2025 NFL Draft: First-Round Dynasty Rookie 1QB Mock
We are almost to the fantasy playoffs in most leagues. Some dynasty leagues have trade deadlines that are quickly approaching. So now is the time to try to unload some aging veterans if you are not in contention. The college football regular season is nearing the end and we have a better idea now of who should be trending up in the 2025 NFL Draft. We have been putting out mock drafts for SF leagues, but this one will focus on 1QB leagues. Let’s take a look at how the first round could look.
1.01 – Ashton Jeanty, RB Boise State
Jeanty improved from his freshman to sophomore season; a big junior season was expected. No one anticipated the record-breaking season he is having. He is 340 yards from the record Barry Sanders holds. This is with more games, but still a great season. He is averaging over seven yards a carry and has 28 touchdowns this season. In nine out of his 12 games, he has had over 150 rushing yards.
He does not have the receiving numbers he did a year ago, but he is more than capable in that department. There could be a competition question, but Jeanty had 192 yards against Oregon and 226 yards against Oregon State. He has great balance and can bounce off contact to get the extra yards. He should be a first-round pick and is an every-down back who should produce immediately in his rookie year.
1.02 – Travis Hunter, WR Colorado
Hunter is such an interesting player because we have never seen what he is doing. There have been two-way players but never one has played this many snaps on both sides of the ball. He has a 90 rating on Pro Football Focus in coverage and has only allowed 205 yards and one touchdown in the season. On top of that, he has four interceptions and seven pass breakups. On the offensive side, he has 92 catches for over 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Hunter says he wants to play both ways in the NFL as well, but I am not sure how teams would utilize him. Obviously, in IDP leagues he would be a huge asset. I am going on the assumption that he will play the majority on the offensive side. He has great hands and can make crazy contested catches. Hunter only has 35 snaps this year in the slot so he translates as an alpha outside receiver who has game-breaking ability.
1.03 – Tetairoa McMillan, WR Arizona
McMillan could be swapped with Hunter, and I would not have any complaints. It was a tough decision for me. The Arizona offense took a step down this season, but McMillan has put up similar numbers. He has six fewer catches but still went over 1,300 yards this season. In nine games this year he has had six or more catches and five games of over 100 yards.
McMillan has the size at 6’5 to go after contested passes but is also good after the catch. In the last two years, he has over 900 yards after the catch. He has lined up in the slot 22% of his snaps this year, so he has more versatility in that aspect. McMillan in my opinion has the edge on the route running over Hunter as well.
1.04 – Luther Burden, WR Missouri
Burden was the star of his class, and it was a huge get for Missouri three years ago. He had a strong season in 2023 with 86 catches for 1,209 yards and nine touchdowns. In his other two years, he barely reached 1,000 yards. My concern was always if Missouri would have the talent at QB to be able to help Burden produce at a high level. This year Missouri has dealt with QB injuries which have also caused Burden to not put up big numbers.
He has only gone over 100 yards once this season, when in 2023 he did it six times. Burden is electric with the ball in his hands but his depth of target at Missouri has only been 9 yards throughout his career. This year he only has seven catches of 20 yards or more. For the last two years, Burden has been in the slot over 80% of the time. I believe Burden will be a better pro than a college player and can be unlocked in the right offense. He can do things like Zay Flowers but is even better. Burden may be the third receiver but with the right coach could end up being WR1 of this class.
1.05 – TreVeyon Henderson, RB Ohio State
Henderson is another player that I think will be more productive in the NFL than in college. I was surprised he did not come out last year and I don’t think he helped his draft stock. He had some injuries in his career, but he is so explosive with the ball in his hands. Henderson has had to share time in the backfield with Quinshon Judkins, so the numbers are not eyepopping. He is a dual-threat back much like Jahmyr Gibbs and could be utilized in a two-back system and have a huge impact. Henderson has had 18 or more catches in three out of four years and that is with all the great receiving options at Ohio State. In PPR Henderson should be a starter right away in his rookie season.
1.06 – Emeka Egbuka, WR Ohio State
The Buckeye receivers keep rolling again with another good one. Egbuka had a down 2023 because of injuries so he came back to school. He has had more production, but the ceiling was limited with freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith joining the Buckeyes. Egbuka lined up in the slot over 70% of his snaps and took the role of Jaxon Smith-Njigba when he missed most of 2022. He is a good route runner who quickly gets in and out of breaks to cause separation from defenders. Egbuka has 23 touchdowns in his career, so he knows how to find the end zone.
1.07 – Omarion Hampton, RB North Carolina
Hampton carried the North Carolina offense this year as the passing game was inconsistent with Drake Maye leaving for the NFL. In the past two years, he has rushed for over 3,100 yards with 30 TDS and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. He is a big physical back who also has the speed to take it the distance. 43% of his runs went over 15 yards this past year. In 2024, Hampton rushed for over 100 yards in 10 out of 12 games and had 20 or more carries in seven games. He also is a threat out of the backfield with over 72 catches for 630 yards in his career.
1.08 – Quinshon Judkins, RB Ohio State
The Ohio State offense was loaded with talent this year and Judkins provided a nice one-two punch with Henderson. In his first two years at Ole Miss, he rushed for over 2,600 yards and 31 touchdowns. I don’t think he raised his draft stock with the Buckeyes because of sharing touches. Judkins fell down the pecking order in this class but that is mostly because this running back class is so deep. It will depend on when he is taken to how high he could be drafted for fantasy managers. He is a tough runner who has good balance and can take it the distance. I could see him having a similar rise to Bucky Irving in Tampa Bay, eventually taking over the backfield when given the chance.
1.09 – Nicholas Singleton, RB Penn State
Singleton was a top 20 recruit in 2022 and the top RB in the class. Big things were expected of him at Penn State. In his freshman year, he had over 1,000 yards but in the last couple of years, he has not been able to reach that mark. Part of that is a lack of creative offense and the other is sharing carries with Kaytron Allen. Singleton has shown his receiving ability the last two years with over 50 catches. The big question is: will he go back to Penn State for another year? He should perform well at the combine with his speed and explosion. At times he has looked the part of a top running back, but he just needs to show it more consistently.
1.10 – Colston Loveland, TE Michigan
There will be a discussion over who is the top tight end for this upcoming class. Both players have good size and can be downfield threats at their position. I am taking Colston Loveland over Tyler Warren. You can call me a homer and that is fine. I see Loveland as having an immediate impact like Sam LaPorta for the Detroit Lions. He has improved as a blocker and can be lined up all over the field. He was the only receiving option for Michigan and still could take over games.
1.11 – Cam Ward, QB Miami
It is always hard to know when to draft quarterbacks in 1QB leagues. I usually tend to say near the end of the first round. I was not high on Ward before the season, but he carried Miami and helped his stock tremendously. At Washington State, he would show flashes but make too many mistakes for me to think of him as a possible franchise quarterback. At Miami, he improved in every category. He had his highest completion percentage, yards per attempt, big-time throws, and least number of turnover-worthy throws. I do think the situation plays a big role in how good he can be, but this year showed he can carry a team. My biggest concerns are decision-making and getting rid of the ball quickly. At times he can hold onto the ball too long waiting for big plays.
1.12 – Shedeur Sanders, QB Colorado
I could see taking either quarterback first, so Sanders will go here at the end of the first round. Sanders had over 500 dropbacks each year and ended his career with almost a 70% completion rate. The offensive line has not been good, and he has been hit quite a bit. I think this year, he has looked better in getting rid of the ball and not taking the bad sacks. He has excellent arm talent and can make all the throws. Sometimes he makes bad decisions, and I worry about him staying in the structure of the offense. He is great at scrambling and making plays down the field. I think he is the ultimate high-risk high-reward type quarterback and at the end of the first round, I am fine with taking that risk.
Players to Keep an Eye On
DJ Giddens, RB Kansas State
One of my favorite players coming into the year. The running back class is loaded so will he get the draft capital? Love his skillset and production at Kansas State.
Devin Neal, RB Kansas
Three straight 1,000-yard seasons at Kansas and has shown the ability to break long runs. Like Giddens, how will he fare in this deep running back class?
Evan Stewart, WR Oregon
High recruit where it did not work at Texas A&M. He is a great route runner and has shown flashes at Oregon. Could be a steal if he puts it all together in the NFL.
Tre Harris, WR Ole Miss
Had over 1,000 yards in just eight games this season. A playmaker who over the last two seasons at Ole Miss has averaged over 17 yards a catch.
Barion Brown, WR Kentucky
This is a sleeper for me. He has so much potential but Kentucky’s lackluster offense held him back.
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