Latest NFL Draft 2025 Expert Mocks and Projections for Difficult 1st-round Decisions

The 2025 NFL draft is less than three weeks away, and there's still plenty of mystery surrounding opening night.

The general consensus is that the Tennessee Titans will take Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the first overall pick. However, that doesn't feel as guaranteed as last year's top pairing between the Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams.

Things get even murkier after the No. 1 overall draft slot. There is no shortage of quarterback-needy teams picking at the top of the draft order, but non-quarterbacks like Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter are considered most worthy of top selections.

Several teams will face difficult decisions in the first round, and it's unclear how things will unfold. Draft experts have their ideas, though, so, let's dive into some of the top mocks and projections from around the web.

What Does Tennessee Actually Do at No. 1?

AP

Titans GM Mike Borgonzi

The Titans need a quarterback. Ward is considered the best QB prospect in this draft class. Common sense suggests that Ward will be Tennessee's pick at No. 1.

This is what most experts seem to believe anyway. The Bleacher Report Scouting Department recently cited Ward's combination of skills and intangibles while mocking Ward to the Titans at the top of the draft.

"Ward's combination of coachability, pre-snap control of his offense and immense physical talent makes him hard to pass up for a team in dire need of a fresh start at the most important position in sports," Dame Parson of the B/R Scouting Department said.

NFL Media's Chad Reuter and CBS Sports' Tom Fornelli also mocked Ward to the Titans at No. 1.

Things could always change, though. Ward is considered the best in an underwhelming QB class, while Hunter and Carter are considered special prospects—the sort of prospects president of football operations Chad Brinker said he wouldn't pass on in January.

"We won't pass on a generational talent with the first pick in the NFL draft," Brinker told reporters.

Tennessee could still opt to pass on a passer or trade the top pick for a massive haul—Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson recently told 102.5 The Game (h/t Bleacher Report's Timothy Rapp) that the Titans are seeking three first-round picks "or something of that value" to move down from No. 1.

The mystery that is the 2025 draft will begin at No. 1, though most experts believe that Ward will be the pick.

Will the Browns Go QB or Not at No. 2?

AP

Browns GM Andrew Berry

Hunter and Carter would both be strong candidates to go No. 1 overall in different years. This means that teams picking after the Titans—the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and New England Patriots—could all have realistic chances of landing the best overall player in this draft class.

A lot will depend, though, on what the Cleveland Browns do at No. 2.

Colorado's Shedeur Sanders is viewed as the second-best QB prospect in this draft class, and Cleveland needs a new franchise quarterback. However, the Browns would likely find more value by simply taking Hunter or Carter—Sanders is only the 18th-ranked prospect on the B/R Scouting Department's draft board.

The perceived gap between Hunter/Carter and Sanders is large enough that Cleveland might face the most difficult decision of Round 1.

The B/R Scouting Department predicted Carter to Cleveland in its latest mock, citing the possibility of forging "a real identity" on defense. Reuter and Fornelli, however, both mocked Hunter to the Browns.

"The Browns have Myles Garrett and their defense should still be solid. What they don't have are game-changing players on offense. Hunter could be that," Fornelli wrote.

If Cleveland does take Ward or Hunter, the Giants will be candidates to take Sanders at No. 3. They signed Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson this offseason, but neither is likely to be a long-term answer. That would provide the New England Patriots with a dream scenario, giving them a crack at either Ward or Sanders at No. 4.

And if the Browns don't take Sanders at No. 2, they'll likely come back for a quarterback at some point in the draft. Reuter, for example, mocked Louisville's Tyler Shough to Cleveland in Round 3.

Will Another Team Decide on a QB in Round 1?

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Mississippi QB prospect Jaxson Dart

For most teams, picking in the first round will be a matter of addressing needs or simply taking the best player available. Deciding which avenue to take shouldn't be overly complicated, though we may see some movement on opening night as teams look to target specific prospects or maximize draft value.

The decision-making could get more difficult for teams without a long-term QB plan. The Las Vegas Raiders (No. 6 overall) recently extended quarterback Geno Smith, but he'll turn 35 in October.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 21) are still waiting for Aaron Rodgers to make a decision, while the Los Angeles Rams (26) will, at some point, need to find a successor to Matthew Stafford. The New York Jets (No. 7) took a flier on Justin Fields this offseason but only signed him to a two-year deal.

A team like Cleveland or New York could also trade back into Round 1 to secure a quarterback and receiver the fifth-year option.

These teams will have to decide whether their need for a young quarterback trumps draft value. The B/R Scouting Department only has first-round grades on 26 prospects. Ward and Sanders are the only signal-callers among them.

Ohio State's Will Howard and Mississippi's Jaxson Dart are the next two QBs on the B/R board, and they're ranked 54th and 58th overall, respectively.

Will another quarterback go in the first round? The B/R Scouting Department doesn't believe so, but Reuter has Dart going at the Jets at seventh overall.

"I don't doubt the Jets believe in Justin Fields, but I also think that won't necessarily preclude them from drafting a QB," Reuter wrote. "Competition between Fields and Dart will help the team figure out if either player can become Gang Green's long-term answer."

Fornelli doesn't have three QBs going in Round 1 but also has Sanders lasting until the 19th selection—where the quarterback is mocked to the New Orleans Saints via a trade.

ESPN's Field Yates recently mocked Dart to the Steelers at No. 21, while ESPN's Matt Miller mocked Dart to the Rams at No. 26.

There's a very real chance that three quarterbacks will be selected in the first round. At this point, however, it's hard to envision a fourth signal-caller hearing his name called on opening night.