2025 NFL mock draft: How trade deadline moves could impact first round; three QBs taken among top-10 picks

The NFL trade deadline came and went Tuesday as contenders used that final opportunity to make meaningful additions to this year’s roster. The next personnel acquisition periods do not come until next spring with free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. The draft is already in focus for several teams, as there are nine teams with exactly two wins; no more, no less. 

NFL offseasons will certainly provide entertainment value in the coming years as teams seem more willing than ever to cut bait with a young quarterback in favor of a veteran who may have untapped potential. Taking inventory of the league, there are teams having success with quarterbacks on their second or even third teams. Russell Wilson (Steelers), Jared Goff (Lions), Kirk Cousins (Falcons) and Sam Darnold (Vikings) are all on their second, third or even fourth team and currently in position to make the postseason.

Meanwhile, Carolina benched 2023 No. 1 overall selection Bryce Young before returning to him, while the Colts recently benched No. 4 overall selection Anthony Richardson in favor of 39-year-old Joe Flacco. Will Levis‘ volatility has Tennessee considering its future beyond the former second-round pick despite him having essentially a year’s worth of NFL playing experience. 

The NFL is not a developmental league because head coaches and general managers are not promised enough time and patience to see those experiments through. They want to do what is necessary to win in the short term even if it compromises long-term goals. For that reason, future NFL offseasons may be more entertaining as the game of musical chairs continues. Will Justin Fields or one of the aforementioned quarterbacks be the next to re-kindle their career elsewhere? Will one of the quarterbacks mentioned below be the reason for some of those abrupt quarterback decisions? 

Without further ado, let’s kick this off!

The draft order below was determined using the current 2025 NFL Draft order. To check out the online sports betting odds on who will be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, head on over to DraftKings.

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 NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find “With the First Pick” wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc.