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Mock Drafts

NoteWith CU “primed” to have two top ten NFL Draft picks, it seems appropriate to have a separate thread for Mock Drafts. The NFL Draft will take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, April 24-26. As the draft gets closer, Mock Drafts will be expanded past the first round, and we’ll be able to talk more about where other Buffs will go, but for now, it’s all about the first round, and who will be the No. 1 overall pick … 

February 10th

The Sporting News: Travis at No. 3; Shedeur drops out of Top Ten

From The Sporting News … Here are the latest projections for every team with the order set to be set.

1. Tennessee Titans 3-14

  • Cam Ward, QB, Miami (6-2, 223 pounds)

The Titans, like other teams, should see that Ward is standing out a bit when evaluating him with Shedeur Sanders. Ward has the bonus of dynamic athleticism, including a polished, accurate arm, which gives some Jayden Daniels vibes in this year’s class. The Titans can’t mess around with Will Levis or a veteran bridge when they need their true franchise QB.

3.  New York Giants 3-14

  • Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado (6-1, 185 pounds)

The Giants need to consider quarterback early, but it will also be difficult to ignore that Hunter may fall right into their lap to be an instant ball-hawking defensive star in New York while also giving Malik Nabers some receiving help at times.

18. Seattle Seahawks 10-7

  • Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado (6-2, 215 pounds) 

The Seahawks might shock some by taking a quarterback in the first round despite still having Geno Smith playing rather well, but they are looking for a more reliable downfield passing game under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. A lesser shock might be Sanders falling, and they can’t pass up this great fit beyond the double alliteration because he profiles as their ideal, strong-armed pocket passer.

Read full story here

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February 8th

NFL.com drafts: Travis No. 1 in one; Shedeur No. 1 in another 

From Cynthia Frelund at NFL.com … I always do my NFL mock drafts a little differently from the traditional method, in that my team-prospect pairings are based on optimizing for wins in the upcoming season only. Here’s a quick look at my process:

  1. I take the best available information about free agency — which, right now, is admittedly not much more than what we know about player contracts — to predict players’ market value.
  2. I then check free agents’ projected market value against the anticipated salary-cap space for each team.
  3. Finally, I add potential free agents or drafted players to different teams and identify which individuals increase teams’ projected win total the most. (My player model leverages historical pre-draft player data to forecast NFL performance.)

I’m starting this process early again this year, which is extremely fun because I am excited to track how things change with free agency and as the draft process evolves. For example, based on the Senior Bowl, which took place last week, I think Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart could appear in future versions of my Round 1 mock-up, depending on potential trades, what happens in free agency, etc.

No. 1 … Tennessee TitansTravis Hunter … Hunter’s upside and overall value in the 2025 class are too hard to ignore. If the Titans lock in on Hunter at No. 1, they have the benefit of addressing other needs — like quarterback — in free agency (as well as later in the draft). As of now, Hunter comes off the board no later than third overall in 81 percent of one million simulations by my model.

No. 9 … New Orleans SaintsShedeur Sanders … The Saints’ head coach vacancy throws a bit of a wrench into my model’s pick for New Orleans, but Sanders would be an exceptional value at No. 9, no matter who lands the job. My model is high on Sanders for his accuracy and very high on him for his playmaking skills on downs after he’s been pressured. In that latter area, he ranks near the top among all QB prospects in my 10-season sample. If you use that metric as a proxy for toughness, and then consider his relatively small size for his position, it’s even more impressive.

Read full story here

But … 

From Bucky Brooks at NFL.com … Less than a month away from the NFL Scouting Combine, it’s time to start thinking about where the top prospects could end up.

Here’s my initial projection of how the entire first round will play out in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where the 2025 NFL Draft will take place on April 24-26.

No. 1 … Tennessee Titans … Shedeur Sanders … Second-year head coach Brian Callahan and new general manager Mike Borgonzi jump-start the Titans’ rebuild with a franchise quarterback boasting big-game moxie and experience engineering program turnarounds.

No. 4 … New England Patriots … Travis Hunter … New head coach Mike Vrabel’s personal experience as a two-way player could help the Patriots maximize this Heisman Trophy winner’s potential as a combo playmaker in the NFL.

Read full story here

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February 3rd 

ESPN’s Matt Miller’s Mock Draft: Travis to Cleveland; Shedeur to Las Vegas 

From ESPN … I spent time over the past two weeks at the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl all-star events, watching top 2025 NFL draft prospects in action. There were some clear risers, including players who could get picked in the first two rounds. So I’m projecting where the best players in the class — including 22 Senior Bowl participants — could land with a full mock draft of Rounds 1-2.

Yes, there’s still a lot of time for changes. The combine later this month will shuffle draft boards, and NFL free agency in March will alter the needs of each team. Pro days and countless interviews come after that as we count down to Round 1 on April 24. But this is where things stand at the moment. The top 30 picks of the draft order are set, but I based the order for Nos. 31-32 here on my personal prediction for Super Bowl LIX.

Let’s get to it. Here are my first- and second-round projections for April’s draft, including landing spots for the Senior Bowl’s top risers, Shrine Bowl standouts and four quarterbacks.

1. Tennessee Titans … Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State

2. Cleveland Browns

Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado

The Browns are facing questions about quarterback Deshaun Watson’s future, so it’s logical to think they would be all-in on a passer here. But Cleveland isn’t a lock to draft a QB given the money it has committed at the position. Instead, the Browns might go with the most dynamic player in the draft.

Hunter wowed en route to winning the Heisman Trophy, catching 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns while still finding time to pick off four passes at cornerback. He played an FBS-high 1,458 snaps. The debate over which position he should play in the NFL is ongoing, but the Browns need help at receiver and corner.

6. Las Vegas Raiders

Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Sometimes dots connect themselves in the NFL draft. Sanders has worked with Raiders minority owner Tom Brady in previous offseasons and would land with his mentor here. The Raiders have two foundational stars in tight end Brock Bowers and defensive end Maxx Crosby, but they need a strong leader to cultivate an offensive identity.

Sanders stays poised within the pocket and displays excellent toughness, with a knack for timing-based throws. He doesn’t have blazing speed or superior arm strength, but he is extremely accurate, as his 6.5% off-target percentage in 2024 was second among quarterbacks in this class.

Read full story here

 

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January 24th 

CBS Sports Mock Draft: Raiders move up to take Shedeur with No. 1 pick

From CBS Sports … Tom Brady and Shedeur Sanders go way back, having established a football relationship since Sanders’ days as a high school quarterback.

And with Brady seemingly very much involved in the decision-making process for the Raiders now that he’s a minority owner, let’s assume the legendary quarterback makes sure his team can draft the Colorado quarterback in April.

Las Vegas has the No. 6 overall pick — so there are no guarantees Sanders is wearing Silver and Black in September. If the Raiders trade up to No. 1 overall, that can, of course, happen.

In this mock, in his first seismic move as part owner, Brady and Co. — whomever they hire as GM — make a deal with the Tennessee Titans and promptly select Sanders to be the club’s next quarterback. It’d fill a need. Sanders is reasonably pro-ready from a full-field read perspective.

And if you hit on the quarterback, no one ever remembers, or cares, what you sent in a draft-day trade to get him.

No. 1 – Shedeur Sanders – Las Vegas Raiders

We cannot rule out the possibility of the Raiders — and new minority owner Tom Brady — making an aggressive push to draft Shedeur Sanders. There’s a chance Sanders’ connection with Brady will make it too dicey for Las Vegas to simply hope and wait for him to fall to No. 6 overall.

No. 4 – Travis Hunter – New England Patriots

Travis Hunter to the Patriots would be tremendous for everyone involved. New England gets a ridiculous two-way player, and Hunter can be featured prominently right away.

Read full story here

Mel Kiper (ESPN): Shedeur and Travis go No. 2 and No. 3 

We’re roughly three months from the 2025 NFL draft. The college football season is officially over — congrats to the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes — and we’re down to four teams in the NFL playoffs. That means three things:

  1. We have a full final season of tape for top prospects, so evaluations are becoming clearer.
  2. The draft order for the first 28 picks is locked in, with the Tennessee Titans sitting at No. 1.
  3. It’s a perfect time for my debut mock draft for the 2025 class.

This class isn’t loaded with quarterback talent like we saw in 2024. But I still have a few passers going early in Round 1, and there is plenty of talent at other positions. Remember, there is a lot of time before the draft begins April 24, and the board will continue to change with predraft events. This is merely an exercise to show what I’m thinking three months out, factoring in my Big Board rankings and what I’m hearing from execs, scouts and coaches in the league. I’m not projecting any trades right now; it’s just too early to gauge which teams could move up. And I used ESPN’s Football Power Index to project the draft order for the final four picks.

1. Tennessee Titans …. Cam Ward, QB, Miami

2. Cleveland Browns … Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado

Know how I just said the Titans had the league’s second-worst QBR and INT total? Well, the Browns were the worst in both categories. Deshaun Watson also retore his right Achilles and Jameis Winston is a free agent, so taking Sanders isn’t out of the question. But I think Cleveland is more likely to address another hole here and find QB reinforcements in free agency and/or later in the draft. (Trading back for more picks with another QB-needy team could be part of the equation, too.)

Plus, Hunter is just that good. I see elite quickness and ball skills on both sides of the ball, traits that helped him to 15 touchdown catches and four interceptions this season. The Browns would likely use him primarily at receiver and then sprinkle him in at cornerback in specific situations.

3. New York Giants … Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

This is the best-case scenario for the Giants. Their Week 17 win over the Colts slid them to No. 3, and now finding a new QB1 in the first round isn’t guaranteed. But Daniel Jones is gone and Drew Lock is a free agent, so the Giants have to do something to clean up one of the worst passing games in the league. New York will be weighing all options, and it might ultimately be forced to trade up into the top two to get its guy. But here, Sanders falls into the Giants’ lap without any extra moves.

Sanders is super accurate, completing 74% of his throws this season. He could step in right away and lift the entire offense, including standout 2024 first-rounder Malik Nabers. Time is running out for GM Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll; they have to get this right.

Read full story here

The Sporting News: Travis Hunter the No. 1 pick

From The Sporting News … The first-round NFL Draft order for April 24 is almost set. Four more teams were eliminated from the 2025 playoffs in the divisional round, officially locking in picks No. 1-28 ahead of the conference championship games.

Of course, offseason trades can (and will) happen, which will further shake up the order, but that’s another worry for another post-Super Bowl day.

Here’s looking at the updated projections for all the teams who know where they’ll be picking — for now — on Day 1.

1. Tennessee Titans 3-14

  • Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado (6-1, 185 pounds)

The Titans will be urged to draft a quarterback with this pick, but they could also use cornerback help after both Chidobe Awuize and Roger McCreary struggled in coverage. They could use a little more big-play flash at wide receiver to help Calvin Ridley, as well. Hunter has the big defensive game they need along with high-impact WR energy as a unique, Heisman-winning talent.

3.  New York Giants 3-14

  • Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado (6-2, 215 pounds)

There are reports of Sanders falling off some teams’ first-round boards because of how he played at the end of the Buffaloes’ season, changing the narrative on his entire body of work as a clutch, accurate downfield passer. But there’s no indication that the Giants are one of those teams, with reports to the contrary reflecting their growing desire for Sanders to shine in returning coach Brian Daboll’s offense. New York has set itself up for getting a “prime-time” franchise QB, and that aligns with being a desired destination for Deion’s son.

Read full story here

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One Reply to “Mock Drafts”

  1. With the Raiders getting their guy – whom I think is a good hire, for whatever that’s worth – I wonder if they’ll try to trade up to get Shedeur?

    Go Buffs

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