The Athletic has around-the-clock live coverage of the 2025 NFL Draft. Check out Dane Brugler’s all-encompassing draft guide, “The Beast,” and his breakdown of the top 300 prospects available
At long last, draft week has arrived.
For those of you who haven’t been paying attention to every scouting detail over the past several months (although, plenty of you certainly have), here’s a quick refresher on where everything stands heading into the 2025 NFL Draft …
Who has the No. 1 pick in the draft?
The Tennessee Titans. They’re now on their third GM (fourth, counting an interim) and second head coach since going 12-5 in 2021. Former GM Ran Carthon hired Brian Callahan ahead of last year’s disappointing 3-14 campaign, which ultimately led to Carthon’s dismissal and the arrival of longtime Chiefs scouting executive Mike Borgonzi as the new general manager.
So, the Titans — who still seem sort of misaligned with regard to the GM and coaching staff — are starting over. Kind of. And though anything is still possible, especially if the Titans can get another team to trade up for the No. 1 pick, plenty of smoke suggests Borgonzi will select Miami QB Cam Ward to open the 2025 NFL Draft.
Will Levis has yet to prove capable of being a full-time NFL starter, meaning QB is a clear position of need for the Titans. It’s one need in a line of many, however, as Tennessee still has to find playmakers on both sides of the ball — specifically, receivers (or tight ends) and multiple pass-rushing threats. The Titans’ roster also needs more help on the offensive line, doesn’t have a firm answer at running back and isn’t great up the middle defensively.
If it’s possible, trading the No. 1 pick might be advisable, as Tennessee could use more high-value draft capital. It currently has eight total picks, but six are outside the top 100.
Who has the most (and the fewest) picks in the NFL Draft?
After years in NFL Draft darkness due to the disastrous Deshaun Watson trade, the Browns finally have a sizable draft haul with which to work. Cleveland has the most draft capital of any team entering the 2025 draft: four picks (Nos. 2, 33, 67, 94) in the top 100 and 10 selections overall. The Jaguars, Titans, Patriots and 49ers round out the top five in terms of pick volume, while the Giants and Seahawks (four top-100 selections each) are also in strong position, too.
This is also set up to be a relatively strong year for the Buffalo Bills, who have gotten used to picking at the bottom of Round 1 during the Josh Allen era. The Bills have four picks inside the top 110 (30, 56, 62 and 109).
The Minnesota Vikings, who made multiple trades in 2024 to land J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner in the first round, have the least capital this year — just two top-100 picks (Nos. 23 and 97) and four selections total. Also in rough spots this year are Atlanta and Washington, each having just two top-100 selections and five picks total heading into the weekend.
Who will be the No. 1 pick in the draft?
In a class that likely won’t produce anything close to a consensus top 10 among NFL draft boards, nothing should be completely ruled out at No. 1. As mentioned, though, Tennessee is reportedly fond of Ward, the best passer in a relatively so-so quarterback class.
It’s likely no quarterback in the 2025 class would have heard his name called ahead of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye a year ago — but Ward is pretty firmly the best prospect in this group.
The 6-foot-2, 219-pounder has one of the more unique developmental stories we’ve seen in years. He was a Wing-T quarterback in high school before starting his college career at tiny Incarnate Word, then matriculating to Washington State and eventually Miami.
The one common thread in Ward’s arc is that he steadily improved during each of his five college seasons. With explosive arm talent and natural passing instincts, he exploded for more than 4,000 yards with 39 touchdowns last season at Miami, setting the Division I record for career TD passes (158).
Ward is still very much a work in progress, however, from process and decision-making standpoints. His feet are inconsistent, plus he takes too many chances with the football and tends to operate without urgency from the pocket. Still, many scouts believe Ward’s history of year-to-year improvement can continue in the NFL. (Many said similar things about Levis, who is still on Tennessee’s roster, before he was selected in Round 2 in 2023).
Ward reminds many of a larger Kyler Murray. Shedeur Sanders, likely QB2 in this draft, feels similar to Broncos QB Bo Nix.
Will there be trades?
Almost certainly, yes, but no one’s quite sure where.
This draft class does not have an overabundance of clear-cut blue-chip talent atop the board. Many NFL teams likely will enter the draft with only about a dozen true first-round grades on their respective boards; some might have fewer than 10.
There are still several QB-needy teams in the top 10, though, even if most of them are having a hard time justifying spending high on the position this year. The Titans, Browns, Giants, Jets and Saints all still need long-term answers at quarterback. The Steelers (pick No. 21) are in that same boat.
Should Sanders fall outside the top three, a team could make a move up for him. Teams such as Cleveland or either of the New York squads might try to trade back into Round 1 to grab Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe or Louisville’s Tyler Shough before Thursday night concludes.
If a rash of QBs go early this year, quality talent elsewhere will be pushed down the board. Teams looking for an answer at tight end (Penn State’s Tyler Warren, Michigan’s Colston Loveland) might be in the market for a trade up. Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty could be another trade-up target, along with Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham.
What is the current draft order?
The Round 1 draft order for Thursday night, as of April 22:
The full draft order — all 257 scheduled picks — can be found here. If you want to take a deeper dive, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler released a full seven-round mock draft last week.
Prospects to Watch
1. Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Colorado
The best football player in this draft by a pretty wide margin, Hunter is also the most unique prospect we’ve seen in years. Were he just a wide receiver, he’d be the top-ranked player at that position in this year’s class. Were he just a corner, he’d be the No. 1 corner.
But he’s both. And there’s really no one to compare him with, as Hunter’s two-year run on both sides of the ball at Colorado was unlike anything we’ve seen in modern-day football. The closest comparison would be Hall of Famer and fellow Heisman winner Charles Woodson. A potential culture-changing athlete on either side of the ball (and likely both over time), Hunter is a true football unicorn.
2. Abdul Carter, edge, Penn State
If not for uncertainty surrounding a foot injury that kept him out of pre-draft testing, Carter might have been the popular choice to go No. 1. Carter’s camp maintains his injury will not require surgery or have an impact on his rookie season. If that’s true, then Carter is easily the best edge in a class filled with athletic pass rushers.
Built in the same mold as fellow former Penn State star Micah Parsons, the 6-4, 250-pound Carter has stack linebacker experience and seemed to get better as an edge rusher every time he got into a stance last year. His College Football Playoff run was dominant, and his future looks extremely bright as a possible positionless front-seven hybrid.
3. Mason Graham, DT, Michigan
The best defensive tackle in a terrific DT class, Graham was a consistent presence at Michigan from his true freshman season on, anchoring one of the country’s top-performing defenses during his three-year run (which included a national title in 2023). At 6-3, 306, Graham has power all over his body with enough bend and body twitch to destroy just about any block attempt.
A former elite wrestler, Graham always plays with great leverage and is versatile enough to align just about anywhere along the defensive front. He is a three-down weapon and a potential culture-changer inside for an NFL defense.
4. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State
One of the rare examples of a running back who is truly worth a top-10 selection, Jeanty is the type of three-down offensive weapon who can impact everything an offense does — run or pass. A capable gap runner with elite vision and contact balance, Jeanty (5-9, 211) is also explosive enough to push the edge and carve teams up via zone schemes.
A former high school receiver (and quarterback), Jeanty is a terrific pass catcher and route runner out of the backfield, and he’s insanely difficult to tackle in the open field. He was, quite simply, college football’s most productive back since Barry Sanders.
5. The TE1 contenders
The debate between Warren and Loveland is one of the 2025 draft’s most interesting conversations — both tight ends could wind up as top-10 players in this class. Warren (6-6, 256) is reminiscent of former Colts star Dallas Clark, as a three-down weapon with terrific production and an elite blocking ceiling. Loveland (6-6, 248), meantime, is the better receiver, capable of beating linebackers, safeties and even some corners at all levels. He plays like a fun cross between Ravens star Mark Andrews and Lions standout Sam LaPorta.
6. The OT1 contenders
Another positional debate that’ll be settled early in the first round, the race to be the first tackle selected this year is between LSU’s Will Campbell and Missouri’s Armand Membou. Campbell, a three-year starting junior, is the most technically sound offensive lineman in this class — with arguably the top work ethic. Explosive with great feet and accurate, disciplined hands, Campbell (6-5, 319) works hard to overcome a lack of ideal length on the edge, although some believe he’ll be a better guard in the NFL.
Membou (6-4, 332) is a more powerful and impressive athlete, although he’s not on Campbell’s level in terms of technique consistency.
7. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
The most intriguing receiver in the class outside of Hunter, McMillan’s 6-4, 213-pound frame reminds many of Falcons standout Drake London — he’s able to win in the air against anyone, while maintaining an ability to adjust to off-target throws.
Despite his huge catch radius and production after the catch at Arizona, however, his 4.53-second 40-yard-dash time (1.58-second 10-yard split) does raise some concerns about whether he’ll be as effective off the snap in the league. If he’s not, he’ll be relegated to playing as a big-bodied X-only receiver.
8. Jalon Walker, Edge/LB, Georgia
Another hybrid defender, built similarly to Carter, Walker (6-1, 243) was one of the most active front-seven playmakers in college football last season. He made plays whether he was in the stack as an inside linebacker, in coverage or on the line of scrimmage as a pass rusher. He’s smaller than Carter but might have better instincts for the football and could align as a sam linebacker … or just about anything else a team wants in a pass-rush weapon up front.
Team and scheme fit will be important here, because coaches will have to keep an open mind with a player this talented.
9. Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M
One of the best overall athletes in the draft, Stewart (6-5, 267) ran a blazing 4.59 40 at the combine, plus posted a 40-inch vertical jump and broad jump of 10 feet, 11 inches. His athleticism-size-length combination is reminiscent of former No. 1 pick Travon Walker.
Stewart’s level of polish coming out of college is reminiscent of Walker, too, for better or worse — Stewart played in a heavy rotation at Texas A&M and only had 4 1/2 sacks over three college seasons. It might take some time for him to reach his ceiling in the NFL, and there’s bust potential here. But he could develop into one of the NFL’s best defensive linemen.
10. Mike Green, edge, Marshall
Green enters the draft with plenty of off-field baggage, as he’s twice been accused of sexual assault (once in high school and once in college). He was not charged in either situation and denied the allegations during his combine news conference.
From a football perspective, he’s one of the draft’s best athletes and another potential front-seven hybrid. Another former wrestling standout, Green (6-3, 251) plays with explosion and power throughout his frame and has enough speed to run with just about anyone on the field. NFL teams will have to do their homework here. Green is a potential top-10 talent on this board but could fall into the latter half of Round 1.
(Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; Photos: Patrick Mulligan, Michael Pimentel, CFP / Getty Images)
