Seven-round NFL mock draft, Round 2: Building a win-now team from active players for 2025 season

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni bets that Penix’s accuracy will pair nicely with first-round selection Derrick Henry, as defenses load the box to prevent King Henry from pummeling them.Maye looked like a Josh Allen clone at times during his rookie campaign, and the Bills would love to find a potential bargain waiting here early in the second round.Young appeared to turn a corner at the end of 2024, giving offensive guru Andy Reid a glimpse of what is possible for the mobile passer in the right situation.Landing with Dallas’ division rival, Lamb aims to continue his four-year streak of 1,100 receiving yards.Cousins’ game is different from Jared Goff’s, but, if healthy, his veteran leadership could provide a similar calming influence.Hill’s numbers were down in 2024, failing to reach 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2019, but I expect a bounce-back campaign from one of the most explosive offensive playmakers the league has ever seen.The Rams gamble that Darnold’s renaissance in Minnesota is more than a one-year peak.The Texans pick Surtain over their current star cornerback, Derek Stingley Jr., in this spot. The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year has cemented himself as the top cover corner in the league.Ward’s natural athleticism and experience with different offensive schemes in college give him a good chance to adjust quickly to the NFL game.Fiction mirrors reality in this scenario as the Vikings make McCarthy their QB1 despite the former Michigan star missing all of 2024 due to injury.The Chargers build up the defensive front early on, taking Lawrence to stop the run and give quarterbacks someone to keep an eye on off the snap.Denver and Houston trade CB1s with the athletic Stingley going to the Broncos after Pat Surtain II was grabbed by the TexansWilliams took more sacks (68) than any quarterback in the league last year with the Bears, but he could see improvement in Year 2 with a strong Steelers offensive line and powerful running game led by first-round pick Saquon Barkley.