Everyone loves a good report card. We want to know right now who won, who lost, and who basically flushed their future down the toilet. But honestly? Most draft grades NFL 2025 are reactionary. They’re based on "value" and "reach" from guys sitting on couches instead of what actually happens inside a front office.
Take the Tennessee Titans. They grabbed Cam Ward at No. 1 overall. Some people screamed that his 7 interceptions in his final year at Miami showed he’s too risky. Others looked at the 3,900+ yards and the 39 touchdowns and saw the next superstar. The grade? It’s a B- for some, an A+ for others. That’s the reality of this class. It’s polarized.
The Absolute Winners: Who Nailed the Draft Grades NFL 2025?
If we’re being real, the Buffalo Bills might have had the best weekend of anyone. They didn't have a top-five pick, yet they somehow walked away with Maxwell Hairston at No. 30 and then snagged T.J. Sanders in the second. Hairston is a freak. He ran a 4.28 at the combine. You can’t teach that kind of speed, and for a team that needed a lockdown corner to survive the AFC East, that’s a home run.
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Then you have the Atlanta Falcons. They went heavy on the edge. Jalon Walker at No. 15 was already a steal—the guy won the Butkus Award for a reason. But then they traded back into the first for James Pearce Jr. at No. 26? That’s aggressive. It’s the kind of move that either gets a GM a statue or gets him fired. Right now, the experts are leaning toward the statue.
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The Las Vegas Raiders took Ashton Jeanty at No. 6. In a league that supposedly "doesn't value running backs," taking one in the top ten feels like a throwback to 1995. But have you seen Jeanty play? He’s basically a human bowling ball with a turbo button. He had over 2,000 yards at Boise State. If the Raiders can actually block for him, he’s an instant Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite.
- New England Patriots: Will Campbell at No. 4. Solid. Boring? Maybe. But protecting Drake Maye is the only thing that matters in Foxborough right now.
- Chicago Bears: Colston Loveland at No. 10. A lot of people preferred Tyler Warren here, but the Bears wanted a "big receiver" type at tight end. Loveland fits that perfectly.
- Cleveland Browns: They traded out of No. 2, got a haul from Jacksonville, and still landed Mason Graham at No. 5. That’s how you play the board.
Why the Jacksonville Jaguars Are the Biggest Question Mark
The Jaguars traded up for Travis Hunter. Let's talk about it. Hunter is a unicorn—a legit two-way star who won the Heisman. But he also had a knee injury that cut his final college season short.
Can he really play 100+ snaps a game in the NFL? Most scouts say no. They think he has to pick a side. If the Jags try to play him at both WR and CB, they might just break him. If he’s only a corner, was he worth the massive trade-up? This is the pick that defines the draft grades NFL 2025 for the AFC South. It’s high-risk, high-reward, and honestly, a little terrifying for Jags fans.
The Teams That Left Us Scratching Our Heads
The Cincinnati Bengals had a rough one. They took Shemar Stewart at No. 17. Look, Stewart has the build of a Greek god, but the production just wasn't there at Texas A&M. 4.5 sacks in three years? That’s not what you want from a mid-first-rounder. Then they went with Demetrius Knight Jr., a 25-year-old linebacker, in the second. It felt like they were reaching for "safe" players instead of game-changers.
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And then there are the Vikings. They are 4-8 for a reason. Their depth is non-existent. While Donovan Jackson was a decent pick to fix the interior line, the rest of their draft felt like throwing darts at a board while blindfolded. They took Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins in the fifth, which is fine, but when your roster has this many holes, you need more than "fine."
Breaking Down the Value: Small School Steals and Day 3 Gems
- Grey Zabel (North Dakota State): The Seahawks grabbed him at No. 18. He played every single position on the line in college. That kind of versatility is gold for a team with injury issues.
- Elic Ayomanor (Stanford): The Titans got him in the fifth round. He’s a big-bodied target who can catch anything. Pairing him with Cam Ward is a smart move to help a rookie QB.
- Malaki Starks (Georgia): The Ravens got him at No. 27. Pairing him with Kyle Hamilton? That’s just unfair. It’s the best safety duo in the league before he even plays a snap.
Front offices don't care about "draft grades" the week after the draft. They care about three years from now. But we’re fans, so we judge now.
The biggest takeaway from the draft grades NFL 2025 is that the gap between the "smart" teams and the "desperate" teams is widening. The Browns and Falcons used the board. The Bengals and Vikings seemed to let the board use them.
What You Should Do Next
If you want to really understand how these picks will pan out, stop looking at the letter grades and start looking at the depth charts.
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- Check the snap counts: Follow the rookies during preseason to see who is actually running with the ones.
- Watch the usage: See if the Jaguars actually use Travis Hunter on offense, or if that was just pre-draft hype.
- Track the injuries: Teams like the 49ers took Mykel Williams despite his ACL tear; his "grade" won't matter until 2026.
Keep an eye on the waiver wire too. Teams that had "bad" drafts are going to be aggressive in August when other teams start cutting veterans to make room for their shiny new rookies. That's where the real roster building happens.