Race for the No. 1 Pick of the 2025 NFL Draft:
Jacksonville Jaguars:
The Jaguars fell to 0-4 after losing at Houston. Jacksonville is married to Trevor Lawrence after giving him a massive contract extension. If the Jaguars land the No. 1 pick, they should trade down and add more picks to build up their talent on both sides of the ball.
Tennessee Titans:
The 0-3 Titans play the Dolphins tonight. Tennessee is a prime contender for the No. 1 pick with Will Levis at quarterback.
Carolina Panthers:
The Panthers lost to the Bengals and fell to 1-3. Carolina is still in their rebuild and should challenge for the No. 1 pick this year. If they land it, they could take a new quarterback like Shedeur Sanders and move on from Bryce Young.
Top General Manager Candidates:
- Detroit Lions director of scouting development Mike Martin
- Atlanta Falcons vice president of player personnel Kyle Smith
- Indianapolis Colts chief personnel executive Morocco Brown
- Buffalo Bills director of player personnel Terrance Gray
- Tennessee Titans director of pro scouting Brian Gardner
- Philadelphia Eagles director of scouting Brandon Hunt
- Miami Dolphins assistant general manager Marvin Allen
- Washington director of pro scouting Eric Stokes
- New England Patriots executive Alonzo Highsmith
Top Head Coach Candidates:
- Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden
- Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
- Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn
- Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Gus Bradley
- Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia
Head Coach Hot-Seat Tracker:
- Dallas Cowboys: Mike McCarthy
- New York Giants: Brian Daboll
- New York Jets: Robert Saleh
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Doug Pederson
- Chicago Bears: Matt Eberflus
Let’s Play Matchmaker:
Minnesota Vikings: Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina 
The Vikings jumped out to a huge lead before the Packers came storming back, and Minnesota had to hold on to a narrow win in Green Bay. Jayden Reed (7-139-1) had some big plays, with Dontayvion Wicks catching two touchdown passes. The Viking’s defense has been exceptional this season, but they could use a young corner to be the long-term starter, as Stephon Gilmore is just a short-term stop-gap.
In 2024, Revel has two interceptions, two passes broken up, and eight tackles. Revel (6-2, 188) is a big cornerback that has impressive speed and athleticism for a big cornerback. In 2023, he had 55 tackles with 12 passes broken up and one interception. Revel has the potential to be a riser like Quinyon Mitchell did for the 2024 draft. He could be a nice pick for the Vikings in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Atlanta Falcons: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan 
The Falcons had a great team win with a huge day from their special teams, including a touchdown on punt coverage and some long field goals, including the game-winner in the final seconds. Atlanta’s ability to close out wins would be helped if they added a cornerback to pair with A.J. Terrell. Chris Olave had some huge catches in the fourth quarter to lead the Saints to take a late lead. The Falcons could use an upgrade across from Terrell.
In 2024, Johnson has recorded 11 tackles, two interceptions (both returned for touchdowns), and three passes defended. He returned 86 yards for a touchdown. Johnson played really well for the Wolverines in 2023 and provided very good coverage late in the year during their championship run. He totaled 27 tackles, four interceptions and four passes defended. In 2022, he recorded 27 tackles, three interceptions, and three passes broken up. The 6-foot-2, 202-pounder has a good skill set and upside. He would be a superb pick in the first round for Atlanta.
Cincinnati Bengals: Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State 
The Bengals got their first win of the season with a win over the lowly Panthers. Cincinnati was unable to sack Andy Dalton and this year the Bengals defensive line has had issues with defending the run and not putting enough pressure on the quarterback. Cincinnati could use an interior rusher to go with Kris Jenkins and an interior penetrator to go next to Trey Hendrickson.
In 2024, Williams has nine tackles and 1.5 sacks thus far. Williams flashed interior rush ability in 2021, putting up five sacks and 16 tackles. In 2023, he played solid football, recording 54 tackles, three sacks, and five passes defended. Williams (6-2, 290) made a number of impressive plays against Notre Dame, getting the better of left tackle Joe Alt at times. Williams could be a nice early-round pick for Cincinnati.
Chicago Bears: Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas 
The Bears improved to 2-2 with a home win against the Rams. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams had another underwhelming performance, but Chicago was able to get more production out of D’Andre Swift and their rushing attack. To help Williams and Swift next season, they could use more blocking talent to give them more protection and running lanes.
Banks played well as the starting left tackle for the Longhorns in 2023 and as a freshman in 2022. At 6-foot-4, 324 pounds, Banks has adequate size, but some might view him as having more of a guard-type body – depending on how long his arms are. Banks has blocked well in 2024 and looks like a safe pick to be a solid starter in the NFL. For Chicago, Banks could be an upgrade at tackle or guard.
Houston Texans: Nic Scourton, DE, Texas A&M 
The Texans got back on track with a win over rival Jacksonville, and that loss dropped the Jaguars to a surprising 0-4. Surprisingly, Houston only had one sack against the Jaguars, and it came from a defensive back. The Texans could use more interior rush talent to go with Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter.
In 2024, Scourton has 14 tackles with three sacks in four games. While playing at Purdue in 2023, Scourton broke out with 50 tackles, 10 sacks, one forced fumble and three passes defended. The 6-foot-4, 280-pounder showed impressive quickness and athleticism for a big-bodied defensive lineman. After the season, Scourton transferred to Texas A&M. He is a thick-bodied lineman who could help the Texans run defense and pass rush from the inside. Scourton could be a hybrid end and tackle in the NFL.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josaiah Stewart, OLB, Michigan
The Bucs defense has dealt with a lack of pass rush and edge rush this season, but the sack production came alive in Week 4 as Tampa Bay routed the Eagles. The Buccaneers welcomed Vita Vea back to the field and used a group effort to get six sacks of Jalen Hurts. Todd Bowles is a genius blitz schemer, but Tampa Bay could use more young edge rush talent to pair with Yaya Diaby unless Chris Braswell breaks out this season.
In 2024, Stewart has 14 tackles with four sacks and a forced fumble. Stewart has been a dangerous pass rusher for Michigan over the past three seasons. In 2021 he had a breakout season with 12.5 sacks, 43 tackles, and three forced fumbles. In 2022 he had 37 tackles with 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble. As a junior in 2023, Stewart had 38 tackles with 5.5 sacks. Stewart would fit best as a 3-4 outside linebacker edge rusher in the NFL. Stewart does not have size to be a base end in a 4-3 defense. In a 4-3 scheme, he would have to be a Sam linebacker that rushes off the edge in the sub package. Stewart could be a nice day-two edge rusher for the Buccaneers.
Dallas Cowboys: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
The Cowboys did not play their best, but they got a road win in New York on Thursday Night Football. All season, the Dallas rushing offense has struggled to get going and provide Dak Prescott with better down-and-distance situations. The 2025 NFL Draft will be an excellent year for running back talent, so the Cowboys could fix their backfield woes with a talented runner from the early rounds of the draft.
In 2024, Jeanty has averaged 10.3 yards per carry for 845 yards with 13 touchdowns and six receptions for 19 yards.To open the season, Jeanty carried Boise State to a 56-45 win over Georgia Southern. Jeanty ran for 267 yards on 20 carries and had six touchdowns. Jeanty (5-8, 217) has a strong build with impressive speed and athleticism. In 2023, Jeanty averaged 6.1 yards per carry for 1,347 yards with 14 touchdowns. He also was a tremendous receiving back with 43 receptions for 569 yards and five scores. Jeanty could be a dangerous weapon to lead an NFL rushing attack and he would be a great fit in Dallas.
Team Draft Report:
In this section, we take a deeper look at specific teams and where they stand in regards to the 2025 NFL Draft.
San Francisco 49ers:
The 49ers have dealt with an insane amount of injuries in only the first month of the 2024 season. San Francisco has shown the strength and depth of their roster by staying in the playoff race with a 2-2 showing in September. The injuries might catch up with them later this year, but the 49ers have a strong roster that should have them as a top team in the NFC in 2025.
San Francisco has a future Hall of Famer in Trent Williams, but it would make sense for the 49ers to add some blocking talent to go with Williams. They could draft a tackle and start him out at guard or on the right side while grooming him to be the eventual replacement for Williams. In my latest mock 2025 NFL Draft, I have 49ers taking Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, and he would be a good fit for that career path. Banks is a good athlete and would fit Kyle Shanahan’s blocking scheme well. Banks also has a versatile body type, and he could play guard or right tackle in the meantime. Before long, the 49ers will be giving a massive contract to Brock Purdy, so it makes sense to build up the blocking talent to protect their investment. Other tackle options to consider in the first round include LSU’s Emery Jones, Oregon’s Josh Conerly, and Arizona’s Jonah Svaiinaea.
The 49ers also could consider adding help to the inside of the defensive line, and there should be some excellent options in the first and second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Some candidates include Michigan’s Mason Graham, Kentucky’s Deone Walker, and Ohio State’s Tyleik Williams. Any of that trio would be good opening night selections.
San Francisco could also consider an edge rusher to cross from Nick Bosa. In the early rounds, some players that might fit include Florida State’s Patrick Payton, Ole Miss’ Princely Umanmielan, and Ohio State’s J.T. Tuimoloau. Building up their talent on both lines seems like a great strategy to help the 49ers stay dominant in the NFC. The 49ers are in good shape to remain top Super Bowl contenders over the next handful of seasons, and one more good draft might put San Francisco over the top.
New York Giants:
The Giants fell to 1-3 on Thursday Night Football, and through the first quarter of the season, New York looks like a team that is not a true playoff contender this season. The Giants have enough talent to pull off some wins, but they need more consistency on a game-by-game basis. After this season, New York could use an upgrade at general manager and head coach (see options above).
In my latest mock 2025 NFL Draft, I have the Giants taking Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and moving on from veteran Daniel Jones. Jones has dealt with some bad offensive lines and a lack of talent at wide receiver during many of his seasons in New York. The Giants’ lack of potent scoring is not all his fault, but at this point, it could make sense to get a starting quarterback on a cheaper contract and use Jones’s big salary to build up the talent on the roster for that quarterback. Perhaps Jones will play well over the final three-quarters of the 2024 season to earn one more year in New York, but if the rest of the year plays out like the first quarter of the season, it could be time to move on and take a quarterback like Ewers, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, or Georgia’s Carson Beck.
Aside from quarterback, the Giants could use more early-round picks to help their offense. Devin Singletary is a solid pro back, but he could be better off in a platoon situation. The 2025 NFL Draft looks like a strong year for running back talent, so adding a running back on day two could prove an excellent value. Some good backs include Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson, and Cal’s Jayden Ott.
The Giants could also consider adding more offensive line talent in the early draft rounds. Evan Neal appears to be trending toward bust status, and Jermaine Eluemanor is a veteran journeyman. Thus, a right tackle is a position they will also have to consider on day one or day two unless they fix it in free agency.
It will be a fascinating end of the season in New York to see if they start a regime change in the front office and on the coaching staff. It could be time for the Giants to start over with a new head coach, general manager, and quarterback.
