A year ago, my first mock draft of the 2024 draft cycle, had Caleb Williams as the No. 1 overall pick, and Drake Maye went fourth overall. But Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy or Bo Nix were nowhere to be seen. The point: a lot can change between late August and late April, and that's what makes the entire process so much fun, from the the college football season, to the all-star games, to the combine and pro days: players with Day 3 grades right now can change the conversation quickly. 

With that in mind, my Mock Draft 1.0 for the 2025 draft cycle includes five (!!) quarterbacks which, admittedly, is ... optimistic.  Georgia's Carson Beck is currently QB1 and that's not controversial, but because there is no Caleb Williams in this class, there's room for a Shedeur Sanders or Quinn Ewers or even Cam Ward or Conner Weigman -- or maybe even someone who didn't find his way into the first round (yet) -- to make a move in the next four months. 

If you saw my top-50 Big Board, you know that Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is my No. 1 player. But in this mock, because of team needs, I have his teammate, Mason Graham, going off the board at No. 2. And while I love Graham's game, my co-host on the With the First Pick podcast, Rick Spielman, really loves him.

Speaking of which, be sure to check out "With the First Pick'' with Rick and I twice a week, wherever you get your podcasts.

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One more thing, and this is important: The draft order below was determined using Sportsline's Super Bowl odds, but in reverse order. I know folks are going to be very angry about why I have their team picking so high, but it's not my fault. These are your team's odds of winning a Lombardi Trophy this season, according to the fine people at SportsLine.

NFL Mock Draft
Round 1
  Mock Trade from New England Patriots
Round 1 - Pick 1
Carson Beck QB
Georgia • Sr • 6'4" / 220 lbs
Beck is QB1 entering the season and given that the Giants were in the market for a QB last draft cycle, it's fair to assume they'll be looking to upgrade the position in 2025.
Round 1 - Pick 2
Mason Graham DL
Michigan • Jr • 6'3" / 320 lbs
My comp for Graham this summer was Christian Wilkins. My co-host on the With the First Pick podcast, Rick Spielman, took it a step further and said Quinnen Williams. Wherever you land, Graham is a special talent and will almost certainly be a top-5 selection.
Round 1 - Pick 3
Kelvin Banks Jr. OT
Texas • Jr • 6'4" / 320 lbs
There are some dudes along the offensive line in this draft class and it'll be fun to see who differentiates themselves as OT1. For now, Banks is that guy for me, and if the Panthers are happy with Bryce Young, fortifying the offensive line will be next on the to-do list.
  Mock Trade from New York Giants
Round 1 - Pick 4
Will Campbell OT
LSU • Jr • 6'6" / 323 lbs
The Patriots have the worst Super Bowl odds in August, but since they have their franchise QB, they trade down, get some much-needed picks, and are still in position to land Campbell.
Round 1 - Pick 5
Mykel Williams EDGE
Georgia • Jr • 6'5" / 265 lbs
Georgia has a history of producing freakish athletes and Mykel Williams might end up being the best of the group. Let that sink in. Then think about Williams lining up alongside Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat.
Round 1 - Pick 6
Will Johnson CB
Michigan • Jr • 6'2" / 202 lbs
Johnson was No. 1 on my preseason Big Board and he finds his way to Washington, mostly because the five teams above had bigger needs elsewhere. If Emmanuel Forbes can find his form, a young secondary with him, Mike Sainristil and Johnson is a formidable one.
Round 1 - Pick 7
James Pearce Jr. EDGE
Tennessee • Jr • 6'5" / 243 lbs
Pearce is a twitched-up edge rusher who plays with more power than his size suggests. He'll need to get stronger -- and more consistent against the run, but in terms of getting after the QB, he's a special talent.
Round 1 - Pick 8
Shedeur Sanders QB
Colorado • Sr • 6'2" / 215 lbs
Good luck finding a tougher player in college football than Shedeur Sanders. He played like a first-rounder at times last season, and if he can work to get the ball out on time more consistently in 2024, he'll be in the first-round conversation again in '25.
Round 1 - Pick 9
Travis Hunter CB
Colorado • Jr • 6'1" / 185 lbs
I like Hunter more as a CB than WR but that doesn't mean he can't do both at a high level -- we all saw that a season ago. The concern is that he's on the field for 100 snaps a game, which doesn't feel sustainable. As a CB, he's long, twitchy and has WR ball skills.
Round 1 - Pick 10
Malaki Starks S
Georgia • Jr • 6'1" / 205 lbs
Put aside for the moment that Starks is an elite athlete who can line up anywhere in the secondary -- he's also one of the smartest players on the field and that combination is what makes him a top-10 talent.
Round 1 - Pick 11
Deone Walker DL
Kentucky • Jr • 6'6" / 345 lbs
Walker might play with the strongest hands of anyone in this class; consistently wins early in rep, and causes problems as a pass rusher because of length, power and twitch.
Round 1 - Pick 12
Benjamin Morrison CB
Notre Dame • Jr • 6'0" / 190 lbs
Morrison is listed at 6-0, 185 but he plays longer and more physical than that. He effectively shut down Marvin Harrison Jr. in the Ohio State matchup last season -- in 7 coverage snaps, he played pressed 6 times, had 2 PBUs and allowed 2 catches for just 26 yards, and no TDs.
Round 1 - Pick 13
Cam Ward QB
Miami (FL) • Sr • 6'2" / 223 lbs
Ward is one of my favorite players in this class, and the QB most likely to go from late Day 2/early Day 3 pick in the preseason to working his way into the first round by next spring. He excels off-platform and has all the arm angles, he just needs to work on getting through his reads and playing from the pocket. But he has all the tools to be special.
Round 1 - Pick 14
Jonah Savaiinaea OT
Arizona • Jr • 6'5" / 336 lbs
Savaiinaea is a mauler in THE run game who can play in both gap and zone schemes. He consistently sustains blocks and moves well in space. He'll need to hone his technique in pass pro but he plays with heavy hands, strength and athleticism. He reminds me a lot of Taliese Fuaga, the Saints 2024 first-rounder.
Round 1 - Pick 15
Tetairoa McMillan WR
Arizona • Jr • 6'5" / 212 lbs
Assuming the Steelers don't land Brandon Aiyuk, one of their biggest needs is WR2. T-Mac is a WR1 all day long but having him line up alongside George Pickens is a good problem to have in Pittsburgh, especially if Russell Wilson or Justin Fields works out at QB. McMillan is 6-5 but he moves like a shifty slot receiver with the benefit of an enormous catch radius and the ability to make contested catches look easy. Think Drake London.
Round 1 - Pick 16
Abdul Carter EDGE
Penn State • Jr • 6'3" / 252 lbs
Carter is moving from off-ball linebacker to edge rusher and at 6-3, 259 he certainly looks the part of edge rusher -- and his pass-rush snaps from a year ago suggest he'll be up to the task in 2024. Yes, the Bears just traded for Darrell Taylor, and Austin Booker has flashed in preseason, but you can never have enough pass rushers in the NFL.
Round 1 - Pick 17
Quinn Ewers QB
Texas • Jr • 6'2" / 210 lbs
Is this the year Deshaun Watson puts it all together? If the answer is no, the Browns -- despite the very hefty salary-cap implications -- might have to consider Plan B at quarterback. Ewers is a better athlete than he's given credit for, has a huge arm, and is efficient from the pocket.
Round 1 - Pick 18
Luther Burden III WR
Missouri • Jr • 5'11" / 205 lbs
Burden reminds me a lot of Golden Tate in terms of his toughness and yards-after-the-catch ability. He played primarily out of the slot last season and also offers something in the return game. In Los Angeles, Josh Palmer and DJ Chark are in the final year of their current deals.
Round 1 - Pick 19
Harold Perkins Jr. LB
LSU • Jr • 6'1" / 225 lbs
Perkins is listed as a linebacker but he can line up just about anywhere. He's going to struggle getting off o-line blocks in the box because of his size, but he can get to the QB as an edge rusher and win with speed. He has sideline-to-sideline burst, and he consistently gets home in a hurry as a blitzer.
Round 1 - Pick 20
Conner Weigman QB
Texas A&M • Soph • 6'3" / 220 lbs
Will Matthew Stafford retire? If he's contemplating it, Weigman will be an intriguing name to watch in the coming months. He played just four games last season because of a foot injury, but he showed poise in the pocket, a big arm and accuracy when he was on the field.
Round 1 - Pick 21
Denzel Burke CB
Ohio State • Sr • 6'1" / 193 lbs
Burke struggled through the 2022 season but bounced back in 2023, making his case as one of the best cornerbacks in this draft class. He welcomes man coverage and plays with physicality throughout the route.
Round 1 - Pick 22
Emery Jones Jr. OT
LSU • Jr • 6'6" / 315 lbs
Jones may end up being the best draft-eligible offensive tackle on the LSU roster. He played primarily right tackle in 2023 (with a handful of snaps at RG), and is a better run blocker than pass blocker right now. Jones is nimble for his size in the run game, moves well in small areas, makes combo blocks look easy and is a pile-mover in short-yardage situations.
Round 1 - Pick 23
Emeka Egbuka WR
Ohio State • Sr • 6'1" / 205 lbs
Egbuka battled through injuries in 2023 but had 1,151 receiving yards the season before, including 46 catches that went for at least 10 yards. The Bills, meanwhile, could be looking to add more young weapons alongside Keon Coleman now that Stefon Diggs is in Houston.
Round 1 - Pick 24
Shavon Revel Jr. DB
East Carolina • Sr • 6'3" / 193 lbs
Revel is LONG. He has a track background too, and that shows up on tape; he's consistently in phase against vertical routes. He had 14 PBUs last season but he'll need to get stronger, especially vs. bigger receivers at the line of scrimmage.
Round 1 - Pick 25
Tyleik Williams DL
Ohio State • Sr • 6'3" / 327 lbs
Williams plays with heavy hands, is twitched-up for his size, and plays with a low center of gravity that consistently allows him to win the leverage battle early in the rep against interior offensive linemen. He plays with a high motor and can be a disruptive presence in the middle of the defense. In New York, both Javon Kinlaw and Solomon Thomas are in the final year of their contracts.
Round 1 - Pick 26
Nic Scourton EDGE
Texas A&M • Jr • 6'4" / 285 lbs
Scourton, the Purdue transfer, is a power rusher who will long-arm you into the stands. He'll also flash an inside spin move that puts OTs on their heels. Add the non-stop motor with which he plays and it's hard not to love his game.
Round 1 - Pick 27
JT Tuimoloau EDGE
Ohio State • Sr • 6'5" / 269 lbs
If you want an idea of what Tuimoloau looks like when he's on his game, just go watch his matchup vs. Jets first-rounder Olu Fashanu against Penn State last season. And if he can bring that intensity and game-changing impact week in and week out, he's a no-brainer first-round talent.
Round 1 - Pick 28
Tyler Booker IOL
Alabama • Jr • 6'5" / 325 lbs
Booker is a bruising interior offensive linemen who has played both right and left guard at Alabama. The Eagles have Landon Dickerson at left guard but the right guard position could be a need by the spring.
Round 1 - Pick 29
Landon Jackson EDGE
Arkansas • Sr • 6'7" / 280 lbs
Jackson is a high-motor player. He doesn't have a wide array of pass-rush moves, but he'll win consistently with speed to power. He's also disciplined in run support and is a wrap-up tackler, usually making plays near the line of scrimmage.
Round 1 - Pick 30
Quinshon Judkins RB
Ohio State • Jr • 6'0" / 219 lbs
It'll be interesting to see if a running back finds his way into Round 1 but Judkins, the Ole Miss transfer, will be in the mix. He runs with patience, plays with good vision, shows the ability to accelerate through the hole and his low pad level makes it difficult for defenders to get a good hit on him. He's an asset in the pass game (even though he wasn't used a lot in that role at Ole Miss) and he didn't fumble the ball once last season.
Round 1 - Pick 31
Colston Loveland TE
Michigan • Jr • 6'5" / 245 lbs
Loveland is listed at 6-5, 237 lbs, and while he runs like he's 200, he plays like he's 260. He'll run through open-field arm tackles all day long, he has an enormous catch radius, and he's a precise route runner, looking like a receiver at times in his movement skills. He's a willing blocker, but like most pass-catching tight ends coming into the league, he'll need to improve in this area.
Round 1 - Pick 32
Danny Stutsman LB
Oklahoma • Sr • 6'4" / 243 lbs
Stutsman is a really good athlete who plays with little wasted movement. He flashes a downhill burst, and is a wrap-up tackler. He's also comfortable in space and can be disruptive in coverage. The Chiefs don't have a ton of needs but Nick Bolton is in the final year of his contract.