Pewter Report’s next 2025 7-Round Bucs Mock Draft comes out on Thursday, April 3 at 5:00 p.m. ET on PewterReport.com. Josh Queipo and I are working hard on the fourth edition of this year’s mock draft.

But in the meantime I wanted to offer up my thoughts on what I think the Bucs – and the rest of the league – would do in my first 2025 NFL Mock Draft of the season. I know there will be some trades that happen in the first round, but what teams will trade and when those trades occur in the first round is just so hard to predict, so I’ve left all trades out of my mock draft.

Let me know what you think in the article comments below. I will say, that my choice for the Bucs in this mock draft differs from the selection that Queipo and I came up with in the fourth edition of our Pewter Report Bucs Mock Draft. Enjoy!

SR’s 2025 NFL Mock Draft

1. Tennessee Titans – Miami QB Cam Ward

Teams don’t win in the NFL without great quarterback play. Will Levis is far from being a great quarterback – or even a good one. But Ward has shown that he’s a playmaker and can win from the pocket or outside of it. This seems like a smart move for Tennessee to stick and pick the Miami QB.

2. Cleveland Browns – Penn State DE Abdul Carter

The temptation is there to draft Colorado playmaker Travis Hunter or Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. But taking the best pass rusher in the draft in Carter and pairing him with Myles Garrett is also a sound strategy – and perhaps safer.

3. New York Giants – Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders

Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter – Photo by: USA Today

The signing of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston was to save Brian Daboll’s job. He’s got to win now. But neither is the long-term answer at quarterback like Sanders could be. Wilson means that Sanders wouldn’t have to start right away and deal with the pressure immediately that comes from playing in New York.

4. New England Patriots – Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter

Mike Vrabel knows his defense needs an upgrade and that Drake Maye needs a big-time playmaker at wide receiver. So why not draft a player that could help at either spot – just to be safe. That’s Hunter, who is the most talented player in this year’s draft class, and a can’t-miss prospect.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars – Michigan DT Mason Graham

Jacksonville has some terrific edge rushers in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. But the Jaguars need help in the middle of their defensive line. New G.M. James Gladston and head coach Liam Coen were both in L.A. and saw Aaron Donald’s importance first hand. Graham is a big-time interior disruptor. A sleeper pick here would be Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, who would greatly help Trevor Lawrence.

6. Las Vegas Raiders – Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty

New general manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady know the value of having a strong running game. Jeanty has drawn comparisons to Saquon Barkley, who was a Top 5 years ago. If Jeanty lives up to that hype Geno Smith will be a very happy QB.

7. New York Jets – Missouri OT Armand Membou

The Jets are a disaster of a franchise right now, and fortifying the trenches is always a great place to start a rebuild. Bolstering the offensive line with Membou and getting a protector for Justin Fields seems like a smart move for New York.

8. Carolina Panthers – Georgia LB Jalon Walker

Georgia LB Jalon Walker – Photo by: USA Today

Dave Canales is torn between fixing a broken defense and getting a top target like Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan for Bryce Young. But Panthers general manager Dan Morgan was an NFL linebacker and sees Walker’s playmaking ability as a defender and opts for the Georgia star, who can help Carolina’s sack total.

9. New Orleans Saints – Michigan CB Will Johnson

A year ago, the Saints had Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo at cornerback. Now neither is in New Orleans and the Saints need to start over at the position. While he’s not a perfect prospect, Johnson has the size and the ball skills worth taking a chance on due to his upside.

10. Chicago Bears – LSU OT Will Campbell

Protecting Caleb Williams at all costs is the priority. Much has been made about Campbell’s arm length, but try him at left tackle and if he doesn’t pan out there he could still be a Pro Bowl-caliber guard in Chicago due to his athleticism and competitiveness.

11. San Francisco 49ers – Texas CB Jahdae Barron

The 49ers need help – everywhere. But cornerback is a great place to start considering the departure of Charvarius Ward, Rock Ya-Sin and Isaac Yiadom this offseason. Barron is a stud, who brings toughness, ball skills and versatility to San Francisco.

12. Dallas Cowboys – Alabama ILB Jihaad Campbell

The Cowboys have struggled to find a quality inside linebacker for some time now. DeMarvion Overshown showed plenty of potential, but suffered a serious knee injury that will keep him out of action in 2025. Campbell has Pro Bowl potential and could be the missing link in Dallas.

13. Miami Dolphins – Ohio State OT Josh Simmons

Miami needs to protect quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at all costs and Simmons’ stock is on the rise this offseason. With experience at playing left tackle and right tackle at Ohio State, Simmons brings versatility – as well as strength and speed – to Miami’s offense.

14. Indianapolis Colts – Penn State TE Tyler Warren

Penn State TE Tyler Warren – Photo by: USA Today

Warren has drawn comparisons to former Colts legendary tight end Dallas Clark, so this seems like a perfect fit. Whether it’s Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones starting at quarterback, either would need a playmaking tight end and that’s exactly what Warren is.

15. Atlanta Falcons – Marshall OLB Mike Green

Raheem Morris was at Marshall’s pro day and seems enamored with Green’s speed, explosiveness and pass rush production. After the failed Matthew Judon experiment, the Falcons signed aging pass rusher Leonard Floyd, but need another young stud off the edge to pair with him.

16. Arizona Cardinals – Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan

McMillan slides a bit due to a somewhat slow 40-time (4.48), but if he slips past Carolina the Cardinals would love to snatch him up and pair him with Marvin Harrison Jr. Quarterback Kyler Murray would then have two big targets on the perimeter to throw to.

17. Cincinnati Bengals – Georgia DE Mykel Williams

Sam Hubbard’s unexpected retirement means the Bengals have to find another defensive end to play opposite Trey Hendrickson. Cincinnati prefers bigger defensive ends, which gives the 6-foot-5, 265-pound Williams the edge over other available first-round edge rushers.

18. Seattle Seahawks – Michigan TE Colston Loveland

Sam Darnold could use a big-time tight end in Seattle as a safety blanket, so this draft pick makes perfect sense. Some NFL talent evaluators have Loveland ahead of Penn State’s Tyler Warren in the tight end rankings, so this could work out well for the Seahawks.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Boston College OLB Donovan Ezeiruaku

Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku – Photo by: USA Today

The Bucs could draft another edge rusher like Ezeiruaku here or Georgia safety Malaki Starks, who could be a Day 1 starter at strong safety or nickelback – depending on where Tykee Smith winds up. But Ezeiruaku is a toolsy proven pass rusher with a high football I.Q. and plenty of bend to get to the QB. He seems like a Bucs fit.

20. Denver Broncos – North Carolina RB Omarion Hampton

Sean Payton knows the Broncos need to upgrade their ground game. He had a stud running back in Alvin Kamara in New Orleans, and Hampton has some Kamara-like attributes, but is a better pure runner. This seems like a great fit in Denver.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers – Ole Miss QB Jaxon Dart

Mike Tomlin keeps trying – and failing – to find Ben Roethlisberger’s replacement. So why not throw another dart at the dartboard with Jaxon Dart, who is more talented than Kenny Pickett was? Dart has some moxie and a good arm, and this could be a bullseye.

22. Los Angeles Chargers – Missouri WR Luther Burden III

Justin Herbert could use another target to throw to, and Burden can win a lot of ways from the outside or the slot. He has good yards after the catch ability due to his crafty route running and the size to slip some tackles. Burden is a playmaker.

23. Green Bay Packers – Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston

The Packers need help at cornerback and take the speedy Hairston to address it. This may be a bit of a reach, but there is always a team or two that overdraft a player, and Hairston might be a second-round talent that finds his way into the first round.

24. Minnesota Vikings – South Carolina S Nick Emmanwori

Harrison Smith is a Minnesota legend, but Father Time is catching up. The Vikings draft his replacement in Emmanwori, who is built like a linebacker, but has the coverage ability and ballhawking skills of a cornerback to bolster their secondary.

25. Houston Texans – Texas WR Matthew Golden

Texas WR Matthew Golden – Photo by: USA Today

Despite the need for more help along the offensive line, the Texans can’t pass up Golden, the Texas speedster. With 4.29 speed, Golden can be the big-play threat that Houston QB C.J. Stroud needs while Tank Dell recovers from a torn ACL.

26. Los Angeles Rams – Ole Miss CB Trey Amos

While they have one of the best defensive fronts in football, the Rams are desperate for cornerback help. Amos, who had a great season at Ole Miss last year, brings speed, length and ball skills to Los Angeles’ secondary.

27. Baltimore Ravens – North Dakota State G Grey Zabel

The Ravens could use an upgrade at guard and Zabel, who is coming off an impressive Senior Bowl, is a plug-and-play player at that position. Zabel brings the perfect combination of toughness, athleticism and physicality to Baltimore’s interior offensive line.

28. Detroit Lions – Tennessee DE James Pearce Jr.

Detroit found out last year what New Orleans found out years ago – Marcus Davenport ain’t it. With Aidan Hutchinson returning from a broken leg, he’ll need a bookend on the other side and Pearce brings real speed and athleticism off the edge to aid in the Lions’ pass rush.

29. Washington Commanders – Georgia S Malaki Starks

Georgia S Malaki Starks – Photo by: USA Today

Washington could use a replacement for Jeremy Chinn, who departed in free agency. It’s hard to imagine Starks falling this far, but the Commanders are grateful it happens. Starks is a perfect box safety, but also has the coverage ability to play nickelback as well.

30. Buffalo Bills – Michigan DT Kenneth Grant

Buffalo could use some defensive help in terms of stopping the run as well as getting after the quarterback and Grant can do both. At 6-foot-4, 331 pounds, Grant is a mountain of a man with an intriguing blend of strength and speed that can clog running lanes.

31. Kansas City Chiefs – Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen

The Chiefs could use more interior defensive line help with the departures of defensive tackles Derrick Nnadi and Tershawn Wharton. Nolen is a very active and athletic pass rusher and would pair nicely with Chris Jones inside along the D-line.

32. Philadelphia Eagles – Texas A&M DE Shemar Stewart

The Eagles need a big, athletic edge to replace Josh Sweat and take a chance on Stewart despite his lack of sacks in college (4.5 in three seasons). They took a similar gamble on first-rounder Nolan Smith last year and it worked out just fine.