NFL Draft
4/3/25
9 min read
2025 NFL Draft: 5 Bold Predictions For First Round
We are just three weeks away from the NFL Draft, and this could be one of the wildest draft weekends in recent memory. There is no clear consensus at the top of the draft, and that could make for a very unpredictable night. But those are also the most fun drafts to watch and consume.
What picks will send shockwaves through the fans of the NFL Draft? And which players might end up going a lot later than expected? Here are a few of our bold predictions for Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
2025 NFL Draft Bold Predictions
Shedeur Sanders Isn’t The Second QB Selected
There were a few weeks in March when it felt like the first two picks of the draft could be quarterbacks. But that momentum has stopped, and it sure feels like the Browns and Giants will be taking other positions at the top of Round 1.
It’s hard to blame them, considering Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter are elite prospects, whereas Shedeur Sanders is not.
Sanders is a good quarterback prospect with accuracy, anticipation, and toughness. But he doesn’t have the elite physical traits that teams tend to fall in love with during the draft process. If you were to compare him to a prospect in the 2024 class, he is probably the closest to Bo Nix, but Nix had more athleticism and arm talent.
While Nix had a good rookie season, he's not the type of quarterback that gets drafted in the top five. And neither is Sanders. That means we could be in for a surprising draft-day fall. Sanders is ranked as the No. 33 player on The Athletic's expert consensus board, which means that picking him at No. 2 or No. 3 would be among the biggest reaches we've ever seen inside that high.
If Sanders doesn’t get picked at No. 3 to the Giants, how far might he fall? The Raiders and Jets both added veteran quarterbacks this offseason, and the buzz has been that neither team loves Sanders. The Saints could be an option at No. 9, but that might be his last reasonable landing spot before a free-fall happens.
Jaxson Dart has more physical tools and has been gaining steam as a potential top-25 pick for the last month. Is there a chance that he ends up going ahead of Sanders in late April?
It sure seems like it, as he is the type of quarterback that teams are more willing to gamble on early in the draft. Sanders will be picked in Round 1, but don't be shocked at all if he's not the second quarterback off the board.
Only One Cornerback Is Selected On Day 1
It’s pretty uncommon to see only a handful of cornerbacks selected in Round 1. During the 2024 draft, there were three cornerbacks selected on Day 1, but none of them were picked inside the top 20 picks. It wouldn’t be a shock if that were the case again this year, as Will Johnson (Michigan) is the only lock to go in Round 1.
Is there a chance that he ends up being the only cornerback selected in Round 1? The last time only one cornerback was picked on the first day was back in 2019 when DeAndre Baker (pick No. 30) was the only cornerback to come off the board. And with just three weeks left to go, we could be trending this way as no other cornerbacks have separated themselves from the pack.
We should mention that Jahdae Barron (Texas) is likely to be a first-round pick, but he is more of a safety/slot hybrid than a pure cornerback. But even he isn’t a lock to be a high pick due to his shorter arms and age (24). Barron will most likely be classified as a safety in the NFL in the mold of Tyrann Mathieu, so we aren't counting him toward this prediction.
This is not a deep cornerback class, so don’t be surprised if teams ignore the position entirely early in the draft. And we certainly shouldn’t expect another cornerback to come off the board anywhere inside the top 25 of the draft outside of Johnson. Instead, look for teams to turn their attention to another position on defense in Round 1.
10+ Defensive Linemen Picked In Round 1
The strength of this class is in the defensive line, as there is high-end talent and plenty of depth. And we should see at least 10+ pass rushers selected by the end of Thursday night.
Here are some of the players who could hear their names called during Round 1 on the defensive line:
- Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State
- Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
- Mykel Williams, EDGE Georgia
- Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia
- Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
- Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
- Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
- Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon
- James Pearce Jr, EDGE, Tennessee
- Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss
- Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
- Landon Jackson, EDGE, Arkansas
- Alfred Collins, DT, Texas
- J.T. Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State
That is 14 players who are worthy of Round 1 consideration, and it won’t be a shock at all if 11 or more get picked on that first day. This is arguably the best defensive line class in the last decade, and they will certainly come off the board early and often.
What is unique about this class is that the talent doesn’t stop after Day 1. This is one of the better Day 2 classes of defensive line talent in recent memory. It’s not a sexy draft with elite quarterback or wide receiver prospects, but it does have a lot of quality defensive players, and it will stretch well into night No. 2 of the NFL Draft.
TraVeyon Henderson Is RB2
Some national draft experts have pushed to put Omarion Hampton, the North Carolina star, inside the top 20 of mock drafts. In fact, Mel Kiper Jr. has mocked Hampton to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 12 in each of his previous two mock drafts. While anything is possible on draft night, that doesn’t feel all that likely.
Hampton is one of the most well-rounded backs in this class, with good size, speed, and production. There is nothing he doesn’t do well, but he’s not overly dynamic and doesn’t have a special trait like most top 20 picks at running back do.
It’s likely a safe bet that he does go in Round 1 because teams are always searching for workhorse backs, but there is no guarantee that he’ll be the second running back drafted behind Ashton Jeanty.
Instead, that honor could go to TreVeyon Henderson, who has the fourth-most rushing yards in Ohio State history. Henderson isn’t as big or as powerful as Hampton, but he has game-breaking speed and the ability to hit a home run on any single run.
Henderson has been compared to Jahmyr Gibbs during this pre-draft process, and while that seems like too high praise, it’s easy to understand where that is coming from. He is a dynamic runner who is a major weapon in the passing game. Henderson is also a fantastic pass blocker, which will endear him to a coaching staff.
Teams looking to get more explosive on offense might prefer Henderson over Hampton, and that type of running back usually doesn’t last long in the draft. Expect both players to be picked within a few spots of one another, but for Henderson to be the second back off the board.
Ashton Jeanty Falls Outside The Top 10
There is no argument that Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty is one of the top five players in the class. Even his biggest doubters would still concede that he’s a top 10 player in the 2025 NFL Draft.
He just does everything at such a high level and is one of the cleanest prospects in this class, especially when you include his character. Jeanty is one of the safest picks in the draft, and general managers love to make high-floor selections early in the draft.
That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to be a top-five or even top-eight selection. There is only one team inside the top eight picks that has a need for running back, and that is the Las Vegas Raiders. And while that is still his most likely destination, the Raiders have other holes on their roster.
Their new GM, John Spytek, loves to draft trench players early, and the whispers are that Armand Membou, the right tackle from Missouri, could be the pick at No. 6.
If the Raiders decide to pass on Jeanty, the next logical landing spot for Jeanty could be to the Bears at pick No. 10. And while that seems like an easy fit, considering Ben Johnson was part of a team that selected Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12, Ryan Poles might not love the idea of spending a top pick on a running back. Instead, that pick might be reinvested into the offensive line or the pass rush, which could use some more help.
Jeanty is an awesome player with very few flaws, and that type of player is usually picked very high. But the top of the 2025 NFL Draft just doesn’t have a lot of landing spots for him, and it doesn't help that his positional value doesn't stack up compared to EDGE, WR, CB, etc.
The 49ers and Cowboys come next with picks No. 11 and No. 12, respectively, and they could both be options. But if he falls that far, expect some teams in the later teens or early 20s to consider making a move to acquire what they may believe is the best player in this year’s draft.
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