The 2025 NFL Draft has concluded, and a largely chalked first few picks turned shocking when the Colorado star QB Shedeur Sanders went unselected. Here, we will cover the biggest storylines from all 3 days and answer some of the biggest questions.
Was the Jags trade worth it?
The Jacksonville Jaguars made the first trade early in the night to move up to #2, where they selected 2-way prospect Travis Hunter. To go from 5 to 2, they had to give away their first rounder next year, a high price for just a 3 pick movement. Adding to the questionability of this trade, though, is the likelihood that the Jags pick is just as high in 2026. Hunter, though, is considered a blue chip prospect, but it will be tough to navigate not overwhelming him -- both physically and mentally - with playing time on both sides of the ball.
Was it better for sanders to drop?
Now, this is obviously the biggest talking point of this year's draft, so I'm going to try to not talk quite as much about it, seeing as it has been nearly rung to its core. As a player, the goal is to be drafted as high as possible, both for money and for your roster safety, so in Sanders' mind this is certainly a disappointment. For most other players drafted so late, I'd argue that this is better, because you would come in with lower expectations and more time to develop, but Shedeur's situation is different. He is someone who was a possibility at #1, a likelihood at #9, and so on. The expectations will still be there, and because of the Browns' brutal QB situation, he will likely see the field early.
Did NYG make the right move?
After selecting Abdul Carter at 3, the New York Giants traded back into the first round to select Jaxson Dart at #25. First off, I love the Abdul Carter selection, as he is a safe prospect and was clearly the best player available at the time of the pick, and maybe even in the entire draft. As for Dart, it was certainly surprising at the time that they would pass on Sanders, but makes more sense in hindsight. Sanders reportedly showed up unprepared for a meeting with Brian Daboll, and it only went downhill from there. With that being said, however, I was not a huge fan of Dart throughout the process. I think that it was imperative for Daboll and co. to get a developmental project, though, and Jaxson Dart likely won't have to play much, if at all, in his first year due to the veteran presences of Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson in the Giants Quarterback room.
Did the Steelers wait too long?
Possibly. The Steelers were considered the most likely candidate after Shedeur Sanders' day 1 slide, but it quickly became obvious that they didn't want him. With Aaron Rodgers still mulling his future [AGAIN], they must've felt confident enough with their chances of landing him that they waited until the 6th round to add Will Howard to a QB room only containing Mason Rudolph and Skylar Rudolph. Should they not get Rodgers, I'm sure they'll regret this decision to wait on adding someone. With that being said, the organization clearly wasn't high on most of the QBs in the class, and I highly doubt they would've been contenders this year, so there is certainly reason to wait until next season's draft for someone more valuable.
Eli Knight
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