Cam Ward is the lone QB off the board on Day 1
We’re just a few days away from the most unpredictable draft I can remember since the 2020 year when no one knew what the hell was going on.
Despite that unpredictability, I developed some irrational confidence about how the top two, top three, top five picks would go as the weeks rolled along. They mostly align with the consensus, which is usually not a great thing when it comes to the draft.
But in a draft that seemingly lacks Gold Jacket guys (and we’ll need a decade-plus to determine how accurate that sentiment is), the answers may be plainly in front of you.
It has been repeated throughout this pre-draft process that this is a great year to trade back. The problem with that is someone has to want to trade up, and then both teams have to agree on the compensation. If the entire market wants to trade down, you can assume the price will be lower than it typically is. Will GMs be willing to take a value less than what their chart dictates? Will they understand this draft — like all other drafts — is an entity all to itself?
That’s something I’m keeping in mind in the upcoming week, especially where it concerns new GMs. The Jaguars, Raiders and Jets are picking No. 5-7 and all have new men in charge. It’s possible, if not likely, one of them will be the first team to trade back, and the rest of a reactive league will be able to copy off their paper when it comes to the value of a trade back.
Will a new GM — someone who has dreamed for decades of finally being in this chair — be willing to potentially take less compensation than in previous years to execute a trade-back in the top-10?
Here’s my one and only mock for the 2025 NFL draft.
For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on “With the First Pick” — our year-round NFL Draft podcast with analyst Ryan Wilson. You can find “With the First Pick” wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc.
The 2025 NFL Draft will take place from April 24 to 26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including daily mock drafts, consensus prospect rankings, biggest team needs and more.
