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.
2025 NFL Free Agent Draft: Picks 1-16
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Cincinnati Bengals: Justin Reid, S, Chiefs. Age: 28.
The Bengals have sorely missed some of their key defenders who have departed in recent years. One such player is Jessie Bates. Cincinnati really needs an upgrade at safety, and Justin Reid can provide that.
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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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Seattle Seahawks: Dre Greenlaw, ILB, 49ers. Age: 28.
Ernest Jones is an impending free agent. He’ll need to be replaced if he’s not re-signed. I’m sure the Seahawks would love to snatch a key player from their greatest rival.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Nate Hobbs, CB, Raiders. Age: 26.
The Buccaneers have seen their secondary diminish in recent years. They’ve had immense problems covering the pass, so a terrific slot cornerback like Nate Hobbs could really help them.
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Denver Broncos: J.K. Dobbins, RB, Chargers. Age: 26.
The Broncos have no running game. It’ll be shocking if Sean Payton doesn’t address this position. I’m sure he’d have interest in a rival’s back. J.K. Dobbins has a dubious injury history, but was terrific last year.
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Pittsburgh Steelers: Davante Adams, WR, Jets. Age: 32.
Davante Adams is on the downside of his career, which is why he’s going later in this free agency mock draft than some would expect. However, he would be a huge upgrade for the Steelers, who have nothing at receiver outside of George Pickens.
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Los Angeles Chargers: Mike Hilton, CB, Bengals. Age: 31.
Cornerback was a huge problem area for the Chargers last year. I have them taking one in my real mock draft, and they could do that in this fake free agency mock draft.
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Green Bay Packers: Joey Bosa, DE, Chargers. Age: 30.
The Packers didn’t have a very good pass rush last year, so they’ll be looking to strengthen their defensive line this offseason. Joey Bosa is injury-prone, but the Packers are ready to win now, so they seem likely to take a chance on him.
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Minnesota Vikings: Poona Ford, DT, Chargers. Age: 29.
The Vikings blitzed at the highest rate in the NFL last year, and it ended up costing them against the Rams. They need to add talent to their defensive line.
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Houston Texans: Kevin Zeitler, G, Lions. Age: 35.
Part of the reason C.J. Stroud struggled last year was that his blocking was terrible. Kevin Zeitler is old, but he’s still a great blocker who could be a great short-term solution for Houston.
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Los Angeles Rams: Robert Spillane, ILB, Raiders. Age: 29.
The Rams had severe issues covering the middle of the field last year, so someone like Robert Spillane would be a colossal upgrade.
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Baltimore Ravens: Tyron Smith, OT, Jets. Age: 34.
Ronnie Stanley is a free agent, so losing him would be a big problem for Lamar Jackson’s pass protection. Tyron Smith would be a nice short-term solution for Stanley’s departure.
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Detroit Lions: Ifeatu Melifonwu, S, Lions. Age: 26.
We’re going to have our first and only retention pick. Ifeatu Melifonwu is a gifted safety who was sorely missed last year when he was hurt. I’d have to think the Lions would love to retain him if they could.
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Washington Redskins: Xavier Woods, S, Panthers. Age: 30.
The Redskins are set to lose Jeremy Chinn in free agency, so they could use a new safety. Xavier Woods is 30, so there might be some age-based regression.
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Buffalo Bills: Charvarius Ward, CB, 49ers. Age: 30.
Rasul Douglas is an impending free agent. Even if he’s re-signed, the Bills will need a new cornerback for the future. Charvarius Ward is coming off an injury-plagued season, but he should be able to bounce back to form.
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Kansas City Chiefs: Will Hernandez, G, Cardinals. Age: 29.
We thought the Chiefs only needed a left tackle to bolster their offensive line, but we now know that they could use a replacement for Joe Thuney at guard.
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Philadelphia Eagles: Keenan Allen, WR, Bears. Age: 33.
Keenan Allen began 2024 slowly, but rounded into shape and was effective down the stretch. He could help the Eagles, who don’t have anything at receiver beyond their two stud players.
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