2025 NFL Mock Draft: Panthers move on from Bryce Young; Shedeur Sanders, Quinn Ewers go to surprising teams

While the Bryce Young era isn’t officially done in Carolina — he’s of course still on the roster — getting benched two games into your second season in the NFL is about as alarming as it gets. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick has been benched in favor of Andy Dalton, and at this point, it’d be a shock if he’s the Panthers starter at the beginning of the 2025 season. 

Therefore, Panthers general manager Dan Morgan, who doesn’t have ties to Young, will probably select the quarterback of liking to steer the franchise in a new direction next April. 

And that’s precisely where things get fascinating. For the time being, Georgia’s Carson Beck feels like the safest bet to be that first selection. He’s not a traits specimen. But he has above-average physical tools by NFL standards and has been wildly efficient as a passer at Georgia. 

But the Panthers, of course, aren’t the going to be the only team in the quarterback market next spring. The New York Giants are likely to be chief among those clubs. Will it be USC’s Miller Moss? Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders? Miami’s Cam Ward? Texas’ Quinn Ewers? We can’t even pencil-in anyone at this juncture, yet those candidates have all started the 2024 season tremendously at their respective schools. 

Speaking of tremendous starts, I cannot rave enough about Travis Hunter. He has 30 catches for 342 yards with five touchdowns in three games plus a pick and two pass breakups as a full-time cornerback. Hunter is the type of genetic anomaly who typically is picked very early in the draft.

Before I begin, one name I’d like to present near the end of this first round — Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon. He’s a towering yet wide-bodied interior rusher who has generated 17 pressures on 81 pass-rushing opportunities through three games for the Ducks after consecutive strong seasons at Michigan State. 

Now, let’s get to the players who heard their names called in this week’s mock draft. 

The draft order below was determined using the current FanDuel Super Bowl odds but in reverse 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 NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find “With the First Pick” wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Listen below!