The 2025 NFL was known for a historically weak quarterback class, a most unexpected slide and shocking trades. Quarterback at Miami Cam Ward was the expected number one pick, and was selected by the Tennessee Titans. Following that pick, the Jaguars made a wild move trading up from five to two to select the most all around athlete in this year’s draft, Travis Hunter. The Browns, who had previously the pick, would move down to five. Only one other QB was taken in the first round after Ward, reinforcing the weak class this year. The headline story throughout the draft was the slide of Shedeur Sanders, once a projected top ten pick, who slipped out of the first round entirely and would continually fall throughout the following rounds before finally being selected by the Browns in the fifth round. Even with few quality quarterbacks available, day two and three delivered strong value picks, especially on the defensive side.
Cam Ward going to the Titan, was not surprising to any NFL fan. The Titans needed a quarterback and they committed to rebuilding their future around Ward. The Jaguars traded up to not only get a lockdown corner in Hunter, but also to get an offensive weapon. Ashton Jeanty, one of the most dominant running backs in college football history, could have been picked anywhere from five to ten in the draft. But, with the hire of Pete Carroll and knowing what he can do with running backs, it was not a shocker that Jeanty was selected by Las Vegas.
The one other quarterback selected in the first round was Ole Miss’ star quarterback Jaxson Dart. Some mock drafts had him going in the first round, while others had him being taken in the middle of the second; the Giants traded up to get their second pick of the first round and take a risk with Dart. Shedeur Sanders’ perplexing fall out of the first round was the biggest story of the draft — the son of football legend Deion Sanders, he was deemed by some to be overrated and others to be the future of the draft. Many believe his cockiness and arrogance was one of the reasons that teams did not want to use a valuable early-round pick on him.
Two quarterbacks taken in the first round was unexpected. What followed was even more shocking. Several quarterback needy teams, such as the Saints, Browns and Steelers passed on Sanders multiple times during rounds one through three allowing Sanders to fall to the third day. By the time the third day came, experts did not know when, or even if, he was going to be drafted.
Instead, more quarterbacks went ahead of Sanders. Louisville’s 26-year-old QB Tyler Shough was taken by the Saints, a team thought likely to pick Sanders. The Seahawks selected Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, and the Browns, most shockingly, took Dillion Gabriel (a projected fifth or sixth rounder) out of Oregon in the third round. Everyone was wondering why Sanders has not been taken yet. Concern prevailed through media distractions, leadership questions and the ability to fit with traditional offenses. Sanders finally came off board in the fifth round by the Browns, where he had the chance to “prove all the haters wrong” and battle with Gabriel to be the starting quarterback by the beginning of the season.
Several teams filed major needs in this year’s draft, but three stood out: the Cardinals, Giants and Patriots. Arizona bolstered its defense early, landing dominant lineman Walter Nolen in the first round and stealing cornerback Will Johnson in the second, a player some had going high as pick No. 11. The Giants made a statement by selecting Abdul Carter with the third pick to anchor their already loaded seven on the defensive side, then shocked many by trading back into the first round and taking Jaxson Dart — their potential quarterback of the future. New England had one of the most balanced drafts, starting off with the top lineman Will Campbell and following with productive picks such as TreVeyon Henderson and Kyle Williams. All three teams walk away from this draft significantly more complete heading into the 2025 season.
While several teams made smart calculated moves, a few decisions raised eyebrows among the analysts. The Giants’ reach for Jaxson Dart, the Brown taking Dillion Gabriel in the third and the Saints using a pick on a 26-year-old quarterback.
While most of the first round picks made sense on paper, there were some that left experts scratching their heads. Miami took Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant at 13th — most graded him as a day two talent. The Bengals reached for Shemar Stewart, who is very physically gifted but was inconsistent on the edge for Texas A&M. Donovan Jackson was a name most people thought was going to be a second round pick, but experts were not surprised with him going off the board in the first. Jackson was a player who had solid tools but struggled as he split blocks with Josh Simmons and did not generate much first round buzz.
The 2025 NFL Draft was filled with surprises, interesting trades and one of the most unexpected falls seen in a long time. Some teams will walk away with hall of fame recipients and some will walk away with busts. This next season will show us how these players will perform in their NFL careers.
