Rusty's 4.0 no trade 2025 mock

[RustyBourneHorse]

This is my 4.0 no trade mock. I'm not going to put measurements and such for players that I've already mentioned several times.


12.
Malaki Starks
S Georgia
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/malaki-starks/32005354-4159-2296-384c-e3be1fb506bf



Beast of a safety. I know we probably want corner, but I think Starks at safety would be a much greater need. I've mentioned about Castro before, but Starks is the best safety in the draft. We never really have elite safety play, and Starks can give us that. His coverage and run stopping abilities are amazing. I think he'd be a very good pick at 12.

44.
Jonah Savaiinaea
OG Arizona

I've drafted this player frequently and will frequently pick him in mocks. This is my favourite 2nd round option for 2025. Please refer to other mocks for this player

76.
Alfred Collins
DT Texas

I've mentioned this nose tackle frequently in mock drafts. Please refer to other mock drafts for more information on this player.


149.
Isaac TeSlaa
WR Arkansas
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/isaac-teslaa/32005445-5311-6936-ab44-7861b1b8f72f



Underrated WR who I think is a sleeper in the draft. I think he'd be a good pick here.

171.
Teddye Buchanan
LB California
See previous mock drafts

174.
Riley Leonard
QB Notre Dame
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/riley-leonard/32004c45-4f69-7925-6c8a-c518313880fe



Intriguing option to potentially backup Dak. I think he's an underrated QB.

204.
Tahj Brooks
RB Texas Tech
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/tahj-brooks/32004252-4f16-8325-38e7-d7fab363c600



Sleeper back who, especially at this spot, would be a steal. I think he's capable of being a lead back, and would be incredible value in the 6th round.

211.
Joshua Gray
OG Oregon State
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/joshua-gray/32004752-4170-2227-7356-7f8f75f78acb

Possible oline depth. Never hurts to have more oline.

239.
Nazir Stackhouse
DT Georgia

See previous mock drafts


247.
Cody Simon
LB Ohio State
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/cody-simon/32005349-4d36-0678-3e3e-c61679fe28bd



Underrated LB who is also a good special teamer. He'd be a good rotational linebacker for us. We never have enough linebacker depth, and he'd be decent depth for us at LB.

 

[cjlopez]

So called experts would pan this draft! It’s solid!!!! Without the wow!

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

So called experts would pan this draft! It’s solid!!!! Without the wow!

Well, it's not meant to be exciting. This draft is addressing major issues that our team has including safety, trenches, and linebacker. And that's without trading.

 

[John813]

I like Starks, but I just don't know if Matt/the front office is high on safeties-and taking them high. I feel like they will go one more year with Wilson/Hooker and Bell/Thomas/UDFA as the safety group.

Isaac TeSlaa feels like a NCAA25 generated name. lol
Crazy to see his athletics at 6'4. Another Fehoko type pick, where drafting for athletics than production. See if he can be coached up or not.

I know it's day 3, but I was never a fan of Riley Leonard. Just felt like he scrambled/used his legs too much, and could get away with it in the ACC/ND instead of working on his passing game-which his arm is limited anyways.
Think he can pan out as a backup QB, be well liked/tough player etc.. But his passing game to me is very limited and I'm not sure of the upside.


IMO swap Starks with a WR or corner. I doubt they go DT high, and Collins in the 3rd is good value.
Would even swap Buchanan for a RB drafted higher. Don't mind Brooks where he's taken though.

 

[Teague31]

Yikes. S at 12 is by far the worst case scenario

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Yikes. S at 12 is by far the worst case scenario

How so? Safety is something we don't really have, especially a free safety. Our best one is probably Donovan Wilson. Getting the safety I selected would give us a lethal secondary, and allows us to move Mukuambu to corner to replace Lewis. It's the perfect way to make our secondary top level.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

I like Starks, but I just don't know if Matt/the front office is high on safeties-and taking them high. I feel like they will go one more year with Wilson/Hooker and Bell/Thomas/UDFA as the safety group.

Isaac TeSlaa feels like a NCAA25 generated name. lol
Crazy to see his athletics at 6'4. Another Fehoko type pick, where drafting for athletics than production. See if he can be coached up or not.

I know it's day 3, but I was never a fan of Riley Leonard. Just felt like he scrambled/used his legs too much, and could get away with it in the ACC/ND instead of working on his passing game-which his arm is limited anyways.
Think he can pan out as a backup QB, be well liked/tough player etc.. But his passing game to me is very limited and I'm not sure of the upside.


IMO swap Starks with a WR or corner. I doubt they go DT high, and Collins in the 3rd is good value.
Would even swap Buchanan for a RB drafted higher. Don't mind Brooks where he's taken though.

Yeah, I could see that, and I could always go Castro in round 5 for strong safety. I just really like what I see with Starks. As for QBs, I prefer Rourke, but I like Leonard, but that's true that he's over reliant on his legs. And yeah, TeSlaa does sound like a generic name, but he might be a guy with good coaching.

 

[Aven8]

While I love Brooks waiting until the 6th is crazy. Brooks will go in the 4th IMO. We can’t afford to not get in on the RB sweepstakes this draft.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

While I love Brooks waiting until the 6th is crazy. Brooks will go in the 4th IMO. We can’t afford to not get in on the RB sweepstakes this draft.

I agree with you that we need a running back earlier, but that's the trouble with doing this draft without trades. While I love Jeanty, I'm a little hesitant about taking him at 12 (and he wasn't available when I was doing this simulation). I love what I see in Collins at NT in round 3, and Savainnaea is the perfect 2nd round pick. So, unless we take Williams from Ohio State at 12 (which, I wouldn't be opposed to even if people think it's a each and I might do next week), the only real window to take a running back is possibly Jeanty if we don't trade down. Or, I suppose if we went Guard round 1, we could go running back round 2.

I suppose I could have taken one in round 5 instead of Leonard, but, especially since I think we need to take a guard early, that's where threading the needle is particularly difficult without trading down. So, given the way this draft was going, this was the best way that I could see it, and there weren't any really good guard options round 1 on this board.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

This is my 4.0 no trade mock. I'm not going to put measurements and such for players that I've already mentioned several times.


12.
Malaki Starks
S Georgia
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/malaki-starks/32005354-4159-2296-384c-e3be1fb506bf



Beast of a safety. I know we probably want corner, but I think Starks at safety would be a much greater need. I've mentioned about Castro before, but Starks is the best safety in the draft. We never really have elite safety play, and Starks can give us that. His coverage and run stopping abilities are amazing. I think he'd be a very good pick at 12.

44.
Jonah Savaiinaea
OG Arizona

I've drafted this player frequently and will frequently pick him in mocks. This is my favourite 2nd round option for 2025. Please refer to other mocks for this player

76.
Alfred Collins
DT Texas

I've mentioned this nose tackle frequently in mock drafts. Please refer to other mock drafts for more information on this player.


149.
Isaac TeSlaa
WR Arkansas
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/isaac-teslaa/32005445-5311-6936-ab44-7861b1b8f72f



Underrated WR who I think is a sleeper in the draft. I think he'd be a good pick here.

171.
Teddye Buchanan
LB California
See previous mock drafts

174.
Riley Leonard
QB Notre Dame
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/riley-leonard/32004c45-4f69-7925-6c8a-c518313880fe



Intriguing option to potentially backup Dak. I think he's an underrated QB.

204.
Tahj Brooks
RB Texas Tech
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/tahj-brooks/32004252-4f16-8325-38e7-d7fab363c600



Sleeper back who, especially at this spot, would be a steal. I think he's capable of being a lead back, and would be incredible value in the 6th round.

211.
Joshua Gray
OG Oregon State
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/joshua-gray/32004752-4170-2227-7356-7f8f75f78acb

Possible oline depth. Never hurts to have more oline.

239.
Nazir Stackhouse
DT Georgia

See previous mock drafts


247.
Cody Simon
LB Ohio State
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/cody-simon/32005349-4d36-0678-3e3e-c61679fe28bd



Underrated LB who is also a good special teamer. He'd be a good rotational linebacker for us. We never have enough linebacker depth, and he'd be decent depth for us at LB.

Not bad, but Starks at #12 just doesn’t make sense. You need a starting WR or CB at that spot. The rest of the draft looks good but I would want a better option than Boyd at RB earlier in the draft, though he’s good value there.

 

[Hardline]

I would overdraft Hampton at 12 before taking a safety.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Not bad, but Starks at #12 just doesn’t make sense. You need a starting WR or CB at that spot. The rest of the draft looks good but I would want a better option than Boyd at RB earlier in the draft, though he’s good value there.

I get that about Starks, but let me counter with the point that we would be upgrading at safety, and we have some safeties that are also good at corner. Our main need for corner is to replace Lewis. I think Starks actually would not only upgrade the safety possession (and the DB room in general), but he also would cover CB deficiencies. We haven't taken a safety high since Roy 31 Williams. I think it makes sense from a counterintuitive standpoint that taking the best safety in the draft actually provides our corners more support.

 

[Sandyf]

Like the draft although don't believe they would take a S at 12, maybe with a trade down of some 8 to 10 spots.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Like the draft although don't believe they would take a S at 12, maybe with a trade down of some 8 to 10 spots.

I think, with a trade down, the right decision would be Tyleik Williams from Ohio State in the first round. And I don't think Starks would be there if we trade down more than 3-4 picks. He's that good of a safety imo.

 

[Acceptablename]

I think you did some skillful selection I'm not a fan of the first pic

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

I think you did some skillful selection I'm not a fan of the first pic

I'm aware that a lot will see my first pick as a head scratcher. However, as I stated, DB is a need. I know people would prefer a CB, but I think getting a highly capable safety could be a better idea. I think Starks is the best safety in the draft. Where we might be weak at CB, Starks can help double that WR. When we are playing teams like Philly, KC, or the entire NFC North (who we play this year), then getting a safety like Starks would be a quietly shrewd move.

 

[deerhunter11]

How so? Safety is something we don't really have, especially a free safety. Our best one is probably Donovan Wilson. Getting the safety I selected would give us a lethal secondary, and allows us to move Mukuambu to corner to replace Lewis. It's the perfect way to make our secondary top level.

Starks Thomas and Bell would be a solid crew ,wow what a trio that would be .That could make Dallas dominate in the secondary for years to come.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Starks Thomas and Bell would be a solid crew ,wow what a trio that would be .That could make Dallas dominate in the secondary for years to come.

Exactly my thought, along with helping out Diggs and Bland. Then, get a NT and some linebackers like I did here to help shut down the run, and we got a shot to make our defence really good in a year or two.