NFL mock draft 2025 1.0: Can the Browns find another option at quarterback?
CLEVELAND, Ohio — The 2024 season has been about as bad as it could have been for the Browns.
They head into their bye week at 2-7. tied with six other teams for the worst record in the NFL.
Deshaun Watson did not play well prior to suffering his rupture Achilles in Week 7, and he still has two years left on his massive contract.
In short, it’s been a rough year with eight games still left to play and attention turning ahead to the 2025 NFL Draft.
The good news for the Browns is they have their first-round pick for the first time since 2021.
It could be an opportunity to get a quarterback. However, the 2025 draft class at the position simply isn’t as good as the 2024 class. Six QBs went in the top 12 in 2024, and right now, it would be surprising if more than two went in the top 12.
Will the Browns be able to get another possible answer at quarterback in this year’s draft?
Here is my first 2025 NFL mock draft. The draft order is
according to Tankathon as of the end of Week 9, and it has no trades.
1. New England Patriots (2-7): Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
Height, weight: 6-1, 185 pounds.
2024 stats: 60 receptions, 757 yards (12.6 avg.), 8 TDs; 20 solo tackles, 2 INTs, 1 forced fumble, 7 pass breakups.
Hunter is easily the most talented player in this entire draft with the ability to become a team’s No. 1 receiver or No. 1 corner the second he steps into a locker room. Where he plays might depend entirely on who drafts him because I just don’t know if he can be the dual-threat ironman over the course of a 17-game NFL season. Maybe he can get a handful of DB reps if he becomes a WR or vice versa, but I feel like the smartest thing for him to have a long-lasting career is to stay on one side of the ball long term.
For the Patriots here, he would be an instant WR1 for Drake Maye, who has been pretty good but needs more help around him. Hunter’s world-class athleticism could give Maye the high-end weapon every young quarterback needs.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7): Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Height, weight: 6-2, 202 pounds.
2024 stats: 12 solo tackles, 2 INTs, 3 pass breakups.
The Jaguars simply have to be better against the pass, ranking 31st in yards allowed per game, 31st in TDs allowed and 31st in net yards per attempt.
Johnson is in his own class of corners in this draft. The stats might be low, but that’s largely because teams have been smart not to throw his direction. Johnson has the ideal size and length teams look for, and he also has good technical ability.
3. New Orleans Saints (2-7): Abdul Carter, edge rusher, Penn State
Height, weight: 6-3, 259 pounds.
2024 stats: 34 tackles, 6 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, 3 pass breakups.
New Orleans is paying for the sins of pushing cap hits down the road on an aging roster and looks like it’s going to start a painful rebuild.
The rebuild starts here with Carter, who is probably the most explosive edge rusher in this class. His two-sack game vs. Ohio State showed just how much of a game-wrecker he can be. Carter is very athletic and has high-end instincts.
4. Carolina Panthers (2-7): Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Height, weight: 6-2, 215 pounds.
2024 stats: 220-300 (73.3%), 2,591 yards, 21 TDs, 6 INTs.
Carolina has proven to be the franchise most desperate for a quarterback in the last few years. If the Panthers are in position to get one in the draft, I’d be shocked if they passed on one, no pun intended.
Sanders is my QB1 because even though he doesn’t have the strongest arm, he is a hyper-accurate passer with a penchant to come up big in the biggest games and moments.
He does need to answer some questions about his leadership and continue to refine the fine details of his game. But he can be a Day 1 starter and because of who is father is, he won’t be afraid of the spotlight of the NFL. He’s used to it.
5. Cleveland Browns (2-7): Cam Ward, QB, Miami
Height, weight: 6-2, 223 pounds.
2024 stats: 216-322 (67.1%), 3,146 yards, 29 TDs, 6 INTs.
The Panthers are the only team in this mock ahead of the Browns who I could really see taking a quarterback. If there were trades, however, the Raiders and Titans might be really desperate to try and leapfrog the Browns to get Ward here.
I wrote last week about why I thought
Ward has the potential to be QB1 ahead of Sanders. He certainly has the physical tools, particularly with his arm strength. Ward’s pure arm talent is almost up there with C.J. Stroud and Caleb Williams for me, although it’s a bit behind both of them.
The concerns with Ward stem from his playstyle. He will try to force throws that he can get away with in college that he won’t be able to in the NFL, and he needs to be more willing to take metaphorical singles instead of always going for home runs.
I’d be less inclined to play Ward from Day 1 than Sanders. But the Browns need to take another swing at the position, and Ward is a big swing that could lead to big results if he develops the right way.
6. Las Vegas Raiders (2-7): Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
Height, weight: 6-5, 212 pounds.
2024 stats: 63 receptions, 1,066 yards (16.9 avg.), 6 TDs.
The Raiders strike out on a QB again because after Sanders and Ward, there is a big gap at the position. So in this scenario, they sign a veteran stopgap like Justin Fields and surround him with another big-time receiver.
McMillan is a physically imposing receiver who is much quicker than a 6-5 receiver should be. He has multiple ways to win, and he can form a nice young pass-catching tandem along with Brock Bowers in Las Vegas.
7. New York Giants (2-7): Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
Height, weight: 6-3, 325 pounds.
2024 stats: 33 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 7 TFLs, 1 pass deflection.
The Giants have operated as a needs-based drafting team for the last couple of years. With one of the worst run defenses in football, getting an elite defensive tackle like Graham is the right move here.
Graham might have been Michigan’s best defensive player in 2023. He’s a true three-down defensive tackle who is strong, tough to move in the middle as a run defender and has the skill to be a good inside pass rusher. He could certainly go much earlier than seventh.
8. Miami Dolphins (2-6): Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas
Height, weight: 6-4, 320 pounds
The tackle class this year is also poised to be a step down from last year, particularly because of questions about whether most of this year’s tackles may have to kick inside to guard.
There are no such concerns with Banks, making him easily the top tackle right now. A three-year starter at left tackle, Banks moves well and can do well as a pass and run blocker. If he can continue to hone his technique, he should be at worst a solid left tackle in the NFL, which is of course a great thing to have.
9. Tennessee Titans (2-6): Luther Burden III, WR, Missourip
Height, weight: 5-11, 208 pounds.
2024 stats: 40 receptions, 450 yards (11.3 avg.), 4 TDs.
The Titans don’t have much at receiver right now. They traded DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs, and former first-round pick Treylon Burks hasn’t panned out.
This may be a little early for Burden because he may be relegated to a slot receiver because he is sub-6 foot. But he is dynamic because he is stronger than most 5-11 receivers, and he has burst to make plays after the catch. I’m big on valuing slot receivers more than some, and Burden has a chance to be an easy-yards player as our film expert Lance Reisland might say.
10. New York Jets (3-6): Nic Scourton, edge rusher, Texas A&M
Height, weight: 6-4, 285 pounds.
2024 stats: 27 tackles, 5 sacks, 13 TFLs, 1 forced fumble, 2 pass breakups.
Scourton came to Texas A&M after a great 2023 at Purdue with 10 sacks. He likely won’t hit that number in 2024, but he leads the SEC with 13 TFLs, showing just how disruptive he can be.
The Jets have plenty on defense, but getting another high-end pass rusher to go against Josh Allen might be a sneaky good decision.
11. Dallas Cowboys (3-5): Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
Height, weight: 5-9, 215 pounds.
2024 stats: 190 carries, 1,525 yards (8.0 avg.), 20 TDs.
Taking a running back early has worked out surprisingly well in the last decade, with Ezekiel Elliott, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs among others being great as top-15 picks.
By any standards, Jeanty is having a generation season for Boise State. To get an idea of how great he’s been this season, he was eight yards away vs. Oregon from rushing for 200 yards in four of his eight games.
Despite a quiet year as a pass catcher, Jeanty can catch the ball out of the backfield as evidenced by his 569 yards and five TDs in 2023. He can provide an immediate jolt to a Cowboys team that ranks in the 30s in most rushing categories.
12. Indianapolis Colts (4-5): Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
Height, weight: 6-1, 205 pounds.
2024 stats: 27 solo tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 INT, 1 pass breakup.
Starks wasted no time making an impact as a true freshman, recording 44 solo tackles right away. The Colts could use a reload in the secondary, especially on a defense that ranks 26th in passing yards and net yards per pass attempt.
13. Cincinnati Bengals (4-5): James Pearce Jr., edge rusher, Tennessee
Height, weight: 6-5, 243 pounds.
2024 stats: 23 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 7 TFLs, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery.
Pearce was at one point last season considered to be a candidate to go first overall. He likely won’t be there, but he has enough tools to be worthy of a top-15 pick. He could contribute very quickly to a Bengals that has 17 sacks, 11 of which came from Trey Hendrickson.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5): Mykel Williams, edge rusher, Georgia
Height, weight: 6-5, 265 pounds.
2024 stats: 9 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 TFLs, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass breakup.
Like Pearce, Williams hasn’t quite taken the statistical step that he was expected to take in 2024. But it doesn’t take away from the fact that he is a dynamic player off the edge.
Williams could slide into a Buccaneers defense that could upgrade from former first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
15. Seattle Seahawks (4-5): Will Campbell, OT, LSU
Height, weight: 6-6, 323 pounds.
If Campbell had longer arms, he’d likely be a very good offensive tackle in the pros. Unfortunately for him, he has the physical tools that may relegate him to playing guard in the NFL.
But Campbell has outstanding movement skills and is strong, meaning he could likely succeed either at guard or tackle.
16. Los Angeles Rams (4-4): Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame
Height, weight: 6-0, 190 pounds.
2024 stats: 14 solo tackles, 4 pass breakups.
After the Rams traded away Tre’Davious White at the trade deadline, they could use a highly-touted young corner in 2025. Morrison has good length, and he has great technique in coverage.
17. San Francisco 49ers (4-4): Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota
Height, weight: 6-6, 330 pounds.
Ersery has the look of a starting left tackle in the NFL. More importantly, he combines that strength and frame with the ability to move very well. The 49ers take him here to groom him as the heir apparent to Trent Williams.
18. Chicago Bears (4-4): Donovan Jackson, IOL, Ohio State
Height, weight: 6-5, 336 pounds.
Jackson is the first of several Buckeyes on this list who stayed in school for this season and put off their NFL futures for at least another year. He is a strong player with great football IQ, and there is something to be said for him filling in at left tackle the last two games for Ohio State even though he is not a tackle.
19. Denver Broncos (5-4): Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Height, weight: 6-1, 205 pounds.
2024 stats: 46 receptions, 577 yards (12.5 avg.), 7 TDs.
Egbuka, like Jackson, could have been an early pick in 2024 but chose to stay in school. It looks like a good decision because he’s been healthier and playing great football again. He has a lot of fluidity in his game and is nuanced as a route runner.
20. Arizona Cardinals (5-4): Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
Height, weight: 6-3, 339 pounds.
2024 stats: 21 tackles, 2 sacks, 5 TFLs, 2 fumble recoveries, 4 pass breakups.
Grant is the other half of Michigan’s sensational defensive tackle duo. Mason Graham gets most of the hype and there’s good reason for it. But Grant is no slouch, with great strength and athletic tools including a good first step.
21. Los Angeles Chargers (5-3): Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
Height, weight: 6-5, 245 pounds.
2024 stats: 49 receptions, 523 yards (10.7 avg.), 4 TDs.
The fact that Loveland has continued to play well in spite of Michigan’s subpar quarterback play this season is a testament to how good he is as a receiving tight end. Those tools could have him going earlier than pick No. 21. But it’s hard to imagine Loveland getting past his old coach in Jim Harbaugh.
22. Atlanta Falcons (6-3): JT Tuimoloau, edge rusher, Ohio State
Height, weight: 6-5, 269 pounds.
2024 stats: 26 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 9 TFLs.
The former five-star prospect followed the path of Jackson, Egbuka and others and passed up the NFL. He’s a fringe first-round pick because he doesn’t have the high-end productivity expected of five-star edge rushers.
That said, Tuimoloau is more of a well-rounded edge who sets the edge in the run game and plays with power. Add in his wingspan and athleticism, and he is the rare defensive end who can drop into zone coverage and hold his own.
23. Green Bay Packers (6-3): Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky
Height, weight: 6-6, 345 pounds.
2024 stats: 32 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 4 TFLs, 2 pass breakups.
Walker is not just a big defensive tackle at 345 pounds, but he moves well for a player of that size. If he can watch his pad level, his combination of power and explosiveness could show much more in the pros.
Green Bay’s history has been taking defensive players in the first round, so to see the Packers go defense again makes a lot of sense.
24. Baltimore Ravens (6-3): Emery Jones Jr., OT, LSU
Height, weight: 6-6, 315 pounds.
I had leaned slightly on the Ravens taking a receiver here with Rashod Bateman not panning out quite as expected. But given their identity as a run-first team, it would make sense to add to their line again.
Jones is the other half of LSU’s great tackle duo along with Will Campbell. He might be more likely to be a tackle in the pros than Campbell despite questions of how he can play against speed rushers.
25. Houston Texans (6-3): Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
Height, weight: 6-3, 327 pounds.
2024 stats: 21 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 4 TFLs.
Williams is a prospect who can really benefit form teams looking for defensive tackles who can get after the quarterback. He has the potential to be that because he is a disruptor with a great motor, which shows vs. the run. He just needs to refine his technique to take the next step as a pass rusher.
26. Philadelphia Eagles (6-2): Jack Sawyer, edge rusher, Ohio State
Height, weight: 6-5, 260 pounds.
2024 stats: 26 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3 TFLs, 1 fumble recovery
Like Tuimoloau, Sawyer plays with physicality off the edge and does well against the run. But also like Tuimoloau, his production hasn’t been as high as expected with 16.5 career sacks in 46 games.
That said, Sawyer’s football IQ, size and high motor makes him a potential first-round pick.
27. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2): Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
Height, weight: 6-2, 225 pounds.
2024 stats: 137-203 (67.5%), 1,937 yards, 13 TDs, 6 INTs.
Milroe has been a weird evaluation this season. At times, particularly against Georgia, he looked like he has the potential to be a star quarterback in the NFL. But he followed that up by throwing five picks in his next three games, showing he has a long way to go
The Steelers have been a surprise this season, but they need to take a swing at a future quarterback option. This is a good swing to take because Milroe can learn behind Russell Wilson and learn how to protect the ball better. His running ability is also a plus with 24 rushing TDs between his last two seasons.
28. Minnesota Vikings (6-2): Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina
Height, weight: 6-3, 193 pounds.
2024 stats: 4 solo tackles, 2 INTs, 2 pass breakups.
Denzel Burke from Ohio State could go in this spot as well. But Burke has had an up-and-down senior season, with his performance at Oregon being a knock on his resume so far.
Revel has a chance to be this year’s Quinyon Mitchell: a Group of 5 corner who rises into the first round. His season ended with a torn ACL in September, but he has exciting tools, including his long frame. He was off to a great start this season with two interceptions in three games, tripling his career total, before tearing his ACL.
29. Washington Commanders (7-2): Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas
Height, weight: 5-11, 180 pounds.
2024 stats: 23 receptions, 380 yards (16.5 avg.), 4 TDs.
Now that the Commanders have their QB of the future in Jayden Daniels, it’s time to surround him with explosive weapons. Bond’s explosive skills from Alabama have translated to a good season for Texas. He is a true field stretcher who could play very well opposite Terry McLaurin.
30. Buffalo Bills (7-2): Jalon Walker, LB/edge rusher, Georgia
Height, weight: 6-2, 245 pounds.
2024 stats: 34 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 6 TFLs, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 pass breakup.
Dorian Williams has developed into a nice linebacker for the Bills. But it would be hard to pass up a talent like Walker if he felt to 30th in this scenario.
Walker has the pass-rush ability to kick down to defensive end, and the three-down ability and versatility to play off the line.
31. Detroit Lions (7-1): Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
Height, weight: 6-3, 305 pounds.
2024 stats: 30 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 TFLs, 1 fumble recovery, 2 pass breakups.
The Lions are pretty stacked at defensive tackle. But Nolen fits the mold of what the Lions look for because of the strength and power he plays with. He can develop behind Alim McNeill and DJ Reader before being unleashed in full in his second season.
32. Kansas City Chiefs (8-0): Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State
Height, weight: 6-6, 257 pounds.
2024 stats: 51 receptions, 606 yards (11.9 avg.), 606 yards, 4 TDs.
Travis Kelce turned 35 in October, and the Chiefs can get their potential heir apparent on the cheap right at the end of the first round.
He has ideal size for the position, and he is a very gifted athlete. Warren could step into the NFL pretty quickly and become an impact pass catcher for most teams.
