EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
Get ESPN+

2025 NFL mock draft: Yates' pick predictions for Rounds 1-2

Where could Xavier Watts, Cam Ward, Luther Burden III and Kenneth Grant land? Illustration by ESPN

April is here, which means the 2025 NFL draft is right around the corner. All-star games and the combine are behind us, and I'll be attending the offseason's last big pro day on Friday to see Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. Teams are starting to finalize their needs and boards, and there aren't as many unanswered questions remaining about this class. Time to update my projections for where the top prospects could land in a few weeks.

I've put together a handful of mock drafts so far, but none of them has gone past the first round. This time I went 64 picks deep, with predictions for Rounds 1 and 2. Along the way, I found new homes for five quarterbacks and a bunch of future NFL stars. And because we can always expect some moves during draft weekend, I even projected four intriguing trades in this exercise.

Here are my latest predictions for Rounds 1 and 2. And for more on these team fits, check out our "SportsCenter Special."

Jump to:
Round 1 | Round 2
NE trade | LV trade
BUF trade | NO trade

ROUND 1

1. Tennessee Titans

Cam Ward, QB, Miami

Absent a "Godfather"-style trade offer -- one the Titans cannot refuse -- I fully expect Tennessee to take Ward and build this franchise around him. He had an incredible 2024 season in which he led the FBS in passing touchdowns with 39, and he's the best innovator in the quarterback class when the play breaks down. While this group of quarterbacks does not stack up to last year's elite class, the majority of evaluators I've spoken with view Ward as the clear-cut top signal-caller and worthy of the first pick.

The Titans still have Will Levis, but after the team finished 31st in QBR (37.3) and threw the second-most interceptions (21) in 2024, it will be looking for an upgrade.


2. Cleveland Browns

You might also like: video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video | video