Robert Garcia’s Top 40 NFL Draft Prospects and Mock Draft

DRAFT WEEK is here, hallelujah! The 2025 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday from Green Bay. Seriously, Green Bay? They couldn’t find a better location than Wisconsin. Yes, this comes from a Vikings fan, SKOL!

Moving on, this is an interesting draft. The best line I heard about this group of prospects is, “there aren’t a lot of stars in this class but there are a lot of starters.” I agree. There are two superstar/all-pro type players in Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter. Both players should make an immediate impact on their teams. Following them there are four more players who stand out in the draft, Ashton Jeanty, Tyler Warren, Mason Graham, and Jalon Walker.

There are 16 players I gave a true first grade on and from prospects 17 to around 50, those players are separated by a point and a half grade. There is a lot of talent to choose from through the first two rounds. I have highlighted my favorite players at each position.

Without further ado, here is a look at my top 40 overall prospects, top 5 at each position and the heralded yearly Mock Draft! Eat it you cheeseheads!

The Best of the Best!
Tier One – The Elite
All Pro/Pro Bowl caliber players in the NFL.
1a. Abdul Carter, EDGE - Penn State
1b. Travis Hunter, CB/WR - Colorado

Tier Two – Next Four
Pro Bowl caliber Players
3. Ashton Jeanty, RB - Boise State
4. Tyler Warren, TE - Penn State
5. Mason Graham, DT - Michigan
6. Jalon Walker, LB/EDGE - Georgia

Tier Three – Players with true 1st Round Grades
7. Armand Membou, OT - Missouri
8. Will Campbell, OT - LSU
9. Colston Loveland, TE - Michigan
10. Jahdae Barron, CB - Texas
11. Will Johnson, DB - Michigan
12. Matthew Golden, WR - Texas
13. Cam Ward, QB - Miami
14. Jihaad Campbell, LB - Alabama
15. Omarion Hampton, RB - North Carolina
16. Walter Nolen, DT - Ole Miss

Tier Four – Best of the Rest
17. Kelvin Banks Jr, OL - Texas
18. Mykel Williams, EDGE - Georgia
19. Luther Burden III, WR - Missouri
20. Nick Emmanwori, S - South Carolina
21. Derrick Harmon, DT - Oregon
22. Mike Green, EDGE - Marshall
23. James Pearce, EDGE - Tennessee
24. Tetairoa McMillan, WR - Arizona
25. Malaki Starks, S - Georgia
26. Shemar Stewart, EDGE - Texas A&M
27. Grey Zabel, OL - North Dakota State
28. Emeka Egbuka, WR - Ohio State
29. Maxwell Hairston, CB - Kentucky
30. Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE - Boston College
31. Josh Simmons, OT - Ohio State
32. Tyler Booker, OL - Alabama
33. Jaxson Dart, QB - Ole Miss
34. Shedeur Sanders, QB - Colorado
35. Quinshon Judkins, RB - Ohio State
36. Kenneth Grant, DT - Michigan
37. Donovan Jackson, OL - Ohio State
38. Mason Taylor, TE - LSU
39. Josh Conerly, OT - Oregon
40. TreVeyon Henderson, RB - Ohio State

Top 5 Prospects at each Position

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks
1. Cam Ward - Miami
2. Jaxson Dart - Ole Miss – I’ve liked Dart since the day he arrived in Oxford. He has that old school moxie to his game. He is accurate and throws with velocity between the hashes and is a flat-out competitor. He is not afraid to tuck it and run. Could turn out to be the best QB of his class.
3. Shedeur Sanders - Colorado
4. Jalen Milroe - Alabama
5. Tyler Shough - Louisville
SLEEPER: Yes, this year’s class may put you to sleep!

Running Backs
1. Ashton Jeanty - Boise State – A poor man’s Saquon? He’s got a burst, great feet, and is a pinball. Rarely goes down at first contact and understands how to play off of impact. He has receiving skills and is an adequate pass protector. Jeanty just needs to secure the ball better.
2. Omarion Hampton - North Carolina
3. TreVeyon Henderson - Ohio State
4. Quinshon Judkins - Ohio State
5. Kaleb Johnson - Iowa

Five Others I Like!
6. Dylan Sampson - Tennessee
7. Jaydon Blue - Texas – I love Blue! Yes, he needs to work on his ball security, but he can make you miss, has great feet and is a deadly option as a receiver out of the back field. He also has elite speed!
8. RJ Harvey - UCF
9. Bhayshul Tuten - Virginia Tech
10. Brashard Smith - SMU
SLEEPER: Montrell Johnson Jr - Florida

Wide Receivers
1. Matthew Golden - Texas – The kid just knows how to get open. Golden is explosive going in and out of his breaks. Played in the slot but can play outside due to his elite speed. He does a great job of setting up his routes and understands how to work the zones. Has great tracking skills.
2. Luther Burden III - Missouri
3. Tetairoa McMillan - Arizona
4. Emeka Egbuka - Ohio State
5. Jayden Higgins - Iowa State
SLEEPER: Savion Williams - TCU

Tight Ends
1. Tyler Warren - Penn State – Versatility is Warren’s name. He had a monster game against USC, which saw him play center and catch a touchdown after snapping the ball. I see a Gronk type player in Warren, as he is a solid run blocker and can high point the ball. He is very hard to bring down as a runner.
2. Colston Loveland - Michigan
3. Mason Taylor - LSU
4. Elijah Arroyo - Miami
5. Harold Fannin Jr - Bowling Green
SLEEPER: Gunnar Helm - Texas

Tackles
1. Armand Membou - Missouri
2. Will Campbell - LSU – Campbell is a dependable player. You know what you’re going to get when selecting him. He does not have elite traits, but he has started three straight years in the SEC and has been arguably the best tackle in the conference.
3. Kelvin Banks Jr - Texas
4. Josh Simmons - Ohio State
5. Josh Conerly - Oregon
SLEEPER: Charles Grant - William & Mary

Interior
1. Grey Zabel - North Dakota State – Zabel can play anywhere along the offensive front, but he could be a pro bowl type player at guard or center. He showed he was ready to play with the big boys, with his great performance at the Senior Bowl.
2. Donovan Jackson - Ohio State
3. Tyler Booker - Alabama
4. Marcus Mbow - Purdue
5. Jonah Savaiinaea - Arizona
SLEEPER: Wyatt Milum - West Virginia

DEFENSE

Tackles
1. Mason Graham, DT - Michigan
2. Walter Nolen - Ole Miss
3. Derrick Harmon, DT - Oregon – The arrow is trending up on Harmon. He started his career at Michigan State but transferred to Oregon, has lost weight and become a factor in the trenches.
4. Kenneth Grant - Michigan
5. Alfred Collins - Texas

Edge
1. Abdul Carter - Penn State – Carter sits atop my draft board as a game changer at the edge. He had a breakout year after Penn State moved him to the edge. Has an elite first step, great power and pursuit.
2. Mykel Williams - Georgia
3. Mike Green - Marshall
4. James Pearce - Tennessee
5. Shemar Stewart - Texas A&M
SLEEPER: Josaiah Stewart - Michigan

Five Other Defensive Lineman I Like!
6. Donovan Ezeiruaku, DE - Boston College
7. Darius Alexander, DT - Toledo – Alexander is the latest prospect to come out of Toledo. He has all the physical tools to play at the NFL level and
8. JT Tuimoloau, EDGE - Ohio State
9. Landon Jackson, DE - Arkansas
10. Tyleik Williams, DT - Ohio State
SLEEPER: JJ Pegues - Ole Miss

Linebackers
1. Jalon Walker - Georgia – Walker plays with relentless pursuit. He had a breakout year at Georgia, winning the Butkus Award and will be double threat at linebacker and rush-end.
2. Jihaad Campbell - Alabama
3. Carson Schwesinger - UCLA
4. Demetrius Knight Jr - South Carolina
5. Danny Stutsman - Oklahoma
SLEEPER: Kobe King - Penn State

Cornerbacks
1. Travis Hunter - Colorado
2. Jahdae Barron – Texas – I love Barron! The Jim Thorpe Award winner can play inside at nickel but can also slide outside and can even play safety. Had a great 2024 and should continue to improve as a player.
3. Will Johnson - Michigan
4. Maxwell Hairston - Kentucky
5. Trey Amos - Ole Miss
SLEEPER: Darien Porter - Iowa State

Safeties
1. Nick Emmanwori - South Carolina – He has elite physical traits but has yet to put it all together. Needs to become an impact player in the box. A boom-or-bust type.
2. Malaki Starks - Georgia
3. Xavier Watts - Notre Dame
4. Kevin Winston Jr - Penn State
5. Billy Bowman Jr - Oklahoma
SLEEPER: Andrew Mukuba - Texas

2025 1st Round Mock Draft
1. Tennessee Titans - Cam Ward, QB - Miami
2. Cleveland Browns - Travis Hunter, CB/WR - Colorado
3. New York Giants - Abdul Carter, EDGE - Penn State
4. New England Patriots - Will Campbell, OT - LSU
5. Jacksonville Jaguars - Ashton Jeanty, RB - Boise State
6. Las Vegas Raiders - Kelvin Banks Jr, OL - Texas
7. New York Jets - Jalon Walker, LB/EDGE - Georgia
8. Carolina Panthers - Walter Nolen, DT - Ole Miss
9. New Orleans Saints - Mykel Williams, EDGE - Georgia
10. Chicago Bears - Mason Graham, DT - Michigan
11. San Francisco - Shemar Stewart, EDGE - Texas A&M
12. Dallas Cowboys - Tetairoa McMillan, WR - Arizona
13. Miami Dolphins - Armand Membou, OT - Missouri
14. Indianapolis Colts - Tyler Warren, TE - Penn State
15. Atlanta Falcons - James Pearce, EDGE -Tennessee
16. Arizona Cardinals - Matthew Golden, WR - Texas
17. Cincinnati Bengals - Mike Green, EDGE - Boston College
18. Seattle Seahawks - Grey Zabel, OL - North Dakota State
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Will Johnson, DB - Michigan
20. Denver Broncos - Colston Loveland, TE - Michigan
21. Pittsburgh Steelers - Shedeur Sanders, QB - Colorado
22. Los Angeles Chargers - Kenneth Grant, DT - Michigan
23. Green Bay Packers - Maxwell Hairston, CB - Kentucky
24. Minnesota Vikings - Jahdae Barron, CB - Texas
25. Houston Texans - Donovan Jackson, OL - Ohio State
26. Los Angeles Rams - Luther Burden III, WR - Missouri
27. Baltimore Ravens - Malaki Starks, S - Georgia
28. Detroit Lions - Jihaad Campbell, LB - Alabama
29. Washington Commanders - Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE - Boston College
30. Buffalo Bills - Trey Amos, CB - Ole Miss
31. Kansas City Chiefs - Josh Simmons, OT - Ohio State
32. Philadelphia Eagles - James Pearce, EDGE - Tennessee