The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft is officially in the books.
All 32 franchises entered the night holding their original first-round picks, but it didn’t take long for that to change. After the Tennessee Titans took quarterback Cam Ward first overall, as expected, the Jacksonville Jaguars jumped into the Cleveland Browns’ No. 2 spot to select cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter. The New York Giants rounded out the top three by taking edge rusher Abdul Carter. No great surprises there.
The top of the class of 2025 doesn’t boast quite the same star power in the form of generational talent, but Thursday night still brought plenty of interesting moments.
Here are our top takeaways from Round 1.
New head coaches make their mark with identity-establishing picks
After another big spin of the coaching carousel earlier this off-season, we’re starting to see teams’ new identities take shape as new head coaches begin to bring their visions to life. We saw plenty of that Thursday night.
In Jacksonville, first-time head coach Liam Coen — an offensive mind known for creative play-calling and player development — saw his team jump from No. 5 to No. 2 to take the consensus best prospect in the class in Travis Hunter, a player who brings an instant boost on both sides of the ball. The Jaguars needed a jolt, and they got it. It’ll be fun to see how Coen approaches the dual-threat rookie, and where Hunter takes most snaps.
Two picks later, Mike Vrabel’s Patriots had a clear priority heading into Thursday: Protect quarterback Drake Maye. Taking top offensive tackle Will Campbell was a no-brainer, not to mention a very Vrabellion selection for a coach who knows the importance of the trenches.
At sixth overall, the Las Vegas Raiders’ revamped front office made a selection with new head coach Pete Carroll’s fingerprints all over it when they took running back Ashton Jeanty. (It’s the highest a running back has been selected since the Giants took Saquon Barkley second overall in 2018.) Carroll, whose Vegas residency will open with a familiar face at quarterback in fellow former Seahawk Geno Smith, centred much of his Seattle offence around the run game. Now, with the dynamic Jeanty joining the roster, he’s well-equipped to do the same in Vegas.
The Chicago Bears were expected to add on offence, too, and did exactly that with the addition of tight end Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick. Rookie head coach Ben Johnson built up a sensational offence in Detroit, and oversaw the development of another top-rated tight end in Sam LaPorta. He’ll look to do the same in Chicago as he embarks on his time with the Bears.
Speaking of identity picks…
Harbaugh’s Chargers are ready to run
When Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh landed in L.A. last winter, he preached the importance of the run game. That vision was a work in progress last season — the Chargers ranked in the top third of the league for rushing attempts, but ranked 17th in total rushing yards and their 4.1 yards per carry was tied for fourth-worst league-wide.
But it’s about to come to life in Year 2. After signing ex-Steeler Najee Harris to a one-year deal in free agency, the Chargers doubled down on the run game with the selection of coveted running back Omarion Hampton 22nd overall. Both are powerful runners capable of taking on a heavy workload — that rings especially true for the rookie, whose scouting profile literally starts with “high-volume battering ram.” He might just be Harbaugh’s dream weapon.
The biggest winner in all this has to be Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who thrived when given a dynamic rookie receiver last year. Now, he gets run support as L.A. bulks up its offence.
Falcons (finally) address their pass-rush problem
This is not a drill. After several years at or near the bottom of the league’s sack totals, the Atlanta Falcons finally took action with the addition of not one first-round pass-rusher, but two. The team selected edge Jalon Walker 15th overall — a local pick out of the University of Georgia — and then traded back into the first round to select another edge in James Pearce Jr. at 26th overall. (The pick initially belonged to the Rams.)
Edge rushers are always among the most coveted positions in the draft, and thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles’ masterclass on the Super Bowl stage, we were all reminded of just how impactful a position it is if you hit the picks right. In total, five edge rushers were selected Thursday night, with plenty more expected to go early in Round 2.
Denver’s defence just got more dangerous
The Denver Broncos were considered a dreamy destination to land top running back Ashton Jeanty, but unless they were going to trade into the single digits ahead of Las Vegas, well… that didn’t happen. Instead, the Broncos stuck to their strengths, taking cornerback Jahdae Barron — the best CB available not named Travis Hunter.
Barron joins a defence headlined by reigning defensive player of the year Pat Surtain II. Under the guidance of defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, the Broncos have developed into one of the top young units in the league. In an AFC West that’s getting stronger across the board, Denver’s defence looks like it will be a force all its own in 2025.
Steelers pass on Sanders (for now). So, what’s the plan at QB?
The Pittsburgh Steelers entered Thursday with one massive, glaring, can’t-look-away need — a quarterback! — so when the 21st pick rolled around with the Steelers on the clock and Shedeur Sanders ready and waiting… it didn’t seem like a stretch to assume they’d gotten their guy.
Only, their guy turned out to be defensive tackle Derrick Harmon — a perfect fit for a team with a tradition of hard-working defensive players, but… not a quarterback.
With Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson still the only QBs on the depth chart, neither of whom have proven themselves as reliable starters despite ample opportunity, the question remains: Who will start at quarterback for the 2025 Steelers?
Will it be Aaron Rodgers? Those talks seemed to cool as the rumour mill stalled with Rodgers’ lack of decision. Can we assume they’ll heat up again now?
Is there a trade in the works? Kirk Cousins, Sam Howell and Will Levis are all reported to be on the block, though none are sustainable starters.
And what might this mean for Sanders? After the Giants jumped back into the first round to select Jaxson Dart, the second of two QBs taken in Round 1, the door closed on Sanders as a first-rounder. Barring a trade, the Steelers don’t pick again until Round 3.
Browns, Bears poised for eventful Day 2
The Cleveland Browns entered Thursday as an interesting team to watch, and that played out with their trading of the second overall pick. They still got a highly rated pass-rusher in defensive tackle Mason Graham, and are now poised to make a splash in Round 2 thanks to that deal. Cleveland owns two of the first four picks of the second round, including pick No. 33. Might they use one on a quarterback?
The Bears, too, are in great shape going into Day 2, with the seventh and ninth picks of the second round. With such a deep class of talent, and so many different opinions on draft boards, there will be several players available that many teams graded as first-round talent.
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