2025 NFL Mock Draft: Sticking to Need Above All Else
What happens if you stick too closely to need while looking at a draft board?
Some NFL fans believe the best way to approach a draft is to draft for need above all else. These fans would prefer their favorite team draft for need than draft somebody who is considered to be the best available prospect at the time the team makes its selection.
There is some merit to the idea about drafting for need. A team that has one or two holes to fill in its starting lineup could benefit more from drafting for an immediate need than drafting a position that isn't an immediate need.
On the other hand, drafting for need might cause some teams to draft a prospect who needs more time to develop. That defeats the purpose of drafting a player who can fill a hole in the starting lineup. If a team needs a player who needs to start ASAP, drafting a player that needs a lot of development doesn't make sense.
However, let's assume teams focus solely on their biggest needs when drafting players. What does such a draft look like?
For Mile High Huddle, I have previously done a mock first-round draft in which every team drafts the highest-rated player at a position of need. The purpose of the exercise is to show what happens when teams prioritize need above all else.
I used Pro Football Network draft simulator and rankings to determine the players that each team would take. I stuck to the rankings as my draft board, meaning I didn't scroll too far down the list just to find a player at the position of greatest need. Also, I did not do any trades in this mock draft, but assumed every team would stand pat and take a player at a position of need.
Keeping in mind that the purpose of this exercise is to show what might happen if teams focused solely on their biggest needs, here's how this 2025 NFL mock draft turned out.
1. Tennessee Titans: Cameron Ward, QB
Will Levis has failed to prove he can be the long-term guy, so the Titans have a strong need at quarterback. I will say that draft talk indicates it's more probable than not that the Titans will take Ward, so this may turn out to be the actual No. 1 pick.
2. Cleveland Browns: Will Campbell, OT
The Browns need a quarterback but the next top prospect, Shedeur Sanders, isn't ranked as high as Campbell. The Browns need to get the offensive line rebuilt and Campbell gives them somebody who could start at offensive tackle in 2025.
3. New York Giants: Mason Graham, DT
Yes, draft talk indicates the Giants are likely to take Shedeur Sanders or Cameron Ward, depending on who is available at No. 3. But on the PFN draft board, Graham is a higher-rated prospect and fills another immediate need at interior defender.
4. New England Patriots: Abdul Carter, EDGE
Carter is the top-rated defensive prospect on the board and the Patriots need pass rushing help. Though draft talk indicates Carter might be the Browns' choice at No. 2 overall, if Carter fell to the Patriots, I wouldn't be surprised to see them take him.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars: Travis Hunter, CB
Plenty of fans think Hunter may be the best player in the draft but it wouldn't surprise me to see Hunter fall to the Jaguars in the actual draft. He's the best defensive prospect after Carter and he would fill a pressing need for the Jaguars.
6. Las Vegas Raiders: Ashton Jeanty, RB
After extending Geno Smith, the Raiders are likely passing on quarterback in the first round. But they've been connected to Jeanty and he's the top-ranked player on PFN's board at this point. It's another pick that could actually happen in the draft.
7. New York Jets: Armand Membou, OT
I strongly considered Shedeur Sanders here but the Jets are in desperate need of an offensive tackle. Membou was the top-ranked player on the board when the Jets' first-round pick came up.
8. Carolina Panthers: Will Johnson, CB
The Panthers could use another cornerback to pair with Jaycee Horn. Johnson was the top-ranked player on the PFN board when the Panthers' pick came up. I could see the Panthers going a different direction in the actual draft, though.
9. New Orleans Saints: Tetairoa McMillan, WR
I would expect the Saints to draft a player who can help immediately rather than take a quarterback or other player who might be on the bench to start the season. McMillan would give them immediate help, given the uncertainty of whether Chris Olave will play in 2025.
10. Chicago Bears: Shemar Stewart, EDGE
I really wanted to get the Bears an offensive tackle but the best prospects were gone. Thus, I turned my attentions elsewhere and Stewart was the highest-rated player at a position of need.
11. San Francisco 49ers: Jalon Walker, LB
This seems to be a bit high to take a linebacker but PFN had him ranked high on the board at this point. Also, the Niners need somebody to replace Dre Greenlaw, who signed with the Broncos.
12. Dallas Cowboys: Matthew Golden, WR
I don't doubt for a minute that if Ashton Jeanty were to fall to the Cowboys, they'd take him. As things turned out, Golden was the highest-ranked player at a position of need for the Cowboys.
13. Miami Dolphins: Kelvin Banks Jr., OT
Terron Armstead is retiring and, thus, the Dolphins have a big need at offensive tackle. In this scenario, Banks is the pick. I can see the Dolphins taking an offensive tackle in the first round of the actual draft, though it might be somebody other than Banks.
14. Indianapolis Colts: Tyler Warren, TE
Warren is considered by many to be the best tight end prospect in the NFL draft. The Colts have a pressing need at the position. It's certainly possible this turns out to be the actual pick made, assuming Warren isn't drafted earlier.
15. Atlanta Falcons: Michael Green, EDGE
The Falcons need all the pass rushing help they can get. Green is the highest-rated edge rusher on the board at this point.
16. Arizona Cardinals: Derrick Harmon, DT
There is some talk about Harmon going to the Cardinals, so perhaps the pick in this mock draft matches the actual pick. As things stood, Harmon was the highest-rated interior defender at this point of my mock.
17. Cincinnati Bengals: Mykel Williams, EDGE
It remains to be seen what happens with Trey Hendrickson, but whether the Bengals extend him or trade him, they need more pass rushing help. Williams is the top-ranked edge rusher on the board at this point.
18. Seattle Seahawks: Tyler Booker, OG
I wasn't crazy about this pick because I'm not a fan of drafting offensive guards in the first round. But he was the best player available at the positions of need for the Seahawks, based on PFN's draft board.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Malaki Starks, S
The Buccaneers need another safety and Starks is the top-ranked safety on PFN's board. Here's another instance in which I could see this being the actual pick made.
20. Denver Broncos: Jihaad Campbell, LB
Though running back is the biggest need, none of them were ranked high enough on the PFN draft board. And though the Broncos signed Greenlaw, they could use another linebacker, given that Alex Singleton is in the final year of his contract.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Shedeur Sanders, QB
Remember when Aaron Rodgers slid so far down the first round? This is the scenario that happened here. I will say I don't expect that to happen at all, but if it did, I can only imagine how excited Steelers fans would be. But I'll be honest — while the Sanders pick happened here in my mock, I expect him to be gone in the top 10 of the actual draft.
22. Los Angeles Chargers: Colston Loveland, TE
It's possible this could be the actual pick in the NFL draft, though some have said they expect Loveland to go earlier. At any rate, Loveland was the highest-ranked player at a position of need in this scenario.
23. Green Bay Packers: Jahdae Barron, CB
Edge rusher is a bigger need than cornerback but Barron was rated higher on PFN's board than any edge rusher.
24. Minnesota Vikings: Nick Emmanwori, S
The highest-ranked player on PFN's board at this point turned out to be a player who addresses a major need for the Vikings.
25. Houston Texans: Josh Simmons, OT
And here's another case of a team finding a player at a major need in this scenario. The Texans need an offensive tackle and they get one in my mock.
26. Los Angeles Rams: Nic Scourton, EDGE
Though not the Rams' biggest need, he's the best player available, per PFN's draft rankings, at a position of need.
27. Baltimore Ravens: Grey Zabel, OG
Again, I'm not a fan of drafting offensive guards in the first round, but it's the Ravens' biggest need for PFN and Zabel is ranked high on its draft board at this point.
28. Detroit Lions: James Pearce Jr., EDGE
The Lions have Aidan Hutchinson, of course, but they could use another edge rusher to pair with him. Pearce was the highest-ranked edge rusher at this point.
29. Washington Commanders: Emeka Egbuka, WR
Though the Commanders did trade for Deebo Samuel, they have yet to extend him. And because PFN has wide receiver down as a need and Egbuka is the top-ranked option here, I went with him.
30. Buffalo Bills: Walter Nolen, DT
Interior defender is a major need for the Bills and Nolen is the top-ranked player on the PFN board at this point.
31. Kansas City Chiefs: Tyliek Williams, DT
Though Williams suffered an apparent injury at Ohio State's Pro Day, it doesn't appear to be serious. The Chiefs do have Chris Jones, of course, but could use more help up front on the defensive line.
32. Philadelphia Eagles: Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE
The Eagles will need to replace Josh Sweat, who signed with the Cardinals, and Ezeiruaku is the top-ranked edge rusher in this scenario.
Bottom Line
Some picks I would expect to happen in the actual NFL draft, while others I don't see a chance of happening (the Sanders pick in particular — yes, I expect he'll be gone in the top 10, if not the top five). But this is what can happen for those who stick too close to pressing need, particularly if you don't have certain players ranked as high as others.
I may do another mock draft later on, but focus more with balancing out what is more likely to happen in the draft — and perhaps that one will include trades. We'll see how it goes.