Day one of the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, and we now know the destination of the first 32 rookies coming into the league. Here’s a breakdown of the picks, sorted by moves we expected, the outcomes of trades, and the few selections that, even at this early stage, have us scratching our heads.

PAR FOR THE COURSE

1. Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward, QB
The Titans did what was expected and ushered in a new era of quarterbacking by selecting Ward, the consensus top QB prospect.

3. New York Giants, Abdul Carter, Edge
The Giants landed arguably the second-best player in the draft and immediately beefed up their defensive front.

4. New England Patriots, Will Campbell, OT
After landing a possible franchise quarterback in 2024, the Patriots invested in his protection by drafting Campbell to be Drake Maye’s blindside protector.

6. Las Vegas Raiders, Ashton Jeanty, RB
Pete Carroll is, was, and forever shall be an establisher of the run, and the Raiders leaned into this mindset by selecting the best running back prospect since Bijan Robinson.

7. New York Jets, Armand Membou, OT
The Jets continue to beef up their offensive line by landing a player who could, when all is said and done, end up being the best tackle in this draft class.

8. Carolina Panthers, Tetaiora McMillan, WR
The Panthers add another offensive playmaker to help Bryce Young, though they must have had some thoughts as to whether a defensive weapon might have been the answer here.

9. New Orleans Saints, Kelvin Banks, OT
The Saints moved to shore up the offensive line for whoever they plan to roll out at quarterback in 2025. Banks was a popular riser in recent weeks, and the Saints ensured he was a top ten selection.

11. San Francisco 49ers, Mykel Williams, Edge
The 49ers add a dude on defense after seeing a bulk of their starters on that side of the ball depart in free agency. Playing across from Nick Bosa, Williams should see favourable looks as early as day one.

12. Dallas Cowboys, Tyler Booker, OG
The Cowboys add to their offensive line, and now have three Tylers in their starting five. It’s a solid foundation for the running back they hopefully draft early on Friday.

13. Miami Dolphins, Kenneth Grant, DT
The Dolphins add a significant difference-maker to their defense without having to trade up. Anthony Weaver will be happy.

14. Indianapolis Colts, Tyler Warren, TE
The Colts ultimately decided not to play the ol’ switcheroo and moved to solidify a tight end room that has been without a consistent performer since Jack Doyle retired. Now the question is whether it will be Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones feeding him the ball.

15. Atlanta Falcons, Jalon Walker, LB
The Falcons needed playmakers on defense heading into the draft, and they added a local one here with former Georgia linebacker Walker. Even so, it’s not clear as to how much pass-rushing juice Walker will provide at the NFL level.

16. Arizona Cardinals, Walter Nolen, DT
The Cardinals sit and watch potentially the best defensive tackle in the class fall into their lap. Jonathan Gannon gets his version of Jalen Carter to give his well-schemed-up defense some teeth.

17. Cincinnati Bengals, Shemar Stewart, Edge
Stewart has awesome traits but little production, matching the Bengals’ desire to chase the upside in players perfectly. They needed bodies on defense, and athletically, Stewart is an enticing product with immense upside, but the floor is scary.

18. Seattle Seahawks, Grey Zabel, OG
The Seahawks’ offensive line has been a Greek tragedy for too long, and Zabel should be a starter from day one while offering positional versatility.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers, Derrick Harmon, DT
The Steelers make perhaps the most Steelers’y pick in the entire draft, and it’s a good one for a defense that has gotten older in recent years.

22. Los Angeles Chargers, Omarion Hampton, RB
The Chargers land an all-purpose back to give their ground game the juice it lacked in J.K. Dobbins absence last year.

24. Minnesota Vikings, Donovan Jackson, OG
The Vikings’ offensive line needed reinforcements, and they spent one of only four picks in this year’s draft on bolstering the interior.

27. Baltimore Ravens, Malaki Starks, S
An incredibly Ravens’y move to add another productive leader for their defensive backfield.

28. Detroit Lions, Tyleik Williams, DT
The Lions desperately needed to reinforce a defense that was decimated by injury in 2024, and while Williams may not offer much upside as a pass rusher, he can certainly help destroy running plays from early on in his career.

29. Washington Commanders, Josh Conerly, OT
The Commanders decided not to ride with the patchwork offensive line that helped them make the NFC title game in 2024 and invested in protecting Jayden Daniels for years to come.

30. Buffalo Bills, Maxwell Hairston, CB
The Bills desperately needed to invest in their defensive secondary and, with Hairston, they add a savvy player with a penchant for taking the ball away, leading the SEC with five picks in 2023.

THEY DID WHAT?

10. Chicago Bears, Colston Loveland, TE
The Bears spent a top ten pick on a tight end despite having a serviceable player in Cole Kmet and significant needs on the defensive side of the ball. Loveland is a viable receiver and should give Caleb Williams a nice security blanket, but it seems like a pick the Bears didn’t need to make.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Emeka Egbuka, WR
The Bucs seemed to be set at wide receiver heading into the draft, especially at the slot position, where they just re-upped Chris Godwin. Egbuka is a player best suited to play inside, making this selection feel somewhat awkward at this early stage while also torpedoing the hopes of Jalen McMillan, who came on late in 2024.

21. Denver Broncos, Jahdae Barron, CB
The Broncos seemed to be a team set on adding an offensive playmaker in the first round, but instead chose to give All-World corner Pat Surtain a young stablemate to play across from. I’m not saying this is a bad pick, it’s just something of an eyebrow-raiser.

23. Green Bay Packers, Matthew Golden, WR
The Packers needed a wide receiver, so the position is unsurprising. The player they took who plays at that position IS. Golden does not project like the dude this pass-catching corps seemed to be crying out and instead has more than a passing resemblance to some of the players already on the roster. He could develop into a stud, but he has a lot of work ahead of him.

TRADING PLACES

2. Jacksonville Jaguars, Travis Hunter, WR/CB
5. Cleveland Browns, Mason Graham, DT
The Jaguars sent the 36th, 126th and next year’s first-rounder to the Browns for the right to move up three spots and select the most freakish talent in the entire draft. Hunter immediately becomes the best corner on the Jaguars, whilst simultaneously giving Trevor Lawrence an intriguing 1-2 punch across from Brian Thomas Jr. The Browns land a nice haul and add the significant presence of Graham to bolster a defense that looked overmatched for large parts of the 2024 season — but will they regret passing on a unicorn like Hunter?

25. New York Giants, Jaxson Dart, QB
The Giants traded the 34th overall pick, a 2025 third-rounder and a future sixth-rounder to the Texans to get back into round one and draft a player in Dart who they will hope can become the long-term answer at quarterback. Dart is an enticing prospect but one in need of developing before he takes the reins in the NFL, a fact pretty much established with the Giants already naming Russell Wilson as their Week 1 starter. Will Brian Dabol be around when Dart’s time to start comes? That’s a huge question.

26. Atlanta Falcons, James Pearce, Edge
The Falcons have needed pass rush help since the first Obama administration, but trading away their 2026 first-round pick plus some later-round choices to the Rams to move back into the first round for Pearce seems expensive at this stage. Pearce is a freakish athlete, but it seems a lot to give up, and he will likely need to start producing from day one if the Falcons are to enjoy what this investment gives them.

31. Philadelphia Eagles, Jihaad Campbell, LB
32. Kansas City Chiefs, Josh Simmons, OT
The Super Bowl participants swapped places in the draft order, allowing the Eagles to use a first-round selection on a linebacker for the first time since 1979, bolstering a glaring positional need after injuries and free agency losses stole depth from their title-winning roster. Campbell should fit in nicely alongside Zack Baun as a do-it-all player in Vic Fangio’s defense. The Chiefs, meanwhile, took advantage of the swap to invest in protection for Patrick Mahomes. Simmons likely would have gone much higher had he not suffered a patellar tendon injury midway through the 2024 season. Assuming he returns to full health, he has a not insignificant task ahead of him.