Higgins 2025 NFL Mock Draft 1.0
- Jacksonville Jaguars – Travis Hunter – CB/WR – Colorado
The Jaguars need help in the secondary and at wide receiver. Might as well take the guy that does both. The Heisman favorite has proven he can play on both sides of the ball at an extremely high level, and he would certainly bring a level of talent and excitement to a team that has been lacking both since their playoff run in 2022.
- Las Vegas Raiders – Shedeur Sanders – QB – Colorado
The revolving door at quarterback for the Raiders needs to be put to rest. No more Gardner Minshew. No more Aidan O’Connell. No more corpse of Jimmy Garoppolo. With Sanders, they get a dynamic, charismatic athlete who should be able to handle the pressure that young QBs get both on the field and off.
- New York Giants – Cam Ward – QB – Miami
After finally admitting they messed up paying Danny Dimes, the Giants can reset with a quarterback who has found a way to get it done at multiple levels of college football. Some question the multiple collegiate stops that included a stint at Incarnate Word. I, on the other hand, am sold on the relentless and swagger that Ward brings to the table.
- New England Patriots – Tetairoa McMillan – WR – Arizona
Drake Maye looks like the answer in New England. Nobody in that receiver room can say the same. The Patriots look past intriguing line option Will Campbell to instead give Maye the best pure receiver in McMillan. Standing at 6’5”, he possesses breakaway speed not often seen in a jump-ball type of player. It should make for an exciting combo.
- Carolina Panthers – Abdul Carter – LB – Penn State
QB is the big question mark right now for Carolina. I’m not too sure Bryce Young has warranted enough to be labeled the future yet for the Panthers, but I also believe it’s way too early to give up on him. The rest of the roster needs a serious infusion of talent. After missing out on a high pick last year, Carolina can add size, athleticism and versatility with Carter, who can rush the passer and play off-ball just as well.
- New York Jets – Will Johnson – CB – Michigan
Another team with serious QB questions, the Jets still need help at a couple different levels. With star CB DJ Reed likely hitting free agency, the Jets can jump on the best pure cover man in the draft. A lone bright spot for Michigan this fall, Will Johnson should pair nicely with Sauce Gardner in the Jets secondary.
- Tennessee Titans – Will Campbell – OT – LSU
2024 first rounder JC Latham has enjoyed a fine season protecting the blind side of Will Levis. They can add to the development of Levis by solidifying the right side in this year’s draft. Will Campbell would slot in nicely at right tackle, and give Brian and Bill Callahan three former first round picks on the offensive line.
- Cleveland Browns – Jalen Milroe – QB – Alabama
The DeShaun Watson experiment failed miserably. The Browns are going to have to eat a ton of cap just to get him off the roster. It doesn’t leave them much wiggle room on the free agent market for a sizable investment. As much fun as Jameis Winston has been the past few weeks, the Browns need a QB on a rookie contract. Milroe could sit behind a veteran and develop a better pocket game to go with his already dynamic athleticism.
- Cincinnati Bengals – Mason Graham – DT – Michigan
Perhaps the best player in the entire draft, Mason Graham would be a God-send for the Cincinnati defense. He, along with Will Johnson, have been cornerstones for a stout Michigan defense. With Trey Hendrickson potentially out the door, and former first round pick Myles Murphy slow to catch up to the NFL, Graham would play a sizable role for a team with the talent to make deep playoff runs.
- New Orleans Saints – Nic Scourton – DL – Texas A&M
The Saints have been a team without a direction for quite some time now. They need to continue to acquire young talent at premium positions before we can consider them relevant. After dominating at Purdue, Nic Scourton has brought that same level of play to the ever-talented SEC. Scourton and Bryan Bresee would be good starting points to creating a young defense.
- Chicago Bears – Kelvin Banks – OT – Texas
Caleb Williams needs help on the line in order to survive in this league. He already has DJ Moore (for now), Cole Kmet, and Rome Odunze in place for 2025 on the outside. Adding Banks, who can play both inside and outside on the line, would be a good starting point towards revamping their offense. A new coach should also do the trick, pending they finally make the right hire.
- Miami Dolphins – Shavon Revel – CB – East Carolina
Shavon Revel has quickly emerged as a class favorite for the 2025 Draft. His size and speed on the outside makes him a candidate to be a premier cover man. The Dolphins best corner, Jalen Ramsey, is now 30 and will be slowing down. They also have put a lot of resources into their offense, it’s time to start building back up the defense.
- Dallas Cowboys – Ashton Jeanty – RB – Boise State
The biggest “duh” pick in the draft, Jerry Jones won’t let college football’s best running back slip away from him if he falls to the Cowboys in the draft. The combination of Rico Dowdle and an aging Ezekiel Elliot has not gotten the offense where it was supposed to be at the start of the year. Jeanty will see carries immediately for Dallas.
- San Francisco 49ers – Benjamin Morrison – CB – Notre Dame
The 49ers recently inked Deommodore Lenoir to a contract that will pay $88 million over the next five years. Veteran corner Charvarious Ward will certainly walk with little money left to pay him, meaning San Francisco will need to replace him. Morrison has been a standout the past few seasons for the Golden Domers, and would fill his role very well.
- Indianapolis Colts – Tyler Warren – TE – Penn State
Many have had Michigan’s Colston Loveland as the draft’s best tight end prospect for quite some time. Aside from Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr, who also deserves first round consideration towards the backend, Penn State’s Tyler Warren has been one of the best this season. Warren also possesses elite size and has tremendous downfield ability. He would make for an intriguing option for the revitalized Anthony Richardson.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Luther Burden II – WR – Missouri
With an aging Mike Evans and with Chris Godwin coming off a major injury, the Bucs should take a lot at a receiver who many had as WR1 coming into the draft cycle. A disappointing junior year has pushed Luther Burden II down draft boards, but the talent is still there. He can learn from two of the games best before taking over as the top guy in Tampa Bay.
- Los Angeles Rams – Aireontae Ersery – OT – Minnesota
Joe Noteboom hasn’t been what many expected him to be after the Rams gave him a contract extension, and Rob Havenstein is a free agent. Ersery provides the Rams with enough college experience to slide into the right or left side for the last few years of Matt Stafford in Los Angeles.
- Arizona Cardinals – Malaki Starks – S – Georgia
The Cardinals have been one of the league’s biggest surprises this year, pushing for a playoff berth. They still need a ton of help on defense, however. Budda Baker I can see looking to play elsewhere in 2025, so why not look at the draft’s best safety? Positional value will push down Starks a bit, but he lands in a great spot here.
- Atlanta Falcons – Mykel Williams – DE – Georgia
Atlanta shocked everyone by taking Michael Penix Jr in the first round last year after signing Kirk Cousins to a big contract. Now that the shock has worn off, the Falcons should look to do what everyone believed they would do last year and select a top edge rusher. Mykel Williams has not produced the gaudy numbers many expect from a guy with his athletic make-up, but it’s what makes him an intriguing prospect for NFL teams this coming spring. He can learn from Matthew Judon and be ready to take over in the same state he played his college ball.
- Seattle Seahawks – Wyatt Milum – OT – West Virginia
The Seahawks offensive line has been the worst in the NFL this season. Injuries have played a part in that, but they desperately need an influx of talent in their starting five. Milum has played a lot of snaps, primarily at LT for the Mountaineers over his college career. I can see him doing the same for Mike MacDonald and co.
- Washington Commanders – Emeka Egbuka – WR – Ohio State
Jayden Daniels has been impressive in 2024. Much like with Drake Maye, he lacks dynamic options on the outside to complement his game. He does have Terry McLaurin already in the mix, so to compliment him they draft Egbuka, who has been one of the best complementary receivers over the better part of three seasons. First for Marvin Harrison Jr, and then Jeremiah Smith, Egbuka could do the same for McLaurin, and most importantly for Daniels.
- Houston Texans – Kenneth Grant – DT – Michigan
The Texans have plateaued in 2024 after a very strong 2023. They’re success didn’t leave them in a great spot to acquire more talent heading into this season, so they need to take advantage of their opportunities this offseason. Grant is overshadowed by Mason Graham, but he is a tremendous interior lineman in his own right. He would fit in well with DeMeco Ryan’s scheme.
- Denver Broncos – Colston Loveland – TE – Michigan
A popular pick as of late, Colston Loveland slides down a bit into arguably the best fit with Sean Payton and Bo Nix. Nix is another rookie QB who has done well, but needs more around him. Loveland has been the main option for Michigan the last few seasons, and he can take a similar role in Denver with Cortland Sutton aging.
- Baltimore Ravens – James Pearce Jr – DE – Tennessee
Once perceived as the number one pick in the draft, Pearce becomes the latest talented edge rusher to land in Baltimore. The Ravens have had varying degrees of success in recent years with drafting edge rushers. Odafe Oweh has played well. David Ojobo not so much. Pearce would be an intriguing prospect to add into the mix.
- Los Angeles Chargers – Elic Ayomanor – WR – Stanford
Many have had Jim Harbaugh selecting a Michigan man early on in 2025. How about we give him a guy from the college he was at before the maize and blue? Overshadowed by bigger names in biggest markets, Elic Ayomanor has quietly been one of the more productive receivers in college football. Pairing him with Ladd McConkey would help Justin Herbert out a ton.
- Pittsburgh Steelers – Josh Simmons – OT – Ohio State
Broderick Jones has been unspectacular in his short tenure with Pittsburgh, and Troy Fatanu has missed essentially his entire rookie season due to injury. Taking another swing at the hulking Josh Simmons would help out Russell Wilson, or whoever is leading Pittsburgh in 2025.
- Green Bay Packers – Walter Nolen – DT – Mississippi
The tremendously talented Walter Nolen has been quiet after transferring from Texas A&M. Still, Green Bay can afford to take a swing on the potential, especially since the defensive line is a real need for them at this point. Adding Nolen to their surplus of talent should translate well.
- Minnesota Vikings – Omarion Hampton – RB – North Carolina
Aaron Jones has played well, but he is not a young man anymore. This is evident by the small injuries he has procured over the course of 2024. Omarion Hampton and Kaleb Johnson could both be in the conversation for RB2 in this class. Hampton gets the nod for his skills out of the backfield that should help out Sam Darnold or JJ McCarthy in 2025.
- Philadelphia Eagles – Shemar Stewart – DE – Texas A&M
Josh Sweat is an impending free agent, and 2024 free agent signee Bryce Huff has disappointed in his short time with Philly. On top of that, Brandon Graham’s latest injury will likely keep him on the sideline for good. An infusion of talent on the edge is necessary, and GM Howie Roseman can do that with Stewart in the backend of the first round.
- Buffalo Bills – Tyleik Williams – DT – Ohio State
Georgia’s Jalon Walker will get consideration, but Terrel Bernard has done an outstanding job at the second level that they will likely wait until later on to give him some help. Tyleik Williams has been dominant at Ohio State, and should help Greg Rousseau, Ed Oliver, AJ Epenesa and co. on the defensive line.
- Kansas City Chiefs – Gray Zabel – OT – North Dakota State
Cap restrictions will likely prohibit the Chiefs from resigning Trey Smith in free agency. Wanya Morris also hasn’t proven to be the long-term answer at right tackle. Enter Zabel, an FCS product who has played snaps all over the offensive line throughout his career. He can slide in at tackle or guard with Kansas City.
- Detroit Lions – Princely Umanmeilen – DE – Mississippi
Being talented means you can take big swings at the end of the first round. Detroit has been bitten by the injury bug often this season, especially on the edge. Taking a chance on Umanmeilen, who has played well in his lone season with the Rebels, could be the depth piece the Lions need in 2025.