The 2025 NFL Draft continues on Friday with Rounds 2 and 3. Betting on the NFL Draft can be tricky with teams being so secretive about their draft day plans, and mock drafts can often be incorrect. Given the erratic nature of predicting the NFL Draft, it makes sense to look for plus-money bets.
Case in point: Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who was the odds-on favorite to be the overall No. 1 pick at the start of the year but fell out of the first round. My free betting picks aren't even sure he'll be the first signal-caller taken on Friday, April 25.
NFL Draft Day 2 predictions
No. 33 overall pick: Jalen Milroe (+2000 at bet365)
Shedeur Sanders is installed at -120 to be drafted at the top of the second round by the Cleveland Browns, but I'm not sure his slide stops here. Let's not forget that there have been his reports of his plummeting stock for weeks. Not only does Sanders lack a powerful arm and elite athleticism, but there's also speculation that his father and coach Deion Sanders doesn't want him in Cleveland.
Sure, the Browns are still in desperate need of a franchise quarterback, but there is another option on the board in Jalen Milroe. The Alabama QB has a cannon for an arm and ran a blazing-fast 4.37 40-yard dash at his Pro Day last month. There are questions about Milroe's decision-making and accuracy, but he might have the highest ceiling of any passer in the draft.
Browns GM Andrew Berry has been vocal in his appreciation for Milroe saying, "[H]e’s got rare physical talent. He may be the only quarterback when he gets in the NFL, who’s faster than Lamar (Jackson)...He’s got rare physical gifts. He’s strong, he’s fast, he’s got a really strong arm. And any system that you build around him, you want to take advantage of the fact that he has things that no other players at the position have.”
With the Browns facing Lamar Jackson twice a year, they know exactly how hard it is to defend against a highly-mobile QB.
Team to draft Shedeur Sanders: Saints (+550 at bet365)
So who does draft Sanders? My money is on the New Orleans Saints, who are still waiting for clarity on the status of incumbent QB Derek Carr.
A report surfaced earlier this month that Carr is dealing with an injury to his throwing shoulder that could jeopardize his availability for 2025. Even if those fears are overblown, the 34-year-old Carr isn't the long-term answer under center.
Carr was acquired by the previous regime, and new coach Kellen Moore might want his own guy under center. Sanders fell out of the first round, but he's still a productive and highly-accurate passer who showed poise under pressure behind a brutal line in college.
Some mock drafts even had the Saints taking Sanders with the ninth pick overall. While they took Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. with that selection, Sanders would be a good fit in the second round. And with the Saints taking offensive linemen with three of their last four first-round picks, Sanders might actually have time to throw in New Orleans.
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No. 34 overall pick: Aireontae Ersery (+210 at FanDuel)
Houston desperately needs help on the line after trading away Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Wide receiver Luther Burden might be tempting but this is a team that surrendered 54 sacks last year. Protecting quarterback C.J. Stroud has to be a priority.
Aireontae Ersery is the best remaining offensive tackle in the draft and there's a big gap between him and the next-best OT. The Big Ten offensive lineman of the year, Ersery has a massive 6-foot-6, 331-pound frame and with 5.01 speed in the 40, and he's mobile enough to stay on the left side in the pros.
Rams position of first player drafted: Cornerback (+290 at DraftKings)
The Los Angeles Rams don't place a ton of value on first round picks, which is why they've had just one pick in the opening round since 2017. They traded out of the first round yesterday and are now slotted at No. 46.
The Rams have several needs, including offensive line and off-ball linebacker. However, they never spend early picks on linebackers, with the top three guys on their depth chart all undrafted.
There won't be much value in offensive line in the middle of the second round but that won't be the case at corner, which has a plethora of talented players still available. Pretty much every team in the NFL could use more cover-men and the Rams are even more desperate, with Darious Williams and Ahkello Witherspoon manning the boundary spots.
Will Johnson is the most talented player to slip out of the first round, but if the Rams are concerned about his knee, there are plenty of other options. Trey Amos, Shavon Revel, Benjamin Morrison, and Azareye'h Thomas are all tall corners who are projected to go off the board in Round 2.
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