2025 NFL Draft – Consensus 1st Round Picks April 2025

The 2025 NFL Draft is nearly upon us. All the smoke screens are being thrown out there, and now I want to take a moment to see what the consensus mock draft looks like. Our friends over at the NFL Mock Draft Database do a great job keeping their finger on the pulse of us who drop mock drafts and post a pick popularity next to the players listed for each team. So let’s dive in and see who is the most popular player for each pick coming up in next week’s NFL Draft!

*NOTE: NFLMDDB is updated in real-time, so these can fluctuate somewhat, but these were taken as of Friday Morning, April 18th, for the most accurate picture.

2025 NFL Draft – Consensus 1st Round Picks April 2025

TOP TEN

1. Tennessee Titans – Cam Ward, QB, Miami (FL) – No surprise here. We’ve been seeing the top QB mocked at pick one since the start of this draft cycle. He’s even naming Titans RBs amongst the top running backs in the league. Which, I guess, if you’re talking the top 32 backs in the league (lol). Ward may not be the best player in the draft, but they need their QB1 of the future, so now is the time to swing for it!
2. Cleveland Browns – Travis Hunter, DB/WR, Colorado – This is where the conversation about the best player in the class starts (and probably ends). A two-way player that can do it all is hard to top. Hunter’s a generational talent that I’d rather see go to New England. Rather than Cleveland, but here we are. 
3. New York Giants – Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State – Pair and elite edge rusher like Carter with Burns and Thibodeaux, and WOW, this defense will be hard to go against, as long as they’re all healthy at least. 
4. New England Patriots – Will Campbell, OT, LSU – Gotta protect Drake Maye, this is the best pick to make at this point. 
5. Jacksonville Jaguars – Mason Graham, DT, Michigan – Grahams the best DT in the class, would be a force in the midst of that defensive line, makes alot of sense but also means they probably look in a different direction (we know they love 1st round DBs and WRs, so that could certainly be in play).
6. Las Vegas Raiders – Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State – An elite player available at 6 seems like a no-brainer, but then you see that it’s a running back and you pause, do you pull the trigger or no? I’d be ok with it because they have their QB in house now, so take the best player in the draft and move on.
7. New York Jets – Armand Membou, OT, Missouri – This is interesting in how Membou’s stock rose to the #2 tackle in the class. Basically, since the combine. He’s a really fun player, I just hope they will take him as a tackle. And slide one of the others inside. I think you’re doing him a disservice if you put him at guard in the NFL.
8. Carolina Panthers – Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia – QB is in place. Their defense needs many reinforcements. So take the best one on the board and move on. 
9. New Orleans Saints – Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado – This has quickly become a reality in recent weeks. I wonder if this is a smoke screen or a legit possibility? I’m just not a huge Sanders truther in round 1. But have accepted that he probably gets picked at some point Thursday night.
10. Chicago Bears – Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas – Of the picks in round one, 10-20 is the area where there seems to be the least amount of agreement on who is going to be drafted. I think the Bears did a great job bringing in reinforcements. I honestly have no problem if they take whoever their best player is. Regardless of position. Tackle makes a lot of sense, though. There are plenty of good ones left. I’d also think EDGE is in play here as well.
11. San Francisco 49ers – Will Johnson, DB, Michigan
12. Dallas Cowboys – Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
13. Miami Dolphins – Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
14. Indianapolis Colts – Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
15. Atlanta Falcons – Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall
16. Arizona Cardinals – Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
17. Cincinnati Bengals – Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M
18. Seattle Seahawks – Gray Zabel, OL, North Dakota State
19. Tampa Buccaneers – Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama
20. Denver Broncos – Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina
21. Pittsburgh Steelers – Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss
22. Los Angeles Chargers – Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan
23. Green Bay Packers – Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia
24. Minnesota Vikings – Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
25. Houston Texans – Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
26. Los Angeles Rams – Jahdae Barron, DB, Texas
27. Baltimore Ravens – Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
28. Detroit Lions – Tyler Booker, IOL, Alabama
29. Washington Commanders – James Pearce Jr, EDGE, Tennessee
30. Buffalo Bills – Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss
31. Kansas City Chiefs – Josh Connerly Jr, OT, Oregon
32. Philadelphia Eagles – Derrick Harmon, DL, Oregon

ANALYSIS

Most of the picks make plenty of sense, there are spots here where I’d think it’s maybe a reach or an overpay, for instance, Detroit taking an interior offensive lineman rather than EDGE or DLine help is a tough one for me. They learned last year what not having extra EDGE help can do to a Super Bowl run, and I think they have enough in-house offensive line talent, where I’d rather them take any of the next few EDGE rushers over an interior offensive lineman that I don’t see being the gritty type of player they look for.

Also, Philadelphia taking Harmon isn’t bad, per se, but just seems like a strange move when they need some DBs or EDGE help to backfill offseason moves. Harmon’s more of an interior DLineman, where they have solid pieces in place already, so do they try Harmon more on the edge?

Last but certainly not least is Pittsburgh taking a chance on Jaxson Dart. I like them targeting a QB because that’s really what’s holding them back, but definitely a reach taking him there. Honestly, I’d rather they target Jalen Milroe and hope they can develop him. Milroe is the one QB in this class that has plenty of room to grow, with the tools this league desperately looks for but slid because Alabama just couldn’t do alot to develop him the last two years, but Milroe’s background and upbringing make me think he could get to another level with the right coaching.

Wrapping up

I hope this has helped you prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft.