The 2025 NFL Draft was one for the ages. Players that many football fans thought would go high actually freefell, and some fans were surprised by their favorite team’s picks. Plenty of NFL teams feel good about themselves coming out of this weekend, but there are others who should be worried. Here are my winners and losers from the draft:
Winners:
Cleveland Browns
While Cleveland started with a questionable trade back from the second pick, their draft class turned out to be one of the best. They added the best run defender in this class in Mason Graham, and bolstered the linebacker position with second round pick Carson Schwesinger. The Browns had a big need to address the running back position, so they picked Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins in the second and Tennesee’s Dylan Sampson in the fourth. The story of this entire draft was the shocking freefall of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The Browns passed up on him multiple times, even adding Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round. In the fifth round general manager Andrew Berry finally pulled the trigger, adding his second quarterback of the class. While drafting both Gabriel and Sanders is a little out of the ordinary, it creates competition for a quarterback room that has a lot of question marks. It will be a battle between Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and their two newly drafted quarterbacks. May the best man win, and if Cleveland doesn’t find an answer at quarterback after the 2025-2026 season, they have two first round picks next draft.
New York Giants
The Giants did a lot in this draft that could change the trajectory of their franchise for a long time. They got arguably the best player in the entire draft in Abdul Carter with their first round pick, and traded back into the first round to select Jaxson Dart. The Giants are desperate for a long term answer at quarterback. Dart gets a chance to develop behind veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston and eventually be the guy. Additionally the Giants added to their defensive line, drafting big Darius Alexander out of Toledo. One of the picks I like most in this class is Arizona State running back Cameron Skattebo. He will provide toughness to an already ascending running back room.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals had two great first picks. They addressed the trenches, adding Walter Nolen, one of the best defensive tackles in the draft. They also added Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, who fell to them in the second round to help their cornerback room. Jordan Burch and Cody Simon are some of the better day-two picks I saw and will make an immediate impact.
Losers:
Atlanta Falcons:
Jalon Walker was a great value pick at 15 overall, but the Falcons made a confusing move on Thursday. They gave up a 2026 first round pick to trade back into the first round, selecting Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. While having potential, there were some red flags about Pearce’s play and size heading into the draft. Giving up a first round pick next year for a player with some risks isn’t a great move. I think Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts was a good selection in the third round, but the trade up in the first round was what brought this class down for me.
Los Angeles Chargers:
The Chargers have some needs they failed to address in the early rounds. The bolts still need upgrades at edge rusher and cornerback to get them over the top. While I think first round pick Omarion Hampton will be good, the team already signed Najee Harris in the offseason. The urgency wasn’t there with some key spots which leaves me concerned heading into 2025 for the Bolts.
