Welcome to the Thursday edition of the Pick Six newsletter! It's hard to believe, but we are now just two weeks away from the highly anticipated start of the 2025 NFL Draft. To help you pass the time, we are excited to unveil our first-ever seven-round mock draft of the year. If you read one round per day and go through it twice, you'll have just enough time to finish before the draft kicks off. In keeping with our seven-round theme, we will also present a dedicated Bears mock draft where we will make every pick for Chicago. Additionally, the NFL has dropped hints regarding the release date for the schedule, which we'll cover today. As always, don’t forget to share this newsletter with your friends—just click here to sign them up!
The countdown to the 2025 NFL Draft continues, and today we celebrate by revealing our first seven-round mock draft. This year's draft will feature a total of 257 picks, and our draft analyst, Chris Trapasso, has meticulously crafted selections for every team, likely taking him around 91 hours to complete. Instead of focusing on the usual top-10 picks, we will highlight the final ten picks of the draft to showcase the extensive effort Chris has put in:
248. Saints: Joshua Simon, TE, South Carolina 249. 49ers: Taylor Morin, WR, Wake Forest 250. Packers: Eli Cox, IOL, Kentucky 251. Chiefs: Benjamin Yurosek, TE, Georgia 252. 49ers: Brandon George, LB, Pittsburgh 253. Dolphins: Dominic Lovett, WR, Georgia 254. Saints: Chris Tyree, WR, Virginia 255. Browns: Dean Clark, S, Fresno State 256. Chargers: Wyett Ekeler, S, Wyoming 257. Chiefs: Isas Waxter, CB, VillanovaIn this mock draft, Trapasso predicts that Shedeur Sanders will be selected seventh overall by the Jets. Notably, he also forecasts that two tight ends, Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland, will be picked in the top 20—a rare occurrence that has only happened once in the last 30 years. The Browns are expected to kick off the second round by selecting quarterback Jaxson Dart with the 33rd overall pick, giving them Dart and Travis Hunter as their first two selections. Ashton Jeanty is also projected to go in the top five, with the Jaguars taking him fifth overall. To see how all 257 picks unfold, be sure to click here.
This offseason, the Bears have emerged as one of the biggest winners, making several impactful moves, including acquiring three new offensive linemen: Drew Dalman, Joe Thuney, and Jonah Jackson. To maintain this momentum, it’s crucial for the Bears to excel in the upcoming draft. With seven picks this year, including three within the first 41 selections, we tasked Bryan DeArdo with making all of Chicago's picks. Here’s what he has proposed for their first five selections:
Round 1 (10th overall): RB Ashton Jeanty (Boise State) Round 2 (39th overall): EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College) Round 2 (41st overall): OL Josh Conerly Jr. (Oregon) Round 3 (72nd overall): WR Isaiah Bond (Texas) Round 5 (148th overall): LB Chris Paul Jr. (Ole Miss)For a comprehensive explanation of these picks or to find out how the remaining two selections turned out, click here to view Bryan's full mock draft.
In Wednesday’s newsletter, we presented a complete seven-round mock draft for the Seahawks, with Cody Benjamin orchestrating all 10 of their picks for the 2025 NFL Draft. Today, we asked Cody to narrow his focus to the Seahawks' first-round pick, which is the 18th overall selection. Given the team's various needs—from the offensive line to the secondary and wide receiver—Cody ranked Seattle's top three options for this crucial pick:
WR Matthew Golden (Texas): With both Metcalf and Lockett potentially leaving this offseason, the Seahawks need to prioritize adding talented pass catchers to support Darnold. S Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina): Emmanwori’s versatility and size could make him a formidable asset for the defense alongside re-signed Ernest Jones IV. OG Tyler Booker (Alabama): The Seahawks desperately need stronger blocking, and Booker’s potential as a plug-and-play starter could fulfill that need.Cody also ranked a total of five options, and you can check out his complete list here.
This week, we examined the five NFC teams that need to excel in the upcoming draft. Today, we shift our focus to the AFC, where certain teams are under heightened pressure to strengthen their rosters. According to Jeff Kerr, here are the five AFC teams that must perform well in the draft:
Bengals: With new defensive coordinator Al Golden looking to revamp the defense, the Bengals need help at edge rusher, cornerback, and linebacker. Furthermore, improving their offensive line, which allowed a sack rate of 6.9% last season, is crucial. Patriots: After adding Stefon Diggs, the Patriots must find another impactful pass catcher and improve an offensive line that ranked 29th in sack rate last season. Titans: While they seem set on selecting Cam Ward first overall, it's vital for the Titans to ensure they have the right quarterback and sufficient protection from the offensive line. Chiefs: Addressing the left tackle position is a priority for Kansas City, alongside bolstering depth at defensive tackle and finding a long-term replacement for Travis Kelce. Bills: The Bills need to find a wide receiver to complement Khalil Shakir and address defensive needs following the departures of Rasul Douglas and Kaiir Elam.For a deeper dive into Kerr's rankings and insights, you can explore that here.
The NFL Draft is often full of surprises, and last year was no exception when the Falcons selected Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall, leaving many stunned. This year, Josh Edwards has identified a few unexpected scenarios that could unfold during the draft:
Jets and Raiders Both Take a Quarterback: With both teams making recent moves, it wouldn’t be surprising if they sought new quarterbacks to compete for the starting position. Shedeur Sanders Falls Out of the First Round: Despite interest from some teams, a shift in priorities could lead to Sanders sliding down the draft board. Veteran Player Gets Traded on Draft Night: Following the trend of recent years, could we see a significant trade involving veterans, similar to A.J. Brown’s move to the Eagles?For more unexpected scenarios that might arise, check them out here.
The last 24 hours have been bustling in the NFL, and to help you keep track of the latest developments, we've compiled a roundup of key updates. Stay tuned for further insights and analysis as we approach the 2025 NFL Draft.
