Mel Kiper Jr. includes Jaxson Dart in top-10, 15 SEC stars total in latest Round 1 mock draft

Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN has been busy since the NFL Combine in Indianapolis earlier this month. The veteran NFL Draft analyst recently released his updated big board, which featured 11 SEC football standouts in the top 25.

However, when it comes to what he actually thinks will happen in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft, Kiper is even higher on the SEC. He has a whopping 15 SEC stars hearing their names called in the first 32 picks on Thursday, April 24, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

Georgia and Texas lead the way with 3 players projected to go in Round 1 each. Kiper also has multiple Ole Miss players going in the first 32 picks, headlined by QB Jaxson Dart rising into the top 10.

Here’s a look at all the SEC guys Mel Kiper Jr. thinks will go in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft:

• No. 8 — Javon Walker, LB, Georgia — Carolina Panthers
• No. 9 — Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss — New Orleans Saints
• No. 10 — Mykel Williams, OLB, Georgia — Chicago Bears
• No. 11 — Armand Membou, OL, Mizzou — San Francisco 49ers
• No. 13 — Will Campbell, OL, LSU — Miami Dolphins
• No. 17 — Shemar Stewart, DE, Texas A&M — Cincinnati Bengals
• No. 18 — Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina — Seattle Seahawks
• No. 19 — Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama — Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• No. 22 — Matthew Golden, WR, Texas — Los Angeles Chargers
• No. 24 — Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas — Minnesota Vikings
• No. 27 — Malaki Starks, S, Georgia — Baltimore Ravens
• No. 28 — James Pearce Jr., OLB, Tennessee — Detroit Lions
• No. 29 — Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky — Washington Commanders
• No. 31 — Kelvin Banks Jr., OL, Texas — Kansas City Chiefs
• No. 32 — Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss — Philadelphia Eagles

There’s still a little over a month to go before the draft begins. Who will rise? Who will fall? We’ll see what happens over the next few weeks, but the SEC seems poised to dominate Round 1 yet again.

Adam Spencer

Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.