For me, Ward and Sanders are clearly in a tier behind the top three from last year in Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Daniels.

That’s when we get to No. 4. And for me, Sanders gets the edge ahead of J.J. McCarthy.

They both have great intangibles. But for me, Sanders has the tangibles that put him ahead of McCarthy.

Sanders’ hyper accuracy is why I have him ranked higher than McCarthy, who I had questions about when it comes to his ability throwing the football.

Ward is sixth for me behind those two because while his arm talent may have been second in this group behind Williams, questions about his ability to play in structure and avoid playing hero ball are real.

I would have Nix ranked seventh ahead of Michael Penix Jr. based purely on how I felt about them as prospects because I felt Nix was more of a product of the talent around him at Oregon after two poor seasons at Auburn. But I was clearly wrong, and Sean Payton has done a great job of developing him as a rookie.

The gift of hindsight changes this conversation. But we’re also talking about knowns vs. the unknowns of what these quarterbacks in 2025’s draft could be. That means we only have half of the answers to the question.

If either Ward or Sanders are as good as Nix was as a rookie, any team needing a quarterback will probably be thrilled. Asking them to be as good as Daniels is simply too big of a task.

But just because this is a weaker QB class doesn’t mean there won’t be one stud. That’s why I can’t say that Ward and Sanders are easily worse than the top six quarterbacks from 2024.

Here is my latest 2025 NFL mock draft with the full draft order, going out to the Browns’ second-round pick at No. 33.

1. Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB, Miami

Height, weight: 6-2, 223 pounds.

2024 stats: 305-454 (67.2%), 4,313 yards, 39 TDs, 7 INTs.

Ward isn’t my QB1 in this draft, but I understand why he is more likely right now to go first overall. His ceiling might be higher than Sanders, and his electrifying arm talent could be just the spark the Titans need as a franchise.

2. Cleveland Browns: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Height, weight: 6-2, 215 pounds.

2024 stats: 353-477 (74.0%), 4,134 yards, 37 TDs, 10 INTs.

I admit I’m higher on Sanders than most analysts are. What’s hurting his stock right now is that he just doesn’t have the elite physical tools that you see from most quarterbacks who go early in the draft.

But I feel like we don’t give enough weight to the mental tools, and Sanders has those. He has tremendous poise, toughness, work ethic and the clutch gene, none of which can be taught.

Plenty of quarterbacks who have come into the NFL with high-end physical tools have not panned out. The arm could always get a little stronger.

It’s those unteachable tools that make Sanders so appealing for me, particularly on a Colorado team that didn’t give him much help outside of Travis Hunter.

Despite the temptation to address the potential departure of Myles Garrett, the Browns’ dire need at quarterback makes Sanders the most logical choice to improve their offense.

3. New York Giants: Abdul Carter, edge rusher, Penn State

Height, weight: 6-3, 259 pounds.

2024 stats: 68 tackles, 12 sacks, 24 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles.

In this mock, the Giants will have to wait until at least Round 2 to get the young quarterback they desperately need. Settling for Carter, who is arguably the best non-quarterback in this draft, is a pretty good consolation prize.

Carter had a high-end performance in the College Football Playoff, recording two sacks and four tackles for loss and solidifying himself as the draft’s best pass rusher.

In this scenario, I have the Giants using the 34th pick on Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart.

4. New England Patriots: Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado

Height, weight: 6-1, 185 pounds.

2024 stats: 96 receptions, 1,258 yards (13.1 avg.), 15 TDs; 36 solo tackles, 4 INTs, 1 forced fumble, 11 pass breakups.

The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner can be a stud at either receiver or cornerback, and depending on the team, he might get a shot to play both. If he goes to the Patriots here, he could be Drake Maye’s WR1 from the second he steps foot in the building.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

Height, weight: 6-3, 325 pounds.

2024 stats: 45 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 7 TFLs.

The Jaguars were bad in pretty much every defensive category in 2024. While they could easily go with Will Johnson to bolster their secondary, I like Graham here for Jacksonville to build a great defensive line alongside Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen.

6. Las Vegas Raiders: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona

Height, weight: 6-5, 212 pounds.

2024 stats: 84 receptions, 1,319 yards (15.7 avg.), 8 TDs.

McMillan might be the frontrunner to be the first true receiver taken in this draft ahead of Missouri’s Luther Burden III. Pairing him with Brock Bowers in Las Vegas could make for an intriguing 1-2 punch in the passing game.

The Raiders have a ton of cap space and with a pick outside of the top five, they feel like a team likely to splurge on a veteran and use a later pick on a young prospect quarterback.

7. New York Jets: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

Height, weight: 6-2, 202 pounds.

2024 stats: 12 solo tackles, 1 INT, 2 INTs, 3 pass breakups.

As tempted as I was to mock Jaxson Dart to the Jets since they will probably go elsewhere at quarterback, I’m having the Jets stick to the board and add another piece to their defense.

Johnson has been arguably as good a corner as there was in college football the last two seasons, and a pairing of him and Sauce Gardner could do great things.

8. Carolina Panthers: Mykel Williams, edge rusher, Georgia

Height, weight: 6-5, 265 pounds.

2024 stats: 21 tackles, 5 sacks, 9 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles.

Now that Bryce Young appears to have turned the corner in the NFL, the focus for the Panthers should shift to fixing the league’s worst defense. Williams is an electrifying pass rusher and should immediately contribute to a Carolina defense that was tied for the third-fewest sacks in 2024 (32).

9. New Orleans Saints: Shemar Stewart, edge rusher, Texas A&M

Height, weight: 6-6, 290 pounds.

2024 stats: 31 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 6 TFLs, 1 forced fumble.

Stewart was a star at Senior Bowl practices even though he only practiced for two days that week. That week pushes him up into the top 10 on this mock and the Saints take him here to add more youth to their pass rush. Cameron Jordan turns 36 before the 2025 season starts, and Stewart’s athleticism makes him an appealing option in the top 10.

10. Chicago Bears: Will Campbell, IOL, LSU

Height, weight: 6-6, 323 pounds.

Here’s a selection that I’m keeping from by previous mock. Campbell is probably the best offensive lineman in this draft even if he only plays guard. But whoever drafts him could also take him as a tackle.

The Bears would take either to improve the offensive line in front of Caleb Williams.

11. San Francisco 49ers: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas

Height, weight: 6-4, 320 pounds.

The 49ers built so much of their success on the offensive line. With Trent Williams turning 37 in July, they use a rare early pick to draft his potential heir apparent. Banks needs to improve as a pass protector, but his strengths as a run blocker make him a good fit as an early starter in Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

12. Dallas Cowboys: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

Height, weight: 5-9, 215 pounds.

2024 stats: 374 carries, 2,601 yards (7.0 avg.), 29 TDs.

The emergence of Rico Dowdle made me rethink this pick a little bit. But after how well the selection of Ezekiel Elliott went for Dallas in 2016, I think Jeanty provides the Cowboys with a chance for a positive case of déjà vu. He had a quiet game in the Fiesta Bowl vs. Penn State by his standards with 104 yards rushing, but most of that was due to his offensive line being dominated.

13. Miami Dolphins: Jalon Walker, edge rusher, Georgia

Height, weight: 6-2, 245 pounds.

2024 stats: 60 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 11 TFLs, 2 fumble recoveries.

One of the things that kept the Dolphins from maximizing their potential was an ineffective pass rush that had the sixth-fewest sacks in 2024 (35). Walker outproduced Williams last season at Georgia and I think he and Chop Robinson, who had a nice rookie season with six sacks, could form a nice one-two combo in the pass rush.

14. Indianapolis Colts: Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

Height, weight: 6-6, 257 pounds.

2024 stats: 104 receptions, 1,233 yards (11.9 avg.), 8 TDs.

Safety might be a bigger need for the Colts. But they desperately need help at tight end and they need to figure out if Anthony Richardson is the guy by giving him some help. Warren, like Abdul Carter, made himself money in the playoffs with 16 catches for 171 yards and two TDs in three postseason games.

15. Atlanta Falcons: James Pearce Jr., edge rusher, Tennessee

Height, weight: 6-5, 243 pounds.

2024 stats: 38 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 13 TFLs, 1 forced fumble.

Here’s another pick that remains unchanged from my previous mock draft. Pearce didn’t quite build off an outstanding 2023 season, but he was good enough to in 2024 to keep himself in the first round. Atlanta had the second-fewest sacks in the NFL with 31, and Pearce could fix that in a hurry.

16. Arizona Cardinals: Mike Green, edge rusher, Marshall

Height, weight: 6-4, 248 pounds.

2024 stats: 84 tackles, 17 sacks, 23 TFLs, 3 forced fumbles.

Perhaps no one did more for their draft stock in the Senior Bowl than Green did. He proved that he wasn’t just lighting up opposing quarterbacks in the Sun Belt and he might have worked himself into a first-round pick. The Cardinals could use a high-end pass rusher and although this could be early for Green, the fit here is potentially outstanding.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri

Height, weight: 5-11, 208 pounds.

2024 stats: 61 receptions, 676 yards (11.1 avg.), 6 TDs.

2024 wasn’t quite as good a year for Burden as his 2023 was. That said, Burden has a legitimate case to go much higher than 17th overall. If he fell this far considering that the Bengals might not be able to hang onto both Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase, they can get quite a steal to add a young, explosive option on the perimeter.

18. Seattle Seahawks: Armand Membou, OT, Missouri

Height, weight: 6-3, 314 pounds.

Abraham Lucas looked like he could be a long-term solution for the Seahawks at right tackle. But injuries have limited him to just 13 games over the last two seasons, and the Seahawks might want to be in the market for another option at tackle. Membou plays with a lot of power and he is more than capable of getting up to the second level.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Nic Scourton, edge rusher, Texas A&M

Height, weight: 6-4, 285 pounds.

2024 stats: 37 tackles, 5 sacks, 14 TFLs, 1 forced fumble.

Scourton might not be the first Aggie edge rusher to get drafted with Shemar Stewart’s stock on the rise. While the Buccaneers have invested a lot in their pass rush the last few years, they could keep going by adding a powerful lineman in Scourton.

20. Denver Broncos: Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

Height, weight: 6-1, 205 pounds.

2024 stats: 81 receptions, 1,011 yards (12.5 avg.), 10 TDs.

Like many Ohio State players, Egbuka helped boost his draft stock with his play in the College Football Playoff. He’s a clone of Jaxon Smith-Njigba in so many ways, and he could be a very reliable target for Bo Nix in no time.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas

Height, weight: 5-11, 200 pounds.

2024 stats: 46 solo tackles, 1 sack, 3 TFLs, 5 INTs, 11 pass breakups.

I wrestled with whether I would mock Jalen Milroe to the Steelers. But they haven’t been an organization known to force needs, so I think they continue to build on the strength of their team, which is defense. Barron won the Thorpe Award in 2024, and he did not allow a single touchdown in coverage.

The Steelers still need help at corner, and Barron may have passed up Benjamin Morrison of Notre Dame and Shavon Revel Jr. of East Carolina based on his strong season.

22. Los Angeles Chargers: Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan

Height, weight: 6-5, 245 pounds.

2024 stats: 56 receptions, 582 yards (10.4 avg.), 5 TDs.

The Chargers hit a home run by getting Ladd McConkey in the second round in last year’s draft. Loveland could help the Chargers fill a void at tight end, and it’s easy to see Jim Harbaugh trying to bring another former Wolverine back to L.A.

23. Green Bay Packers: Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame

Height, weight: 6-0, 190 pounds.

2024 stats: 14 solo tackles, 4 pass breakups.

Despite only playing just six games in 2024 due to injury, Morrison is still considered a first-round talent. His play against Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2023 is a good example of that. The Packers could use more depth at corner, especially considering how Jaire Alexander has only played eight games in a season just once in the last four years.

24. Minnesota Vikings: Malaki Starks, S, Georgia

Height, weight: 6-1, 205 pounds.

2024 stats: 52 solo tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 INT, 3 pass breakups.

Starks has the talent to go much, much earlier than this. So this would be quite the consolation prize for a Vikings team that had two blowout losses to end what looked like a dream season. Starks might be the heir apparent in this scenario to Harrison Smith, who turned 36 earlier in February.

25. Houston Texans: Matthew Golden, WR, Texas

Height, weight: 6-0, 195 pounds.

2024 stats: 58 receptions, 987 yards (17.0 avg.), 9 TDs.

Golden was another breakout star in the postseason, particularly with his clutch touchdown catch in overtime vs. Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. The former Houston Cougar won’t have to travel far to continue his pro career in this scenario. If the Texans truly want to keep up with the best teams in the AFC, one more weapon for C.J. Stroud could go a long way.

26. Los Angeles Rams: Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State

Height, weight: 6-5, 310 pounds.

Simmons might have been a first-round lock had he not torn his ACL against Oregon earlier this season. With the Rams having multiple tackles including starter Alaric Jackson entering free agency, this feels like a very good spot for Simmons to go.

27. Baltimore Ravens: Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota

Height, weight: 6-6, 330 pounds.

In some ways, Ersery is the prototype tackle who fits what the Ravens want to do. He is a big, physical offensive tackle who started three seasons at left tackle for Minnesota.

Ronnie Stanley is entering unrestricted free agency this offseason. If the Ravens want to get younger and add another starting offensive tackle on a rookie deal opposite Roger Rosengarten, Ersery is a great fit.

28. Detroit Lions: Jack Sawyer, edge rusher, Ohio State

Height, weight: 6-5, 260 pounds.

2024 stats: 59 tackles, 9 sacks, 9 TFLs, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries.

Sawyer had arguably the signature play of the College Football Playoff with his strip-sack of Texas QB Quinn Ewers and return for a touchdown to secure the win in the Cotton Bowl. Detroit could use another young pass rusher to put opposite Aidan Hutchinson, and Sawyer’s relentless motor could play very well in the Lions defense.

29. Washington Commanders: Tyler Booker, IOL, Alabama

Height, weight: 6-5, 325 pounds.

The Commanders now have their franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels. Next for Washington is to insulate and protect him for the next several seasons. Booker is the best interior offensive lineman available in this spot, and his physicality could play well in Washington’s running game.

30. Buffalo Bills: Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss

Height, weight: 6-3, 305 pounds.

2024 stats: 48 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 14 TFLs.

Defense let the Bills down in the AFC Championship Game loss to the Chiefs, and it’s time to rebuild the middle of the defensive front. Nolen has the athletic tools to be impactful very quickly in the NFL, but he will need to continue to refine himself as a run defender.

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

Height, weight: 6-3, 339 pounds.

2024 stats: 32 tackles, 3 sacks, 7 TFLs.

Chris Jones can only sustain his elite level of play for so long. Grant falling this far could be a steal for the Chiefs at the end of the first round. He is a big, physical defensive tackle who may have been overshadowed in some ways by playing next to Mason Graham.

32. Philadelphia Eagles: Cameron Williams, OT, Texas

Height, weight: 6-5, 335 pounds.

What do you get for the team who won the Super Bowl by being elite on both lines? More linemen, of course. Williams doesn’t have to play right away, which is good because he might need a little time to work on technique. It’s smart planning to have a succession plan for Lane Johnson, who turns 35 in May.

33. Cleveland Browns: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State

Height, weight: 5-10, 208 pounds.

2024 stats: 144 carries, 1,016 yards (7.1 avg.), 10 TDs; 27 receptions, 284 yards (10.5 avg.), 1 TD.

It’s beyond time for the Browns to invest high picks in offensive skill. Andrew Berry has not used a pick in the first two rounds on skill position players, although in fairness, he only has had two firsts and three seconds as a GM.

Henderson and Quinshon Judkins are both great backs and either one would be a great choice for the Browns. But I’m opting for Henderson because I just feel he is the more explosive of the two running backs. Henderson was outstanding in the playoffs, scoring five touchdowns to help the Buckeyes win a national title.