2025 NFL Draft: Bucky Brooks releases new first-round mock with Shedeur Sanders on the move, RBs rising

The 2025 NFL Draft is less than a month away, set to kickoff April 24 from Green Bay, Wisc., and with Pro Days wrapping up around the country, the opening round is quickly starting to take shape as NFL teams continue to update their own draft boards after filling many of their needs in free agency.

With that in mind, Bucky Brooks unveiled his latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft 3.0 on Tuesday and the NFL.com analyst delivered with a big shakeup in the Top 10 that now includes multiple quarterbacks and running backs coming off the board early.

Given that early run, Brooks actually has three QBs and RBs being selected among the first 32 picks, and resolves some of the outstanding quarterback concerns for both the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. And in a draft full of premier trench talents, Brooks doesn’t skimp on the offensive and defensive linemen in Round 1.

Check out Bucky Brooks’ latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft 3.0 below:

Despite some rumblings that the Titans could be looking to deal this pick for a king’s ransom, most draft prognosticators believe that’s a smokescreen. Brooks is among those of the belief Tennessee will stand pat and snag the talented Miami quarterback at No. 1 overall.

In just one season in Coral Gables, Ward led the Hurricanes’ NCAA-leading offense with a FBS-best 39 passing touchdowns and ranked in the Top 5 in nearly every passing metric, including second nationally with 4,313 yards on 67.2-percent passing in 2024.

Ron Chenoy | Imagn Images

Brooks also doesn’t buy the QB-needy Browns potentially passing on a talented NFL legacy like the son of Deion Sanders at No. 2 overall. Shedeur Sanders’ draft stock briefly took a bit of a hit after anonymous coaches reportedly had troubling interactions with him during team interviews at the NFL Combine.

But those rumors won’t stop Cleveland from landing its next franchise quarterback in Sanders, who led the FBS with a 74.0 completion percentage along with 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns in 2024.

With the draft’s top two QBs off the board in the top two picks, Brooks has the Giants landing arguably the most talented player in the entire class, especially after New York signed veteran quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston over the last week.

Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, is a true two-way threat after racking up 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense and four interceptions, 11 passes defended and 36 total tackles on defense in 2024.

Another beneficiary of the early QB run, the Patriots luck into the unanimous Penn State All-American at No. 4 overall, as first-year New England head coach Mike Vrabel lands an unblockable pass-rushing phenom.

The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Carter was practically unstoppable this past season, racking up 12 sacks, a NCAA-best 23.5 tackles for loss, 61 pressures, and 68 total tackles in 2024.

Junfu Han | USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After missing out of an impactful interior defensive lineman in free agency, Brooks has the Jaguars shoring up the heart of its defensive front by landing the heartbeat of Michigan’s 2023 national champion defense.

The powerful 6-foot-3, 320-pound Graham is undisputably the top interior defensive lineman in the draft after tallying 52 tackles, 26 pressures, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in 2024.

Brooks follows the trend of NFL prognosticators connecting the rebuilding Raiders under new head coach Pete Carroll with the uber-talented Boise State running back that nearly broke Barry Sanders‘ NCAA single-season rushing record set in 1988.

In a draft class loaded with talented RBs, Jeanty stands head and shoulders above the field and is the first rusher off the board after finishing last season with a FBS-best 2,601 rushing yards, 29 touchdowns, and 126 missed tackles in 2024.

After moving on from 41-year-old veteran QB Aaron Rodgers and replacing him with talented 26-year-old Justin Fields, Brooks expects the Jets to give the dual-threat former Steelers and Bears quarterback some dynamic weapons.

And outside of Hunter, there’s no more dynamic playmaker than the 6-foot-6, 261-pound Warren, who won the John Mackey Award last year after leading the Big Ten with 104 receptions for 1,233 yards and 13 total touchdowns, including four rushing and one passing.

Brett Davis | Imagn Images

Brooks is reading the writing on the wall and expects the Panthers to focus their first-round pick on landing a talented pass rusher at linebacker, and Walker fits the bill to a tee.

The 6-foot-2, 245-pound Jalon Walker, the reigning Butkus Award winner, racked up 62 total tackles, 6.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss for the Bulldogs in 2024.

The Saints have plenty of needs, but with the several teams likely targeting offensive lineman in the first round, New Orleans doesn’t hesitate to land arguably the draft’s most pro-ready big man in Campbell.

The reliable 6-foot-6, 323-pound Campbell, a first-team All-American, allowed just two sacks over his last two seasons in Baton Rouge, and now gets to play pro ball in the same state.

Brooks leaves his big surprise for the final pick in the Top 10 as he projects the new-look Bears will give former No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams a backfield mate to pair with dynamic RB D’Andre Swift.

Hampton is widely considered the second-best running back in the draft class after ranking third in the FBS with 1,660 rushing yards and a team-high 15 touchdowns on the ground in 2024.

Will Gallagher | Inside Texas