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Mike's six bold predictions for the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. His boldest predictions on Shedeur Sanders, Will Johnson, TreVeyon Henderson, and more.
The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books. While the first night was full of surprises, the second round could have even more.
Last night, several big-name players, including Shedeur Sanders, Mike Green, and Will Johnson, weren't drafted. Will all three get drafted early in the second round later tonight?
Let’s look at six bold predictions I have for the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, starting with the top pick.
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Cleveland Passes on Shedeur Sanders… Twice!
The Cleveland Browns made a massive trade on Thursday night, sending the No. 2 overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for the fifth selection, a second-round pick, and a 2026 first-round selection. While passing on Travis Hunter was difficult, the Browns made the move for their future. By acquiring the future first-round pick, Cleveland is in a better position to draft a quarterback next year.
🚨 🚨 🚨
The #Browns and #Jaguars have agreed to a blockbuster trade to give Jacksonville the No. 2 overall pick, while Cleveland gets No. 5 and a massive haul to help now and in the future.
A major shakeup. pic.twitter.com/rbZKbBLsYx
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 25, 2025
Therefore, don’t expect the Browns to draft Sanders with either of their early second-round picks. They clearly don’t like the quarterback draft class, opting to pass on a generational talent to add future draft capital to find their franchise passer. Instead, Cleveland will likely use the 33rd and 36th overall picks to improve their offensive line and draft a running back.
They need help at every spot on the offensive line. Aireontae Ersery would make sense with one of the top picks at left tackle. Meanwhile, Nick Chubb is still a free agent and unlikely to return. Therefore, the Browns could draft one of the Ohio State running backs to pair with Jerome Ford in the backfield. Quarterback is still a need for Cleveland. Yet, don’t be surprised if they pass on selecting one this year and trade for Kirk Cousins after the draft concludes.
Two Quarterbacks Off the Board Early
While the Browns won’t take Sanders, the former Colorado star won’t have a long wait tonight. The Pittsburgh Steelers could pull off a blockbuster deal despite not having a second-round pick this year. However, Sanders’ most likely landing spot is with the Las Vegas Raiders. They have the 37th overall pick, giving them the fifth selection tonight.
I'm looking for Shedeur Sanders to the Raiders in round 2 tomorrow.
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) April 25, 2025
Las Vegas signed Geno Smith to an extension after trading for him earlier this offseason. However, head coach Pete Carroll was part of the Seattle Seahawks team that drafted Russell Wilson after adding Matt Flynn in free agency. Furthermore, Sanders has a good relationship with minority owner Tom Brady. After getting Ashton Jeanty last night, the Raiders keep improving their offense by drafting the former Colorado Star.
Many thought the New Orleans Saints would draft Sanders with the ninth overall pick last night. Instead, the team improved their offensive line with Kelvin Banks Jr. Reportedly, the Saints had a higher grade on Tyler Shough than Sanders. Therefore, don’t be surprised if they take the former Louisville star with the eighth pick in the second round, especially with Derek Carr’s shoulder situation.
TreVeyon Henderson Meet Sean Payton
Some mock drafts had the Denver Broncos taking Henderson with the 20th overall pick, even over Omarion Hampton. However, the Broncos decided to take one of the top defensive backs in the draft class, selecting Jahdae Barron. While their secondary might be the best in the NFL, Denver has the worst running back unit, especially after losing Javonte Williams and Samaje Perine in free agency.
Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime are the team’s top two running backs on the depth chart. Neither has shown enough to warrant a starting role in the NFL. Thankfully, Henderson is still available after the first round. The former Ohio State star reminds many scouts of a more explosive Alvin Kamara. Therefore, expect Payton to explore getting his hands on Henderson.
Unfortunately, he won’t make it to the Broncos' second-round pick. Therefore, they will have to trade up for the dynamic running back. The New York Jets are picking 42nd overall and could look to move back. Trading with New York would allow Denver to leap ahead of the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys for Henderson. The Broncos could send the Jets their second-round pick (51st overall) and a pair of Day 3 selections.
Four Running Backs Get Drafted in the Second Round
Speaking of running backs, we will see four come off the board in the second round. TreVeyon Henderson to the Broncos would be an excellent fit. Meanwhile, his former Ohio State teammate Quinshon Judkins shouldn’t have a long wait tonight. Furthermore, Kaleb Johnson could come off the board in the top 50 picks.
Meanwhile, don’t be surprised if either Bhayshul Tuten or Jaydon Blue gets drafted in the late second round. There are several running back-needy teams picking throughout the second round, including the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, and Dallas Cowboys, selecting within the first 12 picks. More importantly, there are a few teams picking later in the round who could try trading up for a running back.
The Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, and Washington Commanders all could explore adding a running back in the second round. Buffalo is in messy contract talks with James Cook. Meanwhile, the Texans and Commanders need more speed out of their backfield. Don’t be surprised if Judkins lands in Chicago, Henderson with the Broncos, and Houston or Washington drafts Tuten or Blue at the end of the second round.
New England Trade Up for a Wide Receiver
While the New England Patriots flirted with the Cleveland Browns, trying to trade up to second overall to draft Travis Hunter, they didn’t add a wide receiver on Day 1 of the NFL Draft. Instead, they selected Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick, giving Drake Maye a massive updraft at left tackle. However, the young star quarterback requires additional support on offense.
Will Campbell you are a PATRIOT 😤@will_campbell66 | #PatsDraft pic.twitter.com/POx7hZqqKn
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) April 25, 2025
New England signed Stefon Diggs in free agency, giving them a clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver for the 2025 season. However, the veteran is coming off a torn ACL, is on the wrong side of 30, and isn’t a long-term answer at wide receiver. Therefore, the Patriots should be aggressive tonight and trade up to 33rd overall for Luther Burden III.
They will need to jump ahead of multiple wide receiver-needy teams, including the Houston Texans (picking 34th overall), the Tennessee Titans (35th overall), and the Las Vegas Raiders (37th overall). Last year, New England spent a second-round pick on Ja'Lynn Polk. However, he had an awful rookie season, totaling 12 receptions. Don’t be surprised if Mike Vrabel pushes the Patriots to move up for the former Missouri star.
Will Johnson Continues to Slide
Unfortunately, injuries can play a massive role in prospects falling in the NFL Draft. Johnson was once considered a top-10 pick, potentially pushing Travis Hunter as the No. 1 cornerback in draft rankings. However, his draft stock has slipped throughout the pre-draft process for numerous reasons. Reportedly, some teams had concerns about his speed after Johnson opted against running a 40-yard dash before the NFL Draft.
More importantly, the former Michigan star reportedly has a chronic knee issue. The red flag forced a potential top-10 pick out of the first round. Unfortunately, Johnson won’t have a short wait on Friday night. There aren’t many cornerback-needy teams picking at the top of the second round. Furthermore, teams could continue to opt for other top-50 cornerback prospects over the former Michigan star.
Michigan CB Will Johnson Jr. has a knee issue that has concerned some NFL teams and helps explain why he still has not been selected.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 25, 2025
Trey Amos and Shavon Revel Jr. were late first-round picks in many mock drafts leading up to last night’s event. Many teams could opt for either cornerback over Johnson because of the long-term concerns around his knee. Hopefully, he will come off the board sooner rather than later. Johnson’s likely floor is 55th overall to the Los Angeles Chargers and his former Michigan head coach, Jim Harbaugh.
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