The NFL draft is finally here. In just a few hours, 32 college prospects will live their dream of hearing their name called by the NFL commissioner as they are selected in the first round. 

The draft could not be any more exciting for players and viewers alike, as fans watch anxiously to see if their favorite team will make a decision that will take them to the Super Bowl or one that will set their franchise back years. The little gambling game that is the draft is the focal point of the offseason, and, now that it is here, I will be making my final predictions for what is going to happen tonight. 

This year has been particularly interesting when it comes to predicting the draft. There isn’t as much top-end talent in this class, not as many blue chip players and not many (if any) top-tier quarterbacks. In all honesty, the gap between a player drafted at 15 and a player drafted at 50 is a lot smaller than one might assume. That being said, I was relatively successful with my final mock draft last year, so I will continue to trust my gut and what I’ve been hearing around the league. Despite being nearly impossible to accurately guess, I will be including trades in this mock draft. 

1. Tennessee Titans select Cam Ward, Quarterback, Miami

This pick has been locked in for well over a month now. Tennessee is clearly in love with Ward and his potential, so much so it isn’t even listening to any trade offers for this pick. It’s all but official: Ward will be a Titan by the end of the night.

2. Cleveland Browns select Travis Hunter, Wide Receiver/Cornerback, Colorado 

The Browns front office seems to love Hunter, and how could you not? Hunter is a true unicorn of the sport, being able to play both wide receiver and cornerback at a high level. Cleveland reportedly views him as a receiver first, which is a top need for the team.

3. New York Giants select Abdul Carter, Edge Rusher, Penn State

This pick simply comes down to not overthinking it. Abdul Carter is the best player left on the board and Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll are on the hot seat going into this season. It can’t afford to take a swing on a quarterback at three unless it loves him. I don’t think it loves Shedeur Sanders enough to take him here. 

4. New England Patriots select Will Campbell, Offensive Tackle, LSU

Will Campbell is arguably the best offensive lineman in this class, with his only big concern being his arm length, which could project him to play better inside at guard. That being said, it seems the league views him as a tackle. The Patriots will invest top picks this draft into helping second year quarterback Drake Maye.

5. TRADE: Chicago Bears (via Jacksonville Jaguars) select Ashton Jeanty, Running Back, Boise State

Chicago sends no. 10, no. 39 and a 2026 4th round pick in exchange for no. 5 and no. 194.

Here it is, our first trade. If you have been paying attention to the draft at all this past week, the biggest debate is what on earth is going to happen with the fifth pick. For the longest time it seemed the consensus pick would be Mason Graham (who could very well still be the pick), but as of this week all the rumors are pointing to the Jaguars wanting Ashton Jeanty. 

At the end of the day, however, I believe the Jaguars would love to trade down from this pick. I also believe that the Bears would be interested in trading up. All of that combined with the worst kept secret that the Bears absolutely love Ashton Jeanty leads me to believe the Bears use its extra second round pick as ammunition to jump the Raiders and select the Heisman runner-up. 

6. Las Vegas Raiders select Armand Membou, Offensive Tackle, Missouri

With Jeanty off the board, I think Vegas would look to add a lineman on either side of the ball. I believe it will either be Membou or Mason Graham at this spot, but in my final mock I’ve settled on the Raiders trying to build up its offensive line.

7. New York Jets select Tyler Warren, Tight End, Penn State

Tyler Warren is such a great player. The Jets need to add offensive playmakers, and Warren is the best in the class behind Jeanty.

8. Carolina Panthers select Jalon Walker, Linebacker, Georgia

There aren’t many player-to-team fits that make more sense in this draft than Walker to the Panthers. Panthers reportedly love Walker as both a player and as a person. 

9. New Orleans Saints select Mason Graham, Defensive Tackle, Michigan

I think the Saints would be sprinting to turn Graham’s card in and not think twice about it. It seems in so many mock drafts in the past that Graham would be getting drafted by Jacksonville at five. If he fell past Jacksonville, he would go to Vegas at six. If he fell past Vegas, he would go to New York at seven. This pick seemed super unlikely, but with the way the board fell combined with the help the Saints need on the interior of the defensive line, Mason Graham is a no-brainer pick.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Chicago Bears) select Tetairoa McMillan, Wide Receiver, Arizona

The Jaguars were able to pick up an extra second round pick and still draft a guy, I have to imagine, it was considering at five. McMillan offers great size and athleticism at his position and would be a fantastic option lined up with Brian Thomas Jr.

11. San Francisco 49ers select Kelvin Banks Jr., Offensive Tackle, Texas

The 49ers could go any number of directions here. This pick could easily be a defensive player such as Mykel Williams or Walter Nolen, but the rumors are that Kelvin Banks will likely be off the board a lot sooner than most people think. Going to San Francisco at 11 seems like a great spot for him. 

12. Dallas Cowboys select Matthew Golden, Wide Receiver, Texas

Dallas is looking to add offensive weapons with its top picks. I believe it’ll opt to keep the speedy Matthew Golden in state and pair him up with star CeeDee Lamb.

13. Miami Dolphins select Malaki Starks, Safety, Georgia

In the many iterations of this mock draft that I made, I most often had the Dolphins selecting Michigan cornerback Will Johnson. I still think it’ll address its secondary, but I have it going with safety instead of corner. Starks is a really talented player who had a bit of a down year in 2024. I don’t think that stops him from being a first round pick.

14. Indianapolis Colts select Jihaad Campbell, Linebacker, Alabama

This is a pick that once I got it in my head, I could not get it out. I love Campbell as a player and think he’s going to make an immediate impact in the league. The Colts could also easily opt to go tight end and select Colston Loveland or Tyler Warren if he’s available. That being said, this is a deep tight end class and in this scenario I have Indianapolis addressing that need on day two.

15. Atlanta Falcons select Mike Green, Edge Rusher, Marshall

Atlanta has been linked to Mike Green leading up to the draft. Green is a very talented player with his main concern being off the field issues.

16. Arizona Cardinals select Walter Nolen, Defensive Tackle, Mississippi

Nolen is someone who shot up draft boards over the past few months. He is an immensely talented player who could even go much higher than this, potentially as the first defensive tackle off the board. 

17. Cincinnati Bengals select Mykel Williams, Edge Rusher, Georgia

The Bengals have poured so much money into its offense this offseason. Its first round pick this year needs to be defense. With contract discussion with Trey Hendrickson not seeming to lead anywhere, the Bengals look to add the best pass rusher left on the board.

18. Seattle Seahawks select Grey Zabel, Offensive Lineman, North Dakota State

I’ve really struggled to make this pick in my previous three mock drafts. Interior offensive line is a massive need for the Seahawks. That being said, Seattle General Manager John Schneider has expressed his opinions on offensive guards, stating they are the most overpaid and over drafted position in football. While that is a hard statement to ignore, it desperately needs to draft a player like Zabel with its top pick.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Will Johnson, Cornerback, Michigan

Will Johnson falls a bit in the draft due to concerns about speed and medical issues. I don’t see him falling much farther than this spot, however. 

20. Denver Broncos select Omarion Hampton, Running Back, North Carolina

This is one of those picks where I am ignoring my gut in favor of siding with what seems to be consensus. I think it’s very possible that if the Broncos select a running back here, it would actually be Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson. I think he fits its offense better and is more so the type of running back it wants compared to Hampton. All that being said, I do have Hampton ranked above Henderson as a player, as does a majority of analysts it seems. I’m going to step back and follow the trend on this one, we’ll see what happens.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers select Kenneth Grant, Defensive Tackle, Michigan

While it seems the Steelers could opt to draft a quarterback in this spot, I believe they will decide to look in a different direction. Kenneth Grant is a really great player and the Steelers need help on the interior of its defensive line. I also believe it will trade for Kirk Cousins after the draft (or potentially sign Aaron Rodgers) which I think would be good enough for it to not reach for a quarterback in round one. 

22. Los Angeles Chargers select Colston Loveland, Tight End, Michigan

This is one of the easiest picks to make for me. If Colston Loveland makes it to 22, I find it hard to believe Head Coach Jim Harbaugh wouldn’t do everything he could to add a player he had a hand in recruiting in college. Regardless of the Michigan connection, the Chargers will be looking to add more weapons for quarterback Justin Herbert, and Loveland is the best on the board.

23. Green Bay Packers select Jahdae Baron, Cornerback, Texas

Jahdae Baron is one of the top players in the class who only slides down the board due to positional value. He is more of a slot corner as opposed to a boundary corner. In the past few drafts we’ve seen great players who fit best in the slot fall down the board. While I don’t think he slides out of the first round, I have Baron making it later than he probably should and being selected by Green Bay.

24. TRADE: Tennessee Titans (via Minnesota Vikings) select Emeka Egbuka, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

The Vikings receive no. 35 and no. 141 from Tennessee in exchange for no. 24.

It’s no secret the Vikings will be interested in trading down from this pick. It only has four picks in this year’s draft and with the lack of elite talent at the top of the draft, acquiring more picks down the board to help fill out the roster is the best case scenario for Minnesota. In order to trade down, however, there needs to be a team that wants to trade up. 

Well I think the Titans could be a team looking to move back into the first round. I have it trading up to get help for its new quarterback Cam Ward and it does that by drafting Emeka Egbuka. The league reportedly loves Egbuka, who made a great impression on the field and off the field in team interviews.

25. Houston Texans select Tyler Booker, Offensive Lineman, Alabama

The Texans offensive line suffered major blows this offseason. Booker is a very solid player who has shown great leadership at Alabama. Houston plugs him in at tackle and he will likely stay there for many years to come.

26. Los Angeles Rams select Maxwell Hairston, Cornerback, Kentucky

Hairston is a great athlete who ran a 4.28 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. The Rams need help in its secondary and it selects arguably the best corner on the board.

27. Baltimore Ravens select Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge Rusher, Boston College

Ezeiruaku had great production at the collegiate level and would provide a much needed pass rush improvement to the Baltimore defense.

28. Detroit Lions select Donovan Jackson, Offensive Lineman, Ohio State

Jackson is one of my personal favorite players in this class. He is an interior lineman who showed the ability to play tackle at an elite level. The Lions add a day one starter who could also provide depth across the majority of the offensive line.

29. TRADE: Cleveland Browns (via Washington Commanders) select Shedeur Sanders, Quarterback, Colorado

The Browns give up no. 33 and no. 104 in exchange for no. 29 from the Commanders.

The fall of Shedeur Sanders finally comes to an end. While it is possible he falls out of the first round entirely (and right into the Browns lap at no. 33), I think Cleveland would opt to trade back into the first in order to ensure not only that no other team is able to jump it for Sanders, but also that it will get the fifth year option on his contract. I have to imagine General Manager Andrew Berry and Head Coach Kevin Stefanski would feel pretty good leaving the first round with both Shedeur Sanders and his teammate Travis Hunter.

30. Buffalo Bills select Nick Emmanwori, Safety, South Carolina

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what direction Buffalo will look to go with this pick, but I believe they could look to upgrade at safety. Emmanwori is an athletic freak with great instinct and ball skills. 

31. Kansas City Chiefs select Josh Simmons, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State

In my opinion, Simmons is the best pure tackle in the class and is only available here due to a major injury he suffered this past season at Ohio State. That being said, he seems to be recovering at an incredible pace and the Chiefs will likely be looking to upgrade the offensive line.

32. Philadelphia Eagles select Shemar Stewart, Edge Rusher, Texas A&M

I love Shemar Stewart. I could see him being drafted much higher than this. He is an elite athlete whose major flaw is the fact that he only had four and a half sacks during his college career at Texas A&M. If you are able to look at more than just that one stat, you’ll see that Stewart is a great pass rusher with the ability to routinely pressure the quarterback. Philly would be a great landing spot for Stewart to develop and contribute to an already great defensive line.