One last massive mock for draft day
This is the Paste BN Sports NFL newsletter, 4th and Monday. If this newsletter isn't already getting conveniently delivered to your inbox, click here to subscribe.
The 2025 NFL Draft is finally here!
This is an exciting time for all involved. As prospects realize their lifelong dreams of reaching the NFL, fanbases rejoice over their respective teams adding exciting, young players to the roster.
To the relief of everybody, weeks of rumors/subterfuge/smokescreens/innuendo come to a merciful end. While it is expected that the Tennessee Titans will select Miami (Fla.) quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall selection, intrigue follows. So, be prepared for surprise selections and potential trades (both of picks and players) after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell kicks off the 90th Annual Player Selection Meeting Thursday night at legendary Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, at 8 p.m. ET.
With the draft just hours away, we present a seven-round mock draft and a top 200 prospects list for your perusal ahead of the proceedings. We'll start this off with ...
Seven-round mock draft
After pouring over prospect scouting reports, team needs analysis and months of mock draft scenarios, Paste BN Sports' Ayrton Ostly has projected all 257 selections in this year's draft. From pick No. 1 (Cam Ward) to Mr. Irrelevant at No. 257 (Elijah Simmons), here is one expert's prediction out of infinite possibilities for how the next three days in Green Bay could unfold.
More mock drafts:
- Final projection for every team's first-round pick
- Is a lengthy QB drought coming after No. 1 pick?
- Man vs. machine mock: Though, AI needed ample human assistance
- AI mock drafts have made a mockery of mock draft season (duh!)
Top 200 NFL prospects big board
Over the next three days, 257 players will be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. Once again, Ayrton Ostly has put in extensive draft prep work, having scoured through the game film, scouting reports, and NFL scouting combine and pro day data to carefully compile a ranking of the top 200 draft prospects. Here's a sampling ...
1. Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado — A true unicorn in modern NFL draft history.
3. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State — He started his football career as a wide receiver and can showcase that more in the NFL.
16. Cam Ward, QB, Miami — Ward's electric playmaking gives him a high ceiling in the NFL, but he'll need to iron out his risk-taking.
25. Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina — Emmanwori is built like a linebacker, but is one of the best athletes in the class.
50. Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame — His background as a wide receiver helps his ball skills and route recognition.
80. Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama — Milroe's ridiculous athletic traits put him in contention for the best athlete in the class, regardless of position.
96. Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State — Skattebo won't break off many long runs, but churns out yards thanks to his quick running style and compact frame.
101. Oluwafemi Oladejo, Edge, UCLA — Transitioned from off-ball linebacker to edge in 2024 with good results. He offers a lot of upside and needs time to evolve as a pass rusher.
More NFL draft analysis:
- Bold predictions for the draft's first round
- 10 twists that could shake up the draft
- 12 teams and a few veterans to keep an eye on during draft night
- 5 prospects who could be surprise first-round draft picks
50 biggest draft busts of last 50 years
No player wants to be a part of a list like this. But, so many of the selections speak to the boom-or-bust nature of the NFL draft. For every Peyton Manning there's a JaMarcus Russell. Nate Davis presents a list of the "top 50 draft busts" of the last 50 years.
More draft lists:
- Worst No. 1 overall picks since 2000
- 10 best draft steals of all time
- Best late-round picks of all time
- Every No. 1 overall draft pick ever
Trending ⬆️ and ⬇️
⬆️ Green Bay. Lambeau Field will never host a Super Bowl, but the draft is the next-best thing. This is a huge moment for the NFL's smallest market.
⬆️ Draft trades. For the first time in forever (well, since 2002), all 32 teams hold their own original first-round pick … so expect plenty of draft-day movement (Paste BN Sports will have a draft trade tracker to help keep you informed!).
⬆️ Veterans getting traded. Will we finally see resolutions to the situations involving veteran quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers? While the Atlanta Falcons could deal Cousins to a QB-needy team, Rodgers could end the NFL's lamest offseason storyline. (It would seem totally on-brand for the attention-seeking Rodgers to announce a decision on draft day.) Other veterans – such as the Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey – also could get moved.
⬇️ Shedeur Sanders. The vibes around the draft's most polarizing prospect don't seem great heading into Round 1. NFL Media reported this week that an NFL assistant coach said that Sanders was "the worst formal interview I've ever been in in my life." His father/coach called criticisms of his son "venomous." Could Sanders – once the clear No. 2 quarterback in the 2025 draft class – really get picked after Jaxson Dart?
⬇️ AI mock drafts. If this draft season's machine-driven first-round projection exercise has proven anything, it's that NFL teams are wise to not automate draft selections via artificial intelligence. Felt like so many selections in AI mocks needed a "this pick is absolutely non-sensical" disclaimer.
If you enjoy reading 4th and Monday 📰, encourage your football fan friends to subscribe 📱. Follow the writer of this newsletter on social media @jimreineking.