NFL Mock Draft: Trades Galore

The 2025 NFL Draft is nearly here, which means we're running low on Mock Draft Mondays - what a shame.

It’s been a while since I made a mock draft with any trades… so I decided to go all-in for this mock. And I’m not just talking about trades during the draft. We’re dealing out players who are heavily rumored to be on the trade block. These aren’t small names, and they will shake up the landscape of this draft.

With so many trades made, I kept this to a single round. Unfortunately, that means most of this mock won’t see teams with their new extra picks, but we'll outline all the craziness that transpired behind the scenes and how things came together.

Starting with the pre-draft trades:

Pre-Draft Trades

New York Giants trade Kayvon Thibodeaux to Detroit Lions
Terms: DET sends pick 28 to NYG for Thibodeaux and a 2026 fourth-round pick

The Giants haven’t picked up Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option yet and it feels like the franchise is ready to move on. The Lions need edge rushing help and gladly part ways with a late round-one selection for a proven player across from Aidan Hutchinson

Cincinnati Bengals trade Trey Hendrickson to Atlanta Falcons
Terms: ATL sends pick 46 to CIN for Hendrickson

The “will-they-won’t-they” game between the Bengals and Hendrickson comes to an end as they trade the star pass rusher to the Falcons for a second-round pick.

Atlanta Falcons trade Kirk Cousins to Pittsburgh Steelers
Terms: PIT sends pick 83 and a 2026 fifth-round pick to ATL for Cousins and pick 190

The Steelers say “F--- it” and kicks the tires on Cousins. The Falcons get a decent return while agreeing to take on Cousins’ remaining contract so they can move on.

Miami Dolphins trade Tyreek Hill to Kansas City Chiefs
Terms: KC sends pick 63 and a 2026 second-round pick to MIA for Hill

Hill wants out of Miami and there’s really only one place he can/should go to at this point… The Dolphins know full-well they won’t get a return value for what he’s worth, but two day two selections will pacify them despite Hill heading home to play with Patrick Mahomes again.

Green Bay Packers trade Jaire Alexander to Jacksonville Jaguars
Terms: JAX sends pick 126 and a 2026 fifth-round pick to GB for Alexander and a 2026 seventh-round pick

The Packers are ready to move off Alexander and the Jaguars will happily add the veteran DB to a secondary that needs reinforcements everywhere. Alexander’s arrival to Duval County allows the Jaguars to focus their early picks on the trenches.

New York Jets trade Breece Hall to Chicago Bears
Terms: CHI sends pick 41 to NYJ for Hall

Hall is apparently up for grabs and it’s no secret the Bears want a new running back. Chicago pays a little extra to secure Hall from the Jets to round out this retooled offense.

1. Tennessee Titans

The pick: Cam Ward, QB, Miami

Get your quarterback and nothing else matters. It sounds like Tennessee is all in on the well-traveled gunslinger and it’s a chance for Brian Callahan to work with his hand-picked quarterback.

2. Cleveland Browns

The pick: Travis Hunter, CB, Colorado

This pick was Abdul Carter for one whole #MDM. Hunter is the guy here whether it’s at receiver or corner. He can become a face for fans to invest in and he’ll give Cleveland plenty of media interest.

3. New Orleans Saints (TRADE)

Details: NO sends picks 9 and 40, 2026 First-round pick, and Tyrann Mathieu to NYG for pick 3
The pick: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

A blockbuster trade here is forced because the Saints have no answer at quarterback with Derek Carr’s 2025 season outlook in jeopardy. New Orleans has had previous links to Sanders, so they pay the price to move up into the top-three picks along with the quarterback tax to get him.

4. New England Patriots

The pick: Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State

The Patriots find that Carter slid onto their laps and cut all the phone lines so no one can even try and contact them for a possible trade up.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars

The pick: Mason Graham, IDL, Michigan

This pick feels like chalk right now. Graham fits a huge need for the Jaguars defense, which drastically improves with the Michigan standout’s inclusion to the front lines.

6. Las Vegas Raiders

The pick: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

I’d be stunned if this pick wasn’t Jeanty at this point. The Raiders brought in and extended Geno Smith to hold down the fort at quarterback, but he needs weapons. Jeanty gives Las Vegas an instant boost to their ground game to keep things balanced.

7. New York Jets

The pick: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

This pick is trendy right now and I can see why. The Jets haven’t had anything remarkable at tight end for who knows how long and Warren is ready to be a difference-maker out of the gate.

8. Carolina Panthers

The pick: Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire as the saying goes. Everywhere I look I see Walker mocked to the Panthers eighth overall and I’m buying it. He’s a great player who has nowhere to go but up and Carolina needs someone to step up for their pass rush.

9. New York Giants

The pick: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri

The Giants got a haul to move down six picks and land a player who would’ve made sense at the third overall pick. Membou is destined for greatness at right tackle and opposite Andrew Thomas, the G-Men will have two massive and athletic marvels blocking outside.

10. Chicago Bears

The pick: Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall

The Bears made more than enough investments to their offensive line this offseason, so they need to capitalize on a great edge rushing class. Green is a sack machine and can help reenergize this defense.

11. San Francisco 49ers

The pick: Will Campbell, OT, LSU

Campbell can play left guard while Trent Williams plays out the remainder of his career and then kick outside to succeed the future Hall of Famer when he hangs up the cleats. Campbell is a slam dunk player, and the 49ers are pumped they landed him at 11.

12. Dallas Cowboys

The pick: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

The Cowboys have been one of the busier teams in researching McMillan and I doubt it’s an accident. Throwing the big man opposite CeeDee Lamb would give Dallas one of the best one-two punches across the league.

13. Miami Dolphins

The pick: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

Jalen Ramsey is the undisputed CB1 one on this team… but then there’s nothing proven. Johnson slides opposite Ramsey and gives the Dolphins two dynamic cover men with underrated ball skills.

14. Indianapolis Colts

The pick: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan

This tight end room is among the worst in the league. Loveland has secured a spot on day one and he has enough potential to justify a top-15 selection. The Colts are happy to have validity to a position they haven’t had any help with for years.

15. Atlanta Falcons

The pick: Walter Nolen, IDL, Ole Miss

After grabbing Hendrickson from Cincy, the Falcons need to replace Grady Jarrett on the interior of the line. Nolen has a ceiling as high as anyone in the entire class and can produce as a pass rusher from the inside right away.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (TRADE)

Details: TB sends picks 19 and 84 to AZ for picks 16 and 115
The pick: Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College

The Bucs get ahead of the Bengals to secure their preferred pass rusher thanks to a pick swap with the Cardinals. Ezeiruaku had two great seasons and two not-great seasons of production with Boston College, but Todd Bowles should be able to get the most out of this specimen.

17. Cincinnati Bengals

The pick: Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia

The Bengals need to draft the best edge rusher on the board whether they’re a safe option or a project – it’s the choice that they willingly placed themselves in by playing hard-ball with Hendrickson. Williams needs refinement after injuries slowed him down the last two seasons. With the right development, he will take the league by storm.

18. Seattle Seahawks

The pick: Grey Zabel, IOL, North Dakota State

The Seahawks' offensive line is a disaster, but the interior is pitiful at best. Zabel has played tackle and guard on both sides of the line and is now projected to move to center in the pros. Seattle can start him there and run with what is considered his best projection. If not, at least you know he’s played literally everywhere.

19. Arizona Cardinals

The pick: Kenneth Grant, IDL, Michigan

I’d prefer to see the Cardinals grab an edge rusher here, but Grant’s value outweighs the current top edge rusher on the board. And besides, interior defensive line is a huge need despite the short-term answers in Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell. Grant is an elite run defender and has shown tremendous potential as a pass rusher.

20. Denver Broncos

The pick: Treyveon Henderson, RB, Ohio State

Henderson is quickly getting steam as the potential RB2 off the board for this class. He’s a great runner and receiver, but best of all is his reliability (he hasn’t fumbled in three seasons). The Broncos need a bell cow running back and Henderson has proven he can handle that kind of workload.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers

The pick: Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina

Hampton won’t have to wait much longer after Henderson to be the next running back off the board. The Steelers are set to host one of the least intimidating “running back by committee” rooms in the league. Hampton wipes away that scenario to become Mr. Do-It-All for the offense.

22. Los Angeles Chargers

The pick: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas

Asante Samuel Jr is gone and what the Chargers have at cornerback right now is OK. Barron shouldn’t be available in the 20s, but the Bolts won’t mind snagging him at this value. Barron’s development in Austin has him primed to be an outside corner, but he has safety experience on his resume.

23. Green Bay Packers

The pick: Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M

Sign me up for the Packers to host a science experiment in Stewart. Green Bay successfully developed Rashan Gary into a superstar, and he was equally as raw out of Michigan as Stewart is. Stewart is a ball of clay and the right coaching staff can turn him into an unstoppable weapon.

24. Kansas City Chiefs (TRADE)

Details: KC sends pick 31 and 2026 fourth-round pick to MIN for pick 24
The pick: Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas

Banks slides down toward the end of round one and the Chiefs make sure to get ahead of the offensive line-needy Texans to get their blindside protector. KC needs to fully commit to their offensive line unlike last time with a couple of good investments and then patchwork everywhere else. Banks is elite with as good of a background as any.

25. Houston Texans

The pick: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas

The Texans are now forced to roll with Cam Robinson for a season after seeing Banks sniped one pick ahead of them. I imagine they will shrug their shoulders and pick Golden here without hesitation. Golden is crafty as a route runner and creative when the ball hits his hands. His RAC ability paired up with Nico Collins is a disgusting thought in the best way.

26. Los Angeles Rams

The pick: Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss

Matthew Stafford is no lock to be back next season and as he continues to age it’s pivotal that the Rams have a backup plan and eventual successor in the wings. Dart is a well-established quarterback with good arm strength and mobility to hold up in the pros. Dart under Sean McVay will be his best scenario for NFL success.

27. Baltimore Ravens

The pick: Malaki Starks, SAF, Georgia

Sometimes teams just find themselves lucking into great players and it happens once again for the Ravens. Starks is an elite safety who is suddenly an afterthought for many. He’ll play opposite Kyle Hamilton and give Baltimore the best safety duo in the league to fix a pass defense that was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde last season.

28. New York Giants (TRADE)

Details: DET sends pick 28 to NYG for Kayvon Thibodeaux and a 2026 fourth-round pick
The pick: Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama

The Giants own this pick after the Lions happily moved it to grab Thibodeaux. Rather than replacing Thibodeaux with this pick, New York takes an elite linebacker prospect who appears to be slipping down the board recently. Campbell adds serious attitude to this defense in a much-needed way.

29. Washington Commanders

The pick: Donovan Jackson, IOL, Ohio State

I prefer Jackson to play tackle in the pros, but he’ll continue playing inside at left guard after the Commanders stole Laremy Tunsil from the Texans to play left tackle. Jackson has tons of snaps under his belt and is a safe pick at the end of round one who makes you confident in finding an immediate role for him.

30. Buffalo Bills

The pick: Derrick Harmon, IDL, Oregon

I’d prefer the Bills to get Josh Allen a legitimate WR1, but the team re-signed Khalil Shakir and signed Josh Palmer to team-up with second-year man Keon Coleman. It’s… fine. Buffalo will turn its attention to defense and beef up the front-seven. Ed Oliver can’t do it alone from the inside, so throwing the ultra-violent Harmon next to him will create havoc for opposing offensive lines.

31. Minnesota Vikings

The pick: Shavon Revel, CB, East Carolina

It’s time for another plate appearance for the Vikings as they try yet again to find their answer at outside cornerback. Revel is a big, long cover man and his recovery from a season-ending injury last season appears to be perfectly on time. He should be set to start out the gate and there won’t be much competition to push him.

32. Philadelphia Eagles

The pick: James Pearce, EDGE, Tennessee

The Eagles win the draft with one of the best defensive players falling all the way to the end of day one. There are serious, growing questions about Pearce’s personality and he may fall out of round one altogether. Philly will kick the tires on an elite edge rusher prospect.