Trade picks and gamers and mock to your favourite NFL staff!
Estimated studying time: 12 minutes
Only 14 groups superior to the NFL playoffs, however all 32 will take part within the 2025 NFL Draft. As issues at present stand, each staff nonetheless owns a first-round choose, so expectations heading into April will probably be excessive for everybody.
Let’s take an early take a look at a number of the finest potential picks for every staff within the first spherical. While many groups will covet related gamers and be trying to jockey for place to ensure they “get their man,” for this train, we’ll spotlight one distinctive participant for every staff.
While we take relative worth into consideration, this isn’t a mock draft. You can discover PFF’s newest mock draft right here, and we’ll have loads extra to return over the subsequent three months.
AFC EAST
New England Patriots: T Will Campbell, LSU
The Patriots had been hesitant to start out rookie QB Drake Maye instantly this season due in some half to issues concerning the offensive line. While they finally handed the keys over to Maye anyway, the offensive line did certainly wrestle considerably all year long. Left deal with was a significant problem, because the Patriot collective on the place amassed 54 whole pressures allowed. Will Campbell is the clear prime deal with prospect on this draft, as he posted a stable 80.9 pass-blocking grade in 2024 whereas within the final two seasons mixed he surrendered simply two whole sacks at LSU.
New York Jets: Edge Abdul Carter, Penn State
Will McDonald took a giant step in pass-rush manufacturing in 2024 however with Haason Reddick’s want to stay a Jet, a lingering query that continues to be is whether or not the staff might use one other younger, productive pass-rusher to pair with McDonald.
Abdul Carter has a 92.2 PFF pass-rushing grade up to now within the 2024 season to associate with 12 sacks, 9 hits, 37 hurries, 22.9% pass-rush win price. Abdul Carter can play each inside linebacker and out of doors linebacker and he can pass-rush successfully from the ILB spot, standing up on the sting or together with his hand within the floor. He has good bend to hurry across the exterior and an efficient spin transfer so as to add to it. Additionally, Carter’s lateral agility can also be a plus on exterior zone runs (the popular run ideas of the Bills, Dolphins and Patriots), so he can simply leap again a spot and disrupt the run.
Miami Dolphins: T Josh Simmons, Ohio State
The Miami Dolphins want so as to add expertise to their offensive line. The Dolphins’ 55.5 staff run-blocking grade ranked No. 28 within the 2024 NFL season. Their 66.1 staff pass-blocking grade ranked No. 21, in the meantime, Tua Tagovailoa’s common time to throw of two.30 seconds was the quickest within the NFL in 2024.
While Simmons’ 2024 season was minimize quick by harm, he earned an 82.0 pass-blocking grade and allowed just one strain on his 158 pass-blocking snaps. Simmons performed each left and proper deal with in faculty however might additionally presumably be moved inside to protect. Adding Josh Simmons to the Dolphins offensive line means the Dolphins offense will not need to rely so closely on a fast time to throw in an effort to transfer the ball down the sector.
Buffalo Bills: Edge Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Greg Rousseau led the Bills in pressures in 2024 and earlier than the season, the staff picked up his fifth-year choice. However, with Von Miller possible shifting on and Rousseau turning into dearer, the Bills might use one other younger edge-rusher with an inexpensive cap hit.
Shemar Stewart is 6-foot-6 and 290 kilos and at this level in his growth, he’s a stellar run defender with a 88.2 run-defense grade and an bettering pass-rusher who generated 39 pressures in 2024. Pairing Shemar Stewart with Rousseau not solely aids the youth motion up entrance however presumably offers the Bills the pliability to take care of Rousseau’s upcoming contract extension calls for.
NFC EAST
New York Giants: CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado
While the Giants are retaining each normal supervisor Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, proprietor Paul Mara on Monday expressed a scarcity of persistence with the membership’s present trajectory. This might result in the Giants being large gamers within the QB free agent market, with designs on wanting elsewhere at choose No. 3. The Giants protection loves deploying Cover 1 (28.8% of go snaps in Cover-1 ranks sixth-highest within the league). However, opposing QBs constantly exploited New York cornerbacks, registering a 113.3 passer score with out tossing a single interception when the Giants utilized the protection.
Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter makes all of the sense on the earth at No. 3 total. Hunter is the highest cornerback within the draft after choosing off 5 balls and posting a powerful 21.3% compelled incompletion proportion. His double life as a receiver at Colorado is not going to solely assist him on protection however will possible lead to him making contributions on offense as nicely on the subsequent degree.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Luther Burden III, Missouri
The Cowboys definitively have wants alongside their defensive roster, however Jerry Jones is as involved with the Cowboys model as a lot as he’s successful and needs that model to be thrilling and on our tv screens as a lot as doable, so including an explosive offensive weapon to pair with CeeDee Lamb would do exactly that.
While CeeDee Lamb performed about half of his snaps out vast and half within the slot, Burden has performed over 80% of his snaps out of the slot over the previous two seasons. Burden is harmful with the ball in his palms. He can be utilized on jet sweeps and screens to shortly get the ball to him and permit him to make use of his unimaginable acceleration to generate large performs. Burden has 25 touchdowns over the past three seasons, together with 4 speeding touchdowns. Burden can be a superb playmaking praise to CeeDee Lamb, making the Cowboys offense more practical and thrilling.
Washington Commanders: TE Tyler Warren, Penn State
The ageless Zach Ertz has been a helpful weapon for Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels this 12 months, as he has contributed 70 catches and 7 scores, however Washington would do nicely to start out stockpiling youthful weaponry for its new franchise sign caller.
Tyler Warren has proved to be the most effective bodily mismatches in faculty soccer this season, amassing 100 receptions for 1,178 yards and eight scores with 63 first downs (earlier than Penn State‘s semifinal matchup towards Notre Dame). Warren has additionally been wonderful on contested balls, hauling in 13 of 21 such targets this season.
Philadelphia Eagles: Edge Josaiah Stewart, Michigan
In two seasons as an Eagle (2022 and 2023), Haason Reddick tallied 34 sacks and 160 whole pressures whereas incomes 24 run stops and giving up simply 161 yards on 114 protection snaps. While the Eagles have tried to make use of quite a lot of gamers to copy the manufacturing, the protection at present lacks an edge participant with the flexibility to make that degree of all-around influence.
Josaiah Stewart had a breakout marketing campaign for the Wolverines in 2024 and has the all-around skillset the Eagles will covet. He displayed a full arsenal of pass-rush strikes on his method to a ridiculous 40.2% win price on true go units and the very best pass-rush grade of the 2025 edge class (92.2). He was additionally excellent versus the run, grading positively on 18.4% of run reps in comparison with simply 3.6% negatives.
AFC WEST
Las Vegas Raiders: CB Will Johnson, Michigan
Las Vegas’ prime cornerback Jack Jones surrendered a league-high 10 touchdowns into his protection this previous season whereas posting a below-average 52.9 protection grade. With little else to get enthusiastic about behind him, the Raiders would do nicely to lock in a prime expertise on the place by way of the draft.
A nagging toe harm precipitated Will Johnson to overlook a lot of his remaining season at Michigan, however evaluators have been fixated on his skillset since attending to Ann Arbor in 2022. Over the previous two seasons, he allowed simply 35 receptions on 71 targets with six interceptions (returning three of them for scores) and 9 compelled incompletions. Listed at 6-2 and 202 kilos and anticipated to run within the low 4.4s, he even appears like a traditional Al Davis choice.
Denver Broncos: RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Javonte Williams simply does not appear to have the identical juice he had pre-injury, thus the backfield duties in Denver are being cut up up between Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime. Neither of these gamers, nonetheless, approaches the extent of dynamism that Ashton Jeanty confirmed throughout his phenomenal 2024 season at Boise State.
Jeanty broke an unprecedented 157 tackles on runs this previous season, eclipsing double digits in 9 totally different video games. He additionally added 23 receptions, forcing one other 12 missed tackles. His elusiveness could possibly be the lacking piece to push the Broncos offense to elite standing in 2025.
Los Angeles Chargers: TE Colston Loveland, Michigan
Considering Jim Harbaugh’s affinity for tight ends, it was a significant shock to many who Seattle was faster on the set off in final 12 months’s draft for former Michigan TE AJ Barner (30 catches for 245 yards and 4 TDs in 2024). Luckily for the Chargers’ head coach, he can set his sights on one other Michigan man on this draft, one with the athletic profile that warrants a first-round choice.
Despite a 2024 marketing campaign restricted by spotty QB play and a number of accidents, Loveland nonetheless managed a 90.2 receiving grade. Over the previous two seasons for the Maize and Blue, he amassed 103 catches for 649 yards, 9 scores and 62 first downs.
Kansas City Chiefs: DI T.J. Sanders, South Carolina
The Chiefs might have used a prime tight finish right here to start getting ready for Travis Kelce’s eventual departure however with the highest guys already taken, the Chiefs flip to their defensive entrance on this situation.
T.J. Sanders‘ dimension and quickness would supply the Chiefs with one other versatile participant who they’ll line up at a number of locations and ask to hurry the passer. Sanders is a extremely efficient inside pass-rusher who confirmed the flexibility to line up at nostril deal with, defensive deal with and defensive finish as he generated 33 pressures together with 5 sacks and 9 QB hits in 2024. Sanders’ skill to line up in so many alternative spots will enable Chris Jones to proceed shifting all around the line to seek out advantageous match-ups for the Chiefs.
NFC WEST
San Francisco 49ers: Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota
The 49ers’ excellent left deal with Trent Williams completed the season on injured reserve after lacking the final seven video games. Williams will probably be again in 2025, however he will probably be 37 years outdated and enjoying his fifteenth season. Even if Williams returns to type the 49ers want to start out planning on bringing in a alternative at that key place.
Aireontae Ersey is a tall (6-foot-6 and 330 kilos) left deal with, however he’s fast sufficient laterally to excel at exterior zone runs. The 49ers’ most well-liked run idea is exterior zone as 50% of the staff’s runs in 2024 had been exterior zone. Ersey’s PFF run-blocking grade on exterior zone runs was 89.2 in 2024, so he matches what the 49ers wish to do within the run sport. Additionally, Ersey solely surrendered one sack on 419 go block snaps in 2024 and that was partially brought on by getting his ft twisted up with the left guard.
Arizona Cardinals: Edge James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
Quick, what number of Arizona Cardinals defensive starters are you able to identify apart from Budda Baker? The Arizona Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis deserves an award for the manufacturing he was in a position to get out of the gamers on their roster in 2024, however he wants extra weapons to work with in 2025. The Arizona Cardinals protection generated a strain on simply 201 performs in 2024 which ranked them No. 26 within the NFL. Even if 2024 first-round choose Darius Robinson pans out as an efficient participant, the Cardinals will nonetheless want extra expertise on their entrance seven and particularly somebody who can deliver some constant pass-rushing skill to the sting of their protection.
Pearce has had over 50 pressures in his final two seasons of play towards SEC offensive strains. Pearce has a burst across the edge and his 22.7% pass-rush win price reveals he has the flexibility to beat the person throughout from him that the Cardinals desperately want for his or her protection in order that they don’t need to closely depend on scheme to get strain.
Seattle Seahawks: LB Jalon Walker, Georgia
The 2024 Seahawks had a significant want for a playmaker in the midst of their protection, a lot in order that they went out and traded for Ernest Jones in October. Jones began instantly upon arrival, performed of their final 10 video games and led all Seahawks linebackers in snaps performed.
In 2024, Jalon Walker performed 249 snaps on the road of scrimmage, 311 as a second-level field defender and 61 as a second-level overhang defender. Jalon Walker is an athletic and versatile linebacker who can play a conventional off-the-ball inside linebacker position in addition to exterior linebacker/edge rusher that can provide the Seahawks not solely the piece they want in the midst of their protection but additionally giving them scheme flexibility with the flexibility to both stroll him all the way down to the sting or line him up there deliberately.
Los Angeles Rams: T Wyatt Milum, West Virginia
The Rams’ most well-liked run ideas have modified through the years. Outside zone was the Rams’ most well-liked run idea in the course of the Sean McVay years till 2022 after they began to make use of extra man/hole runs.
In 2024, Wyatt Milum’s run-blocking grade on Man runs was 83.2, and his run-blocking grade on exterior zone runs was 82.7, so Milum will have the ability to assist the Rams offense, whether or not the Rams return to their exterior zone-heavy methods subsequent season or proceed to lean into their enhance utilization of Man runs. Wyatt Milum has additionally confirmed to be an elite go protector, and he hasn’t allowed a sack in three straight seasons at West Virginia.
AFC NORTH
Cleveland Browns: QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Everyone in Cleveland would like to only sweep the entire Deshaun Watson experiment underneath the rug and transfer on. The Sheduer Sanders choice permits the staff, the followers and the town to maneuver on towards the long run. Sanders is a extremely correct quarterback, as his 81.6 adjusted completion proportion ranked No.1 amongst FBS quarterbacks with an 8.0-yard common depth of goal. Sanders is a multiple-year starter who ought to have the ability to begin from the start of his profession if Watson begins the season on the bodily unable to carry out listing.
Cincinnati Bengals: DI Kenneth Grant, Michigan
With BJ Hill‘s contract expiring on the finish of the season, the Bengals do not have a defensive inside participant on the roster with a optimistic WAR. While they will definitely search for extra manufacturing from 2023 second-round choose Kris Jenkins, Cincinnati would do nicely so as to add Jenkins’ former Michigan teammate, Kenneth Grant.
A two-time member of Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, the 6-foot-3, 339-pound Grant provides spectacular pass-rushing chops to associate with his elite run-stopping skill. He recorded 26 whole pressures in 2024, together with 5 towards Ohio State in November, with an enormous 23.1% win price.
Pittsburgh Steelers: CB Shavon Revel, East Carolina
Joey Porter Jr. had a little bit of a down season, giving up 52 receptions and 653 yards receiving on 84 throws into his protection in 2024, however making issues worse for the Steelers was the shortage of manufacturing elsewhere on the place.
East Carolina CB Shavon Revel had his personal disappointment in 2024 as a result of tearing his ACL throughout Week 2. With that stated, his ridiculous 2023 marketing campaign, paired together with his 6-foot-3, 193-pound body ought to nonetheless warrant a first-round choice, and the Steelers have traditionally been prepared to look previous harm issues in favor of premium expertise. In 2023, he was focused 49 in protection and allowed simply 20 catches with one interception and 12 compelled incompletions.
Baltimore Ravens: CB Trey Amos, Mississippi
The Ravens addressed cornerback twice in final 12 months’s draft by deciding on Nate Wiggins within the first spherical and TJ Tampa within the fourth. While Tampa has seen solely 18 snaps up to now, Wiggins has put collectively an encouraging rookie marketing campaign, culminating in a pick-six towards the Browns in Week 18. With this being stated, star Marlon Humphrey‘s cap quantity subsequent season is north of 25 million, and Brandon Stephens (66 catches, 822 yards and 4 TDs allowed in 2024) will enter free company in March.
Ole Miss CB Trey Amos can be a wonderful addition to the Ravens secondary. Baltimore loves peak and size of their corners, and at 6-foot-1 and 190 kilos, Amos checks these packing containers. He was challenged 68 occasions in 2024 however allowed simply 33 receptions for 289 yards whereas notching three interceptions and a powerful 15 compelled incompletions.
NFC NORTH
Chicago Bears: T Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
While a few of Chicago‘s go safety points in 2024 had been definitely on rookie QB Caleb Williams (he led all QBs with 17 charged sacks and was third with 38 whole pressures owned), the offensive line as an entire was clearly one of many weakest items in your entire league.
Banks, subsequently, makes excellent sense, as he was the very best participant on the very best offensive line in faculty soccer this season. In two seasons because the Longhorns’ beginning left deal with, he allowed simply two sacks and three QB hits on 1,040 go professional reps.
Green Bay Packers: CB Jahdae Barron, Texas
Jaire Alexander will probably be recovering this offseason after surgical procedure on a torn PCL, and three different Packers CBs may have expiring contracts come the league new 12 months. Luckily for Green Bay, the highest 50 is wealthy with expertise on the place.
Jahdae Barron was one of many prime CBs in all of school soccer in 2024. He was examined 66 occasions in protection, permitting simply 35 receptions and 272 with no touchdowns. He picked off three balls and broke up one other 10 passes. Opposing QBs had a dismal 31.9 passer score when throwing at Barron.
Minnesota Vikings: DI Tyleik Williams, Ohio State
The Vikings want youth and improved all-around play from the defensive inside this offseason, because the unit’s play constantly graded under common towards the run in 2024, and nobody within the place group achieves a go rush win price over 10%.
Tyleik Williams‘ lack of go rush will possible push him all the way down to Minnesota‘s vary within the first spherical, however his elite play towards the run would make him nicely definitely worth the choice. He graded positively on a powerful 29.1% of all run performs in 2024 at Ohio State which ranked fifth amongst all defensive interiors within the nation.
Detroit Lions: Edge Princely Umanmielen, Mississippi
Detroit’s struggles on the sting as soon as each Marcus Davenport and Aidan Hutchinson went down for the season have been well-documented. While getting Hutchinson again within the fall will clearly be large for the unit, the Lions would nonetheless do nicely so as to add some extra youth to the group, significantly youth specializing in speeding the passer.
Princely Umanmielen appears like a robust match for the Lions. Combining his 2023 season with Florida and 2024 12 months with Ole Miss, Umanmielen racked up 20 sacks, 30 hits and 108 whole pressures with a powerful 23.9% win price.
AFC SOUTH
Tennessee Titans: QB Cam Ward, Miami
The Titans had been seemingly the one non-playoff staff to grasp the project over the 2 weeks, “successful” the chance to choose first total. Current QB Will Levis has completed little to encourage confidence going ahead, as his 54.5 passing grade was the bottom mark within the league for the 2024 season.
Cam Ward made big strides at Miami this season, posting 39 TDs to only seven interceptions with a powerful 28 big-time throws. He is at present the highest QB on the PFF large board and makes excellent sense for the Titans as they proceed to rebuild.
Jacksonville Jaguars: DI Mason Graham, Michigan
Rookie defensive inside participant Jordan Jefferson provided some assist inside when wholesome and on the sector (his run protection grade in eight video games performed was 63.3), however the Jaguars lack a real difference-maker up entrance.
While Michigan‘s Mason Graham is not more likely to have the elite heigh/weight/pace measurables Jaguars normal supervisor Trent Baalke historically craves, his constant, high-end manufacturing is unmatched. His 92.4 run-defense grade led all defensive inside gamers in faculty soccer this previous season, as did his 32.4% positively graded play price on runs. Additionally, he saved his finest for final towards rival Ohio State, as he posted a powerful 5 run stops with a optimistic grade on a ridiculous 50% of run performs with zero downgrades.
Indianapolis Colts: S Malaki Starks, Georgia
The Colts need assistance in every single place on protection, as evidenced by six starters lacking no less than 15 tackles in 2024. Malaki Starks lined up throughout Georgia‘s protection, permitting simply 53 accomplished balls on 90 throws into his protection the previous two seasons with 4 picks and 12 compelled incompletions. His play towards the run is much more spectacular, as he totaled 22 stops whereas lacking simply three tackles for the reason that begin of 2023.
Houston Texans: WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Guard is the No. 1 place of want for the Texans, however the best way this draft class is shaping up there isn’t a guard round that spot on the PFF large board, so as a substitute of addressing their prime want with their first choose the Texans go along with a participant that may make the most important influence on their staff.
With the long-term uncertainty round Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell, the very best factor the Texans might do is give their proficient younger quarterback a dependable and efficient second vast receiver to go with Nico Collins. Selecting Ohio State vast receiver Emeka Egbuka offers the Texans a harmful WR2 who not solely makes the Texans offense tougher to defend but additionally aids in C.J. Stroud‘s growth. In their final season enjoying collectively at Ohio State, Egbuka posted a 74-catch, 1,151-yard and 10-touchdown season. The pre-existing chemistry and historical past of manufacturing between Stroud and Egbuka would make a valued addition to the Texans offense and supply C.J. Stroud with a pass-catching weapon for the intermediate degree (between 10-19 yards downfield), the place the majority of their yards and touchdowns got here collectively.
NFC SOUTH
Carolina Panthers: WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
The Panthers had the worst pass-rush within the NFL in 2024 and drafting an edge participant would make a ton of sense. However, the Panthers ought to proceed to place playmaking vast receivers round their QB Bryce Young as he enters his third season after exhibiting great progress within the again half of 2024.
Selecting McMillan will enable the Panthers offense to be extra various and efficient and help the continued growth of their younger quarterback.
McMillan’s mixture of expertise and dimension (listed at 6-foot-5 and 212 kilos) will enable him to be the Panthers’ No. 1 vast receiver exterior, moreover over 20% of McMillan’s snaps over the previous two years got here within the slot, so he might additionally play quite a lot of reps as a “large slot” weapon for Bryce Young.
New Orleans Saints: Edge Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
The Saints staff pass-rush grade was 65.5 in 2024, which ranked twenty third. Chase Young led the staff with 47 pressures on the 12 months, adopted by Carl Granderson after which the proficient however getting old star Cam Jordan.
While there is just one Cam Jordan, Nic Scourton could possibly be an necessary piece in attempting to interchange Jordan within the mixture. Jordan solely performed 564 snaps in 2024, however that was following 13 straight seasons of no less than 770 snaps per 12 months. Nic Scourton is a heavy-handed, large, sturdy defensive lineman who, at 6-foot-4 and 280 kilos, is nearly the an identical dimension as Jordan. While Jordan performed predominantly on the left aspect throughout his profession, Scourton has performed over 500 snaps on each the left and proper aspect of the Aggies protection over the past two years.
Atlanta Falcons: Edge Mykel Williams, Georgia
The Falcons generated strain on solely 28.9% of their defensive performs in 2024, which ranked No. 31 within the league. The defender that generated essentially the most pressures for the Falcons in 2024 was Kaden Elliss, who’s extra of a real off-the-ball linebacker than an edge defender, so they might use some extra pressures from their line of defense shifting ahead.
Mykel Williams is a tall 6-foot-5 defender who’s so athletic that he can play a number of positions alongside the road and rush standing up or down in a stance. Williams is already a stout run defender who posted run protection grades over 80.0 within the final two seasons. Williams remains to be creating as a pass-rusher and in 2024, Williams recorded 5 sacks, six QB hits and 15 hurries.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
The Buccaneers’ 63.9 staff protection grade ranked No. 18 within the 2024 common season. Jamel Dean has been constantly good in protection however will probably be heading into his seventh season in 2025. The freakishly athletic Zyon McCollum confirmed enchancment in his third season, however you possibly can by no means have sufficient proficient cornerbacks.
Benjamin Morrison performed each out vast and within the slot at Notre Dame and had 84.6 and 82.2 protection grades in his final two absolutely wholesome seasons. Morrison was primarily in a person protection position in faculty and that man protection expertise will assist him as he transitions to the NFL. The Buccaneers received’t ask Morrison to play man protection as a lot as he did at Notre Dame, because the Buccaneers used man protection on 18.8% of snaps within the 2024 common season. After man protection, Morrison performed the deep-third greater than he did every other protection position at Notre Dame, and the Buccaneers ran Cover 3 on 43.5% of go performs in 2024. Morrison’s confirmed skill to play the deep-third in Cover 3 in addition to sticky man protection makes him a fantastic match for the Buccaneers schematically and provides to their secondary depth.