We are under a week away from the 2025 NFL Draft, the first night of which is inarguably the most important and anticipated NFL non-game night on the calendar. The draft is a three day affair, and it represents hope for all 32 teams, particularly the teams that have been in a hopeless desert of futility over the last few seasons.
The Houston Texans, not all that long ago, were one of those teams, but they are now firmly on the list of “haves” in a league of “haves” and “have nots.” Are they among the elite teams in the league? No, not yet, at least, but they are a clear cut favorite in their division, which by definition makes them a highly likely postseason participant. That’s enough to be a “have.”
The “have nots’ are the ones picking high in the draft, in that same “top five pick” neighborhood in which the Texans plucked Derek Stingley, Jr., C.J. Stroud, and Will Anderson, Jr. over a two year period. While the draft is wildly unpredictable, the higher up you go, the better chance you have of predicting who goes where.
For next Thursday’s draft, I feel pretty strongly that there are five of the top nine picks that are all but sewn up, and the Consensus Mock Draft Database kind of backs me up on these contentions. Those teams and players are as follows:
1st overall pick, Titans — CAM WARD, QB, University of Miami
The biggest lock in the draft right now is the Titans punting on Will Levis after two awful seasons, and putting their future in the hands of Ward, whose transfer to the University of Miami last season worked out great for him. Ward is not a transcendent quarterback prospect or anything, but he is the clear cur best in a class of quarterbacks with a ton of question marks. His future destination is definitely not a question mark. He will be a Titan.
2nd overall pick, Browns — TRAVIS HUNTER, CB/WR, Colorado
Throughout draft season, Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner and dynamic two way player, has been mock drafted anywhere from this second overall spot to around seventh or so in the draft. All rumblings out of Cleveland are that they are passing on a quarterback (no pun intended) in this spot, and will opt for Hunter instead. The next question is “How will he be used primarily? As a wide receiver or cornerback?” Reportedly, the Browns are one of the few teams that see him as a better pass catcher than pass stopper, but wherever he lands, Hunter will probably play some on both sides of the ball.
5th overall pick, Jaguars — MASON GRAHAM, DT, Michigan
The Jags cleaned house this offseason, firing their head coach and general manager and bringing in Liam Coen as the head coach and James Gladstone as the GM. Both are disciples of Sean McVay in Los Angeles, and while Graham isn’t anything close to Aaron Donald, the foundation of the Rams’ defense for a decade, he is still a very good player and excellent building block to improve the Jags’ defense.
6th overall pick, Raiders — ASHTON JEANTY, RB, Boise State
The Raiders are not acting this offseason like a team that was one of the six worst in football last season. Instead of drafting a young quarterback, the Raiders decided to trade a third round pick to Seattle for Geno Smith and then sign him to a $66 million extension. That’s much closer to a “win now” move than a rebuilding move. Thus, drafting a running back this high makes some sense, especially one as dynamic as Jeanty, who came a whisker away from beating Hunter for the Heisman.
9th overall pick, Saints — SHEDEUR SANDERS, QB, Colorado
We complete this list with Hunter’s running mate at Colorado, Shedeur Sanders, son of Deion and, if you listen to him, massive culture changer. The market is all over the place on Shedeur, with some teams reportedly loving him and some scouts completely turned off by him. The Saints, though, make a lot of sense, with Derek Carr now reportedly contemplating season ending shoulder surgery. Why not build around a young guy with some sizzle?
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