Let’s look back at the 2025 NFL draft now that the dust has settled on all 257 picks. What were some of the best selections, both in the first round and further down the board? Which teams made the most confusing moves based on value and/or needs?
We asked 17 of our NFL experts to weigh in with their opinions on everything that went down in Green Bay.
Check back all week, as we will continue to update this file with new questions for our analysts each day. We will tackle the teams with the best rookie classes (Tuesday), Rookie of the Year candidates (Wednesday), fantasy sleepers in Year 1 (Thursday) and bold predictions for top draft picks for this season (Friday). But let’s start with the most impressive and most confusing picks of the draft.
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Favorite picks | Head-scratching moves
Who was your favorite pick in the entire draft?
Stephania Bell, fantasy football analyst: Running back Ashton Jeanty to the Raiders (No. 6). I love when draft picks have an immediate impact, and Jeanty can do exactly that. The Raiders were last in the league in rushing yards in 2024 (1,357), while Jeanty led the FBS (2,601). His talent as both a pass catcher and runner offers versatility for new coach Pete Carroll, who is looking to make the Raiders’ offense more dynamic.
Matt Bowen, NFL analyst: Safety Malaki Starks to the Ravens (No. 27). With Starks playing opposite Kyle Hamilton in the secondary, the Ravens have two interchangeable safeties to disguise coverages and change the picture post-snap. Starks is a versatile defender with playmaking ability, capable of impacting multiple levels of the field as a rookie.
Jeremy Fowler, national NFL reporter: Offensive tackle Josh Simmons to the Chiefs (No. 32). My favorite picks typically come with some level of risk but tremendous upside. Simmons embodies that. Multiple scouts told me his tape was the best of any offensive tackle. Injury concerns are there, but if Kansas City maximizes Simmons’ potential, it has a premier left tackle for Patrick Mahomes’ next chapter.
Dan Graziano, national NFL reporter: Starks to the Ravens. Baltimore has built much of its recent success on being strong up the middle of the defense, and Starks should be a perfect fit with that plan. The Ravens had their eye on Starks predraft, thinking his center-field abilities would allow them to play Hamilton closer to the line of scrimmage more often. The pair should complement each other well.
Kalyn Kahler, national NFL reporter: Receiver Tommy Mellott (No. 213) and quarterback Cam Miller (No. 215) to the Raiders. Yes, I’m writing about Mellott again, but I really loved the back-to-back FCS picks by Las Vegas. Mellott will likely convert from quarterback to receiver and become a Taysom Hill-like gadget player on special teams. Miller was a favorite developmental quarterback for several scouts. He had a really impressive pro day and could prove to be a great pick.
Pamela Maldonado, sports betting analyst: Wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter to the Jaguars (No. 2). This trade up was bold and exactly what this team needed. Hunter is a unicorn with his ability to be a shutdown corner and playmaker. His infectious energy could reinvigorate Jacksonville’s entire locker room.
Matt Miller, NFL draft analyst: Wide receiver Luther Burden III to the Bears (No. 39). I love the value of Burden early in Round 2 after ranking him as my No. 13 overall player. It was a smart team-building pick after Chicago already filled so many needs in free agency. I like the team’s determination to surround Caleb Williams with top-tier targets.
Eric Moody, fantasy football writer: Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan to the Panthers (No. 8). Coach Dave Canales has a strong track record with X receivers, and the Panthers landed the best one in the 2025 class. Drafting McMillan, the NCAA leader in contested catches over the past two seasons, allows 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette to shift into more of a situational role. Carolina quarterback Bryce Young should be excited about McMillan’s arrival.
Dan Orlovsky, NFL analyst: McMillan to the Panthers. He reminds me so much of Atlanta’s Drake London, and a QB loves a big-body wide receiver who catches everything. It will build confidence in Young.
Jason Reid, Andscape senior NFL writer: Simmons to the Chiefs. He could have been a top-five pick if he hadn’t sustained a knee injury in October. He displays a rare combination of power and quickness at the position. The Chiefs expect him to be ready by training camp.
Jordan Reid, NFL draft analyst: McMillan to the Panthers. Carolina’s receiver room consists of a lot of secondary options. But Young needed a go-to playmaker on the perimeter for his crucial third season. McMillan can develop into a true alpha WR1.
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The highlights that make Tetairoa McMillan an intriguing NFL prospect
Check out highlights from Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan as he heads to the Carolina Panthers.
Aaron Schatz, NFL analyst: Edge rusher Jalon Walker to the Falcons (No. 15). We know the Falcons needed to improve their pass rush, and Walker is a super-versatile player who can rush the passer or drop into coverage. Plus, the Falcons got him a couple picks later than his position on consensus boards.
Ben Solak, NFL analyst: Cornerback Jacob Parrish to the Buccaneers (No. 84). Parrish is a classic Todd Bowles cornerback — feisty, instinctive in zone, able to press and an excellent tackler in space. He reminds me of Tykee Smith, a 2024 third-rounder who emerged as a key nickel defender for Tampa Bay. The Bucs needed to add depth to their secondary, and they got a perfect scheme and culture fit in Parrish.
Mike Tannenbaum, NFL front office insider: Jeanty to the Raiders. This is a tone-setting pick for Carroll and GM John Spytek. Jeanty gives the Raiders a much-needed explosive playmaker, and he’s an ideal fit in new coordinator Chip Kelly’s offense.
Lindsey Thiry, national NFL reporter: Guard Grey Zabel to the Seahawks (No. 18). The Seahawks’ offensive line has been in need of help, and it wasn’t found in free agency. But selecting Zabel in the first round signals that the Seahawks are committed to improving their offense from the inside out, putting new quarterback Sam Darnold in a position to succeed.
Seth Walder, NFL analyst: Edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku to the Cowboys (No. 44). My sack model had Ezeiruaku essentially tied with James Pearce Jr. for the third-best forecast in the class. Despite not playing for an elite team in college (which can sometimes boost a player’s sack numbers), he racked up 16.5 sacks in 2024. Dallas only had to use a second-round pick to get him.
Field Yates, NFL analyst: Guard Donovan Jackson to the Vikings (No. 24). Jackson was 20th overall on my board, as I am extremely bullish on his positional versatility, power, toughness and overall play temperament. The Vikings began this offseason saying they would get their trenches in order and have done it.
Who was the biggest head-scratching pick of the draft?
Bell: Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka to the Buccaneers (No. 19). This may turn out not to be a head-scratcher at all if Chris Godwin’s recovery from ankle surgery has slowed. On the surface, the Bucs appeared well-stocked at the position with Mike Evans, Godwin and up-and-comer Jalen McMillan. But their move to take a first-round slot receiver (where Godwin lined up over 60% of the time last season) suggests they are making contingency plans.
Bowen: Wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa to the Lions (No. 70). I can see the traits with TeSlaa. He’s a 6-foot-4 target with seam-stretching ability, and he posted explosive testing numbers (4.43 40-yard dash, 39½-inch vertical). However, he is still a developing prospect, and it cost the Lions two 2026 third-rounders to trade up for him.
Fowler: Wide receiver Jack Bech to the Raiders (No. 58). Bech has the ball skills and competitiveness to make a quick impact on the Las Vegas offense, and the Raiders had a solid draft in Spytek’s first year at the helm. But several scouts from around the league — even ones that really like Bech — felt the second round was a bit high and the third round might have been a more sensible range.
Graziano: Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. to the Falcons (No. 26). This isn’t about the player; it’s about the price the Falcons paid to move up for him. Atlanta needed edge rush help and already got some earlier in the round with Jalon Walker. Trading next year’s first-round pick to get Pearce felt like a massive overpay, especially after the Giants gave up only two third-round picks to trade up to No. 25.
Kahler: Quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel (No. 94) and Shedeur Sanders (No. 144) to the Browns. Several scouts and executives I spoke to really started scratching their heads with the Gabriel pick, but the Browns also taking Sanders made even less sense. Neither quarterback has prototypical size for the position, and I’m not seeing the plan on how these two will split reps with Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett in camp.
Maldonado: Quarterback Tyler Shough to the Saints (No. 40). It made little sense, especially for a team that needs long-term stability under center. Shough will be 26 with a laundry list of major injuries, including two separate collarbone breaks and a broken fibula from a hip-drop tackle. He holds the ball too long, invites pressure and doesn’t get through reads fast enough — traits that only increase his risk of taking more hits.
Miller: Defensive tackle Kenneth Grant to the Dolphins (No. 13). This was both a poor value — Grant was an early-Round 2 player for me — and a luxury, given the Dolphins’ needs at cornerback and safety. Grant is certainly a good player, but the value just felt off.
Moody: Linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II to the Bears (No. 132). This fourth-round selection was shocking because many analysts predicted Hyppolite could go undrafted. I thought this was a major reach in the middle rounds by general manager Ryan Poles.
Orlovsky: The Cowboys not taking a single wide receiver in the draft. I fully expected them to take one after they had to force the ball to CeeDee Lamb last season. Taking guard Tyler Booker in the first round was fine, but they should have tried to find a secondary receiving option in any of the other early rounds.
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Stephen A. has Spears, Orlovsky in tears with his Cowboys’ draft observation
Stephen A. Smith has fun with the Cowboys drafting another offensive lineman named Tyler.
Jason Reid: Gabriel/Sanders to the Browns. Two developmental rookie QBs with Flacco and Pickett under contract? In camp and the preseason, how will Gabriel and Sanders get enough reps to adjust to the NFL and prove they deserve roster spots? I don’t get it.
Jordan Reid: Edge rusher Shemar Stewart to the Bengals (No. 17). I thought the Bengals would pursue a more proven finisher off the edge. Stewart is a risky gamble for a team that has to find immediate impact players opposite Trey Hendrickson. Stewart has impressive traits, but he had only 4.5 sacks in three college seasons.
Schatz: TeSlaa to the Lions. He scored basically zero in my Playmaker Score article featuring WR projections. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. rankings did have TeSlaa listed but as the No. 17 receiver and No. 157 prospect. And yet, the Lions dealt two 2026 third-round picks for him. He’s at best a duplicate of Detroit’s best receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Solak: Gabriel to the Browns. It’s tough for me to find a rosy future for Gabriel, who lacks the size necessary to make all the throws on an NFL field. He also doesn’t have the compensatory arm talent and movement skills that shorter quarterbacks like Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson have. I struggle to find a world where Gabriel really makes waves in that Browns QB room, even if Sanders wasn’t there.
Tannenbaum: The Falcons trading up for Pearce. While his ability is undeniable, giving up a future first-round pick is always risky, especially since Pearce’s predraft evaluations were all over the place.
Walder: The Falcons trading up for Pearce. Surrendering a future first-round pick to move up for a non-QB is almost always bad business, but it’s a particularly poor move for the Falcons. That’s because Michael Penix Jr. has three career starts, so there are plenty of worlds where the Falcons gave up a top-10 or even a top-five pick in this deal. (I’ll also throw the Vikings in here because they could’ve made a deal with the Falcons (or Giants) and traded out of the first round. Minnesota needed more picks.)
Yates: Wide receiver Pat Bryant to the Broncos (No. 74). This was a reach relative to my own rankings, as I thought Bryant was a Day 3 pick after posting a 4.61 in the 40-yard dash at the combine. There are traits of Bryant’s game I admire: He’s a strong route runner, has extremely reliable hands and was a clutch performer in college. This pick was just earlier than expected.