Honestly, looking back at the 2025 draft feels like staring at a different era of football. It’s early 2026, the NFL playoffs are in full swing, and we're finally seeing who lived up to the noise. You remember the hype. Everyone was obsessed with the "generational" talent of Travis Hunter and whether a running back like Ashton Jeanty could actually break the first-round curse.
The 2025 NFL Draft position rankings were a chaotic mess of projection and high-stakes gambling.
Scouts were losing sleep over this class because it didn't have that "sure thing" at quarterback. Usually, there's a Caleb Williams or a Trevor Lawrence. In 2025? We had a lot of "he's good, but..." conversations. It was a year where the trenches and the hybrid playmakers stole the spotlight. Let’s break down how those rankings actually shook out and who is actually making an impact now that the dust has settled on their rookie seasons.
The Quarterback Conundrum: A Wide Open Race
For the longest time, nobody knew who QB1 was. You had Shedeur Sanders with the pinpoint accuracy and the massive spotlight in Colorado. Then there was Cam Ward at Miami, who played like he was in a video game—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.
By the time the draft rolled around, the consensus on the 2025 NFL Draft position rankings for quarterbacks looked something like this:
- Cam Ward (Miami) - He became the gambling man's favorite. The Tennessee Titans bit the bullet at No. 1 overall because you just can't teach that arm talent.
- Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) - The Cleveland Browns took him at No. 2. He struggled a bit with the speed of the NFL game early on, finishing his rookie year with 10 interceptions, but the poise is clearly there.
- Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss) - The big "trait" guy. Scouts loved the frame, but the half-field reads at Ole Miss made teams nervous.
- Jalen Milroe (Alabama) - He ended up being a mid-round project for the Seahawks, and honestly, that was the right call.
It's kinda funny. People were terrified of this QB class. But Ward and Sanders both showed enough to suggest the "weak class" narrative was maybe a bit overblown. They weren't immediate superstars, but they weren't busts either.
Travis Hunter and the "Unicorn" Tier
We have to talk about Travis Hunter. Is he a receiver? Is he a corner? Yes.
The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't care about the logistics; they just wanted the best athlete on the planet. Most 2025 NFL Draft position rankings had him as the #1 overall prospect, even if he wasn't the #1 pick. Winning the Heisman as a two-way player changed everything. He proved that you don't have to pick a side, though in the NFL, he's spent about 80% of his snaps at cornerback because shutdown guys are just rarer.
👉 See also: J.B. Mauney Net Worth: Why the Dragon Slayer is Still the Sport's Richest Legend
The Big Boys: Dominating the Trenches
While the QBs were the talking point, the 2025 class was actually defined by the defensive line. Mason Graham from Michigan was basically a human wrecking ball. He’s a guy who doesn't have the longest arms—scouts harped on that for months—but his wrestling background made him impossible to block.
The Browns paired him with Shedeur Sanders in the first round, and Graham has been a Day 1 starter.
Then you had Abdul Carter from Penn State. If you wanted a pure speed rusher who could flatten to the quarterback, he was your guy. He ended up with the New York Giants and, honestly, he's the leading candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year right now.
Defensive Line & Edge Rankings
- Abdul Carter (Penn State): The ceiling was through the roof. He’s basically a younger, twitchier version of the elite edge rushers we see on Sundays.
- Mason Graham (Michigan): The best 3-technique in the class. Pure power.
- Mykel Williams (Georgia): A bit of a slow burn, but the physical tools are terrifying.
- Walter Nolen (Ole Miss): Great against the run, though he needs to develop his pass-rush bag.
The Ashton Jeanty Effect
For years, we’ve been told "don't draft running backs in the first round."
Ashton Jeanty didn't care.
His 2024 season at Boise State was so dominant that it forced NFL GMs to rethink their spreadsheets. He has this incredible contact balance where he just bounces off linebackers like they're made of foam. The Dallas Cowboys snagged him at No. 12, and it's been a perfect marriage. He gave that offense a soul again.
Behind him, the RB rankings were actually pretty deep. You had Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson from Ohio State. That backfield was a cheat code in college, and both have looked solid in the pros as "RB1b" types.
Why the "Expert" Mock Drafts Were Wrong
If you look back at the mock drafts from late 2024 or early 2025, they were obsessed with offensive tackles. Will Campbell (LSU) and Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas) were supposed to be top-five locks.
They both went in the top ten, sure. But the "arm length" debate really hurt Campbell's stock with some teams. It’s one of those classic NFL Draft tropes where a guy plays elite football for three years in the SEC, and then a scout with a measuring tape decides he's a guard.
Banks has looked like the better pro so far. He’s more of a natural athlete on the left side.
The Tight End Renaissance
We can’t overlook Tyler Warren and Colston Loveland.
The 2025 NFL Draft position rankings for tight ends were top-heavy but elite. Warren is that "Gronk-lite" build—huge, mean, and catches everything. Loveland is more of the modern "big wide receiver" type. The Broncos took Loveland to give their young QB a safety blanket, and he’s been their leading receiver in several games this year.
It’s rare to see two tight ends go that high and both succeed, but 2025 was a weird year.
Secondary: The Michigan Connection
Michigan didn't just produce Mason Graham; they had Will Johnson too.
✨ Don't miss: Why the score lions game today changes everything for Detroit
Johnson was the CB1 for almost every analyst. He’s 6’2”, fast, and plays with a certain arrogance that you need at corner. Injuries slowed him down a bit in his final college season, which made some teams nervous, but the Jaguars (who had a busy first round) took him to pair with Travis Hunter. That secondary is going to be a problem for the AFC South for the next decade.
Actionable Insights for the Next Cycle
If you're already looking ahead to the 2026 or 2027 drafts based on what we learned from the 2025 NFL Draft position rankings, keep these three things in mind:
- Production vs. Traits: Guys like Mason Graham and Tyler Warren, who had elite college production, transitioned much faster than "traits" guys like Jalen Milroe.
- The Positionless Player: Travis Hunter changed the math. Expect more teams to look for "athletes" rather than just a "cornerback" or "receiver."
- The Trench Tax: If you need a defensive tackle, you have to pay up early. The drop-off after the top three guys in 2025 was massive.
The 2025 class might not have been as "flashy" at the top as 2024, but it filled the league with blue-chip starters in the places that actually matter. It was the year of the "high floor" prospect.
Go back and watch the tape on Abdul Carter if you want to see what a franchise-altering pick looks like. He’s the blueprint.