It was an exciting start to the 2025 NFL draft. We saw a little bit of everything in Round 1, and it got wild quickly. The Titans took Cam Ward to begin the night as everyone expected, but then the Jaguars came out of nowhere to trade up to No. 2 for receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter. The Giants took edge rusher Abdul Carter and then later moved up to get quarterback Jaxson Dart (with Shedeur Sanders still on the board). The Packers finally took a receiver in Round 1 with Matthew Golden, after more than two decades of avoiding it. The Falcons really attacked a big defensive need with two edge rushers. And we saw more guards than quarterbacks!
Let’s put the picks into context. Which teams were the big winners of the night? I really liked a bunch of these selections, as front offices were able to get some players at great values. But as always, there were also a handful of head-scratchers. To break down the best and worst of the first round, I leaned on my own Big Board rankings and prospect grades to get a sense of which teams got steals and which teams reached. Each roster’s biggest needs and any trades involved in the picks — both up and down the board — were also important considerations.
We’ll be back for Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday (7 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC and the ESPN App). I still have five players in my top 25 on the board, so expect some more impact selections on Day 2. Someone is going to get a top-five prospect in Sanders. I listed my best available players at the bottom here with some early second-round thoughts. But first, let’s recap the highs and lows of Round 1, starting with the host city breaking a long-standing draft trend.
NFL draft coverage:
Kiper’s Big Board | Big Round 1 questions
Pros and cons for every first-rounder
Draftcast | More
Jump to:
Biggest winners | Head-scratchers
Best prospects still available
