ChatGPT says: Ross Jacobs is a football analyst and mock draft expert associated with Fantasy Football Metrics (FFMetrics). He has produced several NFL mock drafts over the years.
In addition to his mock drafts, Jacobs has contributed scouting reports and analyses on various football prospects. Jacobs is active on social media, sharing his analyses and engaging with the football community. His work is recognized for its depth and insight into player evaluations and draft projections.
Ross is part of our (FFM's) award-winning Mock Draft team.
- Tennessee Titans - QB Cam Ward, Miami
The Tennessee front office has made multiple baffling moves this off-season. It’s almost like they have PFF whispering in their ear like Wormtongue to Theoden in Lord of the Rings. “Take this player. We have him graded highly.” And because they have shown no original thought of their own, no courage, and no decisiveness, I have to assume they are going to follow the herd and select Ward first overall.
Ward is a fine QB (RC and I were arguably the first scouts to suggest he was a future NFL starter and high draft pick way back before he even transferred to Washington St), but his skillset is very similar to Will Levis. Why not just try to build around Levis for another year? Is Ward really a huge upgrade? Are they prepared to live with a lot of the same baffling turnovers that cost Levis his job?
2. Cleveland Browns - EDGE Abdul Carter, Penn St
Cleveland desperately needs a QB, but at this point I’ve become convinced that the teams at the very top of the draft cannot justify taking Sanders over some of the more well thought of players like Carter and Hunter. I vehemently disagree with the mainstream narratives surrounding Shedeur, but that’s an argument for another day. The reality is that teams seem to be backing off of him, and I’d be a fool not to heed the warning signs.
In addition, because of the comments made by Myles Garrett about being content with their likely future starting QB, I have to assume that Cleveland is planning to trade for Kirk Cousins after the draft when he can be sure he’s the starter. He would reunite with Stefanski from their days together in Minnesota.
That leaves Cleveland with a choice between Carter, an edge rusher, and Hunter, a wide receiver/cornerback. The NFL is going to side with the pass rusher in that situation 99 times out of 100, so Carter it is.
3. New York Giants - WR/CB Travis Hunter, Colorado
Despite all the connections between the Giants and Shedeur, I’ve become convinced there’s very little chance either of these two teams will take him over the consensus top two rated players, Carter and Hunter. There’s simply going to be too large a grade difference between them to justify “reaching” for the QB, no matter how badly they need one. I believe both teams will convince themselves that taking one of the so-called elite players in the first round and following it up with a developmental QB in the second or third round will work out better than taking Sanders.
4. New England Patriots - OT Will Campbell, LSU
The Patriots were hoping Shedeur would go second or third so that one of Carter or Hunter would get to them, but alas, they have to settle for taking the starting left tackle they desperately need. There are a lot of scouts questioning how good Campbell is and whether his somewhat shorter arms will necessitate a move to guard in the future, but by and large teams seem fairly comfortable trying him out at tackle to begin with. Vrabel in particular had no issues drafting Peter Skoronski and his short arms…even if he did immediately move inside to guard.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars - OT Armand Membou, Missouri
The most popular pick for the Jaguars by far is Mason Graham, but I don’t agree with that assessment for a number of reasons. Firstly, Graham is quite overrated. He’s on the smaller side for an NFL defensive tackle, he has short arms, he wasn’t nearly as productive as he’s made out to be, and he benefitted massively from playing next to Kenneth Grant, the true freak athlete on the Michigan defensive line. Plus, the Jaguars already have a couple of starting defensive tackles and they can pick up more depth later in a loaded class.
No, I think their top priority is protecting Trevor Lawrence, and despite the multiple additions they made in free agency, I believe they are definitely still looking for further upgrades. Assuming they do take a tackle here, their choice between Membou and Kelvin Banks will say a lot about James Gladstone, the new GM, and his process. Membou is the consensus higher rated player, but Banks has better size, a greater wingspan, started for a big school for three years and competed against elite competition, and by all accounts he has elite character, a favorite quality of Gladstone’s. Banks isn’t well thought of by most mock drafters, but I am sure he’s in the mix to be Jacksonville’s pick at #5.
6. Las Vegas Raiders - RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise St
Jeanty to the Raiders still feels like a near lock to me. He’s arguably in the mix for best player in the draft along with Carter and Hunter, he plays a position Pete Carroll wants to build his offense around, and the team doesn’t have a clear starter at that position. The only question to me is whether Tom Brady will put his foot down about taking an RB this high in the draft. I highly doubt he will.
7. New York Jets - DT Mason Graham, Michigan
I struggle to put Graham here for a number of reasons. Firstly, the media has made him the single most overrated prospect in this entire class. He’s just not as disruptive as he’s being made out to be. He’s also undersized with short arms and he’s out of shape which is a consequence of known work ethic issues.
But I have no confidence that Aaron Glenn and the new GM will see through these obvious issues. It’s the Jets after all. They are going to fall for the sucker’s bet and in this case that means buying into the media’s nonsense. They’ll believe they are getting “the steal of the draft at #7.” Graham will pair with Quinnen Williams to become the most devastating defensive tackle duo in the league! Or so the media narrative will go.
8. Carolina Panthers - LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
I’ve struggled with the Panthers pick for a long time. Tetairoa McMillan is certainly an option, but I believe Dan Morgan is focused on adding pieces to the league’s worst defense. They could take Graham if he’s on the board, but I’m not sure Morgan would draft a guy with obvious work ethic issues and either way he’s off the board here. They could take Will Johnson to pair with Horn for a really nice corner duo. Of course, the most popular pick here is one of the edge rushers, but I don’t see that any of them are worth it. There isn’t an edge rusher in this class that fits the profile the NFL usually takes in the top 10.
So, who else could they possibly take? And then it hit me that Campbell could fit the bill. He’s usually mocked a bit further down the board because teams are generally reluctant to take an off-ball linebacker high (another theme we’ll explore soon), but Campbell is one of the rare ones that checks every box. He’s big, fast, hits hard, can cover, and has great leadership abilities. Some people even think he has some pass rushing chops. I think he could be a riser leading up to draft day. Morgan, a former linebacker himself, can take the new captain of his defense and let him patrol the middle while also possibly adding some passing rushing juice on third downs.
9. New Orleans Saints - QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
This is where I’ve settled on Sanders for the moment, but he’s teetering on the edge of a much larger fall. If he gets past the Saints it’s going to be a very long night for Deion’s son.
The Saints have made it abundantly clear that Derek Carr is in his final year with the team. They are getting divorced as soon as it makes financial sense, and the team will need a replacement. Because of the grades on Sanders, teams in the top 5 can’t justify taking him over much higher rated players, but the Saints should have an easier time making that choice. Kellen Moore in particular might not care about some of the size and arm strength concerns with Sanders as he himself dealt with the same issues during his time as a QB.
10. Chicago Bears - RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
I know the Bears would love to get their hands on Jeanty, but unless he somehow falls past the Raiders they aren’t going to get him. Hampton is very well thought of in many league circles and is commonly mocked to a team like Denver in the 20s so this doesn’t seem like a radical jump. Ben Johnson was with Detroit when they made the much bigger surprise of taking Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th pick.
I could also see them taking a TE like Tyler Warren for Johnson’s offense. They already have Kmet, but Johnson uses a ton of two-TE sets in his offense, and he could get quite creative with Warren’s unique skill set.
11. San Francisco 49ers - DT Kenneth Grant, Michigan
The 49ers could go a number of different directions with this pick including offensive tackle (which they always ignore) and edge rusher, but I’m going with Grant for a number of reasons. San Francisco’s run defense really suffered after the loss of Arik Armstead last year. This is also the staff that spent first round picks on both Solomon Thomas and Javon Kinlaw and paid Javon Hargrave a huge contract a few years ago. They value the defensive tackle spot highly. Here’s a link to John Lynch talking about the position and what he’s looking for this year.
First and foremost, they want an “explosive” player that can “get off and disrupt and make plays.” Nose tackles with Grant’s size (6’3”/325 lbs) aren’t typically explosive athletes, but Grant absolutely fits the bill. He was ranked #3 on Bruce Feldman’s Freak’s list for 2024.
https://collegefootballnetwork.com/michigan-kenneth-grant-feldman-freaks-list/
Running a sub 5.0 40-yard dash at his size is absurd. If he had been able to run at the Combine most mocks would not still have him being picked around the 20’s.
The second thing Lynch mentioned was “hopefully, that is a huge guy” because they would like him to also have the strength to soak up double teams in the middle of their line due to how much space they allow. Grant fits every quality the 49ers are looking for. I know he’s usually mocked much later than this, but I believe the mainstream is far too low on “the other Michigan defensive tackle.”
12. Dallas Cowboys - WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
And just like that the Cowboys get arguably the draft’s best receiver at the 12th pick. There’s been a lot of scuttlebutt that McMillan could fall much farther into the 20s, but that seems like nonsense to me. Even getting outside the top 10 is a bit sketchy. He’s utterly dominant on tape, and it’s rare to find a receiver as big as McMillan that moves so well. He’ll make a nice downfield option to pair with Lamb’s slot prowess.
I could also see Dallas going for Will Johnson here as there are major questions lingering for their top two starters, Diggs and Bland. Diggs is still recovering from an injury and Bland is going to need a new contract soon. It might make sense to let one or the other walk in which case they’ll need another starter. The issue is further exacerbated by the recent loss of starting slot corner Jourdan Lewis. If they don’t take a corner here they’ll be looking for one in the 2nd round.
13. Miami Dolphins - CB Will Johnson, Michigan
For some reason…offensive line is the pick here in nearly every mock draft and also the odds-on favorite in the Vegas odds. That makes no sense to me. Even if Terron Armstead leaves, the team has their bookend tackles ready to go, and while the interior wasn’t great last year, it doesn’t make much sense to take a guard this high when you can get a starting caliber player on day 2 or 3.
When I see the Miami roster, there are a number of holes, but there’s a glaring issue across from Jalen Ramsey. Who is their current #2 corner? 2nd year undrafted free agent Storm Duck? No way the team is comfortable with that. They’ll for sure take another corner highly in this draft and it just so happens the best one in the class is available for them here.
14. Indianapolis Colts - TE Tyler Warren, Penn St
Warren to the Colts is quickly becoming one of the most consensus picks in the draft, and I see no reason to deviate. The people that mock him to the Jets and Saints must be forgetting that tight ends often go much later in the draft than their talent level suggests. Even Brock Bowers, widely considered the best receiving TE to leave college in years, didn’t go until pick 13. I have a hard time seeing Warren go higher than that.
Indy has been searching for a starting caliber TE for years. The position is a big part of Steichen’s offense and repeated injuries to Jelani Woods robbed them of a chance to see what he could do. Warren can start day 1 and hopefully be a big enough target that even Anthony Richardson can’t miss him.
15. Atlanta Falcons - EDGE Mykel Williams, Georgia
Will the Falcons finally, finally take an edge rusher in the first round? It seems like their fan base has been screaming for that for a decade. Of course, even if they do take Mykel here, they’ll probably be back at this well sooner rather than later because he’s simply not a very good pass rusher. Sure, he looks the part, but he’s not very fast, his technique is shoddy, and the production just hasn’t been there. He is a good run stuffer though. The Falcons need to stop Chuba Hubbard somehow…
16. Arizona Cardinals - OT Kelvin Banks, Texas
The Cardinals could go a number of different directions with this pick, but to me a few positions stand out…offensive line, defensive line, and corner. I don’t see a corner or defensive lineman worth the pick, but if Banks is still on the board I imagine the Cardinals will be thrilled. He could go as high as 5 to Jacksonville, so getting him at 16 would be quite nice. Yes, the team is paying Jonah Williams, but he’s struggled with health and consistency and they need insurance. Banks could always slide inside to guard for a year or two if Williams can stay healthy.
17. Cincinnati Bengals - OG Tyler Booker, Alabama
I’ve been tunnel-visioned onto defense with this pick like everyone else. It makes sense when you think about how bad the defense was last year. But there is an argument to be made for taking an offensive lineman here. Protecting Burrow is never a bad idea and their line, particularly the interior, has been bad for a number of years. They could also want a big, powerful lineman to help improve their running game further taking pressure off of Burrow.
Booker often goes much later in many mocks, but to many in the NFL he is considered one of the safest prospects in the entire class, a Pro Bowl caliber guard immediately and a great leader, precisely the type of player the Bengals covet.
18. Seattle Seahawks - TE Colston Loveland, Michigan
Most mocks mindlessly slot an interior offensive lineman to the Seahawks due to how bad their line has been for years, but that’s missing the obvious…every year an interior lineman is the most common choice to the Seahawks in the first round and they never take it. Why? It’s not a premium position, there often isn’t a good option available when they are on the clock, there very often is a great value at another position, and you can get starting caliber guards and centers in the later rounds.
The positions that stand out to me as likely here are offensive tackle, edge rusher, corner…and tight end, although this is the least likely option of the bunch. I think it would take a combination of not having a great option at the other three positions and the availability of specifically Loveland for this pick to happen.
Jay Harbaugh, the special teams coordinator, recruited Loveland to Michigan and called him “one of the best prospects I’ve ever seen.” In addition, current starting TE Noah Fant is a free agent in 2026 and could be cut for cap savings after the draft. Many around the team believe he isn’t a great fit for Kubiak’s offense.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - EDGE Mike Green, Marshall
Almost everyone mocks Jihaad Campbell here, and it makes sense, but it also assumes Campbell is going to get past a number of different teams that could be interested in him. He’s one of the cleaner prospects in this draft from an NFL perspective though, so I imagine he might go much higher than is currently expected.
If Campbell is off the board, Tampa is likely to be looking for either a corner or an edge rusher. Jason Licht tends to prefer very big, very fast corners and there’s nobody fitting that profile here, so instead they can grab an edge rusher for the defense. Bowles prioritizes change of direction and the ability to drop into coverage, and Green fits that description better than Stewart or Pearce. I previously thought Green might drop out of the first round entirely due to some off-field concerns (and he still might), but it seems like he might have answered those questions satisfactorily. He was named an “eternal team captain” at Marshall which says a lot about his character and work ethic.
20. Denver Broncos - RB Quinshon Judkins, Ohio St
A third RB in the first round? I think it’s a possibility. Denver seems hyper-focused on bringing in a running back this draft, and Judkins fits a lot of the traits Sean Payton tends to look for. He’s a tough, hard-nosed runner, he can block, and he catches the ball well out of the backfield. Judkins could be Payton’s new Mark Ingram.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers - WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio St
Early in the draft cycle Egbuka was the favorite to be the pick for Pitt. Then the team traded for DK Metcalf and the conversation shifted to a defensive lineman to eventually take over for Cam Heyward.
The thing is…Pittsburgh isn’t showing much interest in any of the first-round defensive tackles. Normally they are quite open about their interest and don’t do much to conceal their intentions. They meet with prospects they like multiple times, send the entire staff to their pro days, take them out to dinner, and finally bring them in for a top 30 visit. They haven’t done any of that for the presumed favorites for this pick…but they did do it for Egbuka, a guy many people have compared to Hines Ward.
The obvious interest in Egbuka got me thinking. Metcalf and Pickens are similar style players with overlapping skill sets. Metcalf got a huge extension which means Pickens almost certainly won’t. There has been a ton of friction between him and Tomlin. So, what if the Steelers draft Egbuka then trade Pickens immediately to someone else…say the Packers who are looking for a fast, downfield option and were the original favorites to trade for Metcalf! The Steelers recoup the 2nd-round pick they spent on Metcalf, dump Pickens and his issues, and upgrade their receiving corps with a tough, hardworking grinder in Egbuka.
22. Los Angeles Chargers - CB Jahdae Barron, Texas
I see a lot of mock drafts that want to put an offensive skill position player here, and while I understand the thinking, that seems to go completely against how Jim Harbaugh wants to build his team. Yes, their defense was the #1 scoring defense last year, but there were still multiple ways it could be improved, and Harbaugh is never going to stop adding pieces to his favorite side of the ball.
What qualities does Harbaugh like in his players? Toughness, willingness to tackle and play with physicality, versatility, all qualities that people use to describe Barron. I’ve watched his tape and while he can play outside corner, I much prefer his game in the slot where he can use his instincts and physical game to bully smaller receivers. He also has the versatility to play safety or even outside corner in a pinch. In fact, he reminds me a lot of Jimmie Ward, a tough hybrid nickel corner and safety that Harbaugh drafted in the first round with the 49ers.
23. Green Bay Packers - DE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
The Packers love them some big, athletic, prototypical edge rushers (Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness), and Stewart certainly fits in that same mold at 6’5”/267 lbs. They will be primarily looking at edge rushers and defensive linemen in the first round this year. Stewart is exactly the kind of player they love on the edge.
It’s common to see Stewart mocked in the top 15, often as high as #8 to the Panthers, and while that’s certainly a possibility, Stewart is extremely raw as a player and needs a ton of work before he’ll resemble anything close to a good player. The ceiling is high, but the floor is very, very low, so I imagine he might go a bit later in the first round than is commonly thought. His situation reminds me a bit of Montez Sweat when he came out. Sweat was another freak athlete running an off-the-charts 4.41 40-yard dash at 260 lbs, and yet he lasted until pick 26 because of some kinks in his game that needed to be worked out. Stewart might experience something similar.
24. Minnesota Vikings - CB Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
The Vikings could go with several different options here, but a secondary player makes the most sense to continue adding depth. Hairston is young, athletic, and a wonderful fit for Brian Flores’s zone defense. If not a corner I could see them taking a safety to eventually replace Harrison Smith or even a receiver to protect against any contractual or attitude issues with Jordan Addison.
25. Houston Texans - OT Josh Simmons, Ohio St
This pick is so obvious I almost believe there’s no way it could actually happen. A team like the Chiefs could easily trade up one spot ahead of Houston with the pick deficient Vikings and take Simmons themselves. Houston obviously needs more linemen after they traded away Tunsil from an already poor line last year.
A receiver could also make some sense here as Christian Kirk is old, and Tank Dell is likely to miss most or all of the 2025 season.
26. Los Angeles Rams - WR Luther Burden, Missouri
Sean McVay wanted Brock Bowers last year, and I think he’ll be looking for more playmakers in the 2025 draft to help his offense keep up with the ascending defense. That could be a tight end like Elijah Arroyo, or it could be another receiver like Burden.
Burden is a fabulous fit in the McVay offense. The team could really use someone with his run-after-the-catch abilities and he is quite adept at taking speed sweeps, a favorite strategy of McVay’s.
27. Baltimore Ravens - LB Jalon Walker, Georgia
It’s not very often you see Walker mocked this low, but I have a very good reason for it. Until this mock I didn’t even have him in the first round. Why when he’s commonly mocked in the top 10-15 picks by almost everyone? Because he’s an undersized, off-ball linebacker…not an edge rusher as he’s commonly discussed.
Walker is all of 6’1”/245 lbs with short arms. He’s far too small to play full-time edge rusher in the NFL, and he’s not particularly good at rushing the QB from that position anyways. Most of the splashy highlights are of him blitzing. Even then his technique is very unrefined, he doesn’t show much explosiveness or bend, and he often gets swallowed up by larger blockers. The players he actually compares to, Kyle Van Noy, Noah Spence, and the Ojulari brothers, all have the same issues, and they were all early 2nd round picks, not high first rounders. Nolan Smith, another tiny Georgia edge rusher, lasted all the way until pick 30 despite being mocked in the top 8-12 by most people, and he was far more athletic and explosive than Walker is.
I am still considering leaving Walker completely out of the first round, but there’s so much hype behind him I’ll probably have him in…just much later than is common. The Ravens love to snatch up this kind of “falling” prospect. They can use him better than most and won’t have to rely on him immediately.
28. Detroit Lions - WR Matthew Golden, Texas
You never know what to expect from the Lions in the draft. They are always threats to trade up or down, and to take players at any position no matter what the mainstream media thinks.
Do they “need” another receiver? No, but Jameson Williams, despite his growth, has had his share of issues over the years and is coming up on the end of his rookie contract. Will the Lions really want to give him a big extension when they are already paying so many other more important pieces? Detroit can protect themselves by taking another talented receiver here.
Golden has a similar skill set to Williams and would be a great third receiver and insurance policy.
29. Washington Commanders - S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
The Commanders could draft basically any position here, but Adam Peters loves to take “best player available” and he actually will. Emmanwori is supposedly a top 20 player on most boards and might only fall this far due to positional value. I was not impressed with his tape and wonder if he might fall into the second round, but maybe Washington will snatch him up to replace the big nickel safety spot in their defense recently vacated by Jeremy Chinn. Dan Quinn used a similar style of player, Donovan Wilson, in Dallas. Emmanwori could be an upgraded version of both players if he’s as good as advertised.
30. Buffalo Bills - DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
The one thing I keep hearing about the Bills is they intend to upgrade their defensive line this off-season, to get bigger and stronger to hold up against all the powerful running games currently in vogue around the league. They have already added two big bodies on the edge in Michael Hoecht and Joey Bosa, but they could still use a bigger player in the middle to rotate in, and eventually replace, Daquan Jones.
Harmon is one of my favorite players in this draft and a guy I believe is very underrated. He’s nearly 6’5”, 313 lbs, with long arms, ran a 4.95 at that size, and his tape is littered with him making big plays. He reminds me of a young Cam Heyward, a player he says he models his game after. In addition, he’s a hard worker and very down-to-earth, a perfect character guy for the blue-collar Bills.
If not a defensive tackle, this will likely be a cornerback, either Maxwell Hairston or Trey Amos.
31. Kansas City Chiefs - TE Elijah Arroyo, Miami
Spicy! It’s very uncommon to see Arroyo mocked in the first round, but that’s exactly where I expect him to go provided his medicals check out. The guy is nearly un-coverable when he’s healthy and would provide a nice boost to a passing attack that hasn’t been the same since Tyreek Hill left town. Travis Kelce is aging rapidly, Noah Gray is nice but not a real starting TE, and Jared Wiley did absolutely nothing as a rookie. Arroyo would instantly add some juice and take over for Kelce when he retires. This pick reminds me a lot of the 2019 draft when the Chiefs took Clyde Edwards-Helaire coming off a Superbowl victory when a first round RB wasn’t on the radar for anyone.
32. Philadelphia Eagles - EDGE James Pearce, Tennessee
Pearce is a very talented player, but a few issues are starting to push him farther down boards. First, he’s reportedly got some character issues and is supposedly very difficult to coach, and second, much like Shemar Stewart, he’s a very linear player and only works well rushing from a wide spot as an outside linebacker. He’s not really strong enough or agile enough to play as a true defensive end. The Eagles won’t care about either issue. They have no problem taking character guys and Pearce would be a nice addition to their edge rushing rotation in Fangio’s scheme.
I could also see the Eagles taking a defensive tackle, corner, or even a receiver or tackle if the right value fell to them.
