2025 NFL Draft Recap: Top Picks, Trades, Team Needs & Biggest Surprises from Round 1
- Pre Game Sports
- Apr 25
- 4 min read
The 2025 NFL Draft's first round in Green Bay was a night of surprises, strategic trades, and a clear emphasis on building strength in the trenches. With 17 of the 32 selections being offensive or defensive linemen, teams showcased their commitment to fortifying the line of scrimmage. Notably, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, once projected as a top-3 pick, slipped, slid, and straight up fell out of the first round, setting the stage for an intriguing Day 2.
NFL Draft Top 5 Picks
Cam Ward, QB, Miami – Selected by the Tennessee Titans.
Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado – Acquired by the Jacksonville Jaguars after a trade with the Cleveland Browns for the second pick.
Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State – Chosen by the New York Giants.
Will Campbell, OT, LSU – Picked by the New England Patriots.
Mason Graham, DT, Michigan – Drafted by the Cleveland Browns.
First-Round Trade Recap
Jaguars Trade Up for Travis Hunter: Jacksonville made a bold move to secure the versatile Travis Hunter, trading with the Cleveland Browns to move from fifth to second overall. The Jaguars exchanged multiple picks, including their 2026 first-rounder, to acquire Hunter.
Giants Move Up for Jaxson Dart: The New York Giants traded back into the first round, acquiring the 25th overall pick from the Houston Texans to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Falcons Trade Up for James Pearce Jr.: The Atlanta Falcons executed a trade with the Los Angeles Rams to move up to the 26th pick, selecting Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr.
Eagles and Chiefs Swap Picks: The Philadelphia Eagles traded up to the 31st pick, selecting Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, while the Kansas City Chiefs moved to the 32nd pick, choosing Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons.
Team Needs and First Round Selections
Here's a snapshot of each team's top needs entering the draft and their first-round pick:
Pick | Team | Top 5 Needs | First-Round Pick |
1 | Tennessee Titans | QB, WR, OT, DL, CB | Cam Ward, QB, Miami |
2 | Jacksonville Jaguars *Via Trade | DL, CB, S, OL, WR | Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado |
3 | New York Giants | OL, WR, DL, CB, QB | Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State |
4 | New England Patriots | OL, WR, CB, DL, LB | Will Campbell, OT, LSU |
5 | Cleveland Browns | DL, WR, LB, CB, S | Mason Graham, DT, Michigan |
6 | Las Vegas Raiders | RB, WR, CB, S, OL | Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State |
7 | New York Jets | OL, WR, TE, S, DL | Armand Membou, OT, Missouri |
8 | Carolina Panthers | Edge, DT, WR, C, QB | Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona |
9 | New Orleans Saints | Edge, WR, TE, CB, DT | Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas |
10 | Chicago Bears | OL, RB, Edge, WR, TE | Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan |
11 | San Francisco 49ers | DL, Edge, OL, RB, CB | Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia |
12 | Dallas Cowboys | WR, RB, CB, LB, DL | Tyler Booker, OG, Alabama |
13 | Miami Dolphins | OL, DL, S, CB, TE | Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan |
14 | Indianapolis Colts | TE, OL, LB, Edge, RB | Tyler Warren, TE, Penn St. |
15 | Atlanta Falcons | Edge, DL, CB, OL, S | Jalon Walker, LB, Georgia |
16 | Arizona Cardinals | OL, WR, Edge, DL, CB | Walter Nolen, DT, Ole Miss |
17 | Cincinnati Bengals | OL, CB, WR, DL, LB | Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M |
18 | Seattle Seahawks | WR, IOL, CB, S, DL | Gray Zabel, OG, North Dakota St. |
19 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | LB, CB, Edge, S, OL | Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio St. |
20 | Denver Broncos | RB, WR, CB, TE, DL | Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas |
21 | Pittsburgh Steelers | QB, RB, DL, WR, CB | Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon |
22 | Los Angeles Chargers | TE, WR, DL, RB, Edge | Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina |
23 | Green Bay Packers | CB, WR, Edge, DL, OL | Matthew Golden, WR, Texas |
24 | Minnesota Vikings | CB, OL, S, LB, DL | Donovan Jackson, OG, Ohio St. |
25 | New York Giants *Via Trade | OL, WR, DL, CB, QB | Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss |
26 | Atlanta Falcons *Via Trade | Edge, DL, CB, OL, S | James Pearce Jr., Edge, Tennessee |
27 | Baltimore Ravens | OL, CB, S, DL, Edge | Malaki Starks, S, Georgia |
28 | Detroit Lions | Edge, OL, S, DL, WR | Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio St. |
29 | Washington Commanders | Edge, CB, WR, S, OL | Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon |
30 | Buffalo Bills | CB, DL, WR, Edge, S | Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky |
31 | Philadelphia Eagles *Via Trade | OL, CB, WR, DL, LB | Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama |
32 | Kansas City Chiefs *Via Trade | DL, OL, Edge, S, WR | Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State |
Top Remaining Prospects on ESPN's Draft Board
Offensive Players:
TreVeyon Henderson, QRB, Ohio St.
Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado
Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa St.
Mason Taylor, TE, LSU
Defensive Players:
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Mike Green, Edge, Marshall
Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge, Boston College
Darius Alexander, DT, Toledo
Pregame Bar Crawl: Las Vegas Edition
As the NFL Draft excitement continues, Las Vegas transforms into a hub of football excitement. Join fellow fans for a pregame pub crawl featuring exclusive drink specials at some of the city's top sports bars. Stay tuned for upcoming crawl info soon!
