Mock Draft Monday 4/21 '25
Scholarships
Scholarships
- ‘25 NFL 1st Round Mock Draft
- YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s tune is Drake & Future’s Scholarships. It’s the 5th track off of What A Time To Be Alive.
The song has absolutely nothing to do with the NFL Draft, but here’s a fun fact…
The first-ever recorded scholarship in history was funded by Anne Radcliffe Mowlson. In 1638, Lady Mowlson became a widow and inherited a fortune from her husband, Sir Thomas Mowlson. He was a wealthy grocer and the former mayor of London. Anyway, Harvard University was newly formed in 1636, and Lady Mowlson was a fan despite never setting foot in America. When she passed away in 1643, she left Harvard 100 English pounds in her will, which was supposed to go to the “maintenance of some poore scholler.” To the surprise of nobody, Lady Mowlson’s inaugural scholarship fund was awarded to the son of a Harvard trustee. According to an American historian, Wilbur Kitchener Jordan, “The first Mowlson scholar, I regret to say was in the first year of his tenure, expelled from Harvard College, after a sound whipping administered personally by President Dunster, since he was caught burglarizing two Cambridge houses from which he took sums considerably in excess of his stipend.”
(Source: The Harvard Gazette)
On the 1st Round Mock…
Round 1 of the ‘25 NFL Draft will be held in Lambeau Field, Wisconsin, on Thursday Night. The Tennessee Titans are on the clock at 8 PM ET…
The last time the Titans reached the Super Bowl, they were led by a small-school QB named Steve McNair. Tennessee hopes Ward, who started his collegiate career in JUCO, can be the first Titan to win an MVP since Air McNair.
The Cleveland Browns have two more seasons of Deshaun Watson’s contract, which includes a 2026 cap hit of over $80 million. With a limited budget, thanks to Watson’s worthless contract, they could really use someone who can star on both sides of the football on a rookie deal. Travis Hunter could be an All-Pro game-changing ballhawk defender and a Pro Bowl above-average starting WR.
The Giants have a roster of holes everywhere, along with a Head Coach and General Manager on the hot seat. Their major dilemma with taking Abdul Carter at #3 is that they’ve already sunk a ton of resources into their pass rush group. New York took Kayvon Thibodeaux with the 5th pick in ‘22 and traded for Brian Burns last offseason. While Carter doesn’t necessarily fill a need, when the Giants have been at their best as a franchise, they’ve had a plethora of pass rushers.
Drake Maye was sacked 34 times in only 12 starts in ‘24. With New England’s QB of the future already on the team, Mike Vrabel protects his young quarterback’s blindside by taking Will Campbell.
Considered the best run-defending defensive lineman in College Football, Mason Graham can not only eat up blockers on handoffs, but has potential as a sack artist in the NFL, too. Jacksonville already has two above-average edge rushers in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. The Michigan Man DT could fill their void inside.
Balance. Ashton Jeanty runs the rock with a ridiculous amount of balance. He has an uncanny ability to consistently bounce off defenders, stay upright, and accelerate past them. There’s a ton of complicated strategy involved in football, but make no mistake, that’s still the essence of the sport. By bringing in Pete Carroll and trading for Geno Smith, Las Vegas is showing their hand; the Raiders are in win-now mode. With no real depth at RB, Vegas will use Jeanty as a workhorse back during his rookie contract as they try to compete in the AFC West.
The New York Jets haven’t had a Tight End that has produced 800+ receiving yards and 5 TDs in a season since Dustin Keller in 2011. Aaron Glenn and most of his coaching staff are coming from Detroit, where they saw firsthand the benefits of having an elite young TE with Sam LaPorta. A Wilson & Warren tandem could bring more Ws.
Carolina already has a young, promising duo of WRs in Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette. The minor issue is neither seems to profile as a #1 WR. That’s where T-Mac McMillan fits in. This pick provides another weapon for Bryce Young, while shifting Coker to the #2 role, and allows the Panthers to use Legette’s legs more as a gadget guy.
Last week, it was reported that Derek Carr has a lingering shoulder issue that may need serious surgery. Carr missed half the Saints’ season last year and isn’t their QB of the future either. Shedeur Sanders falling into the Saints’ lap at #9 might be too enticing for them to pass on. New Saints HC Kellen Moore has a track record of developing young QBs, so we probably wouldn’t hear much from Deion.
After nearly getting their #1 Pick killed in ‘24, Chicago has emphasized their need to improve upon protecting Caleb Williams. Da Bears already acquired Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson to play guard, along with signing Drew Dalman to play center. Adding Kelvin Banks Jr. to the mix would really be the cherry on top. Chicago may already have a solid starting LT in Braxton Jones, but he’ll enter training camp limited with an ankle injury and is on the final year of his rookie deal.
The San Francisco 49ers have a real need at their defensive tackle positions. Walter Nolen has the versatility to play all over the interior of their defensive line and would be an excellent inside complement to Nick Bosa.
Usually, the Cowboys get linked with skill positions because of Jerry Jones’ attraction to star talent. However, when Dallas is drafting at their best, they are taking star linemen. Armand Membou had an under-the-radar excellent career at Missouri and stood out at the NFL Combine. Membou could either start opposite of Tyler Guyton at Right Tackle or move inside at guard to help replace the retired Zack Martin.
A key piece to Michigan’s undefeated Championship ‘23 season, Will Johnson is a dynamic corner with great ball skills. Reports out of Miami are that Jalen Ramsey may be on the outs. Regardless of whether the Phins decide to keep Ramsey, a second starting cornerback is a need. Johnson would get an opportunity to play on the outside from Day 1 while getting the chance to go up against the likes of Tyreek Hill & Jaylen Waddle in practice.
The Colts enter the ‘25 NFL season at a crossroads with Anthony Richardson. Thus far, the #4 Pick in the ‘23 NFL Draft has made just 15 starts with a mixed bag of results. Despite his injury and throwing accuracy concerns, Richardson turns just 23 years old next month. Indy has already surrounded their young QB with talented WRs in Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce. Colston Loveland would serve as an upgrade over Mo Alie-Cox, providing more upside as a target for Richardson to throw to and helping spring Jonathan Taylor in the run game.
The Falcons keeping Jalon Walker in the Peach State would make sense, considering Atlanta has a need for linebacker and edge rusher. Walker has the tools to play either, although what makes him more intriguing to NFL Scouts is his untapped potential if he were to just stick with rushing the passer full-time.
Outside of Dalvin Tomlinson at Nose Tackle, Arizona has very little depth on its defensive line. Derrick Harmon would be the perfect fit as a defensive end in the Cardinals’ 3-4 scheme.
With Trey Hendrickson on the trading block, Cincinnati swings for the fences with James Pearce Jr. Despite the Tennessee Volunteer pass rush prospect’s possible character concerns, the Bengals have never shied away from red flags in the past. The talent is undeniable.
The Seattle Seahawks are projected to have one of the worst Offensive Line units in the NFL for this upcoming season. While drafting a Guard in the 1st Round isn’t too common, Tyler Booker may have the potential versatility to play Tackle in the pros. Putting Tyler Booker at LG next to Charles Cross at LT would, at the very least, help block Sam Darnold’s blind side.
Tampa Bay and long-time Bucs’ linebacker, Lavonte David, have been contractually taking things year to year for the past three offseasons. Eventually, the NFL’s active leader in tackles made is going to hang up his cleats. The Bucs taking Jihaad Campbell here would give him an opportunity to learn alongside David in ‘25 and eventually take over as their next long-term sideline-to-sideline linebacker.
The Broncos could go with a running back here as their RB is barren, but instead, they go with Emeka Egbuka being the 3rd WR off the board. While Egbuka may not be as big as some of Sean Payton’s other slot WR targets from the Saints (Marques Colston & Michael Thomas), the Buckeye prospect stands 6’1” and is shiftier than both. He’d also give Bo Nix a different profile of WR to throw to than what they have (tall vertical threats).
Jaxson Dart’s name undoubtedly passes the NFL phonetics test. Dart threw quite a few darts at Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin. One concern that isn’t necessarily Dart’s fault is that Kiffin is one of the best offensive head coaches in College Football, so it’s tough to gauge who is more responsible for the Ole Miss offensive success. With Pittsburgh yet to officially sign Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers currently have a QB depth chart of only Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. Even if the Steelers would prefer to develop Dart on the bench, he would give Pittsburgh plenty of leverage over the Rodgers situation.
The Chargers’ current listed starters at edge rush (Khalil Mack & Bud Dupree) are on the other side of 30 and on one-year deals. LA also decided to move on from Joey Bosa this offseason after he could never stay healthy. Mike Green might be a small school product, but 17 sacks in a season is a big number, regardless of the level.
With rumors of the Packers trying to deal CB Jaire Alexander, Green Bay could replace him with Jahdae Barron. Both corners are of similar size, under 6’, and can line up inside or outside the numbers. Barron would make sense for Green Bay even if they were to keep Alexander, as they can play him in the slot and move him to the outside once they need to replace the veteran.
The Vikings haven’t re-signed cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore or Shaquill Griffin after they both played a majority of snaps on the Minnesota defense in ‘24. Minnesota appears to want to get younger at the position. Adding Shavon Revel Jr. does just that as he provides plenty of potential despite being less than a year removed from an ACL tear.
Houston adds a Buckeye tackle to replace the departure of Laremy Tunsil. While Josh Simmons and CJ Stroud's time at The Ohio State never crossed paths on the gridiron, they ran in the same college circle. Simmons and Texans’ 2nd Round Pick from a year ago, Blake Fisher, could compete for the Right Tackle job in ‘24, as well as the important long-term Blindside blocker of Stroud.
Earlier this month, the Rams brought Malaki Starks in for a private workout, and could use an upgrade at the safety position. Starks is a three-time All-American who, as a freshman, was a significant contributor to helping Georgia win the National Championship. While his junior year might’ve been his worst, Starks has the look of a 1st Round safety talent with the ability to effect both the run and pass game.
One of the younger prospects of the draft class, Mykel Williams, won’t technically be allowed to celebrate with champagne for getting drafted until he turns 21 at the end of June. The Ravens’ ability to develop players, especially pass rushers, would be an excellent fit for a high-upside gamble.
Detroit’s defense took blow after blow last season, losing 15 defenders to the injury reserve in ‘24. Now the Lions are also without their former Defensive Coordinator, Aaron Glenn, who moved on to the Jets. With this in mind, one would think the Lions surely go defense in the 1st Round. Donovan Ezeiruaku had a monster senior season and would be a great addition on the opposite edge of Aiden Hutchinson.
While I’m sure Washington would like to add another weapon or blocker for Jayden Daniels, their defensive line could really use Kenneth Grant as Jonathan Allen’s replacement. The Commanders tried addressing the issue by signing Javon Kinlaw, but after watching him with the Jets last season, they shouldn’t be sold.
The Buffalo Bills’ safety tandem of Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp graded well below-average in ‘24. Nick Emmanwori has plenty of experience playing free safety deep, in the box almost as a linebacker, and in the slot as a corner. The Gamecock safety had a very productive career, and his NFL Combine performance only furthered his status. He’d be an excellent value pick for the Bills at #30.
The Kansas City Chiefs were embarrassed in the Super Bowl because their offensive line was no match for the sheer size of the Eagles’ front. The Chiefs have already addressed the offensive line in free agency, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they double down in the 1st Round. At 6’5” and 315 lbs., Josh Conerly Jr. has the right body type to develop into a solid starter at guard or tackle.
Wrapping up the first Round, the Super Bowl Champions don’t have too many roster holes or needs. The Eagles could have the luxury of adding a skill position player such as Matthew Golden. The Texas Longhorn would be an upgrade over Jahan Dotson. Golden would be able to play in the slot or outside, interchangeably with AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. Adding another big-play threat like Golden would be less than ideal for the rest of the NFL.
Full List Final Edition of the ‘25 NFL 1st Round Mock
