The 2025 NFL Draft held in Green Bay, Wisconsin got off to a hot and fast start with top talents being selected and a major trade being swung within the first three picks of the night.
Tennessee earned the top pick in the draft after posting the worst season in the league last year.
With their top selection, they chose a quarterback to lead the future of their franchise.
Within seconds of that pick being announced, one team pulled off a massive and stunning trade to move up into the second overall pick to select a generational talent.
The player considered by many to be the best in the draft pool was selected third overall while last year’s Heisman runner-up was taken a few picks later.
Here, DailyMail.com recaps the first round of the NFL Draft as the next crop of talent in the league greets the fans for the first time.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell greets the fans in Green Bay at the 2025 NFL Draft
After months of speculation, the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft was made and the Tennessee Titans have a new face of the franchise in Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
Surrounded by his family, Ward celebrated with his mother and father in the green room just off the stage.
Ward’s story to reach this point is a testament to his determination. After being rated a no-star prospect out of high school, his talent allowed him to expertly use the transfer portal and make moves to big time programs.
After starting off at FCS Incarnate Word, he jumped to Washington State for two seasons before finishing out his career at Miami.
It was there that he had his best season of his FBS career, throwing for over 4,300 yards and 39 touchdowns while only giving up seven interceptions. His QB rating of 88.7 was one of the top marks in the league.
The Texas native also showed off his legs – running for a career best 204 yards along with four touchdowns in his final college season.
Ward finished fourth in this season’s Heisman voting, three spots behind winner Travis Hunter.
The Tennessee Titans selected Cam Ward with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft
Ward came out on stage and embraced NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in Green Bay
Ward will now be set to be the face of the franchise in Tennessee as they need a quarterback
While it was an easy bet to say that Hunter would be taken second overall, the fact that a team traded up for him was the shocker of the night.
Not even a full minute after Ward’s selection was announced, a blockbuster of a trade saw the Jacksonville Jaguars move up to the second overall pick to select Hunter.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jags received the second overall pick, a fourth round pick (No. 104), and a sixth-rounder (No. 200). In exchange, the Jaguars sent the fifth-overall pick as well as a 2026 first-round pick. They also gave Cleveland pick No. 36 in this year’s draft and a fourth-rounder (No. 126).
Hunter was one of the most-watched players in college football last season for his tremendous prowess on both sides of the ball.
His plans to continue his college trajectory as a cornerback and a wide receiver at the next level will not prevent teams from taking a chance on one of the top athletes in the draft pool.
As a defensive back, Hunter is great in coverage and plucked four interceptions on eleven defended passes last season.
As a wide receiver, not only is he a strong route runner but he’s phenomenal after the catch and is more than capable of making his man miss. He topped 1,000 yards for the first time in his career last season – hauling in 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns for Colorado.
With Hunter, the two biggest questions he’ll face in the NFL are: 1) How many years will he play each side of the ball and 2) which will be his ‘primary’ position. But those are problems the Jaguars will be glad to solve.
Just seconds after Ward was drafted, the Jacksonville Jaguars pulled off a massive and shocking trade to move up to the second pick and selected Colorado’s Travis Hunter
The Heisman Trophy winner, decked out in a highlighter pink suit, celebrated on stage
Hunter was penciled in at No. 2, but the Jaguars made the deal with Cleveland to get him
Following Hunter, the New York Giants selected Abdul Carter – considered by some experts to be the top overall talent in the draft – with the third overall pick.
With Carter, it’s quite possible that the best player in this NFL Draft is the guy that went third overall.
The Philadelphia native stayed at home and went to Penn State where he was a menace in his three years with the Nittany Lions.
That includes last season, when Carter switched positions from linebacker to edge rusher and instantly found success.
Carter recorded 173 total tackles, 23 sacks, five forced fumbles, and an interception across his three years in State College.
In 2024, he logged 68 tackles, two forced fumbles, and an astounding 12 sacks in his final year and led the nation in tackles for a loss.
The Giants selected the third major talent in this draft when they took edge rusher Abdul Carter
The Penn State pass rusher was considered by many to be the top prospect in the draft pool
After the Patriots selected some offensive line help in Will Campbell and the Browns used the pick they got in the trade to select defensive tackle Mason Graham, the Las Vegas Raiders played a bit of a wild card to take running back Ashton Jeanty sixth overall.
Jeanty came just a few hundred votes short of Hunter for the Heisman, despite putting up the best season on the ground since football legend Barry Sanders.
After spending all three of his college seasons at Boise State, Jeanty now heads off for the NFL – being picked the the team from the city he was born in.
Jeanty had a monster season for the Broncos: piling on a national-best 2,601 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns.
He’s tough to bring down and can break tackles easily. Plus, his pass-catching ability out of the backfield is sure to be a game-changer.
Two picks after Jeanty was taken, the Carolina Panthers selected the first wide receiver in the draft when they picked Arizona wideout Tetairoa McMillan.
The first tight end selection came as a bit of a surprise. While many believed Penn State’s Tyler Warren was the top prospect at the position, the Chicago Bears instead chose Michigan’s Colston Loveland.
Elsewhere, the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys each chose to protect their quarterbacks by selecting offensive linemen. Saints QB Derek Carr will be behind Kelvin Banks Jr. while Cowboys QB Dak Prescott will get blocking help from Tyler Booker.
With the sixth pick, the Las Vegas Raiders bolstered their backfield with Ashton Jeanty
Later in the evening, the Giants decided to trade back up into the first round of the draft. They gave up the 34th pick (second round) the 99th pick (third round), and a third-rounder in 2026.
While many expected this to be a move up to take Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, instead, they selected Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Atlanta also made a trade up in the draft – getting the 26th pick and a third-rounder while giving up a second-rounder and a seventh-rounder this year and a first-round pick next year.
With their new selection, they chose Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr.
The final two picks of the night fell to the two Super Bowl participants: the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Weirdly, they swapped the final two picks – with the Eagles tossing in pick 164 (fifth round) to move up just one spot.
The Eagles took Alabama linebacker Jihaad Campbell, while the Chiefs selected Ohio State offensive lineman Josh Simmons.
That left one huge name sitting there without a team: Shedeur Sanders.
Shedeur Sanders was left watching in Texas as two quarterbacks were picked ahead of him
Sanders was expected to be a top selection but now falls down to a Day Two pick
Months ago, Sanders was expected to be a top-five pick in the draft – with some even believing he could go first overall.
Now, the son of Hall-of-Famer Deion Sanders is on the outside looking in and will be a Day Two pick at best.
All season long, Shedeur Sanders showed off his prowess as a pocket passer, benefited from a great connection with Hunter and tossed for over 4,100 yards and for 37 touchdowns.
While his willingness to take contact in order to make plays is a sign that he’s good in uncomfortable situations in the pocket. When the pocket holds up, his accuracy and arm strength makes him a threat in short, medium, and long range passes.
But he’s been prone to taking sacks in the name of making plays and doesn’t use his athleticism to avoid hits as much as he should.
Sanders has been called a ‘high floor’ product. Whether or not he can raise his ceiling in the NFL remains to be seen.
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