2025 NFL mock draft: Abdul Carter goes No. 1 despite foot injury; Jayden Daniels gets new weapon in pass game

The NFL Scouting Combine is underway from Indianapolis, while trade and free agency rumors are running rampant. Raiders minority owner Tom Brady reportedly met with Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford at a ski resort and the Giants are said to have interest as well.

The reality is that the NFL Draft is just a portion of a team’s offseason plans. Positional needs will evolve in the coming weeks as free agent deals are signed, so the picture will not come into focus until later in March. Some of the other big dominoes to fall include the potential trade availability of Deebo Samuel, Cooper Kupp, Jonathan Allen and others. 

One big piece of news that surfaced Wednesday night is that Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter — the potential No. 1 overall pick — has a foot injury that may require surgery. My initial reaction is that it will not hurt his stock significantly, if at all, because it is a potential eight-week recovery, according to Carter’s agent, which would have him back on the field during organized training activities or, at the very least, training camp. 

If teams are worried about the injury creating long-term problems, then that will impact his stock. Carter and Colorado athlete Travis Hunter have separated themselves from the rest of the pack atop this draft class. 

In today’s thought exercise, we take another look at pre-free agency positional needs while also anticipating some of the prospects who could rise into the first round with strong combine performances.

Without further ado, let’s kick this off!

The draft order below was determined using the current 2025 NFL Draft order. 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. Listen to the latest episode below!

The 2025 NFL Draft is to take place from April 24-26 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. More draft coverage can be found at CBSSports.com, including the weekly mock drafts and a regularly available look at the eligible prospects.