Posted March 7, 2025.
I’ve done this the past 14 years, and I thought it would be fun to do it again. It’s exactly what it sounds like – if free agency occurred in a draft format, who would be the top picks? I’ve excluded all the free agents who are either restricted or previously franchised prior to the published date.Go here for my 2025 NFL Mock Draft or follow me @walterfootball for updates.
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Tennessee Titans: James Daniels, G, Steelers. Age: 27.
It’s unclear if the Titans will sign a veteran quarterback or draft one at No. 1 overall. Either way, they need a better offensive line. The interior needs some help, especially with Dillon Radunz bound for free agency.
Follow @walterfootball for updates.
Also, if you haven’t visited the site in a while, you may have noticed the new look. Yes, after nearly two decades, we’ve finally re-designed our site to be more modern. This was not done on a whim, but rather out of necessity because of what occurred during the 2023 NFL Draft. Our site crashed during the entire first day of the draft, which was disastrous for our revenue stream because we make more money during the draft than any other time. The site crashed because a line of code conflicted with the old format of the site, so we had to transition to this new look.
Because we lost so much money during the draft, I want to point out that you can really help support the site by paying for the ad-free version of it. It’s $7.99 per month, but you’ll get a super-fast site with no ads. My developer will be adding new features to paid subscribers as well, so look for that in the near future. If you don’t want to pay, please spread the word about the site through word of mouth. That would also be a big help!
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Cleveland Browns: Ronnie Stanley, OT, Ravens. Age: 31.
Adam Schefter reported that the Browns will be drafting a quarterback with this pick. The only problem they’d have with a rookie signal-caller on the roster is the lack of a left tackle. Jedrick Wills is gone, so a replacement is needed. Ronnie Stanley is 31, but he’ll be able to shield the rookie quarterback for the first few years of his career.
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New York Giants: Talanoa Hufanga, S, 49ers. Age: 26.
Saquon Barkley wasn’t the only significant player the Giants missed last year. Xavier McKinney’s departure was painful as well. There’s no one close to Barkley in free agency, but the Giants can obtain a stud safety.
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New England Patriots: Teven Jenkins, G, Bears. Age: 27.
The Patriots desperately need offensive line help to ensure that Drake Maye can develop. Teven Jenkins is injury-prone, but he’s very talented and could provide a big upgrade for New England.
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Jacksonville Jaguars: D.J. Reed, CB, Jets. Age: 28.
Jacksonville has endured issues in pass defense for years. The team would greatly benefit a talented cornerback like D.J. Reed from joining the roster and vastly upgrading the secondary.
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Las Vegas Raiders: Jevon Holland, S, Dolphins. Age: 25.
Speaking of teams with horrendous secondary issues, the Raiders need to fix their aerial defense as well. An athletic safety like Jevon Holland would provide a big upgrade at a position that has given the Raiders issues for years.
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New York Jets: Josh Sweat, DE, Eagles. Age: 28.
Hasaan Reddick didn’t pan out for the Jets, but perhaps another Philadelphia edge rusher will. The Jets need to upgrade their pass rush after struggling to get to the quarterback in 2024.
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Carolina Panthers: Drew Dalman, C, Falcons. Age: 26.
The Panthers made a couple of great upgrades on the offensive line last offseason, but they forgot to address the very middle of it. They have a huge need at center, so they’d love to land a starter at the position from one of the rival teams.
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New Orleans Saints: Malcolm Koonce, DE, Raiders. Age: 27.
The Saints saw their pass rush diminish last season. With Cameron Jordan about to age out of the NFL, New Orleans’ front office will be in the market for an edge rusher. Malcolm Koonce is very talented, but missed all of last year with a knee injury.
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Chicago Bears: Haason Reddick, OLB, Jets. Age: 30.
I thought about mocking Khalil Mack for a Bears homecoming, but Haason Reddick is four years younger. Now that the Bears addressed their offensive line in a couple of trades, they need to focus on their lackluster edge rush.
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San Francisco 49ers: Will Fries, G, Colts. Age: 27.
I thought about allowing the 49ers to keep Dre Greenlaw, but something they desperately need to do is fix their offensive line. The interior is terrible, so San Francisco could be interested in someone named Will Fries, who got off to a great start in 2024 before suffering a leg injury.
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Dallas Cowboys: Chris Godwin, WR, Buccaneers. Age: 29.
The Cowboys don’t have any downfield threats for Dak Prescott aside from CeeDee Lamb. I have them drafting a receiver in my real mock draft, and they could take a wideout with this free agency selection. I expect Chris Godwin to follow Liam Coen to Jacksonville, but he would make sense in Dallas as well.
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Miami Dolphins: Dalton Risner, G, Vikings. Age: 30.
The Dolphins had one of the worst guard-center-guard groupings in the NFL. The Seahawks may have been the only team with a worse corps. Dalton Risner is terrific in pass protection, so his presence would be a huge boon for Tua Tagovailoa.
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Indianapolis Colts: Byron Murphy, CB, Vikings. Age: 27.
Cornerback has been a huge problem for the Colts for a while. They were rumored to like Terrion Arnold in last year’s draft, but didn’t anticipate Laiatu Latu falling to them.
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Atlanta Falcons: Khalil Mack, OLB, Chargers. Age: 34.
The Falcons probably believe they can make a deep run into the playoffs this year. That’s why it would make sense to go a little older with this pick. The Falcons need to continue to bolster their edge rush, and Khalil Mack would be a great short-term solution.
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Arizona Cardinals: Milton Williams, DT, Eagles. Age: 26.
The Cardinals are looking to bolster their offensive and defensive lines this offseason. Milton Williams would be a logical target for them in free agency. He’s a young player with tons of upside, and he would offer a big upgrade in the interior of the defensive line.
Go to 2025 NFL Free Agent Draft: Picks 17-31
Sorry for cutting this into two halves; I’ve received complaints about load times and putting the mock draft on two pages saves bandwith.