With free agency's biggest stars mostly settled, the 2025 NFL Draft picture is a bit clearer. Two-plus weeks of signings have shored up some franchises biggest needs while glaring holes remain elsewhere. The easiest, and cheapest, way to fill them? With rookie talent.
That leads us to our latest mock draft -- this one with trades sprinkled in. While that part of the draft process is even more impossible to predict than the picks themselves, free agency did give us a better idea of who'll be proactive to pitch their biggest weaknesses.
What does that look like? Some movement in the top 10 -- and a third quarterback coming off the board late thanks to a trade-up.
1. Tennessee Titans: QB Cameron Ward, Miami
Needs: QB, EDGE, WR, S, LB
The Titans sent an entire video production team down to Ward’s pro day at Miami, which seems to confirm what most of us assumed. They’re in the market for a rookie quarterback. Ward has separated himself from Shedeur Sanders as the pre-draft process wears on.
Tennessee's strategy of strategic bets on falling talent (Malik Willis, Will Levis) failed to pay out. Now it gets the chance to add a blue chip talent and the player the Titans want rather than one who slipped through the cracks. Ward has thrived everywhere he’s played, from Incarnate Word to Washington State to Coral Gables. Now he’ll have to make the most of an undermanned Titans offense.
2. Cleveland Browns: CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado
Needs: QB, OL, WR, RB, DT
Pairing Abdul Carter with Myles Garrett may be too tempting to pass up. But Cleveland needs to generate some reason for fans to watch what could be an inept offense this season.
Enter Hunter, who can turn Kenny Pickett’s three solid downfield throws per game into big gains or work his magic on whatever gadget plays Kevin Stefanski can dream up. He’d also have the chance to play a role for a talented young(ish) secondary that gets to feast on the chaos Garrett sews up front.
While this isn’t the quarterback Cleveland needs, the Browns are more than a QB away from contention – and slowly building through 2025 creates the opportunity for a better rookie passer next spring while whittling down more of the team’s contractual obligations to Deshaun Watson, who was accused of more than 20 counts of sexual misconduct and what the NFL itself described as “predatory behavior” stemming from his time as a Houston Texan.
3. Trade! Jacksonville Jaguars: EDGE Abdul Carter, Penn State
Needs: EDGE, CB, DL, WR
- Giants trade: Third overall pick
- Jaguars trade: Fifth overall pick, 2025 third round pick (70th overall), 2026 third round selection
The Giants ...
